All posts tagged: Soccer

Who are the referees for Argentina vs Spain?

Who are the referees for Argentina vs Spain?

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 19, 2026 08:00 PM IST The stage is set for an epic grand finale to the FIFA World Cup 2026 as defending champions Argentina will clash with the resilient Spanish side, who are in hunt for their second world cup win since 2010. The match will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA on July 19. On Thursday, FIFA announced that the seasoned Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will take charge of this historic spectacle. Spain booked their place in the finals after a dominant display against two-time champions France in a 2-0 win, whereas the Argentines will enter the contest on the back of another sensational comeback victory, this time over England with a scoreline of 2-1, thanks to late goals from midfielder Enzo Fernandes and substitute Lautaro Martinez. ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: How can Messi beat Mbappe to win top spot in final? The officiating team for this historic showdown consists of three Slovenian internationals and two Jordanians, which is: Lead Referee: Slavko Vinčić …

Cocaine, pistols and a World Cup final: Who is Slavko Vincic?

Cocaine, pistols and a World Cup final: Who is Slavko Vincic?

Published by Webster

On Sunday, Slavko Vincic will referee the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. It will be the last match of his career. Vincic very nearly never got here at all, and not for any reason to do with a football pitch. On the night of 30 May 2020, police raided a farm outside Bijeljina, in Bosnia, as part of an operation against an alleged prostitution and drug-trafficking ring. They detained 35 people. Among them was Vincic, who says he had travelled to the town on business and accepted what he understood to be a lunch invitation. “I found myself on this ranch by chance,” he told Slovenian television afterwards. “I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be my biggest mistake. I have nothing to do with the group that was arrested and detained, nor do my business partners.” Police seized cocaine, ten pistols, body armour, and more than ten thousand euros in cash. A year later Tijana Maksimovic, identified by investigators as the operation’s organiser, pleaded guilty to a charge of …

Who are the referees for Argentina vs Switzerland World Cup quarter-final?

Who are the referees for Argentina vs Switzerland World Cup quarter-final?

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 11, 2026 10:00 PM IST Argentina vs Switzerland, FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final: Defending champions Argentina are set to take on a highly defensive unit in the form of Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday night. It has been confirmed by FIFA that Portuguese official João Pinheiro will take charge of the match, a decision that hasn’t sat well with the Argentine fans because of the referee’s controversial history in major international competitions. ALSO READ | World Cup 2026: Why substitutes keep deciding matches in the final 20 minutes Argentina enter the contest on the back of a sensational 3-2 comeback win against Egypt in the Round of 16. Being 2-0 down till the 78th minute, goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez within a space of 14 minutes secured Argentina’s place in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Switzerland defeated Colombia on penalties (4-3) to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1954. The officials selected by FIFA …

FIFA World Cup | ‘Who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?’: Professor Simon Chadwick

FIFA World Cup | ‘Who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?’: Professor Simon Chadwick

Published by Webster

Politics is never far from the football pitch, but events before and during the ongoing FIFA World Cup have taken matters to another level, to the extent that the line between the two has been blurred considerably. The world body annulling the red card to USA forward Folarin Balogun, after a call from President Donald Trump, before the Round of 16 game against Belgium, and what transpired in the game between Argentina and Egypt have prompted many fans to believe in conspiracy theories and alleging that forces away from the turf have a hand in deciding winners and losers. “After the Balogun affair, who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?” Simon Chadwick, professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at the Emlyon Business School in Shanghai, told Al Jazeera. There have been claims that a day after Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and co-hosts United States exited the tournament, Lionel Messi’s Argentina also bowing out wouldn’t have been ideal from a marketing and revenue aspect. Already, ticket prices have fallen by up to 50 …

Ticket prices drop by 50 percent after Portugal, USA exits

Ticket prices drop by 50 percent after Portugal, USA exits

Published by Webster

2 min readJul 8, 2026 12:31 PM IST Following the elimination of hosts USA and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal from the FIFA World Cup 2026, the ticket market for the rest of the knockout stages have undergone a significant shift this week. Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to reigning European champions Spain brought an end to Ronaldo’s World Cup dream. The result effectively coincided with a sharp fall in ticket prices. With one of football’s biggest superstars no longer in the competition, matches that would likely have commanded far higher prices had Portugal reached the quarter-finals are now seeing a noticeable decline in demand. ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals Schedule: Qualified teams, match dates Co-hosts United States also crashed out before the quarter-finals, suffering a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in Seattle on Monday. Had Portugal overcome Spain and the USA beaten Belgium, a potential quarter-final meeting between the two would likely have drawn significantly greater fan interest, driving ticket demand and prices even higher. According to a report by ticket search engine SeatPick, the average get-in …

