Brazil has been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 2-1 loss to Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, in which superstar striker Erling Haaland scored two goals and entered the top of the Golden Boot race. Haaland scored his first goal in the 11th minute of Sunday's contest on a cross in from winger Andreas Schjelderup that he headed in. Haaland scored again in the 90th minute to secure the win for Norway. It was his first goal of the tournament that wasn't scored on a one-touch finish; the other six were. Haaland has now scored seven goals this tournament, tied with Kylian Mbapp and Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot leader board. Brazil got one back in stoppage time on a penalty from Neymar, who subbed on in the 67th minute and scored in what is likely to be his final World Cup. Brazil nearly found the equalizer at several points during the match, but wasn't able to thanks to a heroic performance from Norway goalkeeper rjan Nyland, who had four saves, including a penalty save earlier in the match against Bruno Guimares to keep the score level in the 13th minute. Norway will advance to its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal. It will play the winner of Mexico vs. England. This is Brazil's earliest elimination from the World Cup since Italy 1990. Brazil hasn't beaten a European team in a knockout game since winning the 2002 final over Germany.

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US striker Folarin Balogun received a red card for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Charlotte Wilson)FIFA cleared US star striker Folarin Balogun to play in the World Cup co-hosts' showdown with Belgium despite his red-card ban after a personal phone call from President Donald Trump, it emerged Sunday, igniting a furious row that has rocked the tournament.Balogun had been set to miss Monday's last-16 knockout clash with the Belgians after receiving a straight red card following video review for stepping on the foot of a Bosnian defender in a round-of-32 clash that the USwon 2-0.Under FIFA rules, a straight red card automatically triggers a one-game ban, which cannot be appealed by the player's team.But world football's governing body said Sunday the ban will now be suspended for a year, in a stunning move for which no specific explanation was offered.Two sources familiar with the matter told AFP that Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino asking him to review Balogun's punishment."Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.The decision was immediately slammed by Belgian football officials, who released a statement saying they are "astonished" by a move that is in "direct contradiction" with FIFA's own rules.The Royal Belgian Football Association is "investigating all potential options" to "safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport," it said."I didn't know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April, and that it's April Fool's Day," added Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, at a press conference.Trump spoke with Infantino on Wednesday, the same day that the red card was given, sources told AFP on condition of anonymity.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also publicly called for the card to be rescinded.The decision to suspend the ban was taken by FIFA's disciplinary committee.- 'Boost' -Top scorer Balogun has been key to the USA's progress in the tournament, netting three times, and his absence against Belgium would have been a blow to the team in the game in Seattle.The stakes are huge for the co-hosts. Playing on home soil, a strong US start to the tournament has raised expectations to fever-pitch levels among the American public.The co-hosts are targeting a historic run to at least the quarter-finals, which they have not reached since 2002, or even further.Balogun himself had said Friday the red card ban was "something I have to just accept."But US players and officials welcomed the news Sunday."It's a fair decision because it should have never been a red card," said head coach Mauricio Pochettino, calling the punishment "too big" for an uninentional foul."It's not that we are victims, but we are not the bad men, the mean ones here," he said.Star forward Christian Pulisic called the decision a "boost" while governing body US Soccer said it was "pleased."- 'Surprise' -In its statement, FIFA pointed to "article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code" which allows the suspension to be "suspended for a probationary period of one year."Balogun would serve the ban only if he commits another similar foul in the next year, it said.There is some precedent for the decision.Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo earned a three-game ban for an elbow during qualifying last year, but had two matches of his ban suspended.The move, which allowed Ronaldo to play in Portugal's World Cup opener, drew criticism at the time."We're not defending the national team or the federation. We are defending football, whether it's ethics or integrity," said coach Garcia on Sunday, as Belgium protested the latest U-turn.Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said it was "a bit of a surprise" that Balogun was cleared to play just a day before the match."Had it been done earlier, we'd have been able to be mentally more prepared, perhaps," he said.amz/rcw

