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Here’s a look at the viral moments and on-field controversies as well as the biggest players, best performances, goals and more.
Published On 24 Jun 202624 Jun 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo joined the party, Lionel Messi set a new record, Iran once again displayed their fighting spirit and Turkiye were shown the door.
The second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage had a fair amount of drama.
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Al Jazeera breaks down the key moments:
Unlike other high-profile strikers at the tournament who came out all guns blazing from the get-go, Ronaldo needed some time to open his account. But his two goals in Portugal’s 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan on Tuesday were enough to silence the critics as the 41-year-old became the first player in history to score in six World Cups.
Age is just a number for Messi, who is celebrating his 39th birthday on Wednesday. His apparent last dance is bringing out the best in him as the Argentinian has set a new record for the most World Cup goals at 18 – a figure that is sure to increase with La Albiceleste now the number one favourites to add back-to-back World Cups to their trophy cabinet.
Is Messi “Mr Argentina”? It’s hard to argue otherwise with all five of the team’s goals scored by him. That also makes him the leading Golden Boot contender with one goal more than France’s Kylian Mbappe.
FIFA has come under criticism for a series of issues this tournament, but one thing it’s got spot on is the scheduling of Argentina, France and Norway games on the same day. For the second time in a row, fans were treated to back-to-back goals galore on Monday as Messi started the party with a brace before Mbappe did the same, and Erling Haaland topped it off with another double.
Back at the World Cup after 28 years, Norway celebrated their round of 32 qualification in typical fashion: bringing out the famous “Viking row”. With the squad sitting in rows resembling those of a Viking longboat, captain Martin Odegaard began beating the drum to a joyous climax as thousands of Norwegians in the stadium also joined the fun.
It took Egypt an incredible 92 years to register their first World Cup win, so it wasn’t a surprise that they celebrated in style. Shortly after beating New Zealand 3-1 on Sunday, the Egypt squad was pictured on the streets of Vancouver with fans, singing and dancing to music blaring from a huge speaker. Mohamed Salah, nicknamed the “Egyptian King”, was the centre of attention yet again, held up on the shoulders of a teammate, as he grooved to the tunes.
While Asian teams enjoyed a great run during the first round of the group games, only one team – Japan – built on the momentum. After a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in the first match, Japan thrashed Tunisia 4-0 in the next fixture on Saturday, collecting four points – the highest by an Asian team so far. According to Opta’s supercomputer, Japan have a 20.8 percent chance of reaching the quarterfinals and 9.41 percent probability of making the semifinals.
Despite travel restrictions imposed on them by the United States for their first two World Cup games, Iran have remained unbeaten with two draws. That keeps them alive in the knockout race, and with the squad now allowed to fly into the US from Mexico two days before their next match instead of one as was the case earlier, Iran can better prepare for their final group game on Saturday against Egypt in Seattle. A win would see them through while a draw might also suffice, depending on other results.
From Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz to Hakan Calhanoglu and Merih Demiral, Turkiye is filled with talent across all departments. But none of them could turn around Turkiye’s fortunes as they crashed out of the tournament after losing to Paraguay on Saturday. The early exit crushed the hopes of millions of Turkish fans, who waited 24 years to see their team return to the World Cup.
For years, Christian Pulisic has been the poster boy of the USA team, but the cohost nation proved that they can get the job done even in the influential winger’s absence. With Pulisic ruled out with a calf injury, Alex Freeman scored one, and the USA benefitted from a Cameron Burgess own goal as they sailed into the knockouts with a 2-0 victory on Friday against Australia.
Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron made history, albeit for the wrong reasons, when he became the first player to be sent off at the 2026 World Cup for covering his mouth. Almiron – also handed a one-match ban – covered his mouth during a confrontation with Turkiye’s Mert Muldur. The straight red handed to him follows a new rule under which players are not allowed to cover their mouths to disguise what they are saying during confrontations with infringements leading to instant dismissals.
anton5146/E+ via Getty Images
The FIFA World Cup has yet to provide a meaningful boost to U.S. economic activity, with business surveys, card spending data, and airline passenger traffic showing little evidence that the tournament is supporting demand, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics.
June business
1: Messi opener v Algeria
Another list topped by the Argentina maestro. Collecting the ball 30 yards out, Messi advanced to the top of the D before whipping a beautiful left-footed shot into the top corner.
2: Mbappe second v Senegal
One touch to set himself, a quick glance up and then a thumping effort from 30 yards out past Edouard Mendy – some strike.
3: Balogun second v Paraguay
Folarin Balogun showed pace, power and then composure to take a touch inside the covering defender before bending the ball into the top corner with his left foot.
4: Reyna’s fourth v Paraguay
Late in the game, the Paraguay defence backed off and USA midfielder Gio Reyna took full advantage, moving into the penalty box before nonchalantly curling the ball into the far corner with the outside of his right boot.
5: Ayari’s opener against Tunisia
Yasin Ayari set Sweden on their way to a comprehensive win with a rasping shot from 25 yards that arrowed into the corner.
