In short
The episode is a World Cup roundup focused on England’s 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca, Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil, and the fallout from FIFA suspending and then reinstating US player Folarin Balogun for the next match. Guests discuss key storylines: England’s altitude and crowd challenges, Mexico’s momentum, and individual heroics—especially goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and midfielder Jude Bellingham. Bellingham is praised for two goals, major defensive work, and relentless running; examples include a crucial first-half clearance and his leadership late on. Norway’s win is attributed to Erling Haaland’s brace (including a determined header and a calm finish) and Norway’s game plan to control and counter, plus goalkeeper performance. The episode also covers FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s red card (12-month suspended sentence) and the controversy over ethics/integrity and precedent.
Guests
Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop, Jermaine Jenas, and Jürgen Klinsmann.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOEngland vs. Mexico Match Breakdown
2:17 to 3:56
A detailed analysis of the England vs. Mexico match and its critical moments.
“And it was a game that had so many storylines as it developed.”
Heroic Performances in England's Victory
3:56 to 5:47
Discussion on the standout performances of Jude Bellingham and Jordan Pickford.
“Jude Bellingham looked like that man who was prepared to take the country on his shoulders.”
Team Spirit and Tactical Decisions
5:47 to 9:19
Insights into England's team spirit and tactical decisions during the match.
“Yeah, I think England had, I think the football is a momentum scheme, right?”
Jude Bellingham's Impact and Tuchel's Influence
9:19 to 14:01
Analyzing Jude Bellingham's performance and the influence of Thomas Tuchel.
“you're already on the limit, but you come always back in altitude.”
Bellingham's Leadership and Performance
14:01 to 18:22
Discussion on Jude Bellingham's standout performance for England, highlighting his leadership qualities and physicality.
“Well you could argue yes and it's almost like Bellingham wanted to be he wanted to be the main man for England.”
Norway's Historic Victory and Haaland's Brilliance
20:14 to 24:40
Analysis of Norway's quarterfinal victory over Brazil, focusing on Erling Haaland's performance and the team's tactics.
“For the first time ever, Norway are in the quarterfinals of the World Cup after defeating Brazil by two goals to one.”
Haaland's Impact and Confidence
24:40 to 28:00
Detailed examination of Erling Haaland's playing style, determination, and the implications for future matches.
“I mean, there will be a fantastic game now if Norway play England.”
Norway's Rising Threat with Haaland
28:00 to 31:03
Discussing Norway's potential and Haaland's impact in the tournament.
“But then even too, if you look at the first goal, how high he overjumps Gabriel.”
FIFA's Controversial Red Card Decision
32:56 to 42:00
Analyzing the implications of FIFA's decision regarding Balogun's red card.
“He's been so good for us this tournament, so to have him for tomorrow is obviously really exciting for us.”
Football, Politics, and Referee Decisions
42:00 to 45:41
Explores how player popularity and national identity influence game decisions.
“The Messi, no VR even check for a yellow card, never got a yellow card, never mind check for a red card, was proof.”
Show all 15 chapters
England vs. Mexico: Match Recap
46:46 to 50:24
Details the thrilling performance of England against Mexico in the World Cup.
“Taking a look then, just a reminder, the quarterfinal lineup is set between Norway and England.”
Looking Ahead: England vs. Norway
50:24 to 52:20
Discusses the upcoming match between England and Norway, analyzing team strengths.
“Yeah, well, immense as this display was, does it actually answer questions about the English defence, questions that Norway are going to pose?”
Extra Time: Reflecting on the Game
52:20 to 52:52
Hosts reflect on the game's challenges and performances, with humor and banter.
“Are you going to watch England versus Norway with your...”
England's Performance Analysis
56:00 to 59:06
Discussion on the performance of England's players, particularly Pickford and Bellingham.
“The defence has to know you're coming, so they make adjustments until they're dropping back onto the line, whatever it may be.”
Upcoming Matches Preview
59:06 to 59:41
Preview of upcoming matches including Portugal vs Spain and USA vs Belgium.
“And after all that, he's put Balogun on the bench.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Look, the economy is a lot right now, and if you're a small business owner, you probably feel it. You can't control interest rates or tariffs, but you can control how efficiently your business operates. Automating payroll and HR with Gusto is one of the fastest ways to cut friction and focus on what actually moves the needle. Gusto is online payroll and benefit software built for small businesses. It's all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use, so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. It's quick and simple to switch to Gusto. Just transfer your existing data to get up and running fast.
0:38Plus, don't pay a cent until you run your first payroll, and get direct access to certified HR experts to help support you through any tough HR situation. There's a reason Gusto is ranked number one on G2's highest satisfaction products list for 2026 and trusted by over 400 ,000 small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com slash FC and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash FC. One more time, gusto.com slash FC.
1:18What a day of World Cup football. Incredible scenes from all around the world. This is in England as England book a place in the last eight of the World Cup, defeating Mexico by three goals to two. We also see Norway knock out Brazil.
1:43Look how quiet and beautiful New York looks tonight. Goodness me. For some of us, it has not been that tranquil. What a game. What an evening. What a sport this is. England beating Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca. Norway beating Brazil 2-1. And Paligan somehow is playing tomorrow. So much to talk about in today's show. Craig Burley's here. Shaka Hisslop, Jermaine Jones. We also welcome in Jürgen Klinsmann. This could be a very long show today, but we haven't got long to discuss all these topics. So we'll kick off with a game that just finished at Azteca. England taking on Mexico. And it was a game that had so many storylines as it developed.
2:28Mexico with a dominant side. England quickly got two goals to take a 2-0 lead. Mexico got one back just before the break. England then had Qantas sent off in the second half. But Harry Kane converted a penalty to make it 3-1. Mexico then, 10 minutes later, were given their own penalty that Raul Jimenez would convert and England just parked the bus and then some for the final 20 minutes and those wonderful 11 minutes of injury time as well. But in the end, they hold on. Everyone else can speak now. The whole green room was sort of watching you because you went off to watch a chunk of the game somewhere else.
