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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 ≡
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu brushed off comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that 2026 FIFA World Cup games could be moved from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough if Trump felt the area was not safe.
Speaking on the “Java with Jimmy” podcast, she explained:
“Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it.
“We’re in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries, for just ongoing threats that are issued to individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda.
“We are going to continue to be who we are and that means, unfortunately, we are going to continue to be in the conversation in a way that is targeting Boston’s values. …
“In this case, there is no ability to take away the World Cup games. There’s no real threat when it comes to saying cities are so unsafe they can’t host the games.”
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FIFA announced that more than one million tickets have been sold in the first purchase window for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Purchasers have come from 212 countries and territories; the top 10 by number of tickets bought:
● 1. United States
● 2. Canada
● 3. Mexico
● 4. England
● 5. Germany
● 6. Brazil
● 7. Spain
● 8. Colombia
● 9. Argentina
● 10. France
The statement noted:
“Fans, including those who were unsuccessful in the presale phase, can look forward to the next ticket sales window, which will begin later this month. Specifically, on Monday, 27 October, the entry period will open for the Early Ticket Draw, in which single-match tickets to all 104 games, along with venue- and team-specific tickets, will be released.”
About seven million tickets are expected to be available in all.
The assignment of which countries will play where and when won’t be finalized until the Final Draw, on 5 December in Washington, D.C.
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Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said this week that a major campaign against unauthorized drones is part of the planning effort, using part of a $500 million grant to the Department of Homeland Security to mount an anti-drone program. He explained to Politico:
“Everybody from the governors to different commissioners of the police in these different cities to the stadium chief security officer say that this is something that they need in order to protect the [World Cup] sites.”
The protective program includes detection, jamming and interception and disabling drones, but with legal impediments for Federal agencies to allow local and state security forces to do so. A bill in Congress to allow this has stalled.
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At the FIFA men’s U-20 World Cup in Chile, Morocco won a thriller from France and Argentina edged Colombia to move to the championship final on Sunday.
Morocco and France moved to penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie after extra time and it took a sixth round to decide the 5-4 outcome, as Naim Byar converted his try and France’s Djylian N’Guessian could not score.
Argentina scored in the 72nd minute on a Mateo Silvetti goal to beat Colombia, 1-0, to advance to try and win its seventh U-20 World Cup title, the most of any country.
Morocco is the first African finalist since Ghana won the title in 2009. It’s Morocco’s first final; it was fourth in 2005.
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