England fans were left frustrated as their side were held to a goalless draw against Ghana in the World Cup, but should Thomas Tuchel's team have conceded a penalty that could have made it even worse? The incident in question happened late in the game as Prince Adu charged into the box before Ezri Konsa came across and appeared to bring down the midfielder. No spot-kick was given, much to the relief of England supporters, with replays showing Konsa had caught Adu on the knee and made no contact with the ball. BBC pundits largely agreed that Konsa was fortunate: former England striker Wayne Rooney said, "I think that's a penalty," while ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards added, "On another day, that could have been a penalty."
The basics: England are competing in the 2026 World Cup alongside 31 other nations. They are in Group L, alongside Ghana, Croatia, and Panama. After a win in their opening match, they faced Ghana in their second group game. Tuchel's side struggled to break down a disciplined Ghanaian defence that played a low block and applied aggressive pressure. Despite dominating possession and creating some chances, England could not find the net, leaving them with a 0-0 draw.
“Why England drew 0-0 with Ghana, the penalty controversy, and how VAR thresholds affect their World Cup hopes.”
Why was no penalty given, even though replays showed contact? The answer lies in how video assistant referee (VAR) is being used at this World Cup. Pierluigi Collina, Fifa's head of referees, has set a higher threshold for challenges on the field, aiming for consistency in decision-making. The idea is that if referees let more tackles go, there should be fewer VAR interventions. This policy meant that even though Konsa's challenge might have been a penalty in the Premier League, it was not reviewed by VAR. Former assistant referee Darren Cann said, "For me this should have been referred... Konsa makes absolutely no contact at all with the ball, he brings down his opponent. He is airborne, he is out of control... For me this was a penalty kick."
Another talking point was Tuchel's decision to keep Harry Kane on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, rather than bringing on strikers Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins. When asked about substitutions, Tuchel said, "Change Harry Kane in a game that is stuck and 0-0?! Taking Harry off, no?" He emphasised that England rely on Kane because he loves responsibility and is a natural goalscorer, but acknowledged that the midfielder was not involved as much as they would have liked due to Ghana's narrow defending. Neither Toney nor Watkins had been used in the previous game against Croatia either, raising questions about whether Tuchel trusts his backup strikers.
Why does this matter for UK readers? The draw means England have only one win from two games, and their path to the knockout stages is less certain. They face Panama in their final group match, and Tuchel has admitted he hasn't thought about that yet, saying "Panama is in four days." A strong performance is needed to top the group and avoid a tougher opponent in the round of 16. The penalty controversy also highlights how VAR is being applied differently at this World Cup, which could affect England's future games—they may not get decisions they expect, or they might benefit from a higher threshold being applied to opponents.
Q: Should Ghana have been awarded a penalty against England? Many pundits, including Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards, believe it should have been a penalty because Ezri Konsa caught Prince Adu on the knee and made no contact with the ball. However, no penalty was given and VAR did not intervene due to Fifa's higher threshold for on-field challenges.
Q: Why didn't Thomas Tuchel bring on Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins against Ghana? Tuchel chose to keep Harry Kane on for the full 90 minutes, saying he would not take off his star striker in a 0-0 game. He explained that England rely on Kane because he takes responsibility, and that the absence of other strikers was not an oversight; he had attacking options like Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Marcus Rashford on the bench.
Q: How does VAR work at the 2026 World Cup compared to the Premier League? Fifa's head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, has set a higher threshold for challenges on the field, meaning fewer fouls are called and VAR is less likely to intervene for marginal incidents. In the Premier League, the Konsa challenge might have been reviewed, but under World Cup guidelines it was deemed not a clear error.
What happens next: England's final Group L match against Panama is in four days. Tuchel will need to decide whether to change his approach to break down low-block defences, and whether to give minutes to Toney or Watkins. Meanwhile, the team will be monitoring Declan Rice, who was spotted limping after the Ghana game and has spoken openly about ongoing fitness struggles.