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Pellegrini’s contract renewal, agreement worth €3 million
Lorenzo Pellegrini is waiting to renew his contract with Roma. The Giallorossi midfielder is in the capital and rejected Juventus’s offer to convince him to join Spalletti’s project, as they did w...
Spain's world champions head home to million-strong Madrid welcome
Spain's World Cup winners were due home on Monday to a heroes' welcome in Madrid where a million fans are expected to greet them after a night of raucous celebrations across the country.The scenes are expected to echo the celebrations that followed Spain's first World Cup title in 2010, when hundreds of thousands of supporters flooded Madrid's streets to welcome the team home after their victory in South Africa.
Ex-politician on mission to save the printed word
Pat Davis, who served two terms as an Albuquerque city councilor, rescued Roswell's newspaper from the brink.
Fake spa listings use real Jackson-area business addresses to scam customers
The fake listings also include multiple five-star reviews in the comments.
Chicago fans pack West Loop business to watch Spain take down Argentina to become 2026 World Cup champions
Hardship Case At Board Of Health Could Have Broad Implications With…
Nantucket Current is the island's leading online news source. We deliver the news, stories, and people of Nantucket, unbiased and unfiltered.
Apple Testing New 'Live Notes' Feature at Genius Bar
Apple is testing a new AI-powered "Live Notes" feature that can transcribe conversations between Genius Bar employees and customers at some of its stores, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The system is currently opt-in, meaning it is only active if both the employee and customer agree to use it. "The transcript is then added to the employee's iPad as part of the record of the repair session," he said.
Spain keep their cool, as Argentina's disgraceful tactics tarnish legacy
Spain's 'victory for football' over 'embarrassing' Argentina
Describing a result as a 'victory for football' might seem like a trite cliché – but the 2026 World Cup final feels closer to giving that aphorism truth than any other game.
Did World Cup permanently change ticket-price politics? - Live Updates
A wave of fans left outside World Cup stadiums after buying "ghost tickets" has added momentum to state and federal efforts to crack down on speculative ticket sales.
Victor Wembanyama’s World Cup Final Appearance Catch NBA World’s Attention
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was in attendance during the FIFA World Cup finale between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium (temporarily rebadged as New York New Jersey Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.Wembanyama was shown on the broadcast mere minutes before the halftime break. His appearance caught the attention of the NBA World, […] The post Victor Wembanyama’s World Cup Final Appearance Catch NBA World’s Attention appeared first on HEAVY.
Spain wins 2026 FIFA World Cup; Hartford fans pack Trinity Health Stadium watch party
Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal against Argentina in extra time to cap off a final that went scoreless through regulation.
Five reasons why the World Cup final was so dull
Spain dominated the final but required extra time to find a winner, while Argentina waited until the 121st minute to create a big chance
🎥 Bad loser? World Cup star completely loses the plot
Well, what on earth happened there? Shortly after the final whistle of the World Cup final, which Spain had won 1–0 after extra time, some pretty wild scenes unfolded on the pitch.During a mass con...
Zlatan, Thierry Henry On Spain's World Cup Victory: 'Football Won Today'
Following Spain's World Cup final victory, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thierry Henry praised La Roja.
Spain down Argentina to win World Cup, shatter Messi dream
Ferran Torres scored an extra-time winner as Spain defeated holders Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup on Sunday and shatter Lionel Messi's dreams of a triumphant farewell to football's greatest stage.The Spanish dominance continued in extra-time, with Williams almost opening the scoring with a glancing header that Martinez got down well to save one-handed.
4 Takeaways After Spain Beats Argentina In Extra Time To Win 2026 FIFA World Cup
Spain stands alone on top of the world. Here are four takeaways from the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Full 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Final Halftime Show ⭐️
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Halftime Show during halftime of Spain vs Argentina
Bueckers scores 25, leaves late in 4th quarter, as Wings beat Sparks 90-82
Bueckers hit a 3-pointer that capped a 14-5 spurt and gave the Wings an eight-point lead with 9:12 left in the game.
