Source:REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
[Saba Sports News] In the 5th round of Group D of the European World Cup qualifiers, France secured a 4-0 victory over Ukraine at home, successfully qualifying for the World Cup. Notably, during the match, while a potential penalty for Ukraine was under VAR review, Kylian Mbappe subtly attempted to damage the penalty spot. After the match, Mbappe openly admitted to this ‘small action’ in an interview. Mbappe said: “No one was near the penalty spot. I take penalties myself, so I roughly know where the standing foot goes. If they really got the penalty, and the opponent’s standing foot slipped a little, of course, we would have benefited…” At this point, he couldn’t help but laugh. He continued: “It’s a bit of a ‘rodent-like’ move. I chatted with the referee, and he immediately told me a penalty might be given. So I assumed it would be. I just wanted to put Mike Maignan in the best possible conditions. It’s not behavior to be copied, but like I said, it’s a bit of a ‘rodent trick’.” Ultimately, the referee did not award Ukraine a penalty, and France secured a 4-0 victory, officially booking their place in the 2026 World Cup.