Sports
Megan Rapinoe Refused to Go to White House Despite Donald Trump Invite
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, the ever-increasing involvement of United States President Donald Trump is becoming a cause for concern and many have called for major boycotts – but it’s not the first time the 79-year-old has irked a big-name footballing star as they refused to meet the US President when he invited them to the White House.
Argentina will be hopping on the plane in search of a consecutive title; but England, Spain, France and the like will be hoping to knock Lionel Scaloni’s off their perch as the champions of international football.
The international showpiece is just months away from getting underway – and the concerns over Trump’s involvement are growing by the day. Not only has he placed several qualified nations on his travel ban list, but FIFA figurehead Gianni Infantino has also suggested that he’ll be handing the trophy to the winners in July at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
Official of Major Football Nation Calls For 2026 World Cup Boycott Because of Trump
Trump’s Greenland threats have World Cup implications.
Megan Rapinoe Once Refused Donald Trump’s Invite to the White House
In the summer of 2019, Megan Rapinoe was a key figure for the USWNT, and she scored two goals to send her nation through to the quarter-finals and just two days later, Trump warned her not to “disrespect” her country after she spoke out about the prospect of visiting the White House if they reigned victorious – which they eventually did, winning 2-0 against the Netherlands in the final.
While speaking to Eight by Eight magazine, the well-known footballer stated that a visit to Trump’s White House – typically offered to teams who win major sporting events – was off the cards. “I’m not going to the f***ing White House,” the now-40-year-old stated outright. “No f***ng way will we be invited to the White House.”
Watch Megan Rapinoe’s expletive-ridden rant targeting Donald Trump (Strong language warning):
Trump took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to the comments of Rapinoe, who played for Chicago Red Stars and Olympique Lyonnais during his career. “Women’s soccer player, Megan Rapinoe, just stated that she is “not going to the F…ing White House if we win.” Other than the NBA, which now refuses to call owners, owners (please explain that I just got Criminal Justice Reform passed, Black unemployment is at the lowest level in our Country’s history, and the poverty index is also best number EVER), leagues and teams love coming to the White House,” he wrote.
“I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose. Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & her team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!”
Rapinoe – ranked as one of the greatest women’s footballers of all time by AI – was backed by her compatriots as her back-and-forth with Trump overshadowed the team’s impressive run from the group stages to the final.
In a news conference before her nation’s quarter-final clash against France, per BBC Sport, Rapinoe doubled down on her comments. “I stand by the comments that I made about not wanting to go to the White House with the exception of the expletive,” she said before adding, “My mom would be very upset about that.”
Alex Morgan also made it known she wouldn’t go to the White House, while Ali Krieger also offered her words of support for Rapinoe, claiming Trump was angered by women he “cannot control or grope” and decrying what she described as the administration’s “fight against LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants & our most vulnerable”.
The USWNT are not the only team to have refused a visit to the White House: the Golden State Warriors did so after winning the NBA championship, and the case was the same for the Philadelphia Eagles, who skipped the trip after winning Super Bowl LII. Rapinoe, however, was part of the US team that visited the White House in 2015 to meet then president Barack Obama after winning the women’s World Cup in 2015 after beating Japan in the final.
Donald Trump Banned Another World Cup Winner After Insulting the US President On TV
Rapinoe, because of how outspoken she was on social issues during her career, was a leading light in women’s football when it came to standing up against what she believed was wrong – and Diego Maradona carries the same sort of weight for men’s football. The Argentine, who won football’s biggest prize in 1986, claimed that he was banned from visiting America after insulting Trump on live television.
“You can imagine, I was in the embassy and I said, ‘Diego, please don’t talk about the United States. Because the interview was with TeleSur and I know how these things go,” Trump said. “And the second question was ‘What do you think of Donald Trump?’ He said ‘Donald Trump is a chirolita (a slang term for dummy or puppet).”
At that time, Maradona had retired from his playing days and was managing Al Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. He needed to visit Miami to make a court appearance involving his ex-wife, Claudia Villafane, but his lawyer told him: “After this [insulting Trump], I’m goign to have to represent you in Miami instead.”