3:05Yes. And you came back in for the last 20 minutes, which was nothing really happening in the last 20 minutes. No, but it felt like two hours. It's like when you're on a treadmill and you think, well, I've run a long way this time. I mean, I don't know where to start with most of the games, but you have to give, bear in mind all the things we talked about with the altitude issues and how the England players were going to cope with it. And then the crowd and the Aztec and this Mexican team that had the whole country behind them. And they really threw everything at England, but maybe just lacked that bit of quality in the final third.
3:42but for England you have to give them an immense amount of credit. How they dug in, ten men, how tired they were at the end or for most of the second half, how much work they had to do. The performances of Pickford and Jude Bellingham in particular. Jude Bellingham looked like that man who was prepared to take the country on his shoulders. Not only the two goals but the defensive work, the clearance he had in the first half from the centre-half. He was a yard out and he managed to get his leg in there. His work rate, everything that Tuchel had sort of questioned and prodded him in the build-up to the World Cup.
4:21I've spoken to Jude Bellingham, I've left him out the squad, I've talked to him about his work rate. He was running and running, even at the end, still going in Pickford was brilliant. Look, it wasn't an England performance that will last in the memory in terms of the way they played. Yeah, but in terms of the scoreline, what was at stake and the effort that these boys put in, that was a 10 out of 10.
4:46Frank Leboeuf:Listen, I've sat here before and said you give players an excuse to lose a game, nine times out of 10 they take it. And let's be honest, England had every single excuse to lose this. But Craig mentioned the heroic performances from the individuals and in Pickford and Bellingham in particular. One highlight I will draw, probably about 30 minutes in, ball goes out, Declan Wright chases it down, camera cuts to him and he looks absolutely exhausted and you felt that that was who England were at that time 30 minutes into the game yet nobody ever stopped everybody was throwing their body on the line getting in the way of things especially when when it mattered later on into this game I did not see a performance like this from England in those circumstances being able to chase things down just being able to to get in the way of things when when was needed most and And in the end, it may not be remembered for the football, but it will be remembered for the grit, the determination, the conditions, everything that England showed themselves to be in the moment when they needed to be.
5:51Frank Leboeuf:It's quite dramatic, Jermaine. Yeah, I think England had, I think the football is a momentum scheme, right? And England had the moments, the moments in the situations. And I think every time they had them, they punished Mexico. So Mexico was always good in the game. I would say if you look at the 90 minutes, Mexico was the better team. But every time England had to step up, if it's the first goal or second goal, then they get the red card. And the next thing is straight away they get a penalty. You know, England, and they punished Mexico again. So I think that was – you were able to see every time when Mexico felt like we have the push to come, they got punished.
6:31Bellingham was there. The next time, Bellingham was there. what I said before, then the penalty. All over, if I look at it, we discussed it yesterday and we said there was a lot of teams that don't play good football. Today we knew with the condition everything would be not easy for England to go there and you saw it, that they struggled, but you have them give them credit for how they set it up, how they finished it, and how they used the momentum to score the goals to punish Mexico and put it on the Mexico that Mexico has to make the game. Jürgen, your thoughts. Well, I think we all saw a thriller, a fantastic match.
7:11Maybe on a technical side, not on the highest, highest level, but, I mean, from a fighting perspective, from up and down, from a drama, we saw it all. I mean, first half, definitely, you know, Mexico tried to catch them early, tried to raise the tempo, mainly over the left side, which they tried to overload and England was prepared for it. England dropped deep and waited for counter opportunities and was, I think, technically in the right spot. Thomas Tuchel put them in a way together that really matched his plan and the way Gordon on his side and Saka on the other side sacrificed themselves for defensive work was unbelievable.
7:58And then they were waiting. They were waiting for a specific moment. And that moment came when Pickford passed the ball into a rise and then he sprinted 50, 60 yards down the right side, gave it to Saka, Saka crosses it in. And Bellingham's, Bellingham's, Jude Bellingham's run into the box is a masterpiece for teaching young kids how to get into the box and finish off a goal-scoring opportunity. Then two minutes later, they add another goal and then obviously it gets hectic and anything can happen in that staker. Anything can happen in a split second and can change the momentum, can change the sides.
8:34And England knew that it's going to be difficult. It's going to be a fight until the very end, but they accepted that fight. What really, really impressed me was the team performance by everyone, every English player. I mean, you obviously mentioned Bellingham and Pickford outstanding, but every single player just threw himself in there and was surviving. At the end, this is also a judgment of quality.
9:03They are the difference maker on a certain level when they know they have difficult circumstances. They knew that they're going to run out of gas here and there like Rice did. Xhaka said after 30 minutes, he couldn't breathe anymore. But we know those Jermaine knows they were playing there and you cannot breathe after 10 minutes. you're already on the limit, but you come always back in altitude. And so they had the spirit to every time coming back, you know, when you thought Bellingham is dead tired, please one Sunday took a sprint of 20 meters. And it was a fantastic team performance by this English side.
9:37And I tell you now that the sky is the limit for this English team because to survive there, to come out as a winning team there against this crowd in these conditions is a masterpiece of work. And now I think they can dream big. I think England has a chance to bring it all home. He got his team selection right tonight, didn't he, in terms of Saka back on the side, was a threat, created a goal with a cross, and Anthony Gordon to have the legs to run. You know, when England were under a little bit of pressure, a lot of pressure, and were defending a bit deeper, you need an out ball. And Harry Kane, as we know, is not going to run away from anybody.
