Why VAR Disallowed Norway's Goal Against England After Erling Haaland's Push on Elliot Anderson
- VAR disallowed a Norway goal after Erling Haaland was found to have pushed Elliot Anderson before a corner kick was taken
- Referee Clement Turpin explained the decision and ordered a retake, but England successfully cleared the resulting corner
- Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon combined for an equaliser after England felt aggrieved by an earlier refereeing call on Harry Kane
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Norway were denied a goal against England in their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final after VAR ruled that Erling Haaland had committed a foul on Elliot Anderson before the corner kick was taken.
Torbjørn Heggem appeared to have put the Scandinavian side ahead when he converted the set-piece, but referee Clément Turpin overturned the goal after receiving an intervention from the video assistant referee.
Source: Getty Images
Why VAR disallowed Norway's second goal
The French official then explained the decision to both teams, saying:
"After review, Norway's No.9 [Erling Haaland] pushed England's No.8 [Elliot Anderson] before the corner kick was taken."
The infringement meant the goal could not stand.
However, instead of awarding England a free kick, Turpin ordered Norway to retake the corner, but the second attempt produced no danger as England's defence cleared the ball away.
VAR decision sparks debate among fans
The ruling quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the match, with supporters divided over whether the contact was enough to cancel out the goal.
Several fans questioned the decision on social media, while others felt Norway had been harshly punished.
@Singhshaab_013 wrote:
"No, this should not have happened. You don't expect this from such a big player."
@ElwayBear simply declared:
"More FIFA corruption."
@Jasmin3Jazz joked:
"Just hand over win to England please 😂"
@TheTweetofShaun offered a blunt verdict:
"Cheats."
The decision added to the frustration surrounding Turpin's officiating, with England having earlier protested after the referee allowed Andreas Schjelderup's opening goal for Norway to stand despite appeals for a foul on Harry Kane during the build-up.
Bellingham rescues England before half-time
England responded quickly after falling behind, with Jude Bellingham combining with Anthony Gordon to level the contest in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
The goal eased pressure on Thomas Tuchel's side after the earlier controversy and ensured the quarter-final remained finely balanced.
The winner of the tie will book a place in the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face either Argentina or Switzerland.
Source: YEN.com.gh
