A football commentator has been stripped of his World Cup ‌credentials by FIFA after an expletive-laden tirade against the organisation and match officials during Paraguay’s 1-0 victory over Turkey in which Miguel Almiron was sent off.

Jorge Chipi Vera lost his composure on live television when Paraguay’s Almiron became the first player sent off at the ​tournament for violating a new rule that forbids players from covering their mouths during on-field confrontations.

Almiron was ​dismissed for remarks made to Turkey’s Mert Muldur with his hand covering his mouth ⁠in first-half stoppage time.

The furious broadcaster called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the referee “thieves”, accusing them of “killing football” ​as Paraguay were reduced to 10 men, but he later apologised and said on X late on Monday that ​his accreditation had been cancelled.

“During the broadcast of the match between Paraguay and Turkey, I had an outburst,” Vera said in his lengthy apology.

“In the midst of my frustration over the expulsion of a player from my country, and feeling that my national team ​was being harmed, I used offensive and unacceptable expressions against the referee, FIFA, and its authorities.”

Vera said the ​sanction meant he can no longer participate in his media outlet’s World Cup coverage “either inside the stadiums or outside them” and ‌it covers “any ⁠type of participation or coverage related to the World Cup”.

FIFA declined to comment, but a source familiar with the matter said the governing body considered Vera’s language unacceptable and his actions inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected of accredited broadcast personnel.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

The source suggested that, while FIFA had no problem with freedom of speech ​against the laws of the ​game, Vera’s repeated use ⁠of a highly offensive Spanish phrase directed at FIFA officials was viewed as particularly shocking.

FIFA banning journalists from tournaments is extremely rare.

Under former President Sepp Blatter, ​freelance investigative reporter Andrew Jennings was barred from all FIFA events following his allegations ​of corruption in ⁠soccer’s global governing body, many of which were subsequently vindicated in the U.S. courts.

Vera, who works for ABC Cardinal and ABC TV, also apologised to sponsors that support the platforms’ coverage and said he had sent a letter of ⁠apology to ​FIFA, taking full responsibility for his actions.

“Questioning a rule or disagreeing ​with a refereeing decision never justifies losing control the way I did,” he added.

“I failed you in something fundamental: maintaining the composure and respect ​that this profession requires.”

-Reuters

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Ghana produced a disciplined defensive masterclass to hold England to a goalless draw in their FIFA World Cup Group L clash on Tuesday, strengthening the Black Stars’ hopes of reaching the knockout stage while frustrating one of the tournament favourites.

The result left both teams well placed heading into their final group matches, although England will feel they missed an opportunity to secure early qualification after opening their campaign with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Croatia.

For Ghana, however, the point was richly deserved after a resolute display that effectively neutralised England’s formidable attacking weapons.

Coach Carlos Queiroz made his intentions clear from the outset, setting up his side to deny space to Harry Kane and England’s creative players while looking to strike on the counterattack.

Playing under a steady drizzle, England dominated possession, enjoying nearly 80 per cent of the ball during the first half. Yet despite their territorial advantage, Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to penetrate Ghana’s compact defensive structure.

The Black Stars swarmed around Kane whenever he ventured into dangerous areas and closed down passing lanes with remarkable discipline.

Their effectiveness was reflected in a remarkable statistic: the opening 45 minutes became the first half of any match at the 2026 World Cup in which neither side managed a shot on target.

Tuchel had warned before the encounter that Ghana would be tactically well organised under Queiroz, who is appearing at his fifth FIFA World Cup as a coach and whose experience includes two spells as assistant manager at Manchester United.

England assistant coach Anthony Barry admitted at halftime that Ghana’s defensive approach had surprised the Three Lions.

“They are defending deep, deep, deep — probably deeper than we expected,” Barry observed, urging patience from England’s players.

As the match wore on, Tuchel turned to his bench in search of inspiration.

Bukayo Saka and Nico O’Reilly were introduced after 65 minutes, while Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze followed shortly afterwards. Marcus Rashford was later thrown into the fray as England intensified their search for a breakthrough.

Yet Ghana remained composed and organised.

