World Cup

The mom of Spain's embattled soccer president, Luis Rubiales, has reportedly been hospitalized after refusing to eat for a third straight day ... all in support of her son as he fights to save his job.

Angeles Bejar, Rubiales' mother, was admitted to Santa Ana hospital in the Motril area of Spain, according to the local parish priest, who told local outlets Luis' mom was feeling tired and stressed as a result of the hunger strike and the controversy involving her son.

Bejar locked herself in a nearby church days ago as a way to protest what she believes is the unfair treatment of Luis.

Of course, Rubiales is under fire for his actions in what should've been the happiest of moments ... when Spain won the Women's World Cup against England. Luis was seen kissing Jenni Hermoso, a soccer star on Spain's team, on the lips.

Despite an immediate backlash, Luis has refused to resign his position, despite Spain's entire soccer club vowing not to play if he remains president.

On Saturday, FIFA suspended Rubiales for 90 days ... but he could still lose his job.

Spain's soccer honcho Luis Rubiales was just temporarily barred from participating in football events around the globe ... this after he planted an unwanted kiss on a player after his country won the World Cup last weekend.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee issued a statement Saturday, saying Rubiales was provisionally suspended from "all football-related activities at national and international level." His initial suspension is for 90 days, pending the results of an investigation launched on August 24.

Rubiales' troubles stem from an incident that occurred last Sunday after Spain beat England 1-0 to snag the FIFA Women's World Cup.

During the ensuing medal ceremony, Rubiales approached one of Spain's players, Jenni Hermoso, and gave her an unsolicited kiss, which was caught on camera.

He was also photographed carrying another player over his shoulder and grabbing his own crotch.

FIFA says Rubiales -- president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation -- might have violated rules pertaining to "offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play."

As for Rubiales' response, he initially apologized for his actions, but, after that didn't work, he turned defiant, refusing to step down from his post despite calls for him to do so. In fact, the women's soccer team threatened to go on strike if FIFA failed to suspend him.

Spain's Women's World Cup team is now refusing to suit up again ... until Luis Rubiales resigns over the kiss he planted on Jennifer Hermoso following the squad's big victory last Sunday.

The entire championship team issued the ultimatum on Friday morning ... saying in addition to Rubiales, it wants other team officials ousted as well.

The squad added that the kiss after Spain's World Cup win was "unacceptable" ... while condemning "behaviors that have violated the dignity of women."

The statement came just a couple hours after Rubiales emphatically told reporters that he had no plans to resign over the scandal. During his impassioned speech about staying in his place, he also insisted the kiss was consensual.

Hermoso, however, said in the team's statement Friday that she "at no time" consented to the full-lip kiss.

Several soccer stars have thrown their support behind Hermoso and the Spanish players amid all the drama ... including USA striker Alex Morgan, who said she was "disgusted" by Rubiales' actions.

"Winning a World Cup should be one of the best moments in these players' lives," Morgan tweeted, "but instead it's overshadowed by assault, misogyny, and failures by the Spanish federation."

Spain soccer boss Luis Rubiales is under FIFA investigation for planting an unwanted kiss on one of his players following the country's World Cup victory this week, the soccer governing body announced Thursday.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has informed Rubiales that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final," a statement released by FIFA read.

The international governing body went on to say Rubiales might've violated rules dictating "Offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play" for the unsolicited kiss of midfielder Jenni Hermoso after Spain's epic 1-0 win over England in the World Cup Final on August 20.

Rubiales, who is 46, has received widespread rebuke for his actions after the match. He was also photographed carrying a player over his shoulder and grabbing his crotch.

After initially acting defiant, Rubiales apologized, saying, "I made a mistake, for sure."

"I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way."

The soccer president added ... "I have to learn from this and understand that a president of an institution as important as the federation -- above all in ceremonies and that kind of thing -- should be more careful."

