Soccer

Soccer reporter Grant Wahl says World Cup security guards detained him for nearly half an hour on Monday morning ... and it was all because of a rainbow shirt he was wearing.

Wahl showed up to Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar for the United States' first tournament game against Wales -- and in order to show his support for the LGBTQ+ community in a country where homosexuality is illegal, he wore a shirt with a soccer ball and a rainbow pattern.

Almost immediately after getting to the venue, though, Wahl says security stopped him over the tee -- and demanded he removes it.

"You have to change your shirt," he said one guard told him. "It's not allowed."

The 47-year-old says he refused -- and sent out a quick tweet before he claims guards then took his phone and detained him for roughly 25 minutes.

"One security guard told me that my shirt was 'political' and not allowed," Wahl said. "Another continually refused to give me back my phone. Another guard yelled at me as he stood above me -- I was sitting on a chair by now -- that I had to remove my shirt."

Ultimately, Wahl says a security commander showed up and apologized, and let him into the stadium. Wahl says a rep for FIFA said sorry as well.

The World Cup teams expecting to wear rainbow-colored armbands promoting anti-discrimination have now backed out of the plan ... after FIFA warned the squads they would face punishment for donning the pieces.

Several players from England, Belgium, Wales, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany were all scheduled to help promote diversity and inclusion in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, with the markings on their jerseys.

But, after FIFA threatened to issue yellow cards during games over it all, the teams announced Monday they would not go through with the plan.

"FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play," the teams said in a joint statement.

"As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games."

The teams said they were prepared to pay any fines ... but when the potential of yellow cards and even ejections came into play, they backed out.

The squads called it all "frustrating" ... adding that their "players and coaches are disappointed."

"They are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways," they wrote.

FA Wales officials added in a tweet early Monday morning that despite having to pull out of the armband movement, "we remain with the belief that football is for everyone and stand with our LGBTQ+ members of the Welsh football family."

Qatar pulled out the big guns to open the 2022 World Cup ... hiring Morgan Freeman to share some words of wisdom and a BTS member to sing us toward kickoff.

The actor was on hand Sunday during the Opening Ceremony, where he performed in a rehearsed skit that sorta felt like something out of a Disneyland production ... with MF mic'd up and talking to a Qatari man who was a bilateral amputee from the waist down.

It's interesting ... their scripted convo certainly seemed to address the controversy over Qatar hosting in the first place because of outcry over their human rights record. Morgan asks the man if he's welcome there, seeing how they abide by different customs and practices.

The Qatari man assures him he is, and that Qatar by extension invites the entire world in hopes of gaining a better understanding of one another ... noting soccer brings them together.

Jungkook's performance was more straightforward and traditional ... he did a showstopping number of 'Dreamers' alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi, with a lot of dancers/ production value behind 'em, similar to how a lot of the WC opening ceremonies have been.

The home crowd was fired up from it all ... although their enthusiasm waned once their team took the pitch. Qatar lost 2-0 to Ecuador for the first match -- and it wasn't really close.

Louis Vuitton has done the impossible --- getting two soccer G.O.A.T.s to play nice off the pitch ... doing so with a nice and quiet classic board game.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both featured in a new LV campaign that got posted/announced Saturday. It's a photo of the two of them playing chess on top of a Louis Vuitton suitcase ... using the signature squares as spaces for their pieces.

The company described the collab this way ... "Victory is a State of Mind." They add, "In addition to a long tradition of crafting trunks for the world’s most coveted sporting trophies, the Maison celebrates two of the most talented football players today."

The picture was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz ... who's contributed to countless spreads like this. But, the Messi and Ronaldo one is perhaps more relevant than ever ... the 2022 World Cup is just one day away, with the first match scheduled Sunday.

Neither guy's teams -- Argentina and Portugal -- are playing until Tuesday and Thursday of next week, respectively, but it could prove to be their last WC appearances ever. LM has already said he's bowing out after this, and Ronaldo has also suggested he may retire soon.

The World Cup is just a day away, and the biggest sporting event in the world is already mired in controversy -- much stemming from alleged human rights issues -- causing some to boycott the soccer tourney ... something Akon says makes no sense.

TMZ Sports ran into the rap star, a big soccer fan, at LAX on Wednesday -- just four days before the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Qatar -- and we asked him about fans who say they won't watch because of the controversy surrounding the host country.

"I don't understand the purpose of the boycott, me personally, I think everywhere you go in the world there's different cultures, different way of living, different life standards," Akon explained.

The 5x Grammy nominee went on to say he believes many of his fellow Americans who are calling for a boycott don't actually understand why they're refusing to watch.

