World Cup 2026: Why England Were Denied a Penalty Against Norway

• Referee Clement Turpin initially awarded England a penalty in extra time before reversing his decision after a VAR review
• Turpin ruled that Djed Spence created the entanglement with the Norwegian defender, meaning no foul had been committed
• Jude Bellingham scored the decisive goal in the 93rd minute of extra time to send England through

England were left frustrated during extra time of their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Norway after a penalty initially awarded by referee Clément Turpin was overturned following a VAR review.

The incident involved substitute Djed Spence, who replaced Nico O'Reilly before bursting into the Norwegian penalty area.

After tangling with a defender, the Tottenham full-back went to ground, prompting Turpin to point straight to the spot.

However, the decision changed after the French official reviewed the footage on the pitchside monitor.

Why VAR overturned England's penalty

Following the review, Turpin explained why he had reversed his original call.

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"England's attacker [Djed Spence] put his leg in front of the defender [from Norway]. Hence, it did not constitute a foul."

The referee concluded that Spence had initiated the contact rather than being brought down illegally, meaning Norway would restart play without conceding a penalty.

The verdict sparked frustration among England supporters, many of whom believed their side had been denied a golden opportunity to take control of the contest.

Bellingham proves England's hero

The match had already produced its fair share of drama before the penalty incident.

Norway struck first in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup squeezed home from a tight angle.

England hit back just before the interval, with Jude Bellingham finishing confidently after being picked out by Anthony Gordon.

The Scandinavians then thought they had regained the lead through Torbjørn Heggem, only for VAR to disallow the goal after identifying a push by Erling Haaland on Elliot Anderson before the corner was taken.

With the tie locked at 1-1 deep into extra time, Bellingham once again stepped up.

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The Real Madrid midfielder reacted quickest to Morgan Rogers' effort in the 113th minute, scoring the decisive goal to seal England's place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Source: YEN.com.gh