Harry Kane missed his first penalty but was given a second chance to score for England in a dramatic World Cup encounter against Croatia. Here is why the retake occurred.
Initial Penalty Saved
Harry Kane used a stuttered, "tippy-toe" run-up for the original spot-kick, resulting in a scuffed shot toward the bottom-right corner that Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic managed to save.
Defensive Encroachment
Before the ball was kicked, Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol prematurely ran into the penalty box, breaching the formal boundaries of the penalty area.
Goalkeeper Off the Line
In tandem with the encroachment, a whistle and subsequent review determined that Livakovic failed to keep at least one foot on the goal line as the kick was being executed.
The Cleared Rebound
Because the illegally entering Croatian defenders actively participated in clearing the ball immediately after the save, the technical advantage rules forced the referee to penalise the infraction.
VAR Intervention
Following the live play, a quick VAR review officially confirmed the combined encroachment and goalkeeper violations, invalidating the initial save.
The Successful Retake
Under IFAB rules, if the defending team commits an infraction during a penalty kick and the ball does not enter the net, the kick must be re-taken—allowing Kane a second attempt, which he subsequently blasted into the net to open the scoring.
