Experts slam referee's 'hopeless' delay before Mbappé's missed penalty

Kylian Mbappé's penalty miss in the World Cup quarter-final against Morocco has ignited debate among football experts, who largely condemned the referee's decision to allow an unusually long delay before the kick.

The delay, stretching over three minutes from the moment Mbappé was fouled to when he was permitted to take the penalty, drew sharp criticism. Football analyst Lars Tjærnås described the situation as "completely hopeless" on X, arguing that while the shot itself was weak, Mbappé should have been spared the extended wait.

Sky Sports' Chris Sutton echoed this sentiment, calling the wait "ridiculous" for such a clear penalty and stating Mbappé had every right to question it. Similarly, football journalist Henry Winter deemed it "unfair" to force the star player to wait so long. Even during the broadcast, experts like Magnus Wolff Eikrem of NRK noted that the long pause gave Mbappé ample time to overthink, contributing to his weak strike, which was ultimately saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Fox Sports experts Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexei Lalas also weighed in. While Ibrahimovic expressed confusion over the penalty situation, Lalas acknowledged the lengthy wait but ultimately defended the referee's process as correct. The winner of this match advances to the semi-finals to face either Spain or Belgium.