2026 World Cup: Why Belgium Were Denied a Penalty vs Spain Despite Rodri’s Handball, Video
- Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday, July 10
- A controversial incident involving Rodri went unpunished, as referee Michael Oliver failed to check with the VAR officials
- Swedish referee instructor Victor explained why IFAB laws meant the handball could not be penalised
Spain booked their place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging Belgium 2-1 in a dramatic quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium on Friday, July 10.
The match, officiated by English referee Michael Oliver, was overshadowed by a controversial handball incident involving Spain midfielder Rodri.
Fabian Ruiz gave La Roja the lead in the 30th minute, but Charles De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium 11 minutes later to ensure the teams went into the break level.
Source: Getty Images
Substitute Mikel Merino proved to be Spain's hero once again, reacting quickest to a rebound in the 88th minute to score his second goal off the bench in as many matches and send the Spaniards into the last four, per Sofascore.
Why Rodri's handball was not given as a penalty
Belgium players and supporters were left incensed after Michael Oliver waved away appeals for a handball against Rodri inside the penalty area, with the Video Assistant Referee opting against a review.
However, Swedish referee instructor Victor, who runs the Referee Channel on X and regularly analyses controversial decisions using the IFAB Laws of the Game, explained why the officials were correct not to award a penalty.
According to Victor, the IFAB handball law states that:
"A handball offence is not committed when the ball touches a player's hand or arm directly from the head or body of a team-mate."
Watch the video below:
In this case, the ball had first been headed by Spain defender Aymeric Laporte before striking Rodri's arm, meaning the incident did not constitute a handball offence.
Victor also pointed out that Laporte's header caused a sudden change in the ball's direction, leaving Rodri with little or no time to react.
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In addition, Rodri's arm was deemed to be in a natural position, further supporting the decision not to award Belgium a penalty.
Morocco & Netherlands set unwanted penalty record
Legit.ng earlier reported that Morocco booked their place in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging the Netherlands in one of the tournament's most dramatic contests, with an extraordinary penalty shootout producing an unwanted record in World Cup history.
Only one penalty was saved during the shootout, while four attempts completely missed the target.
Source: Legit.ng
