The United States' FIFA World Cup campaign has come to a crushing end after Belgium stormed to a 4-1 victory, but the fallout has quickly expanded beyond football into politics, diplomacy and social media. The defeat has triggered a fresh wave of controversy after Iran appeared to take a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump. An Iranian Football Federation spokesperson reacted to the American exit by declaring that the world was celebrating "politics' humiliating defeat by football," remarks widely interpreted as criticism of both political influence and the tournament's controversies. Adding to the drama, Belgium's players celebrated with a viral dance before the country's football federation posted the message "Overturn This" on social media, an apparent reference to FIFA's decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match suspension ahead of the knockout clash. WATCH

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through Udine, Italy, ahead of the Italy vs Israel World Cup qualifier, demanding Israel’s exclusion from international football. Despite a Gaza ceasefire and tight security, clashes erupted between demonstrators and police outside the stadium. Italy won 3–0, but the match was overshadowed by chants, protests, and anger at Italy’s football federation for refusing to boycott Israel.