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Published 09:01 20 Jul 2026 GMT
A lip reader claims to know what Donald Trump said to each player following the FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina.
Spain emerged as 1-0 victors over Messi and his Argentina side, in a scrappy final that likely won't be remembered by many.
La Roja won't care too much, as an extra-time half-volley by substitute Ferran Torres sealed the European champions' second-ever World Cup win, 16 years after their 2010 victory.
Their opponents didn't pose too much of a challenge attacking-wise, as Argentina became the first-ever team to go 90 minutes without a shot in a World Cup final.
With that being said, La Albiceleste were scrappy and disciplined in defence, with this reckless style of play leading to Enzo Fernandez being sent off in second-half stoppage time.
But following the final whistle, not only was there a brawl between the two sides, but Trump reportedly repeated the same message to players from both sides.
The US leader was joined by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in the medal ceremony at the New York New Jersey stadium.
He had greeted every player on stage and shaken their hands beforehand, exchanging words with them as they walked past, while Argentinian players Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero blanked his attempts at a handshake.
According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, who spoke to the Express via LipReader Ltd, Trump told each Spanish player: "You are a champ," before adding: "Amazing player."
Trump was jeered by many in the stadium as he walked out alongside Infantino, but he still had a prominent part to play in the medal and trophy presentation.
He also presented Spain with the coveted World Cup trophy, loitering on stage as Spanish captain Rodri lifted it with his teammates in celebration.
Despite efforts from Infantino to get the 80-year-old US President off the stage, Trump seemed determined to stay for the trophy lift before stepping off the stage.
While many backed Argentina and their attempt to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, they showed up with a defensive game plan.
In fact, the South American side wouldn't have an attempt on goal until extra time, as they looked to nullify Spain and defend their box for the entirety of the final.
Lionel Messi barely got a sniff in what was likely his last World Cup game, but Spain were made to work to find their winner in the second period of extra time.
Hope looked all but lost after Enzo Fernandez was shown a red card for a wild challenge on Spain's Pau Cubarsi in the 92nd minute of normal time, with Spain playing against 10 men for the entirety of extra time.
Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who was booked during the game, could be seen having a scuffle with a few Spanish players after the final whistle, with cameras seeing him lunge at some opponents.
All in all, it wasn't a good look for Messi and co as staff had to get involved to break things up.
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Published 10:52 14 Jul 2025 GMT
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Published 16:29 09 Jun 2026 GMT
A lip reader has revealed what Chelsea star Cole Palmer said to teammate Reece James as the team stood behind President Donald Trump during their Club World Cup trophy presentation.
Confusion swept the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday night when Trump unexpectedly remained with the Chelsea squad as they celebrated their 3–0 victory over Paris Saint Germain.
The 79-year-old President had just presented the trophy to captain Reece James, but instead of stepping aside to join FIFA President Gianni Infantino, he stayed in the spotlight with the players.
Television footage showed Palmer, 23, appearing puzzled by Trump’s presence, reportedly asking, “What is he doing?” as the celebrations were about to begin.
Lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Mirror that Palmer could be seen saying: “No, no, just wait, wait… wait… wait,” while Trump stood in front of him.
Moments later, James looked to the side of the stage and asked: “I can lift?” before raising the trophy to officially kick off the celebrations.
Speaking after the match, Palmer admitted he hadn’t expected Trump to be on stage for the trophy lift.
“I knew he was going to be here but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy. I was a bit confused, yes,” he told reporters.
James, 25, suggested the President may have been unsure of what he was supposed to do.
“To be honest, it was quite loud. I couldn’t hear too much,” James said. “He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”
Fellow defender Levi Colwill, 22, added that Trump was originally expected to leave the stage. “They told me he was going to present the trophy and then exit, but he wanted to stay,” Colwill said.
Trump did eventually step aside and joined Infantino near the back of the stage as Chelsea players celebrated. Speaking to broadcaster DAZN, Trump praised the sport’s rise in the U.S., saying: “It’s a great sport. It’s growing fast. This was a bit of an upset we’re watching today.”
The U.S., along with Canada and Mexico, is set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Trump acknowledged the global impact of the tournament.
“It’s a big thing, Gianni’s a friend of mine. FIFA’s done fantastically well,” he said.
Chelsea’s dominant 3–0 win, powered by two goals from Palmer and a third from Joao Pedro, secured them the Club World Cup title, and reportedly earned the club a windfall of £84.7 million.
