Video: Refs overlook possible penalty for Spain vs England at Euro 2024 final as Rice fouls Laporte
It didn't take long for the Euro 2024 final to spark controversy as Declan Rice brought down Aymeric Laporte in the box, but England got away with it as Spain were not given a penalty.
Both referee François Letexier and VAR official Jérôme Brisard seemed to overlook a potential penalty for Spain against England at the UEFA Euro 2024 final, with Declan Rice apparently bringing down Aymeric Laporte in the box.
The play in question took place only 34 minutes into the game at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Despite stopping the Al Nassr defender with both arms around him, the Arsenal star wasn’t punished as the refs didn’t intervene.
Since it was a rather uneventful first half, this situation was the one that gave most to talk about on social media. Fans were left in shock as the game continued like nothing happened, with the refs missing what seemed to be a clear penalty for Spain.
“How in the world is that Rice rugby tackle on Laporta not a penalty;” @LUFC_WorldWide wrote. “Rice doing a Hulk Hogan impression on Laporte, no penalty – remind me why we have VAR again?,” @philipoconnor complained.
Dani Carvajal tells Bukayo Saka to “stop crying”
While the overlooked penalty for Spain may have been the most controversial situation in the first half, another moment that went viral was Dani Carvajal’s reaction to Bukayo Saka calling for a yellow card on the Spanish defender.
The Real Madrid right-back made a gesture to the Arsenal winger to stop crying, which of course led to countless posts on social media. Needless to say, the Euro 2024 final has already heated up.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.