Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed criticized football as a breeding ground for “toxic masculinity” — and praised European soccer as a more egalitarian alternative — according to resurfaced writings from the far-Left candidate.
El-Sayed made the comments in a 2021 Substack post responding to the resignation of then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, whose private emails containing racist and misogynistic language had become public.
“The toxic masculinity at the heart of America’s most popular sport — and men’s sports culture more generally — is way deeper than a few emails …” El-Sayed <a href="https://web.archive.org/abdulelsayed.substack.com/p/jon-gruden-is-yesterdays-coach-ted">wrote</a>.
The remarks are the latest resurfaced comments to draw attention to El-Sayed’s views on Michigan and American culture as he prepares for a general election campaign against Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed played American football himself as a student at Andover High School in Bloomfield Hills, serving as a team captain and two-year starter at center and nose guard.
In his 2021 post, El-Sayed recalled football as an important part of his childhood, writing that “sports were my lifeline” and that he felt free on the football field. But he described the culture surrounding the sport in considerably harsher terms. He argued that a particular “bro” culture had been passed down through football for generations. “Racism, misogyny, and homophobia were lingua franca,” El-Sayed wrote.
El-Sayed contrasted that culture with the fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso, the title character of the Apple TV+ series, who he held up as an example of a healthier model of masculinity and coaching. “Ted cries. He talks through his problems. He encourages his players. He bakes biscuits (er, cookies) for his boss. He smiles … like, all the time,” El-Sayed wrote.
He argued that coaches should create an environment built around “positive, inclusive, and empowering values,” while acknowledging that sports can teach young people lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and discipline. “Sport is a metaphor for life,” he wrote.
El-Sayed also expressed a distinctly political preference for European soccer in another 2021 Substack <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250119203517/https:/abdulelsayed.substack.com/p/europes-super-league-and-the-fragility">post</a>, writing that the sport’s promotion and relegation system “speaks to my politics.”
“But European soccer also speaks to my politics,” El-Sayed wrote. “Compared to American sports leagues, the sport is also deeply egalitarian.”
He praised the system for allowing teams to move between leagues based on performance and contrasted it with American professional sports, where teams remain in closed leagues regardless of their success. El-Sayed’s criticism of football comes as other resurfaced remarks have placed renewed attention on his sometimes-negative assessments of his home state.
During his unsuccessful 2018 campaign for governor, El-Sayed was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-once-trashed-beloved-michigan-vacation-destination">recorded complaining</a> about Mackinac Island, one of Michigan’s most prominent tourist destinations.
“I hate Mackinac so much,” El-Sayed said in a documentary about his campaign. “Every time I’ve ever come here I’ve hated it. Why am I here?”
El-Sayed went on to joke that if he won the governor’s race, Mackinac Island would become his summer home.
His comments have only made it easier for Republicans to portray El-Sayed as disconnected from Michigan voters. Rogers has already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-rogers-makes-his-pitch-for-dem-support-in-michigan-after-el-sayeds-divisive-victory">made appeals</a> directly to Democrats who may be uncomfortable with El-Sayed’s far-Left politics.
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in last week’s Democratic Senate primary, winning 48.5% of the vote to Stevens’ 47.5%. His campaign was backed by a number of far-Left figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Democratic leaders who backed Stevens during the primary, including Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/establishment-dems-fall-in-line-behind-el-sayed">Gretchen Whitmer</a> and Senate Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cuck-schumer-endorses-el-sayed-who-campaigned-on-replacing-him">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY), have since fallen in line behind El-Sayed as the party’s nominee.
El-Sayed will face Rogers in November in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. The Republican nominee has already sought to make the race a referendum on the direction of the Democratic Party, arguing that El-Sayed represents an increasingly leftward movement within the party.
His past writings now provide another window into the political and cultural views of the Democratic nominee — including his longstanding preference for soccer over the sport beloved by millions of Americans every fall.

Bernie Sanders Continues His “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour In Detroit With Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed Hates Football Too

2026 elections

2026 midterm

2026 Midterms

Abdul El-Sayed

Democrat

Elections

Football

Michigan

Mike Rogers

November elections

Politics

Soccer

Sports

Jorge Messi, father of Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi, died Friday night in Rosario, Argentina, at the age of 68, the Messi family <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/father-soccer-star-lionel-messi-dies-68-argentina-2026-08-08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> to Reuters.
The elder Messi died at a medical clinic in his hometown following a lengthy illness, spending his final months moving between the facility and his home beside his wife Celia and children Rodrigo, Matías, and María Sol. Jorge Messi served for years as his son’s agent and closest advisor, guiding his rise through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy to a <a href="https://ballondor.com/players/lionel-messi-3399?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record eight Ballon d’Or </a><a href="https://ballondor.com/players/lionel-messi-3399?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awards</a>.
“Newell’s Old Boys mourn with profound pain and sorrow the passing of Jorge Messi,” the Rosario club, where Lionel played youth soccer, said in a statement Saturday. “Jorge was the support and the person who, together with his wife, Celia, strengthened the career of the greatest player of all time with vision, rigor and affection.”
Before becoming his son’s agent, Jorge Messi worked at a steel mill in Argentina. In 2000, he took 13-year-old Lionel to Barcelona for a trial and helped secure his place in the club’s youth system, a commitment famously sketched out on a napkin. He continued managing Lionel’s career and business affairs as his son later joined Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
His declining health became public during this summer’s World Cup, where Lionel Messi captained Argentina to the final before falling 1-0 to Spain. After scoring a hat trick in the opening match against Algeria, a tearful Messi <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lionel-messi-argentina-world-cup-d6103e936c511ddcd7b134b407782f19?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> his emotions “[weren’t] related to soccer,” citing “tough days.” The family later confirmed Jorge was under medical care.
Jorge did not travel to the tournament in North America, but the father and son spent time together in Rosario afterward before Lionel rejoined Inter Miami, where the 39-year-old returned to action last week.
Jorge Messi is survived by his wife and four children. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

