Hart slams disallowed Cucurella goal as Spain ease past Austria 3-0 at World Cup

Spain advanced to the last 16 of the World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Austria, but the match was overshadowed by a controversial VAR-approved call that ruled out Marc Cucurella’s goal for an apparent foul on the Austrian goalkeeper — a decision that drew sharp criticism from BBC pundit Joe Hart.

The incident occurred when the score was still 0-0, with the contact appearing minimal at best. Despite looking soft in real time, VAR reviewed and upheld the on-field decision, leaving Hart visibly frustrated in the studio.

“There are going to be Premier League goalkeepers throwing their food and drink at the TV,” Hart said. “What’s gone in the Premier League this season, for this to be disallowed. It is really soft, it is just people challenging for the ball. Sometimes I can understand it when you get your hands knocked out of the way, or taken away from you. That is just an innocent challenge.”

Spain ultimately had little trouble securing the result regardless. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, with Tottenham defender Pedro Porro adding a header in between, to send Luis de la Fuente’s side through with a convincing margin.

Hart acknowledged that the broader issue of set-piece wrestling in the Premier League had become a genuine problem, referencing a similar disallowed goal for Jonathan Tah earlier in the tournament. But the former Manchester City and England goalkeeper argued the solution had been clumsily applied.

“Just be honest though, it’s a shame this has happened, because they are two perfectly good goals,” Hart said. “But something needed to be done, because it was getting ridiculous in the Premier League with the jostling from set-pieces. It was almost impossible for a goalkeeper. It was getting out of hand but I think they could have handled it better than chalking off two perfectly good goals in the World Cup.”

The debate reflects a wider tension between football’s authorities and the game as it is played at club level — where physical contact in the penalty area during set pieces has long been tolerated, if not encouraged. Hart’s comments suggest that however necessary the crackdown may be, its inconsistent application across competitions is creating confusion and frustration among players and pundits alike.