“I’m the one that got them to do it,” said Donald Trump on Monday, referring to FIFA’s hugely controversial decision to suspend the red card ban of USA striker Folarin Balogun ahead of their loss to Belgium in the last 16 of the World Cup.

The US president then claimed he had just called for a review of the incident, which FIFA and their president, Gianni Infantino, insisted was then ruled upon by their disciplinary committee. The committee has not ruled on any other decision in a World Cup. Both the reviewing of red cards at the World Cup and political interference of any kind is banned by FIFA’s own statutes.

Sky-high ticket prices, the refusals of visas to fans, officials, player’s families and even a referee have all contributed to a tournament in which FIFA, and Trump, have been ever-present. These issues have all contributed to a spike in unpopularity for an organization that was already disliked by fans, if not necessarily by federations.

Infantino, Trump relationship has eroded FIFA trust

Several factors have contributed to growing frustration with FIFA.

The decision to award US President Trump FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize last December, shortly before Trump started a war with tournament participant Iran, was reportedly a unilateral move by FIFA President Infantino and has further eroded trust both within and outside the organization.

FIFA employ a rotation policy for World Cup hosting — that means each confederation should host a tournament in turn, with the exception of Oceania, which lacks the facilities since Australia began playing in Asian competition. But with matches in the 2030 World Cup scheduled in Europe, Africa and South America, that cleared the way for Saudi Arabia to be awarded the 2034 tournament unchallenged and much earlier than Asia would otherwise have been due, in 2042.

With Infantino set to exceed the usual presidential term limit of 12 years, again likely unopposed, frustration with FIFA is at an all-time high, according to many observers. But can anything be done?

How does FIFA maintain its power?

FIFA is responsible for the game’s global development but also acts as its commercial operator, a system many governance experts have questioned.

The World Cup is its key financial driver, though the recently revamped and expanded Club World Cup is now another key contributor. That competition has led to widespread complaints from players and player unions about a congested calendar that makes unreasonable demands.

“I don’t think the players are listened to that much, if I’m totally honest,” said Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane last year.

Structurally, each of the 211 member nations (which sit in six continental federations), gets a single vote for the president every four years. These member associations are then financially rewarded, to a greater or lesser degree, through various schemes and programs.

“The commercial dimension is the bedrock of FIFA’s system of power. The money is used by the presidents to accumulate and consolidate their power,” Miguel Maduro, a former chairman of FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, told DW. He was dismissed from the post in 2017 after attempting to enforce political neutrality rules regarding Russia.

“It’s what supports the system of patronage through which presidents reward those loyal to them and punish anyone that dares criticize anything. It explains why incumbent presidents are never challenged and stay in power indefinitely.”

Can politics and the EU force FIFA to change?

Like Maduro, Nick McGeehan, of human rights NGO FairSquare, agrees that any reform would have to be imposed upon FIFA. And with individual member nations not incentivized or able to drive change, he is calling on the European Union to take up the fight.

“It requires political intervention. There is no other way to fix FIFA,” he told DW.

“I think the most obvious example would be the European Union, who could regulate and govern sport the way they regulate other things like Big Tech.”

FairSquare have filed a complaint with the Investigatory Chamber to the FIFA Ethics Committee over Infantino’s dealings with Trump while, separately, fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and advocacy group Euroconsumers filed a complaint about ticket prices to the European Commission shortly before the World Cup.

A Commission spokesperson would not be drawn on whether the EU might take on FIFA, telling DW only that the FSE and Euroconsumers complaint was being dealt with “in line with our standard procedures.”

Asked whether they might intervene in the various questionable World Cup ticket practices, the spokesperson went on to confirm that EU laws “do not regulate the price levels for goods and services, such as event tickets.” But added that: “Traders must adequately inform consumers about the total price of their offers and avoid misleading commercial practices, such as making attractive starting price claims for tickets that are not available or pressure-selling techniques while consumers wait in the virtual queue.”

Though definitive political action is so far thin on the ground, McGeehan retains hope.

