💔✉️ The gutwrenching letter Yan Diomande wrote to his late sister:
"Dear Roxane,
"Remember when somebody bought me a fake United jersey, and I wrote Ronaldo 7 on the back with the black marker?
"We didn’t know rich or poor. We just knew happiness.
"Remember 25 people sleeping in one house back in Abidjan? Mum wanted to watch her soap operas. Everyone else wanted to watch movies. Remember how I always used to fake like I was asleep and then go into the TV room after midnight? I’d put the TV on real low. Just like 2 volume bars. I’d watch football in the dark and dream.
"Remember when the adults saw me playing football in the dirt and nicknamed me “Roberto Carlos” because of how hard I would shoot? And remember how I was secretly so mad about it, because CR7 was my idol?
"Remember when I went to play so far from home? I was 9 years old. Inter Foot Sud Comoé, all the way near the Ghana border. Just a little boy on his own. I don’t know if I ever told you this story, but me and the other kids used to go into the village and steal potatoes because we were so hungry. We did a “bank heist.” Two kids distracting the shop owner, and 18 other kids running out with two potatoes. They weren’t even good. But they tasted amazing. Hahahah. It’s still my favorite thing to eat. Boiled potatoes with some oil. It reminds me of those times.
"Remember when I got my first real football boots, and I used to sleep with them? Growing up, I always played in those white plastic sandals. Even when I go back home now, I still play in them. It’s our tradition.
"Remember when I would come back home, and you would tell my friends from the neighborhood, “Why did you stop training? Yan is not going to buy you cars. You have to keep working.
"You were 10 years old, and already my agent.
"Remember how we used to sit and dream about moving to France? How we were going to go shopping and get our own apartment and I was going to be a rich footballer with cars and a big house, and you wouldn’t have to worry about nothing. You were the one who always believed that I could be the next Cristiano, when everybody else laughed.
"Remember when I moved to America for high school at 15, and I was so homesick? I didn’t know what anybody was saying for months. They sat me next to a French kid, and he tried to translate everything the teacher was saying. Remember when I called you, saying, “You won’t believe it, the kids here argue with teachers.
"Back home, you know we wouldn’t even dare to blink at our elders.
"Remember when I couldn’t believe the kids were smoking after school? You used to say it sounded like I was in an American TV show.
"Remember when they took me on trial at Bournemouth? At Chelsea, Rangers, Olympiacos, Crystal Palace? Eze and Olise even came up to me after one training and said, “Yo kid, you’re really good.”
"But they still didn’t sign me.
"Even the B teams in the MLS didn’t want me. I didn’t even know why. They never gave me a reason. The adults handled everything. They just kept taking me all around Europe, and everybody kept saying no.
"My visa was up. My dream was over. They sent me back to Africa, and we cried together.
"You were the one who never stopped believing. A few weeks later, I signed for Leganés and we cried different tears.
"That was back when I used to have emotions. Now, I don’t feel anything. It’s like I’m not even human. Since you died, I’m just blank.
"I don’t even think I shed a tear the day they told me that you were gone. I was just in shock.
"It was a few weeks after I made my debut for Leganés. Who makes their debut at 18 against Real Madrid? It was too crazy. It was a dream.
"And then it was a nightmare. Someone kept calling me from back home. I was annoyed. I didn’t understand why they kept calling me.
"I picked up, and they didn’t even soften it. You know how it is back home. No emotions. Just...
“Your sister is gone.”
“What?”
“She died.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Somebody put something in her drink at a party, and she never woke up. She is gone.”
"You were 15.
"15.
"I never got any answers. I don’t know if I want to know why. Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it’s just something that happens in our country. Maybe I could have protected you. I don’t know.
"I try to trust God’s plan. It’s all I can do. I don’t try to forget, because I know I won’t forget. All I can do is use the pain to work harder, and to do everything we dreamed about.
"I wrote this because I can’t speak about it. I wrote this because I want you to know that I will make sure that you live on. I will make sure that everybody knows your name. The whole world.
"Everything I do on a football pitch, it’s for you.
