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Belgians Outraged Over Non-Penalty Call in World Cup Qualifier Loss to Spain
🇬🇷 Greece /Sports

Belgians Outraged Over Non-Penalty Call in World Cup Qualifier Loss to Spain

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the World Cup qualifiers, with Merino scoring the winning goal.
  • Belgian players and fans strongly protested a handball incident involving Rodri in the penalty area.
  • Both the on-field referee and VAR officials did not award a penalty for the handball, leading to significant controversy.

Spain clinched a crucial 2-1 victory against Belgium in their World Cup qualifying match, securing their spot in the final four. However, the decisive moments of the game were overshadowed by a contentious handball incident that left the Belgian contingent furious.

The controversy erupted around the hour mark when Spanish midfielder Rodri appeared to handle the ball inside his own penalty area. Belgian players immediately appealed for a penalty, believing the handball was clear and should have resulted in a spot-kick for their team.

Despite the vociferous protests from the Belgian players and their supporters, neither the on-field referee nor the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) deemed the incident worthy of a penalty. This decision allowed the game to continue, with Mikel Merino eventually scoring the winning goal for Spain in the 88th minute, intensifying the Belgians' frustration over the earlier handball call.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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