Trevor Noah Calls Out FIFA After World Cup Controversy | What Now? WORLD CUP Bonus Episode

In the penultimate episode of this World Cup bonus series, Trevor and Joe break down a dramatic quarterfinal round, from England's tense victory over Norway to the bizarre "Cable of God" skycam controversy that had everyone talking. Along the way, they debate the nuances of the World Cup draw, what truly makes a football team great, and ahead to the semifinals. Plus, Joe-stradamus returns with bold predictions, backing Argentina to reach the final and Spain to overcome France in a clash of contrasting styles. Is Harry Kane disappearing when England needs him most? Was FIFA wrong about the Norway controversy? And has Jude Bellingham officially arrived as football's next superstar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Subscribe for more What Now? with Trevor Noah. #TrevorNoah #WorldCup #Football #Soccer #England #HarryKane #JudeBellingham #fifa 00:00 - Welcome Back & World Cup Blues 03:10 - Is FIFA Expanding the World Cup Too Much? 07:00 - Does the New Seeding System Help Football? 12:10 - England vs Norway Breakdown 20:00 - The Skycam Controversy 29:10 - Why Jude Bellingham Is Different 33:10 - Is Harry Kane Overrated? 40:30 - Trevor's Biggest Criticism of England 45:00 - Argentina vs England Predictions

