Raphaël Varane on the controversial penalty incident involving Kylian Mbappé during France vs Senegal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after VAR refused to award a penalty: 🗣️ “I genuinely don’t understand how that decision was made. In real time, maybe the referee misses it. Football is fast. Nobody expects perfection. But that’s exactly why VAR exists. When you slow the incident down, look at it from multiple angles and still decide there is no penalty, then people are going to ask serious questions. For me, there is clear contact on Mbappé. I’ve spent my whole career defending against the best attackers in the world. I know the difference between a clean challenge and one that catches the player. This was not a clean challenge. The frustrating thing is the lack of consistency. We’ve seen penalties given for far less contact than that. So when players, coaches and fans see this one waved away, it creates confusion. At a FIFA World Cup, these moments are huge. One decision can change a match One decision can change a group. One decision can change an entire tournament. That’s why you have to get them right. France will feel disappointed because they believe they were denied a clear penalty. Senegal will understandably be relieved. But the real issue is that nobody watching seems to understand what the standard actually is anymore. If VAR looks at an incident like that and says play on, then what exactly are we looking for? Football deserves clarity. The players deserve clarity. And in my opinion, France deserved a penalty.” {@TNTSportsUS }
