Schweinsteiger Criticizes Referee After Mbappé's Missed Penalty

Bastian Schweinsteiger has sharply criticized the performance of the officiating crew in the World Cup quarter-final match between France and Morocco.

The 2014 World Cup winner, now a TV pundit for ARD, specifically took issue with the referees' actions just before France captain Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty in the first half (28th minute).

"For me, it's a joke that Mbappé had to wait so long," Schweinsteiger fumed.

The background to this was that Mbappé had already placed the ball on the penalty spot, and Argentinian referee Facundo Tello delayed the execution because VAR was reviewing a clear foul by Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui on Mbappé inside the box. More than three minutes elapsed between the whistle and the penalty being taken. Furthermore, Tello made Mbappé reposition the ball, deeming its initial placement not in compliance with the rules.

Schweinsteiger found the sequence of events unacceptable: "He can't just let Mbappé place the ball – and then wait a minute." The long-serving German international questioned, "Is he influencing the penalty here? Now you have the discussion again. That was done very badly."

Klopp Speculates About VAR's 'Pee Break'

Following the lengthy wait at the spot mentioned by Schweinsteiger, Mbappé missed with a weak attempt. His misplaced shot to the right was easily saved by Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who had guessed the correct corner and made a comfortable save.

MagentaTV expert Jürgen Klopp commented on the VAR in this situation: "Now we don't know what exactly was going on, whether he was on a pee break, or what." He added that it "certainly didn't help Mbappé, and you could see that."

France vs. Morocco: All Referees From Argentina

The appointment of the refereeing team had already been a subject of much discussion before the match. For the first time in history, FIFA selected a five-person officiating team whose members all hailed from the same country. In this case, Argentina, which was a point of contention.

After all, France and Argentina share a significant sporting rivalry in recent history. In 2018, Les Bleus eliminated Argentina in the Round of 16 on their way to winning the title in Russia. Four years later, La Albiceleste exacted revenge, defeating France in a breathtaking final in Lusail after a penalty shootout. This was followed by some verbal skirmishes, with several Argentinians mocking Mbappé during their title celebrations.

While there was considerable misunderstanding among fans, experts, and in the media, France's protagonists did not wish to elevate the issue beforehand. Coach Didier Deschamps remarked regarding French referee Francois Letexier, who made several controversial decisions in favor of the South Americans in Argentina's 3-2 win over Egypt earlier in the week: "Let's hope our referee is just as good."

He further stated: "I trust the referees. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee."

Whether Deschamps still feels the same way is unclear. As the teams headed into halftime at the Foxborough Stadium with the score at 0-0, he sought out Tello for a conversation and spoke to him.

France's Squad for the 2026 World Cup

Position	Player	Club
Goalkeeper	Mike Maignan	AC Milan
Goalkeeper	Robin Risser	Lens
Goalkeeper	Brice Samba	Rennes
Defender	Ibrahima Konaté	Liverpool
Defender	Jules Koundé	Barcelona
Defender	Theo Hernández	Al-Hilal
Defender	Lucas Hernández	PSG
Defender	Lucas Digne	Aston Villa
Defender	Malo Gusto	Chelsea
Defender	Dayot Upamecano	Bayern Munich
Defender	William Saliba	Arsenal
Defender	Maxence Lacroix	Crystal Palace
Midfielder	Michael Olise	Bayern München
Midfielder	Aurélien Tchouaméni	Real Madrid
Midfielder	Adrien Rabiot	AC Milan
Midfielder	Warren Zaïre-Emery	PSG
Midfielder	Manu Koné	Roma
Midfielder	Rayan Cherki	Manchester City
Midfielder	N'Golo Kanté	Fenerbahçe
Forward	Kylian Mbappé	Real Madrid
Forward	Desiré Doué	PSG
Forward	Ousmane Dembélé	PSG
Forward	Marcus Thuram	Inter Milan
Forward	Jean-Phillipe Mateta	Crystal Palace
Forward	Bradley Barcola	PSG
Forward	Maghnes Akliouche	Monaco