The World Cup is (almost) here

Welcome to World Cup week at The Tap-Inn. Where you can tap in to the world of soccer with me, your Irish Tap-Inn bartender, Joe. 🍻

We’re just three days away from the greatest tournament in world sport and we’ll be covering all the action at The Tap-Inn over the next month. What better time to convince all your friends to sign up and get to know soccer before as tournament unfolds….

On tap today:

• ⏱️ Why we won’t see alot of time-wasting at the World Cup

• 🇦🇷 What Argentina in 1990 and 2026 have in common.

• 👔 The Liverpool legend swapping soccer for fashion.

Ready? I thought so. Let’s pour.

🥃 TOP SHELF

Last call on time-wasting…

Closing time at a bar is basically stoppage time in soccer. All of a sudden, having largely ignored it for most of the game/night, everyone cares deeply about what time is on the clock.

As a barman, you say, “last call” and there’s always a couple of tables that try to stretch ten minutes into half an hour, slow sips, bathroom trips, “just one more” order requests, anything to squeeze a few extra moments out of the night. You know exactly what they’re doing, they know you know, and still the performance continues.

For years, soccer players have been doing the same thing to referees.

Protecting a lead? Suddenly every throw‑in is a meditation exercise, every sub is a farewell tour, and every cramp looks like a medical emergency.

This World Cup, the folks who write the rules finally snapped and basically said:

“If you’re going to waste time, we’re putting a clock on you.”

IFAB(the folks who write the laws) have approved a batch of new rules for the 2026 World Cup to crack down on time-wasting.

They want more of the 90 minutes to be actual play and less of it to be interpretive walking and theatrical cramping. And honestly, as someone who has watched Arsenal this season take longer to take a corner than my uncle took to leave his first marriage, I support this.

Here’s what’s happening:

• 5-second restart countdown — If the referee thinks a throw-in or goal kick is being deliberately delayed, they raise their hand and start counting. Fail to restart? The throw-in goes the other way, or the goal kick becomes a corner for the opposition.

• 10-second substitution rule — Once the board goes up, the player coming off has ten seconds to start leaving at the nearest point. No more slow-clapping to the crowd and kissing the badge like it's a farewell tour. Dawdle, and the new player can't come on until the next stoppage after a full minute of play.

• 60-second injury window — If the referee calls medical staff onto the pitch, the player must come off and stay off for at least a minute. No more lying on the turf running down the clock with a slightly sore ankle.

And while they were at it…

• Expanded VAR — VAR can now correct clearly wrong second yellow cards, cases of mistaken identity on bookings, and incorrectly awarded corners.

• Covering your mouth — Do it during a confrontation with an opponent and you risk a straight red card. No more hiding what you're saying.

From a fan’s perspective, all of this is going to look…weird at first. But once the initial confusion settles, it should make positive difference. More ball in play. Less fake limping. Fewer games where the drama of the half comes down to stoppage time alone.

Just remember, The World Cup is here for a good time, not a long time. Enjoy it all folks.

🗞️ THIS WEEK IN SOCCER

International friendly roundup

Given we’re so close to the World Cup kick-off, this week’s matches were predominantly international friendlies. Typically every nation plays one or two of these games to sharpen their squad and try out some combinations before the real thing starts.

USA 1–2 Germany | Saturday June 6 | Soldier Field, Chicago

I previewed this game on Monday and it didn’t disappoint from a quality point of view. A record crowd of 63,636 packed Soldier Field (the same venue that hosted the opening match of the 1994 World Cup).

That energy didn’t translate onto the pitch as Germany went 1-0 up inside 2 minutes. Kai Havertz fresh from his goal in the Champions League Final, headed home off the back of a Kimmich free-kick. The US settled, and Antonee "Jedi" Robinson equalized in the 37th with a first-time volley from outside the box that grazed the crossbar on its way in. An incredible goal. Leroy Sané then won it for Germany in the 57th. US gaffer Poch was quoted as saying his side could be "happy" with the performance.

