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THE VOID

What do we do now? Stare numbly at a blank wall for the next 24 hours? Finally get some shut-eye? Endlessly re-watch Sidny Lopes Cabral’s curler against Argentina and his Pat Cash-style climb into the stands to celebrate? Work on our stutter penalties in the park? This is a dark moment, the first scheduled day of rest at the Geopolitics World Cup. We’re 96 matches down, just seven to go – eight if you are, for some reason, heavily invested in who finishes third. But maybe we do need a moment to chill, to decompress, after Argentina’s desperate comeback win over Egypt, an emotional cracker that even left Lionel Messi in tears at full-time. There’s so much to discuss: another spurned penalty by Messi before his redemption act; the wall that was Mostafa Shobeir; the anger felt by the Egyptians after Enzo Fernández’s winner. Space must, however, be given to the greatest goal that never was.

Football Daily must admit that it knew little about Real Oviedo’s Haissem Hassan before the game, and giving away a penalty on his first GWC start was far from ideal. But then came that possessed run down the right wing in the second half, weaving his way through half the pitch, a move straight out of the Messi playbook. He found Mohamed Salah, whose cute through ball met the perfectly-timed run of Mostafa Ziko, a first-time finish giving his side a two-goal lead against the holders. It would have been wrong if he hadn’t taken his shirt off to celebrate.

Cue the machinations of VAR, with Lisandro Martínez’s shirt pulled and foot stood on at the other end before Hassan’s otherworldly run, prompting the goal to be disallowed. “The simple fact is it was right to disallow it,” wrote former Premier League ref Chris Hoy for Big Website. “There is no time limit or ceiling on the number of passes to be taken into account.” OK, well done, good process … or maybe not. “The decision to disallow Egypt’s goal is incorrect,” sniffed the Athletic’s ref expert Graham Scott. “If we look at the incident, there was some contact, both foot-on-foot and a fleeting hold of the shirt, but there was no offence worthy of a VAR call-back committed here.” If the pros can’t agree, what verdict can we offer? Could it not stand on creative grounds? This was a work of art that merited preservation.

Ziko did eventually get his goal, set up by our new favourite player, Hassan, Egypt magnificent on the counter once again. But a collapse followed after Hassan left the field, and the Pharaohs claimed they should have had a penalty before Fernández’s decisive header. Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s manager, said his side had “suffered an injustice” and that he wouldn’t be watching another minute of the GWC. We, of course, lack the self-restraint to do the same. Roll on the quarter-finals.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Oh.

RECOMMENDED FOLLOWING

How do you do fellow kids? Yes, there’s now a TikBook account with all things of a Big Website sporting focus. So, if you’re there, you know what to do. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“In 2021 Harry got me down for the camp and then I met everyone, and I’ve just been to every one since … It’s been great, it’s been a nice little tradition. I think it’ll be an England-France final. I think when you get to the final anyone can win and I think it will be us” – with Jordan Henderson’s vibes in the England camp somewhat dented, Ed Sheeran reveals that he has visited the team to, erm, lift the mood with a little twang and warble.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Re: the ‘This is fine’ meme (yesterday’s Football Daily). Most people are only familiar with the two-panel version, with the dog sitting at a table with a cup of coffee while a blazing inferno rages all around. However, what’s less well known is that it’s actually part of a six-panel cartoon. So, if the second panel where the dog is saying ‘This is fine’ is when Trump/Fifa suspended Balogun’s red card, the third panel with the dog saying ‘I’m okay with the events that are currently unfolding’ would be Belgium’s first goal, the fifth panel with the dog saying ‘That’s okay, things are going to be okay’ would be Belgium’s comical third goal, and the sixth panel with the dog’s face melting like Arnold Ernst Toht’s in Raiders of the Lost Ark would be Chris Richards passing to Romelu Lukaku for Belgium’s fourth” – Adam Clark.

Now that Jordan Henderson is out with self-inflicted arm-knack, does that mean we can replace him with Sylvester Stallone? Even better if Sly can play right-back” – Graham Ward.

