File photo of Sarfaraz Ahmed© X (Twitter)

“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the race,” fumed Egypt‘s national team coach, Hossam Hassan, on BeIN Sports after his team’s 3–2 round-of-16 defeat to Argentina on Tuesday.

“This match was rigged, and the whole world saw it,” he said.

Late in the second half, the Egyptians had led 2–0 thanks to goals from Yasser Ibrahim (15th minute) and Mostafa Ziko (67). Then, the defending champions launched a comeback, turning the match on its head. Cristian Romero (79), Lionel Messi (83), and Enzo Fernandez (90+2) scored to secure the win, and a spot in the quarterfinals.

‘The efforts of an entire nation destroyed’

The defeat left a very bitter taste in the mouth for the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations winners. They blamed French referee Francois Letexier for denying them a historic victory.

“The referee was unfair and destroyed the efforts of an entire nation. The trophy is being handed to Argentina,” said Mostafa Ziko, who had a 58th-minute goal disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR), in coach Hassan’s words “for whatever reason.”

In the referee’s defense, during the sequence in which Egypt won possession prior to the goal, an Egyptian player clearly stepped on the foot of the Argentine player in possession, bringing him down. In the eyes of some, it was therefore justifiable to disallow the goal. Others feel the infraction was minor and a long way from goal and not the sort of error in which VAR is supposed to intervene at this tournament.

Potential penalty goes unchecked

This was not the only contentious issue. The Egyptians were particularly upset about another incident: “A penalty for us wasn’t even checked by VAR,” Hassan complained.

He and his team said a foul had been committed against Hamdy Fathy inside the Argentine penalty area just minutes before Fernandez scored the winning goal — a view shared by some neutral observers.

Alexis Mac Allister had grabbed Fathy’s jersey away from the ball and pulled the Egyptian player, thereby depriving him of the chance to reach, and potentially convert, a rebound.

Following the match, the Egyptian FA lodged an official complaint with football’s world governing body, FIFA. EFA President Hany Abo Rida accused referee Letexier of “serious errors” and demanded not only an investigation into the incidents but also the exclusion of the entire officiating team from the World Cup.

He said the referee had applied a “double standard, resulting in the Egyptian team losing the match and being eliminated.” Abo Rida further criticized “blatant errors and the refusal to review specific video sequences.”

German former referees weigh in

“You can see the jersey being pulled,” former Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich told viewers on Germany’s MagentaTV. “For me, that’s a penalty.”

Ittrich also noted a general imbalance in how the referee officiated the game.

“All the contentious decisions went against Egypt. The negative emotions are understandable,” he said.

At the same time, he said, “the procedures followed regarding the video assistant were correct.”

Ittrich surmised that the VAR didn’t consider the shirt-pulling incident significant or clear enough to intervene.

Lutz Wagner, a former Bundesliga referee and head of referee training at the German Football Association (DFB), assessed the situation similarly.

“Very unwise behavior by the Argentine,” he told viewers on German public broadcaster ARD. “Argentina could not have complained had the whistle been blown.”

National team coach Hassan blamed the Argentines, claiming they had “put pressure on the referee.”

“We deserved the win, but we were shown no respect and no fair play,” Hassan said. “Life is unfair, the world is unfair, but why is there no fairness in football, in sport? We were treated unfairly.”

Scorn for FIFA

Ever since FIFA, following a phone call from President Donald Trump, suspended the red-card ban against US striker Folarin Balogun, the door has been wide open for speculation regarding match-fixing and favoritism.

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The English FA announced that it was considering — possibly partly in jest — appealing the red card and resulting suspension of defender Jarrell Quansah for their quarterfinal against Norway, even though there is no standard appeals process for red cards. The topic has since taken on a life of its own on social media, with numerous memes circulating.

Also not to be taken entirely seriously in this context is a remark by former German national team goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who suggested revisiting the yellow card issued to German captain Michael Ballack during the 2002 World Cup semifinal.