10:13And he was a willing runner, as we know, Anthony Gordon. Sometimes he's a bit of a frustrating player, but he works hard and he takes that ball into the channel. He'll take it for a run and he's a bit of pressure. So he got the tactics right there. Obviously, he had an issue and he now has another issue at right back. But I don't think anybody's... There's not much debate about the red card for Kwanzaa, but he's got Rhys James injured. Jed Spence was... I think he was injured, but he was fit enough to come on in that game. So that side of the pitch is a bit of an issue for him, but in terms of the shape of the team.
10:44And then, of course, he throws on John Stones and Dan Byrne. Morgan Rogers near the end, but he rolled his dice at 75 minutes with all those changes, the defensive changes, and he basically said there's going to be 20 minutes, as it turned out it was nearly half an hour at that with the 11 minutes, there's going to be at least 20 minutes of defending, and I'm nailing my colours to the mast, stones on, burn on, and we're going to defend our box, and we're going to take our chances that way, and that's a risk, but these English boys, they literally put themselves on the line. And you can't ask for any more than that, what they've done tonight.
11:23It wasn't, you know, super brilliant football, but it was never going to be because you're going into this place, you have to figure out, do we take the game to Mexico and run out of gas or do we try and take the sting out of the game and deal with the conditions, the altitude, and we ask Mexico questions? And that's what England did. And I think if you're Mexico, you look at yourself in several moments in the game, but losing the penalty when they did from a goal kick, it's such a crucial moment. One long ball and all of a sudden a little deflection or flick on from Kane and the defender and Anthony Gordon's in and the keeper makes a rash challenge.
12:00That's too simple at any level of the game. Never mind international World Cup football where it's a knockout. Jurgen, can I ask you about Jude Belliam? Because there's been a lot of talk about the relationship that he has with Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel's been quite open with some of his criticism of the Real Madrid man. Is there any sort of mind games there in that Jude Bellingham is like, I'm going to prove you wrong because he was immense against DR Congo and today he was absolutely world class. Yeah, but those, these kind of discussions or mind games from a manager to a player, they are part of daily life in that environment because you as a coach, you have one big goal.
12:38You want to get the most out of every individual player. and since they're all different characters you try it in different ways and sometimes you need to sting certain players, you need to provoke them, you need to be maybe open in the public about the situation he was not lying, he said his personal opinion and you expect actually a reaction you want something from the player because when you do something like that and you make judgments of players in the public, your big hope as a manager is that they now respond that they want to prove the point to themselves obviously, but especially to the team and Jude Bellingham did that.
13:18This game was unbelievable, was outstanding. I mean I thought he's still probably running in the stadium. I think he's not even sitting down yet. But this is what you want from your superstars. This is what you want and we know from Harry Kane, he gives you everything anyway but now you have Jude Bellingham in the tournament. Now he's it's the big, big stage and that's why I said before I think the sky is the limit for this English side now. Bellingham looked like a and everybody had a point to prove because it's a round of 16 but he did look like a man possessed. He looked like he wanted to...
13:56So is that clever management as Jürgen says? Has Tuchel kind of gotten going? Well you could argue yes and it's almost like Bellingham wanted to be he wanted to be the main man for England. He wanted to be the guy that carried them. I've never seen him play, not in terms of his goals, I've never seen him run about like that. We're talking about altitude, where you're supposed to be knackered after 10, 20, 30 minutes. I honestly have never seen him as physical as that with the ball running away from people. Obviously, his goals are his forte. That's what he does. He times his runs into the box.
14:33And that's not an easy thing because you get people charging in all the time. it's the timing of the run and where he makes the run off the striker but it was the other part of the game that really impressed me he's just harassing and chasing and working and defending because if he doesn't defend that set piece in the first half at the back post that's the big number three I can't remember his name he's putting that in the back of the net it's moments like that these small moments that people might forget about I thought he was bearing in mind he's had a lot of criticism over the last, I don't know 12 months or so, both at Real Madrid and I suppose at England, to put in a performance like that, and I'm not singling him out, but he kind of was sticking out at times, was just
15:16Frank Leboeuf:unbelievable. I thought at times he showed a leadership quality that I certainly hadn't seen from Jude Bellingham in an England shoot. Very late on, Morgan Rodgers comes on for Harry Kane and it's Jude Bellingham who's instructing him where to go, what to do, and kind of having one-on-one conversations. This is late in the game, after Jude Bellingham has just covered every single blade of grass on the park at altitude. He's one who's kind of leading from the front for England in this most crucial moment. I do not think we can speak highly enough of Jude Bellingham's performance for England tonight.
15:45Frank Leboeuf:That's what you want as a teammate, as a player. You want your big men to step up at this stage of the tournament. Yeah, of course. I think as a teammate, you look at it and go, okay, he's the main guy even if he's young. But yeah, he showed it completely. Today he showed up, but even the games before already he showed up. I agree with Jürgen. You know, when Jürgen said sometimes as a coach you try to you know try to figure out what is better if I talk in the public if I keep it behind doors and I think but we all know the quality from Duke Bellingham and I think it was a time where he was a little bit trying to find his his fitness and all that stuff but I think now he's coming to be 100 % and I think you can see what we say like what you know what we talked is that he has that presence of you know against the ball with the ball he scores goals but the work he does without the ball, it's amazing.
16:38And it shows just even for the guys behind him to be like, hey, if he's keeping going, let's go again. Let's do it again. Work against the ball. And even with the guy down, so that he's not just walking around and thinking, no, I'm the big guy here. So he's putting the work in. And I think every coach, when you see that, you love it. Sorry, ironically, he was one of the players and one of the positions coming into this tournament. that... Will Rogers start ahead of him? There was a debate over it, not just because of Tuchel's words, but because of Morgan Rogers' form and Jude Bellingham's form.