6: Vinicius Jr’s equaliser against Morocco
With Brazil labouring, a moment of brilliance brought them level. Vinicius Jr collected the ball on the left side of the box, cut back on to his right foot and bent an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
7: Mahmic’s volley against Switzerland for Bosnia
A moment to remember for Ermin Mahmic as he lashed a volley into the Switzerland net after a corner was only punched out to the edge of the box. Not a bad way to score your first international goal.
8: Olwan’s goal for Jordan v Austria
With the defence backing off, Ali Olwan ran from the halfway line to the penalty area before expertly curling the ball in off the post to give Jordan their first World Cup goal.
9: Munoz’s flicked volley against Uzbekistan
Colombia got up and running with this brilliant Daniel Munoz effort. Having timed his run to perfection, the Crystal Palace wing-back stretched to meet Luis Diaz’s deep cross and lift a volley past the goalkeeper.
10: Nmecha’s combination with Wirtz for goal v Curacao
Felix Nmecha fired Germany in front after playing a lovely one-two with Florian Wirtz. The pass meant Nmecha didn’t have to break stride before curling the ball around a Curacao defender into the bottom corner.
Managers and coaching staff are allowed to discuss tactics with their players while the breaks are taking place.
Infantino said: “The main reason [for the breaks] is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important.
“What matters even more to us is ensuring that all teams, in every match, are playing under the same conditions.
“And it’s very difficult to accept that a coach might have the opportunity to influence a match by making adjustments simply because it is hotter, while in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach does not have the same opportunity.
“We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone and that’s why these breaks are implemented in every match.”
Experts have told BBC Sport an average 30-second World Cup advertising slot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (£152,000) and $300,000 (£227,000), rising to $750,000 (£567,000) during USA matches and the final stages.
That means advertising during hydration breaks is likely to generate more than $250m (£189m) in the USA alone.
Croatia are third in Group L, with England and Ghana on four points each, heading into the last round of matches.
Published On 24 Jun 202624 Jun 2026
Half-time substitute Ante Budimir scored in the 54th minute as Croatia eliminated Panama from World Cup contention with a tightly fought 1-0 victory at Toronto Stadium.
The Group L clash on Tuesday saw 34-year-old Budimir score his first World Cup goal and fifth in a competitive fixture for his country.
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Croatia remain third in the group with three points heading into the final match day, but they can guarantee a top-two finish with a victory over Ghana in their final match on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Panama are still seeking their first point, five matches into their World Cup history, having also lost 1-0 to Ghana in their 2026 opener in Toronto last week.
However, despite playing the first two matches without injured talisman Adalberto Carrasquilla, Los Canaleros have a goal difference six better than at this stage in their first World Cup appearance in 2018.
Budimir put Croatia in front on what was easily their best attack of the match to that point on Tuesday.
Josip Stanisic combined with Marco Pasalic to get down the right, and then struck a well-weighted cross to the top of the 6-yard box.
Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera dived to try and intercept the service but couldn’t reach it, and Budimir showed up at the back post to guide in a composed finish into an open goal.
With that, the match erupted for about 15 minutes.
Three minutes after the goal, Croatia captain Luka Modric played Pasalic in alone on goal from his own half. Mosquera sized up Pasalic and charged from his line at the right time to smother the initial attempt, and Pasalic fired wide from a poor angle on the rebound.
Panama responded to force Dominik Livakovic into three stops inside of a minute. The third was probably the best, as Livakovic leapt to deny Carlos Harvey’s header from a corner lofted to the back post.
The second-half hydration break followed that sequence, and perhaps disrupted Panama’s momentum, with Livakovic unthreatened in the final stages.
The Central Americans will now look to play spoilers against England in their finale on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Earlier on Tuesday, England and Ghana settled for a 0-0 draw, with both having four points.
An infographic compares Nongshim and Samyang Foods’ first-quarter sales and operating profits in the United States, China and Japan, highlighting the companies’ differing overseas growth strategies. Data from Financial Supervisory Service and the companies. Infographic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
June 23 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s two leading instant-noodle makers posted sharply different results across major overseas markets during the first quarter, with Samyang Foods growing rapidly in the United States and Nongshim generating steadier profits in China and Japan.
Samyang Foods recorded U.S. sales of 185.3 billion won ($120.3 million) during the first three months of the year, up 37% from the same period in 2025, according to industry data released Tuesday.
Its U.S. operating profit jumped 325% to 22 billion won ($14.3 million).
Nongshim posted U.S. sales of 141.3 billion won ($91.8 million) and an operating profit of 12.3 billion won ($8 million) during the same period.
Samyang’s growth was driven primarily by the continued popularity of its spicy Buldak brand and the expansion of its distribution network.
The company has increased the number of its products sold through Walmart, Costco and other major U.S. retailers. Sales of products tailored to local preferences, including Buldak Mac and Cheese and Buldak Ramen Habanero Lime, have also increased.
“The distinctive flavor and concept of the Buldak brand are giving us a competitive advantage in the U.S. market,” a Samyang Foods representative said.
The company plans to expand its presence in North America by strengthening the brand and increasing distribution through large retailers, the representative said.
Nongshim is also seeking a larger share of the North American market through Shin Ramyun and its expanding line of stir-fried noodles.
The company has improved its production and logistics efficiency by raising operating rates at its factories near Los Angeles. Its products also continue to generate steady sales through Walmart, Costco and other major retailers.
