Carbios delays the opening of its French recycling plant for plastics and synthetic materials until 2028
Originally slated for 2025, the commissioning of Carbios’ first biorecycling plant in France’s Longlaville (Meurthe-et-Moselle)…
Moschino names ex-Sunnei duo Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo co-creative directors
Two days after Adrian Appiolaza’s departure, Moschino has appointed Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo —former creative directors and co-founders of Sunnei— to lead the brand’s creative direction with immediate effect. Read More
The Dutch diplomatic playbook in Texas
The Netherlands has had a week in Texas, between matches in Dallas and Houston, and one of the leading members of its government delegation has been using the time to conduct old-school diplomacy. In Houston, Mirjam Sterk — who has an expansive portfolio of a minister for long-term care, youth and sport — has visited…
Why do Dutch fans wear orange?
Australia, Japan and Germany: all countries whose national football teams wear colors that do not appear on their national flags. Australia’s team plays in green and gold, a nod to the country’s natural landscape and the golden wattle, Australia’s national floral emblem. Germany’s traditional white kit traces its origins to Prussia, whose flag featured black…
The soccer-loving mayor who’s ready to host the USA
U.S. fans are making travel plans to the Bay Area after their team clinched first place in Group D following a victory over Australia and Turkey’s defeat to Paraguay. Ready to welcome them will be San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who has personally attended five World Cups. He is also an investor in 49ers Enterprises,…
Climate protesters to take aim at FIFA’s Saudi oil sponsor
Climate activists are planning protests Sunday against FIFA’s sponsorship deal with Saudi state-owned oil and gas giant Aramco at World Cup sites and fan zones across the country. Organizer Zan Dubin told POLITICO the protests are aimed at pressuring FIFA to drop Aramco while calling attention to the way oil company advertising becomes part of…
Canada’s soft-power flex
OTTAWA — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s rousing Davos speech, where he called on middle powers to not become losers to the world’s “hegemons,” delivered a message that positioned Canada as an influential convening power. Now, with billions watching — including during this afternoon’s match between Germany and Côte d’Ivoire in Toronto — the World…
Exclusive: Iran declares Mexico to be World Cup winner
The United States is failing in its responsibility as a World Cup host country, Iranian officials argued in a government statement shared exclusively with POLITICO that declared Mexico the tournament’s off-field winner. “The 2026 FIFA World Cup is played not only in stadiums but also in the streets, airports and public squares,” said Mohammad Reza…
The happiest World Cup game
POLITICO has been crunching the numbers to see how all 48 of this year’s World Cup participants rank in several other off-field categories, which we’ll share more of over the weekend. In today’s item, we’re looking at countries sorted by their FIFA rank against their citizens’ assessment of how close they are to living their…
In the World Cup’s missing country, failure sparks bitter political battle
ROME — Donald Trump isn’t the only problem on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s mind. Failure to qualify for the FIFA men’s World Cup for the third consecutive time triggered a major political and public outcry in the football-obsessed country that has now morphed into a bitter fight over who controls the sport. Meloni’s Brothers…
Smallest team, biggest pitch
While Curaçao’s players were training for their match against in Ecuador, government officials from the World Cup’s smallest-ever competitor hosted a two-day conference in Kansas City to promote it as a destination for American investment. The Caribbean island of around 158,000 people located just north of Venezuela is a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of…