FBL-MLS-USA-MIAMI-NEW YORK

Father Of Soccer Legend Lionel Messi Dead At 68

Argentina

Lionel Messi

Men's soccer

World Cup

The United States Soccer Federation and head coach Mauricio Pochettino agreed to a new contract to keep him at the helm of the U.S. Men&#8217;s National Team, the organization announced on Monday.
Both sides agreed on a four-year extension lasting through 2030. Pochettino, who coached Team USA to its first win in the knockout stage in over two decades this summer, is set to be the manager for the 2030 FIFA World Cup taking place in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The head coach will now be tasked with advising U.S. Soccer on the broader development of the full national team pathway, youth soccer, coaching education, and professional league collaboration.
“Mauricio and his staff believe in the future of soccer in the United States and our new project allows us to build on progress of the USMNT and the momentum of U.S. Soccer,” U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson said in the <a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2026/08/usmnt/mauricio-pochettino-head-coach-new-contract-through-2030">statement</a>. “We know we have a lot of work to do to achieve our clear ambitions, including competing to win Men’s World Cups.”
“Working together with U.S. Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the Men’s National Team program even stronger,” Pochettino said. “The passion we experienced from the fans throughout the World Cup only strengthened our belief in what is possible here. We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of U.S. Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the Federation.”
Pochettino signed a two-year deal with Team USA in September 2024. The 54-year-old Argentine manager coached the team through the 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League, the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the recent World Cup.
While the financials of the contract are not yet public, the contract is being supported by a philanthropic leadership gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst. Contributions from Scott Goodwin, Adam Freede, and other donors were also crucial in the extension.
According to <a href="https://www.sportico.com/personalities/coaches/2026/ken-griffin-us-soccer-mauricio-pochettino-contract-1234940823/">Sportico</a>, Griffin and Goodwin played a major role in bringing Pochettino to the U.S. Soccer Federation in his initial deal, which was reportedly around $6 million per year.
After the Round of 16 exit to Belgium last month, Pochettino and Team USA will shift their focus to the qualifying matches for the next World Cup, the 2027 CONCACAF Nations League, the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2029 CONCACAF Nations League, and the 2029 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

USA Training And Media Availability – FIFA World Cup 2026

Team USA Makes Decision On Head Coach After World Cup Run

Pochettino

Team USA

U.S.

USMNT

Police are investigating a suspicious overnight fire at Nöam, a kosher restaurant in Montreal&#8217;s Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, as local leaders and community members urge authorities to treat the incident as a hate crime.
The blaze broke out around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday. While no injuries were reported, the building sustained major physical damage.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A kosher restaurant in Montreal, Canada, was burned to the ground in a suspected arson attack in the early hours of Saturday morning. Emergency services were called to Nöam restaurant at around 3:15 a.m. after a man was seen on video apparently starting the fire before fleeing… <a href="https://t.co/8abdyivkBt">pic.twitter.com/8abdyivkBt</a>
&mdash; StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) <a href="https://x.com/StandWithUs/status/2083885987046854934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) spokesperson Raphael Bergeron confirmed investigators possess security video showing an individual in a white T-shirt setting the fire before fleeing. Building owner Howard Szalavetz expressed heartbreak over the destruction, sharing fears that the business was intentionally targeted due to its Jewish identity. Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and Provincial Representative Elisabeth Prass both visited the site, condemning the attack and demanding a thorough hate-crime investigation, CBC <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/police-fire-kosher-restaurant-9.7293777#:~:text=(%20St%C3%A9phane%20Gr%C3%A9goire%2FRadio%2DCanada)%20Social%20Sharing.%20Police%20are,Ville%20de%20Montr%C3%A9al%20(SPVM)%20spokesperson%20Raphael%20Bergeron.">reported</a>.
The arson attack reflects a wider, escalation of hostility directed at Canada&#8217;s 400,000-strong Jewish population. Over recent months, cities including Toronto and Montreal have experienced a noticeable surge in violent incidents: A Toronto Jewish girls&#8217; school was targeted by overnight gunfire on three separate occasions; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bagels-and-bullets-antisemitic-terror-wave-hits-jewish-bakery-chain">shots were fired</a> at Kiva’s Bagel Bar in Toronto, two Montreal Jewish institutions faced firebombings, and multiple synagogues in Nova Scotia were defaced with hate-filled graffiti.
Other reported incidents include attempted abductions and the assault of a Jewish man in front of his children in Montreal.
Community advocates note that these events put 2026 on track to be one of the most violent years on record for the Canadian Jewish community.
Meanwhile, only hours after the fire, the hostility extended into professional sports during a Major League Soccer match at Stade Saputo. Israeli international forward Dor Turgeman, playing for the visiting New England Revolution against CF Montréal, was subjected to hostile chants including &#8220;Death to Israel&#8221; and &#8220;Free Palestine&#8221; from sections of the crowd throughout the game.
Turgeman answered on the field in the 36th minute, scoring to give New England a 2–0 lead. He  celebrated by running toward the stands with his arms outstretched, pointing to his ears as if to say he couldn’t hear the hostility.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
That was quick ⚡️
Dor Turgeman makes it 2-0 for <a href="https://x.com/NERevolution?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NERevolution</a>!
📺 Apple TV: <a href="https://t.co/OHJW1JrVDJ">https://t.co/OHJW1JrVDJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/kgA8Z8TpUC">pic.twitter.com/kgA8Z8TpUC</a>
&mdash; Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://x.com/MLS/status/2083709603888455830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Spectators reportedly <a href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/artc-targeted-by-chants-of-death-to-israel-dor-turgeman-responds-with-a-goal#:~:text=Throughout%20the%20match%2C%20some%20Montreal%20supporters%20chanted,allegedly%20behind%20recent%20antisemitic%20attacks%20in%20Canada.">hurled beer bottles</a> onto the pitch in response, and Montréal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza shoved Turgeman, triggering a brief altercation between players on both teams.

