Sports
Atlanta chaos fallout: Egypt cries foul over refereeing, pro-Messi bias | FIFA World Cup 2026
Atlanta did not merely stage a World Cup knockout match. It staged a trial by noise, heat, suspicion and late Argentine theatre.
Argentina’s 3-2 comeback win over Egypt had everything a classic needs: a two-goal deficit, a desperate champion, Lionel Messi refusing to let the story end, and Enzo Fernandez arriving in stoppage time to complete the escape. But this Round of 16 tie will be remembered as much for Egypt’s rage as for Argentina’s rescue.
By full-time, Egypt were not just beaten. They felt wronged. The technical area had turned into a second battlefield, the referee was surrounded by questions, and Egyptian players and staff left convinced that the world champions had been helped through.
Mostafa Ziko, one of Egypt’s goalscorers, put that anger in its most explosive form.
“It was the referee. The cup is directed towards Argentina,” he said.
That sentence turned a breathless comeback into something larger: a debate about VAR, fairness, Messi’s global pull and whether football’s biggest stars are allowed to survive nights that might have buried others.
A classic comeback drowned by controversy
On paper, Argentina’s win looked like the sort of result champions produce. They trailed 2-0, absorbed the shock, found a way back, and struck the decisive blow in stoppage time. Cristian Romero began the recovery, Messi equalised, and Fernandez finished it.
But this was not clean champion theatre. It was messy, disputed and furious.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan said his team had been denied justice. He claimed Egypt should have had a second goal when leading 1-0, only for Ziko’s 67th-minute effort to be disallowed after a VAR review. He also argued Egypt should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty for an incident involving Mohamed Salah shortly before Argentina broke away and scored the winner.
The sequence made the defeat feel unbearable for Egypt. A goal ruled out. A late penalty appeal ignored. A winner conceded almost immediately after. Then cards shown to the Egyptian bench as protests boiled over.
This was the chaos of Atlanta: Egypt crying foul, Argentina escaping, and Messi’s World Cup still alive.
Egypt’s anger: ‘There’s no justice in this competition’
Hassan’s post-match reaction was not a routine complaint about marginal calls. It was a full denunciation of the match’s direction.
“We haven’t seen respect or fair play,” he said, pointing towards referee Francois Letexier and Argentina’s players.
Hassan accused Argentina of pressuring the referee and suggested that pressure influenced the outcome. To him, the disputed decisions did not feel isolated. The disallowed goal, the late penalty appeal, the stoppage-time winner and the cards to his bench became part of one larger grievance.
“Life is unfair. The world is unfair. OK, but why isn’t there any fairness in sports?” Hassan said.
Later, he went further. “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?” he said.
Refereeing expert backs Egypt on disallowed goal
Egypt’s anger over Ziko’s disallowed goal was supported by former Premier League referee Graham Scott, who told The Athletic that the VAR intervention should not have happened.
Scott said the decision to rule out Egypt’s goal was incorrect because Attia’s challenge on Lisandro Martinez in the build-up was “normal contact” rather than a foul. The incident had also taken place nearly 100 yards from Argentina’s goal, giving the world champions enough time and bodies to regroup defensively.
In Scott’s view, VAR had gone too far by returning to a marginal incident so early in the move. He described the intervention as a “massive overreach” of a system meant to correct only “clear and obvious errors”.
The former referee noted that although there was slight foot-on-foot contact and a brief shirt pull, neither action was serious enough to cancel a goal after such a long attacking sequence.
Egypt disallowed goal against Argentina , you mean you guys had to blow the whistle after they scored because they fouled from their own half then a pace down to Argentina Goal post and scored and the referee still had to check for VAR that happened from the start Bad officiating… pic.twitter.com/7RHUqpVqId
— matrixz (@onlymatrixz) July 7, 2026
That distinction made Egypt’s grievance more layered: the disallowed goal appeared to be a major VAR mistake, but the stoppage-time penalty claim was far less convincing.
