Harry Kane’s penalty against Croatia sparked immediate debate when officials ordered the England captain to take the kick again, leaving fans wondering what rule violation led to the rare decision.
The retake was triggered by an infringement during the original penalty attempt, and the ruling quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of England’s World Cup opener. On Kane’s second attempt, he gave the Three Lions a 1-0 lead.
Harry Kane’s Penalty Retake: What the Rules Say
The sequence began in the 12th minute when Croatia’s Luka Modrić fouled Noni Madueke inside the penalty area, bringing down the England winger as he nipped in front of Modrić’s attempted clearance. The referee awarded the spot kick. Kane stepped up, and Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković got a strong hand on the ball — sending it away and triggering a celebration from the Croatian bench.
VAR intervened. A review confirmed that Livaković had left his goal line before Kane struck the ball, a direct violation of IFAB Law 14 — The Penalty Kick, as cited by The FA. Under that rule, the goalkeeper must keep at least part of one foot on or in line with the goal line at the moment of the kick. Leaving it early constitutes encroachment.
The law is unambiguous on the consequence: if the goalkeeper encroaches and the penalty is saved, the kick is retaken. Had Livaković stayed on his line and made the same stop, the save would have stood. Because he didn’t, Kane got a second chance.
Kane did not hesitate on the second attempt. He drove the ball into the back-right corner, and England took the lead. The Croatian protests were brief. The rules left no room for dispute.
Livaković is no stranger to high-pressure penalty situations. He was the hero of Croatia’s 2022 World Cup run, according to LBC, stopping three penalties against Japan and one against Brazil in back-to-back shootouts. On Tuesday, the initial save demonstrated those reflexes remain sharp. But his early step cost him.
Harry Kane’s Scoring Record Heading Into the 2026 World Cup
The goal added to a record that already stands apart from any England striker in history. Kane arrived in North America with 79 international goals in 114 caps, according to Sports Mole, England’s all-time scoring record by a wide margin, and eight World Cup goals, which put him two goals behind Gary Lineker’s England record of 10.
The 2018 version of Kane announced him on the global stage. Six goals in the Russia World Cup, including a hat-trick against Panama, the first by an Englishman at a World Cup since Lineker in 1986, and the Golden Boot, according to Olympics.com. Four years later in Qatar, a missed penalty against France in the quarterfinals ended England’s run.
At club level, Kane carried Bayern Munich through a historically productive 2025–26 season with 61 goals across all competitions, a European Golden Boot with 36 Bundesliga strikes, and a domestic treble. His penalty record for England stands at 24 conversions from 28 attempts — the most penalty goals by any England player.
Tuesday’s retake was not the first time Kane has benefited from goalkeeper encroachment. He exploited the same rule against Atalanta’s Marco Sportiello in Champions League play, converting after VAR spotted the keeper creeping forward. The tactic, a deliberate pause mid-run-up designed to pull a goalkeeper off his line early, has become part of Kane’s spot-kick arsenal. Against Livaković, it worked again.
Why Was Harry Kane Allowed to Retake His Penalty Against Croatia?