Gab and Juls Show: Argentina survive another scare against Egypt

9 Jul 2026 · 52 min · 31 chapters

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In short

Argentina’s 3-2 comeback vs Egypt (quarterfinal), Messi’s decisive role, Egypt’s VAR/rigging controversy, and what Argentina must fix before Switzerland. The hosts also run “quick hits” on the U.S. loss to Belgium, FIFA’s suspension/bans controversy around Balogun, and other World Cup quarterfinal matchups plus assorted football transfer/manager news.

Guests

Gab and Jules (co-hosts). No other guests are named in the transcript.

Guest backgrounds

Gab and Jules are ESPN FC-style football pundits/commentators; the episode is presented by Gusto. (No personal bios are provided in the transcript.)

Key claims

Messi was “anonymous” for much of the match but still produced the comeback (missed penalty earlier, then assist + goal, plus a key technical run for Lautaro). Argentina were warned by poor overall attacking output (only 8 of 14 goals attributed to Messi) and must reduce Messi-dependence. Egypt’s Hossam Hassan alleged the World Cup is rigged after Zico’s disallowed goal; hosts argue VAR correctly ruled a foot-step foul. Egypt’s late naivety (Salah penalty-box challenge; defensive ball-watching on Lautaro’s cross) cost them.

Notable examples

Hassan’s run leading to Zico’s VAR-disallowed goal; Chaubair’s save vs Alvarez; Salah’s late penalty-box decision; Lautaro’s inch-perfect cross for Enzo’s header; Argentina’s quarterfinal setup vs Switzerland (Monzombie/physicality).

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Quarter Finals Recap

0:00 to 0:26

Discussing the latest outcomes of the World Cup quarter-finals.

“As soccer takes center stage this summer, Comcast helps bring the experience home to America.”

Quarter Finals Recap

0:45 to 1:20

Discussing the latest outcomes of the World Cup quarter-finals.

“Jules, we still don't know or care about the weather in London, but it is a gorgeous evening here in Lower Manhattan.”

Argentina's Dramatic Comeback

1:20 to 3:56

Analyzing Argentina's comeback win against Egypt and Messi's performance.

“I think we need to start with Lionel Messi.”

Egypt's Strong Performance

3:56 to 6:17

Evaluating Egypt's performance and the impact of VAR decisions.

“There were times in the group stage, despite not playing anybody good, where they were not good either.”

Hossam Hassan's Controversial Comments

6:17 to 11:43

Discussing Hossam Hassan's remarks on the World Cup and refereeing.

“Chaubair, of course, so effective, of course, saving the penalty from Méditerrame in the third group game as well, which is what got them to or what helped get them to to this point in the competition.”

Argentina's Future Challenges

11:43 to 14:01

Looking ahead to Argentina's match against Switzerland and needed improvements.

“There probably is some level of naivete in there, which is weird.”

Argentina's Tactical Challenges Against Switzerland

14:01 to 16:49

Explore Argentina's tactical approach and potential adjustments needed for the upcoming match against Switzerland.

“And everything will still go through Messi.”

Messi's Impressive World Cup Record

16:50 to 17:25

Discussion on Lionel Messi's goal-scoring achievements in World Cups and their significance.

“Final point, just a reminder of Lionel Messi.”

Messi's Impressive World Cup Record

17:29 to 18:45

Discussion on Lionel Messi's goal-scoring achievements in World Cups and their significance.

“Reminder that you can catch ESPN FC seven days a week.”

USMNT's Struggles Against Belgium

18:49 to 23:06

Analysis of the US Men's National Team's poor performance against Belgium and the lack of tactical adaptability.

“Yeah, I mean, it was the one game where they had to step up.”
Show all 31 chapters

FIFA's Disciplinary Controversy and US Soccer's Role

23:07 to 26:45

Discussion on the recent FIFA disciplinary actions and how the US Soccer Federation's involvement complicates the situation.

“I don't think it hurt them, but it just kind of shows you the absolute cluelessness, the week by week reaction to individual results, let Pochettino get on with his job.”

Spain's Strength and Upcoming Matches

26:46 to 28:00

Examination of Spain's performance and strategies leading to their next match against Belgium.

“You can't just turn the page on this because I think this is going to have repercussions, as we saw from the reactions from people all around the world.”

Analyzing Spain's World Cup Performance

28:00 to 29:15

Explore Spain's attacking strategy and their prospects against tough opponents.

“They've only scored nine goals, the critics will say.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup Journey

29:15 to 30:09

Discuss Ronaldo's performance and closure in his final World Cup.

“But I do want to say one thing about Cristiano.”

Switzerland vs. Colombia: A Penalty Showdown

30:09 to 31:19

Review Switzerland's advancement and Colombia's missed chances.

“Two teams very similar level with a lot of physicality, with a lot of strong midfield players.”

France vs. Morocco: Upcoming Match Insights

31:19 to 32:19

Analyze the upcoming match between France and Morocco and team dynamics.

“France play Morocco on Thursday Gav how worried should I be for my boys?”

Norway vs. England: Quarterfinal Predictions

32:19 to 33:32

Predict outcomes of the Norway vs. England quarterfinal match.

“I think it'd be a fascinating game to watch.”

European Dominance in the Quarterfinals

33:32 to 35:41

Discuss the implications of six European teams reaching the quarterfinals.

“the gutsy win against Mexico Is more important because we've seen England in the past.”

Chouameni's Future at Real Madrid

35:41 to 36:50

Examine Chouameni's contract extension and its impact on his career.

“We have to look at, I think, broader, longer trends.”

Barcelona's Transfer Decisions

36:50 to 38:24

Analyze Barcelona's strategy regarding potential signings and departures.

“Karim Adeyemi will go to Barcelona for€40 million from Borussia Dortmund.”

Kepa's Future and Arsenal's Goalkeeping Situation

38:24 to 39:39

Assess Kepa's potential departure from Chelsea and Arsenal's interest in Melier.

“And I think it's going to be a real shame if they don't use this opportunity to bolster the back line.”

Juventus and Emiliano Martinez Speculations

39:39 to 40:46

Discuss Juventus' interest in goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez amid team troubles.

