Lip reader reveals Mbappe's threat to referee after controversial penalty denial in France's World Cup opener

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their FIFA World Cup opener, but the match was overshadowed by a contentious VAR decision that left the Paris forward visibly furious — and, according to a professional lip reader, verbally defiant.

The game was goalless when Mbappe burst into the box onto a through ball, with Senegal captain Sadio Mane appearing to bring him down without making contact with the ball. Referee Alireza Faghani waved away protests and, after reviewing the VAR monitor, controversially upheld his original decision, ruling that Mbappe had made contact with Mane before going to ground. Teammates Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise rushed to remonstrate with the official.

Nicola Hickling, Expert Analyst and Professional Lip Reader at LipReader Ltd, has since decoded the exchange. Faghani told Mbappe: “That Diouf, just a contact and Sadio, a contact.” Mbappe responded: “Hey, I’ma go and watch it.” The incident was compounded by a moment of confusion when Faghani gestured towards Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s goal — a signal both Mbappe and Jules Kounde initially read as a penalty award — before it became clear the referee had in fact given a goal kick.

The decision was a statistical rarity. One study found that in the Premier League, referees overturn their original ruling after consulting the VAR monitor in 95 per cent of cases.

Mbappe had the last word on the pitch, however. He broke the deadlock minutes after the controversy with a precise finish from an Olise through ball, then added a second late in the match — collecting the ball from around 35 yards before firing past Mendy to seal the result. PSG winger Bradley Barcola had extended the lead to 2-0 in between, before a Mike Maignan error allowed 18-year-old PSG starlet Ibrahim Mbaye to pull one back for Senegal.

The 3-1 win, combined with Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde, has positioned France as one of the frontrunners for the tournament. England also opened their campaign on Wednesday with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.