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England’s goalless draw with Ghana may have looked uneventful on the scoreboard, but the game was filled with drama right from kick-off.

As is often the case in major international tournaments, England’s performance was a mix of nerves and inconsistency. However, they narrowly avoided disaster this time thanks to a controversial late incident involving Ezri Konsa that could easily have resulted in a penalty, according to respected referee Christina Unkel.

Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, Unkel referred to a specific ‘directive’ issued for the 2026 World Cup, which she explained was aimed at reducing the number of penalties awarded in cases where there is even the slightest uncertainty over the foul.

“There are a number of consistent contacts not being given,” Unkel said. “You can see that the threshold for VAR intervention is now very high — officials are being told not to give penalties unless the offence is so obvious and so clear that everyone would consider it undeniable.”

England, who could have sealed qualification for the 2026 World Cup knockout stages with a win, were relieved to escape with a draw after the late drama. Unkel noted that the same strict interpretation had been seen in other matches, including the France versus Senegal fixture. “It feels like the instruction is that it has to be 110% certain before a penalty is awarded,” she added.

Discussing Konsa’s challenge, Unkel admitted that while she personally would have awarded a penalty, the current guidance prevented referees from doing so in marginal situations. “I would have preferred to see a penalty given here,” she said, “but the current approach demands absolute certainty — they don’t want anything that might spark debate or require endless video analysis.”

England’s luck held firm as the game ended 0-0, but not before a chaotic sequence in the final minutes. Konsa’s late tackle on Prince Kwabena Adu sent the Ghanaian forward to the ground, and although the resulting play saw Antoine Semenyo block a follow-up effort on the goal line, the incident left many questioning the officiating consistency.

The episode highlighted a growing perception that referees are following a stricter pattern when it comes to penalty decisions — one that some fans might consider overly cautious. For England, it was another fortunate escape in a match that could easily have ended in defeat.