“Juventus have reportedly met the agent of Emiliano Martinez.”

New Manager Appointments and League Dynamics

40:46 to 42:02

Explore recent managerial changes and their implications in the Premier League.

“So I think it'd be very interesting to see.”

Newcastle's Transfer Moves

42:02 to 43:11

Discussion on Newcastle's potential signing of Bruno Guimaraes and its implications.

“Bruno Guimaraes is being linked to Arsenal, just as Newcastle bring in central midfielder Ajax's Sean Storier for 25 million euros.”

Zlatko Dalic's Departure

43:11 to 44:16

Analysis of Zlatko Dalic's successful tenure as Croatia's head coach and future prospects.

“Gab, I think it's fair to say that he had a very successful run.”

Ipswich's New Signing

44:16 to 45:09

Exploring Ipswich's acquisition of Emerson from Toulouse and its significance.

“up front jules emerson is on his way from toulouse for around 25 million euros yeah with a few bonuses as well on top of that.”

Mason Greenwood's Transfer Speculations

45:09 to 46:05

Debate on Mason Greenwood's potential transfer choices and the implications of his past.

“I would go to Atletico Madrid, frankly, 100%.”

Mason Greenwood's Transfer Speculations

46:11 to 46:59

Debate on Mason Greenwood's potential transfer choices and the implications of his past.

“This brings us to the end of this segment.”

Mason Greenwood's Transfer Speculations

47:09 to 48:03

Debate on Mason Greenwood's potential transfer choices and the implications of his past.

“But it's not just another financial box to check.”

Kylian Mbappé and Racial Abuse

48:09 to 50:55

Discussion on the racial abuse faced by Mbappé and the broader implications.

“That's like asking if all soccer players are the same.”

Premier League Financial Losses

50:55 to 52:09

Review of the alarming financial losses reported by Premier League clubs.

“climbed from£135 million in 2023-2024 to 948 million pounds in 24-25.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00As soccer takes center stage this summer, Comcast helps bring the experience home to America. As the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the U.S., Telemundo is set to present its most expansive coverage ever. 700 hours of programming, live on-site presence at all 104 matches, and with multi-view and real-time 4K, Xfinity will deliver the most innovative and immersive sports viewing experience for fans watching on Telemundo, Peacock, Fox, and FS1. Learn more at ComcastCorporation.com.

0:34The Gab and Jules Show is presented by Gusto.

0:44I'm Gab, he's Jules. Jules, we still don't know or care about the weather in London, but it is a gorgeous evening here in Lower Manhattan. And what a show we have because our quarter finalists are now set jewels. The U.S. goes crashing out of the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo also out of the World Cup. Lots going on. But I think we have to start with one of the most stunning sort of sequences from the 77th minute onward. Argentina's 3-2 comeback win over Egypt. There's a ton to unpack here. I think we need to start with Lionel Messi.

1:23Julien Laurens:Yeah, I mean, once again, that's the reason why he's the greatest of all time, because when his team needed him the most, when they were really under the pressure, two goals down with only 10 minutes to go against an Egyptian side, it was not great, but did what they had to do to go 2-0 up in this game. And Messi didn't have a good game, missed a penalty earlier on, was not really in the game, they marked him well. He found a way like he very, very often does, an assist and then a lovely goal to put his team back level and then later on, when maybe Egypt were a bit naive and should have gone into extra time and played for extra time, Argentina won it.

1:58Julien Laurens:There's only one team in the world that can do something like that, and it's them with him. For me, actually, the most amazing sort of technical gesture he did didn't actually lead to a goal, but it was that run where he ends up cunning him back for Lautaro, where he just, all of a sudden, it's like he forgets that he's, what, 37 years old, whatever it is, the little acceleration, one touch to be one man, goes past the other man, cuts it inside with his, well, I suppose with his stronger foot, but again, it didn't look so wacky with it. And then somehow the ball goes through and then Lautaro just missed it.

2:32But to conjure up these levels of magic, in a game when it wasn't just a missed penalty, he was poor. He was almost anonymous, I think maybe for the first hour of the game. This felt different, Jules. I don't like to get drawn into the GOAT debate, as you know. But I looked at the reaction afterwards. I looked at his face. I looked at the emotion. I looked at Lionel Scaloni afterwards crying, walking out of the interview. I made the analogy in my piece that you remember the movie Pulp Fiction? Yeah. Remember when they unload those bullets at John Travolta and Samuel Jackson and Samuel Jackson's face afterwards when somehow he missed it and he doesn't quite know why.

3:13And it's a combination of relief. It's a combination of disbelief. That's kind of what I saw. Messi's face and you look at those celebrations and they're throwing him up in the air and I'm thinking to myself you can't throw him up in the air what if you drop him he's so important to you

3:27Julien Laurens:at this stage of the World Cup yeah I mean the the fact that he cried I think there's obviously you know everything happening with his dad plus a very emotional game because at some point I think he saw himself out of the World Cup this one that he wants to win again you know go back to back he will be obviously another one for Argentina as well which will be very important for them as the fourth one. And I think that all of that put together, plus the way the game went, his own game and the team's game, because Argentina haven't been good. They were not good against Cap Verde. There were times in the group stage, despite not playing anybody good, where they were not good either.

4:04Julien Laurens:And this is a massive warning sign for them that they will have to step up, even against Belgium in this quarterfinal, if they don't want to go home. I think all of that made that very emotional ending. There are some absurd stats about... I was going to talk about this later, but you brought it up now about Argentina not playing particularly well, especially the other forwards, whether it's Ballon d 'Or Lautaro or whether it's Julian Alvarez. Certainly in terms of scoring, if you look at even just the number of shots, they've taken very few shots, the other strikers. It does seem as if everything goes through Messi.

4:36I think it's eight of their 14 goals in this World Cup. It's pretty remarkable. But there's no question. Even the midfield, he changes it around, brings in Paredes for Almada. I didn't think that really worked at all.