17:13So there was a sort of debate about who would play and what we would call that number 10 role. But clearly, Thomas Tuchel knew in his mind what he wanted. It was what Jude Bellingham he was going to get. Because if he gets this Jude Bellingham at the World Cup, he's on a winner. But it's taken him to Stoke, Bellingham. And maybe make Jude Bellingham think, coming to the World Cup, am I going to be on the bench or am I actually starting here? And sometimes that's the sort of kick up the backside a player needs. I mean, we might be totally wrong, but that's certainly how it's been painted from the England camp.
17:49But you can take it even, I'll say this here, you can take it as a player right from the complete opposite side. When the coach puts you on the bench, or don't put you in the roster for camps before the World Cup, you can be like, what's going on? Why I'm not here? And you start reacting different. But he completely was the one who said, OK, I put my quiet, be quiet. Yeah. And I show him on the field, you know, and I think that speaks for Bellingham. We'll be talking about this game a lot more later on. We'll be talking about where it went wrong for Mexico. And we'll be looking ahead to England's opponents in the quarterfinals.
18:22It's not Brazil. It's Erling Haarway. Erling Haarland and Norway.
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20:21For the first time ever, Norway are in the quarterfinals of the World Cup after defeating Brazil by two goals to one. Erling Haaland, once again the star of the show with a brace, much the delight of the fans in Oslo who stayed up late to watch it. Brazil had a chance early on, Bruno with a penalty that was saved, Endrik comes on, one on one, messes it up, puts it wide and then another chance, but this time for Erling Haaland and he converts it to give Norway the lead and just such a nonchalant finish from outside the box to make it to a late penalty was completely and utterly irrelevant. A consolation goal for Brazil converted by Norway.
21:03As they go home, Norway advance to the last eight and we now know they will face England in the quarterfinals. Jürgen Klinsmann is still with us. Overall, Craig, did Norway deserve this? Yeah, I think so. I mean, Brazil had chances, obviously fluffed the chances, and Norway had a magnificent goalkeeper. But they were also a threat, and they'd done, I think, the 60-some percent possession to Brazil's 30-something. I think the whole story tells you where Brazilian football is at the moment and where Norwegian football is. One is in the doldrums in terms of the history of their country, Brazil, and the other one is on the up.
21:45producing young, talented, physical, quality footballers playing at a high level. And that's Norway. And they took their chances. Yes, Goumeres missed a penalty. But unfortunately, Ancelotti's tactics of even allowing the Norweys of this world to dominate the position and dominate the ball just hasn't worked. And I don't think that will sit well in Brazil. Not so much going out of the competition, but the way they went out of the competition. Jürgen, a word on those tactics. Carlo Ancelotti, kind of renowned for this throughout his career. He was more than happy to give Norway the ball and was looking to catch them on the break.
22:22Obviously, it almost worked with that chance for Hendrik in the second half. But in the end, this isn't the Brazil that the fans wanted to see play and certainly not the one they wanted to see exit the tournament. Yeah, I think Carlo Ancelotti wanted to play the cards the way he is used to it, you know, from a bit of his Italian background. wanted to be first very compact, safe, and then, yeah, do something on the counter break. Obviously, Vinicius Juniors most of the time and wanted to surprise them. And it worked out in terms of, you know, got the penalty, but then they missed the penalty. They had two other big chances, didn't convert, and then it became an Erlen Haaland show.
23:01And what happened over the last years with this Norwegian side is just an absolute fairy tale story. It's a country that emerged on the football global stage that is now becoming a real powerhouse. And they totally deserve to win this game. They controlled the game. I mean, obviously, as you guys said, they had majority of possession, the control. I think, you know, the passing was 3-1. It's incredible to see that. I see a little bit of a similarity to this Norwegian side to Croatia in the 90s. When Croatia came slow and step-by-step on the world stage and is now obviously in the top 10 in the world on a consistent base, I see something like that coming up with this Norwegian side, with this Norwegian country that is hungry, that is very well-educated in terms of football basics, tactically very, very smart.
24:00And they have an unbelievable fighting spirit. And yeah, I think you're going to give them a lot of compliments, a lot of credit. Obviously, they have one superstar up front there with Erling Haaland who can decide a game just in a heartbeat. But Brazil has them too. I mean, with Vinicius Jr., you have also somebody that could do that. It was nice at least to see Neymar come on onto the stage real quick and at least convert a penalty kick at the end. But Brazil is in a very dark moment, similar to other powerhouses like Holland and Germany, for example. and they have to figure out a way to get out of this mess and restart again.
24:39Meanwhile, this Norwegian side, they are capable to go even further. I mean, there will be a fantastic game now if Norway play England. There's no doubt about it. Jürgen, talk to me about Erling Haaland. Well, Erling Haaland, I mean, you can see there's a kid. I mean, kid, I mean, as a young adult in terms of very determined, very focused in what he's doing, he's a bit similar to the early stage of Cristiano Ronaldo, almost 20 years ago. He lives for his job, for his job is to score goals. He lives for his profession to be a top athlete. He's hungry. He's never satisfied. He wants always more.
Read the full transcript
25:22The determination that he had with both goals, but especially the header. When you saw that header, he came from a little bit behind. He was so determined to overjump the Brazilian defender. He knew exactly where he wants to put that ball into the right corner, bottom corner. It is a piece of determination that you want to show young strikers in order to learn. The second goal, the shot out of 20 yards between the legs of the Brazilian defender, was a bit sloppy defending from Brazil, but also there he puts the ball down. he's calm, he kind of looks at the goal at the split second and boom he executes and this is just world class and what the fascinating part I think we experience right now all of us in this World Cup is that the big big names that we discussed prior to the World Cup they all have shown up, they all are there Mbappé, Haaland, Harry Kane and so on, it's an unbelievable competition and it seems that it's getting better every day He didn't even celebrate his second goal.
