VAR Confirms Mbappé's Goal Against Morocco Was Legal Despite Hand Touch

The first goal scored by French forward Kylian Mbappé against Morocco in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal sparked significant controversy due to suspicions of a handball by midfielder Adrien Rabiot at the start of the attacking move.

The specialized VAR analysis account "Archivo VAR" settled the debate by confirming that the goal was legitimate and did not warrant video review for cancellation.

The account clarified that the ball initially rebounded off Rabiot’s foot before making contact with his hand unintentionally, which under the rules of the game does not constitute a violation.

It further explained that the VAR protocol does not permit reviewing such incidents as long as the hand touch was accidental and the player who touched the ball with his hand was not the goal scorer.

Consequently, refereeing experts concluded that the referee’s decision to award Mbappé’s goal complied with the regulations of the International Football Federation.

France secured their place in the 2026 World Cup semifinals by defeating Morocco 2-0 in a match highlighted by the impressive performance of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who saved a penalty taken by Mbappé despite Morocco’s elimination from the tournament.