Mbappé faces backlash after Panenka as pundits accuse the Real Madrid star of lacking empathy following Brahim Díaz’s AFCON heartbreak
Kylian Mbappé has found himself at the centre of an unexpected storm after a penalty decision that many feel crossed the line from confidence into provocation. The Real Madrid forward has been criticised heavily following his choice to score a Panenka penalty just days after teammate Brahim Díaz suffered AFCON heartbreak with Morocco in almost identical fashion.
The controversy traces back to last Sunday, January 18, when Morocco faced Senegal in the AFCON final on home soil. With the score locked at 0-0 deep into second-half injury time, Brahim Díaz was handed a golden opportunity to win the tournament for the Atlas Lions.
The Real Madrid midfielder, who finished the competition as top scorer with five goals, opted for a delicate Panenka straight down the middle.
Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stood firm, barely moved, and gathered the ball with ease. Morocco’s dream collapsed moments later in extra time when Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye struck the decisive goal, condemning the hosts to yet another painful chapter in their 50-year wait for an AFCON title. Brahim was inconsolable at full-time, left in tears on the pitch.
A painful return to club football
Brahim’s return to Real Madrid duty offered little relief. He was named on the bench for the LaLiga clash against Villarreal, a match that opened with Pape Gueye being honoured by his club for his AFCON-winning goal with Senegal. It was a brutal reminder of events still raw for the Moroccan international.
When Brahim eventually entered the pitch in the second half, the spotlight shifted late on as Real Madrid were awarded a penalty in injury time. Mbappé stepped up and calmly converted – with a Panenka – down the middle of the goal. While the execution was flawless, the timing and symbolism ignited intense debate.
The parallels were impossible to ignore: same technique, same teammate, same opponent’s club, and just days after Brahim’s miss on the international stage.
Football pundit Walid Acherchour did not hold back when reacting to the incident on Winamax FC.
“I found it pathetic. It’s like if tomorrow I wanted to buy a Ferrari but didn’t have enough money, and the next day my so-called friend goes and buys one, then comes to me saying, ‘Look, this is how you buy a Ferrari…’”
He continued with another striking analogy.
“Or it’s like I get dumped by my girlfriend, I couldn’t keep her, and the next day you call me, tell me you’re going out with her and say, ‘Look, this is how it’s done…’ Honestly, don’t have friends like that!”
Acherchour argued that the gesture showed a lack of empathy toward a teammate still processing national heartbreak.
“Brahim Díaz did something crazy last Sunday: he lost the AFCON final, and then Mbappé goes and scores a Panenka in the 95th minute against Villarreal, Pape Gueye’s team, and tells him ‘this one’s for you, this one’s for you’, while the guy has been completely down for a week.”
His verdict was damning.
“Mbappé wants too much to be the main character in every movie. This isn’t your story, Kylian. Let people deal with their pain – I just can’t understand it.”
Whether Mbappé intended the moment as a statement, a show of confidence, or simply a routine penalty, the episode has reignited debate around the Frenchman’s ego and leadership skills in such a sensitive moment for his teammates.