26:28Well, I know he was celebrating, but it was like... I know. It was like an Eric Cantona moment, the former French great player from Man United, when he scored this goal at Old Trafford. And he just sort of saluted the crowd to say, I'm the man. And I know Ellen Haaland is not that arrogant individual, but he almost... It was like, I'm meant to be here. That second goal, he just... It was like... I don't know. It was a little weird. And Jürgen's right, his first one, if you watch it, he's really clever. because he goes behind Gabriel. And we'll talk before, was there rivalry sitting in Arsenal, wasn't it?
27:00As soon as he took his eye off, as soon as Gabriel took his eye off him for a split second, he made a run across him and that was it. That was the death knell for him. All he needed was the ball to come in. It was a brilliant ball. He was, and he didn't, his involvement in the game wasn't, was as usual. He let other people do the work in terms of passing the ball around. He didn't have a lot to do, but he just comes alive when it's anywhere near that 18-yard box. What's interesting, Jermaine, is that not once before this tournament do we have the discussion, or do you think the nerves will get to Erling Haaland, his first World Cup, the pressure, all of the nation's expectations on his shoulder.
27:37Because you just know it with him. He just loves it, embraces it. Yeah, he loves scoring goals. Yes. This is number one. And then I think he's still young, too, that he enjoys. When you see what he's doing outside of the game, he's walking around with Cowboy Head. Yeah, social media is fun. Social media. He's doing like videos. He's tagging like the players he play against in the videos. And so, and I think he just enjoys it. But then even too, if you look at the first goal, how high he overjumps Gabriel. And Gabriel is not a small guy. So, but he loves to battle. So, and if he gets that moment, especially in the box, he likes to be, you know, physical.
28:15He likes to be with you in that battle. But then is that too, like if you give him a little bit of an inch of, you know, that he can shoot from outside, he would take that shot and you can see that you know the celebration after shows you kind of how he is you know he walks just off kind of who are you guys you know i i finished you and um and it speaks for him yeah there's this this team norway is it's it's a in my eyes a dangerous team because they have individual good players especially the three in the front and then the two behind and um they can hurt everybody and with the confidence with harlan what he has everybody who plays them, especially now England, has to be really careful.
28:54It's not just Haaland, Jack. 35-year-old goalkeeper between the sticks. Hardly played for Sevilla this season.
28:59Frank Leboeuf:And a belter. I thought he was the best player on the park. And hence, I feel a bit conflicted in talking about Norway because I want to say Nyland was the best player on the park, but then they were fully deserving of beating Brazil at the same time. So, listen, Brazil didn't have their moments. And the thing about Norway, the thing about Haaland is they are just enjoying everything that comes their way. I don't think as good a qualifying campaign as they had. Nobody expected them to go this far in the tournament. Nobody expected them to look this good in going this far in the tournament. And so they are just enjoying the moment for what it is.
29:34Frank Leboeuf:And it shows. Also, we knew kind of that Norway defensively, that was their Achilles heel. Could they cope? They haven't tried to overdo things. They haven't tried to overcompensate or overplay at the same time. You start up front with Nussan and Soloth, who is not a winger, but is an outstanding option to have as an out ball. You make two changes at halftime to bring on Bob and Sheldrup to play those flanks and just put the ball into Erling Haaland. And then you ask your midfielders just to sit and defend and protect your back four. Simple. And when you have players who know, understand their roles as they do, when you have Erling Haaland, as good as he is, a goal scorer as he is, and then Nyland and the kind of form that he's shown in this game, all tournament, that's a pretty good starting point for Norway here.
30:29Jürgen, before we let you go, let's get your prediction for Saturday's game, shall we? Norway, England. I think they're going to go to penalty shootout. Oh, my God. Of course you'd say that. Absolutely.
30:43Frank Leboeuf:11-11 penalties. Thanks, Jürgen. Very good. And Xhaka can pick the better goalkeeper then. Yeah, exactly. Both had betters today. Jürgen, thank you very much, mate. Much appreciated. Coming up after the break, we'll be discussing the big news coming out of the US camp today as FIFA have suspended the red card of Balogun. He will be able to play against Belgium. This has caused, of course, a lot of reaction around the world. Positive from the U.S., not so much from some others.
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32:33And with as soon as the same day funding, you could hit the ground running ASAP. Apply today with no fees required at SoFi.com slash Debt Rebound. Loans originated by SoFi Bank, NA member, FDIC. Terms and conditions apply, NMLS, 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash Debt Rebound. For us, it gives us a boost. We're really excited. He's been so good for us this tournament, so to have him for tomorrow is obviously really exciting for us. I think we're all very excited. Flo's done really well with leading the line so far and scoring some important goals for us.
33:11Frank Leboeuf:So ultimately, I think it gives us a little bit of extra confidence. We found out this morning, and I think for us, just to know that we're able to have that kind of guy that come in that has an impact like he has, knowing that we're able to kind of prepare, especially the day before the game with him. I think that just makes us even more confident. and we're able to go in and now it's how can we mentally prepare after finding these news and keep that composure to be able to go in tomorrow and still make an impact.
33:37Balogun is back despite receiving a red card in that clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Four days later, FIFA have decided to give him a 12-month suspended sentence, if you like, so he will play against Belgium. We will be available to play against Belgium on Monday. Here's his coach. My reaction, I think, is like everyone that really loved the sport and trust on the ethic and integrity. You know, I think we celebrate all that decision. we were punished enough again Bosnia and Segovina to play with 10 men 30 minutes in a decision that was complete unfair but it's not only because I am the head coach of the US men national team I need to defend my side only because I think it's 100 % or 99 % because there are always some people, you know, but 99.9 % that we all, you know, agree that was an unfair red card.
