October 27 – England walked off during their U-15 World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland on Monday after one of their players reported an alleged racist comment, forcing FIFA to abandon the game with only a minute left on the clock and open a disciplinary investigation.
Ireland were leading 4-1 in the 89th minute in Baku when an England player approached the bench following an altercation and made a complaint to his coaching staff.
England head coach Matt Thorpe then called the referee over before withdrawing his players.
Match footage carried by DAZN caught one England staff member telling the referee: “We are reporting racism,” before adding: “We do not want to play.”
When officials attempted to discuss what would happen after the match, another England coach replied: “No, our players do not want to play.”
The player involved was described by staff as “upset”.
The circumstances inevitably leave plenty for FIFA to establish. The allegation came in the final minute of a match Ireland were comfortably winning against their nearest rivals, and there has so far been no public independent corroboration of what was allegedly said.
FIFA confirmed the incident is now being investigated. If no worthy evidence is brought forward, it is unclear whether Ireland would be given the win which – up until that point – they deserved.
“The match was abandoned by the referee following England’s refusal to continue,” said a FIFA spokesperson.
“The official reports are being gathered, and the matter will be referred to the independent disciplinary committee, who will decide in due course.”
The FA said it was in contact with FIFA and awaiting further information, adding that player welfare is its priority. The Football Association of Ireland has also been approached for comment.
The incident comes only days into FIFA’s newest youth experiment, which has brought 189 national associations to Azerbaijan, including 78 making their first appearance at any FIFA World Cup competition.
With so many teams in the competition, it feels like a stroke of bad luck that England would draw Ireland given the fierce rivalry between the two nations.
Matches are eight-a-side and played over two 20-minute halves, with the tournament deliberately pitched around development and participation rather than the usual knockout structure.
Both teams returned to action later on Monday, with England beating Zimbabwe 2-0 and Ireland defeating Cambodia 4-1.
FIFA now has to determine both what happened in the closing moments and what becomes of a fixture that was effectively settled on the pitch before it was abandoned.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]
