Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister opened and closed the scoring just after the hour mark to deliver a much-needed triumph for Arne Slot’s side on Tuesday night as Real Madrid failed to score a goal for the first time this season. Much of the pre-match noise surrounded the type of reception Trent Alexander-Arnold was expecting and Virgil van Dijk‘s post-match comments summed their feeling up rather well.
October was a tricky period for Slot, who won the Premier League at the first time of trying last time out, and his men. In an attempt to defend said title, the campaign started well with five victories – but six losses from seven outings across all competitions started to unnerve the Anfield faithful.
Getting back on track with a narrow, yet comfortable, 1-0 win over Xabi Alonso’s Los Blancos would have eased the heat on the shoulders of Slot – for now, at least. Mac Allister’s well-taken header was the difference-maker, but all eyes were on Alexander-Arnold, who had to deal with heaps of abuse from the home contingent as he warmed up. Things only flared up when he was subbed on for Arda Guler in the 81st minute.
Watch, and listen, to the Anfield contingent’s reaction to Alexander-Arnold being subbed on:
Van Dijk’s Stubborn Answer to Alexander-Arnold Question
In case you’re unaware, Alexander-Arnold is no longer a popular figure on Merseyside: he left the club this summer on a free transfer to join Madrid and supporters are of the belief that he ran down his contract. As a result, they were unable to receive a transfer fee – which, on paper, would be rather hefty – for his services.
Ahead of his return, the word “rat” was painted over the right-back’s mural, which is located close to Anfield and is intended to celebrate everything the Liverpudlian – who was given his debut by former boss Jurgen Klopp – achieved during his 354-match stint with the Liverpool senior side. Many fans, rightly or wrongly, have turned their backs on him.
Many of the Liverpool players – including Mohamed Salah – were spotted consoling their former teammate at the full-time whistle, but those inside the stadium were sure to make their feelings known every time he touched the ball.
Speaking to the Reds captain – widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history – after their 1-0 win, Walcott asked him whether he had the chance to speak to his former teammate. “Virg, did you get any opportunity to see Trent before the game?” the former Arsenal winger asked.
“There was a lot of talk of the conditions he would have faced tonight. Have you managed to see him? Or are you going to get a chance to see him?”
As stern-faced as he could be, Van Dijk – despite being delighted with triumphing over the record winners of the Champions League – simply said: “No.”
In reaction to Van Dijk’s remarks, the Anfield faithful praised the Dutchman and how upfront he was. “I didn’t know my respect for the skipper could grow any bigger but it just did,” one fan on X (formerly Twitter) said as another added, “I almost fell over laughing at that. Perfection.” A final fan took it one step further to write: “He hates him so much.”
Jude Bellingham, Alexander-Arnold’s teammate for both club and country, believes that Liverpool supporters are still appreciative of what he achieved over the years. “Obviously, it is one of those things in football,” the English midfielder told Amazon Prime, per Evening Standard. “The fans booing isn’t a reflection of how they feel about him.
“I think it is more to give their team the edge and throw him off a little bit. I am sure they’re appreciative of what he has done for the club. It is one of those things.”
Liverpool born and bred, Alexander-Arnold was one of the most celebrated academy graduates of the modern era before his switch to Spain. Under Alonso, the defender has chalked up 11 outings in all competitions thus far – but he is yet to nail down a starting berth, which is something he had achieved on his hometown soil.
Tottenham are showing an interest in signing a Paris Saint-Germain star in the summer transfer window, and he now wants to leave the club.
It’s been an incredibly busy summer transfer window for Spurs, who have already confirmed six new additions.
Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Martin Dubravka, Jan-Paul Van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have all arrived through the door at Hotspur Way.
The North London club have spent significant sums of money strengthening their squad, and they don’t appear to be finished yet, with it being so early in the transfer window.
It’s an important summer as Tottenham prepare to head back in the right direction after an incredibly disappointing couple of years.
Tottenham are ready to go again after completing a deal for Tonali.
Tottenham eyeing PSG star
According to a report from journalist Santi Aouna, Tottenham are one of the sides showing an interest in signing Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye in the summer transfer window.
The Senegalese international wants to leave the club this summer, even though his entourage wants him to continue his journey with the French side.
Mbaye, described as fearless, was recently at the World Cup with Senegal before they were knocked out by Belgium.
With PSG looking to strengthen in the final third and already having bundles of talent, and by now wants to leave in search of regular first-team football
Donald Trump has displayed his level of knowledge when it comes to the rules of football with a bizarre rant in the wake of the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s suspended red card for the USA.
The President confirmed on Monday afternoon that he did make a call to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the incident, which saw the USMNT striker dismissed against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the previous round.