"So much has happened since I last saw you…… You would not even believe it. I don’t know if I believe it.
"You know what’s crazy? After my debut against Madrid, I actually swapped shirts with Mbappé. Remember when we used to watch him on TV, and you’d say, 'Mbappé? Yeah, he’s good. But my brother is better.'
"I was wrong about one thing. I don’t want to be rich. I see what it does to people, even to family. When I was at Leganés, everything I was earning, I was sending home. It got to the point where I didn’t even want money anymore. It was just a burden. They never stopped asking. I guess they thought I was a millionaire already. I didn’t even have an apartment. I was living at the training ground in a room with no TV. Just football and sleep, football and sleep.
"I didn’t want a big house. I didn’t want cars. I just wanted to put everything into football. Everything to show the world that my sister was right...
"Ha…. you will think this is funny. When I moved to play at RB Leipzig, I was always late. Well, not late. But I was on time, which in Germany means you’re very late.
"So you already know what I did next. I started arriving 90 minutes early to everything. I was so early all the time that the guys started calling me 'The German.'
"I always have to overdo everything. I have zero chill. You always said that.
"The pitch is the only place that I feel at home anymore. It’s the place where I feel calm, and I can speak to you. I just wish you were still here so I could tell you….. We did it.
"Everything you said came true.
"We’re leaving for the World Cup tomorrow. For real. Your brother is going to play for Côte d'Ivoire, like Drogba, like Yaya, like Gervinho.
"I don’t even look at it like a game. I look at it like a stage. This is my chance to show the whole world what you saw in me. Every time I score, I’ll make sure everybody knows your name. I’ll make sure they don’t forget you.
"You always said that I could be better than Cristiano. If I see him there, I’ll tell him hello for you.
"I’m going to do what you predicted, I swear. Before I even had real boots, you were telling everybody, 'My brother is going to be the greatest in the world.'
"I will prove that you were right, or I will die trying...
Your brother,
Yan."
COMPLETAMENTE OFICIAL 🇦🇷
Por primera vez en la historia una Selección llega a semifinales del Mundial sin haber enfrentado a ningún equipo TOP 10 de la FIFA ni a ningún campeón del mundo.
Histórico lo de Argentina 😮💨
🚨Murat Yakin on Breel Embolo’s controversial red card against Argentina:
🗣️ “I’m extremely disappointed because I believe that decision changed the entire match. We had fought our way back into the game, the players believed we could go on and equalise, and then one refereeing decision completely shifted the momentum.
I have watched the incident several times, and I still struggle to understand how it resulted in a second yellow card. In a World Cup quarter-final, you have to be absolutely certain before sending a player off. In my opinion, there wasn’t enough there to justify such a huge decision.
What hurts the most is that the discussion after the match isn’t about the football or the effort my players gave. It’s about the referee and VAR. That’s never how a World Cup should be remembered.
Breel Embolo has given everything for Switzerland throughout this tournament. He has led the line with courage, worked tirelessly for the team and represented this country with pride. To see his tournament end in that manner is heartbreaking.
I’m incredibly proud of my players because they never stopped fighting, even with ten men. They showed character until the final whistle. But it’s difficult to accept elimination when such a major refereeing decision becomes the defining moment of the match.
Argentina are a fantastic team and deserve respect for their quality, but I firmly believe Switzerland deserved the opportunity to finish the game with eleven players. That’s why this defeat is so painful for everyone connected with Swiss football.”
Pierluigi Collina on Breel Embolo’s second yellow card for simulation.
🗣️ “I’ve refereed World Cup finals, Champions League finals and some of the biggest matches in football history, and one thing every top referee must understand is this: you do not accuse a player of simulation unless you’re absolutely certain. If there is even the slightest doubt, you keep the cards in your pocket.”
“Giving a second yellow for diving in a World Cup knockout match is one of the biggest decisions a referee can make. That decision ends a player’s game, changes the tactical balance and can decide an entire tournament. It demands absolute certainty not assumptions.”
“What disappoints me most is VAR. The referee may only have one real-time view, but the VAR officials have every camera angle available. Their responsibility is to protect the match from a major officiating error. If they fail to do that, then the system has failed the game.”
