EVERTON MAKE BID FOR MONACO STRIKER BALOGUN

 

Balogun joined AS Monaco from Arsenal in 2023

Everton have made an offer for Monaco forward Folarin Balogun - who is valued at £40m by the French club.

The Toffees want to strengthen their forward line before Tuesday's transfer deadline, with Balogun and Tottenham attacker Richarlison among their targets.

Richarlison is believed to have reservations about returning to Everton, the club he left to join Spurs in 2022.

But Everton are pressing ahead with their interest in United States striker Balogun and have made a bid for the 25-year-old.

Whether the offer is enough for Monaco to part with Balogun remains to be seen.

But the former Arsenal player has emerged as a key target for Everton ahead of the deadline.

Balogun was at the centre of a major controversy during this summer's World Cup.

He was dismissed for serious foul play against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32 match and should have received an automatic suspension.

However, Fifa's disciplinary committee suspended his ban for a year - a decision that prompted widespread condemnation, particularly when it emerged US President Donald Trump and White House officials had lobbied football's world governing body about the American's sanction, external.

Balogun, who scored three goals at the World Cup, was able to start the USA's last-16 defeat by Belgium - a decision European football's governing body Uefa called "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable".

The head of Fifa's disciplinary committee refused to answer BBC questions about the decision-making process which led to Balogun avoiding a ban.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino denied having influence over disciplinary decisions.

England's Jarell Quansah was similarly shown a red card in England's 3-2 win over Mexico following a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo, and the same committee ruled he should serve a two-match ban.

It was classed as serious foul play, meaning the Bayer Leverkusen player was handed an extra match on top of the automatic one-game suspension by Fifa.

- Sami Mokbel

LA LIGA PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT ABOUT FIFA BOSS GIANNI INFANTINO AFTER 2026 WORLDNCUP RANT

 La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued a stinging statement in response to Gianni Infantino’s 2026 World Cup rant.

Infantino has been accused of going ‘full Donald Trump’ with an unexpected statement posted on FIFA’s official website and across 15 slides on his Instagram account.

The under-fire FIFA president blasted critics of the 2026 World Cup, claiming they’ve been “consumed by hate” and urging them to “meditate, pray or watch a football match” in order to “find peace”.

Infantino claimed this summer’s tournament in North America featured “no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security” - ignoring the fact four supporters tragically died during World Cup celebrations in Mexico City.

He defended the treatment of Iran’s national football team, issues over visas, and even the hugely controversial Folarin Balogun red card situation.

“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees' decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide,” Infantino wrote. “It's curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.”

La Liga President Responds to Infantino's World Cup Statement

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Rather than convince people that the 2026 World Cup was a tournament without any downsides, Infantino’s statement appears to have had the opposite effect.

The “lame-duck FIFA president” now finds himself under even more scrutiny, with La Liga president Tebas tweeting:

"Today Gianni Infantino has written a pathetic message on his Instagram account and on the accounts of FIFA.

"No one disputes that football is emotion and unity. But transparency, good governance, and accountability are never hate; they are an obligation. Strong institutions do not discredit those who ask questions; they answer the questions.

"And a reflection Gianni: when a leader dedicates an entire message to disqualifying those who exercise legitimate scrutiny, it's inevitable to wonder... why precisely now? Is there something that explains such a defensive tone? Is something happening that we don't know about?"

Infantino Called to Appear Before Congress Over Trump Ties

Reuters/Mark J Rebilas

Meanwhile, Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, has launched an investigation into Infantino, seeking documents that would detail the ties between FIFA and US President Donald Trump and his administration, per The Guardian.

“[Y]our election as FIFA president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer’s reputation,” Raskin wrote to Infantino in the letter.

“Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and disabled the organization’s ethics committee by pushing out most of its members. This lack of transparency and oversight has since paved the way for you to ingratiate yourself with the Trump administration via tactics that a New York University law professor and one of your former ethics committeemen described as ‘legal bribery’.”

Trump, who has close ties with Infantino, has reportedly lined up a potential new job for the under-pressure FIFA president.

- Rob Swan

UEFA PRESIDENT CEFERIN DID NOT ATTEND WORLD CUP FINAL IN PROTEST

Aleksander Ceferin stayed away from the World Cup final in protest,

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin stayed away from the World Cup final in protest, with the Folarin Balogun affair understood to be just one aspect of his organisation’s discontent with Fifa.

The Times reported today that the Slovenian had stayed away, with the relationship between European football’s governing body and the game’s global federation under severe strain.

It was reported that Ceferin chose not to attend the match in New Jersey over the Uefa president’s anger of Fifa’s handling of the World Cup The European football body was publicly critical of the decision by Fifa’s disciplinary committee to suspend a one-match ban for United States striker Balogun, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” and saying it had “crossed a red line.”

