The beautiful game is currently playing mud wrestling

If you thought the 2026 World Cup was just about football, you clearly haven't been paying attention to the absolute circus unfolding off the pitch. We have politicians interfering in red-card suspensions, betting irregularities being treated like suggestions rather than mandates, and the usual collection of post-final meltdowns.

The Norwegian Football Federation is currently weighing up a formal complaint to the Fifa ethics committee, all because Donald Trump apparently decided to call Gianni Infantino to talk through Folarin Balogun’s mandatory red-card ban. Yes, really. As The Guardian reported, Norway views this as a slippery slope toward total institutional decay.

Argentina’s collective ego is in orbit

After Spain walked away with a 1-0 win in the final in New Jersey, the Argentinian fanbase didn't exactly handle it with grace. We are currently seeing a petition to replay the match because, apparently, 'corruption' is the only explanation for not winning two titles on the bounce.

The Argentina FA is currently trying to mop up the mess after conspiracy theories went mainstream, largely spurred by a particularly heated pre-match speech from Lionel Messi. To top it off, Nicolas Otamendi managed to go out on a sour note: a retirement announcement following a heated spat with Rodri, confirming that the defensive veteran is officially hanging up his boots.

The transfer market is the only thing moving

While the world burns, the money continues to flow. Chelsea are acting like they have an infinite cheat code, and they are heavy favourites to drop £30 million on yet another teenager in Kerim Alajbegovic. It is the classic Todd Boehly move: buy everything that breathes and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have officially hit a wall with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott. They’ve been priced out entirely, leaving them scrambling for a midfielder as the window nears its close. It’s hard to watch scouts struggle to close deals while the rest of the league is signing everyone from Beth Mead to fresh stars of the tournament.

Socceroos, speed, and scandal

Because the drama never ends, we have to talk about Cristian Volpato. The Aussie forward was pulled over twice on the Anzac Bridge yesterday, allegedly driving nearly 50km/h over the limit. According to reports, the 22-year-old also returned a positive roadside test for cocaine.

It’s a brutal look for a player trying to establish himself. Between this, the betting irregularities flagged by independent experts, and the spike in domestic abuse reports tied to England games, this tournament has been an absolute PR catastrophe from start to finish.