Ben Leggatt

[TheWelshDragon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🐉 @TheWelshDragon9]

Representing Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏅

31 medals 🔥
9 golds 🥇
10 silver 🥈
12 bronze 🥉

[Peter Gillibrand @GillibrandPeter]

Anyone fancy watching Star Wars in the UK's oldest language?

Well you'll be able to do just that on Christmas Day on S4C.

A New Hope's being dubbed in Welsh for the very first time on its 50th anniversary.

[Terry Flewers @terryflewers]

This is what true love for a football club looks like.

Real protests. Real sacrifice. Fans putting the long-term future of their club ahead of their own comfort because they believe change is worth fighting for.

The passion and commitment they’re showing is impossible not to respect. 👏🏻

[Ali Al Hussein @AliBinAlHussein]

There is no shortage of issues regarding FIFA. Let me start by clarifying what some of these are from an FA perspective, in particular that of Jordan going into a World Cup for the first time.
We are a small country with a minimal budget for our FA and had to deal with enormous hurdles. First, getting our fans into the USA: not all were granted VISAS, even though they had tickets -which we also know were sold at exorbitant prices. Secondly, we are being taxed by the US govt through FIFA for our participation. Money that should go to players and staff. This was not the case for those who played and set up camp in Canada and Mexico. But we happened to be in the USA so now we face these huge costs in taxes for having participated.
Thirdly we have been waiting for reward money for our players since December for the Arab cup in Qatar, which is a FIFA event. The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet, while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve.
It is clear the problem really is with leadership. For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters- until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out.
We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.

[Martyn Ziegler @martynziegler]

Devastating blow for Infantino after Asian football confederation issues damning statement.

[Alex Carter @Only1Carter]

What on earth is going on at TNS?

AI slop
Random tagging of A listers
Bizarre social content

All very amateurish for a professional club and doing little to improve their image. The ill thought gimmicks/ desperation to go viral is futile and embarrassing the domestic game.

[Welsh Fan Zone TV 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @WelshFanZoneTV]

Unlucky England, but well done on reaching the semi final after playing, Panama, Ghana, Croatia, Congo, Mexico and Norway after qualifying from a group with Albania, Serbia, Latvia and Andorra 👏

[Ben Leggatt @ben_leggatt]

Would be the perfect signing in my opinion - him alongside Mainoo in midfield. He's been super consistent for Roma during his time there, and is exactly the sort of player we're looking for!

[Adam @AdamJoseph]

Manu Kone is one of the best Aurelien Tchouameni alternatives on the market, alongside the likes of Carlos Baleba, Mamadou Sangare, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Sander Berge & Chema Andres.

He would've cost €35m-€40m (£29.7m-£34.3m) in June with Roma's FFP bargaining deal, but €50m (£42.6m) for someone of Kone's calibre is a bargain. This is a player ready for that next big move.

Kone can play both #8 & #6, a modern hybrid Michael Carrick wants in his CMs. He's strong, physical, smart, versatile, intercepting, recovering, ball progressing & carrying & his running power would be a huge asset.

While he isn't as complete as his French compatriot Tchouameni, doubts have been injury related - two hamstring strains, three knee injuries, a torn thigh, how he holds up to the intensity of the PL is a real concern.

There's no gambling on his talent, just his body - but if he stays fit he would be a very exciting signing.

[Polymarket Sports @PolymarketSport]

🚨Oliver Kahn:

“If we're rewriting football history now, I have a small suggestion: I'd like FIFA to rescind the yellow card shown to Michael Ballack in the 2002 World Cup semifinal, the one that ruled him out of the final. And while we're at it, we might as well replay the final against Brazil."

[Jon Root @JonnyRoot_]

After Belgium scored their 4th goal vs USA, the whole team mocked President Donald Trump by doing his signature dance move

Pretty savage troll, especially on US soil & after Trump fought to have FIFA review the bogus red card suspension on Balogun.

Well played 🤝

[James Ducker @TelegraphDucker]

Just a reminder that this is what the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said earlier so Balogun's inclusion in the #USMNT starting XI paves the way for potential legal action.

"The RBFA has informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee's team sheet. 
This leaves all further actions open"

[Ben Leggatt @ben_leggatt]

Corrupt to the core. Hope Belgium & UEFA take it all the way to CAS! #FIFA #worldcup

[Sky News @SkyNews]

BREAKING: USA line-up for match against Belgium announced - with Balogun starting https://t.co/W6AupyypVD

[Daniel Austin @_Dan_Austin]

Just to be clear, then. FIFA:

1) can't possibly intervene when Iran are forced to move, a referee is denied a visa, or fans are barred from the USA

2) can absolutely intervene when a decision goes against the USA that Donald Trump doesn't like

Smashing. All know where we stand

[Ben Leggatt @ben_leggatt]

EXACTLY!!! 👏👏👏

[Bosnian Football @BosniaNTBall]

Whether it is or isn’t a red to Balogun is now irrelevant. Government interference is a violation of FIFA Article 2 & 15, and the punishment is disqualification and suspension. #FIFAWorldCup

[Lloyd Warburton🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇺🇦 @LloydCymru]

Every team and player who has had a card in this tournament should now be appealing absolutely everything. Show FIFA what sort of a precedent they have set.

[Adam Crafton @AdamCrafton_]

The appeals just keep coming:

France have appealed to FIFA to request Michael Olise’s yellow card against Paraguay is rescinded.

Increasingly feels like FIFA have lost control of their World Cup here.

https://t.co/gGN3ssMkMB

[Ryan Rosenblatt, Back to Back World Series Champ @RyanRosenblatt]

Corruption, rigging for the host country, betting that the power of the World Cup is so strong everyone will get over it.

The Folarin Balogun situation is pure FIFA. (link in thread)

[Ben Leggatt @ben_leggatt]

Class from UEFA and Belgium ... you genuinely get the sense they're fighting corruption here! What were FIFA thinking?!

Genuinely reminds me of how the final nail fell with Blatter - surely this is making Infantino's position untenable?!

[UEFA @UEFA]

UEFA statement on the Balogun case: ⬇️
https://t.co/9LQDx8waKe

[Football on TNT Sports @footballontnt]

List of players to have their red cards overturned (or suspended) at the World Cup, since the card was introduced in 1970:

🇺🇸 Florian Balogun

End of list.

[Ben Leggatt @ben_leggatt]

shocking ... FIFA should hang their heads in shame for all of this! Remember when they used to say "politics should stay out of football"? This is the opposite and it stinks of corruption and bias. What even is a red card anymore? I'm guessing every red card will now be suspended

[Reggie B. @reggiebblue]

Here is the entire segment of Trump talking about his decision to intervene on the FIFA red card.

-- He claims to understand sports really well but also doesn't know what a red card means.
-- He says that wasn't a foul. Yes it was.
-- He calls the referee a little suspect.
-- Implies the referee doesn't know the rules.
-- He claims giving a player a red card is unfair.
-- He says he asked FIFA's Infantino for a review.
-- He takes credit for the World Cup, Olympics and tries to take credit for America 250.
-- He claims again that it was not a foul.
-- Says Messi, Ronaldo, and Kane should not be suspended.
-- Attacks the referee again and says he has too much power.