Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 June 2026
Saturday, 20 June 2026
Monday, 15 June 2026
Saturday, 13 June 2026
USA MAKES HISTORY IN WORLD CUP WIN VS. PARAGUAY
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| LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) |
The U.S. national team reached multiple milestones in a historic 4-1 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup on Friday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
For the first time ever, the U.S. built a 3–0 first half lead in a World Cup, and the U.S. won its highest-scoring World Cup match ever. Folarin Balogun scored two goals for the U.S. and became the first multi-goal scorer in a U.S. game at the World Cup since Pert Patenaude. The former U.S. standout had a hat trick in 1930. Ironically, the U.S. also beat Paraguay in that match.
Even Weston McKennie’s opening goal for the U.S. had historic overtones. He had the third-earliest goal in an opening match by a host team in World Cup history, according to Opta. France did it in 35 seconds in the 1938 World Cup, and Germany did it in 5:08 in 2006.
With Friday’s win, the U.S. also produced its biggest output ever with four goals, and the U.S. scored three goals in a game for the first time since 2002. For the U.S., it also marked the first World Cup game on home soil since a 1-0 loss to Brazil in 1994 at Stanford, California, which also marked the last time the U.S. hosted the worldwide soccer event.
USA Came Out Strong Against Paraguay
Paraguay threatened first in the Group D match with a strong attack in the first three minutes, but U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese made the stop in the first save of the match. The U.S. then attacked with Tim Weah’s shot, but the game stayed 0–0 with Paraguay keeper Orlando Gill’s save.
McKennie struck first for the U.S. just seven minutes into the match as he took the feed from Christian Pulisic, an AC Milan star. McKennie kept control against Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla to punch in the goal.
As the U.S. controlled possession throughout the first half, opportunity arrived again when McKennie nearly scored his second goal in the 29th minute. Officials nixed it due to an offsides call, but the U.S. bounced back two minutes later as Folarin Balogun scored off of Pulisic’s pass. It marked Balogun’s 10th goal for the U.S. in international competition.
Despite that many goals, Friday marked Balogun’s World Cup debut with the U.S. The New York native opted for the U.S. in 2023 after time in the English soccer system.
Chris Richards tried to make it 3-0 for the U.S., but he hit it wide with his shot at the 37th minute. Balogun then made it 3-0 with his second goal, just 12 minutes later.
The U.S. held the 3-0 lead through most of the second half, dominating possession, but Paraguay got on the board at the 73rd minute as Mauricio put a shot past Freese. Julio Enciso set it up for Paraguay with the assist.
Gio Reyna then made it 4–1 for the U.S. after the 90-minute mark. The U.S. walked away with an opening win in front of 70,492, and it paled in comparison to the last World Cup appearance in Qatar for 2022. That year, the U.S. only scored three goals for the entire competition.
USA Still Has Paraguay’s Number
The U.S. won a fourth consecutive match against Paraguay on Friday, and the U.S. improved to 5-2-2 all-time against the country in the process. That includes the nation’s only other World Cup meeting in 1930 when the U.S. won 3-0 behind Patenaude’s hat trick.
The U.S. will take on Australia next in Group D play on June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle. Australia opens Group Day play on Saturday against Turkey in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Another win helps the U.S. solidify chances to advance to the knockout rounds, which the U.S. has done in three of the past four World Cups. During the last World Cup in the U.S. in 1994, the U.S. made it to the Round of 16 and bowed out against Brazil. The U.S. went 4-1-1 that year.
- Matthew Davis
Friday, 12 June 2026
THIERRY HENRY WAY 🇺🇸
Thierry Henry has a street named after him in New York 🗽
The temporary tribute has been installed in the heart of Manhattan for the World Cup to honour the former France striker, who has previously played and managed in the MLS 🛣️🇺🇸
Thursday, 11 June 2026
Wednesday, 10 June 2026
SOFI WORKERS REACH AGREEMENT TO AVOID A STRIKE AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
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| May 25, 2026; Inglewood, CA, USA; A general overall view of Sofi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium), a host site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images |
A potential strike by SoFi Stadium workers, ahead of the United States' World Cup opening match at the venue Friday, was averted when an estimated 2,000 employees reached a tentative agreement Tuesday through their union.
The union representing hospitality workers at the stadium in Inglewood, Calif., had voted to authorize a strike last Friday, a week before the United States men's national team was set to play against Paraguay.
Mostly composed of concessions workers as well as cashiers, dishwashers, bartenders and food attendants, the union had voted 96% in favor of the strike, which had been looming for the last few months since the existing deal with stadium operators Legends Global expired.
The new agreement earned workers a 40% pay increase for concession stands attendants and also has a clause allowing workers to walk off the job if the union believes that the presence of federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), creates a "reasonable apprehension of harm to the safety and security of workers," The Athletic reported.
The agreement, which the union announced at a news conference, still has to be ratified by workers on Wednesday.
