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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Demands are growing for a political reckoning over ticket scams at the World Cup — and beyond. The National Independent Venue Association and Fan Alliance, organizations representing and advocating for entertainment venues and artists respectively, sent a joint letter to Congress on Thursday, calling on lawmakers to ban speculative and ghost tickets, cases where resellers…
The U.S. delegation in Seattle includes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, according to a FIFA official, along with White House FIFA World Cup Task Force czar Andrew Giuliani. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy were among those who attended the…
Britain wouldn’t have its latest likely next prime minister if not for soccer. Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor elected to the U.K. Parliament in a closely-watched by-election on Thursday, is expected to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader in a matter of weeks. The sport propelled his political rise. The…
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Boston is bouncing and the Massachusetts governor wants to thank thousands of kilted Scottish soccer fans who have taken over the city between Scotland’s first match against Haiti last weekend and its second, against Morocco, today. The tournament’s shock love affair is sparking delight in Gov. Maura Healey’s office as the supporters…
FIFA rang in Juneteenth, the country’s newest federal holiday, with a video that played in Seattle ahead of the U.S. team’s pivotal showdown with Australia. It stars Seattle Supersonics legend and NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton and features iconic Seattle locations. “Some remember, some reflect, while many others celebrate,” Payton says in the video,…
