As France’s victory hung in the balance, Kylian Mbappé was denied a clear penalty, according to Thomas Müller.
The Real Madrid striker was brought down in the box by Senegal’s Sadio Mané in the 58th minute. Iranian referee Alireza Faghani initially signaled for a corner after reviewing the incident on the sideline monitor, seemingly acknowledging contact.
However, this contact was apparently deemed insufficient by the official. Upon returning to the pitch, Faghani further confused the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey by pointing towards the penalty spot, a gesture typically indicating a penalty award. This sparked jubilation among French fans, with right-back Jules Koundé of FC Barcelona even clapping. Despite his faint announcement, which was barely audible in the stadium and on television, Faghani ultimately decided on a goal kick and possession for Senegal.
His opinion, however, was largely solitary. While Mbappé vocally protested and waved his hands in disagreement, only expert Robert Andrich on MagentaTV sided with the Iranian. «That’s not enough for me,» stated the Bayer Leverkusen captain. Commentator Wolff Fuss, after watching the slow-motion replay, sided with Mbappé.
Müller shared the same sentiment. «That is simply a textbook foul. How one can come to the idea of not seeing that during the game, and especially afterwards on video, is an absolute mystery to me,» explained the long-time FC Bayern Munich player in his role as an expert, emphasizing: «This is – and I never use such a word – scandalous that it’s not a penalty.»
Mbappé Rescues France Shortly After Controversial Call — and Breaks a Record
Referee expert Patrick Ittrich also spoke of a wrong decision. «Mbappé enters at high speed, the opponent slides and hits him on the knee with his foot. When you run in like that at high speed – that is a clear penalty. The referee’s gesture was also not fortunate,» he said. Müller elaborated: «Then there’s the discussion about whether a player needs to be touched to be fouled. Even if he doesn’t touch him, he cuts off his path. Mbappé is trying to get out of the situation uninjured.» Mats Hummels agreed with his predecessors: «Looking at the scene, it’s a clear penalty. In that dynamic, he slides away his path. Mbappé jumps over the leg but is still touched.»
Ultimately, France likely won’t mind. Approximately eight minutes later, Mbappé relieved his team with a superb pass from Olise, scoring to give them a 1-0 lead. Shortly before the end, he also scored a brace to seal the 3-1 final score, making him his country’s sole record goalscorer. He is also just two goals away from Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record.