WORLD CUP Bonus Episode: Quarterfinals

0:00This episode is brought to you by Verizon. As an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Verizon is bringing once-in-a-lifetime experiences to their customers. Free tickets to matches, pitch-side access during gameplay, and meet and greets with soccer legends. If you're not with Verizon, no sweat. Stop by a Verizon store to get in on the action and learn about their offers for new customers. No one gets you closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026. than Verizon.

0:35This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. Well, welcome to it. The final week of the World Cup. And what feels like the final week of our lives. I have to say, this is probably my least favorite part of the World Cup. It's my least. Yeah, you know, when you're turning towards the end, I already, I don't know that you're feeling the same thing, but I'm having the blues. Like, you know, when you go on completion and then it's about to end, like two days away and you're like and I have to go back to my normal work day I have to go back to the plantation it's just like fading away from all the joy fading away I almost wish they had a like a come down routine from the World Cup they should have the World Cup and then what they should do is they should replay or reinvent some of the matches that we didn't get to see just to let us you know what I mean you don't want to quit cold turkey yeah we can't like method one yeah but for the World Cup I mean I mean, when you put it that way, yeah, I'll accept it because I am addicted.

1:32But yeah, like I wish they just had like a, you know, let's have a few other games. Could we see Brazil versus Spain maybe? Oh, okay. The ones we didn't see. Could we see Argentina versus… Low stakes, but still. Yeah, just like, you know, for fun. For fun. They can play for Haaland's raccoon. No, I'll tell you one thing. That Monday, next Monday is going to be rough. Yeah, it will be, man. Next Monday is going to be rough because you're going to be looking back like, oh my God. There are people who are going like, we can't wait for next Monday. They're probably spouses who are like, we can't wait for next Monday.

2:02Spouses and family members. Everyone in the house who didn't have access to the TV is now excited. Who didn't have access to their own family member who is addicted, who has been thinking Haaland, Messi, Kane, Mbappe. Now they can finally give the kids attention. They can finally, yeah. I mean, this is why Infantino is proposing 64, expanding the World Cup. I feel like Infantino, his end goal is to expand the World Cup to the point where it's just the whole year. No, I think to expand it to the point where it's the World Cup. Where every nation competes. Everyone is playing, yes. Like, literally.

2:39Because he knows, and I think I told you this before. Infantino is both, you could say, corrupt and evil in a very cartoonish way. Like, in a very Dr. Evil kind of way. But he knows he has that in a chokehold. He knows once the ball is kicked. Like you can complain and moan once the ball is kicked. Yeah, but I think to call him a villain is to simplify it too much. I don't think Infantino is a villain. I think he's just in charge of a thing that we love more than anything. Yes. And just like any organization, especially like a multinational organization, there's elements of it that we'll disagree with.

3:13Okay. But who of us can deny the expanded format was better for the fans, was better for the World Cup, and was better for the world? I'll give it up to him. will give it up. The reason I call him a villain is because he's using the thing that we love, like Dr. Ivo, he's using it to achieve his dreams of global domination. That's what Infantino's is doing. And the thing is, every once in a while, he gets proven right. Like, you can't argue. We complained bitterly about the expansion, remember? Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of people did. Okay, Africans, maybe not as much. Yeah, a lot of people did. Maybe the smaller nations, not as much, because we're like, oh, this is our chance to actually get in.

3:47But the bigger countries really whined. And then look what happened. He has been proven right again. If Antino has gone and done it again. If it's expanded to 64 nations, I think it would be there would be no third place. It would just go straight into knockout. It would be more efficient, actually. But there would just be more games. But that's the thing. That's why I'm calling him evil and corrupt in a cartoonish way. Okay, but wait. Let's talk about this for a second. Isn't this what we always argue about? Let's take it out of football. The thing we'll often argue about in society is we'll say, we want to try and make things more accessible.

