FIFA executives are considering asking President Donald Trump to suspend Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids during the World Cup, according to a new report.

A nationwide ICE moratorium for the duration of the 39-day tournament could be framed as a win-win for both the Trump administration and the international soccer organization, FIFA insiders told The Athletic.

The move could ease countries concerns about ICE operations during the World Cup, which kicks off in June across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and is expected to draw more than one million international fans.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons previously signaled that the agency would serve as a “key part of the overall security apparatus” for the tournament.

Since returning to office, Trump has overseen a nationwide immigration crackdown which the Department of Homeland Security says led to the removal or departure of nearly three million undocumented immigrants in his first year. As part of this effort, ICE agents have deployed across states, resulting in the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota in January, and sparking public protests over aggressive tactics.

The pitch: ‘FIFA Unites the World’

With less than two months until the tournament begins, senior FIFA executives have discussed with Gianni Infantino, the organization’s president, the prospect of him reaching out to Trump directly to ask for an ICE moratorium, four people with knowledge of the matter told The Athletic.

The initial plan was to ask that federal immigration agents stay clear of World Cup sites in the 11 American host cities but the proposal later expanded to include the cities themselves. And since the tournament will extend across more states — including base camps throughout the country — officials ultimately concluded that the request should call for a nationwide moratorium.

FIFA executives talked about crafting a tailored pitch for the president: that his administration and the soccer organization could jointly announce a temporary pause on immigration enforcement, framing it publicly as “a positive news story” built around the slogan “FIFA Unites the World.”

Insiders told The Athletic, owned by The New York Times, that Infantino is open to the idea and would attempt to engage the president.

Infantino, a Swiss‑Italian with a background in sports law, appears to have developed a close relationship with Trump and the pair have met on several occasions at the White House. In December, Infantino gave Trump the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize, which Trump has proudly displayed in the Oval Office.

Given this, FIFA insiders believe Infantino may be able to translate his rapport with the U.S. president into a substantial policy change. Still, it’s not clear whether Infantino has spoken to Trump, or if he plans to, The Athletic reported.

Spokespeople for FIFA and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

It’s unclear how the White House will respond to FIFA’s proposal. A month-long ICE moratorium would represent a major departure from one of the Trump administration’s core priorities and campaign promises. It could also suggest that the administration views its immigration enforcement tactics as problematic, a notion that Trump officials have largely rejected.

In February, following the deaths of Americans, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, Trump said that immigration agents “could use a little bit of a softer touch.” But, he added: “You still have to be tough.”

Last month, he said that ICE agents are “nice guys” and “great patriots that have been abused.”

When asked for comment by The Athletic, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle didn’t directly address the prospect of an ICE moratorium during the World Cup.

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, right here in the United States of America,” Ingle said. “This event will generate billions of dollars of economic impact and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to our country. The president is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history.”

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA World Cup Task Force, said that the president had told him to “ensure a safe and secure World Cup.” The task force, he said, will bring together local, state and federal partners.

Cast your mind back to August 2022. Tottenham defender Cristian Romero tugged back Chelsea‘s Marc Cucurella by his hair.

The VAR, Mike Dean, opted not to intervene for an obvious red card.

It created a line in the sand. From that point on, a zero tolerance approach was adopted.

Has the hair been tugged? Then it is a red card for violent conduct.

A strict application means we have to accept that there are cases, like Keane and Martinez, where the punishment appears too severe.

It is a bit like handball in the Champions League. People do not like some of the penalties, but they know what they are getting.

If you want consistency then you cannot have common sense too.

After the Keane red card, referees’ boss Howard Webb was very clear that hair pulling was “quite an offensive thing”.

“It was the appropriate outcome,” Webb said. “It was unusual but if we see it again next week it will be the same outcome.”

It took a few months before we did see it in similar circumstances with Martinez, and Webb was proved to be correct.

There has only been one other VAR red card in the Premier League, for Southampton’s Jack Stephens on Cucurella.

There have been several other instances in the Club World Cup, Women’s Super League and Women’s Euros.

Hair pulling is one of those dark arts which is usually only spotted through video evidence.

It happens off the ball but is more identifiable than the subtle elbow to the chest or a nip to the stomach.

