Vivid Fan Explains How Kylian Mbappe Kept His Cool To Score Three Penalties In The World Cup Final Against Argentina

An eagle-eyed fan has taken it to a fascinating Twitter thread to analyse and explain how France forward Kylian Mbappe scored his three penalties in the World Cup final against Argentina. Penalties are not an easy job to deal with as it looks from the outside; ask Mbappe and Messi, who scored five [including shootouts] in the final. While Messi netted one in the regular time, Mbappe held his nerve to score two.

However, the 24-year-old had to come up against a goalkeeper in Emi Martinez, who specializes in stopping penalties. And the Aston Villa ‘keeper did get hand to two of Mbappe’s three penalties, but the striker hit them with so much of a force that the Argentine could just pick the ball from the back of the net. Mbappe was the core of an epic France comeback, first from two goals down in the regular time, and then cancelling out Messi’s extra-time goal to take the game to the penalties.

Fan explains how Kylian Mbappe soaked in the pressure to net three penalties

Kylian Mbappe first stepped in to take a spot-kick after substitute Kolo Muani was brought down by Nicolas Otamendi from behind in the 80th minute. As soon as referee Szymon Marciniak pointed towards the spot, the Argentina players gheraoed Mbappe who was waiting spark his side’s comeback. However, Argentina left-back Marcus Acuna brought the mind games into the play as he tried to scuff the penalty spot with his foot.

The fan who shared a Twitter thread to explain how the PSG superstar escaped these antics from the Argentina players, analyses that the striker quickly steps over the penalty spot and picks the ball in his hand. This restricts the Argentina players from further derailing his spot-kick, which Mbappe then slotted to Martinez’s right side. Despite the 30-year-old diving the right side, he fails to stop the powerful kick.

Second penalty of the night for Mbappe came with enormous pressure. Right in the 118th minute of the extra-time when France were trailing 3-2 after Messi had put Argentina ahead ten minutes earlier. This time, it was substitute Gonzalo Montiel who blocked Mbapp’e shot from his arm resulting in the 2018 World Cup winners getting another spot-kick.

And this time, it was not just Acuna who came forward with the tricks, Otamendi, Lautaro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez too performed antics to get in the youngster’s head. All of them tried to buzz in Mbappe’s ears, who was setting-up the ball on the white spot. However, the No.10 was backed up by his teammates Kolo Muani and Youssouf Fofana who pushed the Argentines away from the penalty-taker.

Mbappe scored emphatically sending Martinez the wrong side, as his hat-trick took the game all the way to the penalty shoutout. With France being given the chance to open the shootout, it was known that Kylian Mbappe will take the ball from the half-line to take the first kick. Emi Martinez’s shootout antics are as famous as his celebrations, which were on display in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands.

Mbappe, unfazed by any antics and brimming with confidence after already having netted two penalties, scored his third of the night quite comfortably as well. His teammates, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, however, let him down by missing their chances hence handing Argentina the win who scored all four of their spot-kicks.

But Mbappe’s heroics will be remembered forever, as the tournament had witnessed how some of the most clinical players like Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski missed their penalties under massive pressure, unlike this 24-year-old boy who scored three in the same game.