“There is going to be a politician somewhere who recognizes the political value of taking people on and actually trying to hold them accountable. And I find that quite an exciting prospect, because I think it’s inevitable right now.”

Might UEFA and FIFA tensions force a breakaway?

While it operates under FIFA’s umbrella, there are simmering tensions between FIFA and the powerful European federation, UEFA. These came to a head in the Balogun incident, with UEFA releasing a statement that said FIFA had “crossed a red line” and expressed “disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”

Earlier in the tournament, they became apparent in UEFA’s hiring of Somalian referee Omar Artan for the Super Cup final, days after he’d been refused entry to the US to officiate at the World Cup.

“Football is made to connect people,” said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.

Last year, UEFA delegates walked out of the FIFA Congress, accusing Infantino of prioritizing “private political interests” after turning up late from a diplomatic tour of the Middle East alongside Trump.

“There are tensions between UEFA and FIFA, and UEFA are a huge confederation and have the ear of some of the biggest and the most historic footballing nations. So if there was any form of breakaway within football it would have to come from UEFA or a number of UEFA nations getting together,” Geoff Walters, a professor in sports business at the University of Liverpool in the UK, told DW.

“But it’s hard in the context of football-politics to put your head above that parapet because you get shot down. If you do say something, then what does it mean? Is it going to harm your chances of hosting competitions, which can be beneficial? Does it mean that you are ostracized from the international community?”

Germany serve as an example of this. After national team members covered their mouths in a political gesture prior to their first match in Qatar in 2022, the team and federation have rowed back on their support of political causes, possibly with a hosting bid for World Cup 2034 or 2038 in mind.

However, in line with other federation heads, German FA (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf did speak out on the Balogun incident.

“The impression that there has been active political interference in sports must be dispelled swiftly and conclusively. The integrity of the competition and the credibility of FIFA are at stake,” he said.

UEFA themselves had to deal with the threat of an elite-club-driven breakaway Super League in 2021 and the legal issues that followed. Maduro said the organization “suffers from that same governance flaws as FIFA, albeit in a less obvious and radical manner.”

What’s in a FIFA breakaway for the rest of the world?

UEFA’s standing with the rest of the world’s federations may also have been weakened by Ceferin’s reported recent comments that the expanded World Cup makes a lot of matches “completely uninteresting.” A coalition of 13 football associations from Africa and Asia said they “firmly reject” the comments reported by Zurnal24, an online newspaper in Ceferin’s native Slovenia.

The prestige and power of Europe and South America, particularly Brazil and Argentina, are also not as strong as they may seem compared to Infantino’s power base in Asia and Africa. Walters said this is another reason why a breakaway appears a distant possibility.

“If it was spearheaded by leading nations, what would happen to the smaller nations across the world? What would happen to their ability to develop football in their countries?

“That’s part of the challenge with global sport that we’re seeing, not just in the context of the World Cup, but in the context of a lot of sporting leagues, where you are seeing the bigger teams starting to look to push and break away. They want to maintain the largest slice of the pie, of the commercial income and revenues that are coming into that sport,” he said.

Is FIFA reaching areas others can’t?

While many others have questioned those commercial motivations, Infantino has insisted they are for the greater good.

“Every dollar we generate goes back into football,” he told reporters on the eve of the tournament on June 10.

“If we were selling our TV rights to pay-TV, like everyone else, we would generate four times as much revenue. And we could give all the tickets away, but they would still end up on the black market.

“As FIFA president we have to strike a balance. We invest in countries where no one else does — South Sudan, Bhutan. No one else is doing this.”

For now, that much is true. In football terms, no one else has the remit or the money. And, given how deeply FIFA is entrenched within the sport, the chances of a breakaway seem remote.

Although discontent has rarely been higher, unless a federation, alliance of countries or prominent individual grasps the nettle, the chances of reform seem only marginally less slim than before.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

This article was first published on July 2 and updated on July 7 to reflect developments at the World Cup.

