Spot the pol!

This host-city honcho has been ubiquitous through the World Cup. Before the tournament began, he appeared with a member of his national team’s squad to announce that his city had partnered with FIFA to give away a limited number of $50 match tickets to local residents. That’s New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a…

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The robots are coming … for the beautiful game

NEW YORK — As South Korea’s largest automobile manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Group is known for its cars. But now, as one of FIFA’s longest-running commercial partners, it’s using the World Cup stage to announce a new focus: robots. That ambition is clearly laid out in the FIFA Museum presented by Hyundai in New York City….

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AI regulation group is biggest spender on World Cup TV ads

Political campaigns and committees spent $740,330 on World Cup advertising during the first two U.S. matches, according to an analysis by AdImpact for POLITICO. An artificial intelligence regulation PAC and two political groups allied with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) emerged among the top spenders on TV ads. Jobs and Democracy PAC, led by former Reps….

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World Cup attendance: The potential 2028ers

Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania has notched a lead in the 2028 World Cup primary, having attended three matches leading into the knockout round — just ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In an interview with POLITICO this week at the FIFA Fan Festival at Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill, Shapiro reveled in Philadelphia’s host…

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Iranian diplomat blasts ‘pseudo-VAR’ interventions after World Cup exit

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico praised the country’s national soccer team after its elimination from the FIFA World Cup, while also highlighting the controversial video review decisions that influenced the outcome of the tournament. In a lengthy statement to POLITICO, Ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh argued that Iran battled not only its opponents but also “fatigue, injustice, and…

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