Meeting in the quarter-final of the 2026 World Cup , Spain took on Belgium and came away with a 2-1 win. Luis de la Fuente's men will now face France in the semis.
The Spaniards took the lead in the first half when Fabian Ruiz finished from close range, but Charles De Ketelaere had things level before the break. The game then looked as though it was destined for extra time, but Senne Lammens – on for the injured Thibaut Courtois – spilt the ball right at Mikel Merino's feet, and the Arsenal star could not miss.
English referee Michael Oliver was in charge of the game, but one moment has sparked a strong response online.
The FIFA rules are very strict.
French Journalist Unhappy With Michael Oliver's World Cup Incident
Oliver was overseeing his seventh World Cup game, the most of any English referee in history. At one point, Spain star talent Lamine Yamal was trying to win the ball back for his team but opted to instead cynically foul Jeremy Doku as the Belgium star looked to threaten on the break.
Oliver blew for the foul and looked as though he was going to hand out a yellow card to the Barcelona winger. However, he then opted against booking Yamal. French-based journalist Matt Spiro, who works for beIN Sports, was quick to call out the incident. Taking to social media , he wrote:
"How does Michael Oliver not book Lamine Yamal there? The most cynical of fouls on Doku to stop Belgian counterattack... are these refs actually being told to protect the stars?"
Journalist Spiro appeared to be referring to the idea that FIFA seem keen to protect some of the biggest names at the World Cup. This theory has been aided by Cristiano Ronaldo seeing his suspension for a red card against Ireland reduced from three games to just one , which meant he was available for Portugal's first game this summer.
Adding to that, Folarin Balogun saw his one-game red card ban suspended for a year , allowing him to play for the United States against Belgium. Lionel Messi also controversially avoided a red card against Algeria for a similar foul to the one which earned Balogun a red card.
The issues have been so widely talked about that – after watching his side lose 3-2 with some key decisions going in favour of Lionel Scaloni's team – Egypt manager Hossam Hassan even claimed that FIFA "want Argentina and Messi to stay in the World Cup for marketing."
Fans Baffled by Michael Oliver's Lamine Yamal Decision
Spiro wasn't the only one to notice the incident, as fans online were also stunned by the lenient bit of refereeing from the English official. Criticising Oliver, one wrote:
"Clear yellow card offence for the push on Doku when making the transitional break. But Oliver probably doesn't punish Yamal because he's one of the star flair players."
One more wrote: "Michael Oliver about to produce a card for that tackle. Noticed it was Yamal and changed his mind." Another baffled supporter asked: "Why didn't he [Oliver] book Yamal for an obvious foul on Doku?"
A fourth said: "Oliver reached for the card for Yamal then changed his mind??" With someone else asking: "Why didn‘t Michael Oliver book Yamal for the foul on Doku he stopped a promising attack…"
One more summed up the mood, remarking: "I fail to understand why Michael Oliver hasn't booked Yamal there."
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