The Big Ten and SEC appear to want the pooling of media rights to be optional in the ‘Protect College Sports Act’ in Congress.

Are they genuine in their efforts or is it all for show?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I am joined by ‘Locked On Sooners’ host John Williams.

Will Oklahoma’s 2026 schedule let them return to the Playoff? S

San Diego State hopes to be a Pac-12 contender this Fall in their third season under Sean Lewis.

What’s a reasonable expectation for their 2026 record in the new-look league?

03:38 Debating conference expansion options
09:30 Discussing Oklahoma’s 2026 football schedule
10:46 Discussing the team’s offensive struggles
15:18 Potential upset games discussion
18:32 Discussing Oklahoma’s early season challenges
23:27 Discussing San Diego State schedule
28:50 San Diego State vs Washington State
30:42 Predicting game outcome

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

The 2026 NFL Draft is long over. Free agency is in the rearview mirror, and so is the NFL offseason. Now, we await training camp, with every NFL team scheduled to report in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, there isn’t much going on around the NFL. Well, unless you’re following the Brandon Aiyuk drama, which seems to have new material every other day.

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While we are in the calm before the storm, Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports recently looked back at the 2024 NFL Draft. Specifically, Pereles performed a “2024 redraft.” That is the draft where six quarterbacks were selected among the first 12 picks.

It’s still early, but it looks like four of those quarterback picks were home runs: No. 1 Caleb Williams (Bears), No. 2 Jayden Daniels (Commanders), No. 3 Drake Maye (Patriots) and No. 12 Bo Nix (Broncos). Daniels and Nix were the top rookies, with Daniels having arguably the greatest rookie season in NFL history, leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.

Daniels battled injuries last season, missing 10 games. However, Maye and Williams took a big leap, with both leading their respective teams to the playoffs. Maye even led New England to the Super Bowl. Nix led the Broncos to the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but was injured in the AFC Divisional Round.

So, where would these players land in this CBS redraft?

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Here’s Pereles’ top-three picks:

• 3. New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels

Pereles offered the following on Washington selecting Williams:

The Commanders would gladly “settle” for Williams here. He took his game to another level last year by cutting way down on negative plays — especially sacks — and improving massively as a pocket navigator and scrambler. This is his biggest advantage over Maye, who still must improve his pressure mitigation. Williams has always taken excellent care of the ball as a passer, even during his difficult rookie year, and his out-of-structure creation is jaw-dropping.

Here’s his assessment of Daniels going No. 3:

If this article had come at this time out last year, Daniels would likely be No. 1. Instead, he falls all the way to No. 3! (Please note extreme sarcasm here; all three of these guys are great.) Daniels’ electrifying rookie season can’t be forgotten, but his second-year struggles — with injuries, a fall off in accuracy and less-than-ideal surroundings — can’t be completely overlooked, either.

If Washington had the chance to do this over, it would take Daniels again. I’m pretty confident the Bears would also stick with Williams. This redraft is proof of how our world is full of “what have you done for me lately?” Daniels is somehow viewed as No. 3 in this class because last season has him on a mission in 2026. He’s already said he’s done talking about 2025.

Let’s talk about last season’s playoffs. The Patriots made it to the Super Bowl despite Maye. He struggled in all four games, completing 58% of his passes with six touchdowns, four interceptions, and seven fumbles. He had an 82.2 QB rating and a 40 QBR.

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Meanwhile, Williams completed 52% of his passes, with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He had a 65.9 QB rating and a 53.4 QBR.

While Daniels didn’t make the playoffs last season, let’s revisit his 2024 playoff run. He completed 66% of his passes in three playoff games, with 822 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He led the game-winning drive on the road at Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild-Card Round, and led the Commanders to a blowout road win over No. 1 seed Detroit in the NFC Divisional Round. Daniels had a 97.9 QB rating and an 84.2 QBR. He also rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown.