Spain or Argentina? Politicians are divided on the World Cup final - Live Updates
We asked some of the most dedicated tourney followers in American politics to share their predictions for the final.
IShowSpeed hypes 2026 World Cup Final with hit song ‘Champions’
YouTube star iShowSpeed pumps up Argentina and Spain fans at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final with his hit song "Champions."
Tim Murphy, former U.S. congressman and state senator, dies at 73
Former U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, a Republican from Upper St. Clair, died Sunday. He was 73. Murphy died at his home from an apparent heart attack, according to ColdSpark, the political consultancy that worked on Murphy’s campaigns. A native of Cleveland, Murphy earned a doctorate in psychology from the University
World Cup final entertainment kicks off
The 2026 World Cup comes to an end this morning with a match between Spain and Argentina – and a musical line-up featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Spain vs Argentina, World Cup Final: Live Thread
Join us for an epic World Cup Final adventure!
Argentina vs. Spain starting lineups today for World Cup Final
See the official starting lineups for Argentina and Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
Spain's Pau Cubarsí Wins 2026 World Cup Young Player Award
Spain's Pau Cubarsí has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup Young Player Award, given to the tournament's top player under the age of 21.
5 Reasons Why Some Gamers Swear By Sennheiser Headphones
Sennheiser headphones match premium listener profiles, have great spatial imaging, multiple open-back architecture options, and an optimized ergonomic design.
The World Cup final is finally here as Spain and Argentina face off in an epic clash of styles
Live updates: Spain and Argentina meet in the World Cup final. Follow along for the latest.
Telemundo adds UEFA Champions League rights in multiyear deal
With a record-breaking World Cup drawing to a close on Sunday, Telemundo is announcing its next step in soccer broadcasting. The NBCUniversal-owned network announced on Sunday that it has secured exclusive U.S. Spanish-language broadcast rights for all UEFA men’s club competitions, including Champions League, for three years beginning with the 2027-28 season. Currently, U.S. Spanish-language…
6 big World Cup political moments as Argentina faces Spain
The path to Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain has been dotted with political moments. President Trump, inevitably, was to the fore. Trump’s intervention to get Team USA star Fola…
Deputies searching for missing Laurens County woman with health concerns
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Laurens County dispatch at (864) 984-2523.
Deputies searching for missing Laurens County woman with health issues
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Laurens County dispatch at (864) 984-2523.
Deputies searching for missing Laurens County woman with health issues
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Laurens County dispatch at (864) 984-2523.
Deputies searching for missing Laurens County woman with health issues
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Laurens County dispatch at (864) 984-2523.
Voyager 1 is still crossing interstellar space with six computers holding about 68 kilobytes of memory between them — less storage than a single compressed photograph on a modern phone
Voyager 1 carries six flight-computer units designed in the early 1970s, and NASA’s own accounting puts their combined memory at about 68 kilobytes. That is
How soccer eclipsed separatist politics in Spain
Their regions were once known for terror and division. Now Basques and Catalans have come to dominate the Spanish squad, while influencing the game all around the world.
World Cup final live updates: Spain vs. Argentina latest news, score, highlights and analysis
How to Watch the World Cup Today: Schedule, Times, TV, Streaming for the Final
Spain faces Argentina in the World Cup final today. Get kickoff time, TV channel and streaming info for the match on FOX.
Poll: Favorite World Cup Fans
After Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, it’s likely that soccer will go back to being a secondary sport here in the United States. Sure, there will be excitement in 2027 for the Women’s World Cup, but that’s happening in Brazil. There will be coverage of the U.S. women’s team, but not nearly as much interest in games not involving the USWNT.
A tiny universe in a bottle reveals clues to the origins of life
Researchers have created cosmic dust from scratch by recreating space-like conditions inside glass tubes. The dust contains complex carbon-rich molecules built from elements essential to life and produces infrared signals similar to real material found in space. By studying these laboratory samples, scientists can explore how organic chemistry unfolds around stars and how comets, asteroids and meteorites may have carried those ingredients to Earth.
