Haaland Criticizes France-Morocco Refereeing, Deschamps Agrees

Norwegian forward Erling Haaland sparked controversy by directly criticizing the refereeing team that officiated the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match between France and Morocco. He expressed dissatisfaction with the extended duration of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review before the penalty kick awarded to France was taken.

The match ended with France winning 2-0, securing their place in the semifinals. The penalty was awarded following an intervention by Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui on Kylian Mbappé inside the penalty area.

Although Argentine referee Facundo Tello immediately pointed to the penalty spot, the execution of the kick was delayed for over three minutes due to a lengthy VAR review. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou eventually saved Mbappé’s penalty attempt.

Haaland’s Comment on France’s Penalty

Haaland addressed the incident on his Snapchat account with a brief 13-word message that generated significant attention: "Waiting five minutes to take a penalty... way too long."

The Norwegian striker considered the delay between the penalty decision and its execution excessive. This opinion was shared by several viewers and analysts who argued that such a delay could disrupt the penalty taker's focus.

Deschamps Agrees with Haaland’s Criticism

French national team coach Didier Deschamps expressed agreement with Haaland’s critique, stating that the duration of the VAR review was unjustified.

Deschamps said, "I agree with Haaland. I had the impression that the VAR referee reviewed the incident, then confirmed the decision, followed by another review lasting about two more minutes."

He added, "It took a very long time, and Kylian was ready to take the penalty already. The situation was not that complicated."

The French coach explained that the delay could cause some confusion for the player taking the penalty but emphasized that his team managed to overcome the situation and continue the match until securing their semifinal spot.

Despite Mbappé missing the penalty, France won the match 2-0 and advanced in their pursuit of a third World Cup title.