Lecce forward Lameck Banda collapsed on the pitch during the final minutes of their 2-1 defeat to Napoli in terrifying scenes.
The Serie A game was immediately halted after the 25-year-old winger fell to the turf late in the second half, with medics rushing on to attend to him.
After a few minutes, Banda was stretched off to a nearby ambulance, and the crowd at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona erupted in applause as reports confirmed he was conscious.
According to Sky Sports Italy, the Zambia international will now undergo further tests at the hospital, where he may remain as a precaution.
Lameck Banda Collapses During Serie A Match
Banda was named in Lecce’s starting XI for their clash against Napoli, who found themselves 1-0 down early on after Jamil Siebert’s opener in the third minute.
The defending Serie A champions managed to turn it around in the second half thanks to goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Matteo Politano.
As Lecce prepared to take a free-kick in a dangerous position while chasing a late leveller, play was immediately halted as players and staff rushed to the scene after noticing Banda had fallen to the turf.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte spotted that Banda was initially struggling to breathe and immediately alerted the Lecce medical staff.
According to DAZN Italia, Banda sustained a knock to the chest around 40 seconds before he collapsed, but the winger never appeared to lose consciousness.
As the 2026 World Cup continues to roll on, the games just seem to keep growing in drama and excitement. This was very much the case for Norway, as they knocked Brazil out with an impressive 2-1 victory.
Both teams had chances to go ahead, but star striker Erling Haaland proved his quality as he broke the deadlock in the second half and then made it 2-0 in the 90th minute. Neymar would score a late penalty, but – perhaps not helped by his confrontation with Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland – this proved to be little more than a consolation.
Although England weren’t involved, a number of Premier League stars were on display, with Arsenal trio Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli all starting. Covering the match for ITV, pundit Gary Neville was particularly animated about one of these players.
Gary Neville Slams Premier League Winner
So much of the build-up before the game focused on Norway striker Haaland and Brazil defender Gabriel. The Premier League pair have clashed many times during games between Manchester City and Arsenal, and they came together once more in this World Cup encounter.
Although Gabriel largely defended well, the turning point in the game came when Haaland beat him in the air to head home Norway’s opener. Despite coming at the game from the position of a neutral pundit, former England right-back Neville was particularly animated as he commented on the incident.
Speaking on ITV, he criticised the defender from Brazil’s key man, claiming that he was ‘fuming’ with Gabriel. He first praised Haaland, noting: “He’s a massive character, a personality, and sometimes it’s said about these players that he never did it on the world stage – and that’s now been removed. I’m absolutely delighted for him.”
Before then, slamming Arsenal’s Gabriel for not winning the duel:
“I’m fuming with Gabriel. He knows that centre-forward better than anybody. For him to stay five yards off him and go for a straight race on a header – with Haaland – absolutely crazy! I can’t believe it.
“There’s one man in the box. The advantage the defender has there is to go and block his run, block his run, get tight to him.”
He added: “But he’s the best at that Haaland. Once he gets a run on you and he jumps, you’ve no chance, you’re dead. And it’s a brilliant header.”
Neymar completely lost it with the Norway star during the game.
Roy Keane agreed with the comments, claiming: “Poor defending, he’s not looking over his shoulder, he’s got a run on him, ball into a good area and there’s only going to be one winner.” While Ian Wright also felt the same way, as he said: “I can’t disagree with you on Gabriel. What I’m surprised with is that he didn’t look at him once.”
Reuters/Caean Couto
Although fellow pundits Keane and Wright agreed with Neville, fans online were not happy with the comments. In particular, they seemed baffled as to why the former Manchester United defender was so angry, ‘fuming’ even, about Gabriel despite not having any particular reason to be emotionally invested in the Norway vs Brazil meeting.
One fan highlighted their confusion, taking to social media to write: “Neville: ‘I’m fuming with Gabriel for the goal.’
“Like, why? why are you angry at Gabriel? Such a weird discourse around Arsenal players. It’s a good goal by Haaland, it’s good movement and he does Gabriel. It’s not that deep. Why would a random english bloke be angry lol.”
Replying to the message, another wrote: “Yep. Weird man.” While a third added: “The second he had a chance he went in on the Arsenal player.”
Someone else pointed out: “It’s literally Haaland as well. Talking like he got beat by some scrub when it’s literally the top 1 out and out striker in world football.” While another added: “As a full back, he’s crazy to not talk about the cross.”
A final supporter summed up the feeling among Gooners, as they wrote: “Any time he gets to hate on an Arsenal player he will do……”
When Cristiano Ronaldo steps onto a football pitch, expect him to stand out.
And one thing that has stood out, besides the Portuguese star’s consistency on the pitch, is his fondness for long sleeves. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has played in contrasting climates, from the cold of Manchester to the unforgiving cauldron of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu, but the long sleeves have stood the test of time.
But what is the reason behind CR7’s enduring style choice?
Whilst Ronaldo has never provided an explanation for his sartorial sporting choice, there are a number of hypothetical reasons that could provide an answer.
Firstly, Ronaldo has played predominantly in Europe, having represented Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus across the continent. The European winters can be brutal, even in countries that tend to have higher temperatures throughout the year.
Ronaldo spent the early years of his career in the United Kingdom, building his reputation under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The contrast in temperature between Portugal and England is significant. Perhaps Ronaldo adopted his long sleeves as a defence against the cold, becoming a subconscious habit of his youth that he never discarded.
