Key events
And not directly World Cup related, but you can see it becoming so down the line, the International Olympic Committee has lifted the suspension on Russia that was imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, paving the way for the Russian team to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics:
A little more on Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla, who posted racist comments on social media after Kylian Mbappé’s winning penalty for France against Paraguay on Saturday. As we mentioned earlier, French prosecutors have opened an investigation into aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence, and now the United Nations has waded in. This from Agence France-Presse:
A Paraguayan lawmaker’s “racist and dehumanising” remarks about France’s football World Cup star Kylian Mbappe were “despicable”, but regrettably not isolated, the United Nations said on Tuesday. “Reports of racist incidents during the Fifa World Cup 2026 reflect a wider phenomenon across football and sports more broadly,” the UN’s human rights office spokesman, Thameen al-Kheetan, said in a statement.
We’re under an hour away from the penultimate last-16 tie, Argentina v Egypt in Atlanta. Scott Murray has all the buildup:
Alexander Abnos
In the closing moments of the United States’ 3-2 win over Portugal at the 2002 World Cup, ESPN commentator Jack Edwards took a moment to remind viewers who had stayed up all night of the profound result they were witnessing. From his perch in Suwon, South Korea – where he was watching the first match of a campaign that would end in a quarter-final that remains the high-water mark for the modern US men’s national team – Edwards delivered a soliloquy that cut straight to the heart of the profound role World Cups play not just for the US men’s national team, but for soccer as a force in American life.
“The players on that 1950 team that beat England … this (result) is about the foundation that they laid,” Edwards said in his booming bravado as the hour crept toward 7am ET. “This is about the thousands of American families who have helped this sport grow, and the people in those pockets all over the country who have stuck with soccer. And it’s also for those seven- or eight- or nine-year-old kids, who are going to hear about this result when they wake up in the morning and rush outside, and knock a ball against a wall, and dream of something even greater than this.”
If you were unfortunate enough to miss Barney Ronay on Mexico v England, have a read:
Gary Lineker believes the United States should have left Folarin Balogun out of their team to face Belgium in the World Cup last 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 last 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday, but Fifa’s disciplinary committee announced on Sunday that the ban had been suspended.
US president Donald Trump confirmed on Monday he had personally lobbied Fifa counterpart Gianni Infantino on the topic, leading to accusations that Fifa had been swayed by political interference, something strictly prohibited under its statutes.
Balogun’s presence did not ultimately help the Americans, who lost 4-1, and former England forward Lineker believed the team could have taken a stand on the issue by continuing to leave him out.
“It would have been a good play for either Balogun or (head coach) Mauricio Pochettino to just say: ‘Actually, I don’t think that’s right for football, the integrity of the game, the integrity of the sport,’” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“And I wonder whether they were better off just saying: ‘Actually, we’re going to leave him out anyway.’”
Infantino has insisted the decision was entirely in the hands of the disciplinary committee, which is independent.
The committee subsequently said it had used discretionary powers under Article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code to suspend Balogun’s ban due to the “specific circumstances” of the incident, without explaining what those circumstances were.
Jürgen Klopp, who is expected to soon be confirmed as the new head coach of Germany after they exited the tournament at the last 32 stage, said: “This is our sport, not theirs.
“If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, it is madness; it calls everything into question.” PA Media
Jacob Steinberg
There has never been an English footballer quite like Jude Bellingham. He has the cockiness and explosiveness of a teenage Wayne Rooney and the vision of Paul Scholes, but that doesn’t come close to covering it. There are endless layers to Bellingham, the boy who has it all. He can be the No 8, the No 9 or the No 10. He has the flair of a Glenn Hoddle and the chest-out bravado of Paul Gascogine, but he also has the bravery of Bryan Robson, the rampaging qualities of Steven Gerrard and, as Mexico discovered at the Estadio Azteca, the ability to morph into the world’s best defender and drag his team out of the mire with a goal-saving challenge.
More? Bellingham has film-star looks, can charm like David Beckham and, given how much he has achieved, does not sound ridiculous when he says his post-retirement ambition is to play James Bond.
Argentina v Egypt is under two hours away. Have a read of Ed Aarons’ preview of the Messi v Salah showdown:
In ICYMI news, some of our many football pieces from today:
I know what you’re thinking. Where is the Football Daily newsletter?
Great question. And here it is, courtesy of John Ashdown. The lead story is Donald Trump, Folarin Balogun, the red card furore and the co-hosts’ World Cup exit:
Speaking of Argentina v Egypt – the 10th-last match of this World Cup – Scott Murray has “got it launched” over on the live blog page:
Remaining World Cup fixtures
There aren’t many matches left, you know. I make it 10 including the third-place playoff.