Why the VAR call hurt Egypt so deeply
Some decisions wound teams more than others. A tight offside is painful, but objective. A handball in the box can be disputed, but at least it is close to the scoring action. Egypt’s frustration came from the feeling that VAR had reached too far back into the move.
The disallowed goal was not caused by an obvious foul in the penalty area. It did not come after a clear push before the finish. It came after a challenge far away from the eventual shot, in a phase from which Argentina still had time to defend.
For Egypt, this was the moment the match changed shape.
Salah penalty appeal: Egypt’s weaker case
If Egypt had a strong argument over the disallowed goal, their late penalty appeal was less convincing.
Hassan insisted Salah should have been awarded a penalty shortly before Fernandez’s winner. Egypt saw contact and demanded intervention. In the heat of the moment, the non-call felt like another injustice in a match they believed had already turned against them.
But not every appeal carries the same weight. The contact on Salah appeared minor, and the claim did not look strong enough to demand a VAR overturn. However, former referee Scott did not support this Egypt’s complaints. He said the late penalty appeal involving Mohamed Salah, shortly before Enzo Fernandez’s winner, was rightly dismissed. There was contact on Salah’s boot, but not enough, in his assessment, to award a penalty.
That does not erase Egypt’s anger. It does, however, show why this match will be debated in layers rather than reduced to one call.
Why Egypt’s bench was shown cards
The late drama also raised another question for many watching: can support staff receive yellow and red cards?
Yes, they can.
Football’s Laws of the Game allow referees to caution or dismiss team officials for misconduct. This includes not only the head coach but also assistant coaches, goalkeeping coaches, fitness trainers, analysts, doctors, physiotherapists and other accredited members of the technical area.
The rule exists because the modern bench is no longer passive. Coaches and staff constantly instruct players, challenge decisions, speak to substitutes and place pressure on the fourth official. When that behaviour crosses the line, referees can use cards to discipline them.
A yellow card can be shown for dissent, repeatedly leaving the technical area, delaying restarts, sarcastic gestures, provoking opponents or ignoring instructions from officials. A red card can be shown for offensive or abusive language, threatening behaviour, confronting match officials, entering the field to interfere with play, throwing objects or violent conduct.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan is shown a yellow card by referee Francois Letexier as he makes anti-racism gesture. Photo: Reuters
Once dismissed, a staff member must leave the technical area and move somewhere they can no longer influence the match. Unlike a player’s red card, the team does not lose a player on the pitch.
In Atlanta, the rule became part of the spectacle because Egypt’s anger was no longer limited to the players. The bench itself had become a participant in the storm.
Touchline fury becomes part of the match
As Egypt protested Fernandez’s stoppage-time winner and the earlier non-call on Salah, Letexier showed a red card to a member of Egypt’s coaching staff. Hassan was cautioned. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir was also shown a yellow card.
For Egypt, those cards felt like punishment for outrage. For the referee, they were a response to a technical area that had boiled over.
The truth is that both things can coexist. Egypt’s anger had context, especially after the disallowed Ziko goal. But referees are also expected to control the bench once protests become persistent, aggressive or disruptive.
Hassan’s scheduling complaint adds another layer
Hassan’s frustration did not stop with VAR or refereeing. He also criticised the timing of the match.
“Whoever schedules these matches is someone who has never played football. You never schedule a football match at 12 noon,” he said.
That complaint widened Egypt’s grievance. Hassan was not only arguing that decisions went against his team. He was arguing that the conditions of the match were wrong too.
To him, the scheduling, the VAR call, the late penalty appeal and the touchline punishments became part of a broader unfairness. Whether everyone accepts that framing is another matter, but it explains why Egypt’s reaction after the match was so fierce.
Hassan did not see one bad decision. He saw a night tilted away from his team.
Messi’s shadow over every decision
No Argentina World Cup match exists outside Lionel Messi’s orbit.