All eyes were on the wrong Fury last night as John Fury was seen raging after his son Tommy Fury‘s fight.
It was a night at the AO Arena that should have been filled with joy for the Fury clan after Tommy won by a majority decision against the former World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall, but it didn’t take long for chaos to ensue after the fight with John taking the starring role.
The actual fight was a lot less eventful with the judges scoring 57-57, 59-56, 58-56 in Tommy’s favour. It was the 27-year-old’s technical prowess that gave him the overall advantage, with Hall starting strong but ultimately not looking as comfortable in the ring as Fury did.
Following the decision, 61-year-old John was seen ranting and raving at the side of the ring trying to get at Chase DeMoor, who had made at jab at one of John’s other sons, Roman Fury, just moments before.
John Fury Causes Chaos at Ringside After Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall
Footage has now emerged of security holding John back from DeMoor at ringside. Ironically, Tommy, looked largely unbothered by his dad’s antics when he could be seen in the background as John was being held back by five security guards as he made advances towards DeMoor.
If anything, John became ever more unhinged as he made his way backstage. Ranting and raving with his shirt off, he shouted:
“I don’t give a f***” and “Who wants a f****** go?”
He then proceeded to show off his own boxing ability by punching a wall. John kept calling out Carl Froch, who he has had issues with in the past, despite the former super middleweight world champion being nowhere to be seen.
“Where are you, Carl ‘The Worm’ Froch,” he bellowed.
John Fury Punches A Wall Backstage After Tommy Fury Fight
John has reportedly demanded £2.5 million pounds to fight Froch on a Misfits Boxing card. Misfits has made no secret that it promotes entertainment and drama alongside the fights themselves and Froch vs Fury Sr would likely be the biggest fight in the promotion’s history.
This isn’t the first and won’t be the last time the father takes the spotlight away from his son’s achievements, with this now becoming quite a recurring feature of the Fury family.
At a press conference for his son Tyson Fury’s clash with Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this year, Fury stole the show by calling out Froch while he was live on Netflix.
It remains to be seen if John will actually get the big payday he craves, but he is sure to continue playing up to the cameras until he gets an opportunity to cash in.
UFC fans in the UK now know exactly when they will need to tune in for one of the most significant events the promotion has ever staged.
For the first time in history, the UFC will host an event on the grounds of the White House, with UFC Freedom 250 set to take place on the South Lawn of the Washington DC property. The event has been organised to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the USA, together with the 80th birthday of president Donald Trump.
The historic card has attracted huge interest from fight fans globally, as several of the biggest names in the promotion will be featured, with two UFC championships on the line.
UFC White House Card Explored
In the main event of the evening, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will face off for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship. Before that clash, Alex Pereira will seek to win UFC gold in a third weight class as he takes on Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.
A stacked card also sees fan favourites such as Sean O’Malley, Michael Chandler, and Derrick Lewis in action, making UFC Freedom 250 one of the deepest lineups assembled in recent memory.
The card is unique in that there are no preliminary fights, with all seven fights on the bill being part of a bumper main card. Given the unprecedented setting in which the fight will take place, many fans will want to take in every second of the action.
Exact UK Start Time For UFC Freedom 250
As anticipation continues to build, the exact start time for British viewers has now been revealed. Notably, UFC Freedom 250 will not be a pay-per-view show, meaning that it will be shown as part of the standard TNT Sports subscription.
The event will air on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, with a start time of 1am BST on Monday morning. Fans will be in for a late night if they want to watch the action live.
If there was ever a card to miss sleep for, it’s arguably UFC Freedom 250. However, for those among you who want to grab a few extra hours in bed, the expected start times of the two championship fights have also been confirmed.
Exact UK Start Times For Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira vs Cyril Gane
The co-main event between Pereira and Gane will be a five-round affair, although most predict that it will end inside the 25-minute distance. The two fighters are expected to make their way to the Octagon at 3:30am UK time, with the action set to get underway shortly afterwards.
