Ghana deserved a penalty- Wayne Rooney
Former England captain Wayne Rooney has criticised defender Ezri Konsa for what he described as a reckless challenge during England’s tense 0-0 draw against Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversial moment came midway through the second half when Ghana substitute Prince Kwabena Adu raced through on goal after breaking behind England’s defence.
As Adu prepared to bear down on goal, Konsa launched into a desperate challenge inside the penalty area, bringing the Ghanaian attacker to the ground and sparking immediate appeals from the Black Stars players and coaching staff.
However, any hopes of a penalty were quickly extinguished when officials determined that Adu had been marginally offside in the build-up, rendering the challenge irrelevant and preventing further disciplinary action against the Aston Villa defender.
The incident became one of the defining talking points of the match, with many questioning whether England had escaped a potentially costly punishment.
Speaking during his analysis on BBC, Rooney was highly critical of Konsa’s decision-making and suggested the defender had unnecessarily put his team in danger.
“I think that’s a penalty,” Rooney said.
The former Manchester United striker argued that Konsa’s approach to the tackle was reckless and could easily have resulted in a spot-kick had the offside flag not come to England’s rescue.
“Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball,” Rooney added.
England ultimately survived the scare and secured a point from the Group L encounter, but the incident has reignited concerns about the team’s defensive vulnerability against quick counter-attacking opponents.
Ghana, meanwhile, were left frustrated after seeing one of their best opportunities of the game wiped out by the offside decision.
The result leaves both teams still in contention for qualification, but Rooney’s comments have added to the debate surrounding England’s defensive discipline as the tournament moves into its knockout stages.