But, the apology wasn't enough for many, including the country's top politician, Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who called the apology "insufficient and inadequate."

FUTPRO, the union that represents Hermoso, the player who was kissed, released a statement on her behalf, saying "acts that should never go unpunished."

As for what will happen to Rubiales, FIFA won't say until the investigation is completed. However, they did offer a rebuke of his actions.

"FIFA reiterates its unwavering commitment to respecting the integrity of all individuals and strongly condemns any behavior to the contrary."

Despite FIFA's investigation still being underway, there's a chance Rubiales loses his job before the disciplinary committee concludes its work. There are mounting calls for Luis' job in Spain, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation is planning to meet Friday to discuss the controversy.

Spain has taken home the gold in the Women's World Cup, but folks online are more focused on a super-cringe moment after the win ... when the country's football president planted a kiss on one of the players' lips.

The smooch went down Sunday, as the team received their gold medals after beating England in the final.

Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales was at the end of the line congratulating the athletes when he gave midfielder Jenni Hermoso a kiss squarely on her mouth.

It's a pretty awkward moment, especially because he grabbed the back of her head -- Hermoso admitted she wasn't a huge fan of what went down, but she's still defending him, saying it was a spontaneous, mutual gesture coming from all the post-win joy.

She's gone on to say his behavior with the team has been great, and they have a great relationship ... and is hoping fans will be putting the focus on the triumphant win instead.

Of course, folks online have been pointing at the kiss quite a bit, with many calling it completely inappropriate ... but Hermoso doesn't see it that way.

The U.S. Women's National Team is at a fork in the road after their incredibly disappointing World Cup, according to former soccer star-turned-analyst Taylor Twellman, who tells TMZ Sports the team has to make changes, or they'll be passed up by the world.

The ex-USMNT forward -- who played professionally from 2000 to 2010 -- didn't pull his punches when analyzing the USWNT's shocking loss to Sweden in Melbourne, Australia ... and their overall performance in the world's biggest soccer tournament.

"In this World Cup, technical, tactical -- they were completely outdone!" the 43-year-old said. "It was obvious."

Twellman continued, not mincing his words ... "They didn't score a goal in 238 minutes. You are the number one nation in the world, that's inexplicable. So now this is a watershed moment."

Of course, the team, tourney-betting favorites, were looking to make history by becoming the first country to win 3 World Cups in a row. Unfortunately for American fans, that didn't happen.

After beating Vietnam 3-0 (they were around 7 goal faves), the U.S. tied both Portugal and the Netherlands, barely squeaking into the knockout round of 16, before losing to Sweden on penalty kicks. The loss dashed any hopes of a third straight W.C. ... and sent the women on a flight headed back home.

Now, for how to fix things ... Twellman has an idea of what needs to be done.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. I think top to bottom, the United States Federation on the women's side has to look at development, they have to look at the collegiate part of it, they have to look at the development within the professional leagues," Taylor said, continuing, "Are the professional leagues developing the players the right way? Is technique a huge part of it, or is it just about being bigger, faster, and stronger than the other countries? It's not gonna work anymore."

Twellman added ... "This women's World Cup has exposed the failure of the United States women to develop, and this generation I think did not carry on the mentality that winning comes first, everything else is secondary, and I think some of that criticism has been correct on that."

Of course, the mentality is precisely what U.S. soccer legend Carli Lloyd pointed out last week when she called out her former team for celebrating in the wake of another subpar performance.

"I really think it's telling that she brought it up because what we saw during the World Cup kind of backs Carli Lloyd's opinion," Twellman said.

We also talked to Taylor, who is Apple's top soccer analyst, about Lionel Messi's amazing start with Inter Miami ... and just how far the team can go with the soccer immortal playing at this level.

"I get it, Lionel Messi and [Sergio] Busquets just showed up but this is the worst team in Major League Soccer regular season," Twellman said.

