Saíd Martínez was at the center of the conversation after sanctioning the penalty that gave Belgium a place in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The action, reviewed by the VAR when the match was dying in extra time, ended up defining one of the most exciting ties of the tournament so far.
The match, played at Lumen Field in Seattle, seemed to lean in favor of Senegal, which took a 2-0 lead with goals from Habib Diarra, in the 24th minute, and Ismaïla Sarr, in the 51st minute. However, Belgium reacted at the close of regulation time with scores from Romelu Lukaku, in the 86th minute, and Youri Tielemans, in the 89th minute, to force overtime.
When everything pointed to a penalty shootout, the VAR called Martínez to review a play in the Senegalese area. After watching the replay on the monitor, the Honduran referee sanctioned a foul by Lamine Camara on Tielemans. The Belgian midfielder himself made the charge and converted the final 3-2 in the 120+5 minute.
The play that divided opinions
The arbitration decision generated an intense debate. While some considered that there was enough contact to signal the penalty, others questioned the intervention of the VAR in an interpretation action.
The specialized portal VAR file rated with 4.0 Martínez’s performance and focused his criticism on the use of video arbitration. According to the analysis, the play did not constitute a clear and manifest error, so the VAR should not have called the referee to review the action. The site maintains that there was contact between Camara and Tielemans, but considers that the decision should remain at the discretion of the field judge and not be modified by video review.
Beyond the divided opinions, the penalty ended up deciding the match and ensured Belgium’s qualification for the round of 16.
The Honduran referee in the spotlight
Saíd Martínez, born in Tocoa, Colón, in 1991, is part of the FIFA referee list and in this World Cup he directed together with his compatriots Walter López and Christian Ramírez.
His performance in Belgium-Senegal once again put Honduran refereeing in the spotlight, as it was linked to one of the most discussed decisions of the direct elimination phase of the 2026 World Cup.
The Honduran referee made his debut as a central referee in the 2026 World Cup, directing Qatar vs Switzerland in the group stage, where he awarded the first penalty of the tournament (in favor of Switzerland, converted by Breel Embolo).