Penalty Paradox: Is the ‘Stutter’ Run-Up Failing Top Strikers Like Kylian Mbappe at the World Cup?
Kylian Mbappe’s missed penalty during France’s World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco has sparked a renewed debate about the effectiveness of ‘stuttering’ penalty run-ups. While the technique aims to deceive goalkeepers, statistics from the current World Cup suggest it has a lower conversion rate compared to direct approaches, with an overall increase in missed penalties attributed to more athletic keepers and VAR-induced delays.