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Middlesbrough FC to auction old stadium club crests to fans

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Middlesbrough FC to auction old stadium club crests to fans

Middlesbrough FC fans could get their hands on a genuine piece of the Riverside Stadium, after the club put its old crests and iconic signage up for sale.

Following the installation of the club’s new crest, the original stadium crests that stood proudly at the front of the ground for nearly 20 years are now available via sealed bid.

Two crests – from the North End and South End – are up for grabs for anyone looking for the ultimate Boro keepsake.

Old Middlesbrough FC West Stand (North End) badge up for auction. (Image: MFC Foundation)

The individual letters from the famous Middlesbrough FC Riverside Stadium sign that once hung above the main reception were also available.

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But at £100 per letter on a first-come, first-served basis, they didn’t last long, with all letters already sold out.

All items show the weathering you’d expect from two decades of Teesside weather which, if anything, only adds to their charm.

The ‘M’ that once formed part of the MFC sign on the Riverside Stadium. (Image: MFC Foundation)

All proceeds from the auction will go to the MFC Foundation, which uses the power of football to give back to local communities. 

Fans can view the items at the Riverside Stadium main reception on Wednesday, July 15 from 11am to 1pm or Thursday, July 16 from 5pm–7pm.

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Sealed bids must be submitted by 12pm on Monday, July 20, with collection from the Riverside Stadium by Friday, July 24.

Buyers will need to arrange their own transport and assistance for collection.

The crest auctions can be found via SliderStock – Stadium badges and letters website.

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Firefighters could be ‘days’ be at Dove Stone reservoir fire

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Artwork depicting an armour-suited character patrolling through a post-apocalyptic desert scene, with a German shepherd trotting alongside them. A dramatic sunset fills the landscape behind them, which is dotted with the ruins of buildings.

Firefighters have said it could take days to extinguish a large fire on moorland in Greater Manchester, which broke out on Saturday.

Officers said the blaze at Dove Stone Reservoir in Greenfield, Saddleworth, had now merged with one several miles away at Tintwistle Moor near Glossop.

Clive Stanbrook, from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS), said it was spreading because of the tinder-dry conditions and the “ever changing winds”.

He said crews were “doing all we possibly can to try and stop this fire from spreading any further”, including dropping water from helicopters and carrying out reconnaissance with drones and aircraft. A woman, 20, has appeared in court charged with arson.

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The blaze on Tintwistle Moor in Glossop started on 24 June and was declared a major incident on Sunday, with DFRS saying firefighters were facing “challenging conditions”.

Stanbrook said: “We’ve had a couple of helicopters dropping water as well, but also doing reconnaissance.

“Mountain Rescue have been absolutely fantastic and provided their drone. We’ve also had a coastguard plane as well to do reconnaissance of the actual area.

“That’s just a taste of the scale that we’re dealing with at the moment.”

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Ben Levy, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) area manager said: “I envisage our firefighters are going to be on these moors for a number of days, I am sure of it – there is no significant rainfall forecast, the temperatures are due to remain high.”

About 70 firefighters, 11 fire engines and four wildfire units were at the scene on Tuesday.

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More than 60,000 batteries sold on Amazon recalled over safety concerns

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Daily Mirror

An urgent recall has been issued with a warning which states ‘consumers should stop using the recalled coin batteries immediately’ and ‘place them in an area that children cannot access’

Amazon shoppers with young children in America should check any batteries in the house urgently, according to regulators.

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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) has issued a recall notice on coin batteries sold on Amazon under the label ‘JUNPOWER Household Batteries’. The agency said the Junpower CR2032 20-pack of batteries, in specific packaging model 2023-V3, is subject to the recall due to incorrect packaging.

The product was sold as four packs with five batteries inside each, from December 2023 to September 2024, typically for between $8 and $9. The incorrect packaging means young children can open the packets and accidentally swallow a battery, which could cause serious injury or death.