“A referee’s ego should never be bigger than the match itself. The objective is to officiate with calmness, consistency and accuracy not to become the centre of attention. Tonight, the officials have become the biggest talking point, and that’s never a good sign.”
“Whether people believe Embolo dived or not, this incident will be debated for a long time because the punishment was so severe. A second yellow card for simulation at this stage of the World Cup is a decision that must be beyond all reasonable doubt. If you cannot honestly say that, then you should not make that call.”
“The best referees are remembered for allowing football to decide matches. The worst are remembered for decisions that overshadow them. This is the kind of controversy that every experienced referee works hard to avoid.”
🚨Xherdan Shaqiri on Breel Embolo’s red card against Argentina for simulation:
🗣️ Xherdan Shaqiri:
“I can’t agree with that decision. From what I saw, Breel wasn’t looking to fool the referee. There was contact from Leandro Paredes on his left leg, and that’s what knocked him off balance.
What frustrates me most is how VAR handled it. The officials saw something completely different from what many of us witnessed, and in a World Cup knockout match, those decisions can decide who goes home and who keeps dreaming.
Breel isn’t the type of player who throws himself to the ground. He’s built to ride challenges and stay on his feet whenever he can, which is exactly why booking him for simulation feels incredibly harsh.
Switzerland have every reason to feel hard done by. A moment like that doesn’t just affect one player—it changes the entire rhythm of the game. Argentina are one of the best teams in the world; they don’t need controversial calls tipping the balance in their favour.
Everyone will watch the replays and reach their own conclusion, but from my perspective there was enough contact for the referee to avoid punishing Breel. Instead, Switzerland were reduced to ten men, and that’s a brutal way to see a World Cup quarter-final turn.”
Full list of controversial referee decisions at the World Cup going in favour of Argentina:
vs Algeria 🇩🇿 - Messi not sent off for clear studs on calf challenge on Mandi.
vs Austria 🇦🇹 - Mac Allister foul on Schlager in the lead up to Messi’s goal not awarded, and Argentina goal stands.
vs Cape Verde 🇨🇻 - Numerous smaller fouls (ie. late foul on Cabral) and decisions in favour of Argentina. Player injury/re-entry rule not applied to Tagliafico.
vs Egypt 🇪🇬 - Egypt goal disallowed due to a foul on other end of the pitch. Salah not awarded a penalty after regaining possession. Severe lack of consistency.
vs Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Several fouls incorrectly awarded to Argentina. No yellow cards for Argentina after repetitive fouls. Embolo then sent off for simulation after VAR review in major loophole of the laws.
When Cape Verde started taking control, every major decision suddenly went Argentina’s way.
When Egypt looked ready to go three goals clear, the referee found a reason to wipe one off.
When Switzerland threatened to complete the turnaround, a Swiss player was conveniently sent off.
You can look away all you want, but the pattern is becoming impossible to ignore. The favouritism is glaring, and the stench of corruption is everywhere.
🚨Cafu Blast the VAR controversial decision to give Embolo a red card.
🗣️“This is a day light robbery and disgusting behavior from the match officials in the game, I’ve never seen this before in my life. You’re telling me it’s because it’s Argentina or what else.”
“Why call everyone to come and compete if you already written down the winner of the competition, why do we have to experience such fraud in every Argentine game in the World Cup.”
“Getting it rigged everytime makes them happy while the sports keeps dying and loosing its credibility in the US.”
🚨🗣️New: Breel Embolo on his controversial red card during the Argentina and Switzerland game;
“I’ve watched the incident back, and I still can’t make sense of it. They say I simulated and deserved a second yellow, but the whole sequence only exists because the referee made the wrong decision in the first place by booking Leandro Paredes. If the referee had simply given a foul without a yellow card, VAR doesn’t even get involved because it’s not a reviewable situation.”
“That’s what frustrates me the most. I’m sent off because of a chain of decisions that should never have happened. Instead of correcting a mistake, the system creates another one, and suddenly my World Cup is over. How is that fair?”