4:28We're like, you know, why aren't there more grocery stores in poor neighborhoods? And why don't we give poor children access and blah, blah, blah. Now, right, this is the thing that we say. No, something has just come in my mind. Go on. No, because when you talk about more access to food in poor neighborhoods, I started thinking of Uganda and Kenya and Tanzania. And I'm like, oh, my God, these are like food deserts, but football. These are football Football deserts Yes And in Fortuna He's like I'm trying to bring More football to the And what we'll always argue In societies We'll say We've got to bring it Now a lot of people Will say That's charity That's Come on Let them But Economists who often Step into the fray Will say the same thing We are neglecting X amount of dollars Or euros Or whatever currency You want to use They'll always say By neglecting these markets Yes By underserving them Yes By not providing them The services they need by not making sure that they have trees and parks and all that, they will show you a dollar amount that you're losing.

5:25I like how you've taken it completely out of football. But think about it. They'll show you a dollar amount. So they'll show you how much money traffic is costing you. They'll show you how much money bad health care is costing you. They'll show you how much money not having maternity leave is costing you. Do you get what I'm saying? Yes, I hear you. So if you can boil equitable access down to money as well, there should be an upside. There should be, yes. And don't get me wrong, I know I'm playing devil's advocate here, but I go, shouldn't the reward for including people... And you know when you say devil's advocate, you're literally playing devil's advocate with Infantino.

6:00No, but go on, sorry for interrupting, yes. But think about it, shouldn't there be a reward for inclusion? Inclusivity, there should be a reward. No, there should be. And the thing is, and again, I hate being on your side, and I hate being on Infantino's side, but people said the World Cup would be diluted. Join us, Joe. Embrace the dark side. embrace the dark side accept that no here's the thing people complained and I was among them but because I come from a small country I also saw where Infantino was how it would benefit me but people complained about how this would dilute the World Cup how this would devalue the greatest tournament in world football and look the smallest teams gave us the greatest games the greatest storylines as well Kura South scoring that goal against Germany they gave us the moments that make you fall back in love with football.

6:50The romance of it all, yes. The only thing I might disagree with, look, I don't know how I feel about it yet because I'm, you know, recency bias is obviously in effect right now. A lot of people have been confused as to why Argentina had a quote-unquote easy run. A lot of people have confused as to why England had a quote-unquote easier run, France, etc. They're going like, ah, but how are these teams meeting? So, a lot of people don't remember that FIFA changed the way they created their draw for this World Cup. Yeah, the seeding. They seeded them the way they seeded. Yeah. And so, what they said was, we're going to change the format.

7:32And so, for this World Cup, for World Cup 2026, the top seeds cannot meet each other before the semifinals. Now, they could get knocked out. Yes, yes. You know what I mean? They could get knocked out. Like, Norway could have knocked out England. England, yes. Egypt could have knocked out Egypt could have knocked out Argentina etc etc so it's not about making sure they get to the semifinal but their goal was that the top four seeds wouldn't meet before the semifinal now on one hand some people can argue what it's done is it's created a World Cup where the big teams bump into the small teams more frequently which creates better games for small teams which is the dream for the small teams yeah as you've seen the team from Cape Verde all said this was our dream we never imagined this On the other hand, people say it's ensured their path to the final because they don't have to eliminate each other.

8:23I think both arguments have merit. I like how you literally, like the evil angel on infantilist one shoulder, and then you're the good angel on the other shoulder. You're like giving him props. Yeah, but I mean, both things are true. No, I'll say this. Because in tennis, and again, I know people struggle with the seeding system. So in tennis, Alcaraz and Sina will either meet in the final or they won't meet at all. That's how they make it. They go like the top two seeds don't get to meet till the final. Because it'll spoil the game? No, no. They're trying to go like, if everything happens the way it's, in our dream scenario, the final should be the top two.

9:06But then remember, the top two have to meet the top three and top four. So they have to meet, they go meet in like slightly stronger opposition as they go on. And that's how it should be. And so for me, I understand people, because people will go like, oh, but Spain topped their group, but then they end up facing, FIFA is not rewarding you for just last year's performance. It's rewarding you for over five years of performance. That's how they see it. So Argentina has almost won every competition they have been in. Two Copa Americas, the World Cup, they're the top seed in South America. They shouldn't be meeting France at any point.

