Overview
- Morocco won 1-0 in Boston after Ismael Saibari scored early, and Scotland were denied two second-half penalty appeals for challenges on John McGinn and Scott McTominay.
- ITV referee specialist Christine Unkel said the McTominay challenge showed no touch on the ball, contact at the knee and a trip, and she called the incident a clear missed penalty by both the on-field referee and the VAR team.
- High-profile pundits Roy Keane and Ange Postecoglou publicly disagreed with Unkel's assessment, and Scotland coach Steve Clarke said he was unsure about some calls but felt the McGinn incident was the clearer penalty.
- Referee Ilgiz Tantashev was criticised for allowing a more physical game and for dismissing multiple appeals, and ITV reported that the VAR team did not recommend an on-field review of the McTominay incident.
- The disputed decisions leave Scotland's Group C progression hopes weakened and underline continuing debate over how FIFA's VAR protocol is applied and how broadcasters' expert views relate to official outcomes.