Spanish referees admit Mbappé penalty vs Racing was wrong

The Spanish Football Federation's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) admitted on 4 November 2026 that Real Madrid should not have been awarded the penalty Kylian Mbappé won at Racing Santander. The admission came in the federation's weekly 'Tiempo de Revisión' (Review Time) video, which looked back at Real Madrid's 3-0 away win on 1 November. According to Mundo Deportivo, it was a double error: referee José Luis Munuera Montero made the wrong call at El Sardinero, and VAR did not step in to correct it.

The same programme also looked at two other disputed La Liga decisions. It sided with Sevilla over Getafe's second goal against them, saying VAR should have stayed out. It also backed the penalty Nico Williams won in the Basque derby between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad.

What happened with the Mbappé penalty?

The committee ruled that Racing defender Mateo Prati's contact with Mbappé was not a foul. As reported by GOAL, Mbappé had controlled the ball inside the box and was trying to accelerate when Prati put out an arm without using any force. The committee saw no cause-and-effect link between that contact and the French forward going down. The penalty produced Real Madrid's opening goal.

In the committee's view, the on-field decision was a clear mistake, and in such a case VAR should have called the referee to the monitor. VAR's failure to act was the second link in the chain of errors.

The admission does not change the result. 'Tiempo de Revisión' is the federation's after-the-fact explanation of controversial calls. It does not affect the scoreline or the La Liga table. Real Madrid scored twice more after the penalty and won 3-0.

What did referees say about Getafe and San Mamés?

In Getafe vs Sevilla, the referee first disallowed Getafe's second goal. VAR then sent him to the monitor, he reversed his decision and the goal stood. According to Marca, the committee said VAR should not have got involved and the original on-field call should have stood. Marca described it as the first time this season that the programme has sided with Sevilla.

In the Basque derby at San Mamés, the committee said the penalty for Real Sociedad defender Jon Aramburu's challenge on Nico Williams was correct. Its reasoning was that Aramburu never reached the ball, and that touching it would have made the challenge legal. Real Sociedad disagree. Marca reports that the club believes the referee, the VOR room and the chip in the ball all failed one after another, and it wants those mechanisms reviewed. Real Sociedad had already lodged a formal complaint about the decision.

Does the ruling change anything for Mbappé and Real Madrid?

No. The referees' committee only looks back at decisions, so the result, Mbappé's goal and the points all stand. According to ScoreLab data, Mbappé has 12 goals in 11 La Liga games in 2026/27. He also scored in Real Madrid's 3-2 Champions League win at AEK Athens on 4 November 2026.

Much of the criticism falls on VAR as well as on Munuera Montero. With the committee faulting VAR in two separate games, Spain's debate over video refereeing is back in the spotlight. The Basque derby has also pulled ball-chip technology into that debate.