The competitive picture was different in China, where Nongshim recorded more stable profitability despite generating considerably less revenue than Samyang.
Nongshim’s Chinese operations reported first-quarter sales of 52.7 billion won ($34.2 million), up 16% from a year earlier. Operating profit rose 20% to 7.2 billion won ($4.7 million).
The results were supported by continued demand for Shin Ramyun, Chapagetti and Neoguri.
Samyang generated much higher sales in China but experienced a steep decline in profit.
Its first-quarter Chinese sales rose 36% to 171.3 billion won ($111.2 million), while operating profit fell 77% to 1.3 billion won ($844,000).
Industry analysts attributed the decline to Samyang’s reorganization of its distribution partners and inventory remaining after weaker-than-expected sales during China’s Singles’ Day shopping festival last year.
Samyang said it remains committed to long-term growth in China.
The company plans to strengthen Buldak’s brand position while expanding beyond instant noodles into products such as sauces and air-dried noodles.
Samyang is also constructing a factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. It recently expanded the planned number of production lines at the plant from six to eight.
The Jiaxing factory is scheduled to begin operating in 2027. Samyang expects local production to improve manufacturing and distribution efficiency in China.
Nongshim also delivered stronger profitability in Japan.
Its Japanese subsidiary recorded first-quarter sales of 33.9 billion won ($22 million), up 20% from a year earlier. Operating profit increased 75% to 1.66 billion won ($1.1 million).
The company’s performance was supported by growing recognition of Shin Ramyun and improved bargaining power in price negotiations with retailers.
Samyang’s Japanese business recorded sales of 9.9 billion won ($6.4 million), an increase of 34%, but operating profit fell 31% to 240 million won ($156,000).
Marketing expenses and initial investments associated with expansion into convenience stores, Don Quijote and Costco weighed on profitability, according to industry analysts.
The results suggest that the rivalry between the two companies is developing differently in each region.
Samyang is using the global recognition of Buldak to drive rapid growth in North America, while Nongshim is building a more stable earnings base in China and Japan through established products led by Shin Ramyun.
Both companies are expanding production capacity as global demand for Korean instant noodles continues to grow.
In addition to Samyang’s Jiaxing factory, Nongshim is constructing an export-only plant at the Noksan National Industrial Complex in Busan.
Nongshim plans to complete the factory and begin production during the second half of the year. The facility is expected to become a major base for expanding the company’s global supply capacity.
“Success in overseas food markets depends not only on brand strength but also on production capacity, distribution networks and a stable supply system,” a retail industry official said.
“Samyang is currently showing strong growth in North America, but Nongshim is also expanding production and strengthening its localization strategy,” the official said. “Competition in the global market will become more intense.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260624010008206
22:28, 23 Jun 2026Updated 22:31, 23 Jun 2026
Gabby Logan led the BBC’s coverage(Image: BBC)
BBC viewers weren’t impressed as they tuned in to watch England play.
Gabby Logan returned to screens on Tuesday (June 23) to present coverage of England’s Group L match against Ghana at Boston Stadium in the USA, as both teams played their second game of the group stage.
This is just the second time that these sides have ever met and the first time they’ve faced each other in a competitive fixture. The last time was back in March 2011, when former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan scored an injury-time equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium.
Gabby was joined in the Salford studio by Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards, with match commentary coming from Guy Mowbray and Alan Shearer.
However, BBC viewers were quick to issue the same complaints about the broadcaster’s coverage. Many fans weren’t impressed with the “buffering” coverage on iPlayer, as well as a live interview with British rapper Stormzy.
“England v Ghana on BBC iPlayer is buffering like crazy. It’s not just iPlayer, games buffer on ITVX too. Happens on the big fixtures, obvs,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter), with another adding: “@BBCiPlayer not fit for purpose. Give me @itvx every time.”
A third wrote: “@BBC what’s going on,” alongside a screenshot of the app not loading.
Referring to Stormzy’s interview ahead of the match, a fourth viewer said: “Dear BBC Sport. Football. Fans. Don’t. Care. About. Celebrities. At. The. World. Cup. Stop it,” with another adding: “@BBCSport wasting licence payers cash yet again with a pointless interview with #Stormzy! Pathetic & nothing to do with football!”
More complaints were issued, with someone else writing: “BBC World Cup coverage is poor. S***,” while another shared: “Their coverage of this #worldcup has been beyond woeful.”
Another commented: “Congrats to ITV and the BBC for making the World Cup unwatchable.”
Meanwhile, other viewers praised the BBC’s World Cup coverage, particularly lead hosts Gabby and Kelly Cates.
“BBC coverage soo much better. Great female presenters with Gabby and Kelly. Miles better than ITV,” one person wrote, with another agreeing: “Yeah the female presenters are excellent.”
The Three Lions will be hoping to make it through to the knockout stages for the third consecutive World Cup. They have only been knocked out at the group stage once in their last seven appearances in the finals.
Tonight’s viewer complaints come after several disruptions to the BBC’s coverage of the football tournament.
Gabby Logan notably made a politics announcement during Monday’s (June 22) live broadcast, just hours before coverage was pulled off air due to France and Iraq’s match being delayed.
