The situation where the referee refused to award England a penalty in the match against DR Congo in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup late on July 1 has become a subject of controversy.
Late in the first half at the Atlanta stadium (USA), captain Harry Kane surged forward to receive a pass in the penalty area and collided with goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. The Bayern Munich forward went down after contact with the opponent’s arm. Main referee Adham Makhadmeh initially thought Kane dived before consulting VAR technology.
Although slow-motion replays showed there was contact between the two players, the referee still maintained his decision not to award a penalty. This ruling caused the England players to react strongly, while fans and commentators also appeared surprised.
Commenting on the BBC, former striker Alan Shearer affirmed that this was a clear penalty. According to him, the goalkeeper rushed out with both arms spread wide and created contact with Kane. Shearer also thought Kane went down somewhat exaggeratingly, but England still deserved to be awarded a penalty.
Sharing the same view, legend Michael Owen criticized the referee’s decision on social media, calling it a hard-to-accept ruling. Meanwhile, commentator Piers Morgan also assessed that England had been stripped of a clear penalty.
Nevertheless, former star Wayne Rooney argued that Kane was the one who proactively charged into the goalkeeper and the fall made him look like he was intentionally looking for a penalty. According to Rooney, the referee not pointing to the 11-meter spot was the correct decision. Despite shooting a lot, England could not score any goals in the first 45 minutes against Congo’s tightly organized defense.
After the half-time break, center-forward Harry Kane shone brilliantly with a brace, thereby helping England secure a 2-1 victory. This result brings the “Three Lions” into the round of 16 to face Mexico.