34:58Maybe Belgium part of the 0.1. The Royal Belgian Football Association is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Florian Balogun eligible to play in the US-Belgian match on Monday. Article 66.4 of the FIFA disciplinary code clearly provides red card sending off automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during the FIFA World Cup. Donald Trump tweeted this about their decision. Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice. President Donald J. Trump. Shaka.
35:44Frank Leboeuf:first of all let me say i did not think it was a red card i i thought uh balagan was was harshly adjudged i did not think it was a red card but it was shown a red card he was shown a red card they are called the referee over the monitor the referee had a look and a judge to be a red card i like most in football thought that that meant not only do you miss the rest of the game but you also miss one more on top of it. There are appeals processes in place, which I thought apply to everybody across the board, regardless. FIFA did nothing in terms of their own timelines or the usual timelines. And then all of a sudden, four days later, we have an overturning of that decision.
36:31Frank Leboeuf:Now, Mauricio Pochettino is talking about the ethics and integrity of the process. I could not disagree more. Now, many have questioned the morality of FIFA for quite some time, long before this current administration, rightly or wrongly. But what everybody has been able to believe in is the integrity of the sport. Even if you don't agree with the morality of the organization, you've been able to believe in the integrity of the sport. I think that integrity has been shot and I cannot see it being revived. How are we in a place in talking about ethics and integrity, knowing full well that one person, whether we talking a politician or otherwise, but we now know that one politician can make a call or two and have a footballing decision reversed.
37:29Frank Leboeuf:I don't see how this is good for the game on any single level. And again, I did not think it was a red card. But now we know, now we know, now for all those of us who coped with the lack of morality but believed in the integrity, that is not there for us to hope for in any more. for us to hang our hats on in terms of our belief in this game anymore. So I don't know where FIFA, I don't know where football goes with this going forward. But I'm sorry, I think this is damaging far beyond whether Balogun can play or not. Never mind what comes of the result and depending on what Belgium's response is, I can go on for another five minutes about what I think they should do there.
38:23Frank Leboeuf:That's just a start. Gianni Infantino and his organisation are telling the world, we can do what we want and you can do nothing about it and we're not even going to try and hide it. What do we do? I agree with what Shaq's saying. I didn't think it was a red card. But it was a subjective call from the referee. You give a red, agree or disagree, that's the sport. You have to take that suspension. Every red card has been a suspension at a World Cup. We've seen a player sent off in the Azteca tonight, Kwanzaa, playing right back for England. What do FIFA do? Is he now available for the Norway game?
39:08Because England will say, hey, you've set a precedent. And they'll say, well, no, no, that was definitely a red card. Well, that's subjective. I mean, we think it was, but it's a subjective call. It's not a factual call. And England are within the rights to say, had it been Gerald Conzer or Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham or a superstar or whoever it was, we want this player available for the quarterfinal against Norway because you set a precedent with the hosts and the Balogun decision. That's the mess we're in. Jermaine? You know, we hear it here on the table. It's clearly that we say all it was not a red card, right?
39:46So that's the number one thing. So then the second was for me The referee went to look at it and he decided red card. Yeah, so then you have time Whoever we sit on the table the committee and they discussed about it You had time to come out as FIFA what they did in this day We stand to the red card. So and then it takes four more days And then you come out and you say we take it back or you keep the red card But we're moving on and you'll be suspended and then comes all the story out and I think that is what damage everything Everything what comes after that what was said who was called who was talking to who and I think that is not good for the football But I think in general of course Maybe it's a little bit American in me that I say he's important player for the country and he had it was not a red card in so So, yeah, at the end, I have to agree.
40:40Now you have to look from the opposite side, that all the teams who will maybe be in the same position at one point will be like, you did it there. Why you not do it now with us? So now you open the door to a conversation where you don't want to have. Because at the end, we said it, the referee went to watch it, and he makes the last decision. So if he decided red card, it is a red card. then you cannot come back and decide, oh, we're over-calling him now because we decided. And if you do it, then FIFA has to do it. We all know. We all know why this has been overturned. We all know where the pressures came from.
41:20However, FIFA and Gianni Infantino as an organization have a duty to rebuke any advances to influence a sporting decision. and they have not. So they have left themselves with a shell of any decency here. They've left themselves absolutely open to everyone that says this organisation is, I'm not going to say corrupt, but I'm going to say borderline just does what they want, right? And the Club World Cup was proof. The Ronaldo suspended sentence was proof. The Messi, no VR even check for a yellow card, never got a yellow card, never mind check for a red card, was proof. The fact that this player plays for a host nation and he's in everybody's talking about it is proof.
42:17That decisions are influenced by the popularity of individuals and countries and beyond that. And that's not a good place to be in. Because as I said, England are going to be well within their rights to ask what the decision is going to be on the right back it was sent off this evening.
42:36Frank Leboeuf:For as long as I've played, for as long as I've been involved in this game, I have heard that football and politics do not mix. That's been FIFA's stance for as long as I can remember. I can point to any number of instances that just rebukes that, but they've stuck to that line, that football and politics do not mix. Gianni Infantino and FIFA going forward can never utter that sentence again. Not after what we witnessed today. And which is why I say there are so many levels to this that is damaging to the game beyond recognition, in my opinion. This is nothing against the US or Balogun. I've loved watching them play.
43:19I love to see this kid having a great World Cup. It was frustrating to see him being sent off. But you have to stand by the decisions whether we like them or not. And what does that mean for the referee tomorrow, by the way? Like, how much are you second-guessing yourself even more?
