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.”
OFFICIAL: FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY TOUR TEXAS DATES FOR DALLAS, AUSTIN, AND HOUSTON
The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour visits Texas this spring! Get dates for Dallas, Austin, and Houston, plus Fan Mart event details.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola is rolling into Texas this spring, giving soccer fans in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio a shot to see the sport’s ultimate prize before the World Cup lands in North America.
Coca-Cola, which has been with FIFA for ages, runs the show here. They’ve got the exclusive rights to the Trophy Tour, and this year marks two decades since it all started. Over the years, more than four million people across 182 countries have caught a glimpse of the trophy. This time, Coca-Cola’s also putting a spotlight on sustainability, think recycling drives and local bottler partnerships.
The trophy’s itinerary is pretty packed: it’ll stop at 30 FIFA Member Associations, making 75 stops in all, over 150 days leading up to the World Cup, which the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting in 2026.
If you’re in Texas, this is your chance. The World Cup Trophy hasn’t swung through since 2022, and it’s not every day you get to see the original trophy that’s crowned champions since 1974. Here’s where and when you can find it:
Dallas: April 25–26
Austin: April 28–29
San Antonio: April 30
Houston: May 2–3
In Austin, Dallas, and Houston, fans can check out the FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Mart, a sort of pop-up shop where you can score exclusive merch, meet FIFA Legends, and dive into all kinds of themed activities.
Austin isn’t hosting any actual matches, but the trophy’s stopping by April 28–29. Then, it’s a quick swing through San Antonio on April 30. San Antonio’s event won’t have the Fan Mart, but it’s still part of the celebration.
Dallas gets the trophy April 25–26. As the biggest host city in Texas, Dallas (specifically AT&T Stadium in Arlington) is gearing up for a major role in the tournament. Fans there can get up close to the trophy, jump into interactive activities, and meet FIFA ambassadors.
Houston wraps up the Texas leg on May 2–3. It’s a World Cup host city too, and there’s extra buzz since Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play two group stage matches at Houston Stadium with Portugal. The Houston stop promises football challenges, branded experiences, and, of course, plenty of photo ops with the trophy.
This Texas tour is just one piece of a huge global journey that kicked off January 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The trophy will hit cities across Mexico and Canada, plus future World Cup host countries like Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.
After Texas, the tour heads to other big U.S. cities – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta, Miami, and New York/New Jersey – before wrapping up on June 3, 2026.
Details in this story come from FIFA communications, Coca-Cola, and FOX Local coverage.
CUP SHOCK? UNAI EMERY PREPARES SURPRISE STRIKER ROTATION FOR NEWCASTLE FA CUP CLASH
Unai Emery faces a striker selection headache! Discover why Tammy Abraham could start over Ollie Watkins in the FA Cup vs Newcastle.
Aston Villa’s FA Cup clash with Newcastle feels like the perfect moment for a few of Unai Emery’s players to step up and show what they’ve got.
You can bet Emery will tweak his lineup after the Brighton game on Wednesday. He didn’t change much in the third round against Tottenham, but with Boubacar Kamara out for the season, he can’t ignore the need to shuffle things around this Saturday.
Tammy Abraham’s name is bound to come up. He’s only started once since coming back to Villa, in that match against Brentford at the start of the month. He thought he’d grabbed a dramatic equaliser only for VAR to step in and chalk it off because the ball had gone out of play 19 seconds before. Talk about brutal.
Still, Abraham didn’t come back to England just to sit on the bench behind Ollie Watkins. He wants to be the main man up front, and you can see he’s hungry to prove he deserves it.
This weekend could be exactly what he needs, a real shot to grab Emery’s attention before Villa dives into those big league games against Leeds and Wolves.
Look back at last season. Emery surprised everyone by playing Marcus Rashford through the middle instead of Watkins in some big games. Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, got his first run in the FA Cup fourth round against Tottenham, then started again against Cardiff City and Preston North End. Emery tried him out wide against Cardiff, but it was at Preston where Rashford really made his mark, scoring twice as a centre-forward. That definitely made Emery sit up and think.
Rashford ended up starting all four Champions League knockout games against Club Brugge and PSG and kept his spot for league matches against Brighton, Southampton, and Manchester City, scoring at both the Amex and the Etihad.
Now, Rashford and Abraham aren’t the same type of striker, but Watkins can’t take his place for granted. Emery always gives Watkins credit for his work rate up top, but let’s be honest, finding the net matters most, and that’s where Abraham shines.