Mbappe Supports Diaz After AFCON Penalty Miss As Morocco Pursues Legal Action

Kylian Mbappe says Real Madrid will stand behind Brahim Diaz after the missed Africa Cup of Nations penalty, while the Royal Moroccan Football Federation plans legal steps over Senegal's walk-off that

overshadowed Morocco's 1-0 extra-time defeat in the AFCON final.

Mbappe explains Real Madrid players will help Diaz deal with the setback, drawing on personal experience from France's World Cup final loss to Argentina in 2022 and stressing that the focus inside the club is on Diaz's emotional recovery rather than blame.

Speaking before Real Madrid's Champions League match against Monaco, Mbappe says he contacted Achraf Hakimi for details rather than Diaz directly, noting the pain within Morocco's squad and linking it to difficult times Mbappe has felt with the national team during major tournaments.

"I haven't spoken directly with him. I spoke with Achraf [Hakimi] and I've been able to find out a little about what happened. It's a difficult time for them," Mbappe said. "I've also experienced very painful moments with the national team. There are going to be moments of anger and frustration. As players, we just have to keep working hard. "

Mbappe adds that Diaz’s ambition to collect trophies is clear, comparing that drive with Mbappe's own decision to join Madrid, and stresses that the squad must "consider the people involved and their feelings" as they rally around Diaz after the miss in Casablanca.

"He was so hungry to win those trophies. For instance, I came here to Madrid to win titles, but I think we also have to consider the people involved and their feelings. Right now, our focus is on trying to help him recover, supporting him, and giving him all our love. "

Diaz posts a lengthy message to Morocco’s supporters on social media, saying the missed penalty has left deep emotional pain, thanking fans for constant backing, accepting full responsibility for the failure, and promising to keep working until Diaz can repay that trust for Morocco.

Me duele el alma. So con este ttulo gracias a todo el amor que me habis dado, a cada mensaje, a cada muestra de apoyo que me hizo sentir que no estaba solo. Luch con todo lo que tena, con el corazn por encima de todo. Ayer fall y asumo toda la responsabilidad y me pic.twitter.com/W7oBP6crruBrahim (@Brahim) January 19, 2026

Diaz writes: "My soul hurts.I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you all gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn't alone. I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else. Yesterday I failed and I take full responsibility. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. It will be hard for me to recover, because this wound doesn't heal easily but I will try. Not for myself, but for everyone who believed in me and for everyone who suffered with me.I will keep going forward until one day I can give you all this love back and become a source of pride for my Moroccan people. "

The final itself turns on a dramatic sequence in stoppage time, as Morocco receive a penalty deep into added minutes, Senegal walk off under instructions from coach Pape Thiaw, and the game restarts only after a long interruption that pushes the spot-kick to the 24th added minute.

Diaz steps up with a Panenka attempt that lacks power and goes straight at Edouard Mendy, who stands his ground to save, with Diaz later substituted during extra time and filmed in tears on the bench as Pape Gueye's long-range shot in the additional period gives Senegal a second AFCON crown.

Match	Competition	Result	Decisive moment
Morocco vs Senegal	Africa Cup of Nations final	Senegal 1-0 Morocco (aet)	Pape Gueye extra-time goal after Diaz missed 90+24 penalty

The Confederation of African Football labels Senegal's decision to leave the pitch "unacceptable behaviour" in an official communication and is expected to consider disciplinary measures, while the Royal Moroccan Football Federation moves to escalate matters with formal complaints.

pic.twitter.com/aLZT7KS3rDFRMF (@FRMFOFFICIEL) January 19, 2026

The FRMF states that Senegal's exit from the field severely disrupted the normal flow of the final and affected the players' returns, and the federation confirms it will bring the issue before both CAF and FIFA as part of an official complaint process.

Footage circulating from the final shows further flashpoints, with ballboys and officials appearing to block back-up goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf from giving Mendy a towel, and the same images capture ballboys throwing Mendy's equipment into the stands during the tense closing moments in Casablanca.

The penalty miss leaves Diaz facing scrutiny in Morocco and at Real Madrid, yet Mbappe’s words and FRMF's focus on Senegal's walk-off underline that the narrative from this AFCON final stretches beyond one failed kick, covering emotional fallout, legal arguments and expected disciplinary hearings.