Norway vs Senegal

A Senegalese attacker came into contact with a Norwegian defender and went to ground; Senegal claimed a penalty kick. The on-field referee waved play on. VAR ran the standard PK-claim check and did not recommend intervention. From the broadcast angles available, the contact reads as fair shoulder-to-shoulder body-jostling with arm involvement consistent with running balance — not a clear foul-from-behind or a push. Under Law 12, the attacker going to ground is not by itself evidence of a foul; the action of the defender is what determines the call. The no-call is consistent with both the legal merits of the contact and the broader WC2026 officiating trend toward higher PK thresholds — letting borderline body contests resolve without a whistle rather than rewarding contact-and-fall with a penalty. CORRECT NO-CALL, MEDIUM confidence.