The USCPSC notice posted on July 2 said: “Consumers should stop using the recalled coin batteries immediately, place them in an area that children cannot access and contact Junpower for a free replacement battery.

“Consumers should visit Junpower’s recall page and follow instructions to register for the recall.

“Consumers will be asked to write in permanent marker the date, their initials and the word “Recalled” on the product. Consumers should submit a photo of the marked product and properly dispose of the batteries to receive a replacement battery.”

The USCPSC said no injuries have been reported in relation to the batteries at this stage. Reportedly, 67,000 units were sold online before the recall was issued.

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London’s coolest places revealed: Interactive map shows where to escape searing 40C heat

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London's coolest places revealed: Interactive map shows where to escape searing 40C heat

Dr Anya Gopfert, consultant in health protection at UKHSA, said: “We know that even moderate heat can lead to serious health problems, especially for older people and those with certain health conditions, so it’s important that everyone takes simple precautions while enjoying the warm weather over the coming days.

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Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal get Alvarez boost, Tzolis bid; Man Utd want Kone; Chelsea, Liverpool latest

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Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal get Alvarez boost, Tzolis bid; Man Utd want Kone; Chelsea, Liverpool latest

Manchester United want to continue their midfield overhaul with a move for France star Manu Kone, having now welcomed both Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, as well as goalkeeper Karl Darlow. However, they have pulled out of a deal involving Ederson, who has been offered a new contract at Atalanta. Chelsea are still pushing hard to land Pep Chavarria and Maxence Lacroix, with Alvaro Carreras also potentially on Xabi Alonso’s radar.

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All Coronation Street spoilers for next week as shocking arrest has huge consequences for show legend | Soaps

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All Coronation Street spoilers for next week as shocking arrest has huge consequences for show legend | Soaps
Game over for Sarah? (Picture: Shutterstock/FotoDax/ITV/Metro)

Sarah Platt’s (Tina O’Brien) luck finally runs out next week in Coronation Street, when she’s formally arrested and charged with the murder of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright).

Despite the best attempts of Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), the police finally nail the culprit and life will never be the same for anybody. As Kit pleads with her to drop Gary in it, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) doubts her marriage to Gary can survive. Will the arrest destroy the lives of everyone involved?

With Sarah’s arrest, she reveals to Kit that Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) was the one that attacked her, leaving David and Shona Platt (Jack P Shepherd and Julia Goulding) utterly rocked. Are they about to discover the twisted sister’s true colours?

After an altercation with Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) heads to the hospital bedside of Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), having come to a conclusion about the events that led them both here, but what is it?

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Elsewhere, Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) continues to struggle, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) plan an escape, Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) returns home and Ollie (Raphael Akuwudike) lands a new job.

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With the World Cup in the rear view and Corrie back in it’s rightful slot, let’s deep dive into next weeks episodes, shall we?

Monday, July 20

Sarah Platt being arrested by DS Lisa Connor-Swain in Coronation Street
Sarah is arrested (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Kit desperately tries to glean information from DI McLaughlin (Michelle Tate), but she’s cagey and is clearly suspicious of Kit’s motives, though his determination that Gary is about to be arrested rattles Sarah as she worries about the wedding outfit she handed to forensics.

When Fiz Dobbs (Jennie McAlpine) tells Maria that Kit is certain the police will arrest Gary imminently, she begins to reel with sheer panic.

Kit couldn’t be more wrong, though, as the Platt family record a birthday video message for Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), the police arrive immediately after and arrest Sarah for Theo’s murder. Kit takes a call from her later and tries his hardest to comfort her.

Tuesday, July 21

Brody Michaelis and Dylan Wilson face off on Coronation Street
Brody and Dylan come to blows (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Brody and Dylan come to blows, with Brody spitting that were he Betsy, he’d press charges against Dylan. Later, Ryan Connor’s (Ryan Prescott) stern words force Dylan to face up to his part in what happened to Betsy.

