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.
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Trump with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the World Cup draw. 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 claim (Getty Images)
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.
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The 2026 World Cup will see games in 11 US host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Boston. The inside of the Dallas Stadium pictured on April 13 (Getty Images)
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.
Following the fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal immigration agents, Trump described ICE agents as ‘great patriots that have been abused’ (Getty Images)
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.”
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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.
Before then, scorekeepers were apparently too busy to count anything but points, rebounds and assists.
That means that all those totals on the chart, like Wilt once blocking 16 shots in a playoff game, are unofficial, counted after the fact, not during the game.
So how do you handle a record?
Well, it technically belongs to Wemby after Monday night. That’s just how it works.
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But it also makes you wish you could go back in time and confirm just how good of shot blockers Chamberlain and Russell were.
They deserves spots on a list if they truly did all of that. There’s just not a ton of footage to make this an easier task.
Give Wembanyama all his flowers, for sure. Besides, he may someday block 17 shots in a playoff game. If anyone was ever going to break this Wilt mark, it’d be him.
Oba Femi announced last week that, due to not having an opportunity for a championship, he would be the prize and kickstart an open challenge. The first open challenge was answered by a 330-lb star, who he squashed.
This week on RAW, it was the inaugural Oba Femi open challenge in Omaha, Nebraska. As with every crowd since his debut, The Ruler got a huge reception, indicating just how big a star he has become. In fact, during a period where WWE isn’t considered at its best creatively, Femi is one of the highlights of the entire company. The fact that he retired Brock Lesnar gives him an unmatched level of aura. So to topple that would be a huge deal, and even for established superstars who have been on the roster for years, it would be a massive opportunity, albeit a risky one.
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Thanks for the submission!
Oba Femi’s open challenge was first answered by Akira Tozawa. When the Japanese star stepped into the ring, he was full of regret, and Otis, the 330-lb gentle giant, decided to step in instead. The match only lasted for a few minutes, and Femi would end up squashing Otis in his open challenge.
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It was a commendable effort from Otis to step up to the plate, but there is nobody in WWE, not even Roman Reigns, who has as much momentum as Femi does on RAW. It’s interesting to see that WWE has no storyline in place for him, or atleast they’re waiting for Backlash, so the directions are a lot clearer.
It’s a similar situation to what Gunther faced heading into WrestleMania 42. He was too big a star to leave out, and that’s how he ended up in a match against Seth Rollins despite having no history or relationship whatsoever with anyone in The Vision.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about a disappointing result for his players after a 3-3 draw against Everton
Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players how good they are after a 3-3 draw with Everton that leaves the title race firmly in Arsenal hands with less than three weeks of the season left. The Blues threw away a lead and had to score twice late on to salvage a draw, but the City manager said that he could not have asked for a better effort at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
A point for City keeps them in the title race but leaves them five behind Arsenal with a game in hand. Even if they win all of their remaining games, they will need the Gunners to drop points in at least one of their four matches left to let City back in at the top.
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City will also need to play better themselves, having conceded three goals in 14 second-half minutes at Everton to see the game turned on its head and needing a huge recovery just to get one point in the end. It was a dispiriting night, but Guardiola did his best to gee his players up ahead of a huge few games coming up for the Blues where they must respond.
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“I said how good they are, how they fought all the time,” said Guardiola. “Brentford, recover and go. And after, Crystal Palace and FA Cup final. Game by game will happen with everyone because the guys who came from the bench did very good things, and see what happens.
“Better effort cannot be possible. The message is the same as the day before. We have four games left that are finals – win the games. We played for that, even with difficulties for many reasons.
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“It’s better the point than no points. It would have been better to win the game than the point. Many things happened, considering the difficulty of the opponent, the incredible aggressive way they play. We had composure in the first half that was exceptional and after that in the second half they made a a step up.
“We made a good process but maybe not the intention we had in the first half. And after that, it is football. We give away the first goal and after the corner that was not a corner, they are so good – David Moyes teams have always been really good with set pieces – and after that the game was open. The second and third goals are outstanding and we take a point.
“I know it was in our hands and Arsenal hands as well and not it is not but we have Brentford on Saturday and we continue and will see what happens.”
There is cause for concern for San Antonio‘s side with Minnesota going 2-1 in the season series. However, Anthony Edwards was one of the biggest reasons why and his status is uncertain. He’ll be available in Game 1, but the load he’ll carry is unknown. He averaged 36.7 points in the three games on 58% shooting, 52% from 3-point range.
