World Cup

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Attendance: 44,190

World Cup | Round of 16

Jul 3, 2018 at 7pm UK

Colombia
1-1
England

Mina (90+3')

FT
(aet)

Kane (57' pen.)

England win 4-3 on penalties

FIFA 'strongly rebukes' Diego Maradona comments

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 05 July 2018

FIFA insists that there is no case to answer after accusations from Diego Maradona that the match officials favoured England over Colombia in this week's last-16 tie.

FIFA has "strongly rebuked" comments made by Diego Maradona in the wake of England's victory over Colombia in the last 16 of the World Cup.

The Argentine icon suggested that the South Americans were the victims of a "monumental theft" in Moscow due to the poor standard of officiating from American referee Mark Geiger.

Maradona went on to blame the chairman of FIFA's referees committee, Pierluigi Collina, for placing Geiger in charge of a match of such magnitude.

The world football governing body has hit back at the remarks, though, insisting that there is no case to answer.

"Following comments made by Diego Armando Maradona in relation to Tuesday's round of 16 game, Colombia v England, FIFA strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match," the statement read.

"Furthermore, it also considers the additional comments and insinuations made as being entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded.

"At a time when FIFA is doing everything within its power to ensure principles of fair play, integrity and respect are at the forefront of this World Cup and how the organisation is now run, FIFA is extremely sorry to read such declarations from a player who has written the history of our game."

Maradona, who famously knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup with the use of his hand, was pictured in a Colombia top prior to the match in the Russian capital.