Kurt Peterson, co-president of the union, said the agreement will make the venue's concessions workers the highest paid at NFL stadiums, according to a report in The Athletic, with most earning "more than $40 per hour, and many of them significantly more than that."
Workers also will be able to earn "premium pay for mega-events, including all eight World Cup games," Peterson told The Athletic.
SoFi Stadium is scheduled to host two of the United States' three group-stage matches, against Paraguay (Friday) and Turkey (June 25), as well as three tournament knockout-stage matches, one of which is a quarterfinal on July 10.
The venue is the home of both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers of the NFL. It also is slated to be a co-host for the Opening Ceremonies during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as well as the home for the swimming competitions.
The new agreement lasts until April 30, 2028, giving the union leverage for renegotiations before the Olympics begin.
--Field Level Media
Tuesday, 9 June 2026
FIFA ACCEPTS US DECISION TO BLOCK SOMALI WORLD CUP REFEREE
June 9 – The United States, co-host of the 2026 World Cup, has denied top African referee Omar Artan entry to the country, preventing the Somali from officiating matches at the tournament.
Artan was set to become Somalia’s first referee at a World Cup but American authorities at Miami International Airport barred him from entering the US.
In statement, world football’s governing body FIFA said: “Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.
“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
In a statement to Reuters, Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football men’s referee of the year, said: “I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
He was one of 52 referees selected by FIFA to lead matches at the 48-team World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Artan reportedly had a valid visa for the United States, but flew to Istanbul after being denied entry.
Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the US has cracked down on immigration from Somalia, and its citizens are subject to a full travel ban. Last year, Trump lashed out at Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage”.
In a statement, a CBP spokesperson said: “On June 6, a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul International Airport. During processing, the travellerunderwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.
“Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.
“All travellers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to CBP inspection and vetting. Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection. CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has repeatedly said this World Cup will be the ‘most inclusive’ yet. In 2017, a year before FIFA awarded the World Cup to the United States, Mexico and Canada, Infantino said: “It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup.”
- Samindra Kunti
Monday, 8 June 2026
TEHRAN LAMBASTS US 'OBSTRUCTION' OF IRAN'S WORLD CUP TEAM AS PLAYERS LAND IN MEXICO
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| Members of the Iran soccer team arrive in Tijuana |
TEHRAN — Iran’s soccer team touched down in Mexico’s northwestern city of Tijuana on Sunday as Tehran criticized Washington over its visa restrictions ahead of the World Cup this summer.
The Iranian federation negotiated at the last minute to move the team's base camp from Arizona to Tijuana near the US border in Mexico, due in part to uncertainty over whether they would be granted visas to enter the United States.
The US awarded visas to all the players on June 5, just 10 days before their first match, but several members of the support squad were not yet given visas, including "key managerial and administrative members," according to Iran's football federation.
The president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, said Sunday that the Iranian soccer team had been granted permission to enter the US for the tournament, but “only one day before the match,” according to semi-official Iranian media, sparking accusations of unfair treatment.
“We do not know how far the Americans’ obstructionism will continue,” Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) cited Taj as saying. “What the United States is doing reflects malice and a lack of equality among teams.”
A US administration official told CNN that the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including those for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued. The two nations remain at war with no sign of an immediate breakthrough in peace negotiations.
“We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses,” the official said.
Soccer is more than just Iran’s most popular sport. Public support for the national team cuts through social, regional and political lines, making it a uniting force for millions of Iranians.
As a result, qualifying for the World Cup has long been a source of national pride. But the US and Israel’s war with Iran, alongside recent economic and political turmoil at home, has turned the soccer pitch into a stage for soft power, drawing attention away from the game itself.
Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26, according to FIFA, the governing body that organizes the World Cup. Those matches are expected to be shown in cinemas across Iran, subject to the “necessary approvals,” Iranian state media organization IRIB said Sunday.
This is the first World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1930 in which a host nation is set to receive a country with which it is actively at war, according to Reuters.
On Sunday, the team touched down in Tijuana, Mexico – just across the border from San Diego, California – several Iranian outlets reported. Last month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Iranian squad would stay in Mexico between the matches.
A spokesperson for the Iranian football federation said this weekend that the team would travel to the US using a multiple-entry visa, entering one day before the first match and two days before each of the next two matches, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Taj called it “truly strange” that Washington was interfering in the administration of the sporting event, adding that the Iranian football federation would submit a protest to FIFA. CNN has reached out to the governing body for comment.
The federation president also speculated that the US might try to interfere with the team’s entry to the country while appearing to link Washington’s decision-making to the ongoing war.
“We do not know what kind of mischief they might create at the airport. They were defeated in some areas by the resistance of the people, and they are now trying to make up for those defeats and vent their frustrations on the football field,” ISNA cited Taj as saying.
- Saudi Gazette
Saturday, 6 June 2026
Monday, 1 June 2026
Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Tuesday, 26 May 2026
IRAN MOVES WORLD CUP BASE TO MEXICO AND WANTS GUARANTEES ON VISAS AND SECURITY
National team will fly to the US on day of games after Washington refuses to host squad
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| Iran's players training in Antalya, Turkey, as they prepare for the World Cup. AFP |
Iran's national team will base themselves in Mexico and travel to the US on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.