9:37France has been playing so well in Europe for the past five years. They shouldn't be meeting Argentina. So you're being rewarded for the good work you've put in over a considerable number of years. And for me, I'm all for it. But don't you think it robs us as the fans, maybe? And it robs the smaller teams of the opportunity to pull a Croatia in the semifinal, to pull a Morocco in the semifinal. No, it doesn't. You know what I mean? No, it doesn't. You don't think it does? No, because for me, if the small teams overperform and one or two of the big teams underperform, then the top seeds will meet somewhere.

10:15Does that make sense? They'll meet. So for me, the way I look at it, because you're talking about the top four, but remember England, Brazil, Portugal, those teams will meet at some point. They're not the top four, but they're top heavyweights. I hear what you're saying. So Argentina, I don't even think they needed this because Argentina in 2018, remember, they messed up and they lost their game against Croatia. And what was their reward? instead of taking the easier path that Croatia ended up taking, they end up meeting France in the next round. And Mbappe knocked them out. So for me, it works.

10:43For me, I like the seeding. It works in basketball. The top seed in basketball in the playoffs meets number eight. The Golden State Warriors are not going to meet the Lakers in the first game. Well, yeah, I guess it also sets up... The idea behind it is, and I think we forget this sometimes, the idea is also that we don't end up with a lopsided end of a tournament. Yes, thank you, yes. where Curaçao is playing Cape Verde in the final not even Curaçao Cape Verde Curaçao-Cape Verde would actually be a great game I think you actually what they don't want is it to be Curaçao versus Germany somehow or Curaçao versus France versus yes where everyone comes in going like oh this is yes where that final game doesn't seem like people go you know we always say this even in football we'll be like that was the real final yes yes the final before the final it was the final before the final you don't want that in the round of 16 the big teams in the Champions League will meet in the quarters or the semis.

11:34Yes. And then on the other side, there's like a random team that's coming in from, you know... Godoglim. Yeah, exactly. Good for them, but I would argue on a business side and as a spectacle, yeah, people are less inclined to watch because everyone expects one team to win and if they don't, people are just like, ah, what happened? People hate to admit it. Not sports fans because we are very, we tend to be very realistic. People want George Foreman, Muhammad Ali. Yeah, that's what they're trying to make. They want heavyweights just throwing haymakers at each other. Yeah. They don't want like George Foreman versus Joe Opio.

12:07And then Joe Opio is knocked out in the first two. What a fight. How long do you think you could last? I think I would last five seconds by running around the ring, running as fast as possible. And then I would last a bit longer if I just ran out of the ring and then out of the stadium and then just continued on my way home, back home to Uganda. Let's talk about some of the big games that we saw leading up to this. England-Norway. you know can I tell you why I feel bad for you you predicted Norway would win 2-1 yeah yes and I sometimes think predictions can be undone by random acts of of God yes you're right do you know what I mean I was on a good run as well by the way you were on a good run I was on a good run just predicting scorelines no you were on a good run 2-1 you were on a good run So you're just going on Brazil, Norway 2-1.

13:02Yeah, England, Norway. Morocco, France 2-0. I was on a good run and then the cable happened. Yeah. Well, okay. No, but let's talk about this. Okay, so let's break the game down. There are a few storylines from the England-Norway game that I think have still got people talking. One is the cable. Yes. The, you know, the... The sky cam. Yeah, the mysterious cable that did or did not happen. You called it the cable of God. I called it the cable of God. That's what it is, you know. We've got the Haaland-Soloth incident. I think those are like the big ones in the game yes right and then my first instinct I would say I don't think the penalty call was like a no no no that was can you think of any other there weren't any issues I think the only other thing we could talk about was Neuland who was incredible in their game against Brazil actually not pushing that ball away and gifting Beringham an easy winning goal oh yeah but that's a tactical thing so okay let's start let's do it in sequence then let's start by first talking about the the Sawloth incident because that's the you see so this is the thing that I wish more fans would be honest about right more fans would be honest about when it's Egypt Argentina right it's easier to blame the refs for the results and in my opinion the refs made many decisions that I think could have gone another way on another day against Argentina I think no just like yellow cards and like harsher penalty no no there were a few no no that's my opinion as i'm saying you can disagree i can't i can't think of a single decision that of course you can't no no no no no no no that's okay we won't really get that we don't have to litigate okay but you're saying it's easier for fans but i'm saying it's easier for fans to focus on those things than it is for them to focus on the moment where they fail to take a game okay so for me egypt argentina It's the moment when Egypt gets the ball The score is 2-2 I think it's the 90th minute In added time Egypt goes on a break The ball gets passed to Salah And very quickly It becomes 3-2 Or even 4-2 And then Mamouche Comes running from behind Salah And takes the ball Off of his feet And Salah by the way had led two incredible breakaways.