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The second-seeded Spurs ousted the Portland Trailblazers 4-1 in the first round. Wembanyama suffered a concussion in the midst of the series and was out for a game dealing with symptoms. All four of the Spurs’ wins were by double digits.
Internet sensation IShowSpeed has once again taken social media by storm — this time with a cricket bat and ball — after a viral video showed him calling out to Virat Kohli in his trademark high-energy style.The clip, reportedly shot in the Caribbean, features Speed attempting a rather unconventional “delivery” before hitting the stumps with a direct throw. What followed, however, grabbed more attention than the act itself.“I might be the greatest. Virat Kohli, call me… ICC call me, Mumbai cricket team call me,” Speed shouted in the video, before doubling down with, “Virat Kohli, bruh, you might need to call me.”The exaggerated confidence and chaotic energy — hallmarks of Speed’s content — instantly resonated online, especially among Indian fans familiar with Kohli’s global stature.WATCH:Viral moment with a Kohli connectionWhile Speed’s technique may not pass cricket’s legal bowling standards, his accuracy in hitting the stumps drew cheers. More importantly, his repeated mention of Kohli highlighted his admiration for the Indian superstar.The intent was clear — he wanted Kohli’s attention.This isn’t the first time Speed has linked himself with the former India captain. During a previous cricket outing, he had jokingly declared, “I’m the best cricket player in the world… they call me Virat Kohli,” further showcasing his fascination with the batter.Who is IShowSpeed?Darren Jason Watkins Jr., popularly known as IShowSpeed, is a 21-year-old American YouTuber, streamer, and rapper with a massive global following of nearly 55 million subscribers. Known for his unpredictable and high-energy content, Speed rose to fame primarily through gaming streams before expanding into real-world content and sports.A passionate fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, Speed has also shown growing interest in cricket. He attended major matches, including India vs Pakistan clashes, and has often reacted emotionally to Kohli’s performances.From gaming screens to cricket fields, Speed continues to blur boundaries — and with his latest viral stunt, he may have just bowled himself into the cricket conversation yet again.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes from Lindsay Park highlighted a significant equipment switch and jockey alteration as reasons behind Tycoon Star’s Morphettville success recently.
The team at Lindsay Park, including Ben, Will and J D Hayes, aims to leverage that performance for a Group 1 breakthrough as Tycoon Star contests The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville this Saturday.
For his previous Morphettville appearance, visors were reinstated in Tycoon Star’s gear, complemented by the services of James McDonald.
“I think the visors did the trick,” Ben Hayes said.
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“It was a tough win also as he sat wide throughout and he won quite nicely, but I also got a big kick out of James riding his first winner in South Australia.”
Tycoon Star provided James McDonald with his first South Australian victory, and later on that day he piloted Chris Waller-trained Panova to Group 1 Australasian Oaks glory.
Visors will continue on Tycoon Star heading into The Goodwood, although McDonald is off to the Gold Coast Hollindale Stakes meeting, replaced by Luke Currie.
Tycoon Star copped a rough barrier draw, stuck in the wide outside berth of 16.
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Recent Goodwood results suggest three-year-olds excel, especially after taking the Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m) as Tycoon Star managed last outing.
Reserve Bank in 2025 and Royal Merchant in 2023 were three-year-olds who pulled off that precise double lately.
“An interesting stat about him, he’s never not run in a Stakes race,” Hayes said.
“He’s been a very good horse, for a long time, running against the best and he’s always been thereabouts.
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“We purposely held him back from the early autumn to target this race and hopefully it can all align and he can run well.”
Hayes pointed out that wins lift spirits, as does a shift in locale.
Having remained in Adelaide since his last success, Tycoon Star has reportedly been in great shape.
“Ash, who has been looking after him, said he has been bright and well and really enjoying it,” Hayes said.
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“We’re really excited and think he’s a genuine chance.
“If he can win that race, he’s got a pretty good (breeding) page behind him, and being Group 1 placed and a Stakes winner as a two-year-old, you never know.
“He’s racing for his future (as a Yulong stallion), but three-year-olds in the Goodwood have a good record.”
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Ajla Tomljanovic vs Leolia Jeanjean preview
Tomljanovic at the Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)
Ajla Tomljanovic will take on French player Leolia Jeanjean in the qualification second round at the Italian Open. The duo will be in action on court number three at the Foro Italico at 10:00 AM local time on Tuesday, May 5 as they look to battle their way into the main draw.
Tomljanovic has struggled to find her winning form in recent tournaments. The Australian made opening round exits in three consecutive tournaments before arriving in Rome, losing to Donna Vekic at the Charleston Open and going down against Dalma Galfi and Sara Sorribes at the Madrid Open and a WTA 125 event in La Bisbal d’Empordà respectively.