“If we’re rewriting football history anyway, I have a small suggestion: FIFA should annul the yellow card Michael Ballack received in the 2002 World Cup semifinal, the card that ruled him out of the final,” Kahn wrote on X. He also called for a replay of the 2002 final against Brazil, which Germany lost 2-0.

Credibility deficit

FIFA are bound to continue to face credibility issues well beyond this World Cup. Yet, the organization seems largely unconcerned about providing its critics with open goals. Regarding Trump’s phone call, it would have been easy to simply point to the existing rules and uphold Balogun’s suspension.

FIFA have also unnecessarily exposed themselves to criticism regarding more perceived favoritism toward Argentina. For the quarterfinal match between France and Morocco, it has appointed an all-Argentine officiating team. This caused at least some bewilderment in the French media, given that France, alongside Argentina, are considered one of the favorites for the World Cup title.

The French team themselves appear unperturbed.

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“I don’t focus on who the referee is. We’ve never done that. We are focusing on Morocco and want to win the match,” Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano said.

Whether concerns over the appointment of the all-Argentine officiating team are warranted promises to be revealed during the 90 to 120 minutes on the pitch.

This article was originally written in German.

Arnav Vijay Paparkar plays a backhand against Joshua Craze of Great Britain during their Boys’ Singles first round match on day six of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 on July 04, 2026 in London, England. (Photo/Getty)

Arnav Paparkar took the quieter route. He climbed the ladder one step at a time, starting with lower-level international tournaments in India before moving through the Asian circuit and eventually into the higher levels. The 18-year-old began playing Grand Slam junior events this year, in his final season in the category, and improved with each tournament. On Wednesday, that steady rise reached a landmark moment as Paparkar became the first Indian in 36 years to reach the Wimbledon boys’ singles quarter-finals, since Leander Paes lifted the title in 1990.The 6ft 1 inch Indian, ranked No. 19 in the junior rankings, dispatched Japan’s Ryo Tabata 6-2, 6-1 in 52 minutes to book his place in the quarter-finals, where he will face American qualifier Jordan Lee. Paparkar will be looking to turn the tide against Lee, having lost both of their previous meetings, including their most recent clash at the J300 Roehampton in June.Yuki Bhambri, who won the junior Australian Open in 2009, reached the US Open quarterfinals that same year and remains the last Indian before Paparkar to reach a junior Grand Slam quarter-final. Tabata, who had beaten Paparkar twice before, including once after the Indian had led 5-2 in the deciding set and held five match points, was not at his best physically. As the match wore on, he struggled with his serve and eventually stopped extending himself in his court coverage.“That match was in my head. I was like, I cannot lose like that again. I’m much better now mentally, a lot calmer… I tell myself, it’s ok, it’s just a tennis match,” a beaming Paparkar said.Paparkar was aware of the Japanese player’s physical struggles.“I realised that he was struggling with his serve, but also sometimes players feel better in the course of a match, so I just was focussed on what I could do in the match,” he added.Paparkar produced another impressive serving display, firing eight aces and winning 23 of 25 points on his first serve. His fastest delivery of the day came at 208 km/h in the second set, while the average speed of his first serves was 196 km/h.The Indian has two training bases, at home in Pune, where he works with Hemant Bendre, and at the Soto Academy in Spain, where he trains under Nigel Beavers. Paparkar credits Bendre with helping improve his serve by tweaking his action.“If you see now my swing is slower and fuller, my coach told me in April that it was better to work on that now as it would prevent injuries,” he said. “It has given me a better rhythm and that has led to more consistency.”

Norway’s preparation for their World Cup 2026 quarter-final against England has been disrupted again after the squad switched hotels in Miami just one night after checking into their previous accommodation.

The players reportedly complained to the team’s management about noise and disruption from the road outside their original hotel as well as a nearby construction site.

An official complaint was made to World Cup organisers Fifa and the Norway squad were moved out of the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale within two-and-a-half hours.

