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Harry Maguire slams 'poor' England-France referee following World Cup quarter-final heartbreak

Harry Maguire has criticised referee Wilton Sampaio following his display in England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.

Maguire wants referee accountability
Officials made several contentious decisions
England out of World Cup

WHAT HAPPENED? The Manchester United defender was left unhappy with the official as England suffered heartbreak and bowed out of the competition courtesy of 2-1 defeat against France. During the 90 minutes Bukayo Saka was on the receiving end of several physical challenges, one of which came in the build-up to Les Bleus' opener, while England players also wanted a penalty for a foul on Harry Kane - who went on to score and then miss from 12 yards before full-time - in the first half.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to BeIN Sports, Maguire said: "I thought the referee’s decision-making throughout the game was really poor. We always stand here, we as players, we get criticised, so it would be nice to see if he comes out and says whether he’s had a good game or not. There were so many decisions in that first half where France made five, six early fouls. I think [Kane] was outside the box but it was a clear foul.

"He doesn’t initially give the penalty in the second half. The one on Bukayo is a clear foul, leading up to their first goal. Just big moments, big decisions, and you expect a referee to get some right. Unfortunately tonight, he didn’t get any."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Maguire came into the tournament having barely featured for United this season, but has responded to his critics with a string of impressive performances. Whether this will lead to increased game time at Old Trafford upon his return remains to be seen.

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