FIFA issued a statement after warnings of a “severe thunderstorm approaching” the Philadelphia stadium.
Coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and ITVX
A chart illustrates how the estimated value of unpaid household labor is transferred among children, working-age adults and older people in South Korea. Information from Ministry of Data and Statistics. Infographic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
June 23 (Asia Today) — The estimated value of unpaid household services consumed by South Korean children totaled 116.6 trillion won ($75.3 billion) in 2024, with parents and grandparents providing much of the work, government data showed Tuesday.
The Ministry of Data and Statistics published the findings in South Korea’s 2024 National Time Transfer Accounts, which measure how unpaid household work is produced, consumed and transferred among age groups.
The account covers services that are generally excluded from gross domestic product, including cooking, cleaning, household management, caregiving and volunteer work.
The figure does not represent money that families paid for child care. It estimates the market value of unpaid services by using the time spent on household work, population figures and the wages that would be required to hire someone to perform similar tasks.
Children ages 14 and younger recorded a household-work lifecycle deficit of 116.6 trillion won because they consumed unpaid services but did not produce them.
A lifecycle deficit occurs when the value of household services consumed by an age group exceeds the value it produces.
About 107.3 trillion won ($69.3 billion), or 92% of the children’s deficit, was covered through transfers within the same household. This category largely represents time and labor provided by parents and other family members living with the children.
An additional 9.4 trillion won ($6.1 billion) came through transfers between households, which can include care provided by relatives living separately.
Working-age people between 15 and 64 produced unpaid household services valued at 444.4 trillion won ($287 billion) and consumed services worth 336.1 trillion won ($217 billion).
That left the group with a surplus of 108.3 trillion won ($69.9 billion).
The working-age population transferred a net 104.6 trillion won ($67.5 billion) in unpaid services to other members of the same households, primarily children.
The data show that people in their 30s and 40s, who are often raising young or school-age children, were at the center of the transfer system.
On a per-person basis, the household-work surplus reached its highest level at age 39, at 10.35 million won ($6,700).
Older South Koreans also made a net contribution.
People ages 65 and older produced household services valued at 138 trillion won ($89.1 billion) while consuming 129.7 trillion won ($83.8 billion), leaving a surplus of 8.3 trillion won ($5.4 billion).
They transferred a net 5.7 trillion won ($3.7 billion) in services between households. The ministry said the pattern reflects contributions such as grandparents caring for grandchildren who live in separate households.
Per-person household production peaked at age 40, declined and then increased again after retirement, producing what the ministry described as an M-shaped pattern.
Unpaid housework and care for grandchildren contributed to the later increase.
The lifecycle deficit was highest at birth, reaching 37 million won ($23,900) per person.
The balance shifted into a surplus at age 28, reached its peak at age 39 and returned to a deficit at age 82.
Those ages do not indicate when income begins to exceed personal spending. They show when the estimated value of unpaid household services a person produces becomes greater or smaller than the value of services the person consumes.
Household-service consumption was highest at birth and lowest at age 19, forming an L-shaped pattern.
Compared with 2019, the total deficit for children declined by 7.5 trillion won ($4.8 billion). Surpluses among working-age and older people also decreased.
The results provide a broader measure of the economic contributions made inside families, including work performed by parents and grandparents that does not appear in conventional income or production statistics.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260623010008145
England fans were left frustrated as their side were held to a goalless draw against Ghana, but were Thomas Tuchel’s side fortunate not to have a penalty given against them?
The incident in question happened late in Tuesday’s game as Prince Adu charged into the box before Ezri Konsa came across and appeared to bring down the midfielder.
No spot-kick was given – to the relief of England supporters, with replays showing Konsa had caught Adu on the knee and made no contact with the ball.
The BBC pundits watching the game were largely in agreement that Konsa and England were fortunate not to have been punished.
“I think that’s a penalty,” former Three Lions and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said on BBC One.
“Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball.
“That could easily have been given in my view.”
Fellow former England international and ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards added: “England were chasing the game, they were trying to score the goal but you still need that protection behind you.
“On another day, that could have been a penalty.”
South Korean soldiers escort a group of Korean War veterans from Commonwealth nations during a ceremony marking the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, in Gapyeong County, northeast of Seoul, South Korea. The Battle of Kapyong, from 22 to 27 April 1951, was fought between United Nations Command forces composed mainly of Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand troops, and invading Chinese forces along the Gapyeong (Kapyong) River valley. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
June 23 (Asia Today) — South Korean power equipment maker LS Electric is strengthening its ties with communities in Utah by honoring Korean War veterans and investing in local education as it expands in the fast-growing North American power market.
Demand for power equipment has surged as artificial intelligence companies build more data centers across North America. Against that backdrop, LS Electric Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ja-Kyun Koo has emphasized what the company describes as a management strategy based on long-term trust with local communities.
LS Electric said Koo has pursued the strategy through LS Electric Utah, formerly MCM Engineering II, in Cedar City. The South Korean company acquired the operation in 2022 and has since directed an expansion of its production facilities.
Koo has highlighted a Korean War engagement involving soldiers from southern Utah as a historical link between the state and South Korea.
On May 26, 1951, 240 members of the Utah National Guard’s 213th Armored Field Artillery Battalion encountered a Chinese force of more than 4,000 troops near Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province.
