If you are a US Citizen and you aren’t rooting for USA against Belgium, you are a traitor. No other way to put it. You can’t be trusted if you are rooting against your own country in the World Cup.
Sad Belgium has to play this game in the conference/court room with backroom deals and power plays when we just want to play it on the grass like real men.
Iker Casillas on the referee and VAR after Croatia's last-minute goal against Portugal was ruled out last night:
🗣️ “I'm still furious about what happened last night. That isn't what VAR was created for. You cannot erase a moment that could define a nation's football history over a decision that takes minutes of slow-motion replays and microscopic lines to justify.
The referee completely lost control of the biggest moment in the match. Instead of trusting what he saw on the pitch, he let a screen make the decision for him. That's not strong officiating that's hiding behind technology.
My heart breaks for the Croatian players. They thought they had produced one of the greatest moments of the FIFA World Cup. They celebrated with their fans, they believed they had dragged themselves back into the game, and then everything was taken away in an instant. That's devastating.
Football is built on emotion, not frozen frames. When officials spend five minutes searching for a reason to disallow a goal, something has gone seriously wrong. The game is becoming more about technology than the players.
Portugal will take the victory, and that's football, but the conversation after last night won't be about the football it'll be about the referee and VAR. That's the biggest failure of all. On a night that should have belonged to the players, the officials stole the headlines, and for me, that's one of the most unacceptable decisions you'll ever see at a World Cup.”
🚨Thierry Henry blasts the referee and VAR after Croatia's last-minute goal against Portugal was ruled out:
🗣️ “I don't understand that decision at all. For me, the referee and VAR have completely ruined what should have been one of the greatest moments of this World Cup.
You cannot overturn a goal of that magnitude unless the evidence is absolutely clear. I've watched the replay several times, and I still don't see enough to confidently rule it out. If it's taking that long to draw lines and freeze frames, then it isn't obvious.
The referee has allowed technology to become the star of the match. Fans didn't come to watch VAR—they came to watch football. Croatia thought they had earned a dramatic equaliser through courage and determination, only for it to be taken away by a decision that will divide opinions for years.
This is exactly why people are losing faith in VAR. Instead of correcting obvious mistakes, it's making microscopic decisions that nobody in the stadium can understand. That's not what football is supposed to be.
I feel for the Croatian players because moments like this stay with you forever. You celebrate, you believe you've kept your World Cup dream alive, and then it's all erased in seconds. For me, the referee and VAR have got this completely wrong.”