Views Of Quebec’s Largest City As Home Sales Rise

Montreal Kosher Restaurant Torched In Arson Attack As Anti-Semitic Hostility Spills Across Canada

Canada

Fire

Montreal

Restaurant

The charred body of a 53-year-old sports journalist was found on Sunday, sparking an investigation into his death as a suspected homicide.
Investigators believe Luigi &#8220;Luca&#8221; Esposito was shot to death and then set on fire. Firefighters discovered Esposito&#8217;s charred body while extinguishing a brush fire on farmland near Eboli, located in the province of Salerno, Italy. Local reports indicate shell casings were found at the scene.
Investigators are examining both Esposito&#8217;s personal and professional relationships as they work to determine a motive. Italian media have reported that investigators are currently focusing more heavily on his private life than his journalism, though officials have not ruled out a connection to his reporting.
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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) <a href="https://cpj.org/2026/07/sports-journalist-luca-esposito-killed-in-italy">called</a> for a thorough investigation into the matter, specifically any ties to his journalism.
&#8220;We are deeply shocked by the brutal killing of Italian sports journalist Luca Esposito,&#8221; CPJ&#8217;s Europe representative Attila Mong said. &#8220;Italian authorities must act quickly and transparently to establish the full circumstances and determine whether this terrible event is linked to Luca Esposito&#8217;s journalism.&#8221;
Esposito, whose legal first name was Luigi but went by Luca, was editor-in-chief of the local soccer news website TuttoSalernitana.com. He also <a href="https://x.com/lucesp75">contributed</a> to the newspaper La Città di Salerno, appeared as a soccer commentator on regional broadcaster Otto Channel, and wrote for TuttoC.com.
Local reports indicate Esposito was last seen on the evening of July 17, before he stopped answering his phone and missed a planned meeting. According to a Salerno-based site, <a href="https://salerno.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_luglio_20/luca-esposito-il-giornalista-ucciso-e-poi-bruciato-una-sola-auto-sul-posto-forse-l-assassino-e-arrivato-con-lui-domani-l-autopsia-816c33c2-4693-438b-a2ec-7273739c8xlk_amp.shtml">analysis</a> of Esposito&#8217;s phone records shows that his last phone call was exchanged on Saturday evening with a colleague, at around 10:30 p.m. A woman named Mary Esposito said in a social media post that he had planned to travel to a property in Agropoli before he disappeared.
Mary, who has been described in the Italian press as a close friend, posted photos to Facebook with the journalist on Sunday and added the caption (translated from Italian), &#8220;These are just a very small number of the photos in our life together. Only those who know us know what I was for you and you were for me. You will always be with me Luca <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="xz74otr x15mokao x1ga7v0g x16uus16 xbiv7yw" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t86/2/16/1f494.png" alt="💔" width="16" height="16" />&#8220;
<iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmaria.esposito.14203544%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0HkuG57XwucEcQRADuv5Wn56Ho8Hptj9Jcwg1X5kbRn9ippty6RaumKASLV1rNTBml&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="748" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
</div>