The engagement became known in Utah as the “Miracle at Kapyong.” Accounts maintained by the Utah National Guard say the soldiers fought off the advancing force without losing a member of the unit in the battle.
Families and descendants of the veterans remain part of the community around Cedar City, where LS Electric Utah is based.
Koo said the soldiers’ service in an unfamiliar country demonstrated the kind of courage and commitment that a Korean company operating in Utah should recognize.
LS Electric this year sponsored a Southern Utah University program supporting Korean War veterans. The company also paid the travel expenses of surviving veterans who visited South Korea in May for a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Utah unit’s action near Gapyeong.
The company has also supported the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education facilities at Southern Utah University as part of its efforts to train workers for the region’s future industries.
LS Electric joined a separate initiative led by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to connect Korean companies operating in the United States with veterans who previously served with U.S. Forces Korea.
The company said the program could help Korean businesses recruit workers who already have experience with South Korea and its culture.
LS Electric’s community engagement has accompanied a sharp increase in orders for equipment used in North American data centers.
Korea Investment & Securities said LS Electric secured two North American data center equipment projects during the second quarter with a combined value of 489.3 billion won, or about $318 million.
The brokerage expects the company’s North American data center orders to increase by more than 50% from a year earlier and surpass 1.5 trillion won, or about $974 million, in 2026.
“Today, our firm footing in the U.S. market rests on the noble sacrifice of Utah veterans who fought for freedom and peace,” Koo said.
“Remembering and honoring the heroes who created the Miracle at Kapyong is a responsibility that companies should fulfill,” he said.
Koo said businesses built on strong relationships with their communities would be better positioned to achieve stable, long-term growth.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260623010008080
June 23 (UPI) — Federal air marshals have seized more than 300 drones during World Cup events in the United States, the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday.
The TSA said the air marshals, working with state and federal officials, confiscated the devices, though the agency didn’t specify how many from each of the 11 U.S. World Cup venue cities.
“Flying a drone in a restricted zone is a federal crime and can result in fines up to $100,000, prison time and drone confiscation,” the TSA said in a post on X.
World Cup events are being held in 16 North American cities — two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the United States. Among the U.S. cities hosting events are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
Australia made it four wins from four at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup after easing to a 113-run victory against Pakistan at Headingley, with the six-time winners on the verge of the semi-finals with one group match remaining.
READ MORE: Australia thrash Pakistan to edge closer to semis
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be ‘enjoying the final’ with Trump and present the trophy together on July 19.
Published On 23 Jun 202623 Jun 2026
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed plans to include United States President Donald Trump in the trophy presentation ceremony at the World Cup final.
“We will be together with the president, enjoying the final, and handing the trophy to the winner – of course, together,” Infantino said during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday morning.
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Asked to clarify that he and Trump would present the trophy together at the match on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Infantino added: “Of course. We are together all the time.”
Trump notably participated in the ceremony at last year’s Club World Cup final, when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 at the same venue.
He remained on stage as Chelsea lifted the trophy. Later, the trophy was spotted in the Oval Office, with Chelsea reportedly having received a replica version.
According to The Athletic, citing FIFA sources, Infantino has been aiming to attend as many matches as possible at the tournament.
So far, that has been up to two a day. Trump has yet to attend any matches in this year’s World Cup.
Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees. You’re following a long line of great players, making the comparisons — and the high expectations — unavoidable.
Matt Freese is the latest to be thrown into that crucible. But he considers that pressure to be a privilege, not a problem.
“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, I would say it’s inspiring,” he said before the U.S. training session Tuesday morning in Irvine. “It’s a long line of goalkeepers that I’ve looked up to for my whole life — and there were some before my life as well.”
Two games into this summer’s World Cup he’s certainly held his own with that group, giving up just one goal for a team that’s unbeaten and already through to the next round. However Thursday’s group-stage finale with winless Turkey will be far from meaningless for Freese since his first start for the U.S. came against Turkey 55 weeks ago, bringing his whirlwind international team career full circle.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese waves to the crowd after beating Paraguay during a World Cup match at SoFi Stadium on June 12.
(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)
He lost that game but his performance was good enough to make him the starter in the Gold Cup, where he was even better. A little over a year ago he was just a faint blip on coach Mauricio Pochettino’s radar. Now he has a World Cup shutout and with another clean sheet Thursday, he’ll join Matt Turner as the only American keepers to post back-to-back shutouts in a World Cup in 96 years.
“I dreamt of this opportunity. But you never know if it’s going to come,” Freese said. “I learned the ones that work hard without the promise of reward are the ones that usually succeed.”
Turner, who gave up just a goal in the group stage in Qatar four years ago, is Freese’s backup in this tournament. And he’s just the most recent U.S. keeper to stand out in a World Cup. In 2014, Tim Howard set a tournament record with 16 saves in a knockout-stage loss to Belgium and 12 years before that Brad Friedel made six stops in a 2-0 win over Mexico to send the U.S. to the quarterfinals for the only time.
“To have my name next to theirs as the next guy up is an incredible honor, and it’s something I’ve dreamed of,” Freese said. “The bar is set high and I’m going to strive to reach that bar and raise it even higher.”