4:52Julien Laurens:No, me neither. I mean, I think he can try a lot of things. There's a lack of pace in that attack anyway, because Di Maria is not there, because Nico Gonzalez is not as good as obviously Di Maria. And also, I don't think he can start in this, because Giannaro Simeone is still young and probably, again, not trusted to start in a World Cup quarter-final, semifinal or final. And as we see on this team, this is a team that lacks that kind of energy in midfield and they can't really press. And at times, Egypt moved the ball really well, especially in the first half and certainly with the ball. So if Tagliafico and Molina are the two players that bring you the width and a bit of pace, then I think you're going to be in trouble against a better team than Egypt and Cap Verde.

5:33And we need to talk about Egypt, like you said, the Hosama-san. And I'll get to the stuff that he raised and the controversial incidents. But I thought he laid out his team. And by the way, they also have some big injuries, Egypt. In a way to give them the best possible chance of winning. And as you mentioned, I thought even with the extra midfielder in there, I thought Egypt were super effective. I counted maybe two Argentina chances in the first half, plus the missed penalty. We also saw, though, I thought one of the best saves that I've seen in the World Cup. Chaubair off of Julian Alvarez.

6:12You could talk about it being a little central, but he gets down so quickly. Chaubair, of course, so effective, of course, saving the penalty from Méditerrame in the third group game as well, which is what got them to or what helped get them to to this point in the competition. But let's talk about Hossam Hassan. Some very serious things he said after the game, saying that this World Cup is rigged. Zico also saying it. A lot of this stems from Zico's overturned goal. And look, it all starts with Marwan Atia winning the ball back from Lissandro Martinez. The ball goes to Hassan, who basically runs the length of the pitch.

6:55It is an absolutely tremendous run. And then lays it off to Salah, who lays it off to Zico, who scores. And then VAR intervenes. French referee, Letixier, says, go look at the screen. There was a step on foot.

7:10Julien Laurens:I mean, I can understand the frustration. I can understand what people are saying. Maybe VAR should not go that far back. If there's no foul, Egypt don't get the ball back. And if they don't get the ball back, they can't go on the counter and score that goal. For me, it's as simple as that. I know it's harsh and it's cruel. It's a great goal. Hassan makes a wonder run. And if you watched him on ESPN in La Liga with Oviedo. You could see the potential that he had, but to do something like that against the world champions, against Argentina, even an Argentina team that he's struggling in transition, has been struggling in transition since the start of the tournament, it's still special.

7:45Julien Laurens:I get that. But there's a foul. I think there's a foul, and I think it was right for VAR to call the referee and for the goal to be disallowed. I think in the end, referees have to go and judge things. We have to decide. We either give referees discretion to kind of judge everything on its own merits, but then we're going to go back and say, why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that? Or we try to give objective guidelines. And the objective guideline that was given is if you step on somebody's foot, it is always a foul, Jules. And then that, by the way, even if it's unintentional, and that is designed to stop metatarsal injuries, right?

8:22It's designed to protect players. And once it's in the books, I don't think the Tixie had a choice. I don't think VAR had a choice. And when it comes to VAR and the rules, again, Hossam Hassan was clearly frustrated. He was angry. He knows how VAR works. VAR benefited him against Iran, made the correct decision, the tiniest of offsides. He did make a broader accusation, of course, about, he even says, I congratulate Argentina. They've already won the World Cup. I don't think he was talking necessarily about this game, but rewinding back to what probably should have been a red card from Messi early in the competition?

9:05Julien Laurens:I guess Algeria, yeah. I mean, again, you could look at some of the stats. I think Argentina gets a yellow card, or one Argentinian player gets a yellow card every 22 fouls, which is by far, by far the most lenient in this whole World Cup. You know, some other countries get a yellow card every five fouls, every seven fouls, like France or like England, for example. Argentina is every 22 fouls. So you could look at that if you want. I don't think that would have changed much in this game or against Cap Verde or in the group stages either. Again, it's not me trying to defend Le Texier as a French referee, but I didn't think it was a foul on Salah, for example, either later before the third goal from Enzo.

9:47Julien Laurens:I think all the points that the Egyptians are showing, putting forwards as mistakes by the referee, who they won't ban, by the way, I don't think they're valid either. So I know it's frustrating. I know it's difficult to accept. I know it must be very better for you to lose in that way, sure. But then I think, again, I don't think he's the referee's fault if Egypt lost that game. I think the frustration from Hassan Hassan, who, by the way, for those who don't know, was a tremendous striker for Egypt. He's been there. He's played the game. He's done that. Is that I think Egypt made two big mental errors late in the game, which directly led to the third goal.

10:25One is the incident in the penalty box with Salah, where it looks to me like he tries to beat a man and win a penalty. I don't think there was a foul at all. I'm assuming you agree. But it's even the fact, I know why you're trying to take him on, but Salah, at this stage of the game, play for penalties. You're deep in injury time. Don't take a risk like that when Egypt are going. On the one hand, I like the fact that Egypt were all going running forward, trying to go and score the winner, and the emotion, I want to praise that. At the very least, it was a curious decision, not what you would have expected.

11:06Julien Laurens:Yeah, it was quite naive, I thought, from them, and then they left themselves 2v2 with Lautaro on the right, and it's an amazing cross by him. Sure, it's a great header by Enzo as well, absolutely. But I think they should have gone to extra time. I think they should have controlled the last couple of minutes. I know they were shocked by the second goal and how the first two Argentinian goals go. So, you know, five minutes between each other. So that's a big of a shock. But after that, I think they should have played that end of the game much better. They showed their naivety. They showed probably a lack of leadership from the bench, but also from a player like Salah.

11:41Julien Laurens:And in the end, that caused them massively. You're right. There probably is some level of naivete in there, which is weird. All these years of Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations, we would have said they were the the opposite of naive, even against teams that were often more talented. You always had the tactical cohesion. You had the right decision-making. I'll go further. As much as I love Ballon d 'Or, Lautaro, you praise them for his cross. I mean, he only has one guy to aim at. He's got one place to put it, and he puts it there. But from the defender's perspective, there's nobody else around.

12:14You have one player to mark. It is a slow, looping cross. you cannot let Enzo win the header almost undisturbed like that. And to me, I was not reading the flight of the wall, not knowing where Enzo is. And again, maybe afterwards, I'm sure the guy feels terrible. He's going to regret it. Hosama-san didn't want to go and blame his own players. And I feel horrible saying this, but Egypt put the bar up so high with their performance and the fact that it was 2-2 at the end, I did not expect a mistake like that.