While Sarah swears her innocence to the police, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) makes it clear to Kit that he’s under suspicion for trying to cover up her crime, confirming that they’ll be charging Sarah with murder and that he needs to stop trying to protect her, or he’ll lose his career.

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Meanwhile, Gary tries to calm Maria’s anxieties that the police will come for Gary next, while a parcel delivery lets Todd know that Christina hasn’t managed to control her spending, forcing him to cover for her in front of George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley).

Wednesday, July 22

A police officer standing over Summer Spellman in a hospital bed
Dylan takes responsibility for Betsy’s condition (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

Dylan visits Betsy and accepts responsibility for what happened to her before making himself scarce when a police officer arrives to take a statement from her.

Maria clocks Sally Metcalfe’s (Sally Dynevor) screensaver in the salon, which clearly shows that Gary was on the street on the night of Theo’s murder, despite his assertations that he was in the builder’s yard all night. Having Sally send her the picture, she heads home and confronts Gary over what she’s discovered. Later, as they enjoy a family meal, Kit tears chunks from Gary over Sarah’s predicament.

Elsewhere, Todd finally confesses to Summer that he knows Sarah killed Theo, but reaffirms that he didn’t when she was being questioned and the time she spent behind bars, before confiding in her about Christina’s continued spending, Kit tries to persuade Sarah to implicate Gary and Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) masks her hurt when Ollie reveals he’s been offered a job in Brighton.

Thursday, July 23

Todd Grimshaw, Summer Spellman, George Shuttleworth and Christina Boyd sat in a booth in Coronation Street
Todd and Summer are going away (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

While Todd confirms to James Bailey (Jason Callender) that he’s planning to give away Theo’s life insurance money, Christina tells a skint George that she expects Todd to give him a portion of the cash. Later, Todd and Summer reveal that they’ve booked flights to Thailand to visit Jason and Eileen Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas and Sue Cleaver)

Maria warns Gary that, following what’s happened, he’s forced her to retract her statement that provided him with a false alibi. Gary pleads with her for another chance, reaffirming that he loves her and not Sarah.

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Also, Kit struggles to manage Harry Platt (Joshua Leavy) and is heartened when Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) steps in to help, Betsy is deeply embarrassed when Lauren has to help her use the toilet and when Ollie misses the Brighton job, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) makes him the head chef of Speed Daal.

Friday, July 24

Sarah Platt being visited by Maria Connor in prison in Coronation Street
Sarah rails at Maria (Picture: Danielle Baguley/ITV)

After a roasting from Maria, Sarah determines to admit to Lisa what happened with Theo, before that, though, she reveals to Kit that Jodie was her attacker. Shona and David are absolutely rocked when they learn of Sarah’s accusation against Jodie and upon learning of her trinket box, they search the house. Lily (Grace Ashcroft-Gardner) waits until nightfall and heads downstairs to find her games console, but discovers the box instead.

Sam returns home, Leanne, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) worry about the impact Sarah’s arrest will have on him. When Leanne reveals she has a new boyfriend, Sam is initially shaken, but agrees to meet Idris Nazir (Junade Khan) later on.

Despite Steve McDonald’s (Simon Gregson) warnings, Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) continues to scheme to get ride of Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield) with an app that allows people to write reviews about ex boyfriends, hoping to show Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) his true colours, David and Maria butt heads when she skives work to spend the day with Gary and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) is narked to learn that Ollie is now working for the competition.

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How to clean a vacuum cleaner in five simple steps

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How to clean a vacuum cleaner in five simple steps

If your vacuum cleaner is looking rather sad, seeming to have lost suction and leaving dust and debris in its wake, hold off before replacing it immediately. In my work as a professional cleaner, I have found that it probably just needs a good clean.

I’ve cleaned hundreds of vacuums in my time. While it’s something that may seem complicated, following a few simple tricks can return your vacuum cleaner to work with minimal effort and mess. You won’t have to wait days for its filter to dry either.