Having snatched a dramatic last-gasp 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening match, the Black Stars also carried a threat of their own, particularly through the pace of Antoine Semenyo and substitute Prince Kwabena Adu on the counterattack.

England’s best opportunity finally arrived four minutes from time.

O’Reilly rose highest to meet a cross and sent a header crashing against the crossbar. The rebound fell kindly to Kane, but the England captain blasted over from close range in a miss that summed up his side’s frustrating evening.

England captain Harry Kane, midfielder Declan Rice and substitute Nico O’Reilly show their disappointment after the Three Lions were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by a resolute Ghana side in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L encounter at Boston Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2026. Photos: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/David Butler II; Reuters/Peter Cziborra.

The Three Lions piled forward during the closing minutes, but Ghana’s defenders stood firm to secure a valuable point.

The draw leaves Ghana in a strong position heading into their decisive final group encounter against Croatia, while England will face Panama seeking the result that will guarantee progression.

For Queiroz and his players, the performance was another demonstration that tactical discipline and collective effort can still frustrate even the most talented opponents on football’s biggest stage.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a stunning response to his critics on Tuesday, scoring twice to become the first player in history to find the net in six FIFA World Cups as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 in a Group K clash in Houston.

The 41-year-old captain, whose place in the Portuguese team had come under scrutiny after a 10-match goal drought in major international tournaments, rolled back the years with a clinical display that helped Portugal bounce back emphatically from their disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo.

After the final whistle, a visibly emotional Ronaldo turned towards the television cameras and shouted: “I’m back, I’m back,” a declaration that summed up both his relief and defiance after weeks of criticism.

His brace took his World Cup tally to 10 goals, moving him ahead of Portuguese legend Eusebio as his country’s all-time leading scorer at football’s biggest tournament.

While the records continued to tumble, Ronaldo insisted that Portugal’s resurgence mattered more than personal milestones.

“The team performed really well and improved a lot,” he said after the match.

“As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Obviously, speaking personally, records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives.”

Portugal’s dominant performance was built on relentless attacking football from the opening whistle. Determined to erase memories of their frustrating first outing, Roberto Martinez’s men overwhelmed the World Cup debutants with pace, movement and precision.

Ronaldo opened the scoring after just six minutes, arriving at the near post to convert a low cross from Joao Cancelo.

The veteran striker then doubled his tally before halftime, calmly placing Bruno Fernandes’ perfectly weighted pass into the far corner.

The goals sparked emotional celebrations. After opening his account, Ronaldo sprinted to the touchline where he was mobbed by teammates, while coach Roberto Martinez watched with a broad smile from the technical area.

Between Ronaldo’s strikes came one of the match’s most memorable moments. Nuno Mendes curled in a brilliant free-kick after Portugal cleverly used Ronaldo as a decoy, fooling both goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov and much of the crowd.

Uzbekistan briefly thought they had found a route back into the contest when Azizjon Ganiev produced a superb finish following the first hydration break. However, the goal was ruled out after a VAR review identified a foul on Cancelo in the build-up.

The second half brought no respite for the Central Asians.

An unfortunate Nematov fumbled the ball into his own net for Portugal’s fourth goal before Rafael Leao completed the rout late on in front of a packed crowd of 68,777 spectators.

Portugal finished with 17 attempts on goal, eight of them on target, and could easily have scored more as teammates repeatedly searched for opportunities to complete Ronaldo’s hat-trick.

Martinez praised his players for showing greater maturity and composure after the lessons learned from their opening match.

“This was the response we had in the dressing room,” the Portugal coach said.

“There are times when you need a game like the first one in order to grow in the tournament.

“Today we saw a team with the same attitude and commitment, but with greater maturity because it was no longer the opening match.”

The emphatic victory moves Portugal onto four points from two matches and leaves qualification for the knockout stage firmly within reach ahead of a decisive final group encounter against Colombia.

For Uzbekistan, meanwhile, a second consecutive defeat leaves them on the brink of elimination before their final Group K fixture against DR Congo.

But the night belonged to Ronaldo.

At an age when most players have long retired, the Portuguese icon once again demonstrated his enduring ability to influence the biggest stage, rewriting World Cup history while reminding the football world that he is far from finished.

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