'Way Too Long', Erling Haaland Reacts To Long Penalty Delay That Disrupted Kylian Mbappe's Penalty in France vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 QF
Erling Haaland delivers a blunt verdict after Kylian Mbappé's first-half penalty was saved during France's 2-0 victory over Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal on July 9, 2026, at Boston Stadium. Haaland's comments highlight his 'old school' football philosophy. France secured their semi-final spot with goals from Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
France secured their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco at Boston Stadium, but the match was heavily overshadowed by a controversial first-half refereeing delay. A prolonged Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review lasted over three minutes before Kylian Mbappé was permitted to take a penalty, drawing sharp criticism from Norway striker Erling Haaland online. Although Mbappé’s subsequent spot-kick was saved by Yassine Bounou, the French captain recovered to score in the second half alongside Ousmane Dembélé to send the holders through. Kylian Mbappe Hailed by Manager Didier Deschamps After France March Into FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals By Knocking Out Morocco.
Erling Haaland Criticises Lengthy Interruption
The lengthy stoppage prompted an immediate reaction from Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, who was watching the quarter-final from his team's hotel. Taking to Snapchat, the Norwegian international shared an image of the scene with the caption: "Need to wait 5 min to take a penalty is way too long."
'Way Too Long'
Though Haaland slightly exaggerated the timing, the social media post quickly went viral before being deleted. His comments amplified an ongoing football debate regarding the psychological impact that extended VAR checks impose on penalty takers, effectively freezing them out of their rhythm before crucial moments.
The Penalty Incident and Bounou's Save
The drama unfolded midway through the first half when Mbappé bypassed his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Achraf Hakimi and went down under a challenge from Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui. Argentine referee Facundo Tello immediately awarded the penalty, but play was halted as VAR official Hernan Mastrangelo initiated a review to check if contact had occurred before the forward went down. FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule Today (July 11): Timings in IST, Venues, Groups.
Mbappé stood waiting at the spot for three minutes and 11 seconds, visibly growing more frustrated as he engaged in animated discussions with Tello. When the penalty was finally cleared to proceed, Mbappé produced an uncharacteristically weak effort toward the right corner, which was comfortably saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to keep the first half goalless.
Post-Match Reaction and Tactical Recovery
Speaking after the final whistle, France manager Didier Deschamps acknowledged the structural disruption caused by the refereeing staff. "I believe there was a VAR review and then a second review which took two minutes," Deschamps said. "It took a while and Kylian was ready to shoot. I don't want to find excuses, but it wasn't an easy situation." Erling Haaland Cheekily Reminds Wayne Rooney of ‘Rowing’ Promise After Norway Eliminate Brazil From FIFA World Cup 2026.
Television pundits also expressed concern over the incident, with former Manchester United captain Roy Keane stating during ITV's coverage that such long pauses give the psychological advantage back to the defending team.
Despite the setback, France adapted defensively and broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when Mbappé cut inside to hit a powerful, curling strike past Bounou. Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later, completing a professional performance that sees Les Bleus progress to face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2026 10:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
