CLUB WORLD CUP
Belaili Heroics Revive Esperance’s Club World Cup Hopes with Victory Over LAFC
Esperance of Tunisia breathed new life into their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC on Friday night at GEODIS Park, setting up a thrilling three-way contest for the final quarter-final spot in Group G.
Algerian star Youcef Belaili delivered the decisive moment in the 70th minute, finishing coolly at the near post after a surging run and cross from Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida wreaked havoc in the LAFC penalty area. The goal sent the large contingent of Tunisian supporters into raptures.
Belaili’s match-winning contribution came just 20 minutes after VAR denied him a penalty and controversially booked him for simulation — a moment that had threatened to derail Espérance’s evening. Despite the yellow card ruling him out of the decisive clash with Chelsea due to suspension, the forward made sure to leave his mark.
Storms and Disallowed Goals Set the Tone
The night’s drama began before kickoff, with severe thunderstorms over Tennessee forcing a delay of nearly an hour. When the match eventually got underway, LAFC appeared sharper in the opening stages.
Denis Bouanga and teenage sensation David Martínez both had goals chalked off for offside in a first half that produced just six shots — the lowest of any half in the tournament so far. Nonetheless, the best chance of the opening period fell to Esperance, when Belaili broke free inside three minutes only to be denied by Hugo Lloris’ outstretched leg.
VAR Drama and a Thunderstorm Twist
The tension ratcheted up in the 54th minute when referee Anthony Taylor initially awarded Esperance a penalty after Bouanga clipped Belaili in the box. But after a VAR review, the decision was overturned, and Belaili was instead shown a yellow card for simulation — his second of the tournament, triggering a one-match ban.
Minutes later, a fierce thunderstorm forced a second delay, but the interruption worked in Espérance’s favour. Head coach Maher Kenzari introduced Yann Sas and Ashraf Jabri to bolster the counterattack, and it was this tactical tweak that paved the way for the breakthrough.
Late Drama and Heroics in Goal
Belaili’s 70th-minute strike was almost followed by a second as Espérance pressed to seal the win. Sas narrowly missed after weaving through defenders, while Khalil Kenichi rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort.
At the other end, LAFC refused to go quietly. Bouanga forced a fine fingertip save from Bashir Ben Said, and substitute Jeremy Ebobisse fired over from close range. In stoppage time, LAFC were handed a golden opportunity when Kenichi brought down Bouanga in the box. But the Gabonese forward’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Ben Said, sparking wild celebrations from the Tunisian fans.
Group G Wide Open
The victory moves Esperance level on three points with Chelsea, though they sit behind the English side on goal difference. Flamengo, with two wins from two, are already through as group winners.
LAFC, winless after back-to-back losses, are eliminated regardless of their final result against Flamengo in Orlando.
Esperance now face a must-win clash against Chelsea at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Tuesday. A victory would complete a stunning turnaround for the North Africans and secure a place in the quarter-finals — a potential triumph for both the club and African football.
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Controversy has erupted following Chelsea’s dramatic victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, with reports suggesting that the trophy presented to the English club is a replica – and that the original remains in the possession of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Blues clinched the inaugural edition of the revamped tournament at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 13, with captain Reece James receiving the silverware from Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
However, social media and the international press have been ablaze with claims that the trophy lifted during the celebrations was not the authentic one.
Videos from the post-match ceremony showed Trump lingering on the podium well after the presentation, standing beside James as he hoisted the trophy. This unusual move immediately drew attention.
Now, the intrigue has deepened following Trump’s own remarks in an interview with sports broadcaster DAZN, in which he admitted that the original trophy was currently “in his office at the White House.”
According to sources, Infantino unveiled the redesigned Club World Cup trophy at the White House shortly after Trump returned to office earlier this year, following his election win over Kamala Harris.
It now appears that the original trophy never left the presidential residence, prompting FIFA to commission a replica for the ceremony in New Jersey.
Adding fuel to the fire, Trump was also seen pocketing one of the winner’s medals during the event.
Infantino had handed him a medal, presumably for inspection, but the U.S. President was later spotted slipping it inside his blazer.
This led to online jokes among fans, with some suggesting he had taken the medal intended for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, who left the squad just before the final to complete a surprise move to Arsenal.
Madueke was reportedly seen partying with Jadon Sancho at the Wireless Festival in London while Chelsea celebrated across the Atlantic.
The incident has cast an odd shadow over what was otherwise a historic moment for Chelsea, marking their first triumph under the new Club World Cup format.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to take place in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and the final returning to MetLife Stadium, questions may linger over the relationship between football’s global leadership and its most controversial political host.
FIFA has yet to comment officially on the trophy replica claims.
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U.S. President Donald Trump paid homage to soccer great Pele after being met with boos and cheers from the crowd at the Club World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Chelsea walloped Paris St Germain 3-0 to close out the newly expanded version of the tournament, designed as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup that the U.S. will co-host with Mexico and Canada.
Trump was seated next to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino in box seats at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where fans booed him when he appeared briefly on the jumbotron during the U.S. national anthem.
He was on his feet in the same VIP suite after Chelsea completed their thrashing of Paris St Germain, pumping his fist as congratulatory music blared.
Trump was met with boos from the crowd again as he posed with the match referees on the pitch during the trophy ceremony, as organisers kept the music pumping in the stadium.
He handed Chelsea their trophy and stood in the middle of the players for their team photo and celebration.
“I knew he was going to be there but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy so I was a bit confused,” said Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, who scored two goals during the match.
Asked in a TV interview who he believed was soccer’s “GOAT,” Trump named Brazilian icon Pele, who helped spark interest in the sport in the U.S. in his brief time playing for the New York Cosmos in the fledgling North American Soccer League in 1975.
“I came to watch Pele, and he was fantastic,” Trump told broadcaster DAZN. “That’s like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pele was so great.”
Trump has embraced sport’s super-sized spotlight during his second term, becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl in February.
In May, he announced D.C. as the host for the 2027 NFL Draft from the Oval Office. He regularly attends UFC and has said he wants to host such fights at the White House next year.
FIFA announced last week that it had opened an office in New York’s Trump Tower ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. A record 48 national teams are set to take part.
Trump’s appearance at MetLife came a day after he threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union, an escalation of a trade war that has angered U.S. allies and rattled investors.
-Reuters
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Cole Palmer produced a scintillating first-half masterclass as Chelsea demolished Paris St Germain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The English attacking midfielder scored twice and provided an assist for Joao Pedro in a devastating display in the revamped tournament’s decider that left the European and French champions, who finished with 10 men, shell-shocked before the break.
Chelsea struck first in the 22nd minute when PSG fullback Nuno Mendes gifted possession to Malo Gusto. While his initial effort was blocked by Mendes, Gusto collected the rebound and found Palmer unmarked in the middle and the midfielder made no mistake, slotting a tidy finish just inside the left post.
Palmer doubled the lead after the 30th-minute cooling break with a goal of sublime quality. Latching onto a precise through ball from Levi Colwill, he cut inside before faking a pass to dummy a defender and firing into the bottom-left corner.
Palmer then turned provider, running up the channel before finding Joao Pedro, who took the ball in his stride and beat the offside trap before chipping his finish beautifully over keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG’s misery was completed when Joao Neves was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in the 83rd minute.
-Reuters
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