Luca Esposito

Sports Journalist Found Shot, Burned In Brutal Killing

Sports Journalist Turns Up Dead In Brutal Execution Scene 

Italy

journalist

World

Think of the great accomplishments of civilization: skyscrapers reaching toward heaven, bridges joining divided peoples, dams powering ambitious societies. How many have been built by human beings using only their feet?
Not many, right?
So, as we bring the mind-numbing boredom of another World Cup to an end, please explain our nation’s new fascination with soccer.
Civilization took off when our ancestors stood upright, developed opposable thumbs, and learned to use tools. The hand fashioned the spear, raised the cathedral, laid the railroad, split the atom, and put a man on the moon. Human beings stopped merely living in the world and began shaping it to their intentions.
Soccer responded to our magnificent evolutionary ascent by prohibiting the use of the hand.
After millions of years of progress, soccer asks humanity to put its most useful equipment in its pants pocket.
Here is a game in which modern human beings voluntarily surrender their principal biological advantage and spend 90 minutes trying to maneuver a ball with the precision of a bear opening a refrigerator.
In American sports, effort usually produces some identifiable result. Football measures achievement yard by yard. Baseball records every pitch, hit, run, and error. Basketball rewards successful action so reliably that the scoreboard routinely reaches three digits, unless we count the WNBA as basketball. American sport operates on a simple assumption: If extraordinary athletes exert themselves for several hours, something should be accomplished.
Soccer makes no such rash promise. And it frequently delivers.
A soccer match can conclude 0–0, a score traditionally associated with a game that has not been played. A 2–0 result is considered an exciting blowout. Fans can watch nearly two hours of strenuous activity only to discover that neither side has achieved anything. Soccer remains stubbornly unwilling to happen.
Except, of course, for the penalties. There is true drama only when a player is brushed by a passing breeze. Down he goes as if plugged by Dirty Harry. He grabs his leg, rolls across the grass, and pleads to the referee. Thirty seconds later, the performance is over. He’s back on his feet, running as if nothing happened.
This theatrical suffering is not incidental to soccer. It is part of the strategy. Because goals are so scarce, an official’s ruling can matter more than ages of athletic effort. The referee reviews the collision. Video officials review the referee. Television analysts review the video officials. Millions of spectators then wait for a ruling from soccer’s administrative state.
In an elimination match, a tie may finally be settled by a penalty shootout, a ceremony only loosely related to the original contest. It is as if the Super Bowl ended in a tie and the championship was decided by a game of beer pong. The soccer authorities award a victory; the players do not earn it.
This explains why soccer doesn’t fit comfortably within the American imagination.
Historian Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the frontier helped shape the American character: individualism, practical ingenuity, restless energy, and a determination to overcome obstacles rather than be their victim. Turner’s theory describes something recognizably American.
The frontier did not reward elegant suffering. It rewarded people who crossed the river, raised the barn, harvested the crop, and made it over the mountain.
American games reflect that inheritance. They divide territory, measure advances, record individual contributions, and produce winners. Their statistics are not just decorations. They express a national conviction that performance should be measured, excellence recognized, and achievement rewarded. A scoreboard is America’s incentive system celebrated in lights.
Soccer comes from a different world. Its admirers praise its accessibility, and they have a point. A child does not need pads, helmets, bats, baskets, or a manicured diamond. All he needs is a ball and a patch of ground.
That simplicity helped make soccer the world’s game. But scarcity is not an American virtue. Our nation did not escape poverty by romanticizing it. We triumphed by inventing tools, increasing productivity, rewarding accomplishment, and refusing to accept a scoreless afternoon as adequate.
“The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton,” goes the famous observation credited to the Duke of Wellington. The historical attribution is a little shaky, but the larger idea is sound: The games a culture plays help form the habits it carries into the future.
If that is true, give me the playing field where progress is visible, achievement is rewarded, and somebody wins.
Give me the game played with hands.
***
Alex Castellanos is a co-founder of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan public affairs firm, and appears regularly on Fox News.

Wycombe Wanderers FC v Bolton Wanderers FC – Sky Bet League One

Soccer: The World’s Least American Game

American culture

American Exceptionalism

DW Opinion

Images of a young Lionel Messi giving Spain’s young phenom Lamine Yamal a bath — taken nearly two decades ago for a charity calendar — are resurfacing ahead of their clash in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
When Lamine Yamal first burst onto the soccer scene in 2024, his father, Mounir Nasraoui, took to Instagram to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9AwXuKtlgB/?igsh=bjAyeW1nY2g1OWkx">post a baby picture</a> of his son — who, at the time, was playing with Spain’s national team during the UEFA European Championship.
“The beginning of two legends,” the caption read. The image was one of a handful taken during a 2007 photoshoot, and featured Messi holding an infant Yamal. Other photos from the same shoot were released to the public after Nasraoui’s post went viral.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨🇪🇸🇦🇷 Lionel Messi with Lamine Yamal as a baby back in December 2007, from Spanish newspaper <a href="https://x.com/sport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sport</a>.
It was a photoshoot organised for a charity calendar. <a href="https://t.co/C7jCKbYnp7">pic.twitter.com/C7jCKbYnp7</a>
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) <a href="https://x.com/eurofootcom/status/1809215170155053300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
In December of 2007, a charity raffle was created between Spanish local newspaper Diario Sport and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Winners of the raffle would earn a slot with a professional soccer player from FC Barcelona for a photo that would appear in a promotional calendar.
Yamal’s family won the raffle, and they opted to pair their infant son with a 20-year-old Messi — before the fame and illustrious career. The photoshoot also features images that include Yamal&#8217;s mother, all taken at Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s stadium. The same stadium is now home to Yamal, who has been in the program since he was seven years old — and is the very stadium where Messi blossomed into one of the greatest players of all time.
Freelance photographer Joan Monfort was responsible for the now-viral photos. In 2024, he was interviewed by The Athletic when the photoshoot originally blew up, and he said that he was just as shocked as the rest of the world.
“It’s something incredible,” Monfort said in 2024. “Back then, nobody could imagine that this baby would be who he is now – and you could have not known that Messi would become who he became, either. We are talking about 2007. Messi was only beginning at [Barcelona] then. Destiny plays an important role in these things.”
The World Cup final was set after Spain took down France 2-0 in the first semifinal game, making Yamal undefeated against the French in his young career through three matches. Messi and Argentina had to work a little harder, scoring two goals in seven minutes to come back and beat England 2-1 late in the match.
Yamal and Messi will soon compete on the biggest stage in their sport, fulfilling a storybook face-off 19 years in the making.

