Los Angeles: Marc Cucurella’s goal disallowed in Spain vs Austria World Cup match
During the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Spain and Austria in Los Angeles, a goal scored by Marc Cucurella was disallowed, causing confusion among fans. The incident occurred just before the half-hour mark when Cucurella found the net from a corner kick. However, referee Glenn Nyberg ultimately disallowed the goal.
The decision to disallow the goal stemmed from an alleged foul committed by Pau Cubarsi on Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager during the build-up to the goal. 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 action was deemed to violate this rule, providing sufficient grounds for the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team to disallow the goal.
VAR intervention and offside interference
Reports indicate that the VAR review panel and the on-field referee made the final decision. The VAR determined that a Spanish player, who was in an offside position, interfered with the Austrian goalkeeper’s ability to make a save, even though the player did not touch the ball. This decision was made under FIFA Law 11’s offside interference clause.
The incident has reportedly sparked considerable debate regarding consistency in officiating. Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) was used to flag the offside position. However, the determination of whether this offside position constituted ‘interference with an opponent’ remained a subjective human judgment call by the VAR team.
FIFA’s Law 11, the offside law, outlines that a player is offside if they are nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender when the ball is played. Crucially, a player can be in an offside position without being penalised, provided they do not ‘interfere with play,’ ‘interfere with an opponent,’ or ‘gain an advantage’ from that position.
In this specific instance, the ‘interfering with an opponent’ clause was invoked. The VAR team concluded that a Spanish attacker, positioned offside, obstructed the Austrian goalkeeper’s line of sight or his ability to move towards the ball as Cucurella struck it. The attacker did not make contact with the ball.
Spain’s reaction and consistency concerns
The decision reportedly led to strong reactions from the Spanish camp, with players, including Cucurella, expressing incredulity. The arguments from Spain’s coaching staff reportedly focused on two main points: the degree of interference and the consistency of officiating.
Firstly, questions were raised about whether the offside player genuinely obstructed the goalkeeper’s line of sight, especially since the goalkeeper appeared to dive in the correct direction. This suggested that his ability to make the save might not have been significantly impeded. Secondly, Spain’s camp reportedly highlighted what they perceived as inconsistencies, pointing to at least one other goal earlier in the tournament where a similarly positioned offside player was not penalised, and the goal was allowed to stand.
The International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) 2024–25 guidance notes broadened the definition 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 expanded interpretation means that even without touching the ball, an offside player’s presence can lead to a goal being disallowed if it is judged to have impacted the goalkeeper’s ability to perform their role.
The incident has added to ongoing discussions about VAR controversies in the 2026 World Cup, with several teams reportedly questioning the consistency of interventions. The Cucurella goal decision, made on July 2, 2026, highlights the complexities and subjective elements that remain in football officiating despite technological advancements.
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Source: sportstar.thehindu.com