The suspension of the ban followed a call from US President Donald Trump to Fifa president Gianni Infantino asking for a “review” of Balogun’s red card, raising questions of political influence in Fifa’s decision-making.

That influence certainly did not appear to be reciprocal, with Fifa powerless to prevent the US authorities sending home Somali referee Omar Artan before the tournament had even started. Uefa subsequently appointed Artan to officiate next month’s Uefa Super Cup final.

Fifa also failed to ensure equitable treatment for Iran compared to the other 47 nations, with the Asian nation subject to strict conditions on their entry to and exit from the US. Their coach, Amir Ghalenoei, said his team were the “most oppressed” at the World Cup, while US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he “danced a happy dance” when the team were eliminated.

There is also discontent at Uefa over Fifa’s apparent willingness to bend or break football’s laws at the tournament — with hydration breaks effectively splitting matches into four-quarters and allowing broadcasters to cut to adverts, and the 27-minute half-time interval at the World Cup final well in excess of the maximum 15 minutes permitted.

Ceferin has also been publicly critical of Fifa’s ticket pricing strategy for the tournament, with Uefa having revealed that 40 per cent of tickets for Euro 2028 will be in the most affordable categories and priced at around £30 or £60, and having also pledged not to adopt dynamic pricing.

WORLD CUP RED-CARD DECISION FOR BALOGUN, QUANSAH RAISE QUEATIONS AMONG EX-FIFA REFEREES

England's Jarell Quansah, U.S. striker Folarin Balogun get different fates after respective red cards

Folarin Balogun, right, of the United States fouls Bosnia's Tarik Muharemović, resulting in a red card for Balogun during their World Cup soccer match in California on July 1. (Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press)

FIFA's handling of two World Cup red-card cases came under renewed scrutiny on Thursday after England defender Jarell Quansah got a two-match suspension while U.S. striker Folarin Balogun avoided an immediate ban for a similar challenge.

That has left former international referees unable to reconcile the ‌two decisions.

Quansah was sent off in England's last round-of-16 victory over Mexico after a video review deemed his sliding studs-up challenge serious foul play. He was later handed a two-match ban that England's Football Association said it could not appeal.

Balogun, by contrast, was sent off during the United States' round-of-32 win over Bosnia but received a one-match suspension that world soccer's governing body FIFA later suspended.

Balogun's ban was suspended on probation for one year under Article 27 of the disciplinary code, FIFA said, although it has not publicly explained why it considered that sanction appropriate in his case.

The fact that U.S. President Donald Trump had personally urged FIFA President ⁠Gianni Infantino to review Balogun's ⁠case only intensified the controversy, even though FIFA insisted the ‌conversation played no part in its decision.

"FIFA have failed in their duty towards the game after they delayed the ban for Balogun. They allowed outside interference by the president," former referee Keith Hackett wrote on social media on Thursday.

"FIFA the major lawmaker are at fault. But both players committed Serious ⁠Foul Play challenges sanctioned by a red card."

'More important always is consistency'

Jonas Eriksson, who was a FIFA referee for 16 years from 2002, said if Balogun got a one-match suspension, Quansah should have as well, seeing their two on-field incidents were roughly equal in ‌terms of intensity and aggression.

"What everyone wants from referees, they want the correct decisions, yes, but more important always is consistency," Eriksson said.

"That you identify, OK, player A gets the same sanction as player B. Team A gets the same sanction as team B. You know, that's what you expect. And this is not the case when it comes to Quansah and Balogun."

Quansah leaves the field after receiving a red card during the World Cup match between Mexico and England in Mexico City on Sunday. (Ricardo Mazalan/The Associated Press)

British media quickly drew comparisons between the two cases, with The Independent running the headline: "FIFA ⁠confirms Jarell Quansah ban just days after Folarin Balogun reprieve."

Eriksson said the subsequent suspension of Balogun's match ban was ⁠never adequately explained, contributing to the furor.

Belgium unsuccessfully challenged Balogun's eligibility before their round-of-16 victory over the U.S., ⁠but ⁠FIFA has still not publicly explained why it decided to suspend the striker's ban under Article 27.

"If you're not able to communicate how they interpret the situation — was it an incorrect decision of the ⁠referee or was it the wrong application of the laws of the game — we don't know," said Eriksson, whose book House of Cards explores the "dirty game behind the game" for FIFA referees.

"It's just for you and me and for everybody else to guess. But with that in mind, the red card for Quansah and the suspension is for me, just, it's a mystery."

- Thompson Reuters 

BELGIUM THRASH HOST USA 4-1 TO REACH FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 QUARTER-FINALS

 

SEATTLE – Belgium secured a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after crushing the United States 4-1 in their Round of 16 clash, eliminating the host nation from the tournament.

