2026 World Cup: USA eliminated by Belgium after Balogun’s fury; backlash against Fifa builds – live | 2026 World Cup
Important events
BTL comments about BalogunGate, and other things, including soccer.
I can’t help but feel that this isn’t really about football, is it? I feel sorry for the American players and true fans, and I can’t help but feel that a lot of this, being beyond their control, has left a bad smell in the air and a bad taste in the mouth.
Geopolitically, the US is universally despised, and that’s it indeed at the heart of this, right?
I don’t even think it’s about the red card business, either. Ronaldo’s suspension was overturned for this World Cup, and Bellingham’s disciplinary action was suspended for the European Championships, and there have been other decisions since long ago. But the problem is, if you have a US president who makes a habit of pretending to be the ‘protagonist’ all the time and is, to say the least, inscrutable (Calvin Coolidge, where are you now?) or invisible, then this is how we get here.
It’s little consolation to true American fans or their team, but perhaps this would be a good time to reflect. As for the rest of the world, piling on the US team and its supporters when there really isn’t a bone to pick from isn’t very good or sportsmanlike behavior, is it?
I actually feel very bad for the players in the United States. It is not their fault that they are dragged into all this, they become the enemy of the episode. Hosting the world cup and playing for your country on home soil, should be a dream for any player, but Trump ruined everything for them from start to finish.
Of course, let’s try to keep things focused on football:
The USA failed miserably yesterday, they must think that the events of Balogun have affected them. Belgium was good for the first time in this competition, they passed Senegal but it was very good for the American team, which must consider this world cup as a missed opportunity. Belgium got their balance in midfield right and looked better than their opponents, who were completely inferior.
Spain and Portugal were two good sides who drew against each other, Spain probably deserved it.
Apart from the mexico v england game, the round of 16 has not been good so far, not a round of 32 episode. Here’s hoping tonight’s games redress the balance, we’re looking forward to the quarter finals though, the best three ties so far.
“I am sad to leave like this this but I gave everything, I gave everything I could,” said Ronaldo. “I go with a clear conscience. This is football, the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. You have to move on. It was my last World Cup, yes, but with regard to everything: there will be time to think, to be with my family, [I will] don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment.”
It was seen that none of his Portuguese teammate Cristiano Ronaldo seemed interested in comforting him, congratulating him or communicating with him in any way after the defeat to Spain.
Enough, in terms of the impact he has on the dressing room. It makes perfect sense to put up with gynormous egos if they are world-class players, of course, but not so much if they are past the best.
We thought Qatar 2022 might be his last hurray, World Cup wise, but is it?
If you would like to give an opinion for any of these, you can email me here.
In podcast news, Max Rushden hosts World Cup Daily with Barry Glendenning, Archie Rhind-Tutt, Nick Ames and Sid Lowe.
They chose the defeats of the USA and Portugal, showed further with England’s memorable victory against Mexico, and indulged in first-class flogging along the way:
Belgium: ‘Turn this around’
“Convert this” is pretty good on the Belgian social media team, it must be said.
Although you are not in the same league as “where are you now?” from Barcelona v Metz, in the 1984-85 Cup Winners’ Cup.
Alexander Abnos was on the scene in Seattle to see the USA against Belgium. Here is his report:
And some reactions from within the convention host camp: Tim Ream, the USA captain, insisted that Folarin Balogun’s red card farrago had ‘no effect’:
Background
Hello sports fans.
The USA, the hosts, were eliminated after being beaten 4-1 in the last 16 by Belgium in Seattle. They insist that Folarin Balogun is a red card made by Donald Trump nothing acting on the result.
Portugal is also out, the World Cup of Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, ends in tears after losing to Spain 1-0 in Dallas.
Argentina v Egypt and Switzerland v Colombia will round out the last 16 later, leaving eight teams on the way to the final on 19 July. (Without any unprecedented political intervention, of course…)
What does all this mean? Let’s talk about soccer/soccer associations/the World Cup.
