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Good morning football fans. It’s Monday, July. 6 - A World Cup red card rescinded, investigation into ‘ghost ticketing’ at the World Cup, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
2026 World Cup round of 16 (July 6): Portugal vs Spain, 15:00 ET / 20:00 BST. Portugal have won just one of their 12 competitive meetings with Spain across all competitions, a 1-0 win which came in the group stage of the 2004 Euros. Meanwhile, Spain are on a three-match win streak and are yet to concede a goal at the World Cup across their opening four games. United States vs Belgium, 20:00 ET / 01:00 BST (July 7). Belgium have won six of their previous seven meetings between these two teams, with the United States' only win coming at the 1930 World Cup. The last meeting came in March, with Belgium recording a 5-2 win over the US. See every upcoming World Cup fixture here and bracket here.
Results…
World Cup round of 16: Brazil vs Norway | Mexico vs England (Live Results)
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TOP TALKING POINTS
Red Card Rescinded
United States striker Folarin Balogun will now be available to play the round of 16 match against Belgium after Fifa rescinded his red card and one-game suspension. Balogun was controversially sent off for stepping on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the 64th minute of the USMNT’s win in the round of 32. He is the USMNT’s top goalscorer at the tournament with three goals in as many matches.
The move to rescind Balogun’s red card comes despite Fifa and US Soccer officials saying at the time that the red card could not be appealed mid-tournament. In a statement, the governing body’s disciplinary committee said it made the decision in line with Article 27 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code. Therefore, the red card and one-game suspension have been rescinded, but if Balogun commits “another infringement of a similar nature and gravity” within one year, the striker will serve a one-game ban.
Some reports say the White House made a direct call to ask Fifa president Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s red card, but Fifa insists that White House influence could not affect the decision due to the independent nature of the disciplinary panel. President Donald Trump subsequently posted on social media, thanking Fifa for “reversing a great injustice.”
Fifa previously used Article 27 to clear Cristiano Ronaldo to start the opening games of Portugal’s World Cup after his red card against the Republic of Ireland. In that case, Ronaldo was handed a three-game ban and served the first game, with the final two games suspended for a one-year probationary period.
Ghost Ticket Investigation
A ticket marketplace is under investigation over alleged “ghost ticketing” at the 2026 World Cup, reports the Financial Times. The probe is being conducted by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to determine whether StubHub was “cancelling or failing to provide” tickets that fans had purchased through its website. According to Paxton’s office, ghost ticketing is the practice of sellers listing tickets that they do not actually possess.
Complaints consistent with ghost ticketing have been a recurring theme throughout the 2026 World Cup. In June, a fan spent $1,700 (£1,300) on tickets on the StubHub website for Argentina vs Austria, only to be told the day before that the seller could not deliver them. The fan, who told his story to the BBC, had spent nearly $6,000 (£4,600) on travel and hotels. Two fans have now filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against StubHub, accusing the company of failing to deliver tickets they had paid for.
StubHub has largely blamed the problems on Fifa, attributing cancelled tickets to “transfer problems” on the governing body’s new ticketing app. Fifa replied, stating that its official resale platform is the only channel through which it can guarantee proper ticket delivery and “it rejects any suggestion that the functional issues being experienced by users of third-party platforms… are the result of Fifa’s ticketing infrastructure.”
Klopp’s Return
Jurgen Klopp has reportedly accepted an offer to become the new head coach of Germany’s national team. The former Liverpool manager, who is currently serving as head of global football at Red Bull Group, will return to management after a two-year hiatus. His contract with Red Bull reportedly includes an exit clause specifically for the German national team role, and he intends to activate that clause.
Klopp’s return follows the resignation of Julian Nagelsmann, who was effectively forced out of his position by the German Football Association (DFB) following Germany’s early World Cup exit. Nagelsmann’s side were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup following a loss to Paraguay in the round of 32, marking the first time in the nation’s history that they were eliminated with a penalty shootout. They also haven’t won a World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2014.
Early reports, though unverified, suggest that Klopp will be given sweeping powers to overhaul the entire national team set-up. The DFB reportedly wants Klopp to redefine the national team's playing style, modernise tactical principles and improve player development across the youth ranks. Klopp is expected to hire long-time assistant Peter Krawietz and former Liverpool assistant Pepijn Lijnders to help implement these changes.
POLL
Do you think it was fair for FIFA to use Article 27 to rescind Folarin Balogun’s red card?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Napoli have named Massimiliano Allegri as their new manager on a three-year contract (More) | Fiorentina agree loan deal to sign defender Radu Dragusin from Tottenham (More)
> Real Madrid have officially signed Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries, 30, from Inter Milan on a four-year deal worth €20m (More) | Atletico Madrid have agreed a 10-year deal with Live Nation to stage concerts at their home stadium (More)
> Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard is set to sign for Turkish side Besiktas after a €20m deal was agreed between the clubs (More)
> Manchester United Women’s youngest-ever player Layla Drury is set to become the youngest player to sign a professional contract with a WSL club at 17-years-old (More) | Arsenal Women have signed England midfielder Georgia Stanway from Bayern Munich (More); see every signing in the women’s top six leagues (More)
Americas
> Norway beat Brazil 2-1 to advance to the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time in history; Erling Haaland scored both of Norway’s goals, while Neymar scored a penalty for Brazil in the 100th minute (More)
> The United States men’s national team have installed barriers at their World Cup training ground to prevent spying ahead of their match against Belgium (More)
> San Diego Wave remain top of the NWSL standings following a 2-0 win over Gotham FC; see all NWSL results (More)
Rest of the World
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Friday’s Poll: Is Elliot Anderson worth £116m?
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 👍 Yes (12%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (86%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 J.L: “He is if you’re Manchester City. Their midfield was their biggest weakness and was often overrun on an otherwise solid XI. Better to spend on one with an elite motor than on two and hope one outperforms the other.”
🙅♂️ G.M: “Last season, he was a good player in a poor team, so he stood out more than many others. His style of play in the Premier League makes him a walking yellow card in every game, and that diminishes his value. In many games, he was running around, tackling people like a headless chicken. On that basis, £116m is a big risk for City.”
🙅♂️ L.J: “No. And that's not a slight on him. £100m+ should be the absolute cream of the crop, goal machines/the absolute best in their position. Hopefully, the proposed mandatory minimum fee release clause in contracts will stifle the constantly increasing transfer fees.”
✍️ J.P: “You can very easily argue both, but I think only time can tell if he is. He could potentially go on to become one of their best midfielders and have an amazing career. If that is the case, then we can look back and think that the price was a steal. On the other hand, he could very well be another big-money signing flop. Someone who has a good game occasionally, but the price tag for him weighs those performances down. If he isn't the best player on the pitch every game, then people will point out the money spent and say, ‘Well, he isn't worth that much, what were City thinking?’”
EXTRA TIME
UK bakery Greggs stopped selling Mexican sandwiches before England-Mexico.
What kind of people prefer Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi.
Why Morocco are real World Cup contenders.
How Bruno Fernandes fell victim to an unlicensed betting operator.
The MLS is defined by strategic divergence. (data)
Erling Haaland buys a hat in Dallas.
… and how Norway's 'Viking Row' was made.
World Cup goals by league. (visual)
GAME FACE ON
Question: Who is the only player to have scored an own goal in a World Cup final?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
They thought we’d show up in tuxedos to play, but we know how to play dirty football too.
Answer
Mario Mandzukic in Croatia’s 4-2 defeat to France in 2018.
