US soccer won’t be good until you stop charging little kids thousands to play travel ball. You’re not getting the best athletes into soccer that way. It’s the same crowd as lacrosse and hockey at this point.
🚨 Zlatan Ibrahimović on the inconsistency of VAR after Folarin Balogun’s red card compared to the earlier Lionel Messi challenge against Algeria:
🗣️ “Now we see the inconsistency. One player is protected, another is exposed. That is the biggest problem in football today.”
“If Balogun’s challenge is a straight red card, then people have every right to ask why similar incidents are judged differently. The rules should not change depending on the name on the back of the shirt.”
“This decision exposes the rigidity of VAR, but also its inconsistency. VAR was introduced to remove controversy, yet too often it creates even bigger arguments.”
“Football cannot have two standards—one for the biggest stars and another for everyone else. Either the law is the law, or it means nothing.”
“The fans don’t ask for perfection. They ask for consistency. They want to know that every player, whether it’s Messi, Balogun or anyone else, is judged by exactly the same standard.”
“When supporters start questioning whether reputation influences decisions, that’s dangerous for the credibility of the game. Trust in officiating disappears.”
“VAR should make football fairer, not make people wonder why identical situations end with completely different outcomes. That’s the conversation everyone will be having after this.”
🇫🇷 THIERRY HENRY: “¿Cómo demonios es eso fuera de juego? Lo he visto una y otra vez, y todavía no entiendo cómo el árbitro y el VAR llegaron a esa decisión. Ese gol debería haber contado.”
“Esto es exactamente por lo que los aficionados están perdiendo la confianza en el VAR. La tecnología se introdujo para corregir errores obvios, no para crear controversias aún mayores.”
“A Colombia le han robado un momento enorme. No puedes anular un gol así en el escenario más grande sin estar absolutamente seguro. Por lo que hemos visto, no había nada claro en esa decisión.”
“El árbitro no solo anuló un gol, les quitó la emoción, la celebración y un momento potencialmente definitorio del Mundial. Eso es devastador para cada jugador y aficionado colombiano.”
“Si este es el estándar de arbitraje en un Mundial, entonces el fútbol tiene un problema serio. El árbitro y el VAR tienen que responder por una decisión que podría cambiar todo un torneo.”
Been watching the entire World Cup. I'm confused. Why was no VAR used twice on the England/Ghana match. Goalie tackle and the Ghana near breakaway late 70s minute. Help?
BREAKING: Class of 2027 LB Cain Brackney has Flipped his Commitment from UCLA to Indiana, he tells me for @Rivals
The 6’2 235 LB had been Committed to the Bruins since April
“Finally I’m home! Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!”
https://t.co/TWz57hQ8HZ
How does @Nike launch a 2026 @USMNT home jersey for a World Cup on U.S. soil and make it nearly impossible for fans to buy an XL authentic red/white kit? Fans shouldn’t have to chase dead stock pages, resellers, or overseas shops.
@nikefootball@ussoccer#USMNT#WorldCup2026
BREAKING: Class of 2027 CB Ramir Harris-Dupree has Committed to Indiana, he tells me for @Rivals
The 6’0 160 CB chose the Hoosiers over Missouri, Rutgers, and Louisville
“Hoosier Nation I’m home!!”
https://t.co/cGjt9u6rBZ