Norway striker Erling Haaland criticised the lengthy delay before Kylian Mbappe’s first-half penalty in France’s World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco, saying the wait was excessive.
France advanced to the semi-finals with a 2-0 win on Thursday, but one of the match’s main talking points was the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review that delayed Mbappe’s spot kick by more than three minutes.
Haaland reacted on social media by posting an image of the incident with the caption: “Need to wait 5 min to take a penalty is way too long.”
The delay lasted just over three minutes after France were awarded a penalty when Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui was adjudged to have fouled Mbappe.
During the review, Mbappe was seen in discussion with the referee before eventually stepping up to take the kick.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved the penalty, handing Mbappe his first miss from the spot for France since Euro 2020.
The France captain recovered in the second half, curling home the opening goal before Ousmane Dembele added a second to secure a 2-0 victory and France’s place in a third consecutive World Cup semi-final.
Mbappe, who was named player of the match for the third time at the tournament, urged his teammates to remain focused as they prepare for the last four.
“There can be no let-up. There is still a long way to go, and what lies ahead will be even tougher,” Mbappe said after the match.
The 27-year-old also dismissed concerns over the ankle problem that forced him off late in the game, saying the substitution was precautionary.
“It’s a minor ankle injury, but I’m fine,” Mbappe said.
“In that moment, I think Mateta was better suited to continue for the remaining minutes of the match. But I’m fine, don’t worry.”
France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals.
