During the England vs. Wales match at the Women's Euro 2025, England were awarded a penalty after a controversial VAR review. The incident involved a challenge by Wales' Carrie Jones on England's Georgia Stanway.
The sequence of events leading to the penalty was as follows: Referee Frida Klarlund initially signaled a free-kick, judging that Jones had fouled Stanway close to the edge of the 18-yard box, with Stanway falling just outside the area. However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened, leading to a lengthy delay. The VAR determined that the foul had occurred inside the penalty area. Consequently, referee Klarlund reversed her initial decision and pointed to the penalty spot. Stanway then converted the penalty, giving England the lead.
The controversy surrounding the penalty stemmed from the subjective nature of the foul itself and the extent of contact between Jones and Stanway. Replays suggested there was minimal contact when Jones attempted to win the ball. It appeared that Stanway may have gone to ground after a second attempt by Jones to challenge for the ball.
According to UEFA's explanation, the VAR's intervention was based on the objective decision of whether the foul occurred inside the penalty area. The ruling stated that "Wales' player No20 [Jones] committed the foul inside the penalty area". However, the decision to award a foul in the first place is subjective, requiring the on-field referee to review the play to overturn it. In this instance, the VAR did not request that Klarlund review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
Many observers felt the initial decision of a free kick was correct, and the contact occurred outside the box. Former Wales skipper Kath Morgan said it was really close but her first instinct was that it's out of the box, adding that it’s definitely not a 'clear and obvious' error. Former Wales men's international Danny Gabbidon said it does look in the area, but he wasn't sure it was a foul.
The penalty was a significant blow to Wales, who needed to win the match by four goals to have a chance of progressing in the tournament. Prior to the match, Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson said her team would show up and "spoil the party" for England. Wales captain Angharad James emphasized the rivalry, stating, "It's in our blood. It's in our DNA". Ultimately, England secured their place in the quarter-finals with the win.
