2026 World Cup, England vs. Croatia: Why the Referee Made Harry Kane Retake His Penalty Kick

French referee Clément Turpin’s decision to order a retake of the penalty kick—which ultimately gave England a 1-0 lead over Croatia in the first Group L match of the 2026 World Cup—immediately sparked debate among fans. The referee intervened following a VAR review because Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic had both feet beyond the goal line at the moment of the shot. This was a clear violation of the rules, which require the goalkeeper to keep at least one foot on the line until the shooter’s foot makes contact with the ball.

The penalty was awarded in the 9th minute, when Luka Modric made an uncharacteristic mistake for a player of his experience: while attempting to clear the box, he failed to notice Noni Madueke behind him and struck him squarely. There was no doubt about the penalty call, which Kane missed on his first attempt but converted on the retake.

Wednesday night’s match was the twelfth all-time encounter between England and Croatia: the record from the first eleven head-to-head matches stands at six wins, two draws after 90 minutes, one loss in extra time, and two losses in regulation time. At the 2018 World Cup, the Croatians defeated the Three Lions in extra time, despite Trippier’s goal in the 5th minute: Perisic equalized in the 68th minute, while Mandzukic scored the winning goal in the 109th minute.