It should be noted that Ronaldo has continued to wear long sleeves in the hottest locations he has played in too. CR7 sported long sleeves during his tenure at Real Madrid, regardless of the time of year. He also notably maintained a longer sleeve during a Euro 2020 match in the United Kingdom. England is well known for its humid summers, but the heat still wasn’t enough to force the Portuguese attacker into a short-sleeve shirt on this occasion.
Cristiano Ronaldo has always been known for his dedication to his body, whether it his diet or his gym routine, he has always looked like an athlete.
Does Cristiano Ronaldo Ever Wear Short Sleeves?
Tony O’Brien Livepic (Action Images via Reuters)
Despite becoming a signature part of his look, Cristiano has on occasion dispensed with the long sleeves.
During Euro 2020, Ronaldo did change his shirt during a fixture in Munich. Starting the game against Germany in long sleeves, the former Real Madrid star changed into a short-sleeve shirt for the second half.
But maybe Ronaldo should’ve kept his long-sleeve shirt on. After scoring in the first half, Ronaldo failed to have the same impact in short sleeves in the second half as Portugal went on to lose 2-4. However, fans might want to forgive the attacker for his wardrobe change as temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius during the group stage game.
The fact that Ronaldo has predominantly worn long sleeves during the latter stages of his career may be a case of superstition. The Portugal star donned short sleeves for his country’s Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 campaigns, which both ended in tears for CR7. Ronaldo was, however, in long sleeves for his country’s Euro 2016 triumph, suggesting that they may be his good luck charm.
But beyond superstition or weather conditions, it could simply be a case of brand. Ronaldo’s image as a football superstar has been built around a specific iconography. The prolific forward has built a signature style that extends beyond the football pitch and the long sleeves may just be another contribution to his distinct image.
Football in the VAR era has conjured up more than a few controversies, with the 2026 World Cup providing no exception. But for the most part, co-hosts the United States had managed to sidestep any unwanted technological interventions — until their knockout fixture against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The in-form USMNT striker Folarin Balogun was sent off after a video review during his team’s Last 32 match. But stranger still was the nature of the red card’s reversal. Under Article 27 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, Balogun was spared the pain of a one-match suspension during the tournament despite the red card.
The ruling has been utilised similarly in the World Cup before, but how does it prevent a punished player from serving their suspension?
Outspoken World Cup pundit Alexi Lalas posted a tweet involving Messi after USMNT star Balogun was sent off against Bosnia
What Happened With Folarin Balogun?
Matthew Childs via Reuters
The former England U21 striker was sent off for an accidental, but dangerous challenge on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic. Balogun had earlier scored the first goal in what would be the USA’s 2-0 Last 32 victory.
Referee Raphael Claus had not even awarded a free kick for Balogun’s challenge despite standing just a few yards away from the incident. But after being advised to review the incident by the video assistant referee, slow-motion replays showed Balogun’s foot landing high on the ankle of the Bosnian defender. The USA international was shown a straight red card in a decision that was widely criticised.
What is the FIFA Rule That Allows Red Cards to Be Suspended?
REUTERS/Henry Romero
Article 27 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code has been the subject of close attention in light of Balogun’s red card. The code does not allow appeals against straight red cards, with US Soccer representatives confirming this after the game when questioned about a possible appeal.
However, FIFA decided to enact Article 27 in the context of Balogun’s red card, rescinding it and therefore making him available for the Last 16 tie against Belgium.
Section 1 of Article 27 states that FIFA’s judicial committee has the power to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.” However, the red card will stay on the Monaco forward’s record for a probationary period of one year, as stated in Section 2 of Article 27.
“By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.” Essentially, if Balogun commits another similar violation, he will serve his one-match ban.
FIFA Article 27 in Full
The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.
If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.
Disciplinary measures relating to match manipulation cannot be suspended.
However, FIFA used the ruling to reduce the ban to one match, which he served in another qualifier against Armenia. This allowed Ronaldo to participate in the group games against the DR Congo and Uzbekistan, with the 41-year-old scoring twice against the latter.
Perhaps more controversially, Brazilian great Garrincha was permitted to play in the 1962 World Cup Final despite receiving a red card in the preceding game. Garrincha was sent off against Chile in the semifinal but no suspension was enforced. Brazil would go on to defeat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final.
Did Donald Trump Play a Role in Balogun’s Red Card Suspension?
REUTERS/Stephanie Scarbrough
Considering his nation are co-hosts and performing impressively in the World Cup, the US President has been unusually quiet on social media. However, that all changed with one post following the cancellation of Balogun’s suspension.
This post came after Trump reportedly made calls to FIFA, asking for Balogun’s ban to be lifted. There were further reports following Trump’s social media post that the White House World Cup taskforce had brought a challenge against Balogun’s suspension, specifically citing the use of slow-motion replays to support VAR decisions. Beyond the debate around Article 27, the knock-on effect of this appeal could lead to further legal challenges against professional football’s disciplinary approach.
The United States’ next opponents, Belgium, were understandably vexed by the decision. In a damning statement, the Royal Belgium Football Association (RBFA) were “astonished” by FIFA’s decision-making, accusing them of contradicting their own rules and regulations.
“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the Belgian FA is investigating all potential options,” the RBFA concluded.