Carli Lloyd wasn't feeling all the smiling and dancing after the USWNT scored a draw vs. Portugal, narrowly advancing in the World Cup ... she called out her former team, saying they're fortunate they're not going home!

If you missed it, the U.S. Women's National Team faced Portugal early Tuesday morning, barely escaping with the 0-0 tie ... after Portugal's Ana Capeta's extra time kick nearly netted the game's first goal. Fortunately for the U.S., the ball deflected off the goalpost.

With the draw, the U.S. advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup ... and players were clearly happy, celebrating on the pitch.

The visual didn't sit right with Lloyd -- a 2x Olympic gold medalist and 2x World Cup winner -- who took a shot at the team after another uninspiring effort on the field.

"I have never witnessed," the 41-year-old said on FOX Soccer, "and just seeing these images for the first time at the desk – I have never witnessed something like that."

"There's a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family, but to be dancing, to be smiling."

Lloyd continued calling out the USWNT, crediting the goalpost with saving the game for 'Merica.

"I mean the player of that match was the post. You are lucky to not be going home right now."

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski responded to Lloyd's comment, saying it was "insane" to question the mentality of the team.

But, Lloyd's not the only one who's questioning the USWNT ... and many fans have been none too pleased with the results on the field (3-0 win over Vietnam, draws vs. Netherlands and Portugal).

"People across America stayed up super late or woke up IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT to watch yall play a half-hearted game, at best. You put more effort into your outfits and pre and post-game dance moves and than you did the actual game," one fan commented.

"You're letting down fans that are, and have been, dedicated to this team and it's honestly so disappointing. Get your focus where it needs to be and actually play like a team and a group we can be proud of, win or lose."

The USWNT returns to the pitch on August 6 in the round of 16 as they continue their quest for a historic, third straight World Cup victory.

Do that ... and we're sure Carli Lloyd will take the photos for you!

The U.S. Women's Soccer team wasn't feelin very patriotic during their World Cup opener -- and it showed on their faces ... with mostly closed mouths during the National Anthem.

The U.S.'s debut game against Vietnam went down Friday in New Zealand, and a lot of people couldn't help but notice that most of the American players were choosing not to sing along to "The Star-Spangled Banner" while the famed music played before kickoff.

It was awkward -- the camera pans across the entire row ... and just about everyone, except for a few stray players, had their mouths shut. Some even had their arms behind their back.

The starters who opted to skip the Nat'l Anthem included ... Alex Morgan, Andi Sullivan, Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox, Trinity Rodman and Crystal Dunn, among others. A couple were notably mouthing the words ... Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan.

To make matters worse ... the Vietnamese players were pretty much all singing their national anthem, loudly/proudly it seems -- with hands over hearts. Ditto for just about every other international team we can see -- FOX is cutting all the national anthems on their social page.

On its face, it looks like every other country -- besides the U.S. -- is belting out their tunes.

It remains to be seen if the U.S. is going to do this every time they play another team -- the National Anthem will, in fact, be blared before each of their matches ... and since it seems like they're making a statement -- it has, no doubt, pissed off some along political lines.

A mass shooting broke out in New Zealand near where the U.S. women's national soccer team is gearing up for this week's World Cup ... but, thankfully, officials for the squad said all of its players and staffers are safe.

According to New Zealand police, gunshots initially rang out on Wednesday morning at a construction site in Auckland's CBD -- just a few miles from where the USWNT and other countries are slated to compete in the prestigious soccer tournament.

Police said a shooter opened fire inside the site at around 7:22 AM ... and then continued moving through the building while repeatedly discharging his gun.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, officers attempted to engage the gunman ... who had barricaded himself inside of an elevator shaft.

"Further shots were fired from the male," cops said in a statement ... "he was located deceased a short time later."

Authorities say two people -- plus the suspect -- died during the incident. Several others, they added, were injured.

The USWNT said in a statement following the tragedy that "all of our USWNT players and staff are accounted for and safe."

