Mbappe denied penalty after VAR reversal as France face Senegal in World Cup opener

Kylian Mbappe was controversially denied a penalty during France’s World Cup opener against Senegal on Tuesday, after referee Alireza Faghani reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and ruled the Real Madrid forward had initiated the contact himself.

Mbappe appeared to be brought down in the box by Sadio Mane, prompting immediate appeals from the French players. Faghani initially waved them away, but the Video Assistant Referee intervened and sent the referee to review the footage on the pitchside screen.

Despite the review, Faghani stood by his original call, announcing to the crowd that Mbappe had ‘initiated contact’ — a decision that drew sharp reaction from pundits watching on.

Former referee Darren Cann, brought in as an expert analyst, had been confident a spot-kick would be awarded. “For me, this is a penalty,” Cann said before the final verdict was delivered. “This will be checked by the VAR. For me there is no contact with the ball and he brings Mbappe down.”

The ruling left the BBC commentary team stunned, with Cann’s pre-review assessment proving wide of the mark once Faghani made his pitchside call. No penalty was given, and the incident immediately became one of the most debated moments of the tournament’s opening fixtures.