The hotel fiasco follows an illness that has run through the squad since Sunday with Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealing that the affected players were recovering.

Norway are having an exceptional World Cup. They qualified for the tournament for the first time in 28 years and swept through the group stages losing only to France in their final group match having rested a bunch of their first choice starters.

They then defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32 before an Erling Haaland brace saw them nip past five-time world champions Brazil by the same scoreline.

That victory has sent them into the quarter-finals for the very first time in their history and they are readying to take on England for a place in the final four on Saturday night.

The switch in hotels now means the Norway squad have re-located to a venue near to the Hard Rock Stadium where the quarter-final will take place.

Truls Daehli, the Norway team’s logistics manager, said: “It is brutal having to move but we are satisfied with the new place and everyone is happy now. Some people might fear that this will affect the players, but it was the players who wanted this more than anyone else.

“We have strong people in our support team and managed to move in two-and-a-half hours. The process of changing hotel is not ideal but we wanted to take action as soon as possible. Having a good atmosphere is most important.

“We are going to stay for a week in Miami and we have now been for six weeks in the United States and we are going to play in the biggest match in Norwegian history.

“We have avoided cabin fever so far and don’t want any risk of it now. Fifa have accepted that we must move to another hotel.”

Fifa agreed to pay for 50 rooms plus security at Norway’s new hotel, with the Norwegian FA obliged to pay extra charges to cover the upgrade demanded by players.

The Pac-12 enters its first season as a revamped league and needs to tell its own story to help shape its future.

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On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin and ‘Locked On Mississippi State’ host Jaron Spoor discuss a big matchup for HC Jeff Lebby.

A Week 2 showdown with Minnesota is not a game Lebby can afford to lose.

Barry Odom had a rough first season with Purdue and does not have high expectations going into this Fall.

Will the Boilermakers be anything but a bottom dweller?

00:00 PAC 12 media rights controversy

05:05 Discussion on Power 4 media days
07:31 Conference media days discussion
11:46 Mississippi State’s tough schedule
13:18 Coming up short again in 2025
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19:55 Barry Odom’s roster improvements
24:40 Discussing Big Ten coaching changes
27:31 Purdue’s athletic director transition

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Russia has moved closer toward having a full team with its national flag and anthem at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday provisionally lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and advised Olympic sports bodies to end a three-year program where Russian athletes had to be vetted for permission to compete as neutrals.

The IOC said the timing was because qualifying events are starting for the L.A. Games, and “the need to offer equal access to these competitions to all athletes.” 
The move, which also signals a return for Russia in team sports, had been expected since the IOC advised two months ago that athletes from Belarus, which was Russia’s ally when its military invasion of Ukraine started in 2022, should be allowed again to compete with their full national identity.

“We don’t want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments,” IOC president Kirsty Coventry said at an online news conference after she chaired an executive board meeting.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist swimming for Zimbabwe, Coventry said it was a fair decision and noted: “I wouldn’t be sitting here if I had to pay the price when my country was going through things and being sanctioned.” 
Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi questioned why the IOC altered its rules when in the war “nothing changed. The situation became even worse.” 
Russia unleashed waves of missiles and drones at Ukraine early Monday, killing at least 22 people.

“So we don’t understand it,” Bidnyi told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. “In this day, when all of Ukraine (is) in a day of mourning, when our flags was a little bit lower because of so many people, our peaceful citizens was killed yesterday at night.” 
The IOC also reiterated its “solidarity with the Olympic community of Ukraine” and ongoing financial support.

Barriers remain 
The IOC’s guidance to reintegrate Russians in international events is not binding for the governing bodies of individual sports.

“Our country’s return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to restore the rights of our athletes,” Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov said Tuesday.

Track and field is not following suit.

Asked about the IOC’s decision, World Athletics referred the AP to its decision last week maintaining a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in its international events.

In soccer, FIFA and European body UEFA have continued to exclude Russia in competitions such as the World Cup and Champions League, avoiding likely chaos because teams from other countries would refused to play those games.