"Our security team is in communication with local authorities," team officials continued, "and we are proceeding with our daily schedule."

New Zealand officials added that while the situation was "alarming," they believe the incident "has been contained and is an isolated" one.

"We can also advise that this is not a national security risk," they said.

The World Cup is slated to kick off in Auckland on Thursday ... when New Zealand takes on Norway at Eden Park.

Lionel Messi is moving across the pond ... the Argentinian soccer superstar has reportedly agreed to join MLS club Inter Miami CF in a HUGE move for the sport.

The news broke on Wednesday ... with Fabrizio Romano reporting Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players to ever to hit the pitch, has decided to join the David Beckham-owned organization this summer.

Both sides have yet to confirm the move ... but a formal announcement is expected Wednesday.

The 35-year-old's contract with PSG officially expires at the end of June ... and he reportedly had a ton of lucrative offers waiting for him as he figured out his next move.

Messi, a captain of Argentina's World Cup-winning national team, received interest from his former club, Barcelona ... and was also courted by Saudi Arabia, which was willing to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars to get him to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the Saudi Professional League.

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé has received yet another honor four months after his passing -- his name was added to the Portuguese dictionary as an adjective with a definition only fitting for a G.O.A.T.

The three-time World Cup winner's name was added to the Michaelis, a brand of dictionaries published in Brazil, after a campaign by his foundation to include his name garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

"That or someone who is out of the ordinary, who or who by virtue of their quality, value or superiority cannot be equaled to anything or anyone, just like Pelé," the definition reads.

"Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered to be the greatest athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique."

Pelé's definition drives home the point that he was beyond exceptional at his craft while paying homage to the remarkable career he had on the pitch for Brazil.

As we reported, Pelé -- born Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- died last December at a hospital in São Paulo ... surrounded by his loved ones after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pelé was initially diagnosed with cancer in 2021 ... and spent his final two years in and out of medical facilities, valiantly fighting the disease.

In 1958, Pelé -- widely regarded as one of the greatest scorers ever -- won his first World Cup when he was 17 ... and captured another two titles for Brazil in 1962 and 1970.

Alexi Lalas is heaping a ton of praise (and perhaps a little pressure) on the U.S. Women's National Team as they close in on a chance to make history at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup this summer ... telling TMZ Sports they'd arguably be the greatest team of all-time if they secure a historic third straight win!

The U.S. soccer legend and great FOX Sports analyst told us the USWNT is already in rarified air with their 4 World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), but winning 3 in a row, which has never been done before, "would certainly put them in the conversation of the greatest team ever."

Lalas likes the USWNT's chances in the event -- which features 32 teams (eight more than in 2019) -- and will be held in Australia and New Zealand, but says other countries are looking to "spoil the party," so winning it all won't be an easy task.

"The rest of the world has started to catch up," Lalas said. "They are putting more resources in. That's a good thing. Competition is a good thing. You have the likes of England, France, and Germany and our friends up to the north, Canada, and the Netherlands.

"Yes, we want to win every single game," Lalas said. "Yes, we want to win more World Cups, but we want it to be competitive. I want the U.S. to win, but I might want England not to win it even more. Anybody but England winning, I'll be cool with."

Despite the competition gap closing, Lalas believes USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has enough to win it all because of stars like Alyssa Thompson, Dennis Rodman's daughter, Trinity Rodman, and Julie Ertz, who happens to be married to NFL tight end Zach Ertz.

FYI, the U.S. are slight favorites to win the whole tourney.

Tuesday marked the 100-day countdown to the world's biggest soccer tournament, airing on FOX Sports and FS1.

Soccer journalist Grant Wahl was honored with a few touching tributes in the newest episode of "Ted Lasso" -- nearly four months after he died while covering the World Cup in Qatar.

The show, which follows Ted Lasso's fictional journey from American football coach to successful European soccer coach, paid tribute to Wahl by having one of its main characters hold a copy of Grant's book, "The Beckham Experiment."