Meet Joe, Buttercup and Gary, San Francisco’s smallest goat-landscaping business
For months, Joe Corcoran had been staring down the overgrown yard in the back of the building that serves as his barbershop, before inspiration struck.
Beyond rockets and satellites, SpaceX is quietly building an AI compute business that may become key to its eye-popping valuation
Deals with Google and Anthropic to rent out computing capacity could generate $26 billion a year.
Bernie blowback: How Sanders’ primary endorsements have sparked a Democratic midterm war
Sen. Bernie Sanders had just announced his intent to unseat a sitting House Democrat — this time, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus from North Carolina — when Rep. Hakeem Jeffries decided it was time to confront Sanders himself.
Arsenal's World Cup finalists
It's European versus world champions in Sunday's World Cup final and Arsenal have three players in Luis de la Fuente's Spain side who face Argentina live on the BBC from 19:00 BST. Mikel Merino has been dubbed the World Cup 'super sub' after scoring two last-minute winners in the knockout stages to eliminate Portugal and Belgium from the competition. At this tournament, he has become the first player in World Cup history to score the winning goal in two different knockout-stage matches as a substitute, and also the first Spanish player to score two winning goals after the 80th minute at the World Cup.
For Gainesville High alum, acting in ‘Spamalot’ at Fox Theatre means a lot
Meet Delaney Benson, a Gainesville native who is returning home as a cast member of the touring company of "Spamalot," which plays at the Fox Theatre from July 21-26.
James Webb telescope uses trippy Einstein prediction to probe the farthest reaches of the universe — Space photo of the week
The James Webb telescope peers through a warped bubble of space-time to study galaxies from the first billion years after the Big Bang.
World Cup final on Sunday; see where to watch 📲
Today’s Highlights 🔥World Cup16:00 – Spain vs Argentina – SporTV, Rede Globo, SBT, NSports, Globoplay, CazéTV, Disney+ Premium, Ge TV Veikkausliiga (Finnish Championship)12:30 – FF Jaro vs...
Scientists reveal the rare type of space rock that wiped out dinosaurs
Scientists identified the rare CO chondrite meteorite that killed the dinosaurs, revealing the impact dust killed life — not sulfur from the rock itself.
Bay Area sports calendar, July 19-20
Spain and forward Lamine Yamal are favored to defeat defending champion Argentina in the World Cup final at noon on Sunday. (KTVU 2, KTXL 40)
Prominent local sports analyst names MSU AD candidate to monitor
Who will be the next Michigan State athletic director? A prominent local sports analyst has provided a candidate to keep an eye on moving forward
Why Spain's Technical Ability Can Overcome Argentina's Warrior Mentality
FOX Sports analysts Alexi Lalas and Kasper Schmeichel explain why Spain's possession style will overcome Argentina's warrior mentality.
World Cup final entertainment roundup
The 2026 World Cup comes to an end this morning with a match between Spain and Argentina – and a musical line-up featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment.
How much are tickets to 2026 World Cup finals between Argentina and Spain?
Dig deep if you are looking for a last-minute ticket to see the World Cup final.
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final has everything: Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and 2 super teams chasing history
German politician resigns over surrogacy child controversy
Jens Spahn faced calls to resign over his use of a surrogate, a ban on which he previously backed.
Surrogacy Scandal Upends German Politics
Jens Spahn, a top leader of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party, resigned his post after announcing having had a baby by surrogate, which is outlawed in Germany
German conservative politician resigns after pressure over surrogate baby
“I have come to realise that my personal happiness — starting a family with my husband and becoming a father — is incompatible with my political office,” Jens Spahn wrote.
Why KFC stopped calling itself Kentucky Fried Chicken — and the myths that still won't die
The 1991 name change from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC sparked wild myths, but the real reason involved declining earnings and the word "fried."
Belgian GP: Lewis Hamilton crashes in final practice as Kimi Antonelli sets pace again at Spa-Francorchamps
Science news this week: Gold tongues discovered in tombs, sugar found in space, a new monkey identified in the Congolian rainforest, and ancient impact crater 'geoguessed' by an amateur astronomer
July 18, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend
Colorado health officials are tracking toxic algae blooms with warnings of health impacts
Not all blooms produce toxins, but with warm temperatures and shallow reservoirs, conditions are primed for algae to grow explosively.
