FIFA World Cup 2026: “Difficult to make comment” Coach Pochettino on …

Seattle [US], July 7 (ANI): United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed suggestions that the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun had any impact on his side’s performance, saying Belgium deserved their victory after eliminating the hosts from the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to The Athletic. noplasticplease.life

Speaking at his post-match press conference following the USA’s 4-1 defeat in the Round of 16, Pochettino said his team did not need to look for excuses and acknowledged that Belgium outplayed them on the day.

“It’s difficult to make a comment. We were not good enough today, we don’t need to find another excuse. It wasn’t a situation that affected us in the group. All the team can have one day you don’t perform. Today was this type of day. Belgium were better than us. That’s it. It’s very clear," Pochettino said, as quoted by The Athletic.

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FIFA had earlier dismissed Belgium’s challenge over the eligibility of Folarin Balogun after world football’s governing body suspended the United States forward’s one-match ban ahead of the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash between the two sides. Balogun was shown a red card in the 64th minute of the United States’ 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Coming to the match, Belgium stormed into the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 4-1 victory over the hosts, the United States, at Seattle Stadium.

Charles De Ketelaere starred with a brace to earn the Player of the Match award, while Hans Vanaken scored his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal and substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time strike, marking his third consecutive World Cup match with a goal.

Belgium dominated much of the contest despite the USA briefly equalising through Malik Tillman’s deflected free-kick. A costly goalkeeping error by Matt Freese allowed Belgium to extend their lead before Lukaku sealed the emphatic win late on.

The defeat ended the United States’ campaign, making them the last of the three co-host nations to exit the tournament after Canada and Mexico. Belgium will next face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10 after the Spanish side knocked out Portugal in the Round of 16. (ANI)

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Atlanta [US], July 7 (ANI): Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been a challenging tournament for all teams, with no side able to establish complete dominance, ahead of the defending champions’ Round of 16 clash against Egypt, according to ESPN.

Speaking at a press conference, Scaloni highlighted the competitive nature of the tournament, pointing out that even some of the strongest contenders have faced difficulties.

“I think this World Cup is proving to be difficult for everyone. There isn’t one truly dominant team. France seemed strong, and they still are, but they struggled against Paraguay," Scaloni said ahead of Argentina’s knockout fixture, as quoted by ESPN.

“Spain struggled until the very end. No team has maintained the form they showed before the World Cup. The opponents are playing well, and the conditions are different from what we’ve been seeing. The players, who have played many matches, are feeling it," he added.

Scaloni also provided an update on captain Lionel Messi’s fitness, confirming that the Argentina legend is available for selection as he prepares to make his 30th FIFA World Cup appearance, further extending his record for most appearances in the competition.

“Leo is fine. He didn’t report any issues, despite playing 120 minutes the other day at the age of 39," Scaloni said.

The Argentina manager said his side remains among the contenders due to its consistent performances over recent years, while acknowledging there are areas that need improvement.

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“This team has been a candidate for years wherever it goes, and has always played well – even when things don’t work out, or the opponent makes it difficult for you. Our level is acceptable. We won all four matches, and that’s something to be satisfied with. As always, there are things to correct," he said.

Looking ahead to the knockout encounter, Scaloni warned his players against underestimating Egypt, praising their quality and experience.

“We are alert because Egypt is a good opponent. They are a very good team; they have players with experience and a coach who has been working with them for a long time," he added.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah will face Argentina for the first time in his career as he looks to extend his team’s best-ever performance in a World Cup.

“Salah is a great player; it will be a pleasure to face him. This team has faced great players before, and we have always taken precautions at a collective level," Scaloni added, as quoted by ESPN.

The winner of Tuesday’s match will go on to play against Colombia or Switzerland. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

India cricket team star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had an injury scare while batting in the nets on Monday ahead of the ENG vs IND 3rd T20I. The 15-year-old made his much-awaited debut in the 2nd T20I and became the youngest player to play for India in the senior team. Despite being struck by a vicious delivery while batting in the nets, Sooryavanshi completed his training, indicating that all was well.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit on the chest in nets

The incident occurred while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was facing throwdowns from specialist Raghu during the nets session in Nottingham. The 15-year-old was struck on his chest while he attempted a pull-shot off a sharp delivery aimed at his body and immediately went down on his haunches after being hit by the ball. Reports stated while Raghu checked on him immediately, Vaibhav left the field briefly to be attended to by the Team India medical team. He then returned to the nets to complete his session after chatting with the Strength and Conditioning coach Adrian le Roux.

After failing to make it to the playing XI in the two-match series against Ireland and in the 1st T20I against England, Sooryavanshi was handed his debut cap in the ENG vs IND 2nd T20I in Manchester. He replaced an out-of-form Sanju Samson in the playing XI. Vaibhav managed to score just 14 runs on his debut, which included two sixes (one against Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue each). Despite a subdued performance in his maiden game for the Men in Blue, Sooryavanshi is expected to get more opportunities in the future.

The youngster has gown leaps and bounds over the last two years, ever since he grabbed eyeballs in his debut IPL season. After playing a handy role in helping India U19 clinch the World Cup, Sooryavanshi continued to dominate with the bat. He scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 in IPL 2026, making him not just the winner of the Orange Cap but also awards for hitting the most sixes, the most valuable player, the emerging player of the season, and the Super Striker of IPL 2026.

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