Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

England Soccer Icon Slams 2026 World Cup Host U.S. As 'Extraordinarily Racist' In Viral Rant

BBC soccer commentator Gary Lineker
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Design Museum

Former soccer star Gary Lineker admitted the U.K. has also 'got issues.'

British soccer icon and BBC commentator Gary Lineker is under fire for criticizing the selection of the United States to host the 2026 World Cup because the U.S. is "extraordinarily racist."

Not everyone disagrees with him, of course.


Lineker's comments came during a discussion on the podcast "The News Agents" in which he was also critical of Qatar being chosen to host this year's World Cup amid the country's virulent homophobia and widespread human rights abuses.

Speaking with podcast host Emily Maitlis, Lineker expressed his dismay that between the current tournament and 2026's, the World Cup will have been hosted in what he sees as two consecutive bigoted and inhospitable countries.

Lineker began his comments by calling out the appalling human rights abuses that occurred in Qatar during the construction of the stadium where the World Cup is currently being held, along with Qatar's issues with LGBTQ and women's rights.

He told Maitlis:

"We pointed facts out at the beginning of the tournament; those facts remain. So, lots of people were killed doing the stadiums. Yes, the stadiums are extraordinary, but at a great price."
"Homophobia is an issue here, women’s rights are a little bit of an issue here.”

He then called out the US's problems with racism.

“And we’re off to America in four years’ time... obviously America’s an extraordinarily racist country.”

The US's issues with racism, police brutality, and rapidly ascendant white nationalism are frequently covered in international news and have shocked the world in recent years, with issues like the 2020 murder of George Floyd sparking worldwide protests.

Lineker did concede that his home country of the United Kingdom is not without its own problems, telling Maitlis that "pretty much every country, including our own, has got issues."

On Twitter, Lineker's comments left a bad taste in many people's mouths, especially given the UK's own reputation for racism





But not everyone disagreed with his take.



Lineker's call-outs of Qatar's human rights abuses have also landed him in hot water, angering the head of the country's World Cup committee Hassan Al-Thawadi, who called the BBC's coverage "very racist" in response.

He has also claimed that Lineker will not take his calls, but Lineker says none have been received.

More from Trending

Ted Cruz; Kelvin Sampson
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Houston Fans Livid After Ted Cruz 'Curse' Strikes Again At NCAA Basketball Championship

In 2013, 2016 and 2021, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was labeled the most hated man in Congress—by members of his own party. In 2023, Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz replaced him as the "most hated."

In a 2016 CNN interview, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Harriet Tubman
Library of Congress/Getty Images

National Parks Website Restores Harriet Tubman Photo To 'Underground Railroad' Page After Backlash

Following significant backlash, the National Park Service restored a previously-erased photo of Harriet Tubman from a webpage dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad, in which she led 13 missions to rescue enslaved people.

A spokesperson said the changes were not authorized by the agency's leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News of Jackie DeAngelis and Tommy Tuberville
Fox News

Tuberville Now Claims 'Entire Men's Teams' Are 'Turning Trans' To Play Against Women

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy "Coach" Tuberville appeared on Fox News Sunday to again spread unhinged misinformation about transgender athletes.

Speaking with guest host Jackie DeAngelis, Tuberville stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver/YouTube

John Oliver Epically Calls Out Awkward Truth Behind Former NCAA Swimmer's Anti-Trans Tirades

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the outspoken host devoted the entire program to the attack on trans girls and women who play sports by the GOP.

Oliver began the program saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
man in front of computer code
Chris Yang on Unsplash

Conspiracy Theories That Seem Believable The More You Look Into Them

We tend to think of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon of the digital age. But the internet and mobile devices only allow them to be created and spread faster.

Conspiracy theories have likely been around as long as human civilization has. They are, at their root, just another form of rumors and gossip.

Keep ReadingShow less