Fans have been left furious and some are even claiming the 2026 World Cup is “rigged” after a clear verdict was delivered on Scotland’s late penalty appeal against Morocco.
The incident came in the 82nd minute when Scott McTominay drove into the box and went down under a challenge from Neil El Aynaoui. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev immediately waved away Scotland’s appeals, and VAR opted not to recommend a review.
The clear verdict
ITV’s refereeing expert Christina Unkel, a former professional referee, was firm in her assessment that Scotland should have been awarded a penalty.
“The first thing you are looking for as a VAR is if there is any touch on that ball, and the answer is no. There is a trip coming from behind that does contact his left lower leg. For this, I do think this is a missed incident for VAR to not recommend that for a penalty. This is a very clear penalty.”
Her comments have only intensified debate around the decision, with many fans pointing to it as a major turning point in the match.
The pundit split
The incident divided opinion across the ITV studio.
Roy Keane was unconvinced, saying: “I don’t think it is a penalty, simple as that. I think he is looking to go down.”
Ange Postecoglou backed Keane’s view, while Ally McCoist disagreed and sided with Unkel, believing Scotland were denied a clear spot-kick.
What’s at stake
The defeat leaves Scotland facing a must-win clash against Brazil to keep their World Cup knockout hopes alive. The missed penalty decision is now being seen by many supporters as potentially decisive in their group stage fate.
The bottom line
A disputed penalty. A divided pundit panel. And a Scotland team left with everything to play for against Brazil.
