ARRESTS AT THE MKM: WHY POLICE INTERVENED DURING HULL CITY’S FA CUP DEFEAT
Police made arrests at the MKM Stadium as Chelsea beat Hull 4-0. Read the full report on Pedro Neto's hat-trick and the fan fallout.
Hull City say police made arrests after fans started up discriminatory chants during their 4-0 FA Cup loss to Chelsea on Friday night. Early in the game, the stadium’s PA system cut in with a warning: stop the chanting, or face arrest. Stewards and police didn’t mess around in the second half; the club announced they’d actually detained some supporters.
The chant targeted Chelsea and was homophobic. It’s not the first time this kind of thing has happened. Back in 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service made it clear that a certain lyric in the chant is a homophobic slur, and using it can land you in legal trouble. Just ask Paul Boardman, a Liverpool fan who got slapped with a Wembley ban and a £500 fine for shouting it at a train station.
Meanwhile, the game itself got away from Hull. Chelsea rolled over them, with Pedro Neto bagging a hat-trick. Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic still found a few positives, though. He liked the team’s defensive setup and thought they could’ve used their counterattacks better. “We deserved at least one goal,” he said, “but if we play like this, we’ll be in a good spot in the Championship.” He’s already thinking ahead to the next match against QPR.
On the other side, Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior was back at the MKM Stadium, his old stomping ground. He was buzzing about his team’s attitude and effort, especially in the first half. “Hull are flying in the Championship, and I hope they make the Premier League,” he said. “But our mentality and quality tonight made the difference.” He singled out Pedro Neto for his work rate and finishing, but really, he seemed proud of the whole squad. “Everyone put in a shift. The mentality was spot on.”
The night was extra special for Rosenior. He had more than 20 family members in the stands and got warm applause from both sets of fans. “This club means a lot to my family and me,” he said. “I really appreciate the welcome. It was a good night all around.”
FIFA OPENS FINAL 2026 WORLD CUP TICKET PHASE; THREE MILLION AVAILABLE NOW
World Cup 2026 tickets are live! Learn about pricing controversy, resale rules, and how to join the FIFA queue.
FIFA announced that the fourth and final phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup in North America kicked off on Wednesday. This phase covers the event running from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with over three million tickets up for grabs. According to a press release, this “last-minute” sales window opened at 1500 GMT on FIFA’s official site, FIFA.com/tickets. Tickets are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis and will remain available until the tournament concludes on July 19.
Tickets are released in a rolling fashion, sometimes even for matches happening the same day, as FIFA explained. When the sales started, visitors were directed to a waiting page to queue for access, which could mean waiting several hours. Instructions detailed that a countdown appears before entry, after which an ‘Enter’ button shows up for five minutes; clicking it grants access to buy tickets.
In total, nearly seven million tickets will be available across the 16 stadiums hosting games during the tournament. More than three million tickets have already found buyers during the earlier sales phases, including over a million through the random selection draw held earlier this year, which attracted some 500 million requests, according to FIFA.
This event looks set to surpass the record of 3.5 million tickets sold at the 1994 World Cup. This summer’s competition will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, with 78 of those played in the United States.
Ticketing, however, hasn’t been without controversy. FIFA has faced criticism over high ticket prices, which some say conflict with promises made when the tournament was awarded to the three host nations. On March 24, Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers filed a complaint against FIFA with the European Commission, accusing the organisation of abusing its dominant market position and pushing for changes to what they label “opaque and unfair” ticket sales procedures.
FIFA, for its part, defends the pricing by pointing to “crazy” demand, as stated by president Gianni Infantino. The governing body did introduce a $60 ticket category exclusively for official supporter clubs in December, but according to Football Supporters Europe, that allocation was effectively sold out before tickets went on sale to the public.
On another front, FIFA is reopening its official ticket resale and exchange platform this Thursday. That platform has drawn criticism for resale prices that some view as equally steep. FIFA clarified that it does not control prices set in this “fan-to-fan market” in Canada and the United States, where resellers decide the listed price. Mexico presents a different scenario, as laws there ban reselling tickets above their original purchase price.
GARY LINEKER EXPOSES "PERSONAL" FEUD BETWEEN THOMAS TUCHEL AND ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
Gary Lineker suggests Thomas Tuchel has a "personal" issue with Trent Alexander-Arnold after his latest England snub.
Gary Lineker has raised eyebrows over a surprising omission in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad.
He suggested that Tuchel might have a “personal” issue with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was left out despite his clear quality.
Tuchel recently managed his 11th game as England boss, an experimental 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley. The squad featured some fresh faces like Ben White, recalled for the first time since 2022, and Harvey Barnes, who made a rare appearance after nearly six years.
Yet Alexander-Arnold’s absence stood out. Since Tuchel took over, the Real Madrid defender has only made one brief appearance for England, coming on for 26 minutes against Andorra in June.
On The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker, who has long admired Trent, expressed confusion over the decision. He said, "There's something personal going on because, from a football standpoint, it makes no sense. Trent should be in that squad, even if only on the bench.”
He speculated it might be related to “attitude” or defensive concerns, although it was just a guess. Whatever the reason, Lineker pointed out that other players in Alexander-Arnold's position don’t match up, especially with the ball.
“In games like these, you need a bit of magic to unlock things,” Lineker said, adding it felt “insulting” to such a top-class full-back not to be valued properly.
Since moving controversially from Liverpool to Real Madrid in May 2025, Alexander-Arnold has struggled to secure a regular place both for club and country. He currently trails behind Reece James, Tino Livramento, Jarell Quansah, and Ben White in the pecking order at right-back.
After a recent win over Atletico Madrid, Trent posted “Madrid and nothing more” on Instagram, perhaps signalling his desire to focus on his club future.
Lineker is clearly not alone in his viewpoint. Fans showed their frustration by booing Ben White during the Uruguay match, signalling a strong desire to see Alexander-Arnold back in the England setup.