43:33Frank Leboeuf:What does it mean for your referee in every single game for the rest of this tournament? Knowing full well that a couple of calls can be made and your authority completely revoked. I find this so ridiculous. And the thing is, for me, as I look at this in a bigger context, the best result for FIFA is for Belgium to win the game. If the U.S. go on and win this game with Balogun involved, it opens up legal processes. It just opens up all kinds of cans of all kinds of worms that I do not think FIFA want. I do not think they necessarily want to be able to pay. So now this kind of political interference to overturn, not overturn the ban, but suspend the ban, could be absolutely the worst thing for the U.S.
44:31Frank Leboeuf:men's national team in the longer run. Because if FIFA's lawyers have two brain cells between them, they are anticipating how damaging, how financially damaging this could be. Jermaine, you've got to go on SportsCenter. We'll let you go. Thank you very much, Jermaine. Of course, we'll be heavily involved in our coverage tomorrow as we'll be counting down to kick off in Seattle ahead of US against Belgium. Be sure to join the guys on Football Americas tomorrow.
45:04More reaction then to come as England knock out Mexico, beating the host by three goals to two to come back a place in the quarterfinal.
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46:54Taking a look then, just a reminder, the quarterfinal lineup is set between Norway and England. England defeating Mexico at the Azteca by three goals to two. There for us was Adrian Healy, who joins us now. Adrian, just tell me everything.
47:15It was, I mean, for a bucket list item to come to this stadium for the first ever time, somewhere I've always wanted to come to and see this game and the immensity of it, it was just, it was everything it could ever possibly be. I mean, talk about a wall of sound, a physical force. It's just I was winded just walking up to the fifth tier where I was sat near the top thing. So how you how you play, how you play in this atmosphere. I don't know, but it did. And just just the immensity of the display from England to come through that. I thought there was no way they were going to be able to hang on for those last.
47:56What was it? Twenty five minutes when Tuchel pulled the plugs that were just going to defend with with all the added time. It's like no way. I mean, the crowd were just willing that ball in. But they got there. What a performance. What a venue. What a place. What a World Cup. It keeps on delivering. What was the reaction from the Mexico fans? Where were they most frustrated?
48:23Well, they never stopped believing that they were going to get back in it. Never. Even at 2-0 down, they went quiet very, very briefly. 2-0 down when Belliam scored the second. They got back in it with that sloppy goal then. And from that point on, I thought they were going to turn around and do England in the second half. It didn't quite transpire. You know, really, they never stopped leaving right until the end. They thought they were going to get that equalizer. And then all of a sudden, final whistle goes and suddenly the volume drops. And then it was more a case of, well, this has happened to us before.
48:58We're in Mexico. We don't get past this stage in the competition. We are quite used to it. But my word, did they make England toil for their progress. Adrian, what really shone out, and we've talked about it in the studio, what really stuck out from an England perspective was the togetherness and the work rate and these conditions that everybody said was going to make them dizzy and out of breath. And the effort and work rate they put in was incredible. And we kind of singled out, and it's wrong to single out an individual, but what did Jude Bellingham's performance look like to you at the stadium?
49:36I thought it was the best I've ever seen him in an England shirt, Craig. I don't know if you share that opinion, but looking from up on high, he was everywhere, absolutely everywhere. In fact, there was a time when Thomas Tuchel called him over and just told him to calm down a little bit. Midway through the first half, he would drivel past three players, lose it to the fourth player. He was really trying to put this England team on his back, even from deep within his own half at times. And Tuchel just told him to calm. two minutes later he got the first goal and then he scored again four minutes later it was just a just an awesome performance nice moment at the end between him and Morgan Rodgers when Rodgers came on and the two of them were just kind of telling each other to to uh to calm down but what a what a display he wants to be the man doesn't he for England and he and he certainly was tonight.
50:23So then, Aide, Norway next. Yeah, well, immense as this display was, does it actually answer questions about the English defence, questions that Norway are going to pose? I'm not sure that it does. It was, you know, Stones and Bern came on and did their job shutting up shot, but playing from the start against that Norwegian attack, interesting. You know, it could be another 3-2 game. I mean, we're both, Norway's defence isn't that great and neither is ours. So I expect more fireworks in Miami. I'm surprised when we take a look at the odds that England are such big favourites, considering what we saw Norway do against Brazil.
51:09Who was it that called him? John Sutcliffe last night, shall we call him the British bookies? Yes. The British bookies, of course. Yes. Yeah, I mean, I think they are favourites in terms of because they have a better quality player across the board. But this Norway side are playing well. Yeah. England, that was a great, gritty performance, but they've yet to really play a magical game. Norway, in some sense, have. They outbossed Brazil tonight, today, earlier. They passed at Berlin, Brazil. They scored a couple of great goals. Erlen Haaland's on fire. So, difficult game to call, but I'm giving the edge to England at the moment.
51:52Frank Leboeuf:Yeah, I think this is a very close game between England and Norway. We had Jan Ogofjotov on earlier saying that the Norwegians would probably prefer England. And when you look at how these two teams are lined up, Aide mentioned, not great defensively either. Good midfields for both. One's got Haaland, one's got Kane. Both have got goalkeepers in good form. I think this is a really close game. Are you going to watch... Party? I was going to say, party tonight, Adrian. Oh, yeah. Everybody's gone up. Imagine. Adrian's on his own. Are you going to watch England versus Norway with your... Are you going to watch England versus Norway with your friends?
52:30Thank you very much, Adrian. Are you going to watch it with your friends? Watch it with your friends. Why would I want to watch it with you, gang? It's a new game. What's wrong with you? We'll be back for more. Tomorrow, goodbye.
52:51Welcome into the latest edition of Extra Time. Hopefully this won't be 11 minutes because goodness me, that was not fun. Craig Burley, Shaka Hisslop with us here in the studio. Ah, what a day. Craig, by the way, has put a phone call into FIFA to see if he can play in the next World Cup if Scotland return because they're going to try and overturn your red card, yeah? I get suspended, Greg. I get the suspended sentence. Forget four days. 40 years. I suspended my sentence for 28 years. That's just ridiculous, isn't it? Some on the American side who think this is the greatest decision since sliced bread.