Scary scenes in Denmark

Denmark vs Ukraine — abandoned | Sunday June 7 | Odense, Denmark

This wasn’t a game I expected to be covering as Neither Denmark nor Ukraine has qualified for the World Cup. However, on the 65th minute, Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest live on TV at Euro 2020 and had a pacemaker fitted to continue his career, clutched his chest and collapsed on the pitch. The match was abandoned in the 79th minute.

The good news: as of Monday morning, Denmark's team doctor confirmed Eriksen is "doing well," left the pitch himself, was briefly unconscious but regained consciousness quickly, and is expected to be discharged soon.

Last chance to make an impression

• Scotland 4–0 Bolivia — This will be Scotland's first World Cup since 1998. They're in Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Morocco and given their pre-tournament performances, they look ready.

• England 1–0 New Zealand — Harry Kane got the winner here. Thomas Tuchel said England played "too much freestyle" despite the win. Suggesting England will play with a strict plan during the tournament.

• Portugal 2–1 Chile — Rafael Leão was sent off after appearing to throw a punch at a Chile player late on. Friendly suspensions don't carry to the tournament, so his World Cup is safe but it's a sideshow Portugal didn't need.

📝 TRIVIA ON TAP

Size doesn't matter here

Curaçao qualified for the 2026 World Cup and broke the record for the smallest nation by population ever to reach the tournament. What is their population?

• A) 43,000

• B) 156,000

• C) 556,000

• D) 1,598,000

Answer at the bottom 👇

🌎 WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN: 3 DAYS

Can Messi do it again?

Three. That’s how many days there are between us and the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Argentina arrive as defending champions. Lionel Messi arrives at 38 years old, after already giving the world a fright a couple weeks ago when he grabbed his hamstring coming off for Inter Miami. Tests confirmed muscular fatigue. He'll be fine.

But the question nobody wants to say out loud: can he actually do it again?

In Qatar 2022, Messi was untouchable. Seven goals, three assists, the Golden Ball. The greatest player ever finally got the trophy that had eluded him his entire career. He cried. The world cried. I cried. It was perfect.

This is his sixth World Cup. He turns 39 at the end of June. He’s not the player he once was. He's playing in MLS, not Europe's top leagues.

But, Argentinians are still dreaming. They have a very manageable group. If Messi gets to the knockouts fit and in form, anything is possible.

The defending champions. The greatest player of all time. One last shot.

🔥 QUICKFIRE

On this day

June 8, 1990.

Speaking of Argentina as reigning world champions. Let’s go back to when Diego Maradona was in a similar position to where Messi is today. Past his best, but still a highly influential and legendary playmaker.

Argentina were odds-on favorites to win the whole thing. Their opponents? Cameroon. A team nobody gave a chance.

Cameroon had a man sent off in the 61st minute. Then, with ten men, Omam-Biyik headed home in the 67th. A second red card in the 89th left them with nine. They held on anyway.

One of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. With nine men at the final whistle.

Sound like a pro

Phrase: Hospital Pass

Origin: Straight from 1970s rugby, where a mistimed pass left the receiver a sitting duck, about to catch the ball and get flattened, next stop the hospital. Crossed into soccer with the same idea.

Definition: A pass so mistimed that your teammate has to receive it just as an opponent arrives at full speed. You've essentially set him up to get hit and hit hard.

Usage:"What kind of a pass was that ?!…that’s a hospital pass…you nearly got me killed"

Last call

Raise a glass for Divock Origi. The Belgian striker called time on his career this week, at the relatively young age of 31. What a career it was.He was part of the side that won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League.

He was never the main man at Liverpool. Never the star on the poster. But when Klopp needed someone to bail him out, Origi had a habit of showing up. Six goals in Merseyside derbies. A goal to seal the 2019 Champions League final and let’s not forget this magic moment…

"My purpose in the game is fulfilled," he wrote. "I lived out my childhood dreams, played on the biggest stages, won the biggest trophies."

Next up for him? Fashion and philanthropy. The man is stepping off the pitch and onto the runway. Honestly? Very on-brand for someone who always showed some flair.

"The mission is complete. Now I step into my next calling."

Go well, Divock. Cheers.

📝 TRIVIA ANSWER

B) 156,000.

Curaçao has a population of just 156,000 people. That means that 69% of the entire country’s population could fit into the biggest stadium in the US, Michigan Stadium. Nice.