Ranking Member Markey, Senator Hirono Reject Trump’s SBA Policy Proposal that Harms Underserved Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Letter (PDF) (Washington, July 17) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) submitted a comment letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) opposing a proposed rule change by Trump’s SBA to the 8(a) Business Development Program that would harm underserved small business owners and entrepreneurs. The 8(a) Business Development Program was created by Congress more than 50 years ago to level the playing field for small business owners and entrepreneurs who have faced discrimination in starting and operating their businesses. The SBA’s proposed change ignores the existence of historic discrimination that minority and underserved small businesses have faced and continue to face. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “SBA’s proposed rule ignores present-day barriers that entrepreneurs from minority and underserved communities face. Discrimination is not dead; minority entrepreneurs continue to face reduced access to contracting opportunities and capital, as well as racial threats and targeting, including unequal treatment, refusal by others to work with minority-owned firms, being called racial slurs, and bias in the workplace. These barriers lead to wide underutilization of, and less revenue for, minority-owned businesses compared to majority-owned businesses, as supported by decades of disparity studies. The proposed rule diminishes the history of systemic racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States by claiming that remedies for discrimination create discrimination in and of themselves.” The lawmakers continued, “The program has always been open to anyone who can prove they have experienced prejudice or cultural bias in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and other facets of our society. Nonetheless SBA has moved forward with the proposed rule. It lacks a reasoned basis, purporting that the federal government has discriminated against White Americans, but offering no substantive qualitative or quantitative data or research in support. If the examples provided in the proposed rule are the only basis for what constitutes discrimination to the agency, they are woefully insufficient. The final rule must provide strong evidence that there is discrimination against White individuals and show how the rule is narrowly tailored to address it. The record remains devoid of evidence of discrimination against White individuals on the basis of race.” Ranking Member Markey is fighting to protect federal programs that address historic discrimination against small business owners from minority and underserved communities, and for a small business agenda that ensures economic opportunity for all. In June, Ranking Member Markey released a statement condemning the SBA’s proposed changes to the 8(a) Business Development Program. Also in June, Ranking Markey released a new report highlighting Trump’s drastic reduction in federal contracting dollars awarded to American small businesses, including minority-owned small businesses. In February, Ranking Member Markey, alongside Senators Hirono and Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), introduced the Strengthening Place-based Access, Resources, and Knowledge (SPARK) Act to spur entrepreneurship and increase access to capital and resources for underserved entrepreneurs nationwide. Ranking Member Markey previously held a field hearing in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to discuss how government and the private sector can come together to make entrepreneurship more accessible for underserved communities. Earlier in February, Ranking Member Markey secured funding with the Appropriations Committee for Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, SCORE Chapters, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers and provisions to rein in the Administration’s attempts to eliminate programs that support women, veterans, and underserved entrepreneurs. In January, Ranking Member Markey sent a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to oppose rule changes that would gut protections against discriminatory lending practices that harm small businesses. In December 2025, Ranking Member Markey sent a letter to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler expressing significant concerns with the SBA’s overly burdensome request and unclear guidance for extensive financial documentation over the holidays, as a part of their sweeping attempts to dismantle the 8(a) Business Development Program. In July and December 2025, Ranking Member Markey sent letters to the SBA Administrator demanding answers about the Trump administration’s efforts to limit economic opportunity for American entrepreneurs, including immigrants. In May 2025, Ranking Member Markey sent a letter to the SBA Administrator rejecting President Trump’s FY 2026 budget proposal and calling on SBA to immediately release funding for the entrepreneurial development programs, which include programs like the Women’s Business Centers and the Veteran’s Business Development Centers that support underserved small business owners. In April 2025, Ranking Member Markey introduced the New Start Act of 2025 to establish a five-year pilot program providing grants to support entrepreneurial development training for currently or formerly incarcerated individuals. In February 2025, Ranking Member Markey sent letters to the SBA Administrator and Government Accountability Office (GAO) condemning President Trump’s war on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policies and asking how the SBA intends to implement Trump’s anti-DEIA executive orders. ###
Meet the billionaires behind $336M ‘explosion’ of money in California politics, per new report
San Francisco is no stranger to concentrated wealth shaping City Hall, and big-money spenders did well here during the last primary.
