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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Jack Rathborn

Why France had a free kick overturned against Spain – and was VAR involved?

Spain France Ousmane Dembele World Cup
  • A free-kick awarded to France in their World Cup 2026 semi-final against Spain was controversially overturned in the first half.
  • The incident involved Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz, with Dembele initially appearing to win a foul in the 43rd minute.
  • Salvadoran official Ivan Barton initially gave the free-kick but reversed his decision after receiving advice from the assistant referee, not VAR .
  • The reversal caused confusion among fans, as no yellow card had been issued, unlike previous similar incidents in the tournament where cards were wrongly given.
  • Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal (penalty) and Pedro Porro put Spain 2-0 up, moving them closer to the World Cup final.

IN FULL

Was France free-kick against Spain overruled by VAR in World Cup semi-final?

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