That is what made Hassan’s comments so pointed. When he asked whether there was a desire to keep Messi in the tournament, he touched a nerve that often follows global icons. The bigger the player, the louder the suspicion when close calls appear to benefit his team.
Lionel Messi is thrown in the air in celebration by teammates after Argenitna vs Egypt pre-QF match as La Albiceleste qualify for the quarter finals of the World Cup. Photo: Reuters
Egypt will see it differently. For them, Messi’s presence made the night feel more loaded. When football’s most marketable figure survives a scare through a disputed comeback, suspicion comes easily to the defeated side.
That does not prove Egypt’s strongest claims. But it explains why the defeat felt larger than a football match.
Messi’s magic, in this case, arrived wrapped in controversy.
Argentina’s escape: Character or fortune?
Argentina will not apologise for surviving.
World Cup knockout football rarely rewards purity. It rewards nerve, endurance and decisive moments. Argentina were in danger, but they did not collapse. They dragged themselves back into the contest and struck late.
That is the version they will carry forward: the world champions passed through fire and lived.
But Atlanta also exposed them. A side that falls 2-0 behind in a Round of 16 match has been vulnerable.
Argentina’s aura remains, but it is no longer spotless.
Their quarter-final opponents will have seen both sides: the fragility that let Egypt dream, and the champion instinct that crushed that dream in the final minutes.
Egypt’s exit will not fade quickly
Ziko’s immediate reaction captured the emotional wreckage.
“We are so sorry,” he said to the people of Egypt. “We wanted to make you all happy.”
Then came the accusation that will follow this match.
“The cup is directed towards Argentina.”
Those words will be debated, dismissed, amplified and replayed. For Egypt, they will become shorthand for a night when a historic opportunity seemed within reach and then disappeared in a blur of VAR, protests and late Argentine punishment.
Hassan’s declaration that he would “never watch the World Cup again” may have come from the rawness of defeat, but it revealed how deeply the match had cut.
Egypt did not leave Atlanta feeling they had lost only to Argentina. They left feeling beaten by the event itself.
Norway striker Erling Haaland believes England are one of the favourites to win the World Cup outright, and with a smile called on the media to put as much pressure on them as possible leading into their quarter-final meeting on Saturday.
Norway had not competed at a World Cup since 1998, but have reached the final eight for the first time after finishing second in Group I before beating Ivory Coast and Brazil in the knockout stage.
England have reached at least the quarter-finals in the past three men’s World Cups, but have not made the final since winning the competition in 1966.
“I think there’s some clear favourites out there, England’s one of them,” said Manchester City striker Haaland.
Speaking to journalists, he added: “I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.
“Yeah, they [England fans] should be confident of progressing, definitely. It’s England.”
Haaland, 25, has scored in each of his past 14 competitive games for Norway, and will look to continue that run against the nation of his birth – he was born in Leeds, during the summer his father Alf-Inge moved from Leeds United to Manchester City – when they meet in Miami on Saturday (22:00 BST).
When Haaland appeared on the cover of Time magazine last year, he said Norway had a 0.5% chance of winning the World Cup.
But seven goals in four appearances for Haaland – including a double to eliminate Brazil in the last 16 – have helped fire Norway to the last eight.
“I didn’t expect it. To be honest, to be in the quarter-finals with Norway in the World Cup is quite surprising even for me,” he added.
“Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians and to win against Brazil and then go and play England in the quarter-finals in the World Cup in the USA is quite special.
“It’s difficult to take everything in because you need to kind of just play the game like it’s a training session.
“I think if you watch the scenes back in Norway, this is not normal for Norway to be, so it’s super special.”
Haaland’s popularity in the US has surged during the tournament, partly because of his personality and off-field exploits, as well as his goals.
Just hours after scoring the winner in the last 32 against Ivory Coast, Haaland went shopping in Dallas for cowboy hats and boots.
He filmed the trip for his YouTube channel, and the video gained more than six million views in five days.
“It’s a good thing because I like the Americans, I think they are kind of hilarious as well. They are funny, so I like the way they are,” he said.
