Belgium’s Red Devils get royal pep talk

Belgium’s Red Devils received some regal encouragement Thursday evening as King Philippe dropped by the team’s hotel less than 24 hours before its World Cup quarterfinal against Spain. He’s also the latest European royal to make a pilgrimage to this summer’s tournament. According to Belgian news agency Belga, the king joined the squad for dinner…

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Dutch deputy leader slams Moroccan football fans after riots

Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius on Friday lambasted Moroccan football fans who clashed with police across the Netherlands following their team’s World Cup defeat to France. “One by one, countries are knocked out. That’s what a football tournament is all about. We’re disappointed, but we move on with our lives. Except for these ‘supporters.’…

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Spain’s post-separatist team

Separatist politics have long spilled onto Spanish football pitches. In Catalonia, where nationalist sentiments run deep, clubs like FC Barcelona have historically served as powerful symbols of the pro-independence movement. Their matches have often become venues in which fans display separatist flags and placards, and at major games they’ve expressed their support for separatism by…

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Belgian airline needles Spain ahead of World Cup quarterfinal

Red Devil-themed Jupiler beer cans, football-shaped Leonidas chocolates and sticker collectables at the Delhaize supermarket — Belgium is all on its World Cup run. Even the country’s flag carrier, Brussels Airlines, has gotten in on the act. In a tongue-in-cheek gesture, Brussels Airlines is flying its Trident aircraft, painted in the colors and bearing the…

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How Trump radicalized the Belgians

BRUSSELS — President Donald Trump’s interference with FIFA’s disciplinary measures ahead of the U.S.-Belgium match had unintended consequences: He fired up the Belgians. After limping through the group stage and first knockout round, Belgium cleaned the floor with the U.S. in the round of 16, after Trump intervened to help overturn a suspension for America’s…

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Spot the pol!

This European royal looks onto the field before his country plays in the Round of 16. That’s Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway with Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The royal siblings attended Norway’s match against Brazil on July 5, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ​Politics

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Who will cheer for Palestine now?

This may be the only World Cup where Palestinian flags have so noticeably outnumbered Italian ones. At the first global tournament after Oct. 7, 2023, symbols of Palestinian solidarity have been widespread despite the fact that Palestine has never competed in a World Cup. After being adopted by teams and fans across the tournament, the…

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