MessiYamal

Viral Photo Sparks Full-Circle Moment Ahead Of Spain-Argentina Final

FIFA

United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) forward Folarin Balogun spoke out for the first time about the controversial red card he received during the 2026 World Cup and its subsequent suspension. 
Following the 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16, all Balogun had to say regarding the suspension of the match ban was that he “accepted the decision” when it was given and that he “also accepted the decision [he] could play” without going into further detail. 
On Tuesday, he appeared on morning talk shows to elaborate. 
“My initial reaction was, you know, I was happy to be back with the team. But when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” Balogun said in an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyGhF5R7VzQ">CBS Mornings</a>. &#8220;I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it’s something that’s so unique&#8230; I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult.”
The outside distractions were broadcast across television networks and social media platforms after President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to say he disagreed with the call. Infantino decided to suspend the red card after review. Team USA’s forward added that the discussion from all sides affected him mentally.
“It didn’t help. As an athlete, you want to go into a game — it’s already difficult enough with everything that goes on — the pressure,” Balogun told the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vmTTz1iohc">Today Show</a>. “To have more pressure, not just internally, but from almost the whole footballing world. It was difficult.”
“I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed,” he said on CBS Mornings.
The red card reversal did not end up helping Team USA. They lost 4-1 to Belgium after an impressive tournament start. This led many Team USA fans to believe that the pressure was a factor in the disappointing loss. Balogun reassured fans that the headlines surrounding the debate disappeared at kickoff.
“It was a difficult game against Belgium, and that can kind of overshadow whether we were focused or not, but from me being inside the camp and inside the setup, I know we had full concentration going into the game,” Balogun said.
In the two interviews, the USMNT forward also spoke on his excitement about the future of soccer in America and why he chose to represent the United States, citing it as a “no-brainer” due to the “culture, passion, and ambition.&#8221;
Balogun mentioned he will be back in four years to represent America for the 2030 World Cup.

USA v Belgium: Round of 16 – FIFA World Cup 2026

Team USA World Cup Star Breaks Silence Over Red Card Controversy

United States

Adding insult to injury after an embarrassing exit from the World Cup this week, the United States Men’s National Team will be forced to share half of the earnings from their run with their counterparts on the Women’s National Team.
The men’s team secured $16 million in prize money from FIFA after their run to the World Cup’s round of 16. Despite not playing a single minute of soccer, members of the women’s team will <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49301582/us-men-women-get-equal-split-16m-world-cup-prize">take home</a> just as much money as the men’s team thanks to an “equal pay” agreement put in place by U.S. Soccer back in 2022. 
After U.S. Soccer takes 20% of the prize money, the rest will be distributed evenly between the 26 members on each of the rosters of the men’s and the women’s teams, meaning each player will be paid about $246,000. The money won’t be paid out to the women’s team until they qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. 
“So you&#8217;re telling me the men go out and earn while the women stay at home,” Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro said in reaction to the news. 
The “equal pay” agreement was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-a-huge-win-megan-rapinoe-brags-after-u-s-womens-soccer-team-settles-pay-discrimination-lawsuit-for-24-million">put in place</a> in 2022 after years of complaints by the women’s soccer team, which became known for antics including refusal to respect the National Anthem and stunts targeting President Donald Trump. 
That agreement came after a lawsuit from players on the women&#8217;s team alleging pay discrimination by the U.S. Soccer Federation. To settle the suit, U.S. Soccer agreed that prize money from the World Cup would be divided evenly among players on both rosters. 
Historically, the men’s World Cup competition has generated billions of dollars more in revenue than the women’s World Cup. The 2026 World Cup is expected to bring in over $13 billion in revenue, while the last women’s World Cup in 2023 generated roughly $580 million. 
Though the Women’s National Team has had more relative on-the-field success than the men’s team, its on- and off-the-field antics have brought criticism. Several members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team knelt during the national anthem at several matches in 2020 and early 2021, while longtime team captain Megan Rapinoe had previously done so while representing the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics.
In 2019, Megan Rapinoe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/megan-rapinoe-slammed-after-ignoring-national-amanda-prestigiacomo">described</a> herself as a “walking protest when it comes to the Trump administration.”
“So it’s kind of a good ‘F you’ to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him,” she said in one interview.

