Norway thought they had their lead back in the World Cup quarter-final, but a VAR decision for an Erling Haaland foul just wiped Torbjørn Heggem's 55th-minute goal right off the board, a massive let-off for England. After Jude Bellingham squared things up following Andreas Schjelderup’s opener in the first half, it looked like Heggem had forced home at the back post from Patrick Berg’s corner. But England's players, just like for Norway's first goal, swarmed referee Clement Turpin, appealing for a foul, and man, did they have a case.
The VAR Hammer Drops on Haaland
This whole thing exploded because Erling Haaland, who has been absolutely lights-out in front of goal all tournament, got a little too physical. As that corner whipped in, Haaland straight-up pushed his new Manchester City teammate, Elliot Anderson, to the ground. Turpin was recommended to the pitchside monitor to check it out, and ITV refereeing expert Christina Unkel called it. She said, "They'll check Haaland, because it was a full extension of the arms with the push. The VAR is looking at whether or not that would have prevented him [Anderson] from meaningfully be able have an impact as to defend that ball. I would be surprised if this was not overturned for a foul." Turpin didn't need long at the monitor, confirming the foul against Anderson and chalking off Norway's goal. Talk about a gut punch for Norway.Kane's Grievances and What VAR Didn't See
This wasn't even the only contentious moment of the game. Earlier, Harry Kane was absolutely livid after the referee waved away appeals for a foul on the England captain in the build-up to Norway’s first goal. England had been dominating possession for most of the first half, but then fell behind in the 36th minute when Schjelderup fired in off the post from out wide, an effort that honestly looked like it was meant to be a cross. But moments before that, Kane felt he was illegally dispossessed by Norway midfielder Berg, who came through the back of the Three Lions striker. Kane was left holding his ankle, voicing his appeals to Turpin, desperate for that strike to be ruled out. No obvious VAR review on that one, though, and Turpin swiftly let the goal stand. You have to wonder if England felt hard done by, especially after seeing VAR controversially rule in Argentina's favor for a foul much further back in the build-up to Egypt's goal in their last-16 clash. That decision was huge, with Argentina winning 3-2. However, Unkel, along with ITV pundit Gary Neville, asserted that the right call was made for Kane's incident. England did manage to find an equalizer through Jude Bellingham late in the first half, and Kane even thought he had another just moments after, but the linesman’s flag went up for offside, a decision that was also confirmed as correct. These calls completely shifted the dynamic of a World Cup quarter-final, leaving Norway reeling from that disallowed goal and giving England a massive lifeline. It's a reminder that in these high-stakes games, every single contact, every decision, can change everything.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.