Following his team’s Nations League elimination last night, Kylian Mbappe was seen snatching referee Michael Oliver’s watch. World champions Spain defeated France 5-4 in a thrilling semifinal in Stuttgart, despite France having fallen behind 5-1 until a late comeback in the last 30 minutes.
Spain had taken the lead thanks to goals from Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, and Pedri, as well as a double from Lamine Yamal. However, Mbappe’s penalty was followed by goals from Rayan Cherki, an own goal from Dani Vivian, and a late header from Randal Kolo Muani to make sure Les Bleus didn’t lose easily.
France will now have to settle for a third-place playoff matchup against Germany on Sunday afternoon after failing to get another goal to force extra time. Mbappe is upset that there was no extra time at the end, but he feels the referee should take the blame for the team’s tight loss to England in the 1969 final, even though they gave up five goals for the first time since then.
Why Kylian Mbappe Grabbed Referee’s Watch At Full-Time
The Frenchman was convinced more time should have been added on
Mbappe was one of several French players spotted chatting with the referee following the final whistle. He missed out on yet another trophy after finishing his first season with Real Madrid trophyless after France’s Nations League semi-final loss on Thursday night.
The 26-year-old was not satisfied with the amount of extra time that was played, based on his post-match statement and the fact that he seemed to glance at Michael Oliver’s watch (see the incident below). According to beIN Sports, he stated:
“People will assume that I’m upset if I discuss the fact that I disagreed with the referee on the actual playing time. You must play for five minutes when the [stoppage time] is five minutes.
The Manchester Evening News’ senior football writer Tyrone Marshall said the Real Madrid talisman has every reason to doubt Oliver’s judgment. On X, he wrote:
“At the beginning of five minutes, which should be another thirty seconds, Spain substituted. Ruiz down for a minute, then? played an additional forty-five seconds. It’s strange that a tech-obsessed sport fails to appropriately time a match.
France will soon turn their attention to the World Cup the following year after winning the Nations League in 2022. France have every reason to think France can win the entire tournament next year, even though Didier Deschamps’ team hasn’t always performed well on the biggest stage and there is a persistent feeling that winning only a World Cup and a Nations League over the previous 13 years feels a little lackluster.
France has incredible squad depth throughout the entire team, led by Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, and Ballon d’Or frontrunner Ousmane Dembele. They will be looking to repeat their 2018 victory in the main tournament.
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