Kylian Mbappe's threat to the World Cup referee has been uncovered by a lip reader following a controversial moment during France's opening match against Senegal. The incident occurred when Mbappe was denied a penalty, sparking a heated exchange with the official.
The World Cup clash on Tuesday was locked at 0-0 when Mbappe burst onto a through ball inside the box, with former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane appearing to bring him down. The Senegal captain failed to make contact with the ball and seemingly collided with Mbappe, yet the referee waved away all protests.
Having consulted the VAR footage, the referee controversially declined to point to the spot, instead indicating that Mbappe had made contact with Mane before hitting the deck. A stunned Mbappe could barely believe it, as Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise rushed to remonstrate with the official.
Nicola Hickling, Expert Analyst and Professional LipReader at LipReader Ltd, has since revealed exactly what was said between the referee and Mbappe during the heated exchange. Hickling confirmed that referee Alireza Faghani said: "That Diouf, just a contact and Sadio, a contact." The camera then turned to Mbappe, who responded: "Hey, I'ma go and watch it."
The referee then gestured towards Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy's goal, which would ordinarily signal a penalty. Mbappe visibly relaxed as Jules Kounde began celebrating, only for both to realise moments later that the official had in fact awarded a goal kick.
It is extremely uncommon for a referee to uphold their original decision after reviewing the VAR monitor, with one study revealing that rulings in the Premier League were overturned in 95 per cent of cases. Mbappe would have the last laugh, however, netting just minutes later following another precise through ball from Olise.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola extended the lead to 2-0 before an error from Mike Maignan handed Senegal a lifeline, with fellow PSG starlet Ibrahim Mbaye, 18, pulling one back for his side. Yet Mbappe struck again just seconds later to put the result beyond doubt, collecting the ball from roughly 35 yards out before firing past former Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy to wrap up a 3-1 victory.
Following Spain's underwhelming goalless draw with Cape Verde, France are now widely regarded as one of the frontrunners to lift the World Cup trophy. England began their tournament campaign on Wednesday with a 4-2 win against Croatia.
