Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty during France’s 2026 World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco on July 10, citing confusion over referee instructions and an extended VAR review that disrupted his concentration. France still won 2-0, with Mbappe scoring in the second half, but the real story for crypto watchers was happening off the pitch.
Within hours of the penalty miss, unauthorized Solana-based meme tokens tied to Mbappe’s World Cup performance surged in speculative trading.
What happened on the pitch
Mbappe stepped up to take a penalty during the quarterfinal clash with Morocco. A prolonged VAR review created uncertainty about whether the penalty would even stand, and Mbappe later admitted that the lack of clarity from referees threw off his mental preparation.
He recovered in characteristic fashion, finding the net in the second half to help seal a 2-0 victory that sent France through to the next round.
