World Cup 2026: Bizarre new FIFA rule leaves England confused during Norway clash
The ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup has been a hotbed for tactical drama, but a lesser-known rule change stole the headlines during England’s intense clash against Norway. The fixture saw the first-ever deployment of a new FIFA law that left Three Lions captain Harry Kane and his teammates utterly baffled.
This tournament introduced a sweeping set of regulations. While minor tweaks to curb time-wasting have successfully sped up play, other additions have sparked fierce debate. Controversial rules—such as players receiving red cards for covering their mouths—have already drawn heavy criticism, with UEFA reportedly refusing to adopt the law for the upcoming European club season.
However, it was a technicality regarding set-pieces that took center stage during the England-Norway match.
The disallowed goal and the referee’s call
During the second half, Norway looked to have taken a 2-1 lead after Lysaker Heggem tapped the ball into an open net following a chaotic scramble from a corner kick.
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England’s blushes were temporarily saved when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened. Replays showed that Norwegian talisman Erling Haaland had fouled England’s Elliot Anderson in the goalmouth melee, leading to the goal being disallowed.
But instead of the standard procedure—awarding England an indirect or direct free-kick to restart play—the referee ordered Norway to retake the corner.
The new FIFA rule explained
If a foul is committed in the penalty area before the corner kick is officially taken or fully in play, the infraction results in no disciplinary punishment or free-kick for the defending team. Instead, the set-piece must simply be retaken.
The rule was designed to stamp out the constant grappling and shirt-tugging that plagues penalty boxes during set-pieces, mirroring similar crackdowns seen in domestic leagues like the English Premier League.
The unusual restart caught England off guard. TV cameras caught a visibly frustrated Harry Kane quizzing the match official, completely confused as to why Norway were getting a second bite at the apple despite committing a foul. His protests were quickly waved away.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of regulatory talking points in the 2026 tournament. Beyond the mouth-covering red cards, the tournament has faced political and administrative drama—including high-profile legal maneuvering by US lawyers to suspend American forward Folarin Balogun’s red card.
The rulebook remains fluid. Reports suggest FIFA is even considering mid-tournament tweaks to its penalty shootout systems, specifically changing how the coin toss determines which team kicks first and which end of the stadium is used, aiming to eliminate unfair psychological advantages.
As England progresses deeper into the knockout stages, Gareth Southgate’s men will need to keep their wits about them. Having already survived razor-thin VAR interventions against Mexico and now Norway, navigating FIFA’s evolving rulebook will be just as crucial as beating the opposition on the pitch.