All QB-needy teams in the NFL would be happy with any of these three young franchise passers. But the Commanders still believe they’ve got the best of the bunch.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2024 NFL redraft proves recency bias against Jayden Daniels

Cristiano Ronaldo’s time representing Portugal at the FIFA World Cup may have come to an end in Dallas on Monday afternoon, as Spain advanced to the quarterfinals, 1-0, at their expense.

Mikel Merino came off Spain’s bench and electrified the World Cup crowd in stoppage time during the second half when he finally broke the 0-0 tie for the decisive goal past Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Ronaldo, who never knocked on Spain’s doorstep in this match – no team has as they have yet to give up a goal in this tournament – stared into the crowd after a few desperation attempts weren’t good enough for Portugal as the final whistle rang out.

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Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, United States. (Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi)

Ronaldo played in his fifth World Cup, and though there was some heated debate about whether he should be starting for this squad, he leaves perhaps his last tournament of his illustrious career with three more goals on this stage under his belt.

While Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates think about what could’ve been, Spain will await the winner of Team USA and Belgium, which will play their Round of 16 match in Seattle on Monday night.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

The big story out of the Pacific Northwest is Folarin Balogun, the USMNT star striker who will be available to play after his red card was changed to a suspension – a similar FIFA disciplinary action given to Ronaldo so that he could participate in this World Cup.

It’s been the talk of the tournament, as President Donald Trump said he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the controversial red card given in the Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ultimately, FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code, much to the dislike of multiple soccer federations, including the Belgian group they are facing off against tonight.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, United States. (Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi)

The U.S. still took care of Bosnia and Herzegovina despite Balogun’s red card during the match, which had them down one man on the pitch compared to their opponent. Malik Tillman’s free kick goal was the nail in the coffin in the second half, as the USMNT moved on with a 2-0 victory and looked ahead to their meeting with Belgium.

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Belgium almost didn’t make it out of the Round of 32, but almost doesn’t count in the World Cup. Senegal had been up 2-0 in the 80th minute of the match when Belgium finally came to life thanks to goals by Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans in the 85th and 89th minutes, respectively.

It forced extra time and Senegal ultimately conceded a penalty kick with just ticks left on the clock before a penalty shootout would’ve determined who advanced in the tournament. Tielemans didn’t waste the opportunity, slamming the door on Senegal’s hopes in crushing fashion.

Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates with teammates Pedro Porro and Fabian Ruiz after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Hannah Peters – FIFA)

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While Team USA and Belgium prepare for their matchup, Spain will kick its feet up, and perhaps pull out a notepad, as they watch who they will play in the quarterfinals later this week.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

As we count down to the first college football game of the 2026 season, we continue our new series: The records of each top CFB program in the West against all the others in the region.

Some schools have met many times over the years, while others are beginning new rivalries in the wake of recent realignment.

For each opponent in the table below, we provide the total games played, wins, losses, ties, winning percentage, first year played, and most recent contest.

We continue with New Mexico State, which has played 454 games against regional foes, winning 107, losing 338, and recording 10 ties, for a winning percentage of .247.

The Aggies have recorded the most wins (40) against UTEP, have played the most games (115) and lost the most games (75) against New Mexico.

Here is a breakdown of New Mexico State’s records vs. the region’s teams.

England have suffered another double injury blow ahead of the crucial clash with Fiji to leave Steve Borthwick facing a backline selection headache.

Wing Cadan Murley has joined full-back George Furbank in being ruled out of the encounter at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Harlequin suffering a shoulder injury during the defeat to South Africa.

Prop Beno Obano, who came off the bench against the Springboks, also drops out of the squad due to injury, with Northampton’s Emmanuel Iyogun taking his place.

Back five forward Chandler Cunningham-South has also been called up to Borthwick’s group. Wing Tom Roebuck came into camp on Monday as a replacement for Furbank.

England are now on a five-match losing run and face a potentially defining encounter with the Pacific Islanders on Saturday afternoon as Borthwick looks to relieve some of the pressure he and his side are under.

The England head coach is thought to be mulling possible debuts for teenage wing Noah Caluori and South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who becomes available on residency this week.

