![]() |
A minor detail regarding Livakovic's position meant that Harry Kane's penalty had to be retaken according to IFAB regulations. |
A remarkable incident occurred in the opening minutes of the match between England and Croatia in Group F of the 2026 World Cup.
In the 9th minute, Noni Madueke was fouled by Luka Modric inside the penalty area, earning England a penalty. From the penalty spot, Harry Kane took a shot towards the right corner but was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
The Croatian players and fans in the stands celebrated wildly. However, that joy was quickly extinguished.
![]() |
Livakovic successfully saved Harry Kane's first shot, but VAR determined that the Croatian goalkeeper had left the goal line too early before the ball was taken. You may also like |
Referee Clément Turpin received a signal from the VAR team and stopped the game to review the situation. After reviewing it, he decided to allow England to retake the penalty.
The problem stems from Livakovic's position at the moment Kane took the shot.
According to Article 14 of the IFAB Laws of Football, the defending goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot touching the goal line, either on or behind the line, when a penalty kick is taken.
Television replays showed that Livakovic had moved forward too early. The Croatian goalkeeper jumped off the goal line before Kane touched the ball, and both his feet were no longer in contact with the line.
Because he successfully blocked the shot while violating the rules, Livakovic was found to have committed a foul. According to current regulations, the penalty kick must be retaken.
On his second attempt, Kane made no mistake. The England captain beat Livakovic to open the scoring.
This situation quickly became a topic of debate on social media. However, according to the current IFAB rules, the referees' decision was entirely correct.
The 2026 World Cup will also continue to apply VAR technology along with a semi-automatic offside system, helping referees detect very small errors that are difficult to spot with the naked eye. Livakovic's case is a prime example of how technology directly affects the outcome of a crucial situation in a match.
Source: https://znews.vn/vi-sao-kane-duoc-da-lai-phat-den-post1660799.html































































