French superstar Kylian Mbappe has been roundly criticised for mocking Belgian Jan Vertonghen after the 37-year-old midfielder scored an own goal, helping Les Bleus reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 with a hard-fought 1-0 draw.
The 37-year-old Anderlecht defender, wearing the Belgian national team, accused Mbappe of faking a fall during the Euro 2024 round of 16. Then, with 85 minutes gone and the match looking like it was heading to extra time, Jan Vertonghen accidentally gave France a 1-0 lead. Randal Kolo Muani’s shot bounced off the 37-year-old goalkeeper, completely surprising Koen Casteels, before the ball rolled into the net.
In the celebration that followed, Kylian Mbappe first ran towards Vertonghen as if to provoke, before celebrating the goal with his teammates. It seems that Vertonghen, in his distress, did not pay attention to Mbappe’s taunts, after the referee reminded him after the two almost clashed. However, Mbappe was severely criticized by the crowd who witnessed his misdeeds.
Fans criticised Mappe’s offensive celebration and also hoped UEFA would investigate the French star. One fan said: “It’s embarrassing and very unprofessional, especially coming from a captain. It’s really unprofessional and there’s no need for it.
Mbappe was heavily criticised for his provocative celebration in front of the “sinner” Vertonghen who was suffering an own goal. Photo: GETTY.
Another person expressed his displeasure: “He lowered his dignity. Mbappe must do better. It’s a shame.” Mbappe was severely criticized with a conclusion: “This is the reason why Mbappe is not loved and respected, because he has no respect for others. A great player, a small personality.”
Even stranger, France scored a lot in Euro 2024 qualifying, second only to Portugal, but they rarely scored in the final round in Germany, including two victories thanks to own goals, and still have to compete for tickets to the round of 16.
There have been many complaints about France’s disappointing performance, with France yet to score live in a major European competition. Two of France’s three goals were scored by their own players, while the third was a penalty from Kylian Mbappe in a poor 1-1 draw with Poland in the group stage.
The French star has just scored 1 goal from the penalty spot at Euro 2024. Photo: GETTY.
Les Bleus will face either Portugal or Slovenia in the quarter-finals. Star captain Kylian Mbappe has yet to shine as expected, although he had an assist that led to France’s only goal against Austria in the first match of the Euro 2024 group stage. In the second half of that match, the Real Madrid forward suffered a broken nose in a collision with Austrian defender Kevin Danso.
In order to continue participating in Euro 2024 without surgery, France decided to equip the striker with a mask, which he wore during the matches against Poland and Belgium.
However, Mbappe doesn’t like wearing a mask, as he shared: “I didn’t expect this. Playing football with a mask is like torture. It’s really complicated because it limits my vision and my sweating, so sometimes I have to do it.”
Les Bleus will need Real Madrid’s new star to perform better in the latter stages of the tournament if they want to compete for the Euro 2024 championship. Remember that Mbappé scored 8 goals at the 2022 World Cup to win the top scorer title -in France.