“I think it’s just good. Honestly on every single thing with the World Cup so far here it has been amazing. From the games to the stadiums, everything has been amazing.
“The training ground where we train has been amazing, so I’m super happy and it’s been impressive.”
Other videos show him attending the Stanley Cup final in North Carolina and leading his team-mates in the Viking row after beating Brazil.
“I like to joke a little bit and I like to have fun,” he said. “I think that’s a key to for my daily life to joke around and of course train good, of course focus well and prepare well but you also need to joke around and you need to enjoy the moment.
“That’s what we’ve been doing now and just as we play in the World Cup, we have to enjoy it because nothing lasts forever. We have to just enjoy while we’re here.”
The Texas Rangers have activated outfielder Wyatt Langford from the injured list, the team announced today. To make room for him on the active roster, Josh Smith has been optioned to AAA Round Rock.
Langford last played on June 26, with a hamstring strain having sidelined him the past two weeks. The initial word was that he would not be back until after the All Star Break, but Langford has improved quicker than expected, and beat that estimate.
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Langford has missed more than half of the season due to injury, but has been very good when healthy, slashing .278/.324/.500 in 40 games. He had been on a hot streak when he went down, and the Rangers could definitely use his bat back in the lineup.
Smith was called up at the beginning of July when Corey Seager went back on the injured list due to his back issues. He is slashing .230/.312/.295 on the season.
Kawhi Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary cap rules.
Sports
France vs Morocco Live Score, 0-0, FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Finals: France look the more dangerous side early on
France enter the contest with the tournament’s only perfect record, winning all five of their matches in regulation time. Didier Deschamps’ side comfortably negotiated Group I before defeating Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32. Their Round of 16 meeting with Paraguay proved far more demanding, but Kylian Mbappé converted a second-half penalty after Désiré Doué won a crucial foul inside the area to secure a 1-0 victory and keep Les Bleus on course for another deep World Cup run.
Morocco have been equally impressive. The Atlas Lions remain unbeaten after five matches, compiling three victories and two draws while extending their remarkable 34-match unbeaten streak across all competitions. They defeated Scotland and Haiti during the group stage, earned a valuable draw against Brazil, edged past the Netherlands in a dramatic penalty shootout in the Round of 32, and then produced a commanding 3-0 victory over tournament co-hosts Canada to reach the quarter-finals.
The fixture carries significant historical weight. France ended Morocco’s fairytale journey at the 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 semi-final victory thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani. Overall, France hold the historical advantage with four wins from six meetings, while Morocco have registered one victory alongside two draws. Their only previous World Cup meeting remains that Qatar semi-final.
Much attention will again fall on Mbappé, who has scored seven goals during this tournament and remains firmly in contention for the Golden Boot. The French captain continues to climb the list of the competition’s greatest goalscorers and could add another milestone with a decisive performance in Boston.
Team selection also carries added intrigue. France will be without midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni after he failed to recover from an adductor injury, meaning Manu Koné is expected to continue alongside Adrien Rabiot in midfield. Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Koné also enter the match one booking away from suspension.
Morocco have suffered a major setback with tournament standout Ismael Saibari ruled out after sustaining a hamstring injury against Canada. Soufiane Rahimi is expected to replace him, while captain Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saïss continue to anchor the defensive unit.
With two unbeaten teams, a place in the World Cup semi-finals and the chance to settle unfinished business from Qatar, the opening quarter-final has all the ingredients for another memorable chapter between France and Morocco.
The dynastic families of the Gilded Age had money to vacation wherever they wanted.
Often, where they went was the Georgia coast.
Then, as now, the barriers islands there were known as the Golden Isles, a moniker coined by early Spanish explorers in search of riches, though the name also fit the landscape itself, where the marshes glow gold beneath the coastal sun.
In time, the islands attracted a different kind of wealth. The Vanderbilts. The Rockefellers. The Carnegies. The Morgans. They came to escape winter, dodge the spotlight, fish, sail, bicycle and, naturally, play golf.
