In the 1-2 defeat against Spain in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, the Belgium team was denied a penalty following a handball situation involving Rodri inside “La Roja”‘s penalty area.
The 2026 World Cup quarter-final match between Spain and Belgium in Los Angeles concluded with a 2-1 victory leaning towards the team from the land of matadors. Notably, in the 62nd minute, when the score was tied at 1-1, the “Red Devils” were denied a penalty.
A very awkward cross from the left wing by a Belgian player forced Aymeric Laporte to make an effort to head the ball away right inside the penalty area. Rudi Garcia’s pupils immediately reacted to the referee, claiming that Rodri let the ball touch his hand while participating in defensive support.
Although slow-motion replays showed that the ball did indeed collide with the hand of the midfielder on Manchester City’s payroll, after a quick consultation with the VAR team, the main referee decided not to award a penalty. The technical team assessed that Rodri’s arm was still in a natural position, close to his body, and this player had no intentional act of using his hand to alter the trajectory of the ball.
Avoiding a penalty helped Spain maintain a stable mentality and an active game stance. In the 88th minute, Mikel Merino seized the opportunity, scoring the decisive goal to seal the 2-1 score for “La Roja”.
Spain’s next opponent in the semi-finals will be the France team. The clash between the two teams will take place this coming July 14.