Published 10:18 07 Jul 2026 GMT
Belgium have responded following a controversial buildup to their round-of-16 World Cup tie against the USA.
US President Donald Trump admitted that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after USMNT striker Folarin Balogun was shown a red card in the side's round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 25-year-old's one-match ban was then remarkably suspended following an intervention by FIFA, allowing him to play against Belgium in last night's knockout clash.
But Belgium would have the last laugh, with the Red Devils progressing to the quarter-finals after goals from Hans Vanaken, Romelu Lukaku, and a double from Charles De Ketelaere secured a 4-1 victory.
Despite the masterclass put on by the European side on US soil, the tie will likely be remembered for the off-pitch drama that unfolded both before and after the whistle was blown in Seattle.
And following the emphatic victory, Belgium had a message for Trump.
The Belgian team could be seen celebrating after bagging their fourth goal in stoppage time, doing an impression of the "Trump dance," which went viral during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
It involved some arm-pumping and hip-rocking, which was famously done by the 47th US President.
The official Instagram account then posted a snap of Lukaku cupping his ear, with the snappy caption: "Overturn this."
Despite the media team having a field day, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was more modest about the result, admitting he spoke to Balogun after the game.
"I really liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame and that's what I told him," he admitted.
"Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan," he answered when asked about how the decision affected preparations.
"The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us."
Balogun's red-card suspension set a precedent, given that the 189 previous red cards shown in World Cup history had only seen a player avoid the automatic one-game suspension once - Brazil's Garrincha in 1962.
Although this was even before the automatic ban system was put in place.
Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin admitted that the squad was shocked by the decision, but they used it as fuel.
He explained post-match: "A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,
"There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field."
The side's captain, Youri Tielemans, revealed: "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did."
Balogun had committed a nasty foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic in USMNT's previous game, which looked sure to rule him out of the Belgium tie.
But FIFA chose to suspend his automatic one-match ban for 12 months instead, resulting in a heavy backlash.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" by the decision in a statement, with an appeal being rejected by FIFA.
The President spoke about Balogun's suspended ban on Monday (July 6), admitting that he asked FIFA to review the ban.
Trump went as far as claiming that the rightful one-game ban would have left a "big stain" on the tournament.
Speaking at the White House, he said: "I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain,
"I can't tell them what to do. I don't believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision."
Luckily for FIFA, the decision meant nothing in the end as the US side were embarrassed in front of their home crowd.
Published 16:02 17 Jul 2026 GMT
A lip reader has claimed to know what was said between the couple who went viral for an intense argument in the crowd of a World Cup game.
It has been a tournament for the ages, with dramatic wins, controversial decisions, and underdog stories among some of the headlines.
Even with the World Cup final coming up this weekend, one of the biggest talking points online has come away from the pitch.
A couple's awkward argument in the midst of an intense group match between South Africa and Korea Republic had resurfaced on social media, bringing in millions of views.
Never mind that Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi are facing off in the biggest soccer match-up of the last four years; it's all about these South African fans.
A clip of the agitated couple in the stands has remained a talking point over three weeks on from the match on June 24, and a lip reader has now claimed to know what unfolded.
Nicola Hickling, a deaf investigative and forensic lip reader, has shared her analysis of what was said in the viral video featuring the unhappy couple at the World Cup.
Millions of social media followers have been trying to figure out what they were bickering about at the game in Monterrey, Mexico.
The fans can be seen draped out in team merchandise which features the South African flag, but things appear to turn sour pretty quickly.
A woman could be seen getting irritated at a man believed to be her partner, glancing over at him as he is on his phone, before she is seen visibly appearing upset.
Some called for them to get divorced, but Hickling finally revealed what may have been said, to the Daily Mail.
Apparently, he said: "There is nothing to see. The lads took pictures and sent them."
She then asked: "Why are you looking?" to which her partner allegedly replies: "I'm not looking at other women."
After a back-and-forth, the man reportedly says: "Maybe this is why I don't mention things," before she says: "That's enough."
According to Hickling, the man can apparently be seen saying: "Shut up," as she hits back: "I am sick of you always arguing."
Spicy indeed, if it is true.
At least their side won though, as South Africa emerged 1-0 victors and secured a spot in the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
The viral video on X was captioned: “How can I file a divorce for someone else?”
Another wrote on TikTok: "I could feel her heart sink into her stomach, because I’m also a woman," as a third noted: “Mood went from 100 to 0 in a split second."