"I think when you look at a place like America, we have a tendency of taking certain things for granted, and we got a tendency of following suit of things we don't understand. Instead of taking a trip there to understand the culture, understand what's going on, you're just going to follow suit cause everybody else says there's humanitarian issues."

FYI, Dua Lipa recently quelled speculation she'd perform in Qatar, saying she wouldn't go to the country until they "fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup." Rod Stewart also said he was offered a million dollars to perform, but he refused.

Of course, Qatar, a relatively small peninsular country with a population of under 3 million, has been accused of discriminating against people in the LGBTQ community. There are also reports of migrant workers dying while working under unsafe conditions in an effort to finish the WC facilities in the months before the tourney. Officials have also interfered with the press. These are just a few of the troubling allegations made against Qatar.

But, Akon sees it differently than the boycotters ... it's not that he's saying he agrees with Qatar, he's saying he recognizes that their culture is different.

"I think a lot of that is a cultural issue, a cultural difference. You know when you look at a place like Africa, Middle East, a lot of places, LGBTQ is not really a culture they came up under," Akon says.

"It's not a matter of dislike. It's just a different culture. know what I'm saying? it's just a matter of people better understanding each other's culture, understanding the reasons and the whys."

Akon believes we'd be a lot better off talking to the Qatari people and finding common ground, rather than ignoring them.

"How about going to explain your view from your position? Help them better understand. Know what I mean? Life is about communication. I think the moment people start jumping to conclusions and just take a position before understanding, things are always gonna be complicated."

Maluma isn't exactly kicking off the World Cup on a high note ... a reporter put him on the spot over his decision to perform -- as other artists boycott -- so, he stormed out of the interview.

The "Hawái" singer sat down for an interview Friday, two days before the start of the FIFA World Cup, with Israel's state-owned Kan TV and it quickly got heated when the interviewer asked Maluma about his thoughts on Qatar's human rights violations.

As we reported, Dua Lipa and Shakira both turned down gigs at the World Cup ... citing the country's human rights record.

Maluma teamed up with Nicki Minaj and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the official FIFA Fan Festival anthem ... and he was asked if he had a problem with Qatar's reputation.

Maluma dodged the first question with skill, saying he's performing because he enjoys life, music and soccer -- but when pressed for more than that, Maluma stood up, asked someone off camera if he needed to answer at all, then simply stormed off and called the reporter "rude."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Maluma's performing at the World Cup strictly because, as he said, he loves the sport. We're told he was a soccer player growing up in Colombia and left the sport to become an artist, but it's been always been a dream of his to perform at a World Cup.

What's odd about Maluma's heated interview is ... the network reporter giving him a hard time for, in his words, "whitewashing" Qatar, is actually there in Qatar covering the World Cup and in doing so, publicizing it.

Nicki Minaj has no time for any 2022 World Cup controversies ... the Barbz rapper has been enlisted for "Tukoh Taka" the official FIFA Fan Festival anthem!!!

The song is a collaboration between Nicki, Colombian singer Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and delivers lyrics in 3 different languages -- English, Spanish and Arabic to cater to the global soccer audience.

"Tukoh Taka" translates to "click clack" in Yankee talk and the 3 megastars all display their presence in the video.

Edgar Esteves and Juan Felipe Zuleta direct the high-octane visual ... which splices between cut scenes of fútbol highlights, Nicki gyrating on a school bus and Maluma and Myriam Fares performing in a green-screened desert.

World Cup action kicks off starting Sunday from Qatar ... but this year's event has many pundits raising eyebrows as festivities are underway.

Unlike Nicki, artists such as Dua Lipa and Shakira have refused to participate in Cup performances ... citing various alleged human rights infractions in the country.

FIFA also announced it's banning all alcohol sales in World Cup stadiums ahead of the opening games ... leaving many fans pissed.

In a surprising last-minute twist ... booze sales at World Cup stadiums in Qatar have now been banned.

FIFA announced the news early Friday morning -- saying despite initial agreements between the soccer org. and the host country to sell beer and liquor where the championship football will go down, they've now reversed course.

Qatar -- a country where the sale of alcohol is highly restricted -- had been willing to allow Budweiser to sell its boozy products at games ... albeit in less visible and less accessible locations.

But, amid late pressure to ban it entirely, FIFA explained there's now been a change of plans.

"Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA," a spokesperson for the org. said Friday, "a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing the sales points of beer from Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters."

Budweiser -- which reportedly paid $75 million to be the beer sponsor of the W.C. -- didn't exactly react well to the news.

"Well, this is awkward," the company said in a now-deleted tweet.

FIFA did say, however, that the sale of Bud's non-alcoholic Bud Zero product will still be allowed -- so, small victory there?

