Kylian Mbappé Takes Responsibility for His “Blunder”

On Thursday evening, during the penultimate round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, France triumphed (4-0) over Ukraine. However, the match could have taken a different turn just minutes before the opening goal. In the 50th minute, with the score still at 0-0, a foul by Dayot Upamecano was reviewed for a potential Ukrainian penalty. While the referee was checking the video, Kylian Mbappé attempted a move to disrupt the penalty kick, a risky strategy that could have influenced the match’s outcome.

“There was nobody next to the penalty spot. And I take a lot of penalties, so I know the areas of the supporting foot. If he could have slipped a bit if there was a penalty, we would take it… It’s a sneaky move. I spoke with the referee, and he immediately mentioned that a penalty was possible. So I was under the assumption there would be one. I wanted to put Mike Maignan in the best conditions possible. It’s something I wouldn’t do again, but these are the little sneaky moves we talk about,” explained the French captain during an interview with TF1. This gives an amusing glimpse into Mbappé’s behind-the-scenes antics from the match.