While it had been a brilliant World Cup on the pitch for the United States, things took a dramatic turn for the worse in the Last 16. Coming up against Belgium, Mauricio Pochettino’s men were truly humbled.

In front of their own fans, the US shipped two goals in the first half, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring a brace either side of Malik Tillman’s equaliser. The European nation then blew their opponents away, scoring two more after the break, as goals from Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku sealed the 4-1 thrashing.

Hopes had been high for Pochettino’s side going into the clash, boosted by the shock decision from FIFA to allow Folarin Balogun to play. The star striker had been given a red card in the Last 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but saw his suspension suspended after intervention from Donald Trump, meaning he was in the starting XI to face Belgium.

The Arsenal academy graduate’s involvement wasn’t enough to help the US get a result, and the player has now spoken out on the saga.

Balogun Reacts to World Cup Red Card Backlash

Carlos Barria via Action Images via Reuters

Manager Pochettino spoke about how delighted he was to have Balogun available, telling the press ahead of the game: “Everyone that really loves the sport and trusts ethics and integrity, I think we celebrate all that decision.”

But the decision did leave a dark cloud hanging over the match, and Belgium planned to take the ruling to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport if they had lost the game. It’s unclear if they will take any further action, having now won the match.

In the middle of all the drama, Balogun can be deemed blameless as he would have had no say in the events either way. With that in mind, it’s interesting to learn how he really feels about the decision.

Speaking to the press on the matter, he gave a measured response, claiming that he was not surprised by the backlash after the decision was overturned:

Belgium Boss Praises Conduct From Balogun

Perhaps offering more insight into the matter, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has revealed details of the conversation he held with Balogun after the game. The pair were seen talking on the pitch, and Garcia has praised the Monaco forward for his conduct, revealing:

The anger certainly doesn’t appear to be with Balogun but FIFA are not likely to be let off the hook for their actions any time soon. European football’s governing body, UEFA, for example, have slammed the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban for a red card for a year, saying it ‘crossed a red line.’

Even though the US lost, the controversy around the game will surely linger on for some time.

Across the last 30 years, MMA has grown exponentially across the globe. Fighters from every corner of the earth have trained and competed with big dreams of success uniting them.

With the sport reaching new international heights in terms of viewership and participation, with 11 nationalities taking part at UFC 329 this upcoming weekend, ESPN has created an MMA World Power Index to rank just which country is contributing the most to the sport of MMA.

ESPN used a 10-person panel to decide this and set out the rules while they decided which country would take the top spot: “The voting criteria were based on four factors: current champions, ranked fighters across all divisions in the UFC and the PFL, prospect pipeline (fighters who are rising contenders and future stars) and the total number of fighters represented in top promotions in MMA.”

10

China

Last year, China did exceedingly well with Zhang Weili being considered one of the best women’s fighters in the entire UFC. Despite losing her flyweight championship bout and women’s number one ranking spot to Valentina Shevchenko in November, she has continued to be one of the most intimidating fighters in the division.

Song Yadong has also continued to stand up to the big dogs in the division, going 2-2 in his last four fights, all of which came against former UFC champions. If Yadong continues to impress in the bantamweight division, you could be hearing a lot more about him in due course.

9

New Zealand

With such a small population in comparison to other countries on this list, New Zealand has been very impressive this year. Carlos Ulberg became the first New Zealand-born UFC champion, winning the UFC light heavyweight championship on one good leg. Winning the title is one thing for the island nation, but to have one of your fighters win in that fashion puts your nation on the map in the sport of MMA.

Another New Zealander that is continuing to impress is Jay-Jay Wilson, who competes in PFL’s lightweight division. “The Maori Kid” could end up competing against top PFL competitors like Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes in the near future if he continues his trajectory.

8

Mexico

While the Mexicans have not been as impressive this year as previous, Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso have kept themselves in contention for big opportunities, accumulating a big supporter base in Mexico and beyond. Grasso made it onto ESPN’s pound-for-pound top 10 fighters list.

Perhaps the most exciting prospect coming out of Mexico at the moment, however, is David Martinez, who has won 10 fights in a row and is a rising star in the making. Despite having to pull out of UFC Fight Night 282 against Umar Nurmagomadov, he will be back and raring to continue climbing the ranks and eventually have a crack at the bantamweight title.

7

France

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

France have one of the biggest names in the UFC at the moment with interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane putting on an impressive display against Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Gane is looking to build some momentum and establish himself as one of the top names in the entire company.

Another exciting French prospect is Nassourdine Imavov. While he has not been in the immediate title picture, he has won six fights in a row and is becoming a name you cannot ignore in the middleweight division.

6

Georgia

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

The Georgians do not boast that many mainstream fighters. They do not have to. This is because the two representatives of Georgia are Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili. The sport has been growing in recent years in Georgia thanks to the pair, and it will continue to be a prominent nation in the MMA world while they are competing.