Even in the EFL, which does not have VAR, Ipswich’s Leif Davis was recently banned after being picked up on camera pulling the hair of Leicester’s Caleb Okoli.

Evidence is not always clear, however.

Fulham‘s Kenny Tete could have been sent off for yanking the hair of Manchester City‘s Antoine Semenyo in February. It may well have happened, but the VAR did not feel the evidence was conclusive enough for a review.

Kentucky (!!) made serious news on the recruiting trail, landing 4-star QB Jake Nawrot.

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Frank Warren has spoken about the latest developments surrounding the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight.

Fury returned to action on Saturday as he defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, before then taking part in a back-and-forth at ringside with Joshua.

It appeared that Fury was of the belief that a fight with Joshua was going to be confirmed, but ‘AJ’ stuck to his guns and insisted that negotiations are still ongoing and he won’t commit to anything just yet.

Fury’s promoter Warren has now shared an update on the situation, telling TalkSport that they believed Joshua was about to put pen to paper on a deal, but is still yet to do so.

“Tyson has signed up for this fight. He signed up for the fight at Spurs which he had, and the next fight is supposed to be against AJ in August/September. AJ we were led to believe was about to sign up for the fight and hasn’t done so.

“Does AJ want to continue fighting? I’m told that he does. Does he want to do the fight now or does he want to do a fight in between? That’s not what Tyson signed up for, Tyson signed up for that fight to take place immediately after this one. What Tyson has signed up for he wants to deliver on.

“I genuinely thought when Turki said get in the ring, I expected AJ and Eddie [Hearn] to get in the ring. That’s their business, irrespective of what happens, he hasn’t signed up for that fight, and until he does it’s pointless talking about it. Tyson won’t sit around forever but he’s there and he wants to do the fight and that’s where he’s at.”

As negotiations have been going through boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, it is typical for both sides to sign their own deal, which is where the confusion lies.

While it is still expected that Fury and Joshua will indeed meet, ‘The Gypsy King’ has revealed that he will target a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk if it doesn’t happen.

Manchester United fans waited 24 days for competitive football to return but after 30 minutes they were probably ready for another break.

15:01, 14 Apr 2026

Anticipation for Manchester United’s Premier League return was building for a whole 24 days. Michael Carrick’s side had an unprecedented break between the draw at Bournemouth and the clash with Leeds. But the excitement of seeing the Reds again was extinguished inside 30 minutes.

United found themselves 2-0 down to their fierce rivals and were staring down the barrel of defeat to Daniel Farke’s side. It was, without doubt, the worst start the Reds have made since Carrick took charge and set United on their way to just their second defeat under his leadership.

MEN Sport has picked apart the opening half an hour from Monday night’s clash and picked out everything that went wrong.

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Issues on the right

The first major problem was down the right flank. Diogo Dalot’s illness last week meant Noussair Mazraoui started. Ahead of him was Amad, with Bryan Mbeumo left on the bench as Benjamin Sesko led the line.

Amad was struggling to track back to support Mazraoui who was under the cosh immediately as Gabriel Gudmundsson delivered a perfect cross for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Senne Lammens made the save but it was a warning.

United were also struggling with Leeds’ press. Amad was one of those who was being forced to play with his back to goal as Farke’s side forced him back.

In fairness to Amad, United eventually managed to find him space and the Ivorian became the Reds’ main threat. However, Mazraoui and Amad were struggling badly early on.

Manuel Ugarte

Ugarte is not the only player who will be singled out but his errors were significant. His second touch saw him lose possession as Leeds quickly identified the weak link.

The beauty of Kobbie Mainoo is that he can operate in tight spaces and pick out the right pass. Ugarte can’t do that, was harried quickly and lost possession too easily.

For the first goal, he was not alert to Jayden Bogle’s run and by the time he did track back, the ball was easily floated in and we all know what came next. Inside ten minutes, he was jeered for being too negative in possession.

This is not entirely fair as Ugarte is not Mainoo. It was a mistake from Carrick to pick him to be the ball-playing midfielder, and his inclusion needs rethinking if Mainoo is not fit for Saturday.

Benjamin Sesko

We have already mentioned Leeds’ pressing that caused United endless problems, and the Reds’ centre-forward struggled with it too. The visitors’ effective press meant, more often than not, the ball was forced backwards, sideways and Sesko was starved of service.