More than a century later, the Golden Isles remain one of America’s great golf destinations, with a concentration of standout courses that ranges from Golden Age classics to modern championship tests. The lineup includes acclaimed layouts at Sea Island and St. Simons Island, along with the newly restored Great Dunes on Jekyll Island, a heralded Walter Travis design.
To experience the area firsthand, GOLF.com recently spent a long weekend roaming the islands with the crew from St. Andre Golf — a dynastic clan of the Instagram-era whose comedy sketches have earned them a massive following. Outfitted by Johnnie-O, which supported the trip, we did our best to look the part.
The itinerary carried us from Sea Island Resort and a round on the Plantation Course (it dates to the 1920s but has since been renovated by local boys Davis Love III and his brother, Mark Love), then on to Jekyll Island for a loop at the reborn Great Dunes.
Golf, though, was only part of the story. We also engaged in Gilded Age cosplay, cruising the Intracoastal in search of dolphins, indulging in fresh seafood and, because no visit is complete without it, stopping at Southern Soul, the famed barbecue joint that’s as much a local institution as any golf course.
The Golden Isles still attract their share of wealth, including a leaderboard’s worth of PGA Tour pros. But for all the luxury, the place has retained its laid-back, salt-air spirit.
Watch the video above for a taste of an excursion to one of America’s richest golf destinations — in every sense of the word.
July 5, 2026; Mexico City, Mexico; England’s Jarell Quansah looks dejected after being sent off after a VAR review. Mandatory Credit: Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images FIFA extended England defender Jarell Quansah’s red-card suspension to two matches on Thursday, meaning he will also miss the World Cup semifinal if his team advances that far.
Quansah was already ineligible for Saturday’s quarterfinal clash with Norway in Miami Gardens, Fla., after drawing a red card in the 54th minute of England’s 3-2 win against Mexico in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Quansah, 23, was sent off following a VAR review of his high tackle against Mexico defender Jesus Gallardo. Adding a second game to his suspension indicates FIFA thought his challenge rose to the level of serious foul play.
The absence of Quansah, who plays professionally for Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen, leaves manager Thomas Tuchel with limited options at right-back because of injury concerns with Reece James and Djed Spence. –Field Level Media
The United States have confirmed that forward Christian Pulisic fractured his leg during his side’s 4-1 defeat by Belgium in the World Cup last 16.
Pulisic was substituted in the 59th minute just moments after Belgium scored their third goal in Seattle.
The 27-year-old appeared to suffer the injury early in the second half as he attempted a shot but instead kicked the back of Belgian midfielder Youri Tieleman’s leg.
“Christian Pulisic has been diagnosed with a microfracture and bone bruise of the tibia/fibula in his right leg suffered during the match against Belgium,” said a US Soccer federation statement on social media.
US Soccer and Pulisic’s club team, AC Milan, will collaborate on his recovery plan.
The US players were widely criticised in the US media after suffering elimination with their heaviest World Cup defeat in 36 years, with Pulisic’s early withdrawal questioned.
“I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic. Whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game – and, really, the whole World Cup. Little glimpses here and there,” said the US’ all-time leading goal scorer Carli Lloyd.
Recalling Pulisic’s decision to sit out the Gold Cup in 2025 in order to rest and recover before a World Cup year, she posted on X: “You rest when your playing career is over. Period.”
Landon Donovan, the all-time US top scorer at men’s World Cups, said: “I would have punched the doctor in the face and said, ‘You’re not taking me off the field’.”
While US Soccer did not give a timeframe for Pulisic’s recovery, he would not have been able to play had his side progressed to the quarter-finals.
The Athletic reported that Pulisic “will be sidelined for several weeks but not months,” citing multiple people briefed on the diagnosis.
AC Milan begin their Serie A campaign on 23 August against Torino.
