Mbappé's Antics with Referee Spark Strong Social Media Reactions

France captain Kylian Mbappé once again showcased his largely carefree demeanor, sparking a frenzy online and entertaining fans. The Real Madrid forward, who had already netted four goals in the first two World Cup matches, started again yesterday for Les Bleus in their victory over Norway. Mbappé added two assists to his impressive stats, but it wasn't his on-field performance against the Scandinavians that became the highlight.

France coach Didier Deschamps substituted his leader and captain in the 80th minute, and Mbappé casually approached referee Michael Oliver. Under new rules, players have 10 seconds to leave the field when substituted, or the incoming player must wait a full minute before entering the game. For this reason, the Real Madrid striker went to the English referee and handed him his captain's armband, asking Oliver to pass it to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who was set to inherit it. This action provoked strong reactions on social media, where Mbappé's behavior was described as everything from a joke with the referee to strong words like "dictator" regarding the forward.