United did manage to find a way out to him as the half wore. His big chance came shortly before the second goal but James Justin did well to put a foot in and the opportunity was gone.

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It was surprising to see Sesko start this kind of game. Mbeumo could have had more success with the gaps Leeds were leaving behind.

The Liverpool game was a prime example of this and United caused Bournemouth problems with Mbeumo’s fluidity. Sesko was struggling to impose himself against three centre-backs and this left the Reds without an out-ball.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lisandro Martinez

These two would have a more pivotal coming together in the second half. But, in the first, United’s Argentine was struggling to handle him.

This was completely different to Martinez’s battle with Erling Haaland earlier this season. Calvert-Lewin was more physical than Haaland that day and Martinez struggled to cope with it.

Unlike Sesko, Calvert-Lewin was using his presence to bully the back line and dragged the defender out of position as he held the ball up. Yoro handled him better, and it seems Martinez was struggling fresh off the back of an injury layoff.

Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes has been phenomenal for United this season. He delivered the cross for Casemiro’s goal and after the first half an hour, he was more like the midfielder we have seen for most of the campaign.

However, Leeds did brilliantly to silence him. Like Ugarte, Fernandes was crowded out and was resorting to lofted balls that were being dealt with by the back-three.

Casemiro, Ugarte and Mazraoui were all guilty of forcing the pass towards Fernandes too often, even when it was not on. The Reds were too one-dimensional with their attacks and struggled to get a foothold because of that.

Fernandes also had a small hand in the calamitous second goal.

Second goal

Fernandes went down in the opposition’s half after losing the ball. The challenge was not particularly heavy and whether it was a foul or not, the captain needed to get up and get back once it was clear it would not be given.

United were a man light in defence as Leeds broke but Fernandes does not shoulder the most blame for the goal. Martinez should have hoofed it clear when he received the ball in the area but instead he went short to Casemiro.

This dragged United into a comical game of head tennis as they failed numerous times to clear their lines. Yoro turned his back on Noah Okafor’s shot, but the inability to clear their lines was terrible.

Referee calls

Carrick was furious with Paul Tierney after the game but there was plenty that went wrong for United before looking at the referee. The Reds were unfortunate that Calvert-Lewin was not penalised in the build-up to the first goal.

And, on another day, Fernandes wins a foul before the second goes in. However, these 50:50 decisions going against the Reds proved how bad this 30-minute horror show really was.

Football coaches and referees should undergo mandatory training to identify signs of sudden cardiac arrest, a coroner has urged, despite opposition from the Football Association (FA).

The recommendation follows an inquest that found a “missed opportunity” contributed to the death of teenager Adam Ankers, who suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Wycombe Wanderers’ under-19s in January 2024.

Assistant coroner Valerie Charbit had previously ruled that a failure to recognise the 17-year-old was experiencing cardiac arrest “more than minimally” contributed to his passing. The inquest heard that a defibrillator was brought onto the pitch, but confusion over its safe use meant it was never deployed in an attempt to save Adam’s life.

Following this ruling, Ms Charbit, presiding at West London Coroner’s Court, recommended that the Football Association mandate a training course for all its accredited members, including grassroots football coaches and referees, to equip them with the ability to spot the signs of sudden cardiac arrest.

While the FA’s website currently offers a free, online module “designed to help recognise a sudden cardiac arrest and respond appropriately”, Ms Charbit’s report insisted this training should be compulsory and extend to all members.

The FA, however, argued against this move in its submissions to Ms Charbit. The organisation contended that making the training mandatory for all members, including children, would exclude younger individuals from refereeing roles, as it would require them to be “put in the position of having to deliver such basic life support as would be necessary.”

Ms Charbit firmly disagreed with the FA’s stance. “I disagree as to the fact that that shouldn’t be something that children should engage in,” she stated.

“Children are allowed to train in first aid… I consider it important that the responsibility for first aid lies with all ages within society and outweighs any concern that this would stop them becoming referees.”

She further dismissed the FA’s concern that the recommendation would necessitate training over 185,000 coaches, asserting that this logistical challenge was outweighed by the potential to save numerous young lives through wider training implementation.

