Latest news with #LawsoftheGame
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gary Lineker gives verdict on Club World Cup final after FIFA broke their own rules
Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has made his feelings clear about the entertainment organised out in the US during half time of the FIFA Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG Gary Lineker has admitted to being unimpressed by the glitz and glamour that FIFA attempted to add to the Club World Cup final. There were pre-match and half-time shows as football's global governing body looked to turn their showpiece game into a Super Bowl-style spectacle. The football remained the main attraction, as Chelsea produced a masterclass performance against Champions League holders PSG to win the Club World Cup. Enzo Maresca's side raced into a surprise 3-0 lead at MetLife Stadium, courtesy of a Cole Palmer brace and a goal from Joao Pedro before the break. During the interval, the crowd watched on as stars such as Doja Cat and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin took to the stage. However, the half-time entertainment went well over the regulated 15-minute break and the show did not go down well with Lineker. The match, which kicked off eight minutes later than scheduled following a pre-game show featuring Robbie Williams, saw FIFA break its own rules regarding the length of half time. As per the seventh statute in the Laws of the Game, the midway interval in a football match should not exceed 15 minutes and only the referee has the power to alter it. The half-time show lasted 24 minutes in total. 'I must say, I don't know about half-time shows,' Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. 'It was so far away and also 23 minutes for half-time. I don't know. 'Do we really want to Americanise our sports. I mean, they obviously do that because their sports are not entertaining enough. So hopefully that will not catch on because it's too much, but I'm old school. But they did put on a good show.' Lineker's podcast partnered with DAZN during the Club World Cup and the former Match of the Day host had media duties during the final. However, the 64-year-old explained that he missed the pre-match entertainment due to the logistics inside the stadium. He had given himself 30 minutes to make it to a DAZN suite, but Lineker still struggled to make it in time. 'We were trying to get up in a lift before the game and there were two or three lifts but there was hundreds and hundreds of people trying to get in them,' Lineker said. 'And we almost missed kick-off because of the amount of time that we had to wait to get into these lifts. There was no other way of getting up there.' Chelsea celebrated winning the inaugural Club World Cup, defeating teams from the USA, Brazil, Tunisia, Portugal and France on their way to lifting the trophy. However, the drama continued to unfold even after the final whistle had been blown. A fight broke out between the two sets of players, with PSG boss Luis Enrique finding himself at the centre. The Spanish coach appeared to strike Chelsea striker Pedro in the face, with the Brazil international reeling on the floor. Enrique was pulled away from the confrontation by members of his coaching staff. However, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was also seen arguing with the opposing side. The row appeared to stem from PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi confronting Pedro and his Chelsea team-mate Andrey Santos. However, their dispute escalated, ensuring that there were some chaotic scenes as the Club World Cup came to a close. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
News18
14-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
'Why Have Rules?': FIFA Slammed For Breaking Half-Time Limit At Club World Cup Final
Last Updated: The Club World Cup final witnessed an extended half-time show with musical performances which ran past the stipulated 15-minute timeframe. FIFA came under scrutiny for breaching the laws of the game during the Club World Cup final on Sunday, July 13. As English Premier League giants Chelsea took on Champions League title holders Paris Saint-Germain in New Jersey, Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter at The Times, questioned how tournament organisers failed to maintain the 15-minute half-time break, allowing a 24-minute glitzy midway show to continue. According to football's Law about the Duration of the Match, 'Players are entitled to an interval at half-time, not exceeding 15 minutes; a short drinks break (which should not exceed one minute) is permitted at the interval of half-time in extra time." The Club World Cup final witnessed an extended celebration with musical performances and cameras regularly glancing at FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump. The show continued for 24 minutes, raising eyebrows as FIFA allowed a breach of its laws. 