Below is my video guide on how to clean a vacuum cleaner, or keep reading for more information. If this still doesn’t work and you do want to invest in a new machine, along with a panel of Telegraph readers, I’ve found the best cordless vacuums to consider. My favourites are linked to at the bottom of this article. 

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World Cup 2026: Jude Bellingham best at World Cup and Harry Kane can destroy Argentina – Rooney

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Jude Bellingham was England's two-goal hero again as they beat Norway to reach the World Cup semi-final.

Jude Bellingham has been the best player at the World Cup so far, says former England striker Wayne Rooney.

Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham has scored six goals in six games for England, leaving him only two behind France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings.

Erling Haaland, whose Norway side were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals, is on seven while Three Lions captain Harry Kane is level with Bellingham.

England play Messi’s Argentina on Wednesday in the second semi-final (20:00 BST). The match is live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and BBC Radio 5 Live.

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“In terms of best in the world I think you’re looking at someone like Mbappe or Haaland,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

“Bellingham hasn’t quite hit those levels at Real Madrid this season, but he’s been the best player in the tournament for me.”

Bellingham, 23, has become a big-game player for England – with nine goals and three assists in World Cups and European Championships.

His Real Madrid team-mate Mbappe – with 12 – is the only European player to have scored more than nine goals in a major tournament before the age of 24.

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Bellingham has averaged a goal or assist every 138 minutes at major tournaments for England, compared to one every 284 minutes in other international matches.

He scored in the group wins over Croatia and Panama at this World Cup, then twice against both Mexico and Norway in the knockout stage.

“With Jude, it’s all about energy, passion, desire, drive and that’s how he’s getting his rewards,” said Rooney.

“That’s very rare to have that. A lot of these top players rely on the ability and the technique to get their moments. Jude has desire and hunger and it’s so refreshing to see a player playing the toughest game but also doing it.

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“That’s what fans want, especially the England fans. They want to see players running and working for the team and for the badge.

“He reminds me of me in terms of one minute you’re thinking, ‘this lad’s a genius’, and the next minute you’re thinking, ‘don’t go into that tackle, don’t get sent off’.

“It’s exactly how I was. But he’s obviously backing it up in the biggest tournament. There were doubters before but he’s put all that to bed.”

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In the ‘frenetic’ and ‘chaotic’ rush for PPE, one exception stood out: How Mail Force – and the Mail’s generous readers – rode to the rescue with protective equipment for nurses and care homes, costing taxpayers nothing

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Mail Force made vital deliveries of face masks and other PPE equipment to care homes, hospitals and charities across the UK

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Amid the scandalous wastage of the PPE saga, there was one glittering exception: the Mail Force charity’s landmark mission supplying millions of pieces of protective equipment to the NHS free of charge.

Driven by the Daily Mail’s astonishingly generous readers and philanthropists, Mail Force raised £12million during the Covid crisis – and every single penny helped the NHS, care homes and charities through some of their darkest moments.

While businesses were pitching for lucrative access to what the Hallett report yesterday branded a ‘frenetic’ and ‘chaotic’ procurement process, Mail Force was sourcing reliable and verifiable PPE and giving it straight to those who needed it.

And unlike some suppliers, there were no profits taken or ‘VIP’ access routes for favoured firms.

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And so it was that the Mail Force charity – set up by Lord Rothermere, the Chairman of the Daily Mail’s parent company – led the most successful public appeal in newspaper history.

It had been bleak in that spring of 2020: nurses with bin liners as uniforms; terrified pensioners trapped in germ-filled care homes. 

Yet by the end of 2020, Mail Force had acquired more than 42million pieces of PPE and handed them to the NHS, the care sector and charities great and small – without costing taxpayers a penny.

The protective equipment went through rigorous testing to ensure it met the UK’s very high standards. At the NHS’s central PPE hub in Daventry, our donations were held up sometimes for many days while the Government’s technicians meticulously examined everything from the thickness of gowns, measured down to the micron level, to their durability under intensive testing.

