FIFA World Cup 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 🇨🇦 2026

[Lufc76Cor]

I was thinking we signed him after the Euros, but it appears not.

No, he had played in 2 World Cups and a European Championship by the time we signed him

[Lufc76Cor]

That nearly works but Germany beat Argentina in Brazil in 2014. The last Americas WC

I thought the same when I read that but I'm guessing he means the central American countries

[Jimstorrie]

100% correct to disallow

Provided you believe VAR should micro-manage every single decision, and not just complete and utter howlers.

[WhiteRose]

Really don’t get why the manager took Okafor to the WC he clearly still has an issue with him. Either you don’t pick him in your squad or you forget the past and move on. id have sacked it off and gone home by now.

[Jaydog]

Provided you believe VAR should micro-manage every single decision, and not just complete and utter howlers.

It was a clear pullback on his shirt which denied him an attack stopping tackle however I take your point.
Its still annoying that the two questionable tackles/incidents in the Argentinian box weren’t shown to be checked prior to the winning goal which sparked the Egyptian bench in to life.

[SG90]

Two injuries and Okafor still benched lol

[John in Louisiana]

Inconsistent officialling & decisions going to the big guns once again.

Don't think it was inconsistent. In the first instance the Egyptian player was grabbing the Argentine player's jersey from behind and stomped his foot from behind. In the other instance Salah had been dispossessed and the contact on his foot came immediately afterward.

In the first instance the breakaway was clearly created by the foul. In the second the breakaway was not the result of any sort of foul.

[wynpalmer]

My final word on the Balogun matter.
A quote from a trusted news source in the US.

"According to the New York Post, the decision came after “U.S. Soccer threatened legal action against FIFA for incorrectly applying its video assistant referee process.”

A source with intimate knowledge of the process told The Post on Sunday that, despite FIFA’s rules that a case such as Balogun’s cannot be appealed, a group that was led by U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson and COO Dan Helfrich fought the ruling based on VAR having been applied incorrectly.

The source said U.S. Soccer attorneys were involved as were White House attorneys, and this went as high up as President Donald Trump, who reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Infantino told Trump it was a matter, which was already under review by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, for an independent committee. It was the disciplinary committee that ultimately overturned the ban. "

No TDS required...

[Jimstorrie]

The overall standard of refereeing has declined this world cup with more VAR interventions since last time.
And not for the better

[John in Louisiana]

My final word on the Balogun matter.
A quote from a trusted news source in the US.

"According to the New York Post, the decision came after “U.S. Soccer threatened legal action against FIFA for incorrectly applying its video assistant referee process.”

A source with intimate knowledge of the process told The Post on Sunday that, despite FIFA’s rules that a case such as Balogun’s cannot be appealed, a group that was led by U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson and COO Dan Helfrich fought the ruling based on VAR having been applied incorrectly.

The source said U.S. Soccer attorneys were involved as were White House attorneys, and this went as high up as President Donald Trump, who reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Infantino told Trump it was a matter, which was already under review by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, for an independent committee. It was the disciplinary committee that ultimately overturned the ban. "

No TDS required...

In a way I'm (almost) glad the US lost.

Now we can put this whole thing behind us and the episode will be merely a footnote when we think back on this competition.

[CUSSIE01]

Columbia looking good here

[The Subhuman]

I hope we don't get Elvedi, he was about a yard late on that "tackle" ... doesn't look premier class at all.

[CUSSIE01]

In a way I'm (almost) glad the US lost.

Now we can put this whole thing behind us and the episode will be merely a footnote when we think back on this competition.

Do you think the result would have been different without all the interference John ? It must have affected the players & Balogun in particular who had a mare of a game.
Trump, Infantino & FIFA couldn’t have done a better job of inspiring Belgium if they tried.
I’ve already said it but I have sympathy for the US players, fans & Balogun in particular .

[YorkshireSquare]

Do you think the result would have been different without all the interference John ? It must have affected the players & Balogun in particular who had a mare of a game.
Trump, Infantino & FIFA couldn’t have done a better job of inspiring Belgium if they tried.
I’ve already said it but I have sympathy for the US players, fans & Balogun in particular .

I woke up, saw the score and assumed Belgium had battered them. Saw the replay later and the US were awful, gave Belgium two goals for nowt.

[Jimstorrie]

Really don’t get why the manager took Okafor to the WC he clearly still has an issue with him. Either you don’t pick him in your squad or you forget the past and move on. id have sacked it off and gone home by now.

Like Ivan Toney with Tuchel,.. or Southgate.

[Lufc76Cor]

I woke up, saw the score and assumed Belgium had battered them. Saw the replay later and the US were awful, gave Belgium two goals for nowt.

Belgium should have won it by even more, USA were unusually terrible all over the field , but have to give credit to the changes Belgium made to their starting 11 certainly made a difference also

[John in Louisiana]

Do you think the result would have been different without all the interference John ? It must have affected the players & Balogun in particular who had a mare of a game.
Trump, Infantino & FIFA couldn’t have done a better job of inspiring Belgium if they tried.
I’ve already said it but I have sympathy for the US players, fans & Balogun in particular .

If it did affect the players they'll be the last to say so, but I don't see how it couldn't have.

But Belgium the better side in any event.

[Cjay]

That's a bold statement


It's usually Zlatan and Lalas arguing

Not this time

[The Subhuman]

This has been a snooze fest, I drifted off. Is Okafor on yet?

[Cjay]

Thierry knows . . . . .