Freddie Steward is thought to be a doubt for the Nations Championship fixture after rolling his ankle in training in Johannesburg last week.

FILE–Gilas Pilipinas’ Mike Phillips during a game against New Zealand in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—There weren’t a lot of positive takeaways in Gilas Pilipinas’ lopsided loss to Australia in the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

But there was an obvious one that coach Tim Cone couldn’t help but rave about.

Mike Phillips earned the moniker “Motor Mike” while helping La Salle win a pair of UAAP championships. Cone and Gilas saw firsthand why.

READ: Gilas ‘kind of lost heart’ in 2nd half vs Australia, says Cone

“His nickname is ‘Motor Mike’ and there’s a reason for that,” Cone said after their 92-49 loss to the Boomers on Monday night in Perth. “He plays with such a tremendous motor and he’s all over the floor.”

“He was one of the bright lights for us tonight. He was doing great, especially in the first half. He was rebounding the heck out of the ball.”

The 6-foot-8 Phillips hauled down a game-high 14 rebounds against a rugged Australian side. He also chipped in six points, highlighted by a pair of emphatic dunks.

Unfortunately for Gilas and Phillips, the athletic forward couldn’t finish the game due to cramps.

READ: ‘Motor Mike’ in maiden Fiba tournament with Gilas

“He got hurt in one of our friendlies coming to this game, so he’s playing with a gimpy ankle, and then he got hit by cramps late in the game, so we couldn’t keep him on the floor.”

Even with a forgettable final window in the qualifiers where Gilas lost both their games to New Zealand and Australia, Phillips became a silver lining that fans can expect to see more in the next phase.

“I think that’s just something that our fans are going to really appreciate as we move forward, watching him play with that kind of effort, and then watching the other guys get infected by it and continuing to play.”

Suryakumar Yadav (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has strongly dismissed a fake statement circulating on social media, urging fans not to fall for misinformation while reiterating his unwavering support for the Indian team despite losing the T20I captaincy.Suryakumar, who led India to the T20 World Cup title before being replaced as captain by Shreyas Iyer and omitted from the squads for the UK tour and the Asian Games, took to X on Tuesday to deny the viral quote attributed to him.The fabricated statement claimed the Mumbai batter was unhappy over a lack of clarity about his future and felt he had not received the respect he deserved after his contributions to Indian cricket.

Suryakumar dismisses fake statement

Setting the record straight, Suryakumar categorically denied making any such remarks.“I’ve also noticed a statement being circulated online that has been falsely attributed to me. I want to make it clear that I have not made or authorised any such statement. Please don’t believe or share unverified information,” Suryakumar posted on X.The star batter also made it clear that there were no hard feelings despite the recent selection decisions.“I’m very happy for the team and wish them nothing but the very best, always. I know the boys are giving it their all, and they will always have my full support. My support for Indian cricket, my teammates, and the game will always speak louder than words falsely attributed to me,” he added, attempting to end the speculation surrounding his future.His clarification came a day after India’s selectors continued their transition plans by naming Shreyas Iyer as captain for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, while Suryakumar was not included in the squad.

Special message for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Suryakumar also reserved special praise for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently scripted history by becoming India’s youngest-ever international cricketer.The 15-year-old made his debut in the second T20I against England at just 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.Congratulating the youngster, Suryakumar wrote: “A special word for Vaibhav – you’re at the start of what promises to be a very exciting journey. Enjoy every moment and keep making the country proud.”

Selectors continue youth-first approach

India’s squad for the Zimbabwe series reflected the selectors’ continued emphasis on building for the future.Young pacers Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma earned maiden T20I call-ups following impressive IPL campaigns, while left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey also received his first T20I selection after recently making his ODI debut.Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was another notable omission, with Prabhsimran Singh preferred behind the stumps after an impressive IPL season. Samson had already lost his place in the playing XI to Sooryavanshi during the ongoing England series following a string of low scores.The selectors also recalled Rinku Singh and express pacer Mayank Yadav, while Shivam Dube replaced the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming England series.