'That was a penalty' – English pundits back Ghana after England draw

Several English football pundits and former players have argued that the Black Stars deserved a penalty during their goalless draw with England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The incident occurred late in the game when Prince Adu charged into the box and Ezri Konsa appeared to bring him down. No spot-kick was awarded, to the relief of England supporters, even though replays showed Konsa caught Adu on the knee without making contact with the ball.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not review the incident or alert the referee.

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Many English pundits believe the challenge should have been reviewed and a penalty awarded to Ghana.

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said England were fortunate not to be punished:

"I think that’s a penalty. Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball. That could easily have been given, in my view. On another day, that could have been a penalty."

Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards added: "England were chasing the game, trying to score, but you still need that protection behind you. On another day, that could have been a penalty."

Outspoken pundit Jamie Carragher noted Ghana’s misfortune:

"It’s actually a decent point because Ghana were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty. With Panama to come, England are 99 percent certain to win the group."

Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright argued that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could have been sent off if VAR had intervened:

"I thought we were fortunate with that Konsa challenge. At first, I thought he must be offside, but Stuart said he was miles onside. If they had looked at that, we were in trouble. Pickford missed the ball completely and could have been off. I think we got away with that one."

Fellow pundit Gary Neville was emphatic: "The Konsa one, I thought it was 100% a penalty."

Popular Manchester United fan and YouTuber Mark Goldbridge also weighed in on X, writing: "Ghana should have had a penalty tbf."

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