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Mail Force made vital deliveries of face masks and other PPE equipment to care homes, hospitals and charities across the UK  

Care home staff at the Orchard Trust take a delivery of Mail Force masks and coveralls

Care home staff at the Orchard Trust take a delivery of Mail Force masks and coveralls

The Mail Force charity teamed up with the ISSA Group to bring millions of high quality PPE products to nurses, care workers and charities that desperately needed them

The Mail Force charity teamed up with the ISSA Group to bring millions of high quality PPE products to nurses, care workers and charities that desperately needed them

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 It was not always plain sailing, and Mail Force had to send back one batch of masks for a refund. Overall, out of 42,304,000 pieces of PPE, 99.7 per cent passed muster.

Mail Force established a rigorous diligence process to ensure all certification was in place from reputable suppliers.

Throughout the endeavour, Mail Force talked to the highest echelons of the NHS and established clear guidelines.

In many cases, Mail Force’s PPE exceeded the requirements. Superior Type IIR fluid-resistant masks were sourced in their millions from our excellent Lancashire-based partners, the ISSA Group.

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When Griffin Mill, a former carpet factory, switched to producing hospital aprons, Mail Force bought the first run of 1.5million, and they were such good aprons – so said the NHS staff who tried them – that we ordered nearly 20million.

Mail Force went on to raise millions more for crucial testing equipment and, latterly, to ensure that underprivileged schoolchildren had the laptops they badly needed in order to attend class remotely during the pandemic.

In total, Mail Force raised £25million, all of it logged in the public accounts submitted to the Charity Commission. With no staff, no overheads and no profit, the money from our readers went directly to where it was needed most.

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Ryanair, Jet2 and easyJet rules on electronic devices explained

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Daily Record

Different airlines have different rules, an aviation expert says

Lithium battery incidents on UK aircraft involving fire, smoke or extreme heat have reached record levels, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The regulator says there were 206 incidents last year, a rise of 67% compared with 2024. It also recorded 643 devices that were found to be packed incorrectly, underlining how often passengers still get the rules wrong.

Vapes and power banks are among the biggest concerns because they contain lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat and cause fires if damaged, activated accidentally or stored improperly. Airlines apply broadly similar safety principles — but the exact limits can vary from carrier to carrier.

Markus Lindblad, Head of External & Legal Affairs at Northerner, said: “Different airlines enforce their own restrictions regarding the maximum number of devices a passenger is allowed to carry. Vapes are considered electronic devices for packing regulations purposes, so it’s important to check the rules for each airline.”

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What Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair say about vapes

Ryanair

Vapes must be kept in hand luggage. The airline’s limits allow up to 15 electronic devices and up to 20 lithium batteries, with each battery not exceeding 100Wh.

Jet2

Passengers can travel with e-cigarettes and other personal vaporisers as long as the battery stays installed, the battery capacity is no more than 160Wh, and the device is protected against accidental activation or short-circuiting.

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easyJet E-cigarettes and vaping devices must be carried in the cabin and switched off. The airline allows up to two spare batteries in carry-on luggage.

Power banks: where to pack them

Power banks are typically allowed, but they must be kept in hand luggage, not checked baggage, due to the lithium-ion fire risk.

Some airlines also cap the size permitted. The CAA has previously advised that passengers may be asked to store power banks in the seat pocket instead of the overhead locker so they can be monitored more easily.

One rule that applies across the board

Passengers are not allowed to charge electronic cigarettes or power banks during the flight. Airlines prohibit in-flight charging because batteries can overheat while charging, increasing the risk of smoke or fire.

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TOM LEONARD: Are all these controversial decisions proof there IS a conspiracy for Argentina to win the Cup – and please Trump?