Trevor NoahhostJoehost

Jul 14, 202650mWatch on YouTube ↗

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60 min read · 12,156 words

0:00 – 3:10
Welcome Back & World Cup Blues
1. TNTrevor Noah
  This episode is brought to you by Verizon. As an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Verizon is bringing once-in-a-lifetime experiences to their customers. Free tickets to matches, pitchside access during gameplay, and meet and greets with soccer legends. If you're not with Verizon, no sweat. Stop by a Verizon store to get in on the action, and learn about their offers for new customers. No one gets you closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 than Verizon. [upbeat music]
2. JOJoe
  This is What Now? With Trevor Noah.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  Well, welcome to it.
4. JOJoe
  [laughs]
5. TNTrevor Noah
  The final week of the World Cup-
6. JOJoe
  Ooh
7. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and what feels like the final week of our lives.
8. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
9. TNTrevor Noah
  I, I would, I would, I have to say this is probably my least favorite part of the World Cup.
10. JOJoe
  It's my least, yeah. You know, when you're turning towards the end. I already ... I don't know whether you're feeling the same thing, but I'm having the blues. Like, you know, when you go on vacation-
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Completely. Yeah
12. JOJoe
  ... and then it's about to end-
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yep
14. JOJoe
  ... like two days away, and you're like, "Ugh, and I have to go back to my normal work day. I have to go back to the plantation. Ugh."
15. TNTrevor Noah
  It's just like a-
16. JOJoe
  Yes
17. TNTrevor Noah
  ... it's just, like, fading away from-
18. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm
19. TNTrevor Noah
  ... from all the joy. Fading away.
20. JOJoe
  Yes.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  I almost wish they had a, um, like a come-down routine from the World Cup. They should have the World Cup.
22. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  And then what they should do is they should replay or reinvent some of the matches that we didn't get to see-
24. JOJoe
  Oh
25. TNTrevor Noah
  ... just to let us ... You know what I mean.
26. JOJoe
  You don't want to quit cold turkey.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, we can't. We can't.
28. JOJoe
  You want, like, a third one.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
30. JOJoe
  But for the World Cup. Like this. [laughs]
3:10 – 7:00
Is FIFA Expanding the World Cup Too Much?
1. TNTrevor Noah
  like a multinational organization-
2. JOJoe
  Okay
3. TNTrevor Noah
  ... there's elements of it that we'll disagree with.
4. JOJoe
  Okay.
5. TNTrevor Noah
  But who of us can deny the expanded format was better for the fans, was better for the World Cup, and was better for the world?
6. JOJoe
  I'll give it up for him. We'll give it up. But the reason I call him a villain is because he's using the thing that we love, like Dr. Evil, he's using it to achieve his dreams of global domination.
7. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
8. JOJoe
  That's what Infantino is doing. Like [laughs] And the thing is, every once in a while he gets proven right. Like, you can't argue. We, we complained bitterly about the expansion, remember?
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah. A lot of people did.
10. JOJoe
  Okay, Africans maybe not as much.
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, a lot of people did.
12. JOJoe
  Maybe the smaller nations not as much. 'Cause we were like, "Oh, this is our chance to actually get in." But the bigger countries really whined, and then look what happened. He has been proven right again.
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, I think-
14. JOJoe
  Infantino has gone and done it again.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  If it's, if it's-
16. JOJoe
  Mm
17. TNTrevor Noah
  ... expanded to 64 nations, I think it would be, um, there would be no third place.
18. JOJoe
  Yes.
19. TNTrevor Noah
  It, it would just be-
20. JOJoe
  Yes
21. TNTrevor Noah
  ... would just go-
22. JOJoe
  Yeah. Yes
23. TNTrevor Noah
  ... straight into knockouts.
24. JOJoe
  Yes.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  It would be more efficient, actually.
26. JOJoe
  Yes.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  But there would just, like, be more games.
28. JOJoe
  There would also be more money. That's what he ... But that's, that's the thing. That's why, that's why, that's why I'm calling him evil and-
29. TNTrevor Noah
  Yes, but isn't, but-
30. JOJoe
  ... corrupt in a cartoonish way
7:00 – 12:10
Does the New Seeding System Help Football?
1. TNTrevor Noah
  uh, in effect right now. Th- a lot of people have been confused as to why Argentina had a, quote-unquote, "easy run."
2. JOJoe
  Mm.
3. TNTrevor Noah
  A lot of people are confused, though, as to, like, why England had a-
4. JOJoe
  France
5. TNTrevor Noah
  ... quote-unquote, "easier run."
6. JOJoe
  Yeah.
7. TNTrevor Noah
  France, et cetera.
8. JOJoe
  Mm.
9. TNTrevor Noah
  W- they're going like, "Ah, but how are these teams meeting in..." So a lot of people don't remember that FIFA changed-
10. JOJoe
  Yes
11. TNTrevor Noah
  ... the way they created their draw-
12. JOJoe
  The seeding
13. TNTrevor Noah
  ... for this World Cup.
14. JOJoe
  Yeah, the seeding.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  The seeding, right?
16. JOJoe
  Mm. They seeded them the way we seed in tennis, yes.
17. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
18. JOJoe
  Mm.
19. TNTrevor Noah
  And so what they said was, "We're gonna change the formats."
20. JOJoe
  Mm.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  And so for this World Cup, for World Cup 2026, the top seeds cannot-