12:49Julien Laurens:Yeah, again, I think the cross is perfect. I think the defender is ball-watching, really, which happens a lot of times, even at the top, top, top level. And you get caught because you don't think the ball will be as perfect as the Lautaro cross, and it is. It's inch-perfect. It's for Enzo. And then by the time you realize, it's too late. All right, let's chuck ahead. They're playing Switzerland next. We've said Argentina need to improve. maybe be less Messi dependent, frankly, because he's been carrying them. He can't do this every game. He's not going to do this every game, especially as the level goes on.

13:29But my question is, how do you resolve that? You can't just shout at McAllister and Enzo and say, hey, you guys need to be better.

13:37Julien Laurens:Yeah, no, I don't think they can. I don't think they will change the tactics. I don't think they will change the system. it will still be built for Messi, around Messi. There's still going to be the diamond. We're not going to see wingers back. No, I don't know if they've changed the diamonds. They don't really have wingers. Nico Gonzalez is not going to start. Neither is Simone. And neither is Chagolmada. Chagolmada is not a winger anyway. But he's played them wide. Yeah, but he's a 10. He's a 10. He's not a winger. So I think they will still play the same and they will move the ball well and they will keep the ball well because that's what they do.

14:02Julien Laurens:Sure, they're very good at it. They're very good technically. And everything will still go through Messi. And they will wait for him to, again, win the game for them, deliver them. Switzerland is the first big test that they have. They haven't been tested so far. Switzerland is a European team, and they don't play European team that often at all. So it would be a very good test, and I think Switzerland, especially if Monzombie is back in the squad, in the team, sorry, in the starting lineup, can cause them a lot of problems with their physicality, with the intensity that they can pull, with the experience that they also have.

14:31Julien Laurens:I expect Argentina to go through, but I also expect quite a tough game. I think you need to switch this up. I don't like this version of the midfield that's there. I don't think against a side like, as much as I love Leandro Paredes, I like the idea of the tough guy, he can also pass, isn't it great? I don't think you need that position when you're playing Switzerland. I'd like to see them try something different. I know it's been a while since Julio Navarez played in a wider position, but it certainly can be done. and maybe you put Messi on one side and Juliano on the other and Lautaro through the middle and then you can always switch it up bring on another midfielder or bring on Juliano if you think he's ready or whatever I don't think Alvarez has had a great World Cup at all Lautaro I think has been better in this World Cup neither have been anything to write about so it may seem counterintuitive but I think it's time for a new look and even at left back the fact that you're forced to play Nicolas Tagliafico just because he's got legs and can get forward and your other fullbacks don't, I don't know.

15:44It just tells you where Argentina are right now, that they're gutting things out. And for a world champion, as the competition gets tougher, as you advance, and maybe they don't need to worry about it until the semifinal. I worry that that's not going to be good enough, Jules.

16:00Julien Laurens:Yeah, maybe. I mean, Tagliafico plays because Medina is injured. Otherwise, Tagliac Fico would not play, Medina would play a left back like he's done so far in the tournament before the injury. For the rest, I think it's a team that has flaws far more than four years ago in Qatar. Not just because they're four years older, but because I think they are playing missing, like a Di Maria type of player. And again, it's not easy to replace somebody like him. I understand that. But there's a team that also maybe because they haven't faced really that kind of opposition. I've just been pruning along.

16:32Not needed to raise their game. That's what you're saying.

16:34Julien Laurens:Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And I think that will be very different against Switzerland. And then obviously even more in the semifinal, whether it's England or Norway, and then potentially the final too. So they will have to raise their game. Can they raise their game? I'm not really sure. What kind of level can they reach? I don't know either. It'd be quite fascinating to see. Final point, just a reminder of Lionel Messi. I forget what the number is, but I think it's something like in the last two World Cups, he's got 14 goals. Is that right? Which is eight and six, I think. But, Jules, that was the all-time goal-scoring record in all World Cups until, what, 10 days ago?

17:25That is pretty amazing. Reminder that you can catch ESPN FC seven days a week. Check your local listings.

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18:45Quickets is brought to you by Gusto. Gusto is your small business partner for payroll benefits and so much more get started for free at gusto.com Jules enough Argentina how about some quick hits instead oh god United States men's national team fall to Belgium for one Jules let's hit the on the pitch stuff first when it's a pochettino's team looked, to me at least, horrible and unprepared.

19:17Julien Laurens:Yeah, I mean, it was the one game where they had to step up. They had to show up, especially the bigger names, the leaders, the stars, the Pulisic, the McKennies, the Adamses. And they didn't. They didn't individually. They didn't collectively. They had a plan A, like they've had since the start of the tournament. That worked in some games, but that was also very predictable. And the Belgium counter plan was very effective. They knew exactly how to stop this U.S. team. and they did that really, really well. Belgium could have scored more goals. The issue I have with Pochettino in this is that there was no plan B or no plan C.

19:50Julien Laurens:And that, at the end of the day, is the most disappointing thing because Belgium were not even that good going into this tournament, but the USA were so poor that they made this Belgian team look amazing. I think back to me, and I'll get you, of course, the Ketelar, and I may have to adapt the Kai Havert song for the Ketelar after all the criticism I have to throw the crap he took to go and score those two goals. I was so happy for him. Sad for Amadou Unana coming off. But guess who came out to replace him? Mr. Champions League, Hans Van Aken. God, Belgium are so much fun, aren't they? But back to the US.

20:27I look, you can point to the individual mistakes. Certainly, Fries in goal. Obviously, his foot gets stuck in the ground. And I think that's unfortunate. You can debate whether he should have been out there or whatever. that was unlucky but the way they absolutely switched off on those early goals the way they almost didn't seem to know what was going on I think we need to show some praise to Rudy Garcia as well again Onana in this game I know you didn't start earlier in the tournament he would have been really really important physically and you're replacing him with frankly a different profile of player in Van Aken one thing that I cannot accept that I heard some people go out and say oh, well, you know, all of a sudden the U.S.

