Argentine referee awards penalty to France; Mbappé's shot saved

Argentine referee Facundo Tello correctly awarded a penalty to France in their World Cup quarterfinal match against Morocco after a foul by Noussair Mazraoui on Kylian Mbappé. However, the subsequent penalty kick, taken by Mbappé, was saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Bono.

The penalty decision came after several earlier fouls, with Tello indicating the foul occurred in the penalty area following Mazraoui's challenge on Mbappé. Tello ensured players did not encroach on the area and waited until the 27-and-a-half-minute mark to allow the kick, as VAR officials reviewed all camera angles to confirm no preceding errors.

Mbappé, visibly impatient with the delay caused by the VAR review, approached Tello to express his frustration shortly after the penalty was ultimately missed. This moment added a layer of tension to the match, though Tello's overall officiating in the first half was described as impeccable.

Tello was accompanied by assistant referees Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, fourth official Darío Herrera, and reserve referee Cristian Navarro. France's coach, Didier Deschamps, had previously commented on the Argentine officiating crew, expressing hope for a performance as strong as that of another referee, Mr. Letexier.