Surprised? Then you haven't been paying attention. Norway just beat Brazil, 2-1, to reach its first-ever quarterfinal, and the wildest part is that it wasn't even a smash-and-grab. Norway had nearly 70% possession. Norway controlled the tempo. Norway had Erling Haaland, the only superstar who showed up today. Brazil had 34 percent possession, a missed penalty, a missed sitter, and now a very long flight home. The five-time champions are out in the round of 16. Sit with that. Then remember Norway has never not once, not ever lost to Brazil. Four games before tonight, zero defeats. Make it five. Here are my four takeaways from a night Norwegian football will never forget: 1. Brazil Crash Out. And Honestly? They Earned It. Let's cut to the chase and say the truth. Carlo Ancelotti's team simply wasn't good enough. They lost their aura. The "jogo bonito" is long gone. Brazil set up like a provincial read that again, Brazil, at a World Cup, barely touching the ball and there was zero swagger in their play, zero Brazilian identity, zero of anything that makes that legendary yellow shirt mean something. Just a gray, joyless side waiting to counter. And when the moments came, the finishing was criminal. rjan Nyland saved Bruno Guimares's first-half penalty. Then Endrick, played clean through by Vincius Jnior, produced a first touch so heavy it needed its own boarding pass and poked the sitter wide. Endrick perhaps showed why Ancelotti was so reluctant to use him in this tournament. That's the game, right there. Neymar's stoppage-time penalty was useless, and the trash-talking between him and Nyland before and after the penalty was quite frankly an embarrassment for the former superstar now in the twilight of his career. Brazil will miss the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 36 years. On this evidence, nobody should be shocked. 2. My Dark Horse Delivered. You Were Warned. I called Norway my favorite dark horse before this tournament, and nights like this are exactly why. This wasn't luck. Norway stepped onto the field with the clear intention of dominating from the opening whistle. They pressed them ferociously, and dictated the tempo like a giant of the game. Martin degaard ran the game. Patrick Berg even had a curler chalked off for offside. Brazil chased shadows in their own round of 16. If you watched qualifying, none of this is new. Norway went a perfect eight-for-eight, scored 37, conceded five, and beat Italy twice including 4-1 at the San Siro. Haaland scored 16 times in eight qualifiers. Brazil? The worst qualifying campaign in their history. Fifth place, six defeats, humiliated 4-1 in Buenos Aires, three managers deep before Ancelotti. One team arrived in form. It just wasn't the one in yellow. 3. The Ramifications for Brazil Are Seismic. The historic weight of this result is hard to overstate. Brazil, out before the quarterfinals for the first time since 1990. The wait for a sixth star now stretches beyond 2002 into a sixth straight World Cup territory this nation has never known. Tactically, Ancelotti got it wrong. He surrendered midfield to degaard and company, turned Brazil into a Catenaccio (tactically defensive door-bolt) side, and asked an aging spine Casemiro, Danilo, Marquinhos, all thirtysomethings to survive Norway's press. Japan exposed those legs a week ago. Norway buried them. But let's be honest: this was bigger than one game plan. This Brazilian team is flawed at its core old in the wrong places, timid in possession, and toothless in the box. The flaws that flickered in qualifying and against Japan showed up at the worst possible moment, in the biggest game. Flawed teams don't survive knockout football. Brazil didn't either. 4. One Superstar Showed Up. His Name Is Erling Haaland. Vincius Jnior versus Erling Haaland was the billing. Only one of them answered. As Zlatan Ibrahimovi said on air: Haaland needs one touch to score one goal. He got two, he scored two. A towering header in the 79th minute to break Brazil, then a thunderbolt from the top of the box in the 90th that Alisson Becker could only wave at. A brace, seven goals in the tournament, level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbapp in the Golden Boot race, and the single greatest result in the history of Norwegian football delivered on his back. And spare a roar for rjan Nyland, who was magnificent again the penalty save from Guimares, a string of stops on Rayan and Bruno Guimares, and one absurd backwards fingertip claw off his own post. Norway is in the quarterfinals for the first time ever. England or Mexico await in Miami. Believe it now?

