England’s Under-15 team walked off the pitch during their FIFA Under-15 World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland on Monday after a player alleged that an opponent had racially abused him. The match in Baku, Azerbaijan, was abandoned with Ireland leading 4-1, as footage showed England head coach Matt Thorpe calling his players off the field following the incident.

The alleged incident occurred in the final minute of the Group C fixture, following an altercation between players from both sides. An England player subsequently approached his team's bench to report what had happened, prompting Thorpe to seek the referee's attention.

According to reports, the England player alleged that an Irish opponent had called him a “monkey”. The allegation has not been independently established, and FIFA is gathering official reports to investigate the incident.

Footage from the match showed Thorpe approaching the referee before signalling for his players to leave the pitch. An England assistant coach was subsequently heard telling the referee: “We are reporting racism,” before adding that the team did not want to continue playing.

When another official approached the England bench to discuss the situation, the assistant coach reiterated that the players were unwilling to resume the match. He also indicated that one of the players was upset by the incident.

The footage also captured heated exchanges between members of the two coaching teams as England's players gathered on the sidelines. Thorpe's decision to withdraw his team brought the contest to an end, with the referee abandoning the match.

HAS FIFA TAKEN ACTION?

FIFA confirmed that it was aware of the incident and that the match had been abandoned after England refused to continue.

“FIFA is aware of an incident at the FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival match between England and the Republic of Ireland,” a spokesperson for the governing body said.

“The match was abandoned by the referee following England’s refusal to continue.”

FIFA added that it was collecting the official reports before referring the matter to its independent disciplinary committee, which will decide on any further action.

The Football Association of England is understood to be taking the incident seriously and providing support to its players and staff while awaiting further information. The Football Association of Ireland has also been approached for comment.

The match was part of the inaugural FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival, which features teams from 189 countries and territories. The competition uses an eight-a-side format, with matches played over two 20-minute halves on smaller pitches.

England had won their previous three matches against Cambodia, Montenegro and Nicaragua before facing Ireland in Baku. Both teams were scheduled to play their final group fixtures later on Monday, with England taking on Zimbabwe and Ireland facing Cambodia.

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