Overview
- Belgium’s 66th‑minute equaliser in the 1‑1 draw with Egypt came after a rapid free‑kick that replays show was taken roughly 14–15 yards upfield from where the foul occurred.
- VAR did not intervene and the goal, later recorded as an own goal by Mohamed Hany, stood on the match scoreboard.
- Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has called the restart a “clear and obvious” officiating error and said the incident meets the kind of mistake VAR should correct.
- Hackett told reporters he expects FIFA referees management to review the referee’s performance and to give operational advice on free‑kick placement and VAR use.
- The draw leaves Belgium in Group G with two matches remaining and raises broader questions about how technical restart errors are handled and how that could change officiating guidance during the tournament.