The biggest game in soccer is set for Sunday, when Argentina and Spain will meet in the World Cup final, held just outside of New York City. There’s just one problem — wildfire smoke now threatens the match and FIFA, the sport’s governing body, doesn’t appear to have any plan in place to protect player or fan health. Wildfire smoke blowing from Canada has blanketed large swaths of the…
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It’s hard to say for sure because of the wizardry involved. But Egyptian forward Haissem Hassan took what looked like eight touches of the ball on every part of his left foot imaginable, dancing in between and around two Argentine defenders, before ever putting it on his right. One touch on that right foot, followed by a final move from his left, and the Egyptian forward had done most of the…
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FIFA, the international soccer organization that governs the World Cup, lifted a red card suspension for U.S. star player Folarin Balogun on Sunday after President Donald Trump intervened through an intense lobbying effort. Balogun’s red card penalty against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week was itself questionable, with some commentators stating that the infraction he was called for did not…
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As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America, millions of soccer fans around the world are gathering in stadiums, homes, and cafés to watch the tournament. In Gaza, however, where war and its aftermath continue to shape daily life, the World Cup feels distant for many residents. Some are unable to watch matches due to electricity and internet outages, while others have lost the…
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Omar Artan, the 34-year-old Somali referee who was denied entry to the U.S. for the World Cup, was welcomed in Mogadishu by crowds of supporters on Wednesday. On Saturday, Artan was refused entry to the U.S. after arriving in Miami, despite the fact that he arrived with a valid U.S. visa and had been invited to officiate at the World Cup. Instead, border officials questioned Artan for 11…
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Paolo Zampolli, special envoy for global partnerships within the Trump administration, has personally asked both President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino to remove Iran from this summer’s World Cup tournament, to be replaced by Italy, Zampolli’s home country. Zampolli — who reportedly introduced Trump to his third wife, first lady Melania Trump — is a businessman and a…
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