England were left furious after a major refereeing controversy overshadowed their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against DR Congo, with Harry Kane left stunned and manager Thomas Tuchel raging on the touchline during the first half at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
The flashpoint came in the 43rd minute when Kane broke through the defensive line to latch onto a through ball. As he tried to take it past DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, the England captain went down inside the penalty area after what appeared to be contact from the keeper. Kane immediately appealed for a penalty, insisting he had been brought down, but the referee waved play on, believing the striker had dived. The VAR also chose not to intervene, leaving Kane in disbelief and Tuchel visibly furious.
With England already struggling to break down a disciplined DR Congo defence, the decision added another layer of frustration to an increasingly tense knockout contest. The African side had stunned England with an early breakthrough in the seventh minute.
England vs DR Congo LIVE Score, FIFA World Cup 2026
Chancel Mbemba flicked the ball into the box for Brian Cipenga, who calmly slotted home. Djed Spence’s attempted challenge came too late, while Jordan Pickford was beaten at his near post.
To make matters worse for England, Kane was shown a yellow card for simulation despite replays appearing to show contact from Mpasi before the striker went to ground.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson was left baffled by the decision while speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“They have got that wrong. They have got that so wrong. That’s not just me being patriotic, that is a penalty,” he said.
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer echoed the sentiment.
“There is contact, there is no doubt. For me that is a penalty. Kane may have made the most of it, but the keeper has come rushing out and his hands are there. As a forward, you have every right to make contact and go down,” he said.
Why didn’t England get a penalty?
According to an explainer by The Athletic, the decision not to award England a penalty is surprising when compared to a similar incident involving France captain Kylian Mbappe earlier in the tournament.
The publication noted that FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina had recently explained that if the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and the Assistant VAR disagree over a penalty incident, the on-field referee should be sent to the pitchside monitor to make the final decision.
That was the process followed during France’s match against Senegal because there was no unanimous view among the officials.
According to The Athletic, the most likely explanation for England’s incident not being reviewed is that both the VAR and Assistant VAR were in complete agreement that it was not a penalty. As a result, they did not believe there had been a “clear and obvious” error that justified an on-field review.