Team USA Forced To Share Half Of World Cup Prize Money With Women’s Team

Women's Soccer

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is being investigated by the FBI for its alleged involvement in money laundering and fraud in the United States of over $300 million, The Miami Herald <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article316433770.html">reported</a> Wednesday.
The FBI and United States federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into the involvement of the reigning World Cup champions in hundreds of millions of dollars flowing through the American financial system and if any violated the law. The probe was first reported by <a href="https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/agentes-del-fbi-y-fiscales-federales-toman-testimonios-para-investigar-operaciones-financieras-de-la-nid06072026/">Argentine newspaper La Nación</a>, which stated that investigators are examining commercial and financial agreements tied to the football association’s operations in America.
The FBI declined to comment.
Investigators are focusing on the Miami-based company TourProdEnter LLC, which was created in 2021, according to La Nación. TourProdEnter allegedly acted as a collection agency for the AFA&#8217;s commercial contracts. Some of the sponsorship payments came from Adidas and Warner.
La Nación reported that TourProdEnter LLC moved $260 million among Citibank, Synovus, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and PNC Bank. An additional $57 million was transferred without a &#8220;clear purpose.&#8221;
No charges have been made yet, but La Nación is reporting that federal investigators have begun taking testimonies and gathering financial records.
This is not the first time AFA president Claudio Tapia has faced an investigation in his time in leadership. In December 2025, Argentine authorities raided the AFA headquarters and several soccer clubs as a part of another investigation into potential tax evasion and money laundering beginning in 2024. 
Three months later, Tapia was <a href="https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/sports/afa-chief-tapia-and-top-officials-formally-charged-in-tax-evasion-case.phtml">charged</a> with tax evasion and the misappropriation of social security funds. The president was punished with a travel ban and a court-ordered asset freeze.
Tapia was elected in 2017 and has led the country’s football organization throughout its recent success, including the back-to-back Copa América tournament wins in 2021 and 2024, as well as the 2022 World Cup win.
The investigation comes at the beginning of the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where soccer star Lionel Messi and Argentina are looking to win back-to-back World Cups and become the first country to do so since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. The off-the-field allegations are not expected to affect the country’s run at the title. 
At the time of publication, neither the AFA nor Tapia has commented on the ongoing investigation.

Argentina Press Conference & Training Session

FBI Probes Soccer Powerhouse During World Cup Run

An Uzbek truck driver who couldn&#8217;t speak English allegedly killed a star college soccer goalie over the weekend after the Biden administration let him into the country, according to Fox News.
Bekhzod Asrarov, 42, is accused of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-zeroes-in-on-illegal-immigrant-trucker-accused-of-killing-state-trooper?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=ICE+Zeroes+In+On+Illegal+Immigrant+Trucker+Accused+Of+Killing+State+Trooper">ramming his truck</a> into the back of University of Massachusetts Lowell men&#8217;s soccer goalie Tobias Christopher Forsythe&#8217;s vehicle on Interstate 71 in Madison County, Ohio, on July 5. Asrarov came to the United States via the diversity visa lottery program in 2024 before obtaining an Ohio commercial driver&#8217;s license, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/diversity-lottery-admitted-truck-driver-allegedly-kills-umass-soccer-star-spoke-no-english" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
He is charged with tampering with evidence after he &#8220;ripped out his dash cam and hid it in his pocket,&#8221; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, adding that the trucker &#8220;failed his English language proficiency test&#8221; and that &#8220;state troopers had to use Google Translate to talk to him.&#8221;
Forsythe, 21, an economics major, played for Ashland University and Shawnee State University, where he started all 17 games during the 2025 season, before joining the UMass Lowell team in 2026.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Tobias &#8220;Toby&#8221; Forsythe was just 21, a star goalie for the UMass Lowell soccer team with his whole life ahead of him. On Sunday, his life was stolen.
A massive semi-truck driven by Bekhzod Asrarov rammed the back of Toby’s car on I-71 in Madison County, Ohio, killing him… <a href="https://t.co/diNqfujrRc">pic.twitter.com/diNqfujrRc</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/2074573888256647248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We cannot let truckers like Asrarov, who can&#8217;t read our road signs or speak to law enforcement, drive 80,000-pound rigs on America’s highways,&#8221; Duffy said on X Tuesday.
&#8220;I am praying for Toby&#8217;s family and loved ones after this horrible loss. We will never stop fighting to keep these dangerous truck drivers OFF THE ROAD so no other parents have to endure this unimaginable grief,&#8221; Duffy added.
The Department of Homeland Security didn&#8217;t respond to a request for comment.
Kyle Zenoni, head coach of the UMass Lowell men&#8217;s soccer program, <a href="https://goriverhawks.com/news/2026/7/6/mens-soccer-umass-lowell-mourns-the-passing-of-toby-forsythe.aspx#:~:text=%22Today%2C%20our%20River%20Hawk%20team,the%20definition%20of%20hard%20work." target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> Forsythe as the ideal athlete and an &#8220;even better person.&#8221;
&#8220;He was humble, honest, selfless, and the definition of hard work,&#8221; Zenoni said.
&#8220;Every single day, he showed up ready to compete, improve, and do whatever was asked of him. He never looked for shortcuts and never expected anything to be given to him — he simply wanted the opportunity to earn it,&#8221; Zenoni added.
In response to a recent string of crashes involving illegal immigrant truckers, the Trump administration has pushed to enforce English-language requirements for truckers and has threatened to withhold federal funding from states issuing licenses to illegal immigrants.
The latest such collision involved a Haitian semi-truck driver who allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-zeroes-in-on-illegal-immigrant-trucker-accused-of-killing-state-trooper">killed</a> a Pennsylvania State Trooper in a devastating crash. The Biden administration allowed the foreign trucker, who obtained a Massachusetts commercial driver&#8217;s license, into the country through its signature humanitarian parole program.