'What is the point of FIFA saying it upholds the Laws of the Game when it ignores maximum 15-min half-time break so Infantino can have this 24-min show??" wrote Ziegler on Twitter as attention shifted away from the on-field action where Chelsea pulled off a massive 3-0 triumph against PSG. — Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) July 13, 2025 While the referee has some discretion,15 minutes is marked as the maximum time duration for a half-time halt during a football match. FIFA adopts its laws from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which requires a six-to-two majority vote to make any changes. Notably, four of those votes are held by FIFA representatives, with one apiece reserved for the national football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A nine-minute delay in resumption may seem trivial, but FIFA's inability to adhere to the law and prioritising frenzy amidst a game of such nature raises questions about the body and its commitment and planning for hosting a fair Club World Cup. Despite the extended pause, Chelsea retained its great momentum and rode on Cole Palmer's magnificent twin strikes to clinch a defiant 3-0 victory over the tournament favourites. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
FIFA rule broken in Club World Cup final before huge scrap after Chelsea win
Chelsea's monumental win over Paris Saint-Germain reminded many of a Super Bowl, as fireworks, national anthems and a half-time show all featured at the Club World Cup finale The FIFA Club World Cup final has been slammed for various incidents that took place during Chelsea's win over Paris Saint-Germain, including breaking the half-time duration rule. The last match of the summer tournament featured fireworks, flyovers and even an appearance from President Donald Trump himself. The Blues surprisingly ran out as comfortable winners over Champions League holders PSG, with Cole Palmer netting a brace and Joao Pedro adding to the tally to put them 3-0 up before the break. Luis Enrique's men failed to showcase their best football at MetLife Stadium, as Enzo Maresca watched his side deliver silverware. After Chelsea finished the first half with a three-goal lead, fans were treated to a half-time show akin to the Super Bowl. Pop stars including J Balvin, Tems, Doja Cat, Emmanuel Kelly and Coldplay all took to the stage to entertain the crowd, but this was not as well received as some would have assumed. In fact, the half-time performance broke an important FIFA rule. The seventh statute in the Laws of the Game dictates that the midway interval in a football match should not exceed 15 minutes, and only the referee has the power to change this. The half-time break, in fact, lasted a whopping 24 minutes instead of the typical 15. The game itself also kicked off later than scheduled, at 8:08pm UK time instead of the planned 8pm start time. Viewers responded to the Club World Cup's blunders on social media, with many dubbing the tournament a "joke." One said: "Expect more of the same in the upcoming World Cup next year as FIFA allows it to be turned into the Super bowl, with the football being incidental to the corporate crap and promotion of Trump and various 'personalities.'" Another dubbed it a: "Vanity project," while a third said: "Everything about that tournament is a joke." This wasn't the only incident that caught the attention of spectators, as a fight even broke out between the two sets of players after the full-time whistle. As Maresca's side began to celebrate their win, a scrap suddenly ensued, with PSG boss Enrique incredibly getting involved in the action. The Spaniard appeared to lash out on the pitch, catching Chelsea goalscorer Pedro in the face and leaving him reeling on the floor. Enrique was pulled away from the altercation by his fellow coaches, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also confronting some Blues players in the wake of their victory. The fight appeared to begin with PSG right-back Achraf Hakimi, as he looked to take issue with Pedro and Andrey Santos. The verbal argument then took a drastic turn, with players from both sides taking it in turns to push and pull each other away from the exchange, as Pedro lay on the floor following Enrique's shove to the face. Despite the ugly scenes at full time, Maresca and his Chelsea stars will be delighted to take the Club World Cup trophy back to Stamford Bridge, adding to their Conference League title won at the end of May. Speaking post-match, Blues boss Maresca said: "I have no words for the players. They all deserve this and it's a good moment. For me, we won the game in the first 10 minutes. We set the tempo and we were very good at pressing them. Unfortunately with the weather conditions, it is not easy to continue for 90 minutes, but I think we won the game in the first 10 minutes." Following Chelsea's dominant victory that was on show for all to see, President Trump admitted an "upset" between PSG and the Blues had taken place that day. After handing over the trophy to the winning team, he said: "This is a bit of an upset we've watched today."
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How did Mexico get away with a handball penalty vs. USMNT in Gold Cup final?