An independent committee eventually ruled that Balogun’s ban would be suspended until next year, a decision that sparked outrage among football fans for the precedent it set. Trump’s involvement and close relationship with Infantino also came under the spotlight as a result.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Trump explained his reasoning for getting on the phone with Infantino at the White House when addressing the press. The 80-year-old claimed he didn’t believe it was a foul and asked for a review for that reason.
He said: “All I did was I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul. Again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.”
He then went on to explain he couldn’t tell FIFA what to do, despite seemingly giving them a nudge in a certain direction. But he still made a case for the best players always being allowed to play, regardless of what took place in their previous outing.
Citing Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane in his lengthy rant, Trump continued:
“If they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe among the best players on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain and I related just that feeling. I didn’t tell them what to do. I can’t tell them what to do. I don’t believe he [Infantino] made the decision.
“I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, number one, it wasn’t a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players. How would you feel if you took [Lionel] Messi, or [Cristiano] Ronaldo or Harry Kane out? You can’t do that.”
“We gotta have our best players. We gotta have our best and they gotta have their best. And if we win or we lose, it’s fair,” he added.
The main reason behind this stance is that the President had no clue what a red card meant in football, or the ramifications. He admitted: “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!'” Watch his full rant below.
To be asked to referee at the world’s biggest sporting competition is a dream come true for a football official.
FIFA assembles the very best for the job and selects a certain number of highly-regarded officials from across the confederations: UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF and OFC.
On top of that, for the 2026 World Cup, there are assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees, making this the largest refereeing operation in the tournament’s history, built to cover 104 matches.
Here’s the full breakdown of how it all works; which referees are at the tournament, where they are from, who are the big names and how FIFA decides who refs the final.
World Cup 2026 Referees
REUTERS/Mike Segar
Referee
Nation
Confederation
Szymon Marciniak
Poland
UEFA
Michael Oliver
England
UEFA
Anthony Taylor
England
UEFA
François Letexier
France
UEFA
Danny Makkelie
Netherlands
UEFA
Slavko Vinčić
Slovenia
UEFA
István Kovács
Romania
UEFA
Raphael Claus
Brazil
CONMEBOL
Wilton Sampaio
Brazil
CONMEBOL
Facundo Tello
Argentina
CONMEBOL
Kevin Ortega
Peru
CONMEBOL
Ismail Elfath
United States
CONCACAF
César Arturo Ramos
Mexico
CONCACAF
Iván Barton
El Salvador
CONCACAF
Alireza Faghani
Australia
AFC
Ma Ning
China
AFC
Amin Mohamed Omar
Egypt
CAF
Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh
New Zealand
OFC
Football fans may know certain individuals from this list. However, due to referees typically playing a secondary role, most will likely only be able to recognise their faces when they see them.
It is important to note the highest-ranking referees. For example, Szymon Marciniak took charge of the 2022 final between Argentina and France and is seen as the most decorated at the tournament.
Of course, Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are well-known to Premier League fans. The most recent international final, Euro 2024, was refereed by François Letexier.
Other notable finals include Romania’s István Kovács who took charge of the 2025 Champions League final, and Brazil’s Raphael Claus who oversaw the 2024 Copa América final. It resembles somewhat of an all-star officiating team.
How are Referees Chosen?
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Vincent Carchietta
One key question is how are the above referees selected? It stands to reason that you would need to be a top official, experienced on the biggest stage at European finals and top leagues, as well as in international football.
That is true, but candidates have to prove their ability to work alongside the same assistant and VAR teams, as officiating trios are more likely to be picked rather than individuals. Quality first is certainly the mandate for FIFA.
They also have to attend regular seminars and fitness testing and the final list is whittled down and built to withstand elite-level pressure rather than reputation alone.
One fundamental rule is no official can take charge of a match involving their own country, removing any possible conflict of interest. Plus, prior to the tournament beginning, selected referees also completed a preparatory camp, which was a ten-day seminar based in Miami.
Some of the biggest names in Premier League officiating are set to cash in.
Who Will Referee the Final?
As it stands, the referee has not been selected. That is by FIFA’s design, as it doesn’t publish a shortlist for the final — or any knockout match because those are only confirmed a few days before kick-off.
This is based off their performances across the tournament. Typically, the final tends to go to whichever referee has been the most consistent in the eyes of FIFA. That includes correct big-match calls, game management, VAR handling and strong positioning.
The standard rule applies in terms of neutrality. A referee can never oversee a match involving their own nation and the final is no different. Although, it would be naive to suggest that reputation has nothing to do with it.
After all, it is the biggest game in football. It stands to reason that having someone with prior experience of the most high-pressure environment would be a smart move. Marciniak took control of the 2022 final and could do so again, but there is no guarantee. The referee committee will make the call once the semi-finals are complete.
