Kylian Mbappe's stutter-run penalty miss against Morocco in the quarter-final went largely forgotten after France secured a 2-0 victory, but it highlighted a growing trend. The France captain joined Bruno Guimaraes, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Lionel Messi and Harry Kane in failing from 12 yards after hesitating in their approach.

The numbers are stark: 26 stutter penalties at this World Cup produced an 11-miss tally, a 57% conversion rate. By contrast, 35 conventional run-ups yielded 68% success. Overall, 30% of non-shootout spot-kicks were missed — the second-worst rate since 1966 — rising to 35% when shootouts are included, the highest on record.

Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin described an "arms race" where goalkeepers are "bigger, more athletic" and armed with data on every taker's tendencies. Yassine Bounou exemplifies this: the Morocco keeper has conceded just two of nine World Cup penalties faced, saving four. Mbappe's routine was disrupted by a three-minute, 12-second VAR delay — time Roy Keane called "unfair" and Ian Wright said breeds doubt.

Mbappe remains elite at 14 of 16 for France and 50 of 62 at club level, but the stutter's declining returns suggest takers must adapt. With keepers studying patterns and VAR extending the wait, the psychological edge has shifted. The technique that once froze goalkeepers now hands them time to read the shooter.