NPR News: 07-06-2026 3PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. FIFA is rejecting the Belgian Football Federation's appeal over the eligibility of US soccer star Fuller and Bellingham and the red card he was given last week after stepping on an opposing player's ankle during play. The move to clear the way for Bellingham to participate in tonight's match against Belgium sparked outcry. NPR's Becky Sullivan is following from Seattle.

Speaker 20:27

Bellingham got a red card last week in the USA's last game. Normally, that comes with a suspension in the following match, but FIFA made the extraordinary decision to delay Bellingham's suspension for a year, allowing him to play in today's round of 16 game against Belgium. Belgium says FIFA never provided any stated reasons for the decision and says it still plans to contest Bellingham's participation. The news was already highly unusual even before reports that President Trump had personally called FIFA head Gianni Infantino to ask for a review. In a statement, Infantino rejected the suggestion that Trump had influenced the process, and he emphasized that FIFA's judicial bodies are independent. The game is set to kick off at eight PM Eastern Time or five PM Pacific. Becky Sullivan, NPR News, Seattle.

Lakshmi Singh· Host1:08

By the way, Portugal and Spain face each other this hour in the round of 16. Millions of Trump accounts are now active for families across the United States. The accounts invest one thousand dollars in stocks for some children to be used later in life. NPR's Stephen Basaha has more.

Stephen Bisaha1:25

[cheering] [bell ringing] From the Oval Office, President Trump rang the opening bell for both