53:29How embarrassing are they? Anyway, not a surprise.
53:32Frank Leboeuf:I'm not even talking about ethics. Not a surprise. Around refueling the decision. I'm talking about Pochettino's decision. Integrity. Integrity. Ethical integrity. Of all the words to use, you can't use that here, surely. Dan, is this the England player's best performance in recent memory, given what was at stake and the mountains they had to climb? I was watching it in a pub close by, and I left when Kwanzaa got sent off because I thought, that's it. I honestly thought, you know, we didn't have a chance. That's what happens with you. You get your head down and you get that defeatist attitude very quickly.
54:06It was very defeatist. See, that's exactly the polar opposite of what England needed tonight. as they were rolling their sleeves up against Mexico. I don't think my attitude affected them on the pitch.
54:15Frank Leboeuf:As soon as he walked in here, it's when Mexico scored their second as well. Oh, look at your face. That game was so long. I don't know why you and Pian made me laugh so much. Oh, my God. It was like one of Frank's stories. It wouldn't end. Well, there we are. We're going to get off today. And unfortunately, I don't know why. He still gave me a few. He appeared. We had a very relatively quiet green room with the Deportes boys and the staff and us and all the people that we work with, and then the Frenchman comes in and just... What a game. What a game. I can't believe we won it. I honestly can't believe it.
54:52It was brilliant. It really, really was. Rob Palmer, our colleague. Will the red card be suspended? This is Qantas. We talked about this on the show now. It's a can of worms, isn't it? Well, it depends who makes the phone call, I suppose. And that's what people who should know better in the business we're in, they should know better, but they can't see it. they can't see it and I think anybody with a half a brain in their head knows that you can't well you can because you're FIFA that's just the problem you should not operate in this manner you should not right you can't go four days later and say basically what we're saying here is Red Card I'll let you know in a few days whether you can play or not everybody in Tenderhook has gone can Jimmy play or John play or I'll give you a call in maybe three or four days don't worry about it maybe I'll probably I tell you what, the day before the game, that's when I'll let you know.
55:43Ridiculous. For Mr. Hislop. You're what? Very formal. Welcome to New York, Sean. Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you. With so many crosses and players in the box, what adjustments does a goalkeeper have to make?
55:55Frank Leboeuf:Pickford was brilliant. Absolutely was. I think you just have to commit to coming. The defence has to know you're coming, so they make adjustments until they're dropping back onto the line, whatever it may be. but I thought Jordan Pickford and by extension the defence coped wonderfully well because again it's not just about Pickford coming into traffic, it's about how you're just around him and I thought they got that wonderfully well I thought Jordan Pickford played There was a brilliant question in the green room tonight, it was Hercules Gomez and Herc was sitting next to me Herc was sitting next to me and Shaq was sitting there and every time somebody had a shot It was the first half, Jordan Pickford was coming out, berating his defenders, and he turned to Shaq and said, did you used to do that?
56:43And lying in his chair like that, Shaq went, no. No. How much candy had he had at that stage? Shaq had conserved his energy during games. He'd come out berating defenders. Was Anthony Gordon the man of the match, Craig? No. Who was the man of the match? Pickford or Bellingham. Pickford or Bellingham. and I would probably say Gordon had a good game because he took what he needed in terms of stretching him in behind won the penalty took the ball for a run but Bellingham and it's not just the goals it was the all-round work rate defensive performance everything that was a powerhouse of a midfield performance as I've seen for a long, long time Final question Xhaka is it coming home?
57:36Well, he's Trinidad and Tobago. I know, he's got a bit of English.
57:42Frank Leboeuf:I still think France is the best team in this tournament. Yeah, I think that's fair enough. Yeah. How far can England go? In theory, it's Norway, Argentina, France. I can see them beating Norway. Though, as I said, I think it'll be a really tight game. And then, keep in mind, England are now. there'll be five days before they have to play that after after playing at altitude here I think that's a big ask Five days isn't bad, is it? Well, you've just exuded yourself in a way that nobody else has had to and then play five days later See, there's a, I've got a theory here, it's not a theory, it's actually a hope I quite, and I was saying this earlier to our boss I quite like saying, and I don't mean this in a bad way but I don't want England to win the World Cup because I'm obviously Scottish but I like to see Don't you want to see me happy?
58:35No, no, particularly with you in the room I like to see them get very close, touching distance and then it's just pulled away Right, okay Because I want to see you You want to see me suffer I really want to see you suffer It's the hope that kills you Yes But I want you to be in the room when it happens No I don't want to have to chase you around New York City to find you No, there's a reason I don't want to see you I want to see you celebrate, Dan I want to see you happy Thank you, Shaq I appreciate it. Apparently Jordan Henderson's gone to hospital. He fell after celebrating. Yeah, he fell behind the goal.
59:03I saw a picture. Yeah, apparently so. What a day. ESPN FC returns tomorrow. Is it Portugal, Spain? We haven't even mentioned tomorrow. Portugal, Spain. USA, Belgium. I didn't even know a day. And after all that, he's put Balogun on the bench.
59:21Balogun own goal.
59:40We'll be right back.
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1:00:42Tomorrow you shine. Terms and conditions apply.
From the publisher
The FC crew react to England's gutsy 3-2 win over host country Mexico in Mexico City, with Jude Bellingham bagging a brace. Also, the guys talk Erling Haaland as his 2 goals lead Norway to a 2-1 win over Brazil. And, discussion of the big talking point of the day, with Folarin Balogun's red card ban being suspended by FIFA, making him available to play against Belgium.
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