Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 23
Ghana Denied Late Penalty in 0-0 England Draw as VAR Lets Konsa Tackle Stand
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 23

Ghana Denied Late Penalty in 0-0 England Draw as VAR Lets Konsa Tackle Stand

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 23

Summary

  • About 10 minutes from full time, Prince Adu went down in England’s box after Ezri Konsa’s challenge, but officials awarded no penalty in the 0-0 World Cup draw.
  • Replays showed Konsa caught Adu on the knee and made no contact with the ball, prompting BBC pundits including Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards to say Ghana were fortunate not to get a spot-kick.
  • VAR also did not intervene, a decision that may reflect FIFA’s higher review threshold at the 2026 World Cup under refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina’s push for fewer on-field reversals.
  • Darren Cann, an assistant referee in the 2010 World Cup final, said the incident should have been referred because Konsa was airborne, out of control and brought down the attacker.

Insights

Is FIFA’s higher bar for VAR creating a fairer game, or just protecting referees from making controversial calls?
With AI now making calls, has technology truly reduced football's controversies or just shifted the blame from the referee?