“On July 11, Harry Kane claimed he was fouled before Norway opened the scoring against England in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, but the referee and VAR both said no.
In the 36th minute at Miami Stadium (USA), Patrick Berg stole the ball from Kane’s feet in the midfield area, launching a quick counter-attack for the Nordic representative. Immediately, the England captain fell to the pitch, raised his hands in furious protest, and repeatedly demanded the referee blow for a foul, believing he had been fouled. However, the whistle did not blow, and the match continued.
The ball was played to the left wing for Andreas Schjelderup. The Benfica winger took a touch before unleashing a shot from a tight angle. The trajectory of the ball was extremely dangerous, embedding itself straight into the far corner after striking the inside edge of the post, leaving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford completely helpless.
Schjelderup’s masterpiece immediately split the online community into two schools of thought. Some praised the flash of genius from the Norwegian midfielder, while not a few believed that the goal should not have been allowed because Kane was fouled in the originating situation.
The goal immediately sparked controversy. Many England fans argued that Berg fouled Kane in the ball-winning situation that initiated the counter-attack, so the referee should have awarded the “Three Lions” a free kick. However, Berg touched the ball before colliding with Kane, so this was deemed a legal challenge and Schjelderup’s goal stood.
After the ball rested in the back of the net, Kane continued to surround the referee to protest, but the decision did not change. The VAR team also did not ask the referee to review the pitchside monitor, meaning the video referees assessed Berg’s tackle as legal and that there was no “clear and obvious error” to intervene.