Meet the billionaires behind $336M ‘explosion’ of money in California politics, per new report
San Francisco is no stranger to concentrated wealth shaping City Hall, and big-money spenders did well here during the last primary.
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Finals Weather Update, Forecast
Ahead of Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, here is what the weather forecast is shaping up to be.
Day in the Life: Sea View Grounds Crew
For this Day in the Life photo essay, we went to NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View on Staten Island to meet the people who bring our outdoor spaces to life....
NASA’s Psyche Mission Delivers Mars Flyby Data, Time-lapse Video
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft flew by Mars on May 15, using the planet’s gravity to gain speed and slightly tilt its trajectory. The flyby also gave the team an
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Final This Sunday
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Final: TV Channel, Live Stream, Kickoff Time, and Messi's Last Shot at Glory
From The Sports Desk: A blockbuster World Cup Final
NBC News previews Spain vs. Argentina: who will win the World Cup final?
Iowa health insurers propose premium increases for ACA customers
Iowa health insurance companies are proposing another round of premium increases for Affordable Care Act customers in 2027.
'Shared cosmic experience': 'Potentially hazardous' asteroid Apophis could be visible to 90% of Earth's population during ultraclose 2029 flyby, new maps reveal
Researchers predict that up to 7.6 billion people will be able to see the potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis fly past Earth on April 13, 2029. The skyscraper-size space rock will come closer than some satellites, making it clearly visible to the naked eye.
10 songs to get hyped for the World Cup final
To get in the spirit for the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, The Associated Press has made a themed playlist. The list includes Shakira and Burna Boy's
Strolling the street with drink in hand could be legalized in 5 Berkeley nightlife area
In “entertainment zones,” you can order booze from a bar and sip it outside places like Berkeley Rep, La Marcha or Chez Panisse.
Belgian GP: Max Verstappen tops Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes struggle in Spa-Francorchamps first practice
Ryan calls complaints against former BPS superintendent 'disturbing'
Ryan said the school board needs to build trust with the community through transparency and thoroughly investigate each claim against the administration.
German politician faces calls to resign over child born with US surrogate
Surrogacy is banned in Germany, a policy firmly backed by Jens Spahn's Christian Democrat party, and several years ago by Spahn, too.
I've been on PrEP for 11 years. Access to the HIV prevention drug is in danger.
Several interconnecting barriers continue to hinder PrEP access and exacerbate HIV prevention disparities.
Nashville firefighters save business after street sweeper notices flames, calls 911
The fire sparked inside Music City Psychic on White Bridge Pike early Friday morning.
The war on ‘woke science’ comes for space research
The proposal could cause “concrete harm” to space science.
Amateur astronomer spotted the Tesla Roadster Elon Musk launched in space and what he saw caused a bit of panic
An amateur astronomer spotted the Tesla Roadster that Elon Musk sent into space aboard a SpaceX rocket, and a tiny mistake led to a moment of massive panic
SpaceX IPO earns millions for US Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler
U.S. Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler multiplied the value of her investment in Elon Musk's SpaceX after she was nominated for the job, earning millions of dollars from the company's record initial public offering, a Reuters review of her financial disclosures showed.
New Haven bus project could cut 44 downtown parking spaces by 2030
Business owners on eastern Elm Street said a proposed plan to eliminate street parking would be damaging to business.
Admin. Officials, Energy Industry Execs. & Business Leaders Attend Iraq Business Summit
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi join administration officials, energy industry stakeholders and business leaders at the U.S.-Iraq High-Level Business Summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.
New Board of Health Members Drop Restrictions On Proposed Woodland…
Nantucket Current is the island's leading online news source. We deliver the news, stories, and people of Nantucket, unbiased and unfiltered.
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
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