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Graham Ward. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here. 

RECOMMENDED READING

🎶 Go go power rankings 🎶 Go go power rankings 🎶 Go go power rankings 🎶 You GWC power rannnnnnnkiiiiings.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Barney Ronay and co as they discuss Argentina’s Messi-inspired great escape and more in the latest World Cup Daily podcast. You can watch it too.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

It’s emerged that two US Soccer staff members were suspended by Fifa for the defeat against Belgium. Fifa hasn’t given a specific reason why.

The Swiss have been partying long into the night after their penalty shootout victory dumped Colombia out and booked a last-eight date with Argentina. The win triggered car horns, cowbells and fireworks back in Switzerland. “Incredible! The team is inspiring the whole country and setting an example for the next generation of athletes. Bravo!” tooted sports minister Martin Pfister.

Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian national team’s most successful coach, has called time on his near-nine-year tenure. “Zlatko’s name will remain forever written in golden letters in the history of Croatian football,” cooed suit Marijan Kustic. Slaven Bilic is being tipped as the likely successor.

Will he stay or will he go? Mauricio Pochettino’s future is uncertain as US Soccer weighs its next move after USA USA USA’s GWC exit.

Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken admits some of his ⁠players have been feeling under the weather before the quarter-final with England. “There’s been a bit of coughing and rasping scattered ‌throughout,” he sighed. “But there’s air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. There’s 50 people [in our travelling party], so it would be strange if something or other didn’t crop up.”

And Jordan Henderson has suggested that he will stay with the England squad at the GWC after having surgery on the wrist he broke while celebrating. “A night to remember that’s for sure!” he cheered. “What an incredible performance against all the different challenges. So proud to be a part of this special team. Thanks for all the support, another big one Saturday.”

STILL WANT MORE?

Statesman, comedian and dealer of hard truths: how Kylian Mbappé became king of the GWC, via Aaron Timms.

Is there such a thing as the perfect penalty? Nikhita Chulani crunches the numbers in this smart little video.

John Brewin picks out a GWC free agent XI.

Is Neymar the first to bookend his international career with goals at the same venue? The Knowledge knows.

All the presidents’ meddling: the Folarin Balogun scandal shows how Fifa can break football. By Barney Ronay.

USA USA USA had the biggest opportunity in the history of US football. They wasted it, sighs Alexander Abnos.

Pride and heartbreak in New York’s Little Egypt after historic World Cup run ends – in pictures.

Here’s Jacob Steinberg on why Jude Bellingham’s world is bigger than most of us can understand.

No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids – and built a football team that beat Brazil.

Morocco have delighted fans at home as the continent’s other sides struggle with off-field problems, reports Osasu Obayiuwana.

And our writers around the world pick out their favourite media pundits from the tournament so far.

MEMORY LANE

17 July 1994: To Los Angeles and poor Roberto Baggio, who watches his penalty fly high over the crossbar to hand Brazil the World Cup at the Rose Bowl. “It was the toughest moment of my career. Before I left for the finals my Buddhist spiritual master told me that I would be confronted with a lot of problems and that everything would be decided at the very last minute. At the time I didn’t realise his prediction would be so accurate,” Baggio said in 2002. Ouch. We sympathise, Roberto. Those decorative balls were surely distracting.

MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

In our sister newsletter today: breaking down Sam Kerr’s NWSL return.

BEYOND THE GWC

Sheffield United let Maddy Cusack down and the women’s team’s transition from part-time status in the summer of 2023 was not “managed in the way that it should have been”, an inquest into the player’s death has been told.

The combined pre-tax losses of Premier League clubs climbed from £135m in the 2023-24 season to an eye-drenching £948m in 2024-25, according to Deloitte’s annual review of football finance.

Marcus Rashford is set to be re-integrated at Manchester United, with the forward expected to start next season as part of Michael Carrick’s squad.

And fresh off being booted by Madrid, Álvaro Arbeloa has slipped into the Fulham hot seat. “Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious,” declared co-owner Shahid Khan. “He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here.”

NOT MUCH OF A VOID