MASTERCLASS: ROONEY VS CAMPBELL: BREAKING DOWN THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY IN FOOTBALL HISTORY
Wayne Rooney discusses the 2004 Arsenal vs Man Utd "Battle of the Buffet." Read about Sol Campbell’s grudge and the January 25 clash.
Wayne Rooney says Sol Campbell wouldn't speak to him for half a year after Manchester United beat Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2004, ending their 49-game unbeaten streak. Rooney won a penalty in that game after going down under a challenge from Campbell, who thought Rooney dived.
Rooney said that Campbell held a grudge after that controversial game in 2004. It was Rooney's first time playing in the big rivalry, as Arsenal tried to hit 50 games without a loss. But Rooney won a penalty from Campbell and then scored himself. Campbell apparently felt wronged by the call and wasn't quick to forgive.
Rooney says Campbell wouldn't talk to him at international team camps for six months after the game. On his podcast, he remembered, “It was a big game for Arsenal. If they had won, it would have been their 50th game unbeaten. We beat them 2-0, and Campbell didn’t speak to me for over six months. When we met up for international duty, Sol wouldn’t speak to me.
“Sometimes, I was with Sol, and I’d say, ‘Come on, man, we're playing for England here.’ But he wouldn’t talk to me because he felt I dived. He left his leg out, and I think there was a little contact.”
Rooney also talked about some of the other famous clashes between the two teams: “I used to love playing against Arsenal. I remember my first game at Highbury for United was with Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in the tunnel, and you could feel the tension.
“Then there was the time Cesc Fabregas threw pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson, and there were fights in the tunnel that everyone got into. The Martin Keown incident was a year before I got there, but the next year we beat them 2-0.”
After the game, someone threw a pizza in the tunnel, hitting Ferguson. Fabregas later admitted he was the one who threw it, as Rooney noted.
Ashley Cole wrote about the incident in his book: This slice of pizza came flying over my head and hit Fergie straight in the face. It echoed down the tunnel, and everything stopped—the fighting, the yelling, everything. All eyes turned, and all mouths gaped to see this pizza slip off that famous face and roll down his suit. I thought Ferguson was going to explode, but then he stormed off into the dressing room, cursing, brushing the crumbs off his collar. We all went back into the dressing room and fell about laughing. All I can say is that the culprit wasn't English or French.
Arsenal and United had a big rivalry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but both teams have had ups and downs since then. Arsenal hasn't won the Premier League since 2004, and United hasn't been champions since the 2012-13 season. Rooney always played well in big games and had a great record against Arsenal, scoring 15 goals in 35 games and winning 17 of those games with both United and Everton.
What's next?
United will play Arsenal next on January 25. Arsenal is currently ahead of United by 15 points, and fans in north London are hoping they'll finally win the title this year.
THE HIDDEN MATH BEHIND FIFA’S $33,000 WORLD CUP FINAL TICKET PRICE SURGE
Gianni Infantino defends $32,970 ticket prices at the Milken Institute, citing the US market as the world's most developed.
FIFA just tripled the price of its top tickets for the World Cup final, now charging $32,970 for the best seats at the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On Thursday, those front-row “category 1” seats popped up for sale, right as members of Congress started pushing FIFA for answers about high prices and demanding more transparency on how tickets are being priced.
Before, the highest category 1 ticket for the final topped out at $10,990. Now, the only way to snag that price is if you need a wheelchair or special-access seat; otherwise, you’re looking at the new, much steeper cost.
Prices don’t stop there. For the July 14 semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Texas, seats are $11,130, $4,330, $3,710, and $2,705. The next day’s semifinal in Atlanta? $10,635, $3,545, and $2,725. U.S. group stage matches aren’t cheap either; opening night in California runs $2,735, $1,940, or $1,120 a seat. The June 19 clash against Australia in Seattle sits at $2,715. And for the finale against Türkiye back in LA, tickets range from $2,970 down to $840.
Representatives Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr, both Democrats from New Jersey, fired off a letter to FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino, calling FIFA’s use of “dynamic pricing” too secretive and criticising practices that make it tough for regular fans to get seats. Their letter didn’t mince words: “We’re deeply concerned about FIFA’s opaque pricing and shifting rules. Fans are getting frustrated and feel misled. We want to know how FIFA ensures everyone can actually afford to attend and what’s being done to address these concerns.”