Untitled design – 2026-07-08T085130.989

Foreign Trucker Who Couldn’t Speak English Accused Of Killing College Soccer Star

Car Crash

Immigration

Truckers

This is republished with permission from the author. The original, from <a href="https://www.houseofstrauss.com/">House of Strauss</a>, can be found <a href="https://www.houseofstrauss.com/p/why-we-still-suck-at-soccer-and-always">here</a>.
***
Belgium has about 12 million people and the United States has 350 million. This shouldn’t be a fair fight and it wasn’t: The Red Devils slaughtered the United States men’s national soccer team (again), doing the Trump dance to mock our impotent side on their home field. In gaining <a href="https://www.houseofstrauss.com/p/the-trump-balogun-controversy-exposed">Balogun for Monday’s match</a>, the USA lost what could have been a failure-obscuring excuse.
So why are we back here, <a href="https://x.com/chuckfbass/status/2074313496506872266?s=46&amp;t=oGFkfjOaJhGL-HV3dqLoGQ">as we always are</a>? I wrote that soccer has <a href="https://www.houseofstrauss.com/p/soccer-has-finally-actually-arrived">arrived in the United States</a>. While that may be so, the United States has not arrived at soccer.
The classic explanations don’t stand up to scrutiny as catch-alls either. You hear <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/2074303534472847367">the problem is that our best athletes play other sports</a>. That’s part of the issue, sure, but I also reject this as the skeleton key. We’ve <a href="https://sfia.medium.com/soccer-participation-on-the-rise-in-the-united-states-212d89795cb5">got more people playing soccer</a> than Belgium has total population. By some measures, we’ve got <a href="https://www.socceriqinstitute.com/post/the-rise-of-soccer-in-america-as-we-approach-the-2026-fifa-world-cup">three times</a> as many children playing soccer as Belgium has children in total. The U.S. should be able to field competitive teams despite losing athletes to football and basketball.
You hear we lack street ball culture, so our hard knocks kids grow up with hoop dreams rather than ambitions for the pitch. I believe that’s an outdated explanation, for reasons I’ll get into.
And, after looking into the matter, I’ve got some bad news. The reason we now can’t compete has evolved. Even if you magically made the sport 10x more popular here among the youth, we’d have the same obstacle. In this country, it’s the generation gap in soccer avidity that’s killed us and continues to kill us.
America has the kids to compete on a world stage. We just happen to lack the adults. Put another way, though “soccer mom” became this omnipresent meme of the 1990s, the reason we struggle is our relative dearth of soccer dads. And I don’t just mean actual, literal, biological fathers, though yes also them. I’m talking about dudes who grew up playing, know the game well, and pass on advice to the next generation.
Obviously more such Americans exist in 2026 than when I grew up, but we are perpetually going to suffer this generational lag, even as it lessens. Every year, an increasing amount of young Americans might become soccer converts, but every year, America will still maintain a gap between adult and youth soccer avidity. And the issue for us is, in Europe, this generational chasm doesn’t exist. Grownups and kids are united in their fixation on the game.
There’s a lot of romance about how both basketball and soccer are incubated in the streets, where children learn the game’s poetry prior to sentience. I’m not saying this stopped happening, but these sports have gone through an optimization process at the youth levels. As you probably know, so many rising pro basketball players are upper class now, and/or <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/30/heir-ball-how-the-cost-of-youth-sports-is-changing-the-nba">the children of professional basketball players</a>. There’s this trope that if America’s “urban” population fell in love with soccer, we’d suddenly dominate. But given the new path dependencies, it’s just not so simple.
It’s been argued that Brazilian soccer dominance was based on “street-style creativity,” an advantage that’s dissipated over the last couple decades. Pre-Internet, sports innovation and progress used to be more organic. I’m reminded of Isiah Thomas just <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOZHycUOJrw">developing his own basketball drills</a> and moves as a kid growing up in Chicago.
Greatness isn’t found on the pickup courts now, like some future supermodel getting discovered at the grocery store. It’s cultivated, early on, by obsessive adults. The compounding soccer advantage in Europe over America is more obsessive adults per capita who then funnel kids into feeder systems that involve professionally obsessive adults.
This is what we can’t replicate. When a lack of “football culture,” is bemoaned, people are often referring to a sport’s overall popularity, sometimes with a focus on what kids are into. But a lack of culture can refer to an absence of transferred generational knowledge. This is a sad story for America, but also one I like, in a way. I’m heartened by the idea of an older generation helping the next succeed.
In that vein, let’s look at the background of a few international football superstars in this World Cup.
Erling Haaland: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alf-Inge_Haaland">Father</a> Alf-Inge was a famous EPL pro.
Kylian Mbappé: Father Wilfrid is a former regional footballer who coached at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS_Bondy">AS Bondy football club</a> for 20 years.
Jude Bellingham: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Bellingham">Father Mark</a> was a “prolific” non-league player, who scored over 700 goals in his career.
Michael Olise: Here, the pattern is broken because Michael’s father, Vincent, wasn’t a former footballer. Instead, he was an <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Cricket/comments/1uo1djl/french_football_star_michael_olises_father/">international cricket player</a> who was obsessed with making his kids great at soccer.
