France-Morocco: Mbappé's penalty in World Cup quarter-final reignites VAR controversy

France eliminated Morocco in the World Cup quarter-final, but the Blues’ qualification was immediately overshadowed by two refereeing decisions that sparked controversy. Never truly threatened, Didier Deschamps’ side waited until the hour mark to open the scoring through Kylian Mbappé, before the match descended into dispute.

The first contentious sequence involved a penalty awarded to Mbappé in the first half. The footage appeared to show that the Paris Saint-Germain forward anticipated contact with Noussair Mazraoui to go down. Referee Facundo Tello pointed to the spot, and the VAR, after review, did not overturn the decision. A validation that sparked confusion even among some French supporters, with social media erupting with comments like “This penalty is a pure scandal” or “What’s the point of VAR if it validates such dives”.

Mbappé’s goal also became the subject of controversy. Seconds before the decisive shot, Adrien Rabiot touched the ball with his hand during the recovery. Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged the ambiguity of the action: “There is a handball, I don’t know if it should have been whistled or not.” However, the specialist account ArchivoVAR provided regulatory clarity: according to IFAB Law 12, an involuntary handball by a player who does not score directly does not justify VAR intervention. On this specific point, the refereeing was therefore in line with the rules.

The penalty case remains without a satisfactory official answer. This elimination of Morocco, as in the semi-final of the Qatar World Cup four years ago, once again leaves a bitter taste on the Moroccan side, and reignites the debate over the reliability and consistency of video assistant refereeing at major tournaments.