NewsIndia

By Ishaan Kapoor — 2 July 2026 — 3 min read

Spain saw a goal from Marc Cucurella disallowed during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Austria in Los Angeles. The incident occurred just before the half-hour mark, sparking considerable discussion among fans and within the Spanish camp.

The play began from a corner kick, which found Cucurella amidst a scramble in the penalty box. The Real Madrid full-back struck the ball into the net, leading to initial celebrations. However, referee Glenn Nyberg ultimately disallowed the goal.

The Disallowed Goal and VAR Intervention

The decision to disallow Cucurella’s goal stemmed from a foul identified in the build-up. Replays indicated that Pau Cubarsi collided with Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager as Schlager attempted to punch the ball away. This contact was deemed a foul, leading to the goal being chalked off.

According to Rule 10.1 of the laws of football, a goal is only valid if no offence has been committed by the scoring team. Cubarsi’s contact with the goalkeeper was considered a violation of this rule, providing sufficient grounds for the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team to disallow the goal.

Further reports suggest that the VAR review panel and the on-field referee determined that a Spanish player, while in an offside position, interfered with the Austrian goalkeeper. This decision was made under FIFA Law 11’s offside interference clause, even though the player did not touch the ball.

Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) was used to flag the offside position. The VAR team then assessed whether the offside player’s proximity constituted ‘interference with an opponent’ under Law 11, Section 2, and advised the referee to disallow the goal. This clause states that a player in an offside position is penalised if they ‘clearly attempt to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent’ or if they make ‘an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball.’

Debate and Consistency Concerns

The decision has reportedly ignited debate regarding consistency in officiating. Spain’s coaching staff have questioned whether the offside player genuinely obstructed the goalkeeper’s line of sight, noting that the goalkeeper appeared to dive in the correct direction. This suggests that Schlager might not have been impeded, raising questions about the degree of interference.

The Spanish camp has reportedly highlighted another instance earlier in the tournament, in a different group-stage fixture, where a similarly positioned offside player was not penalised, and the goal stood. This has led to arguments that if the same technology and rulebook produce different outcomes in comparable situations, the system may not be eliminating subjectivity.

The International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) 2024–25 guidance notes expanded the interpretation of interference to include scenarios where an offside player’s proximity ‘prevents an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movement.’ This broader definition may have contributed to the decision in Cucurella’s case.

Despite the disallowed goal, Austria conceded shortly after. Mikel Oyarzabal found the back of the net in the 36th minute, putting Spain ahead. The match between Spain and Austria took place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on July 2.

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Source: sportstar.thehindu.com