“I’ve played this game long enough to accept when I make mistakes, but I also expect the officials to be held to the same standard. In a World Cup quarter-final, one decision changes everything. My teammates had to finish the match with ten men, our game plan was destroyed, and all anyone is talking about is the referee instead of the football.”
“I’ve always supported technology when it’s used to eliminate clear and obvious errors, but today it felt like the rules were working against the spirit of the game. Fans don’t want matches decided by technical loopholes or inconsistent interpretations. They want the best team to win on the pitch. Today, I don’t feel that’s what happened.”
Usar el VAR para sancionar una simulación fuera del área y expulsar a un jugador no había ocurrido nunca. Este es el Mundial más amañado de la historia. Hace unos días fue Egipto; ahora es Suiza la que está pagando el costo de enfrentarse a los protegidos de Infantino.
🚨 VAR-GENTINA BACK AT IT AGAIN! 🇦🇷🤯
According to FIFA's own rulebook, VAR cannot intervene in cases of mistaken identity when the wrong opposing player is booked following a dive.
There should never have been a VAR review, and Embolo should never have been sent off! ❌🟥
🚨 Jude Bellingham at this World Cup:
• 6 goals, 1 assist, 4 MOTM, 6 games.
• First player since Maradona to score at a brace at the Azteca.
• First player to score B2B braces in K/O stage since Maradona
• The youngest player to score B2B braces in K/O stage after Pelé.
• Scored more goals than Rooney at MAJOR INT tournaments.
• The first midfielder to score 5+ goals for England at the World Cup.
Summary of Romain Molina’s Investigation: Key Allegations About FIFA & AFA Corruption 🇦🇷🤯
— Molina alleges FIFA protected the AFA despite major money-laundering and embezzlement investigations worth over $300 million.
— FIFA cleared youth women’s coach Diego Guacci of harassment and mistreatment allegations due to insufficient evidence.
— FIFA allegedly exposed the identities of complainants despite promises of confidentiality.
— The AFA reportedly knew about the allegations against Guacci but allowed him to remain in his position.
— Players allegedly described the AFA as a “mafia” and feared retaliation for speaking out.
— Nine days before Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, the AFA handed its international commercial rights to a newly created Miami company.
— FIFA reportedly paid World Cup prize money directly to that private company instead of the AFA.
— The company allegedly received an unusually high 30% commission on the AFA’s international revenue.
— Money from FIFA, Adidas, broadcasters, and sponsors was reportedly moved through several companies and American banks.
— Millions were allegedly transferred to shell companies linked to bankrupt or financially struggling individuals.
— Some recipients reportedly disappeared, changed their contact details, and suddenly appeared wealthier.
— The funds were allegedly spent on luxury homes, planes, yachts, and activities unrelated to football.
— Investigators suspect AFA officials personally benefited, including through luxury properties registered under other people’s names.
— Revenue from Argentina’s national-team success was allegedly used to help finance the purchase of Italian club Perugia.
— The Miami company’s agreement reportedly runs until 2030 and was approved by the AFA Executive Committee.
— Molina claims FIFA ignored the irregularities despite being responsible for auditing the AFA every year.
— He also questions the close relationship between FIFA legal director Emilio García and AFA officials.
— Journalists investigating the case reportedly faced threats, smear campaigns, and the removal of press credentials.
— Molina concludes that the alleged corruption extends beyond the AFA to FIFA itself, which he says enabled and protected the system.
ENQUETE / La mafia du foot argentin 🇦🇷
https://t.co/CbjfbwrMvW
Attouchement sur mineurs, blanchiment, détournement, faux et usage de faux : la Fédération argentine de football connaît une litanie de scandales et enquêtes (notamment du FBI) mais a été couverte et protégée par la FIFA depuis des années
Qui, quoi, comment et avec les documents...
Keep the faith !
🚨𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥: A few journalists are expected to drop bombshells by
leaking emails between FIFA and the AFA (Argentina Football Association). 🇦🇷💣
Once those emails are leaked, don't be surprised if the word "HACKING" starts trending. 👀📰