No matter if it's a futbol or a football -- David Beckham apparently knows his way around it ... impressing the hell out of Peyton Manning with his pigskin skills this week!!!

The two legendary athletes shared a field to shoot a Frito-Lays World Cup advert ... and at one point during a break from filming, the guys got in a little catch.

Manning asked if he'd have to teach DB how to hurl the rock -- but after a throw or two, it became clear to the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback that wouldn't be necessary at all.

From around 30ish yards, Beckham had little to no problem getting the ball to Peyton ... and each time, The Sheriff grew more and more amazed by what he was seeing from the ex-soccer player.

"That's good!" Manning said. "Good grip! I like the high release!"

Beckham's spiral wasn't exactly the tightest ever -- but Manning noted neither was his during his playing days ... and it still got the job done.

Peyton also said he was impressed by Beckham's receiving skills -- complimenting the 47-year-old's soft hands!

As for if Peyton dabbled into soccer while the two were outside, it doesn't seem so ... with Manning saying simply, "I can't do his sport."

A Danish journalist was threatened to have his camera destroyed on live TV ahead of the World Cup in Qatar ... and now, officials are apologizing for what they're calling a mistake.

TV2 reporter Rasmus Tantholdt was doing a live hit in Doha ... when three men pulled up on a golf cart and tried to put an end to the segment while on air.

During the tense interaction, Tantholdt -- who displayed his media credentials -- accused the men of threatening to break his camera ... saying, "You invited the whole world to come here, why can’t we film? It’s a public place."

"You can break the camera, you want to break it? You are threatening us by smashing the camera?"

The clip quickly went viral on social media ... leading the event's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to release a statement on the matter -- saying the Danish outlet was "mistakenly interrupted."

"Upon inspection of the crew’s valid tournament accreditation and filming permit, an apology was made to the broadcaster by on-site security before the crew resumed their activity," the committee said.

The organizers also say they discussed the matter with Tantholdt ... adding they "issued an advisory to all entities to respect the filming permits in place for the tournament."

The decision to host the massive sporting event has been met with harsh criticism ... including allegations of strict rules for media coverage in Qatar.

Folks have also been critical of Qatar's handling of human rights leading up to the World Cup ... with reports of several worker fatalities in preparation for the event.

On top of that, many take issue with the emirate's views on the LGBTQ+ community ... as well as strict limitations on sexual interactions and alcohol consumption and lackluster living conditions for fans.

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is opening up on the gut-wrenching heartbreak he suffered after his baby son died during childbirth earlier this year ... calling it the worst experience he's had since his father passed in 2005.

CR7 got candid during a sit-down with Piers Morgan this week ... where he explained what it was like to be overcome with both joy and devastation after welcoming his baby girl and mourning the loss of his son at the same time.

"It is probably the worst moment that has passed through my life since my father died," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, shared the tragic news back in April ... announcing the birth of their baby girl, but also relaying the news her twin brother didn't make it.

"When you have a kid, you expect that everything will be normal," Cristiano added. "And when you have that problem, it's hard. As human beings, me and Georgina had quite difficult moments, because we don't understand why it happened to us. It was difficult, to be honest, it was very, very difficult to understand what's going on in that period of our life."

Ronaldo said despite all the pain he was going through, soccer continued to demand his time ... which was another challenge he faced during his healing.

FYI -- Ronaldo missed one game for Manchester United following his son's death ... and returned to the pitch less than one week later.

CR7 says that time was difficult to explain ... as he was beyond happy to welcome Bella Esmeralda to the world, but was still grieving the loss.

"I try to explain sometimes to my family and close friends," Ronaldo added. "They say, 'I never felt to be happy and sad in the same moment.'"

Dua Lipa won't be performing at the World Cup after all ... according to Dua Lipa.

The singer shot down rumors Sunday that she'd hit the stage in a couple weeks for the opening ceremony in Qatar, which is usually a pretty big gig that tends to draw international stars. Shakira's done it before, so has J Lo, Pitbull, Black Eyed Peas and others.

A lot of people thought DL was up next -- among other artists who've been speculated on -- but she's saying it ain't happening ... all because of human rights, apparently.

Dua says, "There is a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform." She adds ... "I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup."

If you're unfamiliar, Qatar is notorious for mistreating its women and LGBT people ... often via punishment under the law. The country has made promises in the past to investigate certain matters and to improve its record, but many feel its fallen short time and again.

As for how this notion of Dua performing even got started ... we tracked down the source. A Twitter account called World Music Awards announced it recently, adding a bunch of other names that they claimed would be performing at the opening ceremony as well. While they seemed pretty sure of themselves, no reputable mainstream outlet picked up the news.

