Soccer

The Portugal vs. Uruguay World Cup match was interrupted by an unexpected intruder on Monday ... when a man holding a rainbow flag stormed the pitch in protest.

The spectator made his move 50 minutes into the contest ... running at full speed before getting stopped by security and escorted off the grass.

Along with the rainbow flag, the man was wearing a Superman shirt that read "Save Ukraine" on the front ... and "Respect For Iranian Women" on the back.

Of course, homosexuality is illegal in Qatar ... and the stunt is sure to come with serious ramifications.

As we previously reported, journalist Grant Wahl said he was detained for nearly half an hour last week ... after World Cup guards took issue with his pro-LGBTQ shirt.

The spectator's message for Iranian women's rights also comes on the heels of Team USA's decision to alter the country's flag in support of the same cause ... which led Iranian state media to call for FIFA to boot America from the massive sporting event.

A stunning soccer fan decided to rock a sexy 'fit as she cheered on her team at the World Cup over the weekend ... despite Qatar's strict dress code.

Model Ivana Knoll -- who's known as the "World Cup's Hottest Fan" -- posed for pics in a revealing red and white dress while in attendance for the Croatia vs. Canada matchup on Sunday ... with her shoulders and knees fully exposed.

Of course, Qatar takes a modest approach to clothing ... and anyone who visits is strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines.

In fact, the country's tourism page specifically states both men and women are "expected to show respect for local culture by avoiding excessively revealing clothing in public."

Safe to say Knoll's wardrobe choice was a big no-no in the eyes of the locals ... but it doesn't appear she was kicked out of the game or got in any sort of trouble.

As for the contest ... Knoll's beloved Croatian squad ended up easily defeating Canada, 4-1.

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter apologized on Monday for his team's edit of the Iranian flag in World Cup social media posts ... though he insisted he and his players had no say in the matter.

The U.S. Soccer Federation's posts were up for several hours on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on Saturday ... showing Iran's flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in it.

U.S. soccer officials said the scrubbing was on purpose, telling CNN it was a planned 24-hour change to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights." The normal flag had been restored by Sunday afternoon.

The move, however, was panned by Iran ... and the country's state media asked FIFA on Sunday to kick the U.S. out of World Cup action over it all.

"According to section 13 of #FIFA rules," Tasnim News Agency tweeted, "any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people ... shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure."

FIFA has yet to comment on the issue -- though Berhalter was peppered with questions about it during a meeting with reporters just 24 hours before the U.S. is slated to play Iran in a must-win match on Tuesday. The loser is likely eliminated from the tourney.

Berhalter said "players and the staff knew nothing about what was being posted" ... calling it "out of our control." He did, though, say he was sorry.

"All we can do on our behalf is apologize on behalf of the players and the staff," he said, "but it's not something that we are part of."

The 49-year-old manager then said he and his team's focus is strictly on Tuesday's match.

"I don't want to sound aloof or not caring by saying that, but the guys have worked really hard for the last four years, we have 72 hours between England and Iran, and we really are just focused on how to get past Iran and how we can go to this knockout stage of the tournament."

"Of course, our thoughts are with the Iranian people -- the whole country, the whole team, everyone. But our focus is on this match."

"Below Deck Adventure" star Kyle Dickard gets way too fired up for soccer -- he ended up behind bars for charging onto the field at a packed stadium, allegedly hitting a security guard and attempting to buy his way outta trouble.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Kyle darted out of the stands in front of 17k spectators last weekend at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Colombia and Paraguay fans cheered as he bolted past security and cops, who chased him across the field.

As you can see, he didn't go easily or quietly and cops say he struck a security guard in the face as they tried to tackle him.

Law enforcement wasn't amused, but the crowd clearly was, and some of them threw beer at the cops and security as they took him into custody. According to the docs, some fans even followed Kyle's lead and jumped onto the field too.

According to the report, Kyle made matters worse by making multiple offers of up to $300 to officers if they'd "break off" and let him go. He was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting without violation and bribery of a public servant.

We've reached out to Kyle for comment ... so far, no word back.

WWE Superstar Mansoor missed (yes, missed!) Saudi Arabia's stunning World Cup upset over Argentina -- all because he didn't expect his home country to win -- and now he's feeling serious regret!

TMZ Sports spoke with the first-ever Saudi wrestler to compete with WWE and asked him about one of the most shocking upsets in World Cup history (Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, 2-1 Tuesday morning).

"I'm very embarrassed to say, I feel like a really bad fairweather fan," Mansoor said. "I remember being like, 'Oh, man, it's the World Cup, Saudi Arabia's got their first match, I can't wait to see it. I'm going to wake up at 5 AM and watch this.'"

"Then I was like, 'Argentina, I think I'll sleep in.' But shockingly, they pulled through," Mansoor told us ... "Nobody saw this coming. Nobody in Saudi Arabia and nobody in the world."

"You can't write a better story than that," Mansoor said.

FYI, Saudi is ranked as one of the worst teams in the tourney ... while Argentina is regarded as one of the top 3. But, as the saying goes ... that's why you play the game.

"The biggest underdog upset in the history of the sport. Something like this is probably never going to happen again."