Sports
Free 2026 World Cup anytime goalscorer picks, odds: Ousmane Dembele, Brahim Diaz feature in Thursday best bets
The 2026 World Cup quarterfinals kick off Thursday, and title favorite France won’t be taking anything for granted when they face Morocco at 4 p.m. ET in Foxborough, Mass. Les Bleus are +180 favorites at FanDuel to win the World Cup, while the Atlas Lions are +2700 longshots, with only Belgium and Switzerland (both +3000) facing longer odds. It’s a rematch of a 2022 World Cup semifinal, when France took a 2-0 victory. The Moroccans dispatched Canada with ease in the Round of 16 while the French beat Paraguay 1-0. France are loaded with stars like Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, which is why they are -400 favorites to advance and -170 to win on the 90-minute money line at FanDuel. Morocco rely more on defending and counter-attacking, but they have plenty of options for World Cup anytime goalscorer picks.
Mbappe is just one goal behind Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race with seven goals (and owns the assists tiebreaker), and with players like Ousmane Dembele and Olise alongside him, France have a ton of firepower. Players like Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari (if healthy) are dangerous attackers in their own right. So where is the value in Thursday’s anytime goalscorer odds for France vs. Morocco?
We have the best bets to score a goal today here, and you can get more analysis of the 2026 World Cup from SportsLine experts like Jon Eimer, Martin Green and Brad Thomas. You need to see what they are saying about Thursday’s matches. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Best World Cup goalscorer picks for Thursday
- Ousmane Dembele, France (+210, FanDuel)
- Desire Doue, France (+260, FanDuel)
- Brahim Diaz. Morocco (+500, FanDuel)
Ousmane Dembele, France (+210)
The 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger showed what he is capable of with his first-half hat trick in a 4-1 victory against Norway in the group stage. He didn’t play a big role in the victory against Paraguay but had an assist against Sweden and scored one and set up another against Iraq. Dembele had 21 goals for PSG two seasons ago and had 10 in 11 starts (22 appearances) last season. The French attack is loaded so it can be tough to pick one player, but Dembele is overdue for some brilliance.
Desire Doue, France (+260, FanDuel)
The 21-year-old is struggling to find playing time, but with this game having the potential to be decided late or potentially go to extra time, he could see enough time on the pitch to make a difference. I wouldn’t risk a lot, but Doue did have a goal against Norway and has three in 12 international matches. He’s just getting started, and he can be a difference-maker off the bench if Les Bleus need a spark. He has 13 goals in league play over the past two season with PSG, starting 34 of his 54 appearances.
Brahim Diaz, Morocco (+500, FanDuel)
The Atlas Lions have a lot of guys who can score goals. Diaz is one of six players on the roster with double-digit international goals. The 26-year-old has 14 in 31 matches, while Saibari has 12 in 35 matches at age 25. Saibari is emerging as a difference-maker for Morocco and scored in all three group stage matches, but he suffered a hamstring injury and had to come off against Canada. With his status in doubt, Diaz will need to carry more of the load. I expect the Real Madrid man to get his first World Cup goal to go with his four assists.
France face Morocco in a mouth-watering quarter-final clash, with both nations seeking to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup 2026. Les Bleus continue their pursuit of another title with their unbeaten record intact, while the Atlas Lions aim to extend their remarkable tournament run against one of the competition’s elite sides in a 2022 rematch. Follow our liveblog for minute-by-minute commentary.
Expected lineups
France: Maignan – Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne – Koné, Rabiot – Dembélé, Olise, Doué – Mbappé (C)
Morocco: Bounou – Hakimi (C), Diop, Riad, Mazraoui – Bouaddi, El Aynaoui – Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss – Rahimi.
France dismantled Sweden 3-0 in their opening round of 16 encounter before overcoming Paraguay to secure their passage to the quarter-finals. Didier Deschamps‘ side have maintained an unbeaten record throughout the tournament, combining attacking prowess with defensive discipline. Kylian Mbappé has been particularly influential, his goal-scoring tally continuing to mount as France pursue another World Cup crown.
