​England were given a major reprieve when a second Norway goal was ruled out by VAR during their World Cup quarter-final. After Jude Bellingham canceled out Andreas Schjelderup’s opener in the first half, Torbjørn Heggem seemed to have put Norway back in front in the 55th minute, turning home from Patrick Berg’s corner at the back post. As with Norway’s first strike, England’s players immediately went to referee Clement Turpin to appeal what they believed was a foul, and it soon became clear they had a case.
Erling Haaland, who has been prolific this tournament for Norway, shoved his Manchester City teammate Elliot Anderson to the ground as the ball swung in. Turpin was instructed to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, and ITV’s refereeing expert Christina Unkel anticipated the goal would be disallowed. She explained that officials would check Haaland because his arms were fully extended in the challenge, and the VAR would assess whether that contact would have prevented Anderson from having a meaningful chance to defend the ball. “I would be surprised if this was not overturned for a foul,” Unkel said.
Turpin did not need long with the monitor and ultimately ruled the goal out for a foul on Anderson. Haaland’s reaction was of frustration as Norway’s strike was disallowed (Reuters).
Earlier in the game, England captain Harry Kane had felt aggrieved when the referee waved away appeals surrounding a foul in the buildup to Norway’s opener. England had dominated possession for the majority of the first half, only to fall behind in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup fired in off the post from a wide position, an effort that looked more like a cross than a shot. In the moments preceding the goal, Kane had appeared to be dispossessed illegally by Berg, who came through the back of Kane. Kane clutched his ankle as Norway rushed toward the England box and found the net, and he voiced his appeals to Turpin in hopes of having the goal chalked off.
There had been no obvious VAR review at that point, and Turpin quickly indicated the goal would stand. This period of proceedings echoed a contentious moment in another competition, when Argentina benefited from VAR on a foul much earlier in the buildup to Egypt’s second goal in a last-16 tie, a decision that helped Argentina win 3-2. It reminded England of the potential power of VAR, though Unkel and ITV pundit Gary Neville insisted that the correct call had been made in this instance.
England would later salvage parity with a late first-half equaliser by Jude Bellingham, restoring parity after the earlier disappointment. Kane, meanwhile, would have felt the heat of missing an opportunity to win it for England in the latter stages of the half, but the match remained finely balanced as teams went into the break. The drama underscored how VAR decisions can swing momentum in knockout fixtures, and how appeals from players on the field can shape officials’ approaches to reviewing contentious incidents.