England U15s Abandon World Cup Match Over Alleged Racism

A Under-15 World Cup match between England and the Republic of Ireland was abandoned Monday in Azerbaijan after an England player alleged he was the subject of a racist slur from an opponent. The incident occurred in the final minute of the Group C match in Baku, with the Republic of Ireland leading 4-1 at the time.

Following an altercation between players from both sides, an England player approached his bench to report the alleged comment to coaching staff. Match footage showed England staff then relaying the complaint to the referee and instructing their players to leave the pitch.

England's head coach, Matt Thorpe, was seen asking the referee to come over before calling his players off. When initially told by the referee, "I cannot hear," an assistant coach stated, "we are reporting racism" and that the players did not wish to continue playing. The assistant coach later indicated that the player involved was "upset."

Discussions between coaching staff from both teams ensued, with each side asserting they were protecting their players. The match was ultimately abandoned by the referee after England's refusal to resume play.

Fifa, the world governing body for football, has confirmed it is investigating the incident. "The official reports are being gathered, and the matter will be referred to the independent disciplinary committee, who will decide in due course," a Fifa spokesperson told BBC Sport.

The U15 World Cup and Festival, in its inaugural year, features 189 countries and territories. Matches are played in an eight-a-side format on smaller pitches with 20-minute halves.

England's next scheduled match is against Zimbabwe, and the Republic of Ireland is set to play Cambodia. Both games were scheduled for later on Monday.