According to Reuters, the Group I match in Philadelphia was delayed nearly two hours due to thunderstorms. Heavy rain significantly affected the playing surface, forcing organizers to deploy ground staff to remove water before players could continue to warm up safely.
During the delay, Kylian Mbappe was filmed walking across the pitch and repeatedly pointing to certain areas of the grass. His gestures made it appear as if he was personally giving instructions to the workers on where to dispose of the remaining water. The person who uploaded the video to X wrote: “Mbappe is showing the cleaning staff where they have to clean the pitch.”
The clip quickly attracted around 16,000 interactions. Fans jokingly gave the French striker new titles like “admiral” AND “head of the cleaning department.”
While the moment seemed funny, onlookers suggested that Mbappe had likely noticed an area where water remained after the storm. Instead of complaining to the referee, the forward born in 1998 seems to have reported directly to the ground staff. His serious expression and firm pointing made the scene even funnier for fans online.
Wet grass and standing water can cause the ball to move unpredictably, also increasing the risk of players slipping. Pitch conditions are particularly important for fast, technical attackers like Mbappe, whose game depends heavily on acceleration and close control.
France then secured its place in the next round with a victory over Iraq. Mbappe once again led the attack by scoring twice, taking his reported tournament total to four goals in two matches.
Sources: Znews
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