FIFA World Cup 2026

[whiskybravo]

6 hours ago, Paarslaars said:

Let's make the world happy tonight! 

That map is inaccurate!  The Belgian flag should be covering some percentage of the USA.  

[Gregmal]

Yeahhhhhh, see this is where I enjoy the sporting atmosphere. Go to a bar and have some fun watching the game....who wins? Who TF cares? I feel the same about much of soccer as I do watching our NFL games. Exciting, sure. But way too many people seriously overinvested in the outcome of something where it seems stupid rules and subjectiveness from referees plays way too much of a role in the outcome. Enjoy it for what it is. 

[whiskybravo]

Leave the red card, take the cannoli.

[Gregmal]

I mean is it embarrassing pretending to care about "integrity of the game" as an excuse for deliberately trying to avoid playing the best team a country can field? Growing up playing sports, even into a semi high level, it was always viewed as an integrity thing to desire to play the best players/version of your opponent. Otherwise youre just admitting a lack of character and desire to take shortcuts. No "champion" really wants to have that title knowing they weren't actually the best team. 

[Paarslaars]

12 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

I mean is it embarrassing pretending to care about "integrity of the game" as an excuse for deliberately trying to avoid playing the best team a country can field? Growing up playing sports, even into a semi high level, it was always viewed as an integrity thing to desire to play the best players/version of your opponent. Otherwise youre just admitting a lack of character and desire to take shortcuts. No "champion" really wants to have that title knowing they weren't actually the best team. 

 

Here is the thing, I strongly prefer he plays, would be so much sweeter beating their cheating asses that way.

 

The problem is that only the US gets the exemption here... if that is how you really feel, eliminate the suspended match for all players that got a red card. That is integrity.

[dwy000]

11 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

I mean is it embarrassing pretending to care about "integrity of the game" as an excuse for deliberately trying to avoid playing the best team a country can field? Growing up playing sports, even into a semi high level, it was always viewed as an integrity thing to desire to play the best players/version of your opponent. Otherwise youre just admitting a lack of character and desire to take shortcuts. No "champion" really wants to have that title knowing they weren't actually the best team. 

Thats not the case.  Playing with the integrity of the game means following the rules of the game start to finish. No changing the rules after the fact because you dont like the outcome. 

 

I only follow soccer every 4 years but even i thought the red card was way too harsh (esp given the stuff that went on in the France/Paraguay game).  But like the offside rule, thats the game and the rules were set out out long before the tournament started.  If you start applying "best team regardless" the rules go out the window.

[Gregmal]

6 minutes ago, Paarslaars said:

 

Here is the thing, I strongly prefer he plays, would be so much sweeter beating their cheating asses that way.

 

The problem is that only the US gets the exemption here... if that is how you really feel, eliminate the suspended match for all players that got a red card. That is integrity.

Well, yes, too many dumb rules in the sport...I agree. MLB actually has gotten this perfect with the automated strike zones and replay review. Games shouldn't be determined by whether the ump/ref is an idiot. And it shouldn't be predicated on rules that make no sense. It's a shame how hockey allowed the offsides challenge to basically undermine things as well. Not the obvious ones, but where the play was going on for 3 minutes and out of nothing but desperation the team scored against will challenge hoping to claim something that had zero impact on their ability to defend the play should negate a goal. But thats the state of things today.

 

Here, between seeing 60-70% of goals negated because of rules that encourage laziness, and now the stupid pocket card drama, like ugh, reminds me why the only time I can stand soccer is when my daughters playing. If an erroneous and stupid "card ruling" can affect multiple games...fix it. I kinda hope both the US and Belgium lose.

[Gregmal]

9 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

Thats not the case.  Playing with the integrity of the game means following the rules of the game start to finish. No changing the rules after the fact because you dont like the outcome.

Anyone who's ever played sports will tell you theres nothing but shame involved in actively lobbying to play a weaker opponent. 

[Castanza]

16 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

Thats not the case.  Playing with the integrity of the game means following the rules of the game start to finish. No changing the rules after the fact because you dont like the outcome. 

FIFA made the rule in 2023...Article 27...

 

I agree and dislike the change in the Red. But I acknowledge it was a bad call. Removing the appeal process was a dumb move by FIFA. It would have alleviated all of this nonsense. Anyone being surprised at how corrupt FIFA is is laughable at best. As I said, there have been "no calls" and "calls" in this World Cup that could have and arguable are making big changes to potential outcomes. Messi NOT getting a Red card after review is just as bad as this Red getting overturned. But the outcome of both situations is what? It's the best players staying on the field. What did Batman say? "Look to see who benefits if you want to know who committed the crime." People will of course choose to drag the US because Trump got involved (understandable). But there should be zero doubt that other countries have and do intervene with the FIFA board about similar stuff. The pleading ignorance as if this is the FIRST time corruption has ever occurred in FIFA soccer is laughable. 

