Kylian Mbappe was convinced he had won a penalty in France’s 2026 World Cup opener against Senegal in New Jersey on Tuesday, only to be left flabbergasted as Australian referee Alireza Faghani gave a corner – and then changed his decision to a goal-kick after watching replays.
Mbappe dribbled into the box where Senegal’s Sadio Mane slid in to make a tackle. As Mane reached Mbappe, the France captain touched the ball away from his opponent and then collapsed in a heap under Mane’s challenge. Mbappe could only laugh as the referee waved away French appeals and awarded a corner.
Referee Faghani was sent to review the decision on his pitchside monitor by his VAR, and as he stepped back on to the pitch, French players and coaching staff began to celebrate. But instead of awarding a penalty, Faghani announced: “The attacker initiated the contact.”
To rub salt into French wounds, the corner was overturned after replays clearly showed that Mane made no contact with the ball.
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