England’s Under-15 team walked off the pitch during their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland in Azerbaijan on Monday following an alleged incident of racial abuse. The match, part of the inaugural FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival, was abandoned in the final minute after England’s head coach, Matt Thorpe, withdrew his players amid claims that an Irish opponent directed a racial slur at one of the English players.

According to reports and video footage, the alleged incident occurred around the 40th minute of the match, which Ireland was leading 4-1. The England player reportedly accused an Irish opponent of calling him a “monkey” after a physical altercation in which the English player pushed the Irish player in the back. This led to a confrontation between the two teams' benches, with an Irish staff member denying the claim, followed by an angry exchange of words. An assistant coach from England was heard saying that the team did not want to continue playing as one of the players was upset.

Following the incident, Thorpe reported the matter to the referee and decided to withdraw the team from the field, leading to the match's abandonment. It remains unclear whether the match result will stand pending FIFA’s ongoing investigation.

FIFA has confirmed that it is aware of the situation and has opened an inquiry, gathering official reports before referring the case to its independent disciplinary committee. The tournament, held for the first time in Azerbaijan, operates under FIFA’s youth development initiative and features eight-a-side games lasting two 20-minute halves.

Prior to the incident, England’s U15s had displayed strong form, winning their first three group matches against Nicaragua, Montenegro, and Cambodia. Following the abandoned match, England secured a 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe, with the affected player participating.

This episode follows a series of similar allegations affecting England’s youth teams in recent years. Last year, an Under-17 friendly against Venezuela was halted twice due to accusations of racial abuse toward English players. Additionally, England’s senior team has faced multiple instances of racial abuse during international fixtures, including a notable incident in 2019 when their Euro 2020 qualifier against Bulgaria was disrupted by offensive chanting and Nazi salutes from home supporters.

Officials from both the Football Association (FA) and the Football Association of Ireland have been contacted for comment. The FA has indicated it is taking the matter seriously and intends to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.