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LOGISTICS NIGHTMARE: 48-TEAM WORLD CUP DRAW KICKS OFF COMPLEXITY
The draw begins planning for the 48-team, 104-match World Cup 2026, setting the stage for the most complex logistical challenge in football history.
The World Cup, with 16 more teams than in 2022, is coming to North America from June 11 to July 19. It's going to be the most complex one ever from a logistics point of view.
This Friday, there will be a huge ceremony at the Kennedy Centre by the Potomac River. Big names will be there, but Trump is expected to be the main attraction.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump are known to be close, and Infantino has visited the White House a few times.
Now, it's expected that Trump will get the first FIFA Peace Prize at the draw ceremony. Infantino said it's to recognise the great work of people who bring others together and give hope to future generations.
The choice of venue is also a nod to Trump, who made himself chairman of the Kennedy Centre earlier this year. The location also gives the U.S. capital a part in the World Cup after it was skipped as a match site.
Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart will host the ceremony. Village People, Andrea Bocelli, and Robbie Williams will perform.
Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and Shaquille O'Neal will be some of the stars helping with the draw.
Trump is making the World Cup a key part of his second term and the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence next year.
He's also brought domestic politics into the prep, even saying he'd move World Cup matches from cities run by Democrats if he thinks they're unsafe.
Trump said recently, "I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who's great, and I would say, 'Let's move it.'" And he would do it.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will be at the ceremony, too.
Of the World Cup sites, 11 are in the U.S., three are in Mexico, and two are in Canada.
Iran had said it wouldn't attend because the U.S. didn't give visas to some of its people.
Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj called the U.S. decision political. But then Iran said on Wednesday they would send reps, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei.
Lionel Messi's Argentina is the current champion, having won the World Cup for the third time in Qatar in 2022.
They'll be among the top seeds. Other top seeds include European champions Spain, five-time winners Brazil, France, Germany, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The three host countries also get a top seed.
Expanding the tournament has also opened the door for some first-time teams, like Cape Verde, Jordan, and Curacao.
But not everyone is happy. Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter told CBS, "The monster has been turned loose," about the 48-team plan.
The teams will be in 12 groups of four. The top two from each group will go on, along with the eight best third-place teams, to the last 32.
For the first time, the draw will make sure the four highest-ranked nations are kept apart. Spain, Argentina, France, and England can't meet until the semi-finals if they all win their groups.
Six spots at the finals still need to be decided in the playoffs. The winners will be among the bottom seeds, so the top teams will want to stay away from Italy, which won the World Cup in 2006 but hasn't made the last two tournaments.
The first match will be at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The tournament will last nearly six weeks, with the final at MetLife Stadium just outside New York City.
Because it's so complex, teams won't know the full details of their match locations and times until Saturday, the day after the draw.
WILFRIED NANCY: CELTIC BOSS BLOCKS OUT ALL "NOISE" AND CRITICISM AFTER HEARTS LOSS
After the heat following the Hearts' loss, Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy stated he has "blocked everything out," including social media criticism, to focus solely on the team's performance.
Celtic's head coach, Wilfried Nancy, said he tunes out all the noise when making decisions as a manager.
This comes after the Frenchman faced some heat after a 2-1 loss to Heart of Midlothian in his first game with the Glasgow team.
Before the Europa League match against AS Roma, Nancy said he doesn't pay attention to what others think.
When asked if those opinions bother him, he told a press conference, "That's a good question."
I'll be honest.
Every team I've coached—when I decided to become a coach—well, when I had the chance to become a coach, I'd been an assistant for seven years, working with many coaches.
I always told myself that when I became a coach, I'd block everything out. And that's exactly what I did.
He said he's built a wall between himself and any outside opinions, even online criticism.
I've blocked anything on Twitter that mentions my name, the club, or what people are saying.
People can say what they want. It's part of the job, and that's what we prepare for. I'm not here to comment on everything.
The manager explained that ignoring public opinion helps him focus on what he can control to improve how the team plays.
He used an analogy about how everyone has different tastes, like when people have different experiences with the same food.
We could visit a restaurant together, and you might love the food, while I don't.
Get what I mean? You like it, and I don't.
Nancy made his goals clear: he's focused on his players and the club and wants to do his best to give good performances.
He wrapped up by saying, At the end of the day, it's part of the job. I control what I can to be good with my players, my club, and the people I work with and to make sure we have the best chance of winning by playing well.
His team will play AS Roma in the Europa League tomorrow.
PEACE PRIZE SCRUTINY: FIFA FACES FORMAL COMPLAINT ABOUT UNILATERAL DONALD TRUMP AWARD
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is accused of four breaches of the ethics code by FairSquare, including awarding the first FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump at the World Cup draw.
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After the World Cup draw last week, FIFA is facing a formal complaint about political neutrality. FairSquare, a nonprofit, sent FIFA’s Ethics Committee a detailed letter pointing out four possible violations by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the event, one of which was giving out the FIFA Peace Prize.
Calls for FIFA to Look Into It
FairSquare's complaint follows the World Cup draw. At the event, the awarding of the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize was part of several mentions of President Donald Trump. FIFA said the award recognised Trump’s work in promoting peace and unity around the world.
FairSquare believes that giving the prize, along with other things that happened during the event, might have gone against FIFA’s policy of being politically neutral. They've requested the ethics committee to look into the decision to create and give out the FIFA Peace Prize and whether it followed FIFA’s rules.
Infantino and Trump
Infantino and Trump have met a few times over the years, which isn't unusual, as FIFA presidents often meet with leaders from different countries. During the draw, Infantino made some comments about Trump.
He said he was surprised by negative comments about Trump. He stated that, regardless of not being American, Trump was elected in the United States, and one should respect the results of a democratic election.
FairSquare's complaint argues that these statements show a political stance, breaking FIFA’s neutrality rules.
FIFA's Ethics Code
FIFA's ethics code says that the organisation should stay neutral when it comes to politics. It specifically says FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion, also requiring everyone bound by the code to remain politically neutral when dealing with government groups.
Infantino has met with Trump a few times, including an invitation to the presidential inauguration and visits to the Oval Office.
Acting Alone
The Peace Prize given to Trump has been questioned, as it seems it was decided on and awarded without talking to senior FIFA officials. High-ranking FIFA officials were unaware of the award before its announcement. The award was revealed on the same day Infantino spoke at an event in the United States.
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