Belgium took an early lead in the ninth minute through Charles De Ketelaere. The United States responded in the 31st minute when Tillman found the net to level the score at 1-1. However, Belgium restored their advantage just two minutes later as De Ketelaere scored his second goal of the match, giving his side a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Belgium extended their lead 12 minutes into the second half when Vina Ken capitalized on an error by the American goalkeeper to make it 3-1.

Despite trailing by two goals, the United States continued to push forward in search of a comeback, but they were unable to break through Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who produced a series of important saves.

Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku sealed Belgium’s victory with a fourth goal in stoppage time, confirming a convincing 4-1 win and a place in the quarter-finals.

The match followed controversy surrounding US forward Folarin Balogun. Reports said Balogun received a red card during the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2 and was handed a one-match suspension under FIFA regulations.

Ahead of the Round of 16 match against Belgium on July 7, his suspension was lifted following a recommendation from US President Donald Trump, a decision that sparked controversy.

Despite Balogun’s availability, the United States was unable to avoid elimination.

- Muhammad Mahmood

HISTORIC WORLD CUP FUROR AT 'INCOMPREHENCIBLE' FIFA DECISION TO LET U.S. FORWARD BALOGUN PLAY

ILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, awards President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Dec. 5, 2025.

Chris Carlson/AP

GENEVA — An all-time controversy in the World Cup's 96-year history was raging Monday ahead of the co-host United States and forward Folarin Balogun facing Belgium with a quarterfinals place at stake.

The Belgian soccer federation said it is challenging FIFA's ruling to let Balogun play despite getting a red card in his previous game — a shocking move made Sunday after pressure on the world soccer body's leader Gianni Infantino from his close ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.

The "deeply concerned" Belgians' statement just 11 hours before starting their round of 16 game in Seattle showed clear frustration with FIFA at what seemed a lack of good faith in shaping an urgent legal process.

European soccer body UEFA earlier criticized FIFA for an "incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," that it said "crossed a red line" by not enforcing Balogun's mandatory one-game ban for his foul tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Wednesday.

FIFA's ruling Sunday — to defer Balogun's ban for one year of probation — deviated from soccer's traditional rule of law and drew stinging criticism globally including from former World Cup stars and coaches at this tournament.

"It's a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarterfinals.

UEFA, whose member federations include Belgium, insisted: "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not."

"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined," said the European soccer body, which has often clashed with Infantino during his decade in FIFA power.

"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," said UEFA, where Infantino was its CEO-like general secretary from 2009 until being elected to lead FIFA in February 2016.

FIFA was asked Monday to comment on the UEFA criticism.

Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter, who was forced from office in 2015 in fallout from corruption scandals, posted Monday on social media: "Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies."

Belgium's legal options

Belgian officials had been preparing an appeal in Seattle in the early hours of Monday to challenge the Balogun ruling with a FIFA-appointed appeals judge. They said FIFA had not provided documents key to filing a valid appeal.

The round of 16 game against the U.S. is due to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.

"Regardless of the sporting outcome of the match," the Belgian federation said, "(we are) deeply concerned by the way these events have unfolded and will continue, in the hours, days and months ahead, to pursue every available avenue to uphold the fundamental principles of ethics, sporting fairness and the interests of football as a whole."

Soccer rules require teams ultimately judged to have fielded an ineligible player to default the game as a 3-0 loss. Belgium must first appeal to FIFA and then to the Court of Arbitration for Sport based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Balogun's tackle

Balogun was sent off directly for planting his cleated foot on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during a 2-0 win for the U.S. in the round of 32.

That kind of challenge has been a routine red card all season in competitions worldwide, and Balogun could have expected a two-game ban for serious foul play under the FIFA disciplinary code.

Still, similar challenges by star players have gone unpunished at this World Cup — by Lionel Messi for Argentina against Algeria and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi vs. Brazil. Bernardo Silva of Portugal got just a yellow card against Congo.

"I think a yellow card would have been fair," Balogun later suggested.

FIFA's interventions

This World Cup has been remarkable for FIFA under Infantino seeming to rewrite the norms of disciplinary action even before the tournament began.

A pattern of pardons opened FIFA to suggestions of executive intervention in the statutory independence of its judicial bodies, including the disciplinary committee that formally reprieved Balogun.

Cristiano Ronaldo was cleared to play in Portugal's opening World Cup game despite getting a red card for serious foul play in a qualifying game against Ireland last November. He struck an opponent with an elbow.

Ronaldo served his mandatory ban in Portugal's final qualifying game but he was reprieved from an expected two-game ban because FIFA introduced the idea of probation. An imposed three-game ban was less meaningful as two games were deferred during a one-year probationary period.

