After falling behind in the eighth minute against DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match Wednesday, England was denied what appeared to be a clear penalty in the 43rd minute.
Jude Bellingham picked up the ball on the right wing and played a fantastic pass through to striker Harry Kane. It looked like DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau made contact with Kane’s foot, but referee Adham Makhadmeh indicated he thought Kane dove and did not award a penalty kick.
“The only thing that the referee has to look at is does the goalkeeper go into the path of Harry Kane?” Mark Clattenburg said on the FOX Sports broadcast of the game about the incident. “And yes, he does. That is not a simulation. There’s a clear contact.”
“For me, I would rather the referee have a look at this,” Clattenburg added.
At halftime, Thierry Henry said he thought it was a penalty and agreed with Clattenburg that the referee should have gone to the monitor to take a look at the incident.
“It just feels like a penalty,” Clattenburg added moments later. “Once Harry Kane gets to the ball first, and the goalkeeper doesn’t touch the ball, for me, there’s a clear contact by the goalkeeper and a penalty kick should be awarded.”
DR Congo took the lead through winger Brian Cipenga in the seventh minute, when he delivered a great finish past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at the near post. From there, England was on the front foot but could not penetrate DR Congo’s goal, with defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka clearing a shot from Marcus Rashford off the line and Mpasi-Nzau making a great save from a Jude Bellingham header late in the first half.
Moments before the penalty incident, DR Congo striker Yoanne Wissa nearly made it 2-0 for his side but hit the post after connecting with a cross from Wan-Bissaka on the right wing.
England’s Harry Kane Denied Penalty | Mark Clattenburg gives his opinion on controversial call
After halftime, Clattenburg offered more analysis of the incident.
“I’ve got the chance to look at it in slow motion,” Clattenburg said. “If the goalkeeper leaves his left arm on the floor, then I believe if Harry Kane makes contact with that arm then it would be a penalty. But what the goalkeeper does is he lifts his left arm up and catches Harry Kane’s foot, and therefore a penalty kick should have been awarded.”
“He does catch his foot before the goalkeeper challenge,” he added. “He does catch his right foot on the turf. However, he steps one more step before the contact. That step is important. Therefore, it’s not a dive.”
