FINAL RECKONING
Donald Trump has generally avoided engaging with the Geopolitics World Cup, having yet to attend any matches or share the screen with his friend, Fifa President Gianni Infantino. However, he did make headlines when he called Fifa to advocate for a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The subsequent overturning of the USA forward’s suspension raised questions about the tournament’s integrity. It could be argued that this was a significant moment, akin to a cameo appearance.
The upcoming GWC final, featuring Spain and Argentina, is an event that warrants Trump’s presence. The White House has announced that he will be at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, likely setting the stage for a repeat of last year’s Copa Gianni final held at the same location. In that match, Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, defeated Paris Saint-Germain. Trump and Infantino were seen presenting the trophy to Reece James, with Trump remaining on stage even as Fifa’s president attempted to step aside. Cole Palmer remarked, “I knew he was going to be here but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy,”
During that previous appearance, Trump’s reception was mixed, similar to the boos he faced at Madison Square Garden while watching the Knicks lose during the NBA Finals in June. Trump remarked, “It was, I think, mostly cheers,” Any negative reactions he encounters on Sunday are likely to be interpreted through a political lens. What could possibly distract from this presidential spectacle? One can only hope that Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal take a moment for a photo together on the podium, reminiscent of their first joint photoshoot nearly two decades ago.
It’s amusing to see those nostalgic images from 2007 circulating again, showing a 20-year-old Messi cradling a baby for a charity calendar benefiting Unicef. That infant has now become Messi’s successor at Barcelona, inheriting the iconic No. 10 jersey, and they will reunite at a World Cup final. Photographers will undoubtedly swarm them for a moment of joy, and we can only hope that no one attempts to photobomb the occasion. “It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Um, excuse me, President Trump … you’re in the shot.”
– at least one populist leader won’t be attending the GWC final, as Argentina’s Javier Milei shared that superstition led him to watch Sunday’s match with Spain from home in attire that likely won’t resonate well with those concerned about climate change.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
“I’m going to keep watching all the games from Olivos. Since it’s cold and I don’t turn on the heat, I wear an oil company-branded jacket. The day of the Switzerland game, it made me really hot. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and never took it off again” – Krishna Moorthy.
“Brian Saffer’s suggestions for including everyone in the next World Cup and splitting into three divisions surely must lead to it being called the Swiss Model World Cup – SMWC” – George Paterson.
“You could always stop trying to be too clever by half and just refer to it as ‘the World Cup’” – Alan Burgess.
“Oh, you thought the STOP FOOTBALL campaign might last two days but, no, Major League Soccerball is back, baby! Four matches were played last night as the league announced, via its back-to-action campaign: ‘Thanks, World; We’ll Take It From Here’” – JJ Zucal.
If you have any thoughts, please send letters to the.boss@. Today’s prizeless letter of the day goes to … JJ Zucal. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
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