Once the interim heavyweight title fight is decided, all eyes will then be on Topuria and Gaethje as they battle it out to determine the best 155-pound fighter in the world. That bout is scheduled to go down no earlier than 4:45am UK time.
The above timings assume that the outdoor event isn’t disrupted by bad weather, which is something that the UFC have been planning for.
Whether you’re pulling an all-nighter to catch the whole card or just getting up for the championship bouts, UFC Freedom 250 is a night that will live long in the memory.
Eagle-eyed viewers have spotted that Brazil wore a different FIFA World Cup 2026 badge to the rest of the national teams that have competed in this summer’s tournament so far.
Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic, Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland, United States, Paraguay, Australia and Turkey all played with white or dark variations of the FIFA badge on their jerseys.
Brazil’s, on the other hand, was gold. Naturally, this left many football fans puzzled.
There are so many initiatives these days that it can be hard to keep up. For example, players appearing in a World Cup finals match for the first time will wear a new ‘debut’ patch.
Scotland’s Andy Robertson Finds ‘Hack’ to Beat FIFA’s New Throw-In Rule at World Cup
Scotland’s Andy Robertson appears to have found a loophole to avoid punishment for one of FIFA’s new rules at the 2026 World Cup
Six Other Teams That Can Wear Gold FIFA Badge
Just seven of the 48 teams competing at the 2026 World Cup will wear the gold FIFA badge on their shirts, including Brazil.
While the Selecao haven’t lifted the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy since Ronaldo Nazario inspired them to glory in 2002, they remain the competition’s most successful nation.
You scored
out of 20
Their 2002 triumph was the fifth time Brazil have been crowned champions, following their victories in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994.
Only teams that have previously won the World Cup can wear the badge. The other six teams are:
Argentina
The reigning world champions have the same gold badge on their sleeve of their jersey, plus a special gold FIFA badge on the front of the shirt to celebrate their 2022 triumph.
England
It’s now been 60 years of hurt, but the Three Lions did indeed win the World Cup back in 1966 at the old Wembley stadium thanks to Sir Geoff Hurst’s legendary hat-trick.
France
Winners of the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and again in 2018. Didier Deschamps played a big role in both triumphs, first as a player and then as manager.
Germany
Germany last won the World Cup in 2014, defeating Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final. They also lifted the trophy in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
Spain
Spain ended their long wait for the World Cup in 2010 thanks to Andres Iniesta’s famous winning goal against the Netherlands in South Africa.
Uruguay
Winners of the first-ever World Cup back in 1990, the South American nation lifted the trophy again 20 years later.
The only former World Cup champions missing from this summer’s tournament are Italy. The Azzurri (winners in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006) haven’t qualified for a World Cup finals since 2014.
John Fury Totally Lost His Head After Tommy Fury Beat Eddie Hall
2027: Obi has no reputation – Oshiomhole dismisses NDC’s chance of winning election
Man kills self in Ogun, police launch investigation
Simi Sanya and Femi Dapson Are Now Legally Married and It Is Beautiful to See
FCT Area Council Election: Live results from polling units
Premier League Set-Piece Goals (2025/2026)
-
Sports2 days ago12 Hardest Football Competitions to Win [Ranked]
-
Sports2 days agoReferee Michael Oliver Out of 2026 World Cup Match Due to Injury
-
Sports11 hours agoStrong Reaction to Brazil Star’s World Cup Performance vs Morocco
-
Sports1 day agoSir Alex Ferguson Named His 2026 World Cup Winners
-
Sports1 day agoClint Dempsey Slams Canada Boss Jesse Marsch on Live TV
-
Sports8 hours agoGary Neville Calls Out FIFA ‘Dictatorship’ After World Cup Incident
-
Sports18 hours agoJurgen Klopp Blasts 2026 World Cup Hydration Breaks
-
Sports18 hours agoJames McClean Slams ‘Worst’ Decision For Ireland vs Israel