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Donald Trump holds the World Cup trophy next to FIFA president Gianni Infantino

World Cup fans who head to social media sites like X in search of fresh insight into the tournament are instead greeted by an endless stream of memes featuring two of this year’s stand-out characters: Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Gianni Infantino, the Swiss president of FIFA. 

In one, Infantino pushes a baby faced Messi around in a pram. In others, he tenderly holds his hand or cradles him in his arms. 

Elsewhere, he wears an Argentina shirt or, stripped to the waist, dances a celebratory waltz with the striker in the Argentine dressing room. 

The implication could hardly be clearer: FIFA, the scandal-plagued governing body of world football, wants the team playing England in today’s semi-final in Atlanta to win the trophy for what will be the fourth time. 

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Some will say that FIFA and its president have only themselves to blame for such damning suspicions. 

After all, having cravenly presented President Donald Trump with a new award called the FIFA Peace Prize last December, FIFA then reversed a red card which would have banned the US team’s star goal-scorer, Folarin Balogun, from playing in a crucial game in this tournament – after Infantino was phoned by the President. 

For many fans, that has fuelled the belief that nothing is beyond FIFA – including flouting its supposed neutrality to tilt the tournament in favour of the team that best serves its commercial and political interests. 

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Donald Trump holds the World Cup trophy next to FIFA president Gianni Infantino

An Argentina fan holds Messi cardboard face masks in a crowd of Argentines ahead of their World Cup fixture against Switzerland

An Argentina fan holds Messi cardboard face masks in a crowd of Argentines ahead of their World Cup fixture against Switzerland

Despite protests from FIFA officials that allegations of bias could endanger referees, totting up the ways Argentina has supposedly benefited has become one of the most popular parlour games of the 2026 World Cup. 

It’s even spawned a new word – ‘VARgentina’ – which alludes to the seemingly uncanny way so many decisions by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system have fallen in Argentina’s favour.

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Why favour Argentina?

Claims FIFA is biased towards Argentina are nothing new. Similar accusations surfaced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy after his team defeated France in a dramatic final. 

At the time, conspiracy theorists argued Messi, already the biggest star in world football, had somehow reached the twilight of his career without winning the World Cup. At 35, they said, Qatar was his last chance to do it.

 Latin America is one of foot ball’s most valuable markets and the notoriously venal FIFA – so ran the theory – stood to profit far more commercially from an Argentina win than from a second consecutive victory for France. And if Messi – a huge global brand – could score, so much the better for an organisation that has a long and well-documented history of corruption and self-enrichment. 

A new theory has emerged during this year’s tournament: that another Argentina triumph would also suit Trump. In March, Trump welcomed Messi and his club, Inter Miami, to the White House following their victory in America’s top domestic cup competition, revealing his son, Barron, is an admirer of the striker.  

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It has been mooted that Trump, who is due to present the World Cup trophy alongside Infantino, would much rather hand it to Messi, who never talks publicly about politics, than to someone like French captain Kylian Mbappe, who has spoken out about France’s Far Right and might, some speculate, decide to make a Trump-flavoured statement if they win. 

Two Argentina fans wear T-shirts printed with the country's footballing legends Diego Maradona and Messi at the World Cup

Two Argentina fans wear T-shirts printed with the country’s footballing legends Diego Maradona and Messi at the World Cup

Trump holds up a red card during a meeting with Infantino in the Oval Office at the White House

Trump holds up a red card during a meeting with Infantino in the Oval Office at the White House

Messi start

Messi managed to stir up controversy in Argentina’s very first game in this tournament, against Algeria. In the 30th minute, he tackled opposing captain Aissa Mandi. Messi caught Mandi on his right calf and achilles tendon with his studs up. 

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As Mandi writhed in agony, the Polish referee awarded a free-kick but produced no card. Some refereeing experts argued that, had he been sent to the pitch-side monitor for a second look, Messi could have been sent off. 

