Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was at the center of a dramatic VAR decision during a match against Manchester United. After being fouled in the box, Mateta coolly scored his initial penalty, only for the video assistant to intervene. The review determined the striker had inadvertently made contact with the ball twice, a violation of the laws of the game.
The ruling prompted cheers from the travelling Manchester United fans, which were quickly silenced as Mateta stepped up again and scored the retaken penalty. This specific scenario was influenced by a similar incident earlier in the year involving Julian Alvarez, which caused enough controversy to prompt football’s rule-making body, IFAB, to officially change the regulations.
Under the new Law 14, if a penalty taker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet or it touches their supporting foot and still results in a goal, the kick must be retaken. This marks a significant departure from the old rule, which would have simply awarded a goal kick to the defending team, as was the case in the Alvarez controversy.