[dwy000]

8 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Anyone who's ever played sports will tell you theres nothing but shame involved in actively lobbying to play a weaker opponent. 

But thats not whats happening. In fact its the opposite with the US actively lobbying to overturn well established rules to give themselves an advantage.  Every team plays by the same rules. 

 

It's a long tournament and the carryover of yellow and red cards is part of it.  Its not the best team for 90 minutes its the best team over a month of games.  

[Gregmal]

LOL ok bud, Belgium isnt lobbying to have this Balogun dude sit out...

[dwy000]

4 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

LOL ok bud, Belgium isnt lobbying to have this Balogun dude sit out...

They are lobbying to have the rules followed. 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7424790/2026/07/06/folarin-balogun-red-belgium-explanation/

Edited 1 hour ago by dwy000

[Gregmal]

Only fitting you go to the NYT lmfao 

[dwy000]

2 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Only fitting you go to the NYT lmfao 

So the reporting is wrong?  Looked pretty factual.  You could find 10 other sources for the same info.  

[Gregmal]

5 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

So the reporting is wrong?  Looked pretty factual.  You could find 10 other sources for the same info.  

You denied they're lobbying to prevent the other team's best player from playing. Nothing further is needed discussion wise.

 

Belgium is the better team; better off to just shut up and beat them with whatever they put on the field instead of acting like cowards. Then again maybe it’s just a reflection of the sport; where flailing and diving around is encouraged, to draw penalty shots with 90% chance of scoring to mitigate all the other dumb rules and deficiencies that make it otherwise near impossible to score 2 goals in 100 minutes lol

Edited 1 hour ago by Gregmal

[dwy000]

1 minute ago, Gregmal said:

You denied they're lobbying to prevent the other team's best player from playing. Nothing further is needed discussion wise.

 

Belgium is the better team; better off to just shut up and beat them with whatever they put on the field instead of acting like cowards. 

Following the rules is acting like cowards but having your president call the head of FIFA is integrity?  As @Castanza pointed out, it is the US that are going to have the asterisk next to their name here not Belgium. We look like sore losers regardless of how bad the original call.  

[Kizion]

22 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

You denied they're lobbying to prevent the other team's best player from playing. Nothing further is needed discussion wise.

 

Belgium is the better team; better off to just shut up and beat them with whatever they put on the field instead of acting like cowards. Then again maybe it’s just a reflection of the sport; where flailing and diving around is encouraged, to draw penalty shots with 90% chance of scoring to mitigate all the other dumb rules and deficiencies that make it otherwise near impossible to score 2 goals in 100 minutes lol

 

How does wanting the rules to be applied consistently for all aligns to being called a coward? 

 

If you have balls and don't act like a little girl who calls daddy to intervene, you could just have accepted the rules of the game as a big boy and challenged us with your integrity intact. 

 

I see other americans calling Belgium out for not wanting to compete with the best team - stupid irrelevant

 

 

[Paarslaars]

34 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Only fitting you go to the NYT lmfao 

I can link u several Belgian papers if you want to translate from Dutch or French. 

 

He is right, we are merely following official procedures for consistency in the rules. Not all of us have a direct phone line to the FIFA president...

[Castanza]

13 minutes ago, Paarslaars said:

I can link u several Belgian papers if you want to translate from Dutch or French. 

 

He is right, we are merely following official procedures for consistency in the rules. Not all of us have a direct phone line to the FIFA president...

 

What rule was broken?

[Paarslaars]

4 minutes ago, Castanza said:

 

What rule was broken?

• Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code: A player sent off (direct or indirect red card) is automatically suspended for the team's next match. This is meant to be straightforward and non-discretionary for red cards.
   
• Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations: Explicitly states that a red card results in automatic suspension for the subsequent match, with possible further sanctions.
   
• FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16: Reinforces the automatic one-match suspension following a red card.

The core complaint is that FIFA used a general provision (Article 27) to override specific, automatic tournament rules designed for consistency and fairness. This is seen as unprecedented in this context, especially for a high-stakes World Cup knockout game, and potentially influenced by external factors (e.g., reports of U.S. presidential involvement).

 

(AI copy paste)

Edited 53 minutes ago by Paarslaars

[shhughes1116]

1 hour ago, Paarslaars said:

 

Here is the thing, I strongly prefer he plays, would be so much sweeter beating their cheating asses that way.