21:12play a top team and they unravel. It's true. The U.S. haven't played a particularly good team so far, and they haven't looked particularly good. I mean, they looked at their best against Paraguay, who are not, well to respect, a top team. But, Jules, I did the combined 11 for Belgium, the guy who started for Belgium, and the U.S. I had five U.S. players in there. If we go individual for individual, It's not as if they're playing France or Spain here.

Read the full transcript

21:41Julien Laurens:Yeah, I don't know if I would have had five. That, you know, feels a lot. But, yeah, on the day. A reminder, Luca Bacchio started. Rangel, not Rangel, sorry, Raskin started. The two center backs, yes, maybe they're both better than Tim Ream, but they're not better than Chris Richards. Anthony Robinson and De Kuyper, that's probably a toss-up, right? It's very close, right? Yes, I'm going to have Courtois over Fries, although Fries is a fancier degree. But Balogun against Tiquetelar. I love the Prince, but we would take Balogun, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, probably, yeah. I mean, that's probably about the only player person I would take, but...

22:21Julien Laurens:You wouldn't take Polisic? McKennie? Not in a game like this. No, I don't think so. I mean, the problem is it's not so much individually. It's collectively where the problem was. Yeah, you could look at individual performances from some of the US players and not showing up. sure I think Pulisic and he got obviously a lot of criticism for coming off so early with his twisted ankle when some others former players would have said like you should have said on the pitch and you know go through the pain and keep playing but he hadn't showed up before that anyway so individually but for me the biggest issue with this team in this game was the collective structure the lack of plan B they clearly didn't know what to do especially after considering that goal early.

23:04Julien Laurens:And that was the big problem. And that's on Pochettino. It's on Pochettino. And I think back to, I would love to know whoever the genius was who's saying like, yes, it's a really good idea to go and present this hypothetical four-year contract that we might give you after the World Cup and go and put that news out. I don't think it hurt them, but it just kind of shows you the absolute cluelessness, the week by week reaction to individual results, let Pochettino get on with his job. You, Pochettino, do your job. And in this case, look, you made a mistake. You didn't live up to your salary. It happens.

23:41Not everybody's perfect. Sometimes you get things wrong. I just get on with it. I said I felt like there were a lot of distractions here, which certainly didn't help.

23:50Julien Laurens:And we saw Romelu Lukaku troll the U.S. afterwards in relation to the Flo Balogun affair. Obviously, we finally heard from FIFA president Janine Fontino and from the chairperson of the disciplinary committee that suspended Balogu's ban. Did they answer the question you had? First, I want to say how happy I am for Romelu Lukaku. Three straight games, he comes on as a substitute that's never been done before. It really should be four straight games because he came on and forced that own goal, of course, in the opener. I like the guy. I'm glad he has a happy ending no matter what happened last year.

24:25And he can be a bit funny that way. On to the issue. No, it didn't answer the questions for me. John Infantino said that he got a call from President Trump, and he told President Trump, I'm sorry, Mr. President, this is an independent disciplinary committee. There's nothing I can do. That's what Infantino said. It's up to you whether you believe him or not. I was most disappointed, and that is, by the way, it's 100 % what I expected Infantino to say. People can draw their own conclusions. But the disciplinary committee guy. First of all, we don't have written reasons. the webpage on the official FIFA site hasn't been updated from June 1st.

25:03Secondly, the guy, and he's, I'm blanking on his name right now, but he's from the United Arab Emirates. He's the chairperson. He writes this long explanation where basically he doesn't give the reasons why the ban was suspended. He comes out and he says, we have the right to suspend the ban. He cites some precedents from the past, which has nothing to do with it. Because, you know, qualifiers are different than doing something mid-tournament. Others have brought up 1962 in Garincha, which, as you pointed out last time, is absolutely ridiculous. Just because stupid, screwy stuff was done in the past in 1962 doesn't mean we should accept it today.

25:42But what I found, look, again, we can all draw conclusions, and you're probably right, about why this guy did what he did and didn't put his name to it, which I find hilarious. But to me what was also equally disappointed was the US Soccer Federation in this. It's wrong. I think what what they did was wrong from a moral standpoint because the rules are rules. It was also a stupid thing to do because you knew you knew that the president and the White House were gonna get involved and call Infantino. For you to come out and it's been widely reported, They haven't come out and said this officially, but it's widely reported by sources, including our own Jeff Carlisle, that they were part of the process or they were engaged in the process.

26:27Why are you engaging in a process that is wrong? Once you know that it can't be appealed, leave it at that. Engage in the process is going to lead people to think you are the ones lobbying the president. Mr. President, can you please go and talk to Johnny Fantino? It's just dirty and yucky. You could have still benefited from it just by keeping your mouth shut. But I hope JT Batson or Cindy Parler-Cohn, I hope they come out and explain exactly what they did and when. You can't just turn the page on this because I think this is going to have repercussions, as we saw from the reactions from people all around the world.

27:00Belgium's next opponent will be Spain on Friday, Jules. They beat Portugal 1-0 thanks to a late Mikel Merino goal set up by the genius, otherwise known as Fabian Ruiz. They're second in the world. They're the reigning European champions. Yeah, they feel like they're flying a little under the radar, Jules.

27:16Julien Laurens:Yeah, I think there will be Belgium, of course, and then set up a semifinal with France and Morocco, which will be a special game, whoever they face in that semifinal in Dallas next week. I think they're going from strength to strength. And again, this was a decent test for them. And it's Ferran Torres with the assist, but Fabian Ruiz is involved as well in the buildup with Rodri. And three subs who combine for the goal. Only Spain can score a goal like that in how they move that ball and the movement that they have off the ball as well. It's another one for Super Sub Mikel Marino, if you want, or Super Sub No.

27:48Julien Laurens:9 Mikel Marino. It's incredible. And when you think that Lamine would get better, that this team still is yet to consider goal. And again, you can look at the opposition and say they haven't really played anybody that strong, really, before Portugal and that Portugal threatened them, which they did. I think it's very impressive. They've only scored nine goals, the critics will say. But I look back at this and I say, yeah, they've only scored nine goals because of bad finishing. I mean, Ferrantos feels like he hits the woodwork every single game. I know that's not the case. I think finishing, as you know my thought on this, I think there's variance involved.

