England's Under-15 team abandoned their match against the Republic of Ireland at the U15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on Monday following an allegation of racism. The Group C encounter in Baku was brought to an abrupt end in its final minute when the English squad walked off the pitch. At the time of the stoppage, the Republic of Ireland were leading the contest 4-1.
The walk-off occurred after an on-pitch altercation, which prompted an England player to approach the technical area and report to coaching staff that a racist slur had been directed at him. Footage broadcast on DAZN captured England head coach Matt Thorpe calling the referee over and ordering his players off the field. After the referee told the bench, "I cannot hear", an England assistant coach was heard stating, "we are reporting racism" and insisting, "we do not want to play." When another official engaged the staff about post-match steps, the assistant insisted, "No, our players do not want to play," later noting that a player was "upset." The situation also sparked heated verbal exchanges between both coaching groups, with each side asserting they were trying to protect their respective players.
World football's governing body, Fifa, confirmed it is looking into the circumstances surrounding the stoppage. A Fifa spokesperson stated that official reports are currently being compiled and will be passed to an independent disciplinary committee to make a ruling. The spokesperson noted that the match was abandoned by the referee due to England's refusal to keep playing. Both The Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland have been contacted for comment regarding the event.
The competition marks the first time the U15 World Cup and Festival has taken place, bringing together 189 countries and territories in an eight-a-side setup featuring 20-minute halves on reduced-sized pitches. Both teams were scheduled for further action on Monday at 20:45 local time (16:45 GMT), with England paired against Zimbabwe and the Republic of Ireland slated to play Cambodia.