Mbappé's Denied Penalty vs Senegal Sparks Global Outcry from Referees and Experts

France beat Senegal 3-1 in their opening match, but it was a refereeing decision that dominated debate after the final whistle. Around the 60th minute, Australian referee Alireza Faghani refused to award a penalty to Kylian Mbappé following a tackle by Sadio Mané, ruling that contact was not sufficiently clear — a conclusion upheld after VAR consultation, which ultimately resulted in only a goal kick.

The footage, however, appeared to contradict this interpretation. On beIN Sports, former Ligue 1 referee Franck Schneider was categorical: “There is clearly a foul and the referee should have whistled for a penalty.”

The controversy quickly spread beyond France’s borders. On BBC One, former international referee Darren Cann revealed he had received messages from several of his peers among the world’s best, all equally puzzled. “Honestly, I cannot support the referee’s decision. For me, it’s an obvious penalty. It’s very, very clear and I’m extremely surprised he didn’t point to the spot after a proper VAR check,” he said.

Former Scottish international Pat Nevin agreed, rejecting the argument that Mbappé had provoked contact: “How could he have initiated the contact? That’s the most absurd argument I’ve ever heard. You can clearly see Mané’s charge and his left leg touches Mbappé.”

It was Thomas Müller, however, who used the strongest language on Magenta TV. “It’s an obvious foul. How can you not see it during the match, and especially not on video? It’s a mystery to me. It is — and I never use this term lightly — a scandal that it’s not a penalty,” said the German international.

The controversy once again highlights the limitations of VAR when the central referee’s subjective interpretation takes precedence over footage deemed crystal clear by a large portion of observers. Mbappé ultimately opened the scoring in the 66th minute from a Michael Olise assist, before France extended their lead to win 3-1.