28:26So I worry when teams don't create chances. Spain create a lot of chances. Our colleague Mark Ogden finds them boring and defensive. I'm going to hazard a guess that you don't agree with that. We're not watching the same games, clearly. You must watch another World Cup. But Yamal is an interesting factor because this feels very different from the Spain side that won the Euros when you had Yamal and Nico Williams bombing forward. This does seem like certainly more possession-oriented. But that's OK. That almost makes you better equipped, I think, if you face France or even Morocco. Yeah? Yeah, I think so too.

29:06Julien Laurens:And turning to Portugal, Gab, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed after the game what we already knew. This was his last World Cup. But I'm guessing you still don't believe him? No, I still don't believe him. I mean, I'll put it this way. He may yet change his mind. But I do want to say one thing about Cristiano. He did not have a good World Cup by the Cristiano standards, which are impossibly high. He had a tremendous World Cup for a guy who was 41 years old. And he certainly had a much better World Cup than he did four years ago. I think it was important for him to get closure on this. He ended up playing every minute of every game, except for like six minutes when Gonzalo Ramos came on and scored the winner.

29:48I think he's more at peace with himself with what he gave in this World Cup relative to Qatar when, of course, he was benched after the group stage. Switzerland advance as well, and they get to play Argentina next, Jules. it went all the way to penalties against Colombia.

30:05Julien Laurens:Yeah, no, a great game certainly in terms of chances, although I kind of like the tempo and the rhythm of it. Two teams very similar level with a lot of physicality, with a lot of strong midfield players. Monzambi missing for Switzerland as the X-Factor, I think was a big blow for them and the way they played with the ball. And in the end, it was down to a penalty shooter. We saw Manuel Akanji missing for the second penalty shooter in a row in big tournament after they won at the Euros against England two years ago. But this time it didn't matter so much, not like two years ago, because they still won and Gregor Corbel made some really good saves.

30:37Julien Laurens:So I'm really, really interested in that Switzerland-Spain game, in the Switzerland-Argentina game, sorry, in the quarterfinals. I felt bad for Colombia. I thought they were the better team. I thought they created, I don't say they created the better chances. They certainly created more chances. I think I'm right in saying that from about minutes 60 onwards, so essentially for the last hour if you count extra time Switzerland had one shot on goal I think Colombia should have put them away deserved to put them away in the end you have to make your penalties and so Switzerland are deserving but I think this World Cup has lost something without Colombia France play Morocco on Thursday Gav how worried should I be for my boys?

31:24Jules you are going to worry regardless you were worried against Paraguay Of course you're worried. It's a knockout. I'm going to try to give you my take as a neutral here. I think I would have been more worried if it was Morocco four years ago than this Morocco side. This Morocco side is a better footballing side than they were four years ago. But they're going to be without a key element, I think, in Isnal Saibari, of course. And because they're more of a footballing side under Wabi than they were under Waleed Riguawi, they're not going to be able to, it's going to be very difficult for them to outfutball France, simple as.

32:02If it turns into who is better with the ball, France will likely be better with the ball. So I'll be very curious to see how he prepares them for this. Because logic says you need to change this. We saw a little bit in the last round where they played more on the counter. But you can't just change a team's DNA like this.

32:21Julien Laurens:Yeah, that's for sure. I think it'd be a fascinating game to watch. Norway versus England is on Saturday. Jules, what are your vibes telling you? I think it's a great quarterfinal. I do wonder if Norway maybe had played their game, the big game for them against Brazil and that big performance, and if they will run out a little bit of steam and maybe, not focused, but sometimes when you beat a massive team like they did with Brazil, the following game, you're not at the same level. Or maybe they will feel they have nothing to lose and they will go after England with what they have, which is, you know, So, 9-1 in goal has been outstanding and Erling Haaland obviously up front with a bit of Martin Odegaard magic in midfield.

33:00Julien Laurens:On paper, England are better. I think England would qualify. I think the win in Mexico for England was one of the biggest wins in their history and that psychologically will help them massively for this game against Norway. But I think they will have also to be a bit cautious with what Norway can offer. And the only living sore loss in captivity won't start, you think? I would not start him. I don't really care what they do, but I would not start him. Certainly not as a right winger. It's crazy. I'll say this about England. I don't think they've actually played consistently well since the Croatia game, but in some ways the gutsy win against Mexico Is more important because we've seen England in the past.

33:39I don't want to say they bottled it But rarely were they psychologically The better team it's like they either outplayed the opposition But if it came down to to what are those got see messy games England against decent opposition, of course usually lose and the fact that they know that they have this kind of uglier, tougher fighting dimension, I think is going to stand them in good stead.

34:03Julien Laurens:Gab, we're waiting on this in our World Cup blog on the website. Six of the eight quarter finalists are European. Any deep conclusions you'd like to draw? Well, first of all, you know I don't like deep, broad conclusions over knockout competitions. It's six of the eight, but let's not forget, four of the six games were very close. France-Paraguay was not close in terms of the football, but it was close in terms of the scoreline. Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties. Who am I forgetting here? Mexico, England? Mexico, England. I mean, that was absolutely absurd. That could have easily gone the other way.

34:40Julien Laurens:And Brazil, Norway? And Brazil, Norway. The guy Bruno Guimaraes sinks his penalty. Nyland doesn't make those saves. And then what changes? Are there broad conclusions? We know European teams on the main tend to be better because they have more resources, because most of their players play in tougher leagues. That's just kind of the way of football. That's the way it's been. It's not a surprise. It was, what, five in the last World Cup? Yeah. What do you think? Yeah, I think you've got, I think, seven European teams in the FIFA top 10 rankings, for example. I think you've got 12 out of 15. I think if you look at the Ballon d 'Or rankings, the top three were all Europeans.

35:24Julien Laurens:And I think again, you had seven in the top ten. So I think they're dominating right now. And you're right. Some were really close. It could have been slightly different, but it's not. And it's not again for the reason why they're the richest, they're the strongest. Yeah, we can't have these knee-jerk reactions every time one team more, one team less. We have to look at, I think, broader, longer trends.

