The opening moments of the Champions League final proved disastrous for Paris Saint-Germain. Despite dominating possession early on (78% to Arsenal’s 22%), the French side found themselves trailing 0-1 against Arsenal on Saturday in Budapest. The Gunners struck first in the 5th minute after a misplaced header from Marquinhos inadvertently set up Leandro Trossard, who launched Kai Havertz into space. The German winger then raced past Matvey Safonov before unleashing a thunderous shot that beat the goalkeeper under the crossbar.

Minutes later, PSG thought they had an opportunity to level the score. Just after the 15-minute mark, Bukayo Saka received a corner from Ousmane Dembélé. The England international, positioned near the edge of the penalty area, initially deflected the ball with both arms before touching it a third time with his hand. The Parisians immediately protested for a penalty, but the referee, Daniel Siebert of Germany, waved play on. The Video Assistant Referee also chose not to intervene.

Did Saka deliberately expand his body’s coverage?

Under IFAB Laws of the Game, not every contact between the ball and a player’s hand or arm constitutes a foul. A handball offense occurs only if the action is deliberate or if the player’s position artificially increases the area covered by their body. The regulations specify that this happens when the player’s arm or hand position is not a natural consequence of their body movement in that situation.

In this incident, Saka’s arms were clearly away from his body, suggesting they were part of a natural clearing motion. Officials likely determined that his position was a direct result of trying to clear the ball rather than an intentional handball. The decision not to award the penalty sparked immediate debate.

Reactions on social media were divided. Some critics claimed the incident was clear: “He touched the ball 27 times with his hand in two seconds, but everything’s fine,” and mocked the Video Assistant Referee system with hashtags like #VARsenal. Others defended the decision, arguing: “He made it look like he was juggling with his hands, but it’s nothing,” and “It’s hard to call a handball there.”