Sheinbaum said Fifa approached her government after US authorities said they did not want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran are scheduled to play three Group G matches there.
"We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico," Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.
Iran are currently preparing for the tournament in Antalya, southern Turkey.
They are set to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. US President Donald Trump said in March that Iran were welcome to participate in the World Cup but that he did not believe it was appropriate for them to be in the United States "for their own life and safety".
Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, said on Saturday the team's base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. Fifa confirmed the move on Monday. Taj added that the swap would help avoid visa-related complications and allow direct Iran Air flights to Mexico.
Iran's World Cup plans have been under scrutiny since late February, when the United States joined Israel in attacks on Iran, triggering a war that raised doubts over whether Tehran would send its team to play in one of the host countries.
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| Members of the Iranian national football team camp arrive at the US Embassy in Ankara for their visa application on May 21. AFP |
In March, Taj said Iran were in talks with Fifa about moving its group matches to Mexico on safety grounds, and Sheinbaum said Mexico would be open to hosting them. Fifa refused the request.
The uncertainty fueled wider speculation about Iran's place at the tournament. Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup by topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.
Visas and enhanced security
According to various reports at the start of May, Iran had asked Fifa for several guarantees. The demands came after Taj was denied entry to Canada for last month's Fifa Congress.
Chief among them was that their players, coaches and other officials will receive visas to attend the tournament.
That included visas for those on the team who have completed military service with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada and the US.
“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Taj, a former commander of Iran's IRGC, told Iranian media.
According to a report from the BBC, the Iranian Football Federation also wants assurances that its team will receive enhanced security during the tournament and that respect for the Iranian flag and national anthem will be maintained.
Iranian officials have also reportedly asked for journalists to avoid questions beyond "technical football matters".
- The National
Wednesday, 6 May 2026
'OUR HOST IS FIFA NOT TRUMP': IRAN FA CHIEF WARNS NO US WORLD CUP TRIP WITHOUT GUARANTEE OVER IRGC RESPECT
An FFIRI delegation, including Taj, turned back from the Canadian border last week because of what they said was disrespectful treatment at the hands of immigration officials as they tried to attend the Fifa Congress in Vancouver
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| The New York/New Jersey's FIFA World Cup 2026 logo is revealed during the kickoff event in Times Square in New York City, US Reuters file photo |
Iranian FA (FFIRI) chief Mehdi Taj says Fifa must guarantee that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is not insulted by the United States if the national team is to travel to the country to play at the World Cup in June.
An FFIRI delegation, including Taj, turned back from the Canadian border last week because of what they said was disrespectful treatment at the hands of immigration officials as they tried to attend the Fifa Congress in Vancouver.
Taj said the decision to return home had been their own choice but Canada's immigration minister later confirmed to parliament that the FFIRI president's visa had been cancelled while he was in the air because of his links to the IRGC.
Canada listed the IRGC, an elite military force whose purpose is to protect Shi'ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran, as a "terrorist entity" in 2024, five years after the US did the same.
Fifa Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom sent a letter expressing regret at the "inconvenience and disappointment" the Iranians had experienced in Canada and inviting FFIRI to Zurich on May 20 for a meeting about their World Cup preparations.
Taj told state broadcaster IRIB on Tuesday that he would be seeking assurances from the governing body about the treatment of the Iranian delegation in the US.
"We need a guarantee there, for our trip, that they have no right to insult the symbols of our system — especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," he said on the sidelines of a pro-government night rally in Tehran.
"This is something they must pay serious attention to. If there is such a guarantee and the responsibility is clearly assumed, then an incident like what happened in Canada will not happen again."
'Our host is Fifa'
The US, Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the June 11 to July 19 World Cup with Iran scheduled to play two group games in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the tournament but no one with ties to the IRGC would be admitted to the country.
Taj, who served as a high-ranking official with the IRGC in Isfahan Province before moving into soccer administration, said anything short of cast-iron guarantees could result in the Iranian delegation turning back at the U.S. border.
"We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our host is Fifa - not Mr. Trump or America," he added.
"If they accept hosting us, then they must also accept that they must not insult our military institutions in any way.
"Because if they do, then naturally it could create the same kind of situation that happened in Canada, where there was a possibility we might have to return.
"So there must be this kind of guarantee so that we can go with peace of mind."
Iran's participation in the World Cup has been in question since the US and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February.
With Iranian top-flight football suspended, the home-based players have been in a training camp in Tehran preparing for the tournament.
Taj said the FFIRI were hoping to set up at least one friendly with a "very good team" in neighbouring Turkey, where Iran played matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica in late March.
- Reuters
Sunday, 3 May 2026
Sunday, 29 March 2026
Friday, 27 March 2026
Monday, 16 March 2026
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