World Cup 2026: Arsenal Defender Hincapie Sent Off For Covering Mouth

According to a report by Mirror on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié has become the second player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to receive a red card under the tournament’s new rule against covering the mouth while speaking during a confrontation.

The Ecuador centre back was dismissed during his side’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their Round of 32 clash at the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday, as Ecuador’s World Cup campaign came to an end.

The incident occurred deep into stoppage time when Hincapié approached Mexico striker Santiago Giménez during a heated exchange. Television replays showed the Arsenal defender appearing to cover his mouth with his hand while speaking to the forward.
Giménez immediately alerted referee Slavko Vinčić, who reviewed the incident on the pitchside VAR monitor. Following a brief check, the referee produced a straight red card, making Hincapié only the second player to be sent off under the competition’s newly enforced regulation.

The dismissal capped a frustrating evening for Ecuador, who were already trailing after goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured Mexico’s passage to the last 16 with a comfortable 2-0 victory.

Mexico will now face either England or DR Congo in the next round as they continue their bid for World Cup glory.

Hincapié joins former Newcastle United F.C. midfielder Miguel Almirón as the only players sent off for the offence at this year’s tournament. Almirón became the first player dismissed under the rule during Paraguay’s group-stage victory over Turkiye.

The latest incident highlights FIFA’s strict enforcement of the regulation, with match officials using VAR to review potential violations before issuing disciplinary action.

World Cup: Canada Knocks Out South To Reach Round Of 16

Canada booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in history after Stephen Eustáquio struck a dramatic 92nd-minute winner to seal a 1-0 victory over South Africa in the Round of 32.

The victory marks Canada’s first-ever qualification for the Round of 16 at a FIFA World Cup and keeps their historic tournament run alive.

There was another major boost for Canada as captain Alphonso Davies made his first appearance of the 2026 World Cup after recovering from injury. His return provided a timely lift as Canada secured a memorable knockout victory.
With extra time looming, Eustáquio delivered the decisive goal deep into stoppage time to send the Canadians through and end South Africa’s World Cup campaign.
South Africa bow out after an impressive tournament that saw them reach the knockout stage, but Eustáquio’s late strike ended their hopes of a first-ever Round of 16 victory.

Canada will now face the winner of the Round of 32 tie between the Netherlands and Morocco in the Round of 16.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic shades Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Sweden striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, on Tuesday threw shades at Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal captain led his team to beat Uzbekistan 5-0 at the World Cup.

Recall that Ronaldo scored a brace as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium.

Following his second goal, Ronaldo delivered a simple message: “I’m back.”

The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward repeated the message after the final whistle as he walked off the pitch.

Reacting, Ibrahimovic said on Fox Sports, “I thought he never left, I don’t know why he says ‘I’m back,’”.

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This comes after Ronaldo received criticism for his performance in Portugal’s first group stage match against DR Congo, in which he failed to score as Roberto Martinez’s men drew 1-1.

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Thierry Henry Apologized To Nigerians Over Super Eagles/US Jersey World Cup Comment

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has apologised to Nigerians over offending comments he made at the World Cup.

The former France international came under fire on Saturday while covering the USA’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay alongside fellow football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic for FOX Sports.

During the broadcast, popular streamer IShowSpeed was spotted wearing Nigeria shorts paired with a United States Men’s National Team jersey. Reacting to the outfit, Henry said: “I love Nigeria, but not today. Today is USA for you.”

Somalia FIFA Referee Denied US Entry Visa

According to a report by Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, due to his denial of admission into the United States, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not be participating in the FIFA World Cup preparations and will not be able to officiate any matches during the tournament, according to FIFA.

On Saturday, while en route from Istanbul to Miami for officiating seminars prior to the competition, Artan was denied entry to the United States by immigration officials. After Sunday, he was sent back to Istanbul, terminating his involvement in the event’s preparatory program.

The result was that the referee will not be able to participate in any World Cup preparations or training, according to a formal statement released by FIFA on Monday.

It has been confirmed by FIFA, the global governing body of football, that Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not be able to train for or officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to his denial of admission into the US.

In addition, FIFA made it clear that it has no say in visa and admission decisions, emphasising that host governments have complete discretion over immigration. According to the organization, the proper authorities have already advised them that Artan’s entrance status cannot be changed at this moment.

“As has been the case with past FIFA events, the host government has the final say over visa and admission decisions,” the statement continued.

According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the referee was denied entrance after routine inspection processes were followed, according to The Athletic. After reviewing Artan at the point of entry, the agency determined that he was inadmissible owing to vetting concerns.

Athletes, coaches, and staff, along with all travellers attempting to enter the US, are inspected and vetted by CBP, according to the department.

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At the time of inspection, information pertaining to immigration, national security, and law enforcement is considered in making admissibility determinations on a case-by-case basis.

According to US immigration law, CBP agents have the authority to question travellers, search their belongings, and make final decisions.

Somali football suffered a major blow with Artan’s expulsion; he had just won the title of Africa’s Best Referee for 2025 at the CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco.

He was going to make history as the first Somalian to officiate a FIFA World Cup match, and he was a legendary figure in Somali sports.

Amidst increased scrutiny on US immigration laws, he chooses not to be present.

Under a presidential proclamation that was issued on June 4, 2025, by US President Donald Trump, “the entry into the United States of nationals of Somalia as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.” This measure completely restricts the entry of Somali nationals

Opta Supercomptuter picks PSG Winner of 2526/202

The Opta supercomputer is backing defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to overcome Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final, but only by a narrow margin.

