President Donald Trump’s role in FIFA’s stunning decision to allow striker Folarin Balogun to be eligible to play against Belgium on Monday in Seattle is under the microscope.

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA for an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” to let United States forward Folarin Balogun play at the World Cup against Belgium on Monday despite a red card in his previous game.

Live updates from Monday's knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.

For 24 days, the World Cup seemed to achieve a rare feat in America in 2026: It had almost nothing to do with Donald Trump.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia's remarks about Senegal have reignited debate over the racial stereotypes still embedded in soccer commentary.

Erling Haaland inspired Norway to one of the great shocks of the 2026 World Cup, knocking out five-time champions Brazil. Haaland headed Norway in front late in an entertainingly end-to-end game and then made sure of the win by hammering a low shot past Alisson from outside the box.

The two best strikers in the world will go head-to-head when England and Norway meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

China’s navy said it fired a ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean as part of “routine” training. The missile landed in the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, an area cover