Gianni Infantino hasn’t backed down. On Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, he defended his price tags. “We have to look at the market,” Infantino said. “This is the most developed entertainment market anywhere, so we charge market rates. Tickets here can legally be resold, so if you price them low, people just flip them for more. In fact, even with what some call high prices, tickets end up reselling for twice as much or more.”
He also pointed out, “You can’t go to a college game in the U.S., never mind a pro one, without spending at least $300 for a decent ticket.”
Sure, tickets for huge events like the Super Bowl or the College Football Championship can hit these levels, but scores of seats at U.S. college and pro sporting events, even the NBA playoffs, still go for under $300.
When it comes to resale, FIFA doesn’t set those prices. On its official ticket exchange, final match seats were listed Thursday from $8,970 all the way up to a wild $11,499,998.85, the latter for a spot four rows from the top in the upper deck. FIFA takes 15% of each sale from both buyer and seller. Last month, somebody listed a final ticket for $2,299,998.85.
Infantino joked about those prices: “If people list final tickets for $2 million, number one, that’s not the actual price. Number two, who’s paying that? If someone does, I’ll personally deliver them a hot dog and a Coke.”
Ticket prices aren’t the only pain point for fans. Getting to the game, especially at MetLife Stadium, has its own sticker shock. NJ Transit originally set a $150 round-trip fare from anywhere to the stadium, way up from the normal $13-ish round trip from Manhattan’s Penn Station. After plenty of backlash, they cut it down to $105, but that’s still steep.
Governor Mikie Sherrill, via her spokesperson Steve Sigmund, said she’s pushing for more corporate contributions to lower fares for fans. “The governor is grateful for the companies helping reduce costs and will keep working to make the World Cup a win for both fans and New Jersey.”
FIFA, for its part, warned that these high transit prices could dampen turnout in New Jersey, while other host cities, LA, Dallas, and Houston, aren’t hiking fares for the games.
MetLife Stadium, usually home to the Giants and Jets, will host eight World Cup matches, including the final. Group stage games for powerhouse teams like Brazil, France, Germany, and England all kick off starting June 13.
FIFA EXTENDS PRESTIANNI BAN WORLDWIDE; WINGER SET TO MISS WORLD CUP OPENERS
Gianluca Prestianni will miss games against Algeria and Austria if selected by Scaloni. Get the full disciplinary breakdown.
FIFA has extended Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension for homophobic conduct to apply globally, which could sideline him for Argentina’s first two matches at the 2026 World Cup. The winger from Benfica, initially punished after a well-publicised incident with Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, will now have his ban affect not just club matches but international competitive games as well.
The disciplinary move by FIFA follows a request from UEFA, and the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has confirmed the six-match ban will take effect worldwide. According to a FIFA spokesperson, the committee agreed to broaden the suspension’s scope, impacting all levels of competitive play.
This decision carries serious implications for both Benfica and Argentina. What was once a suspension limited to UEFA competitions now bars the 20-year-old from participating in any FIFA competitive events, including the upcoming World Cup in North America.
If Prestianni makes Lionel Scaloni’s final Argentina roster for 2026, he will be forced to sit out the opening group stage games against Algeria and Austria. Despite this setback, he remains eligible for friendlies; he was actually called up earlier this year for matches against Mauritania and Zambia following his November 2025 senior debut.
While the ban totals six matches, half of those come with a two-year probationary clause. After missing a Champions League match against Real Madrid under a provisional suspension, Prestianni still has two active games left to serve. Notably, domestic games with Benfica this season are unaffected, since the worldwide ban targets only competitive international fixtures.
The incident that triggered this whole saga happened on February 17 during a Champions League knockout match at Estadio da Luz. Vinicius Junior accused Prestianni of racial abuse, prompting referee Francois Letexier to pause the game for eight minutes and activate FIFA’s anti-discrimination protocol.
Prestianni has denied these accusations and issued a statement saying he never directed racist insults at Vinicius Junior, suggesting the player misunderstood what was said. He also condemned the threats he received from Real Madrid players in the aftermath.
Despite his denials, UEFA’s investigation concluded that Prestianni engaged in discriminatory, specifically homophobic, conduct, leading to his suspension.
Questions remain about the length of the ban, as UEFA’s rules generally mandate a minimum 10-match suspension for offences against human dignity based on factors like race or sexual orientation. UEFA has not explained why the disciplinary body settled on a shorter six-match penalty.
Looking ahead, Prestianni faces a challenging path to regain standing under scrutiny. Should he violate conduct rules again within the probationary period, the remaining three matches of his ban could be enforced immediately, potentially harming his prospects with both Benfica and the Argentina national team.
