A contentious VAR decision denied France a penalty in their opening 2026 World Cup fixture against Senegal, despite replays appearing to show Kylian Mbappe being fouled inside the box. The incident, which occurred during Tuesday's match in New Jersey, saw Australian referee Alireza Faghani reverse an initial corner decision to a goal-kick after consulting his pitchside monitor, baffling players, coaches, and pundits alike.
The controversy unfolded when France captain Mbappe dribbled into the penalty area and was met by a sliding challenge from Senegal's Sadio Mane. Although Mbappe managed to touch the ball away, he subsequently went down under Mane's tackle. Referee Faghani initially waved away appeals and awarded a corner, a decision that was then referred to VAR. Following an extensive review at the pitchside monitor, Faghani returned to the field and, to the astonishment of many, announced: “The attacker initiated the contact,” before awarding a goal-kick.
The decision drew immediate and strong condemnation from football commentators. Pat Nevin, speaking on BBC Sport, branded the ruling as “rubbish” and “utter nonsense,” questioning how Mbappe could have initiated contact. Former England striker Alan Shearer echoed these sentiments, stating, “I don’t get it. You can see the lunge from Mane and his left leg catches Mbappe. How can Mbappe initiate contact if he is in front of him? It’s bizarre, it really is.” Darren Cann, an assistant referee in the 2010 World Cup final, also expressed his surprise, calling it “a clear penalty” and noting that several top referees he had contacted were equally perplexed.
Adding to the French side's frustration, the initial corner decision was also overturned after replays confirmed that Mane had not touched the ball. Despite the controversy, France quickly put the incident behind them. Moments later, Mbappe capitalised on a throughball from Michael Olise to open the scoring, giving France a 1-0 lead. Substitute Bradley Barcola then added a second goal, securing a 2-0 victory for the French squad in their World Cup opener.