OFFSIDE: Spain hand Cristiano Ronaldo a check as Belgium nullifies USA’s triumph

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (7) reacts after the World Cup Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Hello and welcome to another edition of Offside. First, Spain pulled off Portugal to win the Iberian derby, while Belgium earned world recognition by ensuring the USA were not sent off as they beat the hosts 4-1.They say old age is a lot like childhood, and Ronaldo’s late-stage prima donna career mirrored his younger days: a grumpy kid who couldn’t stop whining. It’s hard to watch, especially for those of us who have followed his career and seen him transform from a touch-and-teasing teenager to a swashbuckling winger to a goal machine turned master on the pitch.With age, Ronaldo’s sphere of influence has shrunk to the point where he remains a threat only inside the D, but even that seemed non-existent at this World Cup. His majestic leap, his sharp finishing and half-chance ability all left the man in his final days. And it annoys him a little more that his great rival, who is two years younger, looks like he has discovered the fountain of youth.Perhaps the romantics wished for a final showdown between Ronaldo and his great rival, but instead it ended with Merino, not Messi. Merino is the kind of utility player who can be called the John O’Shea Phenomenon: a player who doesn’t excel at one position but can give you an 8/10 performance in a variety of positions. He even netted four times during the Premier League season in the absence of Viktor Gyokeres, but missed out on the title after breaking his leg in the 3-2 home defeat against Man Utd. Merino didn’t think he would be at the World Cup, but he was there to write the final footnote in the former GOAT’s career.It wasn’t a particularly pretty game, but Spain finally broke through. By the way, Spain are still yet to concede a goal in this World Cup and it looks ominous for other teams, given the strength of the Spanish bench and their ability to call on players of the caliber of Ferran Torres and Merino to decide matches. That Ronaldo could no longer do it at the highest level was obvious to anyone not named Piers Morgan or iShowSpeed.His World Cup and football career can be summed up in two images: winking in 2006 and whining in 2026. The first is him cheekily winking at the 2006 World Cup after Wayne Rooney stamped on Ricardo Carvalho’s family jewels. After that, the adversity he faced in the Premier League created a beast that would dominate world football and despite not having Messi’s skill level, he would compete with him at the highest level. The other is Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup, crying after being eliminated, an albatross around the neck of a talented Portuguese generation who did not have the courage to tell their national legend that he had become an albatross around the neck.

Belgium’s Youri Tielemans (8) reacts after Belgium won their World Cup round of 16 match against the United States in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Speaking of albatrosses around their necks, Belgium earned world recognition after handing Team USA a 4-1 thrashing. The hosts earned the ire of football fans around the world after Donald Trump used what KBC fans call dial-a-friend to overturn Balogun’s red card. Ironically, it was the first time a leader of the free world had done something corrupt that benefited his country rather than his person, but it meant overnight that the US had become the scorn of the global soccer world, usually reserved for the England national team.Belgium have looked rather apathetic so far this World Cup, but the reversal of the red card seemed to galvanize the team. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and had an assist, while Romelu Lukaku added one in stoppage time to seal the deal. Soon the conversation turned to football not being a real sport, how Belgium had restored a rules-based international order, and how it was two years since a nuclear weapon.The rescinding of the red card managed to take some of the shine off an American team that seemed to have finally found a way to love a sport more associated with orange peels, suburban moms and Ted Lass. Hopefully we’ll see a different Team USA than what we’ve seen right now.For now, it will be Spain vs Belgium in the quarter-finals, and while the smart money will be on Spain, Belgium have been known to pull off an upset or two.

Argentina vs Egypt

July 7, 9.30 am ISTKing vs Maestro. All eyes will be on Argentina as they take on Mohamed Salah’s Egypt. The Pharaohs are making up for lost time in the World Cup and Cabo Verde have shown that Argentina can be pinned down.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) applauds the crowd after the World Cup Round of 32 match against Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Florida, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Warrior watchLionel Messi has scored seven goals so far at this World Cup and is competing with next generation superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot. But more than scoring, Argentina are built on Messi’s passing, and that’s the challenge.Mohamed Salah may not be 100 percent, but the king can decide the moments himself.Battle planArgentina’s best version is when they slowly tighten the noose around their opponents until Messi finds a gap between midfield and defence. Against Cape Verde, they failed to make a breakthrough after losing possession. Defensively, Argentina will try to block a free pass to Marmoush or Salah.Egypt, meanwhile, need to find a bit more poise and composure for the match against Argentina. The ideal plan is a medium to low block and selective targeting of Argentina’s full backs.The key battle will take place on Egypt’s right and Argentina’s left, with Tagliafico and Lisandro Martinez clashing with Salah.Dinner convoy: Can the Pharaohs seal Argentina’s World Cup hopes inside the pyramid?

July 7, 1:30 am ISTColombia vs Switzerland is one of those knockout matches that makes you wonder if it’s worth staying. Switzerland have once again ventured into the knockout stages, while football-mad Colombia will be hoping the chaos continues.

Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi (9) celebrates after scoring during the World Cup Group B soccer match between Switzerland and Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Warrior watchJohan Manzambi became the breakout star of the Swiss tournament and also had a great club season, helping SC Freiburg reach the Europa League final where they lost to Aston Villa. Manzambi was named Europa League Young Player of the Season and has three goals and two assists to his name so far. On the other hand, Luis Diaz is having a superlative tournament and will be looking to bring some chaos to the Swiss world order.Battle planColombia have conceded just one goal so far and have a versatile system, with coach Lorenzo relying on tactical changes in play and positional shifts. Switzerland, on the other hand, are a well-built team and their victory over Algeria was built on the tactical maturity that saw them morph into a modern 4-2-3-1, with Manzambi given the freedom to roam.One of the topics discussed was Colombia’s travel burden, which saw them travel from Mexico to Miami, Kansas and Vancouver. Switzerland, on the other hand, managed to play their games in Vancouver, giving them a slight edge.Dinner conversationThe second law of thermodynamics states that in an isolated system, entropy always increases over time. Switzerland (order) vs Colombia (chaos) will tell us if this is a good thing on the football pitch.