At the opening game on June 11, South Africa's Themba Zwane got a red card against Mexico for a similar offense to Ronaldo's and FIFA imposed a three-game ban with no probation. Zwane did not play again at the World Cup.

Three players sent off in their teams' qualifying games last year were surprisingly told by FIFA in May they could serve their bans in a future competition instead of at the World Cup, which was the long-standing norm.

Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo, Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Qatar defender Tarek Salman all had their bans waived for the World Cup.

US exceptionalism

This, FIFA said in May, was to ensure teams "can compete with their strongest possible squads on the biggest stage of men's international football."

The Balogun decision simply took this policy further, though not for other players shown a red card so far who were mandated to miss at least one game.

"It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions," UEFA said, "let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension."

- The Associated Press

FIFA 'CROSSED A LINE' OVER DECISION TO REVERSE STRIKER FOLARIN BALOGUN' ONE-MATCH BAN, SAYS UEFA

 

United States' Folarin Balogun was given a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Credit: AP

Uefa hit back at Fifa’s ruling to suspend a red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina after reported intervention from Donald Trump, saying it "crossed a red line".

Fifa has allowed Balogun to play against Belgium in the knock-out clash on Monday evening despite receiving a red card and a one-match ban last week, a move that led to a furious response from Uefa and praise from the US president.

If Fifa's decision stands, it will be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup did not result in a suspension.

The Monaco forward, who has scored three goals at the tournament, was dismissed for his challenge on Tarik Muharemovic during the second half of their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But his single-match ban has now been suspended for a probationary period of one year.

In response, the European football governing body said on Monday: “Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line."

Trump called Fifa President Gianni Infantino after the Bosnia game, asking the football body to review the red card, according to AP, who spoke to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity.

On Sunday, Trump hailed the decision by Fifa's disciplinary committee to allow Balogun to participate in the World Cup co-hosts' last-16 clash.

Writing on his Truth Social account, President Trump said: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”

According to Fifa's disciplinary code, should the 25-year-old commit "another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement".

A Fifa disciplinary committee statement read: “By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year.”

The Belgian football federation was preparing an appeal in Seattle in the early hours of Monday to challenge the Balogun ruling before a Fifa-appointed appeals judge.

- itvX

US STRIKER GETS RED CARD, WHICH MEANS FREE PIZZAS WORTH $1 MILLION; HERE IS HOW

Balogun's dismissal means the striker will miss his country's next match and has also triggered reward for fans with free pizzas

Pizza giant Domino's is set to give out $1 million worth of free "emergency pizzas" after United States striker Folarin Balogun received a red card during his side's FIFA World Cup round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, activating a promotion the pizza chain announced months before the tournament.

The campaign was first unveiled by the company in a press release issued on May 18 as part of its marketing push around the summer's international football tournament. The company announced that it would give away $1 million worth of "emergency pizzas" if any member of the US national team received a red card during the competition, saying the offer was intended to "soften the blow" for supporters after one of football's most costly on-field punishments.

Emergency Pizza is Domino's loyalty programme reward that allows eligible customers to claim a free medium two-topping pizza for use on a future order. The company said the red card promotion was designed to turn a disappointing moment for fans into what it described as "a delicious pick-me-up".

Alongside the giveaway, Domino's also launched a limited edition capsule collection in collaboration with football lifestyle brand Saturdays Football.

"We're as excited about the summer of soccer as fans are around the country! Whether you're planning to watch all the matches or perhaps you're playing pickup games of your own, Domino's has some fun ways to help you get ready," read the press statement dated May 18.

"Not only are we launching a capsule of co-branded merchandise from Saturdays Football, but we're also giving fans the chance to win free Emergency Pizzas.

Soccer gurus know the worst thing to happen in a game is for a player on the team you're rooting for to receive a red card. If that happens to the American squad, Domino's is here to help ease the pain by giving away Emergency Pizzas. It may not change the outcome of the match, but it can provide a delicious pick-me-up when it's needed most."

Balogun's evening took a dramatic turn after he scored his third goal of the World Cup to give the United States the lead before being sent off early in the second half. The dismissal means the striker will miss his country's next match and has also triggered Domino's pledge to reward fans with free pizzas.

With Balogun's sending-off now fulfilling the promotion's only condition, Domino's is expected to honour its $1 million giveaway while the United States prepares for its next World Cup fixture without one of its leading goalscorers.

How fans can claim the free pizza

The giveaway is not automatic. Customers had to register for the promotion at the website before the deadline of 11.59 pm ET on 10 June to be eligible.

Following a red card for a US player, Domino's said it would randomly select more than 60,000 winners, each of whom will receive a free medium two-topping Emergency Pizza.

The free pizza must be claimed by 2 August 2026, according to the company's promotional terms.