Last 16
Argentina v Egypt (today, 12pm EDT/5pm BST, 2am AEST)
Switzerland v Colombia (today, 2pm local/7am AEST/9pm BST/4pm EDT)
Quarter-finals
France v Morocco (Thursday)
Spain v Belgium (Friday)
Norway v England (Saturday)
TBC v TBC (Sunday)
Semi-finals: 14 July and 15 July
Third-place playoff: 18 July
Final: 19 July
I was just looking for an amazing photo of Lamine Yamal running with the ball against Austria, that I saw the other day, and I couldn’t find the one I was after. This is close though.
Say what you like about Trump …
That’s it, actually. Just say what you like about Trump.
Have the tariffs against Belgium been announced yet?
As an American I’m embarrassed for us by Trump’s interference, and I’m embarrassed by some of our fans’ attempts to justify it (Ronaldo in Qatar was wrong as well; it was a red card bc the ref showed a red card, that’s how it works you morons). The team played like they were embarrassed, and the deserved result followed.
I feel bad for the players being tainted with association to the human stain we call president, and having the world instantly go against them. Everything he touches he fouls.
Are we getting a BBC vs ITV friendly this tournament? I would even accept ITV vs. FOX and a hard tackle by Keane on Lalas.
Don’t forget, there is other sport on besides the World Cup.
Bona fide cycling expert, Andy McGrath, has Tour de France stage four here:
And equally bona fide tennis expert, Daniel Harris, has the action from SW19 here:
Thank you Martin, hello again.
Naughty Rodri, goading his beloved, long-time former Manchester City teammate Bernardo Silva like that (13.53). Quite funny though.
Simon Hattenstone’s piece about Silva from last month is well worth your time:
That is me done for today. Luke McLaughlin is back in the hot seat.
Here is the view from Brussels on yesterday’s Belgium triumph over co-hosts the US, via my colleague Jennifer Rankin…
Spain midfielder Rodri has said he apologised to former Manchester City teammate Bernardo Silva after celebrating in his face when he missed a late chance in their last 16 tie.
AP reports Rodri told reporters after the game that he’d said sorry to Silva. “I made a mistake,” the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner said, “because I celebrated when he had missed. I apologised to him immediately.”
PA have just dropped a story that the Downing Street spokesperson was pressed by the No 10 lobby on exactly what Keir Starmer’s role was in the fixture time-change shenanigans at the weekend ahead of Mexico v England.
I must confess I am not entirely convinced this is the most pressing political issue of the day, nor, following the exchange, do I think anybody is any the wiser. With someone in media seemingly trying to draw out a comparison between Starmer’s indication he got involved and Donald Trump’s vocal intervention over Folarin Balogun, PA reports the spokesperson initially said:
The prime minister was clear that he was supportive of representations made by the FA regarding the practical implications of a proposed scheduling change for the team’s preparations. The final decision on fixture timings remained a matter for Fifa. But as we’ve consistently said, decisions on disciplinary matters and the application of rules of the game are for Fifa and for the relevant football authorities.
Asked what exactly the government did, and did they talk to the Mexican government or Fifa, the spokesperson said:
I’m not going to go into the internal processes behind it, but the prime minister has said that he was supportive of the representations made by the FA, and I think that’s on record that the FA have made representations about the scheduling change and the impact it would have potentially on the England team. But as I say, the final decision on that, the fixture timings remained a matter for Fifa.
I guess that does appear to rule out Starmer getting on the phone to Fifa to have a word about Jarell Quansah.
Peak audience of 9.1m for England match breaks BBC record for its time slot
England’s 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning broke BBC viewing records, the corporation has said.
The match attracted a peak live audience of 9.1 million, despite not kicking off until 2am BST, with an average audience of 7.8 million.
PA reports that more than tripled the previous record for an event on the BBC screened between 2am and 4am, which had been set during the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The rerun of the match on BBC Two at 7am on Monday morning attracted a peak audience of 1.1 million, averaging at 900,000.
I wonder if this fella has got a ticket for the clash with Egypt later …
In non-World Cup news, the latest product of the Gray dynasty, 17-year-old Harry Gray, is going on loan to *checks notes* League One’s Sheffield Wednesday from Leeds United for the season.
