Spain’s 2-1 win over Belgium to enter the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was anything but easy. It was a fast-paced back-and-forth game that saw shots fly at the goal every other minute.
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One such play occurred in the 62nd minute of the game, when the score was still 1-1. A Belgian player precisely dished out a pass in the box from the left wing, where forward Romelu Lukaku was eagerly waiting to pounce on it. Spanish CB Aymeric Laporte headed the ball away.
But it wasn’t before the deflection caused the ball to hit Rodri’s hand, while he was looking to mark Lukaku in the box. Belgium quickly appealed for a penalty for handball. However, referee Michael Oliver didn’t blow the whistle and allowed the play to continue.
Furthermore, the sequence didn’t even see a VAR intervention. The officiating decision sparked a stir on social media. Some fan pages on X even took a dig at Argentina, recalling how the VAR disallowed a goal in the Egypt game earlier in the week. An X handle @SanMarinoTeam shared a highlight sequence of the play with a fiery caption.
“BELGIUM CLAIMED THIS HAND OF RODRI IN SPAIN,” the caption read. “The referee didn’t even go check it on VAR. But nobody makes a fuss because we already know with which country alone they only do it.”
In a big game like a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal, it’s quite natural that a referee’s decision will spark controversy. Even from the game’s perspective, it was a possible game-defining moment for the Belgians. For instance, Fabian Ruiz scored Spain’s first goal in the 30th minute, and Charles De Ketelaere equalized in the 41st minute.
A possible penalty in this sequence would have given Belgium the chance to take the lead. It would have put even more pressure on the Euro winners going into the next 30 minutes of play. And even with Mikel Merino’s second goal for Spain, the scoreline would have been 2-2 if the decision and the resulting penalty had gone their way.
This would have given Belgium a lifeline going into stoppage time. However, on the day, it was not to be for the golden generation of Belgium, including Kevin De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois. Head coach Rudi Garcia was quick to point it out in his post-game presser after the loss.
“When you have a blatant handball by Rodri in the box and Michael Oliver doesn’t see it, that’s one thing,” he said, as per FIFA. “But what’s the point of VAR? I think that the issue of hands will always be a eternal problem as long as the rules aren’t stricter.”
But under the IFAB’s clear rules, Oliver’s decision seems to be plausible enough.
IFAB Rules Dictate Everything Required to Clear Away the Handball Confusion in the Spain-Belgium FIFA World Cup Game
Victor, an active referee and Swedish instructor, translated the IFAB rules perfectly. The assessment he shared on his Instagram handle @refereechannel explains perfectly why Michael Oliver’s decision makes sense.
“One factor to look at is that Rodri is jumping, and a natural position for the arm is to be used for balance,” he said on his Instagram channel. “However, the most important factor is the IFAB guideline. If a player is hit on the hand by the ball that has been played by a teammate.”
“So, as this comes directly from a teammate, this should not be a handball offense. Other factors are that this is a very sudden change of direction, and there is no time to react. So, it’s not an unnatural position.”
Despite FIFA rules, social media is still fueled by referees’ decisions. Nevertheless, the Spain national team advances to the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. They set up a fixture against the mighty France, who are coming off a convincing win against Morocco.
The game is on July 14 at the Dallas Stadium, where we will get to see another chapter of the Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal story. Meanwhile, it’s another heartbreak for the Belgian national team in the last World Cup of their midfield maestro, Kevin De Bruyne.