In the scene, Coach Beard -- played by star actor Brendan Hunt -- carries the Wahl-penned literature in the palm of his hand ... making sure its perfectly placed so cameras can see its full title.

Wahl's name was also included in the show's closing credits.

As you may know, Wahl and Jason Sudeikis, who plays Lasso in the show, were close friends, with each holding a connection to the Kansas City area. In fact, Sudeikis actually appeared on Wahl's podcast with Hunt before his death.

Wahl had also written a blog in October 2022 just before his passing, detailing a trip to Richmond, England -- which, of course, is the home to the show's fictional AFC Richmond squad.

Wahl said in his blog that Hunt had brought him to The Prince's Head -- the real-life bar in the show -- where they shared a beer outside.

As we reported, Wahl died in December after suffering a medical emergency inside a press box at the World Cup. His wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, later revealed a ruptured aortic aneurysm was what killed him.

He was just 49 years old.

Hundreds of Argentina fans flooded the streets of Buenos Aires just to get a glimpse of their hero, Lionel Messi, out at dinner Monday night ... and the scene was absolute insanity!!

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar is back in his home country ahead of an international friendly against Panama later this week ... and once word spread he was with his family at the Don Julio restaurant in Palermo, he was met with a massive crowd of crazed fanatics.

Videos show Messi needing a police escort just to make it out of the establishment shortly before 2 AM ... with folks screaming, reaching out and grabbing, and trying to take pictures with the footballer.

Despite the overwhelming amount of people, Messi appeared to take it pretty well ... smiling as he made his way through the sea of fans.

Of course, Messi was already beloved in Argentina ... but once he won the World Cup in December, his supporters' passion was multiplied by a billion.

Leo might be numb to all the love at this point -- after all, he also faced millions of backers who showed up to their World Cup parade.

SoFi Stadium might be coming up empty in its bid to host the World Cup finale in 2026 ... and it's all 'cause its field could be deemed too narrow for FIFA's liking.

Seriously.

According to a report from The Times, the pitch at SoFi in Los Angeles is not currently wide enough for FIFA. In fact, the outlet reports, the building would have to increase its field by up to 63 feet to meet the soccer org.'s requirement.

The stadium would have to take out some of its seats in order to make that happen -- but FIFA reportedly would have an issue with that too ... because SoFi, which seats 70,240, is already struggling to meet the 80K World Cup final minimum.

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and AT&T Stadium in Dallas are now considered the front-runners for the tourney's championship if SoFi can't figure out a way to resolve the issues.

The 2022 World Cup Final between Argentina and France was played at Lusail Stadium in Qatar -- and set a record for attendance ... with 88,966 soccer fans packing into the venue to watch Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe go toe-to-toe.

Stunning model Ivana Knoll says she's been getting a ton of business offers after being dubbed the "World Cup's Hottest Fan" ... but there's one venture she's never going to explore -- OnlyFans.

The Croatian supporter joined Michael Babcock and Lucas Widman at the TMZ office to talk about her chaotic rise in fame ... and Ivana says her inbox has been flooded with potential money-making opportunities -- but she's picky about who she works with.

"I usually don't take everything that they offer me, because I like to work with brands who I like, and not many of them, because I like to present what I really like, not just what is paid to me."

"If I don't smoke, I cannot promote cigarettes."

Ivana says during the World Cup, she received about 10 calls a day and 20 emails from agencies trying to get her on OF ... but makes it clear no dollar amount would get her to do adult content.

"I was like, 'I don't know why they cannot accept that I don't want to open one,'" she added.

"I don't judge, I'm just not that kind of person. It's not for me. I tried to explain that it's not about money always, I care about reputation."

Ivana says despite the immediate money she'd make on the subscription-based platform, it would also hurt her chances with other brand deals in the future ... and that's a risk she's not willing to take.