Kylian Mbappé’s missed penalty against Real Betis has sparked widespread controversy, with calls for a retake and accusations that the referee denied Real Madrid a final opportunity to avoid defeat.
Referee Hernández Hernández awarded the spot-kick in the 93rd minute following Natan’s foul on Vinícius Júnior. However, Álvaro Valles saved Mbappé’s attempt before Marc Bartra cleared the rebound, putting the ball out for a corner.
Television replays revealed that Bartra encroached early, with his left boot clearly crossing the penalty area line before Mbappé struck the ball. The defender then directly impacted the sequence by clearing the loose ball, preventing the French forward from following up on the rebound.
Under the 2026–2027 Laws of the Game, a player’s position during a restart is determined by the position of their feet or the part of the body touching the ground. If a defender encroaches early and impacts the play after the ball rebounds, the penalty kick must be retaken.
Real Madrid TV launched a scathing attack on the officiating crew, asserting that everyone expected VAR referee Iglesias Villanueva to instruct the match referee to order a retake, only for play to continue with just a corner kick.
“The Betis player can be clearly seen, with his left boot fully over the line,” the channel stated, questioning why the incident was overlooked despite Bartra directly denying Mbappé a second chance at the ball.
Refereeing expert Eduardo Iturralde González backed Real Madrid’s grievances, confirming that the penalty should have been retaken under the current guidelines. Following Real Madrid’s 1–0 defeat, the debate remains: did Mbappé simply squander an equalizer, or were Real Madrid deprived of a rightful retake that could have altered the outcome?
