Apologies for posting this in the main forum ...

Ryan Christie, Ryan Christie, Ryan Christie ... there we go, now its ICT related 😄

Do users want a separate sub forum for the World Cup (and by extension the Euros in a couple of years time hopefully) or should we simply stick with the "Other Football" category? A separate forum would allow us to keep it all in place and not get lost with other stuff, keeping it in the general football category could also be done if we just prefix every world cup thread with a tag of "world cup".

I am not bothered either way as neither is a huge task.

A shocking decision, just showing how corrupt certain people really are.

Thank you Belgium

3 hours ago, Scotty said:

Thank you Belgium

Yes...cheat your way of that one Trump and FIFA. Nobody likes a cheat...goodbye USA.

1 hour ago, Gringo said:

Yes...cheat your way of that one Trump and FIFA. Nobody likes a cheat...goodbye USA.

Apparently Trump knows a lot about sport, but doesn't understand red cards

He hasn't been to a single match...which is strange since he invented the game

Nice to wake up to that result!

I think now England should appeal against the Quansah ban. When the appeal is turned down they should then put FIFA on the spot and ask them to clarify what the difference is.

If FIFA should un-ban Quansah then it would need the moral high ground to be taken and him not be considered for selection.

Not one person outside of the USA wanted anything other than a resounding Belgian victory. Teams should be aware of this feeling before considering an appeal on red cards yet to be issued in this tournament.

No way should England appeal the ban. Now that the USA are thankfully out of the competition, we are back to a level playing field with regard to suspensions for red cards. The focus for England and the other teams still in the competition should be simply to prepare for their next games as best they can within the current rules. If people are unhappy with the rules, they can be reviewed once the competition is done.

Beyond that, there should be some quick repercussions for Trump's (ultimately counterproductive) political interference. It makes the prospect of him presenting the trophy even more distasteful than ever. Participating Football Associations could lobby for the trophy to be presented by Ronaldo. It was sad to see him playing for Portugal as a shadow of his former self, but he is one of the greatest players ever to play the game and this would be his only chance to get his hands on the trophy! I am sure the players of which ever team wins would be honoured to shake hands with Ronaldo but would be putting on disposable gloves if shaking hands with Trump.

On 7/3/2026 at 9:13 AM, Scotty said:

Absolutely, although, as you can tell, I prefer a good waffle with my maple syrup!

Just for the record, it was Belgian waffles this morning :)

Draw a line, move on. It will forever be in the history books and with UEFA going after Infantino before the tournament and now (quite rightly) issuing that statement in support of Belgium before last night's game, the current head of FIFA's days may be numbered. You know it is bad when even Blatter is saying it was a bad decision.

England should NOT appeal the red card. You are right to say this sets precedent, but they should take the moral high ground. If it were Kane or Bellingham perhaps they might think about it but with all due respect to Quansah, his studs up challenge is not the hill to die on for this question unless they want to be as reviled as the USA team yesterday.

5 hours ago, DoofersDad said:

I am sure the players of which ever team wins would be honoured to shake hands with Ronaldo but would be putting on disposable gloves if shaking hands with Trump.

Given Ronaldo's great affection for himself, I would certainly be putting on gloves if I had to shake hands with him!

It's reported that Balogun visited the Belgian dressing room after the game, and they told him that it wasn't his fault. That's good, from him and from the Belgians. Back to football now, please.

Pile the pressure on this cretin Infantino. The Spanish league (La Liga) president Javier Tebas has called out FIFA (or by implication) Infantino with their ‘complicit silence’ on the Balogun CARDGATE shameful debacle.

Well done Tebas and the La Liga. They have the balls to call out this crap behaviour for what it is - Simply corruption and the effrontery of the rules.

I wonder if our national football executives, President Mulraney and CEO Maxwell have the spine and courage to put their heads above the parapet and denounce FIFA. Well, thinking about that, that would need a stiff drink and something they lack; vision, conviction and spirit!

I bet Infantino was secretly praying and cheering on Belgium against the Yanks. His skinny a*s must have been twitching in his seat before Belgium secure the victory.

PS - Tried feathers for breakfast today but couldn’t swallow any more FIFA bile.

bc

Edited Tuesday at 04:13 PM2 days by big cherly

I didn’t think it would be possible for Trumpfantino to debase this great tournament anymore than they already have done but they sure did.

To wake up to that great result from Belgium just proved to me that Karma exists and is alive and well!

I’m on holiday and watched the Arg 3-2 Egy match on a big screen with about 40 passionate Argentinians who obviously went through the wringer but were jubilant by the end.

4 hours ago, Yngwie said:

I’m on holiday and watched the Arg 3-2 Egy match on a big screen with about 40 passionate Argentinians who obviously went through the wringer but were jubilant by the end.

Great game and what a comeback. Shades of the ICT Pele years 😎

7 hours ago, Yngwie said:

watched the Arg 3-2 Egy match on a big screen with about 40 passionate Argentinians who obviously

Watched what I thought was the best advert for football so in this WC. It takes two teams to make a great match and Egypt deserve much credit for their part in the game and their willing to attack with speed when the opportunity presented it!

The game was kicked into life when Egypt scored early in the match. A penalty miss by Messi (who despite scoring the equaliser, I thought showed his age and had a poor game), just added to drama and tension.

The final 30 minutes of the match were absorbing with the final goal a great cross and header.

I feel the thing that got Argentina over the line were the Argentina fans. The racket and support when their team was ‘down’ was nothing short of remarkable.

bc

Edited Wednesday at 08:40 AM2 days by big cherly

... and now the England player got an additional game ban. His studs up challenge WAS deserving of a red card, and possibly even the additional game, but with the Balogun situation, it's just made a nonsense of things. Not able to appeal either.

16 hours ago, Scotty said:

... and now the England player got an additional game ban. His studs up challenge WAS deserving of a red card, and possibly even the additional game, but with the Balogun situation, it's just made a nonsense of things. Not able to appeal either.

I can't make head nor tail of it. Both were deserved red cards. Neither intended to do what happened. Both were "out of control". Both (unwittingly) endangered their opponent - Balogun turning over the ankle as he couldn't halt his momentum and Quansah's leg bouncing up off the top of ball. I really struggle to see how they can be viewed differently from a punishment perspective.

Quansah went in studs first, his foot was halfway up shin level before he reached the ball, and if you can see his leg "bouncing" off the ball then you're a better man than I! One replay angle even suggests that he positively, actively planted his studs into the guy's leg - see at 0:17 in the video below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cp8rrwk5624o

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by snorbens_caleyman

The point i am making - as BC seems confused on my earlier post - is that Balogun's card being suspended (which it should not have been once the decision was made) has made a mockery of every other red card whether deserved, or whether worthy of any review.

The ref calls the red card, and at this level it goes to VAR. It is upheld or overturned on the field. Decision made. end of story. In the following days, any disciplinary committee can either choose to add suspension games (as they did with Quansah), or they drop it back to a yellow if they feel the ref got it wrong (which they didn't in either case). suspending a card is unheard of. Even the 1962 (?) card which is the only other example in almost 200 World Cup red cards was not suspended, the ban was simply not imposed.