Russian athletes and teams likely will face issues getting entry visas from some countries hosting sports events.

Russia’s return 
Among top-tier Olympic sports, swimming’s governing body World Aquatics lifted its restrictions on Russian athletes in April.

The ROC was suspended in 2023 when the Russian Olympic body incorporated regional sports councils from occupied regions of eastern Ukraine. But the IOC said “the ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories.” 
Ukrainian minister Bidnyi described this promise as “just fake and empty words.” 
Just 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics as approved neutrals.

The Russian team in Los Angeles could now be closer to the more than 300 athletes sent to the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. That squad returned with 71 medals including 20 titles.

Athletes still monitored 
To be approved for neutral status, Russian athletes had to show no links to state military and security agencies. They also should not have publicly supported the war in Ukraine.

The IOC will continue to monitor social media posts by Russian athletes, Coventry confirmed, citing the “role models” requirement in the Olympic Charter.

“That is strong enough leverage that we would need at any time in order to decide who would be willing and deserving to come to any Olympic Games,” she said.

IOC official James Macleod said the Olympic body gets referrals from Ukraine about problematic social media posts by Russian athletes: “Those are always taken into consideration.” 
In a statement Wednesday, the Australian Olympic Committee said it wants the IOC to ensure “a level playing field in competition” given Russia’s doping history.

“Russia has had extremely serious anti-doping breaches in the past,” the AOC statement said. “We therefore support the most stringent possible anti-doping controls being in place to ensure all Russian athletes who are returning, some having been out of the system for many years, are fully compliant.” 
Flag, anthem to return in October? 
The IOC did not yet approve letting Russian athletes and teams compete with their flag and anthem. That decision will come “at an appropriate time,” it said.

The next Olympic competition is the 2026 Youth Summer Games in Dakar, Senegal, opening Oct. 31.

The IOC said to “address the lack of confidence in the global sporting community relating to the return of Russian athletes to international competition,” those athletes must give multiple doping controls and be part of a recognized testing program.

The IOC said it will continue to “not organize IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events.

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Trailing 2-0 with 15 minutes to go, Argentina came from behind to beat Egypt 3-2 in the World Cup round of 16. Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Entering the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the darling of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), the public has done a 180 on Christian Pulisic.

The 27-year-old AC Milan star has been the face of USA soccer since at least the turn of the decade, but the fact is that he was a major disappointment throughout the tournament.

Sure, it did not help that he re-aggravated a calf injury in the opener, which led to him missing the equivalent of roughly two full games, but even when he was on the pitch, he did not make much of a difference. Pulisic then rolled his ankle in the Round of 16 and was subbed out in the second half.

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Christian Pulisic of the United States reacts after Belgium’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Following the match, Pulisic said he could now “get some rest,” which did not go over well with Americans. That prompted USMNT legend Tim Howard to give him some obvious advice.

“I hope for his sake he isn’t on social media for the foreseeable future,” he said on his “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast with Landon Donovan, followed by a cryptic comment.

“He deserves a rest. Go on holiday…. What I would say about him is when someone shows you who they are, you believe them. I think he’s a nice footballer. I still think he’s the best player on the team. Outside of that, you’d have to ask me very direct questions to which I could give you very direct answers,” he said.

Carli Lloyd, a former United States Women’s National Team star, was also critical of Pulisic.

Christian Pulisic of the United States is consoled by Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the United States, after being substituted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)

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“You rest when your playing career is over. Period.”

Prior to the World Cup, Pulisic said the event was “just another big tournament,” which also prompted backlash.

After the loss, Pulisic said he was “disappointed” in himself but thought he and his team did “good things.”

“I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high,” Pulisic said. “Yeah, it’s disappointing. I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team.”

Christian Pulisic of the United States shows dejection after Belgium’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Pulisic has just one goal in nine career World Cup games. He will be 31 by the time the next World Cup rolls around in 2030 in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

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