They asserted Shakira and BEP would be returning, not to mention J Balvin, BTS and Bollywood star Nora Fatehi. Nora is a performer, but not kicking things off. BTS's Jung Kook confirmed Friday he'd do the opening ceremony ... and thus far, he's the only official act.

Shakira and her sons are packing up and heading to Miami -- after she and her longtime BF turned ex Gerard Piqué have reached a new custody agreement.

In a joint statement to TMZ, the former couple says, "We have signed a custody agreement. Our sole objective is to provide our children with the utmost security and protection and hope that they can continue with their lives in a safe and calm environment."

The Colombian pop star's legal team reportedly came to an agreement with Gerard's reps during a 12-hour-long meeting. Shakira will be uprooting from Barcelona to MIA with their sons next year.

A source close to the former couple tells us the two "signed an agreement that is best for the kids -- which is their main focus and after 8 years of living in Barcelona -- her and the kids will now move back to her longtime home of Miami, where all the maternal family is."

ICYMI, Shakira and Gerard announced they would be calling it quits after 11 years together, back in June.

The last time we saw the two together publicly, they were supporting their son Milan at his baseball game ... and it appeared there was a lot of tension between the two, barely interacting.

Justin Bieber was a crazed fanatic during LAFC's championship game on Saturday ... completely losing it as his team came away with the thrilling win!!

LAFC ended up beating the Philadelphia Union in penalty kicks to secure the title ... and JB was clearly on pins and needles as the drama unfolded.

Bieber and his wife, Hailey, sat among the normies throughout the game ... and after the home team came away with the 'ship, Justin lifted her up in celebration.

Biebs even had his own custom LAFC jersey for the game ... draping it over his head as he cheered on his squad.

Justin and Hailey weren't the only A-listers in attendance -- Magic Johnson and Will Ferrell, who are co-owners of the team -- were also at Banc of California Stadium for the matchup.

It was a busy weekend for the duo -- as we previously reported, they were living it up at Odell Beckham Jr.'s birthday bash later that night.

A dazed Hope Solo was yanked from her car by cops after being uncooperative during her DWI arrest earlier this year ... new police video shows.

The footage -- obtained by Queen City News -- was captured on a Winston-Salem Police Officer's body-worn camera on March 31 ... just after he was called to a North Carolina Walmart parking lot over reports that a woman had been asleep behind the wheel of a running car with her kids inside.

Video shows when the officer walked up to the GMC Yukon at around 10:20 PM, Solo -- a U.S. women's soccer legend -- appeared to be passed out with her head resting on her driver's seat while her engine was on.

Solo immediately became alert following the officer's knock on her window -- and during ensuing questioning, she appeared to be completely out of it.

She mumbled, scrolled through her phone and even took a call. She insisted she hadn't been drinking -- and had only stopped to take a nap because she was tired.

The officer, though, suspected she was drunk -- and told her he smelled alcohol coming from her vehicle. She then began arguing with the man and another officer who had arrived on the scene to assist.

The cops asked her to step out of her car repeatedly, but she refused. Her kids, meanwhile, could be heard screaming and crying in the background.

Ultimately, one of the cops grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the ride.

Footage shows Solo continued to be combative, refusing field sobriety tests. Cops then put her in handcuffs. She could be heard later in the video yelling while walking with an officer, "Oh my God, you don't need to f***ing touch me!"

Solo was eventually hit with three charges over the case -- driving while impaired, resisting a public officer and misdemeanor child abuse.

In July, she reached a deal with prosecutors to close out the case -- pleading guilty to DWI. In exchange for the plea, her other two charges were dismissed.

Solo was given a 24-month suspended sentence ... and was also ordered to pay fines and fees, among other stipulations.

Following the case's disposition, she said in a statement, "I underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become."

"I continue to be a student of the greatest school called life and I will continue to learn and grow from these experiences," she added. "I will continue to gain empathy, knowledge, and stories to share."

All hell broke loose during Ole Miss and LSU's women's soccer match on Sunday ... with players throwing punches before getting ejected.

The madness unfolded during the second overtime of the close match ... when LSU's Maya Gordon and Ole Miss' Ramsey Davis were trying to gain possession of the ball ... and Gordon took issue with Davis grabbing her by the waist in defense.

That's when fists started to fly -- Gordon and Davis threw a series of punches at one another, with some shots appearing to connect with their intended target.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end -- LSU player Rammie Noel sprinted across the pitch to insert herself into the fracas ... seemingly dragging Davis down to the ground by her hair.

Coaches were able to restore some semblance of order ... but Gordon, Davis, and Noel all received red cards and were ejected from the match for their actions.

Cameras showed a visibly upset Gordon crying as she exited the field ... while being consoled by what appears to be an LSU staffer.