Belgium's penalty against Senegal sparks referee debate

Experts' opinions differed regarding the validity of awarding a penalty to the Belgian national team against Senegal in the Round of 32 match of the 2026 World Cup. A technical analysis indicated that the incident did not warrant the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, and the decision was within normal referee judgment. This sparked significant controversy after Belgium scored a decisive goal in injury time, qualifying for the Round of 16.