The U.S. men's national team made a run to the Gold Cup final on Sunday despite not having its best squad available. But that won't have head coach Mauricio Pochettino feeling any better about the 2-1 loss to rival Mexico. And one no-call, in particular, will haunt the USMNT into months ahead. With the match tied a 1-1 in the second half, the USMNT's Max Arfsten took on Mexico's Jorge Sánchez and Roberto Alvarado in the box. Sánchez was able to make a play on the ball, dispossessing Arfsten with his left foot. But as Sánchez tried to brace himself, his entire left hand landed right on the ball. Again, this was in the box, but no penalty was awarded to the USMNT. Why wasn't a handball called? Referee Mario Escobar of Guatemala did not call a handball, and the play didn't even go into an extended VAR review at the monitor. Escobar was relying on the IFAB's Laws of the Game, allowing players freedom to brace falls and support themselves naturally without risking a handball. The argument behind that rule is that it's natural for players to brace themselves and they shouldn't be at fault if a fall so happens to make contact with the ball. After all, if it's unavoidable, there shouldn't be a penalty. But that exception still has nuance, and the player's intent or ability to avoid the ball is still taken into account. That's where you would have liked to at least see a VAR review on this play because Sánchez was looking at the ball the whole way and stopped the ball with his hand. The ruling of no handball may have been upheld, but that's the kind of pivotal call you want the head referee to be making at the monitor. What did Pochettino say about the no-call? The USMNT head coach was justifiably upset that his team didn't get awarded a penalty. He claimed if roles were reversed and it was a USMNT player falling on the ball like that, we would have seen a different result. "The truth was that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it's a penalty. The player was with a knee on the floor, he pushed the hand over the ball. It's not that the hand was [already] on the floor, and the ball touched. "For me, it was embarrassing to see that situation and it's a shame. I understand that maybe 70,000 people [in the crowd], you know, giving this penalty, it's not easy." He's probably right too. VAR exists for moments like that, and it wasn't deployed correctly at all.
Fox Sports
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
U.S. Coach Mauricio Pochettino Rips 'Embarrassing' Missed Penalty Call In Gold Cup Final Loss
HOUSTON — U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino slammed the officiating in the Americans' 2-1 loss to Mexico in Sunday's Gold Cup final, saying his side should have been awarded a penalty kick with the score tied at one in the second half. The USMNT opened the scoring in the fourth minute, when defender Chris Richards headed Sebastian Berhalter's free-kick past Mexican keeper Luis Malagon, off the underside of the crossbar and across the goal line. El Tri equalized before the half was over via its star striker Raul Jimenez. But Pochettino felt that Mexico defender Jorge Sanchez handled the ball inside his penalty area in the 67th minute, and replays clearly showed Sanchez put his hand on top of the ball: Mexico captain Edson Alvarez scored the winner 10 minutes later. According to the International Football Association Board's Laws of the Game, a penalty is not to be awarded when a defending player falls "and the ball hits their supporting arm, which is between their body and the ground." Neither of those exceptions were present in this case, though: The ball did not hit Sanchez — he hit it with his hand, which didn't touch the ground until after he palmed the ball. "I want to tell the truth," Pochettino said during his post-match press conference. "And the truth was that if that happened in the other box, for sure it's a penalty. The player [had] a knee on the floor. He pushed the hand over the ball. It's not that the hand was on the floor and the ball touched [Sanchez]." U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams thought it was blown call, too. "To me it looked like a handball," Adams said. "I mean, when you land on the ball and move the ball towards you, it's going to be a handball normally." Had the penalty been given, "maybe it's 2-1 for us, and maybe we now are celebrating with the trophy," Pochettino continued. The former Chelsea, PSG and Tottenham Hotspur manager then suggested that the huge pro-Mexican crowd at sold-out NRG Stadium could have factored into the no-call by referee Mario Escobar. "For me, it was embarrassing to see that situation…I understand that maybe with 70,000 people, giving this penalty is not easy." Still, it's hard to say that El Tri didn't deserve to win the match against a U.S. squad that was missing as many as eight regular starters, including headliner Christian Pulisic. Mexico out-shot the hosts 16-6 and controlled 60-percent of possession. "If we lose, we lose. No problem," Pochettino said. "I am the first to say we need to improve. I am not crying. I'm not saying nothing against Mexico, nothing. I respect Mexico, full respect. And I congratulate them." Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