The inquest had previously heard that Adam collapsed during the second half of a football match on 31 January 2024. He was subsequently taken to hospital, where he died on 4 February 2024, having suffered unsurvivable brain damage.

Adam’s family had urged Ms Charbit to broaden the recommendation to encompass all sports, but the assistant coroner deemed this an “overreach,” explaining it fell outside the scope of the evidence and issues considered during the inquest.

In her report, Ms Charbit highlighted the widespread “difficulty” faced by both ordinary individuals and ambulance call handlers in recognising symptoms of cardiac arrest and agonal breathing – sudden, irregular gasps of breath.

Adam had exhibited agonal breathing, a symptom that demands immediate CPR. Explaining her decision to issue the report, Ms Charbit expressed her belief that existing training provided by bodies such as NHS England and the South Central Ambulance Service, which handled Adam’s 999 call, was insufficient, despite arguments to the contrary.

Although NHS England has since implemented changes, meaning a sudden collapse during sport or exercise is now automatically treated as requiring immediate CPR, the assistant coroner noted that these changes took a “particularly long time” to come into force.

She observed: “Although there was training given, and some of those on the pitch were trained, there was still a misidentification of Adam’s agonal breathing by those on the pitch and those receiving the 999 call.”

Ms Charbit’s report also underscored the need for improved understanding of defibrillator use among both medically and non-medically trained individuals.

Furthermore, she pointed out that cardiac screening for those aged 14 and above, which can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, is not universally accessible to all young people or young football players.

The inquest also noted a failure to cascade a family history of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), an inherited heart condition Adam was only identified to have had after his death.

Addressing the virtual hearing, attended by Adam’s father, Ms Charbit concluded: “I remember Adam Ankers. I remember everything I heard about him, and I do hope that this prevention of future deaths report that I have made allows us to prevent a similar death to that which Adam suffered.

“I express my sincere and deepest condolences, at the conclusion of these proceedings, to Adam’s family and friends.”

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek, and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.

“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.

Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.

“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”

AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)

“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”

Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.

“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”

Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.

Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)

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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Indiana Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals last year came to a screeching halt when the team lost Tyrese Haliburton with a torn Achilles in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 season as he watched Indiana only win 19 games and fall to 14th in the Eastern Conference. But as he revs up to play in 2026–27, Haliburton admitted that it’s not the physical injury that he’s worried about going into next year.

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shoots around on the court before an NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Indianapolis on April 7, 2026. (Doug McSchooler/AP)

It’s an illness he’s been battling.

He said Monday he has been dealing with shingles, which has caused him to gain weight, lose part of his right eyebrow and forced him to wear glasses to avoid scratching his swollen eye.

“First of all, I’d tell anybody over 50 years old to get the shot,” Haliburton said. “It’s been miserable. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it’s been bad days.

“I’ve been taking unbelievable amounts of medication to try to get rid of it. It hasn’t worked. It’s not been fun, and hopefully it goes away soon. It’s hard to really tell with nerve pain, but I’ve been dealing now with nerve pain for two months and in the world of nerve pain, that’s not very long. Hopefully, it goes away soon.”

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts after suffering an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on June 22, 2025. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)

MIKE BREEN SAYS FANS ‘DESERVE TO BE THROWN A BONE’ AS NBA CUTS ALL LOCAL BROADCASTS FROM THE PLAYOFFS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 1 in 3 Americans will get shingles. The illness, if severe enough, can cause vision loss and nerve pain.

Haliburton said he was on a similar recovery timeline as Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also suffered a torn Achilles in the playoffs last year. Tatum returned to the Celtics in March and has provided the boost Boston needed to be seen as championship contenders.

Haliburton said he has “no worries” about getting back into playing shape once he’s off the medication.

“I’m out of shape like crazy, like I never have been before,” Haliburton said. “I’ve changed my medication a bunch of times. I’ve gotten a Botox injection I thought would help, it hasn’t really helped. I’ve done everything, it just hasn’t worked yet. But I’m confident it goes away soon.”

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton plays in the second half against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 29, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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The Pacers will likely have a top lottery pick in the draft. Adding another young superstar to the Haliburton-led team would be a blessing in disguise for Indiana as they look to get back on top of the conference next season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.