He continued ... "I'm just happy to be alive for it. I just wished I watched it live, but still, it's amazing."

As you'd expect, it's not just Mansoor who's thrilled with how the game turned out. The people in Saudi Arabia went absolutely wild after the game ... from shooting guns in the air (don't try this) to literally ripping a door off the hinges, fans were pumped!

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is right around the corner -- and it looks like Team USA's World Cup run is about to blow up along 6th Avenue.

The giant balloons and floats set to be trotted in and around New York City Thursday are up and ready for action -- with some sneak peek shots showing us exactly what's in store ... including a patriotic soccer player who's going for goal.

One of the newer and more prominent attractions is this inflatable footballer who's in the middle of a bicycle kick ... no doubt, a nod to the U.S. Men's National Team who are in Qatar right now trying to compete for the coveted FIFA trophy.

Other balloons that stand out ... a big ol' Ronald McDonald, a Green Dinosaur and her babies, Snoopy (classic), Papa Smurf, a Minion and others.

Of course, there are traditional parade floats that are receiving their final touches -- and, yes, it's all about advertising! Black Friday is the following day, after all ... and these companies don't want you to forget it. That includes Wonder Bread, Toys "R" Us, 'Baby Shark' (the show), and naturally ... Macy's. There's also a cool Slumberland float, a la 'Little Nemo.'

Finally ... BTS shots of the rehearsal that was underway this week, with all the talent working out the kinks in the dark of night. Performers such as Jimmy Fallon, Black Thought, Jordin Sparks, Paula Abdul, Joss Stone, Sean Paul, Lea Michelle and more were on hand.

Cristiano Ronaldo's debut with his next team will be pushed back a bit -- the soccer superstar was just hit with a two-game suspension for smashing a fan's phone after a game in April.

The Football Association announced the news on Wednesday ... saying the org. did a thorough investigation into the incident prior to finalizing the punishment.

On top of the two-game ban, Ronaldo will pay a £50,000 fine.

As we previously reported, the altercation went down after Manchester United lost to Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park on April 9 ... when Ronaldo was caught on video smacking a phone out of a teenage fan's hand.

CR7 -- who was injured toward the end of the game -- alleged the kid was recording video of his bloody leg as he left the pitch ... and claimed he only acted out of concern for his safety.

But the FA didn't buy his excuse ... resulting in the suspension and fine. He was also under police investigation, but was cleared after paying £200 in compensation.

Ronaldo apologized after the incident ... and invited the fan to a future Man U game.

In one of the most shocking upsets in World Cup history, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina ... and their fans were so fired up, one literally grabbed his gun and opened fire into the air!

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. IT'S DANGEROUS. CAUSE, GRAVITY.

The "celebration" went down after the Saudis beat Argentina, 2-1, early Tuesday morning (US time). Argentina, with Lionel Messi, is considered one of the top 3 teams in the tournament ... and many have picked them to win the World Cup. It's the exact opposite for Saudi Arabia. They're regarded as one of the worst teams ... but, that's why they play the games.

SA was actually down 1-0 (Messi 10') at the half ... before scoring two goals (Saleh Alshehri 48', Salem Aldawsari 53') in the second half.

It's truly shocking Saudi Arabia won. They only had 2 shots on target (3 total), while Argentina had 6 shots on target (15 total). Argentina controlled the ball for 70% of the game.

Now, Saudi Arabia leads Group C with 3 points. Argentina has zero points. Mexico and Poland are currently playing each other.

Argentina, should they hope to advance, now has no margin for error ... they must defeat Mexico on Saturday.

As for Saudi Arabia ... they play Poland on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo's time in Old Trafford is over -- the soccer superstar and Manchester United have decided to part ways effective immediately.

Man U announced the move just minutes ago ... saying, "The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future."

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

The move comes just one week after CR7 claims he felt "betrayed" by coach Erik ten Hag and other higher-ups at the club ... admitting he didn't feel wanted the past two years at Man U.

Ronaldo went off on ten Hag ... saying, "I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t respect me, I’m never gonna have respect for you."

This was Ronaldo's second stint with Man U -- he previously played for the Red Devils from 2003-09 ... before rejoining the club in 2021.

The World Cup looked more like a UFC fight on Tuesday ... when Saudi Arabia soccer star Yasser Al-Shahrani was knocked out cold after he was accidentally kneed in the face by his own goalkeeper.

The moment went down during Saudi Arabia's surprise win over Lionel Messi and Argentina ... when keeper Mohammed Al-Owais went up to defend the ball during the final minutes of the match, but ended up going all Jorge Masvidal on Al-Shahrani.

The 30-year-old defender hit the grass hard ... and the medical team immediately rushed out onto the pitch to assist.

Thankfully, Al-Shahrani came to and was able to give the crowd a thumbs up to show he was alert.

Al-Owais was clearly upset about the accident ... going down to his knees in disbelief after making contact with Al-Shahrani's jaw.

But the match eventually resumed ... and Saudi Arabia was able to pull off the shocking 2-1 win over Messi's squad.

It's a huge upset win for Saudi Arabia -- the team was ranked one of the worst heading into the event in Qatar ... with Argentina being one of the favorites to win it all.

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.