Keith Hackett slams World Cup officiating after ‘clear and obvious error’ is missed in Belgium vs Egypt
Keith Hackett has insisted that Belgium’s equaliser against Egypt should not have stood in their 1-1 draw in the 2026 World Cup on Monday.
The Lowland country netted a 66th-minute equaliser when Thomas Meunier's low cross was turned into his own net by Egypt defender Mohamed Hany.
This was thanks to a quick Belgium free-kick that saw the European nation fly forward to earn themselves a point.
However, replays soon showed that the free-kick was taken around 14 yards further up the pitch than where the foul occurred.
Yet, VAR did not get involved, and Belgium’s equaliser stood.
Now, Hackett has insisted this is a clear and obvious error, and the officials have made an error by allowing it to stand.
Keith Hackett: Belgium’s equaliser vs Egypt should have been disallowed
Belgium’s equaliser saved the nation from a potentially embarrassing defeat to Egypt.
The Lowland country are expected to win their group as they look to finally lift silverware with their golden generation.
However, it is now evident that they were arguably bailed out by the officials, who failed to spot the free-kick being 14 yards further up the pitch.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett has insisted that VAR should have intervened to disallow the goal.
He said: “This is a poor piece of officiating, not ensuring that the ball is positioned correctly at the point where the foul took place.
“The free kick was taken from an advanced position approximately 15 yards forward from where the foul took place.
“This clear and obvious error by the Referee should have resulted in the intervention of the VAR.
“The outcome should have been a disallowed goal, and the restart a free kick at the position where the original offence took place.
“I have no doubt that in reviewing this performance, the FIFA referees management will be giving the referee some appropriate operational advice.”
Who do Belgium face next in the World Cup?
Belgium’s next game is against Iran on Sunday as they look to register their first victory of the tournament.
This is then followed up with a tie against New Zealand on 27 June to finish off the fixtures in Group G.
It remains to be seen if Belgium will get out of their group and into the knockout stages.
In the 2022 World Cup, the nation was surprisingly knocked out in the groups, with Morocco and Croatia progressing into the next stage.