15:24Yes. Which had ended in goals. One of them sucked off. Salah's also, the guy's got the record for goals and assists in one season in the Premier League. You've seen what he can do assist-wise already in this game. He takes the ball off of Salah's feet. Also compresses the field. And what I mean by that is, you know this when you're playing football. When you're on a counter-attack, the best thing you can do is spread out your players. Space, yes. Because now the team... The opponents, yes. Yeah, the team with inferior players have to think about who they're going to cover. Now what's happening is the attack is compressed because Mamouche is literally on Salah.

15:59So one defender can mark both men. He takes the ball. I think it was Paredes who was running back on Argentina. Incredible block by Paredes as well. I don't think it's an incredible block. No, no. Mamouche made it easy. I don't think it's an incredible block. I think it's a bad pass and I think it's a pass from a player who doesn't pass regularly. And I go, why would you take the ball from Salah? He could have curved his run. He could have made it, created another outlet and i'm telling you salah would have found him so for me i focus on that moment i go that's for me that's what you know why because fans often go backwards in time as if um as if calls are cumulative but they're not how do you compare that how do you compare that with soloth no so listen do you get what i'm saying yeah i get the motion no no but what i'm saying fans will do in football oftentimes they'll go if we were awarded that penalty then the score would have been four nil then i'm like no that but that's not how games work so egypt was up one nil right they go two nil up the goal gets taken away then they still come back immediately and score now it's two nil now some would go then it would be three nil that's not how games actually work right it's like it's a linear timeline it's a butterfly effect one thing can completely change Exactly.

17:12So it's a linear thing, right? So now when we come to the England-Norway game, I know a lot of fans would love to look at the cable incident as the incident that robs Norway of their opportunity to go through to the semifinals. But for me, the moment where Norway loses their game is the moment where Soloth is on a break. 2v1. With Erling Haaland, 2v1. Against the stones, yes. And we've got to be clear about what kind of 2v1. There's a 2v1 where you have men right behind you, Someone on your shoulder touching you, pushing you. No. Then there's a 2v1 where you're unencumbered, completely free to look up, to play the game, to make decisions.

17:51The defender is backpedaling furiously. Backpedaling, yeah. John Stones, who's not the fastest defender. And Soloth not only stumbles and doesn't look up and doesn't pass to Haaland, he also just doesn't make a decision himself. Like, it's one of the strangest moments I've ever seen. He took his sweet time as well. And everyone has a different opinion. Some people go, it's because he's jealous of Haaland. You know, they've played clips of him saying, I've got more experience than him, whatever. People are saying like, oh, that's why you shouldn't have a striker up top. Because a striker doesn't look up.

18:25Because they think they are the person who has to finish it. Some people are saying. Man man syndrome, yes. Yeah, people have all. Look, the bottom line is for me, when that happened, in the same way. You called it out. I remember, yes. Yeah, in the same way. Hendrik, yes. In the same way when Bruno Grimeraj doesn't score his goal. and Hendrik misses the one-on-one. And the same when Hendrik misses. I blame those moments for the losing. I'll say the funny thing about that moment is we watched it and you, because sort of got murdered online, obviously, and it got murdered in the press. But the thing is you immediately went like, this is why you don't, you went like, he has no vision.

