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Chapter 1: What political tensions surround the World Cup and the US-Iran relationship?
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This is the second episode of our three-part miniseries we're doing as a collab. Oh, I hate saying that word. I sound like I'm in a mandaland. Although I like the idea of collaborating. The actual thing is good. Because we're working with AmeriCast and the Football Daily to look at some of the issues around the World Cup.
So not necessarily the actual football, but the things that we'll be talking in addition to the football. And with Donald Trump involved, there's obviously going to be some politics and some diplomacy happening there. And helping me out is somebody who... Watches a lot more football than I do. Mariana.
Yes, I'm here to chat football and America and social media. And we are very lucky to also be joined by Anthony, who presents AmeriCast with me, and also by John Murray, who presents Football Daily. And John, I wonder if, because in this episode, we're going to be talking about the tensions between the US and Iran.
Are there other World Cups where the host nation has been, or not even just the host nation, but where various teams have been at war with one another, I guess, particularly the hosts?
I mean, United States and Iran do have history. This is not the first time that they've been involved in the World Cup. They've played each other at World Cups in the past, in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, and also the Iranian hostage-taking crisis, you know, so they were still in the relatively recent memory.
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Chapter 2: How will the US-Iran war affect Iran's participation in the World Cup?
And I think from the point of view of the individuals who are involved, quite apart from what's going on back in the Middle East, for the players who are involved in this, there is so much uncertainty. And you bring together a squad of 26, plus all of the rest of the staff that that you would normally expect to be there with a World Cup squad.
And, you know, there'll be a whole range of opinions and feelings. I think we saw this with the women's team, the Iranian women's team at the Asia Cup in Australia earlier in the year. But we don't, you know, so much uncertainty. What sort of reception will this squad, will the team get when they actually get to the venue?
So they're going to play the first two matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand and Belgium, and then the third group match against Egypt in Seattle. you know, everything that will be going on around those matches. It's a total unknown. And also, what will be happening politically? How will this war develop over the course of the time that they're there?
And I think physically and mentally as well, to be based in Mexico, in Tijuana, and making those journeys back and forth to Los Angeles, and then the long trip to Seattle as well, you know, that will take its toll. And I know there are much more important things than than what is happening in the sport. But if they do, if they're able to get a point at this World Cup, I would be amazed.
Just because they'll be having such a hard time logistically. And John, I mean, we talked about Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president in the previous episode. He, to me, seems like somebody who does not want politics, diplomacy, conflict to interfere with his giant business. Some might say money-making jamboree.
But I wonder if he, like lots of people, are discovering in this era that you only have so much control. And actually, once things start happening, it's in the hands of lots of other people.
Yeah. But if there's one thing we know about Gianni Infantino is that he is not easily swayed. And he has been adamant from the outbreak of the conflict, from the point the war started, all of the various discussions about whether Iran would be involved. He has been unswerving that Iran would be a part of this and will play at this World Cup and visa permitting.
As we speak now, it looks as though we will, which is a remarkable situation. We'll be talking about this and referring back to Iran playing at this 2026 World Cup for years and years to come.
Also, John, there's a possibility, isn't there, that Iran could actually play the US?
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of strict visa laws for players and fans?
Which is interesting in and of itself. But I think it's just become, you know, and that's not to say that it's right in any way or to make a judgment call on it. But to put people's social media handles on visa applications, I think it's just becoming sort of what everyone does now.
And like Anthony says, it would take a lot of time to trawl through everybody's social media, including all the football fans.
And John, when you look at your work in the past, they'll just be very impressed, I'm sure. Now, Mariana, we're going to talk about ICE now, who are the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers, who were big news a couple of months ago. Just remind us of the context of why there was so much concern and anger around the ICE agents.
Yeah, so there were two very high profile killings of people in the US by ICE, which is this US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers. And I think one of the reasons why these were such sort of high profile cases is because they were American citizens who were killed and also because they seem like the average person and because footage of those killings was also then made available.
A lot of people had filmed the aftermath and so on and so forth. And it was quite shocking and quite emotive. And it sparked this huge conversation about whether ICE officers were going beyond what they should be doing in terms of their jobs and using violence when it maybe wasn't necessary. And then people start talking about the World Cup and saying, well, hang on a second.
This is just happening on, you know, a random day. What about when there are loads and loads of fans here from all different places? Are they going to be carrying out these kinds of activities? like raids and checks and could it get violent? ICE has said it's, quote, a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.
That means that they're kind of involved in security, but not necessarily in terms of enforcing immigration. But I think that people are still really worried that does that mean that, again, violence and force could be used in situations where it gets messy and horrible and people are killed.
Yeah, Anthony, do we have any more clarity on what ICE are actually going to be doing? Because it sounds like they'll be there around the stadiums along with the police.
That's the way it sounds. And they've been presented as being there to support security and to contribute to police. making sure that the facilities and sporting events are safe. But when you have ICE agents there, the concern is that they might start to check people's papers, to check to make sure that they have proper documentation.
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Chapter 4: What historical precedents exist for war affecting World Cup matches?
But There are a bunch of us out there and we are sticking with the sport through thick and thin.
And let's not forget that the interest in football in the USA is probably much greater than it was when they first hosted it back in USA in 94. And another thing not to overlook is of all of the previous 22 World Cups, that in 94 was the best attended. The biggest crowds because it was played in the biggest stadiums. But nevertheless, they set the records there.
And this year, because it's a bigger tournament, more teams, more matches, it'll break the records again. This will be the most watched World Cup of all.
One of the things I find quite interesting is how I feel like the sort of increased interest in football in the US has gone hand in hand with football itself changing quite a lot and people deciding to support, for example, specific players rather than clubs necessarily.
And it reminds me of an interaction that happened when I was out with AmeriCast covering the election and there were several of us, the production team, me, standing outside of a kind of pseudo pub bar place. And someone came up to us and asked, you know, if we're British and then asked if we like football and then proceeded to tell us that we said, sort of, who do you support?
And he said, I support Jude Bellingham. And I'd like never heard anyone say anything like this. I was like, you can't support just the player. But I think that's quite interesting because it shows how players themselves have really grown their kind of individual profiles.
And there'll be lots of people in the States who will have been following them specifically and will be really excited to see, you know, their favourite player, not necessarily just their club, which is kind of a new dynamic. Right.
Although getting into famous England players, there's some famous England players not going. I know. Actually, some of your pavement correspondents might be disappointed, Marianna.
Yeah, although I'd be incredibly surprised if there were loads of massive kind of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden fans.
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