 

The problem is that only the US gets the exemption here... if that is how you really feel, eliminate the suspended match for all players that got a red card. That is integrity.

 

So, let me make sure I understand. 

 

Everything was cool when Ronaldo, Caicedo, Otamendi and Salman had their bans suspended so they could play in the first and second games of the World Cup group stage? 

 

But the U.S. gets the same treatment and now its cheating?  

 

Spare me the pearl clutching about how "this time is different". 

- The ref was in excellent position to see the play and did not make the call during the run of play. 

- VAR showed conlusively that this was not one player intenionally stomping on the other player as they both came down.

- Issuing a red card for this demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of Law 12, AND a lack of understanding about the background around why studs-up challenges are penalized, and when yellow cards should be issued instead of red cards. 

 

This shouldn't even have been a foul.  I say that as someone who saw (and was on the receiving end of) plenty of studs-up challenges, and stomping, while playing in Italy and in the United States.     

 

 

[Gregmal]

46 minutes ago, Kizion said:

 

How does wanting the rules to be applied consistently for all aligns to being called a coward? 

 

If you have balls and don't act like a little girl who calls daddy to intervene, you could just have accepted the rules of the game as a big boy and challenged us with your integrity intact. 

 

I see other americans calling Belgium out for not wanting to compete with the best team - stupid irrelevant

 

 

So why is Belgium complaining and not any of the other teams in the tourney? Just a coincidence? Or again maybe they don’t want to have the other teams best player in the game lmfao? 

[Castanza]

26 minutes ago, Paarslaars said:

• Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code: A player sent off (direct or indirect red card) is automatically suspended for the team's next match. This is meant to be straightforward and non-discretionary for red cards.
   
• Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations: Explicitly states that a red card results in automatic suspension for the subsequent match, with possible further sanctions.
   
• FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16: Reinforces the automatic one-match suspension following a red card.

The core complaint is that FIFA used a general provision (Article 27) to override specific, automatic tournament rules designed for consistency and fairness. This is seen as unprecedented in this context, especially for a high-stakes World Cup knockout game, and potentially influenced by external factors (e.g., reports of U.S. presidential involvement).

 

(AI copy paste)

 

Unprecedented doesn't mean incorrect. FIFA created Article 27 for a reason. Also it was created in 2023 so this is the first World Cup tournament it has been available for. You can't cherry pick rules....

 

@dwy000 @Kizion The rules are not being "fairly applied". You guys keep glossing over the Messi tackle that was much worse by all standards and it was reviewed by VAR team and no car was ruled. That is no being applied fairly. 

 

So if you are going to have tech to "improve the officiating of the game." Then use it fairly and accurately. If the ref isn't pulling a Yellow card in real time to make a call how the F can you say it's fair to make a call after you watch the replay and especially a Red? Plus VAR isn't supposed to be used in slow motion. FIFA explicitly stated this as a reason. 

 

 

[Paarslaars]

3 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

So why is Belgium complaining and not any of the other teams in the tourney? Just a coincidence? Or again maybe they don’t want to have the other teams best player in the game lmfao? 

You think any other country, including the US, would act differently than Belgium in this situation? 

[Paarslaars]

34 minutes ago, shhughes1116 said:

 

So, let me make sure I understand. 

 

Everything was cool when Ronaldo, Caicedo, Otamendi and Salman had their bans suspended so they could play in the first and second games of the World Cup group stage? 

 

But the U.S. gets the same treatment and now its cheating?  

 

Spare me the pearl clutching about how "this time is different". 

- The ref was in excellent position to see the play and did not make the call during the run of play. 

- VAR showed conlusively that this was not one player intenionally stomping on the other player as they both came down.

- Issuing a red card for this demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of Law 12, AND a lack of understanding about the background around why studs-up challenges are penalized, and when yellow cards should be issued instead of red cards. 

 

This shouldn't even have been a foul.  I say that as someone who saw (and was on the receiving end of) plenty of studs-up challenges, and stomping, while playing in Italy and in the United States.     

 

 

For those guys it was a specific rule that suspensions do not carry from qualifiers to tournament.. this is why nobody gave a rats ass about it. Just as nobody cares if he plays or not, people care because this is a fkn US president enforcing rule-breaking favors during a world cup. That is the reality because if FIFA actually wanted to make this decision they would have done this way earlier.

 

Also everyone agrees it wasn't red but this is always yellow. Claiming it wasnt even a foul makes you lose any credibility as far as the game is concerned mate.

Edited 11 minutes ago by Paarslaars