The knockouts at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are delivering serious action on the pitch and off the pitch, and it has been marked by unprecedented political interventions. Recent details about the British government’s intervention to prevent the kickoff from being moved sparked cheating allegations from American fans mere hours after the American government itself intervened to help the USMNT.

Forecasts predicted lightning and showers on Sunday night before the clash, as FIFA contemplated shifting the kickoff time. A new kickoff time of 2 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CST) was proposed instead of the original 9:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. local time). But a report from The Sun revealed that outgoing British PM Sir Keir Starmer personally vetoed the move as England’s FA conveyed the idea to him. The game eventually kicked off at 9 p.m. ET after the storms caused an hour’s delay.

Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, reacted to the report. “What!! England Cheated!!!” he wrote on his X account. Starmer believed the earlier kickoff time would deny England sufficient time to adjust to Mexico City’s altitude.

England won the clash 3-2 in heated conditions to progress to the quarterfinals. Portnoy’s clapback comes at a time when the USMNT itself is facing allegations of cheating and influencing FIFA. The back-and-forth has been the theme of the day on social media.

It was earlier revealed that the US President called on FIFA to overturn the suspension of Folarin Balogun. The USMNT international was sent off for a tackle on Tarik Murahremovic in the round of 32 clash between the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup. The red card suspension is now rescinded, and Balogun is available to face Belgium in the round of 16, much to the dismay of the European nation.

However, FIFA strictly prohibits any form of government or political intervention in either administration or on-field matters. Under Article 2(2) and 15(c), FIFA can even issue a global ban and prohibit the country from taking part in official competitions if government involvement is observed. But with the intervention taking place at the biggest stage of the game, FIFA’s reaction could very well set up a massive precedent going forward.