In a sport dominated by talk of ‘small margins’, it is still jarring to think how one kick of the football can define legacies, career trajectories and a whole subculture. Randal Kolo Muani knows all too well about these sliding-doors moments.
Only in the France World Cup squad as a last-minute replacement for injured Christopher Nkunku, Kolo Muani was hailed as a saviour after his winning goal against Morocco in the semi-final. But another shot has defined chatter around him since.
The clock read 120+3minutes and the score was 3-3 in the World Cup final when the Manchester United target pounced upon a loose ball and was miraculously denied by Emi Martinez’s outstretched leg.