Kane backs Tuchel amid Bellingham feud as FIFA faces backlash over Balogun ban reversal

Harry Kane has moved to ease tensions in the England camp after Jude Bellingham appeared visibly irritated by Thomas Tuchel’s public criticism following England’s win over Norway, which secured the Three Lions a place in the World Cup semi-finals. The England captain insisted Tuchel is simply “trying to drag” the best out of his players, framing the manager’s blunt assessments as a deliberate motivational tool rather than a personal slight.

Bellingham’s annoyance surfaced in the aftermath of the Norway victory, with Tuchel’s post-match remarks seemingly landing poorly with the Real Madrid midfielder. Kane’s intervention signals an attempt to present a united front ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina — a fixture that carries enormous weight given the two nations’ storied World Cup rivalry.

France and Spain meet in the other semi-final on Tuesday, with the losing sides contesting the third-place play-off on Saturday before Sunday’s final.

Meanwhile, FIFA is under significant pressure over its handling of Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension. The USA striker received a straight red card during his country’s 2-0 round-of-16 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina and was set to miss the quarter-final against Belgium. With less than 48 hours until kick-off, FIFA deferred the ban, making Balogun eligible to play — a decision reportedly made solely by the chairman of its disciplinary committee without consulting the other 17 members.

The move came after US President Donald Trump publicly called on FIFA to review the punishment. UEFA responded with a strongly-worded statement, accusing FIFA of “crossing a red line” — an unusually direct rebuke from European football’s governing body directed at the sport’s global authority.

The episode has raised serious questions about the integrity of FIFA’s disciplinary process, with critics arguing that political pressure from a sitting head of state should carry no weight in football governance decisions. FIFA has not confirmed the internal process by which the deferral was approved.

Four teams remain in the tournament — France, Spain, Argentina and England — each of whom has won the World Cup at least once.