England’s 4-2 win over Croatia at the 2026 World Cup put Harry Kane’s unusual penalty routine under the spotlight after his first spot kick was saved by Dominic Livakovic and then ordered to be retaken. The Bayern Munich striker converted the second attempt after the Croatia goalkeeper was judged to have left his line early.
The reaction was immediate, with some calling on FIFA to outlaw Kane’s stop-start technique. Former Ghana and AC Milan forward Kevin-Prince Boateng told CBS, “It should be banned.” FIFA rules require a goalkeeper to keep at least one foot on or above the goal line when the penalty is struck.
Kane said he had studied Livakovic and expected him to move early. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said, “When I looked at the video clips, I saw he likes to move early, so I knew there was a chance that if I did the stop, he would come off his line.” He added, “I was 80% sure he would come off the line. I wasn’t 100% sure, and then obviously when the penalty was retaken, I changed the technique a little bit.”
He said the research paid off. Kane also noted that even if Livakovic had stayed on his line, Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol had entered the box too early, which could also have forced a retake. Kane said England were in control after going ahead and were never really in danger, adding that they could have scored “three or four more goals” during a strong period of the match.
