Paraguay has a tough fight against France today, which means President Santiago Peña may have to savor his last chance to wrap himself in the flag of Latin America’s most over-performing team. Few of the world’s elected leaders have done as much as Peña to associate themselves with their country’s World Cup successes. He has…
This mayor organized Gwanghwamun Square watch parties, where he led cheers for a team whose early crash-out has prompted a political crisis. That’s Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at a “joint cheering exhibition” with South Africa’s ambassador. South Africa’s upset victory sent South Korea home from the World Cup far earlier than many Koreans had expected….
Even as they dueled today in Houston, Canada and Morocco have something in common: They’re both World Cup hosts in an era of rising temperatures. That shared status — Canada co-hosting this year with the U.S. and Mexico, and Morocco in 2030 with Portugal and Spain — has led the World Health Organization, to work…
CALGARY, Alberta — In a room packed full of international dignitaries within earshot of Calgary’s iconic Stampede rodeo, Canada’s historic run at the 2026 World Cup ended with an anticlimactic whimper. Irish Ambassador to Canada John Concannon marked his country’s assumption of the EU Council presidency with a Stampede reception attended by a delegation of…
The political race for eyeballs during the World Cup continued this week, with a total of at least $2.1 million spent on ads by campaigns, committees and causes so far through all matches as of Friday, according to an analysis by AdImpact for POLITICO. Stronger America, an issue advocacy 501(c)(4) organization aligned with Maine Republican…
CANBERRA, Australia — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a Sydney audience Thursday that he’d urge state governors to declare a weeklong holiday if Australia wins the World Cup. Albanese’s enthusiasm for the Socceroos’ prospects — when Australia plays Egypt in their first knockout match — isn’t shared by many of his colleagues: POLITICO approached a…
LONDON — Not everyone is happy that Prime Minister Keir Starmer decided to keep pubs open until 5 a.m. Monday for screenings of the England match against Mexico. The National Police Chiefs’ Council complained that the “late announcement” means officers will be removed from other duties and work longer hours, despite the World Cup fixtures…
When FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Oval Office last August, he presented President Donald Trump with a giant oversized ticket to the World Cup final. It turns out 10 real ones accompany it, raising anticipation around the White House for a much-coveted invitation to the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium, not far from…
This world leader visited his team’s dressing room after an epic victory that helped send them to the elimination rounds. That’s Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who paid the team a visit after their 6-0 win against Qatar in Vancouver on June 18. Canada plays Morocco in Houston on Saturday. Politics
If you want to trace Cape Verde’s emergence as a soccer power, you might go back to 2009, when the country beat Portugal on its way to a gold medal at the Jogos de Lusofonia. The Lusofonia Games were a junior varsity Olympics for remnants of a common empire, an effort by the 12-country Association…
