During the 2026 World Cup, FIFA suspended the implementation of a one-game suspension that United States men’s national soccer team player Folarin Balogun had received after he was sent off in a round of 32 match victory against the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team for a foul on Tarik Muharemović. Balogun’s suspension was delayed for a probationary period of one year under the Article 27 authority of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. United States president Donald Trump had directly called FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to review the red card decision. The decision allowed Balogun to participate in the United States’ Round of 16 match against Belgium despite the red card remaining in effect. Belgium won the match 4–1, with Balogun playing almost the entire match
Another controversy, similar to when the events were hosted in Russia and Qatar, involves host countries immigration policies. The controversy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, United States immigration and visa policies under the second Trump administration, which have affected players, officials, journalists, and fans from several qualified nations. A travel ban affecting citizens of 39 countries—including World Cup participants Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, and Senegal—has prevented most ordinary fans from those countries from obtaining visas to attend matches in the United States, though exemptions were granted for athletes, coaches, and essential support staff, as well as dual citizens, permanent residents, and valid visa holders. A separate visa bond program initially required fans from five African nations to pay deposits of up to $15,000, a requirement that was temporarily suspended in May 2026 for ticketed fans. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was detained for seven hours upon arrival at O’Hare International Airport, while Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry and was unable to officiate at the tournament.
I think it’s because football fans have been dealing with this crap from Argentina basically ever. They are a dirty and underhanded team at all times, and that generates hatred from championship to championship.
I’m sorry but the way they played was the way everyone played 30 years ago. It’s up to the referees, with more tools than ever, to implement the rules, and they did. Playing rough, or even playing negatively, are not against the rules or any less valid. It didn’t work for them last night and yes for neutrals it’s never as good, but this is sport not sports entertainment.
If everyone played exactly the same it would be boring. And as international transfers homogenise everything, we don’t have Brazil playing jogo bonito, we don’t have Ireland playing I-cant-believe-its-not-gaelic-football, we don’t have Germans playing elaborate sweeper systems. At least Argentina are pretty much the same as they were when Maradona played, and Sivori before him - tough, ugly and liable to produce individual magic. They have an identity. I don’t know why anyone is surprised at them retaining it, or it nearly being successful. Again.
There’s a reason people watched Mike Tyson as much as they watched Muhammad Ali.
That is simply not true, no one has played like this, not 30 years ago or ever, things like this (https://imgur.com/nEfw1Tr) are not acceptable on a football field and never have been and things like this (https://imgur.com/tuvOdJ1) are not acceptable on a stadium and never have been.
There is no coordinated campaign against argentina either out of envy or strange unknown interests, It is an accumulation of years playing outside the rules, playing “roughly” does go against the rules, the rules are explicitly for that, scoring a goal with your hand is illegal and should embarrass whoever scores it if the referee does not realize it, It’s not something about “smart people” it’s something about cheaters and obviously the rest of us don’t like anyone to win that way, I don’t think it’s anything surprising
The racism is disgusting and I happily cheered Spain to win because of that and other factors like Spain’s support for Palestine. There is plenty of racism in Spanish football too but it is not overtly adopted by the squad itself.
Your first screenshot could be from any 80s Serie A game, any 90s Premier League game, any 00s League of Ireland game, and any game in South America yesterday. As someone who actually goes to football matches, what happens on the pitch frequently fails to make it to the screen. It’s just unavoidably televised at the World Cup.
There are no examples of top-level teams doing anything similar; yes, there have been bad or mediocre teams doing things like that, but it’s something that tournaments have been trying to curb for a long time, it’s not something to boast about and take to the highest level, as Argentina has done so many times.
The same goes for racism; many Spanish fans chant nonsense believing it’s justified in the stadium. The difference is that the press, institutions, and society are ashamed of it and try to shame those who do it, instead of justifying and defending it with things like “Well, it’s just the game.”
I would have expected people to be more angry at the US’s actions than Argentina’s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Trump–FIFA_red_card_controversy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2026_FIFA_World_Cup_controversies
I think it’s because football fans have been dealing with this crap from Argentina basically ever. They are a dirty and underhanded team at all times, and that generates hatred from championship to championship.
I’m sorry but the way they played was the way everyone played 30 years ago. It’s up to the referees, with more tools than ever, to implement the rules, and they did. Playing rough, or even playing negatively, are not against the rules or any less valid. It didn’t work for them last night and yes for neutrals it’s never as good, but this is sport not sports entertainment.
If everyone played exactly the same it would be boring. And as international transfers homogenise everything, we don’t have Brazil playing jogo bonito, we don’t have Ireland playing I-cant-believe-its-not-gaelic-football, we don’t have Germans playing elaborate sweeper systems. At least Argentina are pretty much the same as they were when Maradona played, and Sivori before him - tough, ugly and liable to produce individual magic. They have an identity. I don’t know why anyone is surprised at them retaining it, or it nearly being successful. Again.
There’s a reason people watched Mike Tyson as much as they watched Muhammad Ali.
That is simply not true, no one has played like this, not 30 years ago or ever, things like this (https://imgur.com/nEfw1Tr) are not acceptable on a football field and never have been and things like this (https://imgur.com/tuvOdJ1) are not acceptable on a stadium and never have been.
There is no coordinated campaign against argentina either out of envy or strange unknown interests, It is an accumulation of years playing outside the rules, playing “roughly” does go against the rules, the rules are explicitly for that, scoring a goal with your hand is illegal and should embarrass whoever scores it if the referee does not realize it, It’s not something about “smart people” it’s something about cheaters and obviously the rest of us don’t like anyone to win that way, I don’t think it’s anything surprising
The racism is disgusting and I happily cheered Spain to win because of that and other factors like Spain’s support for Palestine. There is plenty of racism in Spanish football too but it is not overtly adopted by the squad itself.
Your first screenshot could be from any 80s Serie A game, any 90s Premier League game, any 00s League of Ireland game, and any game in South America yesterday. As someone who actually goes to football matches, what happens on the pitch frequently fails to make it to the screen. It’s just unavoidably televised at the World Cup.
There are no examples of top-level teams doing anything similar; yes, there have been bad or mediocre teams doing things like that, but it’s something that tournaments have been trying to curb for a long time, it’s not something to boast about and take to the highest level, as Argentina has done so many times.
The same goes for racism; many Spanish fans chant nonsense believing it’s justified in the stadium. The difference is that the press, institutions, and society are ashamed of it and try to shame those who do it, instead of justifying and defending it with things like “Well, it’s just the game.”