Category Other

Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the Red Devils have confirmed. Onana sustained the injury in the first half of Belgium’s 4-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday. Belgium team doctor Brahim Hacene said: “Unfortunately, the medical examinations have confirmed that Amadou has suffered a rupture of the anterior…

Lionel Messi scored in a record sixth-straight World Cup knockout match to help Argentina reach the quarterfinals after a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta. Egypt were leading the defending champions 2-0 heading into the closing stages before Messi provided an assist for Cristian Romero in the 79th minute and then a goal of his own four minutes later to tie the game. Just when it seemed…

SEATTLE — Shortly after Romelu Lukaku scored the goal that capped a commanding 4-1 win over the United States, Belgium‘s all-time leading goal scorer held his right hand to his ear. On American soil, and in the aftermath of star U.S. forward Folarin Balogun being permitted to play after a one-game red-card suspension was controversially lifted by FIFA, Lukaku egged on the crowd of 66,925 at Lumen Field. The Red…

Gary Lineker believes the United States should have left Folarin Balogun out of their team to face Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 even after the controversial decision to suspend his one-match ban. Balogun was initially banned for Monday’s match because of his red card in the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday, but FIFA’s disciplinary committee announced on Sunday that the ban had been suspended.…

The Paraguayan senator embroiled in a racism row with Kylian Mbappé has demanded an apology from the France forward and threatened legal action against him for “gender-based violence.” In a remarkable open letter posted on social media, Celeste Amarilla retracted the racial slurs she made about Mbappé’s origins and education but doubled down on her criticism of the Real Madrid man. Amarilla, of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, called on Mbappé…

The match official labelled “suspect” by United States President Donald Trump has been praised by FIFA referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina. Trump criticised Brazilian referee Raphael Claus on Monday after he sent off US striker Folarin Balogun following a VAR review in the round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun’s red card was controversially suspended on Sunday, allowing him to play in the Americans’ round-of-16 tie against Belgium — which they…

Downing Street has sought to clarify Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s role in discussions over the kick-off time of England’s World Cup match against Mexico, amid a row over potential political interference in FIFA by American president Donald Trump. Starmer is understood to have intervened to prevent FIFA bringing forward the kick-off time from 6 p.m. local to 12 p.m. local on Sunday, a move which would have cut short…

Folarin Balogun accepts the decision to clear him to play for the United States against Belgium on Monday was “controversial” but insisted he played no part in the process. The circumstances surrounding the decision to suspend an automatic one-match ban for the red card Balogun was shown in the previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina remain unclear, although U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed he personally lobbied his FIFA counterpart…

Portugal will look back at this World Cup as a “missed opportunity,” Bruno Fernandes has said. Among the pre-tournament favourites, Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain on Monday in the round-of-16 and exited the competition. “There’s no point in talking about it now because we’re out of the World Cup, but it was a missed opportunity,” Manchester United captain Fernandes said after the game. “Every opportunity is a missed one because…

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed his disappointment at the “politics and manipulation” which overshadowed the United States’ World Cup exit following President Donald Trump’s intervention. The co-hosts were dumped out of the competition in the round-of-16 after they were thumped 4-1 by Belgium in Seattle during the early hours of Tuesday morning. They did so with star man Folarin Balogun included in the starting line-up after the one-match ban he incurred…