League of Nations: why Mbappé's decisive goal is valid

80th minute of play this Sunday evening in the final of the League of Nations between Spain and France.

The two teams neutralize each other (1-1) before Theo Hernandez launches Kylian Mbappé in depth.

The PSG striker recovers the ball, dribbles the Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon and scores from the left the second goal of the Blues ... But doubt sets in immediately because of the slow motion broadcast by the TV production.

At the start of the pass from the French left side, Mbappé is in an offside position of several tens of centimeters.

Loud and clear ?

Not quite.

Because the Spanish defender Eric Garcia tries to intervene by tackling and touches the ball with his left foot.

This puts Mbappé in play and allows him to find himself in a lawful position to score.

Mbappé's goal is perfectly valid, the Spanish player touches the ball on Hernandez's pass which creates a new phase of the game. # NationsLeague #FRAESP #ESPFRA pic.twitter.com/aQnkeEGI6D

- AKNOFA 🇸🇳0️⃣Ⓜ️ (@ Aknofa25) October 10, 2021

But, again, the explanation is not so simple.

Even the evening referee, with the Englishman Anthony Taylor at the center of the game, took more than a minute to validate this goal thanks to the video assistance.

So what does law 11 say about gambling?

If a player in an offside position (here Mbappé) receives a ball played "deliberately by an opponent" (here Eric Garcia), he is no longer "considered as taking any advantage of his position".

See also Spain-France (1-2): the notes of the Blues

"Yes, I touch the ball and the referee tells me that since I play the ball, I put Mbappé in play," Eric Garcia explained to the Spanish media.

He told me that I should have not touched the ball.

This rule is tough for us footballers.

"

The only exception to this rule concerns the notion of "rescue".

This "consists in intercepting, or attempting to intercept, the ball heading towards the goal".

Eric Garcia tries to intercept the pass from Théo Hernandez, but the ball does not go towards the goal.

This is what allows Mbappé to see his goal validated and the Blues to win the League of Nations.