The first ever World Cup final penalty awarded by VAR was given as France took on Croatia in Moscow.
Ivan Perisic, who had earlier scored an equaliser after Marko Mandzukic’s own goal to give France the lead, was judged to have handled the ball from Antoine Griezmann’s corner.
Referee Nestor Pitana did not award the penalty initially and instead gave a goal kick, only for VAR to alert him that the decision needed to be reviewed on the pitch-side monitor.
As tension built Pitana, who used to be an actor, came back for another look after seeming already making up his mind before pointing to the spot.
Griezmann stepped up and slotted the ball to the bottom left corner, sending Danijel Subasic the wrong way and moving him closer to Harry Kane in the chase for the Golden Boot. Only a hat-trick would see the Frenchman beat Kane to the award.
It was the second piece of history made in the game after Mandzukic’s own goal became the first ever scored in a World Cup final as he flicked in Griezmann’s goal-bound free-kick.