“There were quite a few clubs interested but it was an easy decision because this is such a big club. It’s crazy to think about 24,000 season tickets in League One and the timing is perfect, as I have a full pre-season to settle in,” he told the club’s website.
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence after a Paraguay senator racially abused Kylian Mbappé following Paraguay’s loss to France at the World Cup.
The Paris prosecutor’s office told the Associated Press on Tuesday that it launched the probe after the national unit for combating online hate received a complaint from the French Football Federation (FFF).
Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, posted racist comments on social media after Mbappé converted the winning penalty in France’s victory over Paraguay on Saturday.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said “the remarks were allegedly made because of the victim’s actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion.” These offenses were punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and a 45,000 euros fine ($51,000).
The FFF denounced Amarilla’s comments as “utterly abhorrent” and “unacceptable,” while French president Emmanuel Macron and sports minister Marina Ferrari voiced support for Mbappé.
One suspects that Fifa’s decision to waive Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup is going to have repercussions that will outlast the tournament. Javier Tebas Medrano, president of La Liga, has chucked his tuppence in on social media, calling it “the tip of the iceberg” of a credibility problem for Fifa. In a lengthy post he added:
When rules can be interpreted or modified as convenient; when the most consequential decisions are made without genuine dialogue and agreement with national/domestic leagues, which are the ones sustaining professional football 365 days a year (the vast majority of professional clubs and players do not participate in international competitions); when a unilateral agenda is imposed without listening to football’s main stakeholders, the problem stops being a specific resolution and becomes the system itself.
I did not think I would get through this stint without mentioning Folarin Balogun, and PA have a few words from the player at the centre of the red card non-suspension storm.
He told reporters after the match “Of course, it’s controversial when the decision is overturned. We accepted the decision when I saw the red card, and we accepted the decision when we were told I could play. I was not involved in the process. It had nothing to do with me personally.”
He also said that he had spoken to Belgium’s coach Rudi Garcia after the match. Garcia had previously said that Balogun “didn’t do anything wrong” during the controversy.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Monaco, will be disappointed that he has become one of the biggest stories of the tournament, but for off-field reasons beyond his control.
Martin Belam
Hi everyone, good afternoon/morning/evening. Having spent months lamenting this horrible bloated new World Cup format with too many games, I cannot tell you the horror with which I am contemplating that tomorrow there is NO FOOTBALL! Before then we have Argentina v Egypt to enjoy, and Switzerland v Colombia. I am slightly dreading the latter as I am haunted by having sat through a fair share of incredibly dull tournament knock-out matches featuring the Swiss during my lifetime. Let’s hope tonight isn’t one of them.
“Who wants to bet with me that Roberto Martínez will get the Spain job next?” emails Shaun Wilkinson. “Nobody outside of Boris Johnson has failed upwards so consistently and successfully. I feel very sorry for the Portuguese players who have missed probably their best chance to win a World Cup thanks to the spinelessness of their manager. Gonçalo Ramos must be especially devastated and angry.”
And with that, my stint is done, and I’ll hand you over to Martin Belam. Laters.
On this day in World Cup history, 1974: A final that won’t be repeated this year, West Germany beating Johan Cruyff’s feted Dutch team in Munich. Here’s Der Kaiser soaking it all up.
Ed Aarons
We’re a little over five hours from Egypt’s biggest ever World Cup game, a showdown against the defending champions, Argentina, in Atlanta – and a rare head to head between two legends. Ed Aarons sets the scene.
As Mohamed Salah savoured the feeling of Egypt’s historic victory over Australia, the narrative had already moved on. The former Liverpool forward could not contain his delight after his scuffed penalty helped to seal a redemptive shootout triumph in Dallas for the Pharaohs on Friday.
“I decided last minute. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence,” said Salah, who had missed in Egypt’s last two shootouts, including the World Cup qualifying playoff against Senegal four years ago.
“I don’t know if it’s my last World Cup, but I had to do it. Today was one of the best days of my life.”
It’s lively below the line today, unsurprisingly. Here’s some political bracketology from Rscully:
Can you picture Trump handing the trophy to the far right’s bete noire Kylian Mbappé, as the LA stadium resounds with the anti-Trump boos of 80,000 Californians? Cos I can’t. He’s going to skip out for sure.
I hate to be That Guy, but I can’t either – because the final’s in New Jersey, not LA.
While FullHD offers a take on another of this World Cup’s themes/bugbears:
I wish this Messi v Salah v Mbappe v Haaland or whoever it is stuff would stop. It’s profoundly silly and disrespectful in a team sport.
It’s always worth a check-in on the player interactive …