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 to the semi-final
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England were left frustrated during extra time of their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory against Norway after referee Clément Turpin overturned a penalty decision following a VAR review.
The incident occurred when substitute Djed Spence burst into the Norwegian penalty area, looking to create another opening for the Three Lions.
After tangling with a defender, the Tottenham full-back went to ground, prompting Turpin to award a penalty before reversing his decision after consulting VAR.
Source: Getty Images
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.
"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.
Watch Spence's penalty appeal, as shared on X:
Fans react to Spence's penalty situation
@WofaKay_Hagan claimed:
"Stone-cold penalty."
@DarrenPaulAllo explained:
"He has all the right to shield the ball. He's in front, and Bobb hits his leg from behind, it's a foul. Kane did exactly the same thing to win a free kick just outside the area in the second half.. it's a foul."
@nellyb1979 lamented:
"I don’t know the rules these days, but I thought Spence had earned the right to get in front of the defender, who then fouled him."
@wafcian alleged:
"If that’s Messi, it isn’t overturned let’s be honest."
Source: Getty Images
Bellingham dumps Norway out of World Cup
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.
Watch Heggem's disallowed goal, as shared on X:
With the tie locked at 1-1 deep into extra time, Bellingham once again stepped up, as noted by The Telegraph.
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.
According to Opta, the Three Lions will await the winner of the Argentina vs Switzerland fixture for a place in the final.
Bellingham gets new nickname from England teammates
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Jude Bellingham has been nicknamed "Unc" by his England teammates during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The slang term, short for "uncle", reflects the midfielder's maturity, leadership and influence within the squad despite his young age.
Source: YEN.com.gh
