LOS ANGELES — In many World Cup host cities, competing teams also find themselves jostling for soft-power supremacy around their matches. But before its first match tomorrow in Los Angeles, New Zealand has had the diplomatic landscape all to itself. New Zealand is scheduled to face Iran, which has not had formal diplomatic relations with…
High-stakes geopolitics aren’t the only external factor threatening to hijack the tournament. Perhaps ironically for a competition hosted by a U.S. president who is highly skeptical about climate change and says assertions about rising temperatures have been made “by stupid people,” the heat is very likely to be a problem. Heat waves have become a…
BRUSSELS — A growing number of soccer supporters say chaotic visa procedures are keeping them from attending World Cup matches in the United States. One Belgian-Moroccan soccer fan, who was granted anonymity to discuss the issue without fear of repercussions, told POLITICO he thought he had secured tickets to Saturday’s Morocco vs. Brazil match through…
POLITICO caught up with European Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef in Brussels last week to get his top tips for the World Cup. The 36-year-old Micallef is the youngest member of President Ursula von der Leyen’s team of EU commissioners, and the Maltese official has repeatedly chided FIFA during his tenure, on everything from supporter safety…
President Donald Trump’s name was removed from the facade of the Kennedy Center on Saturday, capping off the president’s longtime effort to assert control over the institution, one of Washington’s most iconic cultural landmarks. In a Saturday court filing to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Matthew Floca, the Kennedy Center’s chief…
MEXICO CITY, Mexico — The first booth World Cup fans encounter at the global fan expo in Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park belongs to Iran. Inside, women in colorful headscarves serve sambuseh, a traditional Persian pastry, alongside stuffed dates. Persian rugs hang beside vases. The welcoming scene stands in sharp contrast to the reception Iran has…
Kylian Mbappé and the French national soccer team are dreaming of winning the World Cup for the third time. For France’s lame-duck president, Emmanuel Macron, it’ll be one final chance to draft off soccer success in a way he’s so far failed to achieve. “When it comes to football, the president absolutely doesn’t have to…
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is working on his third World Cup, which spreads across North America this weekend. His first tournaments were held in autocratic countries with governments willing to splash cash and use the games to sportswash their tarnished image on the global stage. In America, where 78 of the 104 matches will be…
Where is the World Cup being played again? In the northeastern United States, eight World Cup games, including the final, will be played in what FIFA calls “New York New Jersey.” But elected leaders from this portmanteau place are jostling over where exactly it is. The state of New Jersey and New York City bid…
After months of planning, some griping and a few tit-for-tats, the three top Democrats from New York and New Jersey showed up to watch the World Cup — together. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are all attending this evening’s Brazil–Morocco match. The TV…
