Mbappe dedicates Panenka penalty to Brahim Diaz after missing in the AFCON final against Senegal

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has dedicated his Panenka penalty against Villarreal to his teammate Brahim Diaz.

Mbappe scored twice to lead Real Madrid to a crucial 2-0 victory over Villarreal at La Ceramica on Saturday, a result that sends Alvaro Arbeloa's squad to the top of the La Liga table.

After breaking the deadlock in the 47th minute, Mbappe sealed the win in stoppage time from the penalty spot. 

The French superstar was brought down in the box by Alfonso Pedraza and coolly converted the ensuing penalty with a "Panenka" chip down the middle as Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior dived to his right.

Mbappe's message to Diaz

Following the goal, television cameras captured Mbappe shouting "for you, for you" towards the bench, dedicating the strike to his teammate Brahim Diaz. 

The gesture was a clear show of support for the Moroccan international, who attempted a Panenka in the final of the 2025 AFCON competition against Senegal.

His own Panenka penalty attempt was saved by Senegal's Edouard Mendy, and Morocco ultimately lost the final 1-0. 

Pape Gueye, who scored the winning goal in that match, also featured for Villarreal in Saturday's game.

After the game, as reported by Romano Fabrizio on X, Mbappe said, “My panenka penalty was for Brahim Diaz.”

Brahim, who has since apologised for the missed penalty, has received strong backing from his Real Madrid teammates, with Mbappe's public gesture serving as the latest example. 

Now back with his club, the forward will be looking to put the incident behind him and re-establish himself as a key player under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa.