Tag Archives: World Cup

Bloomberg News reports: The organizers behind the World Cup in Qatar have banned the sale of alcohol within the stadiums, dramatically reversing a decision to allow Anheuser-Busch InBev NV to sell Budweiser beer. The decision will likely result in moving concession stands serving alcohol even further away from the stadiums. The tournament, typically the world’s largest sporting event and a …

The Daily Mail reports: The United States’ men’s national team have made a huge statement at the World Cup in Qatar by redesigning their crest to incorporate the rainbow flag, in a bid to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. The tournament, which starts on Sunday and sees the US play their opener against Wales on Monday, has been hugely …

Reuters reports: A Qatar World Cup ambassador has told German television broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was “damage in the mind”, as the Gulf state prepares to host the global tournament in less than two weeks. Khalid Salman addressed the issue of homosexuality, which is illegal in the conservative Muslim country. “They have to accept our rules here,” Salman said. “(Homosexuality) …

The Associated Press reports: FIFA came under pressure Wednesday from several European soccer federations who want their captains to wear an armband with a rainbow heart design during World Cup games in Qatar to campaign against discrimination. France and Germany, the last two World Cup champions, were among eight of the 13 European soccer teams going to Qatar who joined …

The Associated Press reports: Qatar’s ambassador to Germany was urged Monday to abolish his country’s death penalty for homosexuality at a human rights congress hosted by the German soccer federation two months before the Middle East country stages the World Cup. Fan representative Dario Minden switched to English to directly address the Qatari ambassador, Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Saud Al …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. Soccer Federation reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money. The federation announced separate collective bargaining agreements through December 2028 with the unions for both national teams on Wednesday, ending years of often acrimonious …

The Associated Press reports: Rainbow flags could be taken from fans at the World Cup in Qatar to protect them from being attacked for promoting gay rights, a senior leader overseeing security for the tournament told The Associated Press. Major General Abdulaziz Al Ansari insisted that LGBTQ couples would be welcomed and accepted in Qatar for the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 …

The Associated Press reports: Russia’s request to freeze a FIFA ban on its soccer teams ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifying playoffs was denied Friday. FIFA said the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the Russian soccer federation’s bid for an urgent interim ruling to freeze the ban pending a full appeal, which could come within weeks. The CAS …

Politico Europe reports: World football’s governing body, FIFA, announced Monday that it would suspend Russia indefinitely from international tournaments — expelling it from the World Cup 2022 playoffs one month before the final qualification matches. FIFA had come under fire Sunday night for its initial proposed sanctions on Russia, which proposed only a temporary ban on its name, flag and …

ESPN reports: FIFA backed away from immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying on Sunday but said it remained an option, deciding instead the squad can play using the “RFU” acronym of its football federation, the Russian Football Union. The unanimous ruling by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, which includes the six regional football confederation presidents, was also that …

The Daily Beast reports: Russia are due to take part in a head-to-head match with Poland next month to decide which team will take one of the final European qualifying spots for this year’s soccer World Cup. On Saturday, the Polish soccer federation announced that it would not play the game. Under normal rules, that would mean they are thrown …

USA Today reports: Qatar will require spectators at the 2022 World Cup to have received coronavirus vaccines to get into games, the government has announced. Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told Qatar newspaper editors that the Gulf nation is trying to secure a million vaccine doses to immunize fans wanting to watch the tournament. Sheikh …

Sports Illustrated reports: On July 7, in the 61st minute of the 2019 World Cup final against the Netherlands, Megan Rapinoe scored to put the U.S. up 1–0. To her, though, this was more than the goal that would win the Americans a record fourth title. It was the equivalent of flashing double-barrel middle fingers. She’d have loved to have …

The New York Times reports: During a speech earlier this month celebrating her team’s World Cup victory, Megan Rapinoe ended with a plea to fans. “We have to be better,” she said, urging all of them to consider how they could effect change in their communities. “It’s our responsibility to make this world a better place.” Now, Ms. Rapinoe, a …

FiveThirtyEight reports: A ticker-tape parade through lower Manhattan is pretty much the quintessential homecoming for American heroes. So it’s fitting that the conquering U.S. women’s soccer team — which won the World Cup on Sunday — will get its second parade in four years down New York City’s “Canyon of Heroes” on Wednesday morning. That’s an appropriate honor after one …

CNN reports: US women’s soccer captain Megan Rapinoe told President Donald Trump on Tuesday that he’s excluding groups of Americans with his message and that he needs to do better in caring for every single American. When asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper what she would say to Trump, Rapinoe looked into the camera and said, “Your message is excluding people. …

The Huffington Post reports: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced a bill Tuesday that would prevent any federal funding for the 2026 World Cup until the U.S. Soccer Federation agrees to provide equal pay to the U.S. women’s and men’s national teams. The bill would cut off “any and all” federal money that would otherwise be spent when the United States …

“If you look at the World Cup men’s revenue, it’s in the billions and they split up the pot. It’s a much bigger pot. Women’s World Cup revenue, much much smaller and they have a smaller pot to divide it up with. But the distinction is, is that the U.S. Soccer Federation, the women do actually make more revenue and …

The Washington Post reports: Following the World Cup triumph by the U.S. women’s national team, President Trump appeared to backtrack on a promise he made last month to invite the squad to the White House regardless of Sunday’s outcome. “We haven’t really thought about it,” Trump said, according to Voice of America, after the 2-0 U.S. win over the Netherlands …

CNN reports: The US Women’s National Soccer Team captured a record-extending fourth World Cup Sunday with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the championship game. Megan Rapinoe — who has publicly feuded with President Donald Trump in the lead up to Sunday’s win — scored a penalty goal in the second half to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. …