Controversial decision. England denied penalty after VAR intervention

The 2026 World Cup quarter-final clash between England and Norway witnessed yet another high-profile refereeing controversy.

The match official initially pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty to England after an incident inside Norway’s penalty area. However, moments later, the VAR team intervened, recommending that the referee review the contentious episode on the pitchside monitor.

• Read also: Who will reach the World Cup semi-finals? Prediction: Argentina vs Switzerland – July 12, 2026

After consulting the video replay, the referee overturned his initial decision and rescinded the penalty, ruling that there was not enough justification to award a spot-kick.