Image of Julian Alvarez’s ‘double kick’ penalty against Real Madrid
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has explained Julian Alvarez’s disallowed penalty, stating that the player indeed made double contact with the ball before scoring.
In a statement released on Thursday, March 13, 2025, the European football governing body clarified that Alvarez made minimal contact with the ball using his standing foot before taking the shot.
UEFA also confirmed that the goal was disallowed following a VAR review.
“Atletico de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julian Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid,” the statement said.
“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee, signaling that the goal should be disallowed,” it added.
The statement addresses the debate on the incident as many demanded an explanation from UEFA.
UEFA also indicated that it will engage the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to review the rule regarding double contact during penalty shootouts, reiterating that Álvarez’s double kick was entirely accidental.
“UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.”
The disallowed penalty contributed to Atletico Madrid’s 4-2 loss on penalties to city rivals Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
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