VAR decision against Senegal, surprised the whole world: Why didn't Mbappe get a penalty?
The football world was shocked by the VAR decision in the match between France and Senegal when Kylian Mbappe was not given a penalty after Sadio Mane's tackle in the World Cup 2026.
Fans and experts in the world of football were shocked by the verdict of VAR in the match between France and Senegal in the World Cup 2026. In the 58th minute of the game held at the New York New Jersey Stadium, Kylian Mbappe rushed towards the goal of Senegal but he fell inside the penalty area after Sadio Mane was happy. While the match was still goalless, VAR summoned referee Alireza Faghani to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
The French fans cheered when it looked like the penalty spot was going to be awarded, but everyone was shocked when the referee insisted on a goal kick. Faghani explained that it was Mbappe who initiated the contact, which is why France's penalty appeal was invalid.
Many experts disagree with the decision. According to Darren Cann, former assistant referee in the World Cup final, many of the best referees in the world sent him a message that they did not understand the verdict. "It was clearly a penalty for me. I was surprised by the decision," Cann said.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/879/cpsprodpb/4dad/live/63ef2a30-69c8-11f1-83dd-d98c2c7d45fb.jpg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>Even Alan Shearer, former England captain, could not refrain from calling the ruling "bizarre" and unbelievable. "You can see Mane's movement and it's clear that he's intrigued Mbappe," added Shearer. Even Pat Nevin, former Scotland player, called it a "senseless decision".
In the end, the controversial decision did not affect the result, France won the game with a score of 3-1. Two of the three goals came from Mbappe, who has now replaced Olivier Giroud as France's all-time leading scorer with 58 goals in 99 caps. He also surpassed the country's World Cup record of 14 goals in 15 tournament matches.
France coach Didier Deschamps admitted that for him a penalty should have been awarded for the incident. "For me, it's really a penalty. But it's still the referee's decision to win," said Deschamps after the match.
