It was only a penalty kick, and it was only in the UEFA Nations League, but it still felt like a statement moment for Kylian Mbappé, whose persona has endured a whirlwind of a few months.
On June 28, it was at the penalty spot that Mbappé brought an abrupt and premature end to France's run at the Euros. The reigning World Cup champions were supposed to reconfirm their status as the world's preeminent team by securing another trophy. They'd added Karim Benzema to an already stacked attack, and Mbappé's star was continuing to rise. Yet a collapse against Switzerland, a fine team in its own right but not the kind supposed to trouble these incredible Bleus, sent the round-of-16 bout to PKs, and with France's tournament life on the line, Mbappé failed to deliver.