Some thought that the camera operator focused on the couple too much, but others started to theorize that he could've been messaging another woman, or simply putting bets on the game.
A different user pointed out: "Her whole day was ruined," with another fan asking: "Bro, why not just apologize and move on?"
“Notice how he wasn’t having fun until he upset her?” a fourth claimed.
One user pointed out: “The cameraman was so invested,” as a different user joked: “Must be the same Coldplay cameraman."
Published 13:00 18 Jul 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has unexpectedly weighed in on England's World Cup semi-final defeat, questioning one of Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions after the Three Lions' dramatic loss to Argentina.
England looked on course to reach their first men's World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966 after taking the lead in the second half.
However, late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez completed a turnaround for Argentina, who booked their place in the final against Spain.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Tuchel came under heavy criticism for making defensive substitutions after England went 1-0 up, with many pundits and supporters arguing the changes handed momentum to Argentina.
Despite the backlash, the Football Association has publicly backed the German coach, who is under contract until 2028.
Now, the US President has added his voice to the debate.
Speaking at a FIFA reception in New York on Friday, Trump singled out England captain Harry Kane while questioning why the team's approach became so defensive after taking the lead.
"You have a great player in England, who I played golf with," Trump said. "You know that, right? He is Harry, who's been fantastic."
Trump then appeared to criticise Tuchel's tactics, saying: "I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player."
Referring to England dropping deeper to protect their advantage, he added: "They took the lead, and they took their best player, and they put him on defence."
Although Trump admitted he wasn't an expert on football tactics, he suggested England should have continued to attack rather than sitting back.
"What do I know about soccer?" he said. "We got to be a little offensive, right?... Look, what do I know about coaching?"
Still, he admitted the tactical switch struck him as unusual, adding: "I thought that was a little unusual, but Harry is a great guy actually."
The comments come as the 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, prepares to conclude with Argentina facing European champions Spain in the final.
A professional lipreader has claimed to know what President Donald Trump told businessman Jim Dolan after being booed at Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday (June 8).
Trump was in attendance at Madison Square Garden (MSG) for the highly anticipated third game of this year's NBA Finals, between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.
The Knicks managed to win the first two games of the series in Texas and were heavy favorites coming into the game, which was on their home court.
But before the game tipped off, Trump was very audibly booed in his home city by a raucous New York crowd, stealing headlines online.
Now, a forensic lipreader has revealed what Trump said to Dolan, the CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports, after his embarrassing moment on live TV.
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Nicola Hickling is a profoundly deaf lip-reading professional who has reviewed footage of Trump after the President appeared on the MSG Jumbotron during the national anthem, resulting in boos from the crowd.
The 79-year-old could be seen smirking from a private box, saluting as fans didn't sound too happy at his presence.
According to the Daily Mail, Hickling said that the President was discussing a mystery person that Dolan had a problem with.
Allegedly, Trump said: “Why wouldn't you accept our friendship, he's loyal,” as Dolan added: “I'm p**sed off at his name.”
“Oh that's not it. Let me bring him next time, you have got it so wrong with him,” the President responded, going on: “I can bring him back to you, with confidence. I'm not just saying that, unless you want to put the feeler out.”
Apparently, this led to Trump admitting that he would attend Game 4, which is set to be held at MSG on June 10.
He apparently said: “If you want me to come to the game on Wednesday, then he's gotta be here,” “You gotta remember, I gotta pull with this. Maybe I could do the trophy, the trophy. This should be gold, don't say no today. I'll bet you a round a golf.”
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver played down the boos, telling ESPN: “I found out (Trump was attending) because Jim Dolan invited him to the game and he said yes,
“He is welcome to be here."
Silver added: “What I will say about President Trump is that he was a fixture at NBA, Madison Square Garden (in the past). A genuine Knicks fan.
“Yes, some inconvenience to fans but if you look around the arena, it is getting packed. People listened and got here early. We should be using sports to create more of a sense of community.”
But Trump's presence may have been a bad omen, as after two road wins, the Knicks lost their first post-season game since the first round, falling 115-11 to the Spurs.
Following Victor Wembanyama's 32-point effort, the series now stands at 2-1 heading into game 4, where the Spurs have the opportunity to tie it up before heading back to San Antonio for game 5.
The Knicks, who were just one win away from a first NBA title in 53 years, now need to win two games to get their hands on the Larry O'Brien trophy.
If the Spurs are to win on Wednesday, the series will stretch into next week, bringing on a potential game 6 at MSG.