However, the 32-year-old snapped her losing streak on Monday, ousting Marta Lombardini at the Italian Open in straight sets.
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Meanwhile, Jean delivered an impressive performance at the Madrid Open last month, moving past Rebeka Masarova and Oksana Selekhmeteva to enter the round of 64, where she fell short against two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff. In Rome, the Frenchwoman began her campaign against compatriot Diane Parry, defeating the 15th seed 6-1, 7-6(0).
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Leolia Jeanjean head-to-head record
Jeanjean in action at the Mutua Madrid Open (Image Source: Getty)
Tomljanovic and Jeanjean have never faced each other on the WTA Tour. Their upcoming meeting in Rome will mark their first clash against each other.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Leolia Jeanjean odds
Player Name
Moneyline
Handicap Bets
Total Games
Ajla Tomljanovic
-160
-2.5 (-118)
Over 21.5 (-118)
Leolia Jeanjean
+120
+2.5 (-120)
Under 21.5 (-120)
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Leolia Jeanjean prediction
Tomljanovic at the Mutua Madrid Open (Image Source: Getty)
Going into the upcoming clash between Ajla Tomljanovic and Leolia Jeanjean at the Italian Open, the Australian will be the favorite for the win. Despite her recent dip in form, the 32-year-old’s extensive experience on court, which includes three quarterfinals finishes at Grand Slam events, will tip the scales in her favor on Tuesday.
Pick: Ajla Tomljanovic to win in straight sets.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Leolia Jeanjean betting tips
Tip 1: Both players to win at least one game.
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Tip 2: Tomljanovic to win at least one set 7-5 or better.
We can call this current iteration of the PGA Tour the “Signature Event Era” in part because of how transitional the league feels at the moment. It won’t look the way it does now forever. So how will the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 (and possibly even 2027, depend on the speed of changes) will be remembered? Chiefly for what they brought to the fore — limited-field, often-no-cut events played for $20 million. They were an attempt at clarifying the Tour’s “product” as well as a wartime device crafted to maintain loyalty from the best players in the sport, and they were an intriguing answer to a fundamental question about what makes professional golf compelling. But they also made things plenty awkward for the PGA Tour.
Make enough institutional moves on behalf of the Tour Elite, the Scottie Schefflers and Xander Schauffeles of the world, do enough to protect your brand names and it can start to feel like you’re neglecting the midfield, the up-and-comers. The tension of that ecosystem created some natural angst around these Signature Events, and never more than with the four sponsor exemptions offered into each of them.
Those sponsor exemptions are, in theory, a boon for events. They ensure that figures who may not have qualified can still have a positive impact on field strength, ticket sales, sponsor value, etc. But Signature Events were created during a time when the PGA Tour was fighting off LIV Golf and thumping its metaphorical chest about being the most meritocratic of the elite golf tours. Giving spots in a field to players as interest boosts is not pure meritocracy.
And so these exemptions have come under scrutiny. At times they’ve been controversial. The companies and tournament directors who select these exemptions put a lot of thought into the decisions, but the tourney spots don’t always go to the best or most in-form players not already in the field. They may go to a player who won that tournament years ago. They may go to a player who is universally beloved and whose game has gone through a rough patch. They may go to a player lucky enough to be sponsored by the same company sponsoring the tournament.
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So who is getting those invites, and how have they performed? Looking at the 19 most recent Signature Events and before this week’s 20th gets underway (we’re starting this tally in 2024, when the current system really took shape), we can do some proper analysis of those exemption decisions. Below is a scrollable chart that includes the world golf ranking of each player at the time of their exemption, as well as their finish that week.
At this point, no player has gotten more looks than Gary Woodland, who has received seven exemptions. He recently won the Houston Open in March, meaning he could enter the remaining Signature Events for 2026 without needing an exemption. Before that win, Woodland had banked invites into more than a third of the Siggies.
And you know what? The golf world has felt pretty good about those. Woodland has been battling challenges with his health since before his 2023 brain surgery. The 2019 U.S. Open champ is widely considered one of the kindest players on Tour. He recently came forward about his struggles with PTSD following that surgery, too, and remains one of the most impressive stories going, particularly in light of his recent Houston Open victory.
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Greater scrutiny has followed exemptions given to players outside the world top 100. While those are the minority, one is happening this week, with No. 441 Webb Simpson getting a nod. It’s not hard to see why Simpson is in the field this week. Simpson has been a PGA Tour policy board member, is among the most beloved figures at the sponsorship level, and also happens to live on the property at Quail Hollow, host of this week’s event. But just know that not every Tour member on the outside has loved seeing Simpson receive these exemptions constantly. He’s received the second-most exemptions, with six — alongside Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott — but has never been in the top 200 in the world during any of those tournaments. To his credit, Simpson finished T24 on exemption at the 2024 Truist — but hasn’t fared any better since.