Rooney blasts FIFA as Balogun’s red revoked

Rooney blasts FIFA as Balogun’s red revoked

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 6, 2026 02:08 PM IST In only the second instance of a red card being overturned in World Cup history, FIFA has cleared USA striker Folarin Balogun to play in Tuesday’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium. The decision, taken under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, comes after Balogun was sent off in the Round of 32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. According to multiple reports, the overturn followed several calls from US President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The move has drawn sharp criticism from the football world, with former England striker Wayne Rooney calling it “an absolute disgrace.” “I think it’s an absolute disgrace, I really do. I know it’s UEFA, but I got a three-game ban before Euro 2012. I was due to miss the three group games and I was told if I went over to Switzerland and did a training session with a bunch of kids, my third game would be taken off. I agreed to do it because I didn’t want a three-game ban, …

Why the USA team looked to puppies Bud, Dew Drop & Bloom to relieve stress during home WC

Why the USA team looked to puppies Bud, Dew Drop & Bloom to relieve stress during home WC

Published by Webster

3 min readJun 26, 2026 04:40 PM IST The US men’s national team has a unique way to relieve stress during the 2026 World Cup. The team that lost 3-2 to Turkey, but still topped their group had special visitors waiting for them upon returning to their training base in California. According to the Athletic, the USMNT has partnered with their first official pet care partner in Purina to introduce three terrier/mixed breed puppies to the squad. They are Bud, Dew Drop and Bloom. The Athletic reports that U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino approved the initiative, and both U.S. Soccer and Purina noted the session was so successful that they are already discussing a second visit for the knockout rounds. Future visits may feature different puppies. Bud, Dew Drop, and Bloom were introduced to the training center through Wags and Walks, a non-profit organization dedicated to minimizing euthanasia in local shelters and promoting the adoption of rescue dogs. //www.instagram.com/embed.js Social media was filled with charming clips of the U.S. squad relaxing with puppies at their Irvine …

Where futbol meets soccer at the end of the world

Where futbol meets soccer at the end of the world

Published by Webster

6 min readMexicoJun 11, 2026 07:36 AM IST A remixed version of the centuries-old folk song Cielito Lindo whistles out from car stereos and restaurant radios. “Ay, ay, ay, ay…Canta y no llores…” Sing and don’t cry, the lines roll on, in soulful voices, from Trini Lopez to Luciano Pavarotti. The national football team’s feverish fans have long embraced it as their patron song, rendered passionately in the stands, whether lose, draw or win. It is a song of both joy and lament — best accompanied, the locals insist, by pulque, not its more commercialised variant tequila — and it is how Mexicans perceive the World Cup. The fans are sad that ticket prices are unbearably expensive; proud that the mundial is kicking off in Mexico City. They grouse that they are hosting only nine games of 104, with the US apportioning 78; yet take comfort that El Tri could play all their group games on home soil. There is unalloyed optimism that they will go beyond the cursed quinto partido — the fifth game, …

Kareena Kapoor Khan gives a glimpse of ‘soccer duties’ with Saif Ali Khan

Kareena Kapoor Khan gives a glimpse of ‘soccer duties’ with Saif Ali Khan

Published by Webster

Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan took to her social media account on Saturday evening to share a candid moment with husband Saif Ali Khan, offering a peek into their parenting routine. Sharing a selfie, the actress captioned it, “Soccer Duties.” In the picture, Kareena is seen wearing a red bandhani print kurta and black sunglasses, pouting for the camera, while Saif is seen seated behind her, unaware of his wife clicking him candid. The backdrop suggests a sports ground, indicating that probably both the parents are attending their children’s activity. Kareena Kapoor hasn`t given any glimpse of her kids, but It appears that their sons, Taimur Ali Khan and Jahangir Ali Khan, are busy playing soccer while their parents cheer from the sidelines, fulfilling what Kareena called their “soccer duties.” Both Kareena and Saif never miss any of their children`s activities or important days. From their sons’ annual days to sports day and so on, both the doting parents manage to take out time from the busy schedules to be present at the special days. …