22. JOJoe
  The top four. Mm
23. TNTrevor Noah
  ... the top four seeds cannot meet each other before the semifinals.
24. JOJoe
  Yes.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  Now, they could get knocked out.
26. JOJoe
  Yes, yes. Obviously.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  You know what I mean?
28. JOJoe
  Mm.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  They could get knocked out. Like, Norway could have knocked out England.
30. JOJoe
  England, yes.
12:10 – 20:00
England vs Norway Breakdown
1. TNTrevor Noah
  How long do you think you could last?
2. JOJoe
  I think I would last, uh, five seconds by running around the ring, running as fast as possible. And then I would last a bit longer if I just ran out of the ring and then out of the stadium-
3. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
4. JOJoe
  [laughs] ... and then just continued on my way home back, back home to Uganda.
5. TNTrevor Noah
  Um, let's talk about some of the big games that we saw leading up to this.
6. JOJoe
  Yes.
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Um, England, Norway.
8. JOJoe
  [sighs]
9. TNTrevor Noah
  Uh, your, your... You know, I, I f- can I tell you why I feel bad for you?
10. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm.
11. TNTrevor Noah
  You predicted Norway would win.
12. JOJoe
  2-1.
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
14. JOJoe
  Yes.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  And I sometimes think predictions can be undone by random acts of-
16. JOJoe
  Of God
17. TNTrevor Noah
  ... God.
18. JOJoe
  Yes, you're right. [laughs]
19. TNTrevor Noah
  Do you know what I mean?
20. JOJoe
  I was on a good run as well, by the way.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  You were on a good run.
22. JOJoe
  I was on a good run-
23. TNTrevor Noah
  No
24. JOJoe
  ... just predicting scorelines.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  No, you were on a good run.
26. JOJoe
  Brazil, Japan 2-1.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  You were on a good run.
28. JOJoe
  Yeah. Uh, just going on Brazil, Norway 2-1.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, England, Norway. So, um, England-
30. JOJoe
  Morocco, France 2-nil. I was on a good run and then-
20:00 – 29:10
The Skycam Controversy
1. TNTrevor Noah
  completely blown up my phone hating me.
2. JOJoe
  Oh, really?
3. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah. What a-
4. JOJoe
  Oh
5. TNTrevor Noah
  ... what a bad take, Trevor.
6. JOJoe
  [laughs]
7. TNTrevor Noah
  Th- there was no ball that hit a cable.
8. JOJoe
  See, that's why I can talk sh- that's why I can talk trash about England. I have no English friends.
9. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
10. JOJoe
  So I [laughs] no. You were very vocal, though, about it. You were very vocal. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm very interested in why. 'Cause you pointed it out even during the broadcast after the live stream. Uh, I'm interested to hear what you really think should and could have happened. 'Cause the Norwegian players went and told-
11. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
12. JOJoe
  ... the ref.
13. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
14. JOJoe
  So what do you think could have... Because he didn't c- he didn't stop the game, and the goal went in, so what do you think could have happened? 'Cause normally you stop the game when the ball hits an external object.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah. And it, and it's happened before, by the way.
16. JOJoe
  Yes.
17. TNTrevor Noah
  This is not the first time a ball has hit-
18. JOJoe
  Oh, okay
19. TNTrevor Noah
  ... the skycam or the cables.
20. JOJoe
  Okay, so-
21. TNTrevor Noah
  So it's happened before.
22. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  You just stop the game.
24. JOJoe
  Mm. Okay. So no, but they didn't stop it till-
25. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
26. JOJoe
  ... and the Norwegian pl- rather the coach and Schjelderup ran up to him.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
28. JOJoe
  Do you think there's still recourse for him to cancel the goal?
29. TNTrevor Noah
  No, but I, but this is what-
30. JOJoe
  Or is it too late now?
29:10 – 33:10
Why Jude Bellingham Is Different
1. JOJoe
  and again, uh, it, it's, for me, it's, it's Jude Bellingham, man.
2. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, man, Jude.
3. JOJoe
  It's, uh, it's-
4. TNTrevor Noah
  Hey, Jude
5. JOJoe
  ... yeah, it's, um-
6. TNTrevor Noah
  Ha
7. JOJoe
  ... I love big players who show up in big, high-pressure moments.
8. TNTrevor Noah
  You've always said this, yeah.
9. JOJoe
  I love, I'm, I'm such a huge lover of the game. And when I see, so I'll say this. For me, when I look at the World Cup, great players always impose their personality on a World Cup. Great players always bend the World Cup to their will. The greatest players actually don't, don't just grace-
10. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
11. JOJoe
  ... the World Cup. They don't just turn up.
12. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
13. JOJoe
  They decorate-
14. TNTrevor Noah
  Zidane '98
15. JOJoe
  ... the greatest tournament of the world. Yes.
16. TNTrevor Noah
  Yes, Zidane '98.
17. JOJoe
  Yes. No, you-
18. TNTrevor Noah
  Ronaldo 2002
19. JOJoe
  ... no, you can, you can go back-
20. TNTrevor Noah
  Or '09
21. JOJoe
  ... you, you can go back as far-
22. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
23. JOJoe
  ... you can go back 1934, 1930s, when, let's say Fascist Italy hosted the World Cup 1934. Obviously, Benito Mussolini tried to hijack the World Cup. No one remembers Benito Mussolini. Everyone remembers Giuseppe Meazza, 'cause he helped Italy win. That's why AC Milan and Inter Milan named their stadium after him.
