Mbappé's rare penalty miss fuels social media frenzy

Mbappé’s rare penalty miss for France shocked fans after Bruno Guimarães and Messi also failed from the spot in this World Cup knockout stage. The French forward’s chance to open scoring against Morocco on Wednesday was saved by Bono, marking his first miss since Euro 2020 versus Switzerland. Earlier in the knockout stage, Bruno Guimarães and Messi each saw their penalties saved, heightening the pressure on France. Their misses set a tense tone before Mbappé stepped up to take his spot‑kick. When Mbappé’s effort was stopped by Bono, it echoed his earlier miss at Euro 2020 against Switzerland. That previous penalty failure had coincided with France’s elimination in the round of 16.

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The incident ignited a flood of online commentary, with users asking, “Does the star player always have to take it?” Posts also queried, “Did Neymar enjoy that play?” and urged “Watch out, Messi!” while debating whether the referee interfered. On Tuesday, the World Cup’s all‑time top scorer was denied from the spot, and on Thursday the second all‑time top scorer suffered the same fate. Meanwhile, some fans even “forgave” Vini Jr. for not taking a penalty for Brazil against Norway.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence, showcasing the role of modern technology in sports reporting. Did the digital age change how quickly such blunders spread across platforms?