While there have been disappointments for both of them recently, with Dvalishvili’s 14-fight winning streak coming to an end in December and Topuria succumbing to the first loss of his professional career against Justin Gaethje in June in front of the White House, you could argue that the setbacks are temporary, and the pair will be back competing for title’s imminently.

5

Australia

The most notable Aussie in MMA at the moment is Alexander Volkanovski, who carries championship gold. The UFC featherweight champion has had two Fight of the Night awards in the last year for his back-to-back victories over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 and UFC 325, respectively, and will look to build upon his momentum.

Another impressive Australian in the UFC is Quillan Salkilld, who is climbing up the lightweight contender ranking following a 12-fight winning streak. Not only is he a strong competitor, he does it in style, picking up Performance of the Night bonuses in four of his five UFC clashes.

4

England

The English have some of the most notorious fighters in the game right now. Tom Aspinall is the number one heavyweight in the world right now and does not look like he will be moved from that spot anytime soon. Paddy Pimblett has not only become one of the most well known fighters in the sport for his antics, but he has also established himself as a consistent contender despite losing to Justin Gaethje in January.

Another top contender from England is Dakota Ditcheva in the PFL, who has risen to the top of the PFL women’s flyweight division and remains undefeated in 15 fights with 12 knockouts to her name.

3

Brazil

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

The 2010s were brilliant for Brazilian fighters, with Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva establishing themselves as legends of the sport. While most golden eras for a nation are looked back upon and longed for, Brazil has continued to be dominant in the sport with 24 competitors in the top 10 of their respective divisions.

While no Brazilians are UFC champions, in the PFL, Maricley Alves and Antonio Carlos Junior hold championship gold, while Larissa Pacheco is a two-time PFL world champion and remains a top force in her division.

2

United States

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Of course, the home of the UFC and PFL sits high in this ranking. A number of the best fighters in the history of the sport have fought under the Stars and Stripes, with current combatants including Justin Gaethje, one of the faces of the UFC at the moment.

Another notable US fighter that has dominated the headlines is Sean Strickland. The controversial UFC star is the current and two-time middleweight champion and has become a notable figure within the company.

Current UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison has not competed in over a year, but her legacy has allowed her to remain a prominent face in the division. The talent pool for the United States is one of the best the sport has ever seen.

1

Russia

This is surprisingly Russia’s first time claiming the number one spot on this list. Then again, they had not been the most dominant in the sport until this year.

ESPN’s number one and two pound-for-pound fighters are both Russian. Islam Makhachev leads the pack with Petr Yan following. Makhachev has been considered the face of the company for a period of time now thanks to his dominance, and despite a recent loss to Sean Strickland, he continues to be considered a top dog in the UFC.

Another Russian competitor making waves at the moment is UFC featherweight Movsar Evloev, who is undefeated, and it would not be a surprise if he won championship gold at some point this year. This just highlights how dominant the nation has been in the world of MMA as of late.

Manchester United are pushing to make some major upgrades to their midfield this summer, and that has led them to look at a number of different options in the transfer market.

The Red Devils have already agreed a £38m deal with Atalanta to sign Brazil star Ederson, with a medical scheduled to take place imminently after his World Cup participation came to an end over the weekend. But the club missed out on top targets Elliot Anderson and Matheus Fernandes, which has led them to look elsewhere.

The club are keen to ensure that Casemiro is replaced adequately, while Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence means that he needs a new partner and cover in the squad, and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury has increased the need for signings. That has seen talks held with other candidates.

Man Utd Hold Talks With Aurelien Tchouameni Camp

Action Images

One of those targets has been Real Madrid superstar Aurelien Tchouameni, with the club viewing him as a ‘dream target’ to come to Old Trafford and bolster the squad.

However, as it stands there have been a few hurdles to overcome to get a deal done, and Romano has revealed in his latest YouTube video what the Reds have told the France international’s camp about what it would take to get move completed.

“Internally at Manchester United, Tchouameni has always been seen as the perfect signing for midfield,” he said.

“Top player, elite mentality, world class, so they consider Tchouameni as the perfect replacement for Casemiro. Then the point here is on two topics.

“The first one is the salary. Tchouameni is on a very big salary at Real Madrid, and at the moment the understanding is that Manchester United already made [it] clear to those close to Tchouameni in the contacts they had over the recent months, that the only way for Tchouameni to go eventually to Man United is on a different salary. So that’s the first issue.

“The second issue is Real Madrid. At the moment, Man United are yet to receive any green light from Real Madrid to go and negotiate for Tchouameni.”

Tchouameni Deal Looks Highly Unlikely

Sarah Meyssonnier Via Reuters

Man Utd want Tchouameni, but it doesn’t seem to be the most mutual feeling, with the France international very clearly preferring to keep his place at Real Madrid.

It remains to be seen how Jose Mourinho feels about the 26-year-old, and that could see things open up later in the window, but trying to convince a top player like that to take a pay cut seems like a very strange way to convince him to make the move.

Should he be made available, there is likely to be plenty of big interest in his services, and United will have to be able to compete financially, or they will face being left in the dust once again just like they were with Anderson and Fernandes.