The French team not only obtained a perfect score this June 26 in the group stage by beating Norway 4-1, but They also qualified directly for the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
The great figure of Les Bleus It was Ousmane Dembélé, current Ballon d’Or winner and author of a hat trick that gave his team victory.
However, another player who caught the eye was Kylian Mbappé, not because of the constant dangerous chances he created to score, but but for a gesture he made with the captain’s armband.
It all started in the second half, when Mbappé was replaced by Mateta and, as he headed to the bench, He took off his captain’s armband.
As usual, when the captain of a team is substituted during the match, he must hand the armband directly to the player who will assume that responsibility.
However, Mbappé surprised everyone when he handed the armband to referee Michael Oliver so that he could give it to Aurélien Tchouaméni.
According to the sports newspaper BrandMbappé’s decision It was due to the rules regarding substitutions.
These establish that, if a player takes more than 10 seconds to leave the field of play, they can be sanctioned. In the case of Mbappé, he could receive a yellow card.
In addition to the sanction, France would have been left with 10 players for about a minute in the match against Norway.
Mbappé’s action generated various reactions on social networks. Some considered it necessary to deliver the armband to the referee so as not to waste time; Others criticized that he did not give it directly to the player who would assume the captaincy.