Lamine Yamal: Lamine breaks the pattern because his dad has no sports connection beyond vigorously supporting his son’s journey, but that’s where FC Barcelona steps in. The legendary Spanish club signed the 18-year-old phenom back in 2014. Yamal has humble origins, but I believe he actually illustrates the fallacy in thinking that a newly prevalent “<a href="https://x.com/shipwreckedcrew/status/2074367581532954775?s=46">pickup soccer</a>” culture will solve our American problem. Barca discovered Yamal when he was playing for a club at age six. Lamine Yamal didn’t grow up freely playing the game on the streets; he played soccer, organized by adults, well before he grew up.
Speaking of Barcelona and Yamal, one narrative following this World Cup loss is that <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2074332074077479043">the game is too expensive for American parents</a>. In Europe, teams bear much of the cost for development, whereas in America, parents spend many thousands on youth sports. Incentives are aligned to help talent over there. To <a href="https://x.com/aakashgupta/status/2074387188079595648">quote one commentator</a>:
<blockquote>
In Germany, a talented 14-year-old earns his club money. In America, his parents pay the club $15,000 a year.
</blockquote>
This is certainly an element that helps explain the soccer gap. I’d also add that the Euro clubs are pretty ruthless in the pursuit of elevating talent. Europe might have a rep for going on “holiday” rather than grinding in the capitalist rat race, but boy are they bottom-line Darwinian about the product they care about most. Star England striker Harry Kane <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-striker-harry-kane-reveals-why-arsenal-gave-up-on-him-a3114856.html">was cut from Arsenal</a> at age 9 for being fat. In the U.S., clubs are incentivized to keep lagging kids involved so long as their parents have cash.
The counterargument to the USA “pay for play” problem comes from <a href="https://x.com/darrenrovell/status/2074482629454217686?s=46&amp;t=oGFkfjOaJhGL-HV3dqLoGQ">Darren Rovell</a> and it’s a good point:
<blockquote>
The game that we are actually world-class at — ice hockey — at top youth levels costs double soccer.
</blockquote>
That’s true, but Americans are also, relative to nations other than Canada, hockey-knowledgeable. As in: We have the dads.
“I did okay”
I’ve arrived at my theories on this subject through the most scientific of processes: Watching YouTube clips of famous footballers discussing their journeys. The most poignant example is Clint Dempsey, perhaps our best ever player (especially considering Christian Pulisic’s Monday flameout), emotionally reflecting on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S9d2TJXYZ3c">how he could have been better</a>.
Dempsey grew up in Nacogdoches, Texas, and wonders what might have been if he were somewhere else. In conversation with Thierry Henry, Dempsey says:
<blockquote>
I wish I’d a’ had someone like you, a coach, who could have helped me more. I had great coaches, they helped, but like, a coach that you had, something like that. What could I really done. I did okay. You know what I’m saying? But not like..(gestures to Henry).
</blockquote>
There’s something just so painfully wistful about Dempsey’s “I did okay.” Later he says, “I’m at peace,” but you can sense he isn’t. He defied the odds, but it clearly eats at Clint that knowledge, as opposed to talent, held him back. But what could Dempsey do? There was an absence of soccer-knowledgeable adults in rural Texas.
Let’s contrast his journey with that of his French conversation partner. Thierry Henry likes to tell a story about the coach who unlocked his potential. Not only was Henry’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thierry_Henry">father an obsessive soccer dad</a>, but Thierry acquired the right training at the right time. At INF Clairefontaine academy, Henry was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9UqGt8pLbX4">commanded to not use his speed for scoring</a>, even though it was his dominant attribute. That bit of guidance set him on the path to all-time greatness.
In summary, Europe dominates us at this sport with two large advantages: A culture of adult-led cultivation, feeding into academies that benefit the world’s best teams. I just don’t understand how we can, as presently constructed, disrupt Europe’s edge over us. Even as more of us become soccer-heads, they’re compounding the advantage with a newer superior generation building on the older superior generation.
We have the money. We have the athletes. We now have the interest. What we lack is generational connective tissue, and I have no clue how we’d ever acquire it on a level that allows us to beat our Euro foes. I should believe in this nation. We’ve accomplished a great many things and continue to. But even though we put a man on the moon, I’m losing faith that we can ever put the ball in the net.
I’ll close with this. There’s a massive, fancy soccer hub near where I live, called the <a href="https://copastc.com/media-kit/">COPA Soccer Training Center</a>. Parents of local soccer prodigies know it well. It’s a “90,000–117,000 sq ft facility with multiple training zones,” and I was blown away by the place when visiting for a kids’ birthday party. This expansive, modern interior is a testament to American wealth and recent will to finally succeed on the world stage. Plenty of kids use the training center. That part is taken care of. But does it have the adults?
Related: Would it occur to Europeans that they should make money off such a place as weekend kids’ birthday party setting? I’d assume the Euros would view this side hustle like generations prior would have regarded playing soccer in a church.
***
Ethan Strauss is the creator of the Substack House of Strauss. He is a former NBA PR gopher, basketblogger, and NBA beat writer.

Father and son train and play in a soccer field.

America Doesn’t Need Soccer Moms, We Need Soccer Dads

youth sports

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