Freese, 27, took an unusual route to that bar. The son of a neurosurgeon who earned a doctorate from MIT and the grandson of scientists who immigrated from Germany after World War II, Freese grew up in a household where academics were more important than athletics. So while he joined the Philadelphia Union academy as a teen, he craved the demands of school and left soon afterward to enroll at Harvard.
“When you’re a professional athlete at age 18, 19 sometimes it can be difficult to keep a routine, keep a regimen that keeps you focused and keeps you hungry,” Freese said. “For me, taking classes was something that occupied my time, occupied my mind and gave a very natural release off the field.
“I think at that age it was necessary.”
After two seasons at Harvard, he returned to Philadelphia to sign with the MLS team while continuing to take classes online, once writing a paper on penalty-kick analytics. In 2022, he graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics.
The soccer part wasn’t going nearly as well. Playing behind Andre Blake, a three-time MLS keeper of the year, Freese rarely saw the field in Philadelphia. But a trade to New York City FC in the winter of 2023 gave him a second chance and likely saved his career.
He made the most of it, earning the starting job in his second season, when he finished third in the league in saves, and getting his first call-up to a national team training camp in January 2025.
Six months later he was the team’s starter in goal.
The late-blooming Freese’s journey was unusual in another way too since he traveled to the World Cup from MLS. In the five World Cups between 1998 and 2014, the U.S. started Friedel, Kasey Keller and Howard — three English Premier League keepers — in goal. A dozen years later, the Athletic reports, there are no American goalkeepers in the top five European club leagues and the three goalies on this summer’s roster all play in MLS.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese clears the ball as Australia’s Mohamed Toure closes in during a World Cup match in Seattle on June 19.
(Maddy Grassy / Ap Photo/maddy Grassy)
However as a guy with a Harvard diploma on his resume, Freese knows enough to know that getting to a World Cup isn’t about where you came from or even how long it took you to get there. All that matters is that you made it. And now that he’s there, his job isn’t to stand out, but to blend in.
“Being a goalkeeper is recognizing that it’s not always about you. And I’m comfortable with that,” he said. “The less action I have in a game means the better that we’re playing, and the more likely we are going to win.
“So I’m typically more focused on that and preventing any shots rather than just being only ready to save them.”
June 23 (UPI) — The European Union and the Taliban met in Brussels on Tuesday to negotiate the return of Afghan refugees to the country.
Officials from the European Commission and 15 member states met discreetly with the regime, and several Europeans criticized the move.
“I am shaken and deeply disturbed by this,” Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai told Radio Free Europe.
Yousafzai was shot in the face at age 15 by the Taliban for defying its ban on education for girls.
“This is the same Taliban that banned girls from secondary schools and forced them into marriage. The same Taliban that, earlier this month, arrested dozens of women in Herat for how they were dressed. The same Taliban that detains, beats and executes women who dare to speak out or break their rules.”
Brussels has defended the meeting saying European countries need to have a system to deport asylum seekers who commit violent crimes.
Sweden, which has one of the largest Afghan populations, co-chaired the meeting outside the EC’s premises. The meeting was called strictly technical because the EU doesn’t recognize the Taliban government.
Members of the European Parliament have repeatedly backed resolutions condemning the Taliban, which contrasts with the EC’s willingness to meet with the regime, said Socialist Workers’ Party MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
“I’m appalled,” he said. “It’s absolutely an outrage and a total loss of faith and the credibility of the European Union that it can hold such a double standard,” The Guardian reported.
López Aguilar rejected the EU’s argument that it needed to be able to deport migrants.
He accused the EU of allowing the far right to set the agenda.
“We’re 450 million people all together. There’s no reason to panic when you talk about a certain number of migrants fleeing from despair or from a lack of opportunities. Let alone persecution, which is grounds for them to seek international protection,” he said. “Migration is not a threat, not even a crisis. It’s a constant fact of the history of mankind.”
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell told a different story to local media.
“It is incredibly important that these criminals are deported,” Forssell said. “And that is not possible today. They do not want to participate. They do not want to go home.”
Socialist MEP Cecilia Strada called the meeting a “shameful chapter for Europe,” telling Euronews that it grants legitimacy to “a regime that tramples on the rights of women and girls and imposes a system of gender apartheid.”
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles said Afghanistan isn’t safe for return because of deteriorating human rights, the lack of effective legal protection and the ongoing risks of persecution.
Green MEP Hannah Neumann, of Germany, said on social media: “If Europe returns young Afghan men into poverty and hopelessness, many will end up dependent on the only structures still offering shelter and food: Taliban networks and madrassas.”
She said it plays right into the Taliban’s hands.
“This is how authoritarian systems hold power. Not only through violence, but through dependency, social control and enforced loyalty,” she said. “By deporting people into desperation, we are not weakening the Taliban. We risk strengthening the very structures that keep them in power.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — World Cup tickets are expensive. Flights to North America are expensive. Hotel rooms in many places are expensive.
Then there’s the price of beer.
There are some fun — and yes, sometimes pricey — food and drink offerings at the venues playing host to the World Cup. A $75 caviar-topped tray of tater tots and a $40 empanada weighing in at 5 pounds for the daring or for sharing in Miami. Ribeye tacos for $8 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Something called a Twinkie cheeseburger that has nothing to do with dessert for $22 in Los Angeles.
