World Cup 2026 refereeing disputes draw criticism from Germany and Belgium

German coach Emerse Fae accused the German side of lacking fair play after Germany’s 2‑1 win over Ivory Coast in Toronto, saying the opponent should have returned the ball when Wilfried Singo was injured. He added, “We expected more fair play from Germany. We wanted them to give us the ball when Singo was injured.”

In a separate match, Belgian coach Dario Herrera was criticised for not sending off Alireza Jahanbakhsh after the Iranian defender’s reckless slide on Leandro Trossard in the Belgium‑Iran game at Inglewood. Commentator Marcin Borski explained the decision, noting, “From field experience I’m not surprised the card wasn’t shown; no one was expecting it.” Both incidents have sparked debate over refereeing standards at the 2026 World Cup.