Instead, he remained on the pitch to complete a hat-trick, leading Argentina to a victory. The Algerian FA later filed a complaint with FIFA over the incident and two other refereeing decisions in the game. 

In their next match, against Austria, Argentina also got off lightly when midfielder Alexis Mac Allister brought down Austrian Xaver Schlager from behind. The referee didn’t penalise the blatant foul, nor did VAR review it. Argentina went on to win 2-0, with Messi scoring both goals, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. 

More controversy came in the next round versus Cape Verde when Messi tried to take a free kick when the opposing goalie was still organising his defensive wall.

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The referee, Drew Fischer, also came under fire after forcing Cape Verde to wait to take a corner until an injured Argentine defender, Nicolas Tagliafico, had returned to the pitch following medical treatment. 

Riddle of the sphinx 

Few refereeing decisions have provoked more outrage during this World Cup than the one that denied Egypt a second goal in their round-of-16 clash against, yes, Argentina. With Egypt leading 1-0, VAR intervened to check for a foul (that amounted to one player stepping on another’s foot well before the ball reached the penalty area) which had been missed by on-field officials. 

The game ended in a 3-2 Argentine victory and prompted fury from the Egyptians, who not only questioned the foul but insisted they should have been awarded a penalty before Argentina’s third and winning goal. 

‘There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome,’ said Egypt coach Hossam Hassan. ‘Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?’ 

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Swiss missed

There was another row over a pro-Argentina VAR intervention when the team advanced to the semi-final by beating Switzerland in extra time.

It involved VAR intervening to overturn a yellow card the Portuguese referee had given Argentine player Leandro Paredes for tripping Swiss Breel Embolo. 

Few disagreed with the VAR’s judgment that Embolo had gone to ground too easily. But the yellow card for Embolo meant that, because he had already incurred an earlier one, he was sent off, leaving Switzerland with 10 men. 

The punishment was in keeping with FIFA rules, which had been changed just before the competition, but critics questioned whether it was applied too harshly in such a pivotal match. 

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Suspicious hat-trick 

For conspiracy theorists, these curious decisions are nothing new. They point out that each of Argentina’s three previous World Cup triumphs has been accompanied by accusations of foul play. 

The first came in 1978, when Argentina hosted the tournament under the country’s military dictatorship. Needing to beat Brazil’s goal difference to reach the final, Argentina thrashed Peru 6-0. 

Oddly, the general commanding Argentina’s ruling junta visited the Peru dressing room (accompanied by former US Secretary of State and football fan Henry Kissinger) before the game. 

Unproven allegations later emerged that a deal was made whereby Argentina shipped 35,000 tons of grain and weapons to Peru, as well as releasing $50 million of frozen Peruvian assets, in return for a Peruvian defeat.

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Argentina’s second World Cup victory in 1986 was, of course, overshadowed by Diego Maradona’s blatant hand-assisted goal – ignored by officials – in the quarter-final against England. 

Its third triumph in 2022 came after Argentina was awarded a record five penalties in seven matches. During a match against the Netherlands, Messi avoided a booking after blocking a pass with his hand. Argentina’s Leandro Paredes also committed a reckless foul and then deliberately kicked the ball at people on the sideline – yet only earned a single yellow card. 

Ill omens? 

There are other, smaller details, that some believe have also worked in Argentina’s favour. Argentina have enjoyed a relatively easy route to the semi-finals, never playing a team ranked higher than 19th. 

They also avoided some of the more physically demanding venues, while England had to endure the altitude of Mexico City. 

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Cynics further note that the referee for today’s England-Argentina epic face-off is a Moroccan-American, Ismail Elfath, who has earned a reputation as a ‘good-luck charm’ for Messi, having never officiated at a match in which his team has lost. But there’s a first time for everything – and the England players will hope no one will be crying for them after their epic battle with the heirs of Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’. 

But there’s a first time for everything – and the England players will hope no one will be crying for them after their epic battle with the heirs of Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’. 

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