Penalty denied to Mbappé: Experts slam Faghani's refereeing

France's 3-1 victory over Senegal in the 2026 World Cup is overshadowed by a refereeing controversy. Referee Alireza Faghani did not award a penalty to Kylian Mbappé after contact with Sadio Mané, despite a VAR review. Former referees and experts including Darren Cann, Pat Nevin, and Alan Shearer called the decision incomprehensible. Didier Deschamps also disagreed, but France won thanks to a brace from Mbappé and a goal by Bradley Barcola; Ibrahim Mbaye scored a consolation for Senegal.