Morocco claimed the first quarter-final spot after a dominant 3-0 victory over Canada in Houston, with Selim Ounahi’s brace and Soufiane Rahimi’s late strike showcasing their attacking quality. The Atlas Lions have been one of the tournament’s most impressive sides, topping their group before delivering superb knockout performances. This quarter-final represents a genuine opportunity for Morocco to reach their second World Cup semi-final, though they face one of world football’s elite sides in France.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are set for what is now becoming an annual trip to the White House.
After becoming the first team to win back-to-back Fall Classics since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000, the Dodgers will once again pay a visit to President Donald Trump in the nation’s capital.
The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital that the team will visit on July 23, an off day between series in Philadelphia and New York.
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President Donald Trump, center, holds a baseball jersey alongside Clayton Kershaw, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, left, and Mark Walter, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, right, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, April 7, 2025. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship!” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The California Post was the first to report the news.
The Dodgers were crowned champs again after completing a Game 7 comeback against the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings in one of the wildest games of all time.
The visit will not come easily to some — shortly after winning the Fall Classic, an immigration rights group pleaded with the team not to visit again.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers have always been more than a baseball team — they’re part of the spirit of who we are as a city. The team represents our neighborhoods, our families, and our shared love for our diverse communities. But right now, our community, our city are under siege, we need them to stand with us, on the right side of history,” the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) wrote in an online petition.
“Ask the team to honor the unity, integrity and diversity they themselves represent. They cannot stay silent as our families and neighbors face violence, detention, and deportation. By visiting a president who has used his power to harm the most vulnerable, the team would be turning its back on the very people who fill the stadiums, wear the jerseys, and give this team its heart. By encouraging the team to do the right thing, we will show the White House that Los Angeles stands for compassion, dignity, and solidarity with their immigrant neighbors.”
Hard-throwing reliever Brusdar Graterol, along with some others, missed out on the celebration last year, which celebrated the 2024 title. Graterol opted to stay at “my brown house.” Freddie Freeman did not attend while he had been on the injured list at the time, but several injured players like Clayton Kershaw, Gavin Stone, Michael Kopech and Michael Grove were there.
Meanwhile, outfielder Mookie Betts decided to go last year after opting out of the trip with the Boston Red Sox in 2019.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani speaks with President Donald Trump during a ceremony celebrating the Major League Baseball 2024 World Series Champion team, in the East Room at the White House on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
JUSTIN VERLANDER ANNOUNCES HE WILL RETIRE AFTER THIS SEASON: ‘I’VE REALIZED THAT TIME HAS COME’
“This is not about me; I don’t want anything to be about me. This is about the Dodgers. Because these boys were there for me,” Betts said, via the Los Angeles Times.
Betts said he regretted not making the trip in 2019, which manager Alex Cora and pitcher David Price also skipped, saying he felt he was a distraction. Cora recently admitted he skipped out on meeting Trump because he wanted to prioritize his home of Puerto Rico. When the Red Sox visited the White House in May 2019, Puerto Rico was still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Maria in 2017, and Cora wasn’t satisfied with the federal government’s response.
The Dodgers visited former President Joe Biden in July 2021 to celebrate their 2020 World Series title.
Several major sports champions, including each NBA title winner, have declined to visit the White House during both of Trump’s terms. The Dodgers, Philadelphia Eagles, Florida Panthers, Ohio State football team, Indiana football team, LSU baseball team and Inter Miami have all visited the White House to celebrate their championships since Trump’s second term began in January 2025.
It remains to be seen whether the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Hurricanes will follow suit, but Knicks owner James Dolan said his team would visit. That would make them the first NBA team to visit Trump.
The Commissioner’s Trophy is visible as Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (L) greets U.S. President Donald Trump as he hosts the 2024 World Series champions in the East Room of the White House on April 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees with a 7-6 victory in Game 5. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Last year, the Florida Gators were the first college basketball team to visit Trump since the Baylor women’s team in 2019.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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