18:59You went like, he didn't even know that the pass was on. I'll be honest with you. Because the pass is really on for him. I'll be honest with you. He's not at the receiving end of the pass. I don't get the coach's decision. I don't understand Why he's playing Soloth there And not Oscar Bob The worst thing is It went from Potentially 2-0 That's my point though Going into halftime Yeah To 1-1 That's my point And that completely changes The tactical talk as a coach That you're going to give To your players It also changes The tactics of the team Yes Right If we're up 1-0 We're in a skittish Back and forth It's a skirmish But like It's not comfortable Because at any moment You can get back And you're in the game When we're 2-0 up, we can sit back differently, we can counterattack differently, and you have more pressure on you as the opposing team because you need to look for two goals, not one goal.

19:47You know what I mean? So that pressure creates something. And then the goal comes from a moment that I'm like, it's funny. So you must see, I have so many English friends who have completely blown up my phone hating me. Oh, really? Yeah. What a bad take, Trevor. there was no ball that hit a cable see that's why I can talk that's why I can talk trash about England I have no English friends so no you were very vocal though about it you were very vocal I'm very interested in why because you pointed it out even during the broadcast after the live stream I'm interested to hear what you really think should and could have happened because the Norwegian players went and told the ref so what do you think could have happened because he didn't stop the game and the goal went in.

20:36So what do you think would have happened? Because normally you stop the game when the ball hits an external object. Yeah, and it's happened before, by the way. It's not the first time a ball has hit the Skycam or the cables. Okay, so... It's happened before. You just stopped the game. Okay, so no, but they didn't stop it. Yeah. And the Norwegian, rather the coach and shoulder up ran up to him. Do you think there's still recourse for him to cancel the goal? No, but this is what... Or is it too late now? Okay, but this is what I don't understand. All right, so there's a few things. FIFA comes out and says the sensor in the ball was not triggered.

21:06Yes, yes. Okay. Now I'm going like, guys, okay. That sensor has been having a moment. Yo, man. Here's the most important thing for me. Why are we bringing a new technology to a World Cup? If you look at every other technology, right? If you look at every other technology in football, when we're trialing a new rule or a new technology, they trial that for four years in other leagues. Smaller competitions. Smaller competitions. Under 20s, women's four years. Exactly. They go, let's take this to the low stakes, low level tournaments before we get to the highest levels of the men's and women's games.

21:41Before that, let's try it in like under 16s, under 20s. They try new offside rules. They try new like VAR. They tested VAR for a long time in different leagues, in different ways, in different subsections of a league, by the way. They'd say like, OK, for this competition, we're going to be using VAR, but we won't expand it fully. In different formats as well. Futsal. Exactly, exactly. So my thing is, why, oh why, are we bringing a new chip that I don't know of being used in any major league? Why are we bringing that to a World Cup where the stakes are so high and there are so few games for you to remedy the situation?

22:20That's my first issue. Okay, I guess my question then would be, again, you've said a ball has hit the Skycam before, right? Yeah. But it was still unprecedented at this level. The ball hitting the Skycam. Like, you know, when the Croatian player... I think it happened in the Premier League. Yes, but I'm saying at this level. Yeah, okay, okay, yeah. So when you talk about, let's say, the hair follicle, you know, the Croatian player, did the ball touch his hair or not? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That we can understand. Right, right. It's not unprecedented. So when the ball went up, I think what happened, and again, I might be wrong, when Nolant kicks that ball high, I think the ref naturally didn't track the ball all the way.

22:57Yeah. His eyes were focused on the players jostling for, because the ball is falling. That makes sense, yes, yes. So he didn't see... Because the ref's job is not to look at the ball. Yes, no. The ref's job is to watch the players. Even when they're taking corner kicks, refs are not watching the flight of the ball. No, no. They're watching the players. So I see why he missed it. But then as you're asking why didn't... They are supposed to come in for clear and obvious errors. Yeah. Why didn't they come in? And if they didn't come in, how come... Because they relied apparently on the... What do they call it?

