When the President of the United States Calls the FIFA Boss

Donald Trump called Gianni Infantino. That is a sentence that should not exist in a football article. And yet here we are.

Folarin Balogun got a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Studs down on a defender’s ankle. The referee did not even see it as a foul in real time – it was VAR that sent the ref to the monitor and eventually produced the card. Balogun’s coach Pochettino said after the game it was never a red card. His teammates said it was bogus. But the rules were clear. No appeal. Automatic one-game suspension. Balogun misses Belgium.

Except then the White House reportedly called FIFA President Infantino. Asked him to review it. The US government provided what they called “additional evidence” about the use of slow-motion replay before the card was issued. And FIFA’s disciplinary committee – using a clause that has not been activated in over 60 years of World Cup football – suspended the suspension. Balogun plays.

Belgium released a statement saying they were “astonished.” They cited two separate FIFA rulebooks that explicitly say a red card means an automatic one-game ban with no exceptions. They are not wrong. The rules do say that. FIFA just decided the rules do not apply this time.

This is not a football story anymore. This is a political story wearing a football shirt.

The United States are co-hosting this World Cup. Their best player was facing suspension for the biggest game of the tournament so far. The president made a call. The best player now plays.

You can argue the red card was soft. You can argue the slow-motion replay made it look worse than it was in real time. Both of those things might be true. But the process used to overturn the ban did not exist on Sunday morning and somehow existed by Sunday afternoon. That should concern everyone who cares about football being a fair competition, regardless of which team you support.

Belgium are investigating their options. Good luck to them. The game is in 20 hours.

Brazil Are Done. And This Generation Never Got There.

Norway beat Brazil 2-1 yesterday. And before you ask – yes, it is as big as it sounds.

Five-time world champions. The most famous football nation on the planet. Eliminated in the Round of 16. Their earliest exit since 1990.

Casemiro, Vinicius Junior, Matheus Cunha, Martinelli – this was a proper Brazil squad. Ancelotti was brought in specifically because everyone agreed the tactical side had been lacking for years. And for stretches of this tournament they looked genuinely dangerous. Cunha was electric. Vini had four goals going into yesterday. Martinelli scored a stoppage-time winner against Japan in the last round.

But Norway had Haaland.

Haaland barely touched the ball for 78 minutes. Brazil had all the possession, had the chances, Bruno Guimarães missed a penalty in the first half. And then in the 79th minute, Schjelderup whipped a cross from the left and Haaland rose above Gabriel to head it home. Then in the 90th minute, from the edge of the box, a left-footed drive that Alisson had absolutely no chance with. 2-0. Game over. Neymar’s penalty in stoppage time – the likely last kick of his World Cup career, made it 2-1 but it did not matter.

Haaland is now on seven goals. Level with Messi and Mbappé at the top of the Golden Boot. He has scored in his last 14 consecutive competitive internationals for Norway. He is the best number nine at this World Cup by a distance. And that is not even a debate you can seriously have right now.

For Brazil, the conversation is harder. This generation – Neymar, Casemiro, Thiago Silva before him – never won it. They had the talent. They had the resources. They had the expectation. And in tournament after tournament, they ran into European sides in the knockout rounds and came up short. Six straight tournaments now, knocked out by Europeans. The dream of ending that 24-year wait dies again in New Jersey.

England Went to the Azteca and Did Not Lose Their Heads.

Actually, they did. Quansah got a red card in the 54th minute. And they still won.

Bellingham scored twice in 98 seconds to make it 2-0. Quiñones pulled one back before half time. Quansah off for a dangerous challenge, ten men, and England looking shaky. Kane scored a penalty to make it 3-1. Mexico got one back through Jimenez. Then 36 minutes of the Azteca crowd screaming at ten English men, and England held on.

3-2. England into the quarterfinals. Norway waiting in Miami on Saturday.

Bellingham finally had his World Cup moment. A brace in the most hostile atmosphere of the tournament, at altitude, in a stadium that has history with England going back to 1986 and Diego Maradona’s hand. This was the performance that justifies everything said about him.

England vs Norway in the quarters. Bellingham vs Haaland. That game alone is worth staying up for.

Tonight and the Next Two Days in the World Cup.

Portugal face Spain at 10pm EAT tonight. This is the game of the Round of 16. Yamal vs the Portuguese defence. Pedri and Vitinha controlling the midfield against Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. Ronaldo looking for one more moment on the biggest stage. Set your alarm.

USA vs Belgium on Tuesday at 3am EAT. Balogun plays – we have been through why. Belgium are furious about it, which means they either come out too aggressive and leave space, or too controlled and lack the desperation this moment needs. Either way, this is now a genuinely open game.

Argentina vs Egypt on Tuesday at 7pm EAT. Messi with seven goals, looking like a man who has decided this is his going away gift to the world. Egypt are one of two last African teams standing and Mo Salah, fitness permitting, walks out onto that pitch knowing the entire continent is watching.

Switzerland vs Colombia at 11pm EAT Tuesday. The one nobody is watching closely enough. Colombia have James Rodríguez orchestrating everything at 34 years old on what is certainly his last World Cup. Switzerland have Manzambi and Embolo. This has late drama written all over it.