Prices, in many cases, aren’t all that different from what U.S. fans would experience on NFL Sundays or college football Saturdays. But some international fans aren’t used to such pricing and are calling foul, especially over beer prices that can top $20.
“It’s unfair. It’s not right. It’s wrong,” said Thomas Schüller, an engineer from Germany in Toronto to watch his national team play over the weekend, as he held a beer that cost him 24.25 Canadian dollars (about $17). “It’s three times the cost of what I pay in my country.”
But is that stopping him?
“Well, no,” Schüller acknowledged.
There is clearly some sticker shock among international visitors to this World Cup, especially when it comes to the concession prices. In Europe, it’s not uncommon for beers to be perhaps around 4 or 5 euros (about $5-6).
There’s also no shortage of intrigue on the menu at the concession stands at stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“Never seen anything like it,” said Janine Arbetter, a fan from Austria, as she waited for a hot dog, chips and soda combo in Miami last week. The pre-tip price: $19.35, which included a discount for using Visa. “It’s a lot of food for a little snack.”
Some Argentina fans happily showed off their $34 lobster rolls from a match in Kansas City on social media, but in Toronto, the brisket sandwich with chips and a bottle of soda for nearly 40 Canadian dollars ($28) had some online commenters lamenting it as “robbery.”
“It’s OK, more or less, for the World Cup,” German fan Daniel Feldmann said of the food prices while watching a match in Vancouver last week.
FIFA, the sport’s governing body and the tournament organizer, has very specific rules on just about everything related to the World Cup — and there are guidelines that concessionaires have to follow as well. But prices can vary by market, as do the food and drink offerings. And that means the experience in one city might look, or taste, nothing like what’s offered in another.
The “Fancy AF Tots” for $75 at Miami Stadium aren’t really tots at all — it’s three deep-fried hash brown patties, with caviar, creme fraiche and chives. (For those who just want the caviar, it’ll be $70.) Southern California’s Twinkie cheeseburger is in fact a burger topped with a Texas Twinkie — a bacon-wrapped jalapeño stuffed with brisket and cream cheese.
But there’s also a slew of choices specific to a local market; for example, Vancouver offers short rib poutine along with a maple bacon smokie (smoked sausage topped with bacon onion jam that features Canadian maple syrup).
And in Miami, the signature offerings include pan con lechon (a Cuban-style sandwich with pork, infused with citrus mojo sauce and served on a toasted full Cuban loaf) and Empanada Mundial (the five-pound, handmade, chicken-and-cheese-stuffed dish named after the World Cup).
Both Vancouver and Miami have Sodexo Live as a food and beverage provider, and the typical game-day menus in both stadiums were revised a bit to accommodate a soccer crowd.
“We want it to feel like Miami when you’re here,” said Zach Williams, Sodexo Live’s vice president of operations at Miami Stadium. “Everything we do around the Miami Stadium, we want to make sure everybody understands that when they come here, they’re getting a Miami experience.”
In Mexico City, a beer could cost a day’s pay — literally. The daily minimum wage in Mexico City is just 315.04 pesos (roughly $18). Some beers at Mexico City Stadium were selling for between 299 and 310 pesos — about twice as much as fans would ordinarily pay in the same stadium when the World Cup isn’t in town.
But in Atlanta, where Falcons owner and stadium operator Arthur Blank promised the low concession prices he’s championed for many years would hold for the World Cup, pizza slices were $3, 32-ounce sodas were $4, a cheeseburger was $5, chicken tenders with fries were $6 and beers could be had for as little as $8.
Jonathan Arango, a 33-year-old from Greenville, S.C., was at a match in Atlanta with his wife, daughter and father.
“In total for what we got — three orders of tacos, a slice of pizza, two waters and a Coke — we spent like $50,” Arango said. “Compared to what we’ve paid at other events … it’s nice after you paid a lot for a ticket.”
And Schüller pointed out that even though the tournament does come around every four years, it still feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“The entire football world is having fun,” Schüller said, “so cheers to that.”
Reynolds writes for the Associated Press.
Women’s T20 World Cup, Group 2, Bristol
Ireland 130-5 (20 overs): Lewis 59, Tector 28*; de Silva 1-12
Sri Lanka 131-4 (15.3 overs): Athapaththu 106*, Dulani 20; Prendergast 1-22
Sri Lanka won by nine wickets
Chamari Athapaththu hit a superb unbeaten 106 as Sri Lanka eased to a nine-wicket win over Ireland to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Ireland were reduced to 18-3 in a sun-drenched Bristol before skipper Gaby Lewis (59) and Leah Paul (20) put on a 66-run partnership to help their side to a total of 130-5.
Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu raced to her best World Cup score, and the highest so far in the tournament, from just 61 balls, as victory was secured on 134-1 and with 4.3 overs to spare.
The Lions, who move up to four points, need to beat Scotland on Friday and hope results elsewhere go their way to secure a top-two spot in Group 2 and a place in the semi-finals.
Ireland have now lost all 21 of their World Cup games and the bottom side finish their campaign against West Indies on Saturday.