35:50Aurelien Chouameni has signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, which suggests to me he ain't leaving. Yeah, an extension until 2031, which was in the discussion since Jose Mourinho took over.

36:04Julien Laurens:And I think there was a time where we're not really sure about the future of Chouameni with Mourinho now on the bench at Real Madrid. And actually, he's going to make him a key player. I think that was really important for Tremany who wanted to stay, didn't want to move, didn't want to come to the Premier League or anywhere else to have that kind of vote of confidence from Mourinho but also from Real Madrid. It's a good extension. He's very happy. And I think now he can focus on the rest of the World Cup. How are you going to raise money? I mean, I know obviously Camavinga is going to, we presume he's still going to be on the market and you can get a good amount for them.

36:36But I wondered if this is people who expect them to go and splash out 100 million, 80 million, whatever, on new signings. I don't think we're going to see too much of that this summer beyond the guys who, of course, that they've already signed.

36:50Julien Laurens:Karim Adeyemi will go to Barcelona for€40 million from Borussia Dortmund. I am totally surprised and flabbergasted by this because, yes, he's a high-energy guy and he's fast, what he wants to be. He's also a guy who's had pretty significant disciplinary issues in the past. but as a number nine on his own do we like this do we think that he fits this system no i think it's probably more of a i would expect them i don't think you can play without the emmy as a nine in the system like the flick system although he would run a lot for you and probably press and he's very quick too maybe he's more of a backup of lamin yamal on that right hand side more than runi barji i don't know does that mean there's another number nine coming Or Ferran Torres is your number nine?

37:40I'm giving up on this, trying to figure out Flick and Barcelona. You have a finite amount of resources. You need a centre-back and you need somebody to replace Robert Lewandowski. Maybe you can do it in-house with Ferran Torres, but then you need to extend his contract because he only has a year left. To go and blow, this is significant money, by the way. Adiemi is not 21 anymore. I think he's 27 now, something like that. Yeah. This to me is just a very curious decision. I mean, does it mean, well, we know they're not going to move Fermín López for money because he's injured. I don't think you'd want to move Dani Olmo.

38:16You can't move Gavi right now. You're certainly not going to move Pedri. How are they going to go and resolve this? To me, it's mysteries. And I think it's going to be a real shame if they don't use this opportunity to bolster the back line.

38:34Ilan Melier is being linked to Arsenal, Jules. Does this mean Kepa is on his way out?

38:40Julien Laurens:Yeah, I think so. I think Ilan Melier is pretty much done with Arsenal as a backup goalkeeper to David Raya. He was a free agent after leaving Leeds United where the end of his time there was obviously not as good. Kepa is going to leave as well Arsenal now and find another club. I like Melier as a backup to Raya. Certainly in terms of distribution, he's a good level for the rest. I know he hasn't played much and I know he lost a lot of confidence before with some mistakes. But I'm not against this deal at all as a free agent. And you still have Tommy Seppard, of course, lying around. But I think, just a word on Kepa, it was obvious to me that he went there, he did his job as a number two.

39:20He was only going to get regular playing time if David Raya imploded. Instead, he had the best season of his career. Kepa got to win the title. But I like the fact that Kepa is saying, you know what, I don't want to be Raymond van der Gaal. I am Kepa. I was one of the best keepers in the world. I was one of the most expensive keepers in the world at one time. I want to go somewhere else and show it.

39:38Julien Laurens:And more keepers, Gab. Juventus have reportedly met the agent of Emiliano Martinez. Yeah, okay, whatever. They can go meet anybody for a cup of coffee. They're way, way in the hole. I know that there's this Di Gregorio situation, but they need to really take hold of this team because it feels like there's different moving parts, moving in different directions you have a situation with Jonathan David now where he apparently wants to stay but Spalletti doesn't want him to stay obviously Vlaovic free agent on the market now suggestions bring him back like Divo Martinez is a very good goalkeeper he would be an obvious huge upgrade over Di Gregorio but he would also be very expensive and you want to commit that kind of money to a goalkeeper who now he's not old but he's not young anymore if I'm Dibu Martinez I would be looking for a team that can go and do something important right now Fulham have officially appointed Alvaro Berola as their new manager I don't get this at all that you handle it no I mean I don't know if we just have to look at why he did that Real Madrid and that didn't really go that well Although, as we said, for example, after the games even against Bayern Munich, there were some interesting things tactically that he put in place and that the players did.

40:59Julien Laurens:So I think it'd be very interesting to see. His first game would be against Chelsea and Xabi Alonso. So him, who was his best friend before and replaced him and things like that, might be interesting, certainly in them starting their Premier League career as head coaches, managers against each other. but yeah, I want to give him some time and see what he's got in mind for this Fulham team. You give him time, I'm not convinced. Meanwhile, your boy Mr. Marlinakis has gotten his man, Oliver Glasner, to Nottingham Forest. Now it's official, we mentioned it a few shows ago, and strangely, there's no mention of his previous clubs, Glasner's previous clubs, in the club statement.

41:36Julien Laurens:Oh, this is such lovely, lovely trolling. I think the statement was 574 words. It was all about Oliver Glasner, and there's no mention about the fact that He won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace, and he won the Conference League with Crystal Palace as well. As you know, Mr. Marinakis does not like Crystal Palace. He does not like, presumably, Steve Parrish, Paris, Blitzer. The only bit of Crystal Palace he liked was his friend John Texter, but of course, he's long gone now. I don't know. What would we do without Mr. Marinakis? Bruno Guimaraes is being linked to Arsenal, just as Newcastle bring in central midfielder Ajax's Sean Storier for 25 million euros.

42:21Jules, I suspect these two are linked.

42:23Julien Laurens:Yeah, probably Guimaraes wants to leave and go to Arsenal. He made that very clear to the club. I think there have been a couple of verbal offers from Arsenal to Newcastle, and they probably will meet somewhere and find an agreement around the 65 million euros, which I think is decent money from Newcastle for 28-year-olds. Then we can discuss once it's official what Arsenal gain by getting Bruno Guimares. And for sure, he's very promising. He was very promising last season with Ajax. He's maybe a little bit young. And let's see how that works with Eddie Howe and some of the other young signings that they make because this could turn into a very young Newcastle team, which I'm not sure is what they need right now.