23:26Sneeko? Yes, Sneeko, yes. Okay, Sneeko in the ball. Now, some people are saying there's a possibility that because the pitch has the four antennas around it for the ball, there's a possibility, just like microphones like we're using now, or you know when you're on a TV show, you have a mic pack? Yes. There are antennas situated around every single soundstage, and those antennas are responsible for picking up. So here it's a wired mic, so it's not the same, but there's an antenna. And if that mic pack sometimes goes above, Oh, yes, yes, yes. That's the thing that people forget, above. because when you're in line with the thing, you find your frequencies are fine.

24:06But sometimes when you go above, that's the issue. I don't know that they've tested that technology way up in the air. Because it's unprecedented. Because the antenna are down on the ground. Yeah, because everything happens on the ground mostly unless you're playing in glass. Because remember, they did it. Because the ball is always in the air. That's funny. Because they did this for VAR. I mean, for offside. And offside is generally about a ball kicked on the ground and where a person is in relation to the kicking. Okay, quick question. Do you think if FIFA had come out and gone like, guys, our bad mistake, instead of trying to gaslight the football-loving public, do you think that would have been better?

24:39Yes, I think it would be better. Instead of going like, oh, there was no... I think it would be better. So I think this... Yeah, but as we said, corrupt, evil villains never come out and say my bad. No, no, no, I think this is for everything in life. I think, what's that old saying? The cover-up is always worse than the crime. Worse than the crime, yes. Right? I think it's the same thing that happened with governments around COVID. If governments were more honest... Ah, we're taking this thing out of football. No, but I think that's why I love football. The reason I love football is for me, football is the ultimate, you know.

25:08A reflection of life. Yes, it's a reflection of life. It's like how we live it, how we explain it. I can learn all my lessons on a football pitch for life. And so for me, it's the same thing that happened during COVID. It's the same thing that happens during major disasters, during an economic crisis, whatever. The government thinks that they are protecting a system by obscuring or lying to the people about what's actually happening or withholding, right? But then what happens is the people then go, there's something I noticed here. There's something strange. My eyes, yes. My eyes are not matching up with the reality.

25:41And then the government says to you, no, don't worry about that. Don't worry about that. And that thing builds up steam, builds up steam, builds up steam. And then what happens? At some point, yeah, but at some point, some subsect of conspiracies are shown to be true. Yes. And then what happens? You've now created... Yes. You've lost all credibility. For me, it's better if FIFA just says, hey, y 'all, the sensor didn't go off. But upon further review we've seen, it does look like the ball touched. The referee didn't see it. And in every game, if a referee doesn't see it, if no one catches it, sorry, guys, we play on.

26:17Because there's many matches where we can go, Joe, we can go back and literally re-watch every micro moment of it. Messi, for instance, who were they playing recently? Messi You're playing Which one? Cape Verde? No Egypt Switzerland Egypt I think it was No Switzerland Messi gets a foul by the box No one touched him Like or rather It wasn't He didn't get fouled No no no I think it was Cape Verde Was it Cape Verde? The player won the ball Yes The player won the ball Yeah but Messi gets the foul By the box The player won the ball Yes No we could go back and go That wasn't a foul But that's not The point of sport Is not to be 100 % accurate It is to be fair Yes yes You get what I'm saying?

26:58No I think Even when it comes to like mocking, who was holding whom, whose shirt was being tugged, who was being pushed. It was Elliot to dive. It was hard and it was pushing up. I'll say this. I agree with you in a sense that it was very Orwellian. Like when you talk about 1984, don't believe your lying eyes. It was very Orwellian in that way because everyone was like, oh, but we can't see the ball unless you're English because the English became blind. Many English fans became like partially blind when it came to that. Which I would argue is your job. Yes, yes. As a fan, it is. As a fan, when the referee makes a decision that's on your side...

27:33I mean, that was the right decision. When the referee... Yeah, so I get where the English are coming from. The last thing you want to be as a fan... Yeah. ...is Ronaldo putting up their hand when their own teammates are offside. No, no, no, no, no. You'd never want to be.