June 23 (UPI) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for AI companies to disclose what the environmental impact of data centers will be by 2030 during a speech Tuesday at London Climate Action Week.
Guterres said that the AI boom and the world’s dependence on oil are driving the climate crisis and laid out plans to curb the damage.
“These crises may seem separate but they share the same destructive origin: fossil fuels,” Guterres said. “And they demand the same answer: a fast, fair transition to clean energy and a surge in adaptation, resilience and climate justice for those already facing climate harm.”
The United Nations’ seven-point plan for energy independence includes quickly cutting emissions to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This would mean the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere are balanced out by the amount of greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere.
The plan also calls for an acceleration of developing and adopting clean energy, transparency from AI firms on their environmental impact by 2030, ensuring the transition to clean energy is equitable in its job creation and community support, investment in early warning systems, expanding funding for developing countries and combatting climate disinformation.
The United Nations said scientists it supports are warning that average annual temperatures are likely to exceed the 1.5-degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels target set out by the Paris Climate Accords adopted in 2016. It notes that the United States withdrew from the agreement for the second time under President Donald Trump.
“Every fraction of a degree matters,” Guterres said.
Fox has adopted a new split-screen approach to ads during the World Cup’s mandatory hydration breaks, after a stir among viewers over how it had been handling the pauses.
At the start of the tournament, the network aired full-screen ads during the three-minute breaks, cutting away from the field during the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Soccer fans complained that they were missing on-field action, and the backlash mounted.
By the Mexico-South Korea match last week, Fox had changed course, running split-screen advertisements for the first time: two side-by-side panels, one keeping the camera on the stadium while the other played a commercial. The approach hasn’t been consistent, though. For Friday’s U.S.-Australia match, the network reverted to full-screen ads.
Fox declined to comment on the changes.
Viewers were quick to notice the split-screen format and weigh in on social media. “At least FOX stopped doing the stupid full screen breaks,” one user wrote on X. “I can live with split screen.”
The World Cup has posted substantial ratings gains for Fox.
Throughout the first 16 telecasts of the tournament, the network is averaging more than 6 million viewers from Fox and Fox Sports 1, up 128% from 2022’s World Cup in Qatar. The broadcast of the U.S. team’s first game this month was the most-watched FIFA Men’s World Cup telecast in English in U.S. history, with more than 18 million views, according to the network.
The hydration break itself is new to the World Cup. FIFA announced it in December as a way to protect players’ health in the summer heat. In every match, the referee is to call for a break around the 22-minute mark of both halves, regardless of the weather.
In addition to helping the players, these extra minutes created a new advertising window. Networks are allowed to leave the on-field action 20 seconds after the referee signals the hydration break and return 30 seconds before play resumes, allowing for ads of up to two minutes and 10 seconds in total. They can air any full-screen ad they’d like, or run a split-screen ad — though a split-screen has to feature a FIFA partner, such as Coca-Cola or Adidas.
Ads during the tournament’s earlier games reportedly cost around $200,000 for a 30-second slot. The price jumps to $750,000 when the U.S. is playing, according to the Wall Street Journal.
When any rules change in televised sports, the most dedicated fans are going to get upset, said Patrick Rishe, the director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis. Despite all the online uproar, he said that the hydration breaks are overall beneficial, as they allow networks an extra opportunity to recoup revenue and brands to get additional exposure.
“This is commercially fantastic for FIFA and the networks. It’s tactically helpful for the teams, and I do think it’s helpful for growing interest in the sport,” Rishe said. “It makes it easier for the casual fans to stay engaged.”
LG Chem CEO Kim Dong-chun speaks during a town hall meeting at the company’s head office in Seoul on Monday. Photo by LG Chem
SEOUL, June 23 (UPI) — South Korea’s LG Chem said Tuesday it will invest nearly $10 billion over the next decade to foster futuristic industries powered by the artificial intelligence boom.
The Seoul-based company plans to spend $9.7 billion on research and development through 2035, concentrating on advanced materials for semiconductors, mobility, robotics and anticancer drugs.
LG Chem said that the initiative comes as profitability in its traditional petrochemical business dipped because of global oversupply and fierce competition.
Through the investment, the chemical giant vowed to achieve a double-digit operating profit margin by the end of the decade.
To complement its organic growth strategy, LG Chem said it will pursue external growth opportunities, including mergers and acquisitions. It recently established an organization dedicated to that goal.
LG Chem unveiled the long-term strategy during a town hall meeting Monday, where CEO Kim Dong-chun stressed the need to strengthen both existing businesses and future growth engines.
“While strengthening the competitiveness of our existing businesses, we will focus our capabilities on future growth pillars to leap forward as a technology-driven converting company,” Kim said.
LG Chem defines a “tech-driven converting company” as an enterprise that leverages its accumulated technological expertise to create high-value-added products and differentiated profit streams.
The share price of LG Chem plunged 9.75% on the Seoul bourse on Monday, while the benchmark KOSPI plummeted 9.99%. LG Chem is a major subsidiary of LG Group, whose businesses also include LG Electronics, LG Display and LG Uplus.
Three different England players were on target in the Three Lions’ 4-2 win over Croatia in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.
In total 15 players have scored for England across the past four men’s World Cups. Can you name them all?
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