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Mauricio Pochettino on return from suspension of USMNT striker Folarin Balogun: 'We are not the bad guys here' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Head coach Mauricio Pochettino said Sunday he celebrated the decision to restore the eligibility of U.S. men's national team striker Folarin Balogun but pointed out this is not an unprecedented decision, and he does not want the USMNT to be perceived or portrayed as "the bad men" in this situation.Pochettino conducted his press conference in advance of Monday's World Cup Round of 16 game against Belgium just hours after Balogun's mandatory one-game suspension for receiving a red card in the team's most recent game was, for lack of a better word, suspended. FIFA employed a relatively obscure item in its disciplinary code to instead impose a one-year probationary period for Balogun.The Belgian FA announced it was "astonished" by Balogun's return. Belgian coach Rudi Garcia compared the decision to "April Fools".Pochettino did not wish to identify other players who have had such penalties withdrawn or delayed but emphasized it's "important" to recognize this is not an isolated situation. It's well known Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo owed two games of a three-game suspension entering this World Cup but received the same probationary period as Balogun and thus has appeared in every game in this tournament.In 1962, after Brazil superstar Garrincha was ejected from a semifinal victory over Chile, his suspension was removed so he could play in the final. Brazil won its second world title by defeating Czechoslovakia.MORE:FIFA's Balogun decision is the right call done in the wrong way"I don't understand how people can be surprised. This has happened in the past. It's not something extraordinary that's only happened for us," Pochettino said. "And we have seen many plays in this World Cup that were not punished, and I'm happy for this, because it would have been unfair."We were punished enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina to play with 10 men 30 minutes in a decision that was completely unfair. It's not only because I am the head coach of the national team and I need to defend my side. It's because I see 100 percent or 99 percent, because always some people we all agree that was an unfair red card."Maybe today, we are not here talking between us because if we concede a goal and we play 30 minutes more we played 35 minutes with 10 men and we go and play 30 minutes more, more than one hour, and we concede again and we lose the game, today we are not talking and no one is going to talk about this."Pochettino said this development is good for the sport because it "opens the possibility to repair, a little bit, the bad decisions". Unlike major soccer leagues, the FIFA World Cup does not have a defined process for appealing red-card suspensions. This might convince the sport's governing body to consider such a mechanism.Balogun was shown a red card in the 64thminute of the USMNT's victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup Round of 32. There initially was no call when defender Tarik Muharemovic collided with Balogun as the American attempted to field a pass up the sideline from teammate Antonee Robinson. The video assistant referee called for referee Raphael Claus to examine the play, and slow-motion replay indicated Balogun stepped on Muharemovic's right ankle and achilles.Pochettino said he learned of the decision allowing Balogun to play before the team began its training session Sunday. He said he was unaware of any comments or involvement from U.S. President Donal Trump because he had not had the opportunity to examine social media. Pochettino said he did not participate in any effort to restore Balogun to active status but commended U.S. Soccer and chief executive officer J.T. Batson."That situation happened before," Pochettino said. "I think it's fair, the decision, not to punish more. I think it was enough, and now [we] focus on the game."I was focused on trying to prepare the team to face Belgium, working on different options and trying to play tomorrow with our best, in our best condition."Pochettino seemed to be critical of how VAR was applied in Balogun's case, going back to when he was coaching at Tottenham Hotspur and the replay process first was being discussed, and how application of slow-motion video could impact one's judgment."The problem is not VAR. It's how we are going to use [it]," Pochettino said. "Who's going to drive the VAR? That's the problem. Who is going to drive the Ferrari or Mercedes?"To lose a game in the World Cup is tough for a player. If a player we are going to face in an unfair way is suspended, and he cannot be able to play for your national team, it's really tough. Because after, you maybe need to wait four years."

Following Brazil's 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16, Brazilian icon Neymar announced his international retirement. The 34-year-old forward finishes his career as the top goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian men's national team with 80 goals in 129 appearances. Neymar made his senior international debut in 2010 and appeared in four World Cup tournaments. He also competed in two Olympic tournaments, winning a silver medal in 2012 and leading Brazil to a gold medal in 2016. The Brazilian forward made two appearances, both as a substitute, at the 2026 World Cup. He made a cameo appearance in the second half against Scotland during the group stage before he scored his lone goal of the tournament from the penalty spot in stoppage time against Norway. Norway moves on to the quarterfinal round where they will face the winner of the Round of 16 match between Mexico and England at Miami Stadium on July 11.

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Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to make the 2026 World Cup his final international tournament after a legendary career.The former Real Madrid and Manchester United talent is currently playing in his sixth World Cup. However, the Portuguese legend is ready to make a decision on his iconic career as his country prepares for a Round of 16 affair against Spain.MORE: Erling Haaland, Nyland lead Norway to shocking World Cup upset of BrazilRonaldo revealed Sunday to reporters that the 2026 World Cup is his final major tournament after originally debuting two decades ago. The Portugal standout first appeared for his nation in 2006 and has since played in the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions.Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that after 20 years and 6 tournaments, this will be his last World Cup One of the greatest to ever do it (via Alex Kirkland, @DAZNPortugal) pic.twitter.com/Vst4HFlnHy Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 5, 2026Ronaldo makes retirement announcement at World CupThe 41-year-old superstar made World Cup history in June when he became the first man to score in six straight World Cups. Ronaldo managed to score twice against Uzbekistan to extend his impressive scoring record.Ronaldo now sits on 11 World Cup goals, which marks ninth all-time in the tournaments history. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Miroslav Klose are the three top goalscorers in the competition.A Ronaldo retirement is a major milestone for Portugal on various levels, but its certainly a huge blow to soccer. The legendary scorer exudes aura in the most popular sport on the planet, whether it be his trademark celebration or incredible fitness routine.MORE: Belgium astonished by Folarin Balogun red card decision, rips FIFAPortugal aims to get past the team with the best odds to win the World Cup prior to the tournament starting; Spain. The Round of 16 meeting between the two European giants marks a rematch of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League final.Cristiano Ronaldo poses with a shirt of Diogo Jota as Portugal qualify for the Round of 16 at the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Jeenah Moon-Reuters via Imagn ImagesRonaldo and Co. emerged victorious in that game after defeating Spain 2-2 (5-3 on penalty kicks). However, the Round of 16 matchup could see the winner make a very deep run in the World Cup.