24. TNTrevor Noah
  No, I didn't know that.
25. JOJoe
  When you go, yeah, Giuseppe Meazza. When you go back to 1954, Ferenc Puskás and the, that dazzling Hungarian team. That's why the Puskás Award for the best goal every football season is named after Ferenc Puskás. 1958 17-year-old Pelé scores two goals in a final, and the legend is born. Every World Cup, '62 Chile hosts, Pelé gets injured. He's the hope for Brazil. Guess who steps up, who steps up? Garrincha steps up. Every World Cup, a great player. Every World Cup must be defined by a great player, and I don't want to hear any excuses. 'Cause I don't care, the football wor- world doesn't care. We don't want to hear, "Oh, I got double marked and triple marked," or, "The opponents were kicking the crap out of me." No, great players always find a way to exploit their God-given gifts to actually define the greatest tournament in the world. And if you look at what Jude has been doing-
26. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
27. JOJoe
  ... dragged England past Mexico single-handedly.
28. TNTrevor Noah
  He has.
29. JOJoe
  Played high altitude. A few days later, played against Norway. Didn't show anything about altitude sickness.
30. TNTrevor Noah
  No.
33:10 – 40:30
Is Harry Kane Overrated?
1. JOJoe
  okay-ish, and I'm not talking about club. Let, let, let-
2. TNTrevor Noah
  So I've been, I've been, actually-
3. JOJoe
  Let's chat
4. TNTrevor Noah
  ... I've been thinking about this.
5. JOJoe
  Mm, mm.
6. TNTrevor Noah
  I've been thinking about this.
7. JOJoe
  I'm not talking about club football.
8. TNTrevor Noah
  No, no, here's a way-
9. JOJoe
  He's incredible in club football
10. TNTrevor Noah
  ... I've thought of a way for us-
11. JOJoe
  Yes
12. TNTrevor Noah
  ... to bridge this gap.
13. JOJoe
  Mm.
14. TNTrevor Noah
  Maybe, maybe there's a, there's a, there's an extra definition we need to think about in football.
15. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm.
16. TNTrevor Noah
  Maybe sometimes we need to define a player's greatness-
17. JOJoe
  Okay
18. TNTrevor Noah
  ... for their position.
19. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm.
20. TNTrevor Noah
  And then sometimes we need to define a player's greatness for their ability to be a, a, um-
21. JOJoe
  Clutch player
22. TNTrevor Noah
  ... more than just a clutch player, but rather like a, like an architect. Somebody-
23. JOJoe
  Mm
24. TNTrevor Noah
  ... somebody who can design and create something. Somebody who can make things happen. They're the catalyst-
25. JOJoe
  Okay. Okay
26. TNTrevor Noah
  ... is a, is a good way to put it.
27. JOJoe
  Okay.
28. TNTrevor Noah
  Right?
29. JOJoe
  Yes.
30. TNTrevor Noah
  Because I can think of many players, you know, like Jude Bellingham.
40:30 – 45:00
Trevor's Biggest Criticism of England
1. JOJoe
  what it means to play at this level.
2. TNTrevor Noah
  So-
3. JOJoe
  So what do you think about that?
4. TNTrevor Noah
  Okay, so here's what I'll say. I think that the English media-
5. JOJoe
  Okay
6. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and the media in particular sometimes-
7. JOJoe
  Okay
8. TNTrevor Noah
  ... will portray themselves as being on the side of the people or its people-
9. JOJoe
  Mm-hmm
10. TNTrevor Noah
  ... at any given time.
11. JOJoe
  Okay.
12. TNTrevor Noah
  And oftentimes we forget that a lot of the media is on its own side.
13. JOJoe
  Okay.
14. TNTrevor Noah
  And the side it's on is the side of clicks and views.
15. JOJoe
  It's not the voice of the people. Okay, yes.
16. TNTrevor Noah
  Okay?
17. JOJoe
  Okay. Okay.
18. TNTrevor Noah
  So-
19. JOJoe
  Mm
20. TNTrevor Noah
  ... Thomas Tuchel-
21. JOJoe
  Mm
22. TNTrevor Noah
  ... what he was coming out and saying-
23. JOJoe
  I love that they keep calling him Tuchel.
24. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah.
25. JOJoe
  He's Tuchel.
26. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah, yeah, I know.
27. JOJoe
  Yes.
28. TNTrevor Noah
  But I'm saying it in English.
29. JOJoe
  No, say it in German. You-
30. TNTrevor Noah
  Why do you want me to say it in German?
45:00 – 50:17
Argentina vs England Predictions
1. TNTrevor Noah
  some coaches where people complain because it feels like they don't know what's going on. And then the fans-
2. JOJoe
  You're right. You're right. You're right
3. TNTrevor Noah
  ... and then the fans-
4. JOJoe
  Alvaro Benito, the whole time he was at Madrid-
5. TNTrevor Noah
  Yeah
6. JOJoe
  ... they kept going like, "You keep blaming yourself. You never call the team out." You're right.
7. TNTrevor Noah
  You see?
8. JOJoe
  You're right. Yes. Yeah.
9. TNTrevor Noah
  So now when a coach blames themselves-
10. JOJoe
  Mm
11. TNTrevor Noah
  ... fans go, "Why don't they blame the"-
12. JOJoe
  You're just protecting your, you're protecting yes. Mm. Mm
13. TNTrevor Noah
  ... yeah, "Why don't they blame the players?"
14. JOJoe
  Mm.
15. TNTrevor Noah
  And then when a coach walks away from a game going like-
16. JOJoe
  Mm
17. TNTrevor Noah
  ... "Eh, all that matters is the result."
18. JOJoe
  Mm. Mm.
19. TNTrevor Noah
  The team go, the fans go, "We don't want results. We want a game."
20. JOJoe
  Mm. Mm. Mm.
21. TNTrevor Noah
  And so I, I think, I think that's the thing. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see how they perform. Um-
22. JOJoe
  I think, I think, I think Argentina is winning that game three-nil, easily.
23. TNTrevor Noah
  That's your prediction?
24. JOJoe
  That's my prediction, yes.
25. TNTrevor Noah
  Three-nil?
26. JOJoe
  Yes. I'm pulling, I'm taking out my balls, slapping them on this table. Three-nil.
27. TNTrevor Noah
  [laughs]
28. JOJoe
  I think Argentina, I think Argentina, people, people have been analyzing Argentina.
29. TNTrevor Noah
  You know who's, you know who's perfect for you?
30. JOJoe
  Mm.

Episode duration: 50:17

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