On Saturday, newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal will feature in their first UEFA Champions League final for 20 years.

As for PSG they are attempting to become the first club other than Real Madrid to defend the trophy in the Champions League era (1992-93 onwards) – Los Blancos memorably won it three times in succession from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

Saturday’s showpiece, which takes place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, will be a battle between the holders and challengers with relatively little experience on the continental stage.

Arsenal are looking to rule the continent for the very first time, having an opportunity to become the 25th different club to win Europe’s premier club competition (including the European Cup era).

There have been two first-time winners in the last three editions, with PSG the most recent team to etch their name onto the trophy for the first time.

Now according to Opta Supercomputer, PSG are assigned a 56% chance of retaining the trophy, with Arsenal given a 44% probability of completing a famous double.

Across 10,000 match simulations, PSG were victorious within 90 minutes in 43.5% of scenarios, with Arsenal triumphing in 29.7% and the remaining 26.8% requiring extra-time and potentially a penalty shootout.

Arsenal’s run to the final – and their success on the domestic front – has been built upon a rock-solid backline.

The Gunners hold the best defensive record in this season’s Champions League, conceding six goals in 14 matches (0.43 per game). The record among teams to play 13+ matches in a single campaign remains 0.31 per game, held jointly by Arsenal (2005-06, lost to Barcelona in the final) and Chelsea (2020-21, won the trophy).

Luis Enrique’s side are unbeaten in their last 11 Champions League knockout matches, winning nine and drawing two, though their last defeat in a knockout game did come against Premier League opposition, versus Aston Villa in the second leg of the 2024-25 quarter-finals.

With Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé enduring a disrupted campaign – he suffered another injury scare in the final game of PSG’s Ligue 1 season but is expected to be available for Saturday – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has taken up the mantle.

Arsenal Not In The Same Level With Paris Saint-Germain: Thierry Henry

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry conceded the Gunners are not on the same level as their Champions League final opponents Paris Saint-Germain.

Mikel Arteta’s men will contest the final against the holders on May 30 in Budapest, PSG having booked their spot with a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, which secured a 6-5 aggregate triumph.

Arsenal progressed to only the second Champions League final in their history by edging past Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate.

The North London club will be underdogs for the Puskas Arena showpiece, PSG having thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in last year’s final and showcased their devastating attacking quality in beating Bayern 5-4 in a remarkable first leg of their semi-final.

Henry: Arsenal not on PSG’s level
Henry, who featured in Arsenal’s only other final appearance in 2006, in which they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona, believes it is important this year’s vintage accept their position against Luis Enrique’s side.

“We’re not in a position to pick and choose. We’re not at the level of those guys yet so you’ve got to be humble with it,” Henry told CBS Sports.

“Hopefully we go there and be brave but we have to beat and battle against the champions so it won’t be easy, we know that.

I’m so happy that we’re in the final. We’ll see where we get against that team because that’s an outstanding team. You’ve got to stay in your lane…It’s going to be difficult. We didn’t concede a lot of goals, that counts for something, but Paris Saint-Germain have the experience of knowing what it is to win it.”
Henry, who later won the Champions League with Barca in 2009, added: “I woke up with a smile, they are about to do something that I couldn’t do myself.

“You want your team to win. I didn’t experience it as a player, the second thing I can experience it as is a fan. Hopefully it is going to happen.

“We’ve been pretty resilient, difficult to score against. We don’t over-create but when we do create, we end up putting the ball in the net.”

The World Nonuplets: “Mali Nine” Turns Five Years Today

Five years ago, the world watched in awe as Halima Cissé gave birth to nine healthy babies. Today, the “Mali Nine” are officially 5 years old!

Five years ago today, a medical team in Casablanca held its collective breath.

On May 4, 2021, Halima Cissé gave birth to nine healthy babies, shattering medical expectations and seizing a permanent spot in the Guinness World Records.

Today, those nine miracles are officially five years old. From fragile newborns to energetic toddlers, their journey is a visual marvel that continues to captivate millions.
The birth that defied science

Against all odds: Halima Cissé’s pregnancy stunned the medical world, requiring a specialised team of over 30 doctors to ensure a safe arrival for the “Mali Nine”.

When Halima Cissé was flown from Mali to the Ain Borja clinic in Morocco, doctors initially expected seven babies based on early scans. They got nine.

The delivery required a synchronised team of over 30 medical professionals and a level of surgical precision rarely seen in a delivery room.
From incubators to first Steps
The first 19 months were a delicate waiting game.
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The “Mali Nine” lived under 24-hour neonatal care before they were strong enough to fly home. It was during this period that the world first fell in love with their coordinated nursery photos.

The logistics: 9 kids, 18 shoes, 45 candles
What does a 5th birthday look like for the Cissé family? It’s a masterclass in logistics.

From “assembly line” morning routines to the sheer volume of school supplies, parents Halima and Abdelkader Arby have turned parenting into a high-performance sport.

The Siblings

Nine newborn babies, the Cisse nonuplets, lying in a row wearing pink and grey hooded rompers.

Girls: Kadidia, Fatouma, Hawa, Adama, Oumou
Boys: Mamadou, Bah, Oumar, Elhadji
The 5-year update: See them today
After returning to Mali in 2022, the children have transitioned from medical miracles to local celebrities in Bamako.

Their 5th-birthday portraits show nine distinct personalities emerging, though they remain famously inseparable

The survival of the Cissé nonuplets is a testament to the advancement of African and Moroccan healthcare and a mother’s incredible resilience.

As they blow out 45 total candles today, they remind the world that “impossible” is just a starting point.