France forward Kylian Mbappe was left stunned after being denied what looked to be a certain penalty in their opening Group I match against Senegal in New Jersey.

Losing finalists in 2022, France are among the leading contenders for this year’s tournament, but got off to a slow start in the first 45 minutes of their tournament.

Their luck looked to have changed in the 58th minute of the contest when the Real Madrid man appeared to be taken out inside the box by a lunging challenge from Sadio Mane.

Kylian Mbappe Denied Penalty After Bizarre VAR Decision

To the naked eye, it appeared that Mane had taken Mbappe down with his trailing leg. However, the referee Alireza Faghani disagreed and initially pointed for a corner, believing that Mane had made contact with the ball.

Soon after, the official was instructed to hold up play while a VAR review took place. When the referee was called over to the screen to take a second look at the incident, it seemed inevitable that France would be awarded a spot kick.

In a stunning turn of events, though, the outcome of the VAR review was ‘no penalty’, with the officials determining that Mbappe had initiated the contact before he went down.

‘Mad Decision’ – Experts Baffled By ‘No Penalty’ Decision

Credit: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Among those who couldn’t believe the decision was French journalist Matt Spiro, who wrote on X:

“How on earth has Mbappe ‘initiated the contact’. Mane came flying in, made contact with Mbappe, who fell. Harder to get a much clearer pen than that!”

That view was backed on by Darren McCann, who was part of the officiating team for the 2010 World Cup final, on the BBC’s coverage of the match.

“I can’t support the referee’s decision. For me, it was a clear penalty.” He added “My phone has been blowing up, with several of the world’s best referees saying they also can’t understand why the penalty wasn’t given.”

In some ways, justice was done a short time later when Mbappe gave Didier Deschamps’ side the lead after 66 minutes.

Tottenham have turned down a second offer for Luka Vuskovic this summer, as David Ornstein reports that a fresh bid wasn’t enough to convince Spurs to part ways with the star defender.

The 19-year-old has been the subject of interest from Premier League rivals Brighton, as the North London club have been pushing to sign Jan Paul van Hecke in a deal that would see him move the other way.

In the window so far, Tottenham have been keen to improve the backline, having already signed Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson as free agents.

Van Hecke’s impending arrival adds another dimension to the defensive options available for Roberto De Zerbi, but could impact the pathway open to Vuskovic.

While the youngster faces an uncertain future, it seems as though Tottenham aren’t content with an exit just yet.

Tottenham Reject Luka Vuskovic Bid

While Tottenham have seemingly agreed a deal to sign Van Hecke this summer, David Ornstein reports that the club have turned down a £35 million bid from Brighton to sign Vuskovic.

It’s the second offer made by the Seagulls to sign the Croatian international, as they look at a potential replacement for their outgoing star in the market.

Recent reports have claimed that Vuskovic has already agreed personal terms with Brighton, as he looks to progress after having a breakthrough campaign with Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season.

It’s unclear whether the youngster will push for a move, as he now faces a tough task to get into the first-team over the next campaign under De Zerbi.

Tottenham’s Vuskovic Challenge

Tottenham face a real challenge in trying to keep Vuskovic, considering his ability at such a young age.

The defender was described as “exceptional” during his spell at Hamburg last season, capable of organising a defence and leading the team throughout the campaign.

With the arrival of Senesi and Van Hecke at the back, it looks tough to see where Vuskovic will get consistent game time. Exits for Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin may help, but there will still be Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso ahead of him in the pecking order.

If Tottenham can suggest a pathway that will see him get some game time in the future, then they may be able to seal a loan move or two to give him the right experience.

However, it remains to be seen whether the club can show him that way ahead, and whether he will accept it.

The opening week of the 2026 World Cup has been notable for the controversy created by the hydration breaks taken in the middle of matches. Every single one of the 104 games at the tournament will feature a hydration break after 22 minutes of each half.

Per FIFA regulations, these breaks must last three minutes each. The reasoning behind these breaks relates to the searing temperatures that are typically present in many venues across host countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico.

However, the breaks are mandatory and not based on any temperature readings inside stadiums. The first complaints regarding the breaks came in the opening game of the tournament, where fans were outraged that US broadcaster Fox cut to commercials during the hydration breaks in Mexico’s 2-0 victory against South Africa.

Critics claimed that the practice had broken FIFA rules about advertising being shown during matches. However, it is easy to see why Fox took the decision to air commercials after details emerged of the staggering sums they are earning for them during each match.

Hannah Mckay via Reuters

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk went viral on Sunday evening after making his feelings known on the enforced breaks during matches following the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw against Japan.

Van Dijk admitted that the hydration breaks were something he “didn’t really like”, arguing that their presence should be determined on a match-by-match basis:

While Van Dijk was careful not to completely savage the practice for fear of angering officials, his former manager, Jurgen Klopp held absolutely nothing back with his opinion on the breaks.

In a damning rant, the 58-year-old accused executives of “holding football hostage”, branding the cooling breaks as “a gilded cage built for sponsors.”

How Much Fox is Set to Earn From World Cup Hydration Breaks

Kai Pfaffenbach via Reuters

To date, Fox has run full-screen advertisements during every hydration break stoppage throughout the World Cup. The broadcaster is aware of the criticism, but, per a source for the Sports Business Journal, they have vowed to “continue to go full screen”, although a tweak to a picture-in-picture approach “may still happen” before the end of the tournament.

Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal confirmed that Fox was making a minimum of $200,000 for a 30-second commercial during the group stages. This rises considerably for games involving the USA, where that figure rises to $750,000.

Fox is likely to increase those prices as the tournament progresses. As a result, estimates suggest the broadcaster could make a massive $332.8 million if they can sell each of the eight, 30-second commercial slots for every game.

FIFA have confirmed that Fox will face no disciplinary action for airing the commercials, so long as they are strictly restricted to hydration breaks.