Ryan Rico

[MatchReport @MatchReportH]

🚨🇦🇷🇪🇬 Rio Ferdinand: “Football Needs Fairness, Not Different Rules For Different Teams”

🗣️ “I’ve sat here and watched football for many years, both as a player and as a pundit, and what frustrates supporters the most is inconsistency.

When Argentina go down under a challenge, the whistle seems to come immediately. The officials are quick to spot the foul, quick to stop play and quick to protect them. But when Egypt are on the receiving end of similar incidents, suddenly the game is allowed to continue and everyone is told to move on.

That’s the issue people have tonight. Not the result itself, but the lack of consistency in the decision-making.

Then you look at the build-up to Enzo Fernández’s winning goal. Egypt were screaming for a foul, their players were surrounding the referee, and millions watching expected VAR to at least take a proper look at it. Instead, it felt like everyone in the VAR room had gone to sleep.

What exactly is VAR there for if not to review the biggest moments in the biggest matches?

If that incident happened against Argentina at the other end of the pitch, do you honestly believe it wouldn’t have been checked? I find that very difficult to believe. We’ve seen much softer incidents reviewed throughout this tournament.

That’s where the frustration comes from. Fans just want the same standard applied to every team.

And let’s talk about the disciplinary side of the game. Argentina seem to get away with an awful lot. There are challenges that would normally bring yellow cards, yet the referee appears reluctant to reach for his pocket. It’s almost as if officials are afraid of making decisions that might upset Argentina.

When you look at some of Argentina’s matches in this tournament, there have been several moments where opponents felt hard done by. One incident can be debated, two incidents can be debated, but eventually people start noticing a pattern.

Football cannot afford that perception. The integrity of the game depends on supporters believing that every nation is treated equally.

Whether you’re Argentina, Egypt, Brazil, France or anyone else, the laws of the game should not change depending on the badge on your shirt.

The officials tonight had a responsibility to be fair, balanced and brave. Instead, they have left millions of people questioning why some decisions are given so easily for one side while similar incidents involving the other side are ignored.

Football deserves better than that. The players deserve better than that. And the fans certainly deserve better than that.”

#ARGEGY

[Vince™ @Blue_Footy]

I'm not a fan of Messi; I never put him ahead of my GOAT, Maradona, and I had my reasons. But I can proudly say today that Messi has done more than Diego.

It's not about who I love or admire more, but if you love football, then love for football will forever win over love for any particular player.

So, I don't understand what the fight is all about between Ronaldo fans and Messi fans. Enjoy them and hail whoever plays well. Life is not that difficult.

[Mod @CFCMods]

This is what it means to have a team that loves you

[Josh Hart @joshhart]

Messi has ended the GOAT conversation.

[j @thickyrubio]

Good on her for saying it because every time the US has a pants shitting embarrassing loss the first thing we get is a retired guy like Dempsey saying how proud they are and how much heart the team showed. Those dudes played like complete ass tonight and people should say so.

[Neal 🇦🇺 @NealGardner_]

A goal, an assist, 5 successful dribbles, 6 chances created.

39-years-old.

I’m struggling to find words. How do you articulate greatness like this? How?!?!?

[FearBuck @FearedBuck]

Jude Bellingham stopped to speak with a disabled reporter and did so in Spanish so the reporter could understand ❤️

[steve ceruti @Ceruti]

Someone on the US staff needs to search Pulisic’s name on this app and read it to him the entire halftime break

[Anthony Dabbundo @AnthonyDabbundo]

CP needs better media training than this

[Shea Serrano @SheaSerrano]

he’s like a predator in the jungle

once you realize he’s there you’re already dead lol

[BearsShowYo @BearsShowYo]

IM SHAKING

[Emmanuel Acho @EmmanuelAcho]

*Zlatan on Messi missing the PK*

“Everyone misses PK’s. I’ve missed PK’s, Thierry has missed PK’s… Alexi was never asked to take PK’s so he couldn’t miss…” 😬😬

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨🇧🇪 Amadou Onana has suffered ACL rupture and will be out for 7-8 months.

World Cup and start of the season over for Belgium and Aston Villa midfielder, as @TheAthleticFC report.

[Van Lathan Jr @VanLathan]

Bruh

[Jeff Sunday @TheDegenWeekly]

In love with Haalands goal celebration bc it isn’t even a celebration. He just walks around like he’s the fucking man, because he is. This guy is special

[Kylian Mbappé @KMbappe]

Madame Celeste Amarilla,
Vous êtes une femme méprisable et indigne de sa fonction.
Vous ne représentez pas le Paraguay, ce pays qui a transpiré la passion et l’honneur tout au long de la compétition. Par votre inconscience et votre racisme décomplexé, le monde entier a déjà oublié le parcours et l’effort historique que vos joueurs ont réalisés durant cette coupe du monde pour laisser place à une dame incompétente donnant la pire image possible de son pays.
Je ne laisserai jamais aux gens comme elle, la liberté de laisser propager leur haine et leur racisme à travers le monde.

[2001 Live @25YearsAgoLive]

Dick Swett concludes his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Denmark and ends his 10-year career in politics.

[Eddie Radosevich @Eddie_Rado]

A lot of these World Cup soccer fans wouldn't last a day on a college football message board. Americans have been built for this. You have no outs left.

[Van Lathan Jr @VanLathan]

I might want to be down with Man City. I might’ve chosen too fast with Arsenal. This is hilarious