World Cup 2026: Why was Harry Kane's penalty kick retried?
June 18, 2026 · TaegeukGoal
Harry Kane's penalty kick was retried after VAR intervened because the goalkeeper had moved too early.
Harry Kane gave England the lead with a penalty kick against Croatia, but this was due to intervention by the video assistant referee (VAR). This penalty kick was awarded for a foul on Luka Modric in the 9th minute. England captain Kane's first attempt was blocked by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. However, VAR intervened and gave Kane a second chance after Livakovic crossed the line. The goalkeeper must have one foot on or above the line when the kick is taken, and the photo showed Livakovic moving a little early. However, even if the goalkeeper had remained on the line, the penalty kick would still have been reattempted. After Livakovic blocked the first attempt, the ball fell to Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, who cleared the ball for Croatia. But he moved too quickly and was already inside the penalty area by the time Kane took his first attempt. This is not an automatic retry situation and the defender must influence the opposing attacker. Madueke was behind Gvardiol, so he cleared the ball, denying the Arsenal winger a chance to shoot from the rebound. Kane successfully scored on his second attempt.