It's the World Cup, yet "just score the goal"—the goalkeeper blatantly cleared the goalmouth... "Refusal to save" following a penalty kick decision → Mass brawl erupts after the match ends

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

An absurd incident unfolded during a World Cup match. A goalkeeper, dissatisfied with the referee's penalty kick decision, completely abandoned the goal and refused to attempt a save. After the final whistle, a commotion erupted as players from both teams clashed.

The UK-based Talk Sports reported on the 31st (Korean time) that "a match involving England's youth national team escalated into a brawl," adding that "players rushed at the referee after failing to stop the penalty kick."

England's under-15 (U-15) national football team defeated Bolivia 3-2 in the 57th-58th place playoff of the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the 30th.

This tournament is the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup, and unlike previous World Cups, it was played with eight players per side. The match duration was also shortened to a total of 40 minutes, consisting of two 20-minute halves. Participating teams were divided into six tiers, from A to F, based on their group stage results to determine the final rankings.

England finished second in Group C during the group stage and advanced to Tier B. By defeating Bolivia in the final match, they concluded the tournament ranked 57th overall. For reference, South Korea finished in 25th place.

However, an unbelievable scene unfolded during this match. The situation occurred in stoppage time of the second half while the two teams were locked in a 2-2 tie. England forward Emmanuel Famokun (West Ham) was brought down by a tackle from a Bolivian defender. The referee immediately awarded a penalty kick.

However, the Bolivian players had a different view. They argued that the foul occurred outside the penalty box. Consequently, Bolivian players surrounded the referee and protested fiercely. Eventually, the coaching staff also intervened.

Talk Sports explained, "A Bolivian coach was captured running onto the pitch, pointing with his finger at the actual location of the foul while protesting."

Nevertheless, the referee's decision did not change. Rather, as the protests intensified, the referee produced cards for several members of the Bolivian coaching staff.

Ultimately, Bolivian players resorted to an unexpected method of protest. As England's Famokun prepared to take the penalty kick, Bolivian players retreated toward the touchline instead of staying around the penalty box.

The goalkeeper's actions were even more astonishing. He did not even assume a stance to attempt a save. Instead, he moved to one side of the goal and stood next to the post. Effectively, he cleared the path, essentially telling the opponent to just score the goal.

Talk Sports reported, "Thanks to this, Famokun was able to gently push the ball into the net without any interference." The outlet added, "This goal ultimately became the winning goal. The referee blew the final whistle just seconds after the penalty kick was successful."

It further reported that "while England's youth players ran off to celebrate their victory, Bolivian players sent sarcastic applause toward the referee."

However, the anger of the Bolivian players did not easily subside. In fact, a larger commotion broke out after the match ended.

Some Bolivian players rushed at the referee to protest aggressively. Upon noticing this, England players stopped their victory celebration and ran toward the center of the pitch where the referee was located.

Talk Sports explained, "It appeared that England players rushed over to protect the referee, but soon a large physical altercation erupted as players and coaching staff from both teams became entangled."

During this process, one Bolivian substitute player received a red card for aggressively approaching the referee. The clash between the two teams was barely calmed down when officials intervened.

However, lingering resentment remained. The outlet reported, "Subsequently, several England players were captured performing celebrations in front of the Bolivian players, seemingly flaunting their victory."

The possibility of additional disciplinary action regarding this incident remains. Talk Sports stated, "The Football Association has not yet issued a statement on this incident," adding that "FIFA plans to decide whether to take further action after receiving the report from the match supervisor."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original