43:02Julien Laurens:But I like the signing because I think he's got high potential. Hey, there's no question Newcastle have gone full on, the money bulb moving early and moving decisively. Zlatko Dalic is out as the head coach for Croatia after nine years. Gab, I think it's fair to say that he had a very successful run. Do you reckon? He's done a tremendous job. There was a lot of questions about him because of his CV, because of the circumstances of him taking over the job. He's proven everybody wrong. You know, we can say, oh, we look at Croatia, oh, look, all these good old players and they grew together. And, you know, going back to the day, I mean, early on, it was what Mandzukic, obviously Perisic and Modric are still there.

43:40All these guys. But you know what? It's not always easy to manage when you're kind of, with all due respect, you're kind of Mr. No Name and you have to win them over. And then you have to start integrating the youngsters who come through, like Josef Verdol. And I think Croatia have shown what a small country can do. small country by the way that produces ridiculous athletes in many sports year after year he leaves with his head held high i don't see him working in club management i think it's hard after nine years as international coach i think this he did this thing and if he does retire go and enjoy your retirement flaco you've earned it if which town gets some help up front jules emerson is on his way from toulouse for around 25 million euros yeah with a few

44:24Julien Laurens:bonuses as well on top of that. It's quite an interesting call by Ipswich here because we've seen him in Ligue 1 a lot last season and kind of blowing hot and cold really. I think there's potential there, certainly in terms of the pace and the physicality, the finishing, there's work to be done here. Maybe they saw something that I didn't see, not so much in him because I can see the potential, but certainly for that amount of money, I think this would become Toulouse's biggest sell ever, which Again, I don't think they saw it coming themselves, but they very much welcomed the offer, and I wish him good luck in the Premier League.

45:01Julien Laurens:Mason Greenwood has agreed terms with Fenerbahce, who's also agreed terms with Marseille, but Atletico Madrid also won him. Where would you go if you were him? I would go to Atletico Madrid, frankly, 100%. It's not a knock on Fenerbahce. I think this is going to be a good measure of his ambition. I think maybe the reason not to go to Atletico Madrid is I think obviously his past is going to be much more of an issue at Atletico Madrid maybe than it would be at Fenerbahce and I'm not dealing with stereotypes I'm dealing with some things that have happened in the past but I find it remarkable I thought he was going to be the big ticket item that resolved all of Marseille's financial problems The Bras is not going to do that It's 42 million euros.

45:53Julien Laurens:12 million of that will go to Manchester United because they had percentages on the sell. So it's 30 million for Marseille. They still need to sell again, right, Jules? Yeah, probably. Although with the amortization, they will still make money on Greenwood. But yeah, it's not really exactly what they wanted. All right, Jules. This brings us to the end of this segment. But remember, you can go and check out ESPN FC seven nights a week. Check your local listings and catch up with Craig Burley, Ali Marino, Stevie Nichol, Shaka Hislop, and the rest of your favorite pundits.

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48:44The Gabin Jules Show is presented by Gusto.

48:59Jules, we're not done. We got more quick hits. Celeste Maria is a Paraguayan senator who had a right go at Kylian Mbappe in a very ugly way. Jules, he answered back, then she answered back, then things got out of hand. I could have done without this.

49:14Julien Laurens:Yeah, absolutely. I don't even know where to start. I don't want to repeat any of the racial abuse that she sent on social media towards Kilian. I guess for his attitude during the France-Paraguay game in the round of 16, maybe not shaking Orlando Gill's hand at the end. I don't know why, but nothing should have allowed her or would justify the word that she used to qualify Kylian Mbappé, racist, absolute racial abuse that has no room, not just in football, but in the whole world. And for her to then not just double up, but treble up, even today at the Senate, because she's a senator, to call him a son of a, you know what, and everything, I find it so appalling that I really hope, but it doesn't seem like it, but I hope that Paraguay, as a country take the right decision towards her.

50:07Julien Laurens:But again, I don't think they will. Well, I would imagine there are rules and laws against the kind of language that she used. She had a bit of a climb back. She said she went to a French-speaking school. She wrote a long thing. I kind of feel like until four or five days ago, I had never heard of this person, and my life was better of it. And now it seems like she's getting this incredible publicity on the back of Kylian Mbappe. And he's answered, he's replied to her once. I think he was justified in doing so. I think it was necessary to do so. I don't think he's going to reply to her again. And I think it's the right decision.

50:45Julien Laurens:Yeah, yeah. I mean, the least we talk about her, the better anyway. Deloitte Anuas' revenue of football finance reveals that Premier League clubs, losses from Premier League clubs, climbed from£135 million in 2023-2024 to 948 million pounds in 24-25. That's a jump of 600%, Gab. Is this worrying? Yeah, and that's one way to look at it. We should point out the 135 million, that was impacted by a lot of things, including, of course, when all those players went off to Saudi Arabia and whatever. Premier League clubs as a whole will lose money. It's the way the league is structured. Losing nearly a billion pounds, which for those who like to think in dollars is something on the order of$1.4 billion.

51:36That is not good. That is not good and it's not sustainable over time. There's a lot of factors that come into it. I remember this was two years ago. I'll be very curious to see how they did this past season because this is 24-25, 25-26, the season that immediately ended. There's obviously a big lag time with this kind of reporting. but essentially this is why the PSR rules are in place. And if we have another year like this, they may need to be tightened even further because at the heart of it, I think we all agree, it's about sustainability.

52:10Julien Laurens:Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for tuning in to the Gabon Jewel Show presented by Gusto. Gusto is your small business partner for payroll benefits and so much more. Get started for free at gusto.com. Jules, we're done for today, But we got to come back next week because this is the business end of the World Cup. We're both going to be at France against Morocco. So we'll see you all next week. So until then, be sure to love the game, love your neighbor, and of course, love yourself.

52:47Good energy in. Good energy out.

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Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens break down Argentina's dramatic and controversial Round of 16 win over Egypt.
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