Sixteen of the 76 exemptions to date have been given to players outside the top 150 in the world at that time, and only Brandt Snedeker — ranked 430th ahead of the 2025 Memorial — was able to crack the top 10 the week of that exemption. As with all explanations for who receives these invites, there were plenty of reasons why Snedeker earned that invite, but an obvious connection is embroidered across the front of his hat: Workday, one of Snedeker’s most prominent sponsors, also sponsors the Memorial.
Kevin Kisner (then ranked 526), Michael Thorbjornsen (then 710) and Tiger Woods (893) also all received exemptions while outside the top 500 in the world, but each of those cases was extremely different. Kisner was 40 years old and had gone a full year without a top-30 finish. Thorbjornsen, a Massachusetts native and a top young talent, was invited to the Travelers Championship, widely regarded as the Signature Event of the Northeast. (He was 22 years old then, has since won on Tour and is now ranked 62nd in the world.) And then there’s Woods, who would get any sponsor exemption he wanted if he needed it, but in this case is the host of the Genesis Invitational and received the exemption before the Tour went so far as to manufacture a new, 80-win exemption category for him alone.
As for how these players are performing? The results are all over the place. And maybe that should be the expectation. The average finish for sponsor exemptions has been around 38th to 40th, directly in the middle of these 72- to 80ish-man fields. There have been nine top-10 finishes by sponsor exemptions and 11 who have finished 70th or worse — missed cuts and withdrawals included. Everyone else nets out somewhere in the middle of those two poles, which, again, might be exactly what’s expected. Below is a list of the players who have received exemptions, ranked from most to least.
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7 invites: Gary Woodland
6 invites: Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth
5 invites: Billy Horschel
4 invites: Tony Finau, Matt Kuchar
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3 invites: Keith Mitchell, Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes
2 invites: Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim, Shane Lowry, Max Greyserman, Brandt Snedeker
1 invite: Peter Malnati, Maverick McNealy, Harry Hall, Sahith Theegala, Tiger Woods, Will Zalatoris, Nicolai Hojgaard, Rafael Campos, Justin Rose, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, Wyndham Clark, Marco Penge, Alex Noren, Michael Thorbjornsen, Luke Clanton, Joel Dahmen
Manchester City were forced to settle for a point in a 3-3 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Monday night
Manchester City dropped valuable points in the Premier League title race with a draw at the hands of Everton on Monday night. City were forced to settle for a point in a 3-3 stalemate with the Toffees, a result which has seen them lose ground on Arsenal in the title race.
Jeremy Doku had given City the lead in the first half, before a Thierno Barry brace and a goal from Jake O’Brien gave Everton a 3-1 lead heading into the closing minutes at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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City then responded with a goal from Erling Haaland and a long-range strike from Doku, but it was not enough to claim the victory.
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Pep Guardiola’s side are now five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table and have just one game in hand, which will see them face Crystal Palace later in the month.
NEW DELHI: The last time Sanju Samson was here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, his international career was almost on the brink. Pencilled into the Indian XI only because Abhishek Sharma fell ill before the T20 World Cup match against Namibia in Feb, a deflated Samson walked off after scoring 22 off eight balls.On Tuesday, he will be back here as the toast of the nation. Samson’s counterfeit Chennai Super Kings jerseys will make for the majority of the inventory with the street vendors. Samson has been at the crossroads for much of his career. But seldom has his stock been so high. His turnaround at the back end of the T20 World Cup was an answer to years of doubts over his consistency. Now that he has cemented himself as the biggest superstar in the CSK XI, it’s time he consolidated his IPL form to run for a spot in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup team.Both DC and CSK are in the logjam in the middle of the table. The losing team on Tuesday will be on the brink of elimination from the league.Despite scoring two centuries, Samson has 315 runs to his name in nine matches. As much as he has been the facesaving force for CSK, his allor-nothing form will frustrate the franchise. But then, that has been the norm with Samson’s IPL seasons.
If he has to compel the national selectors to consider him for the second wicketkeeper’s role, he may have to replicate the T20 World Cup performances for CSK.It won’t be easy though. The Capital has become cooler with rain in the air. The last match at the venue saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru seamers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar blow away DC for 75. And at the top of the mark will be the lethal Mitchell Starc looking to expose Samson’s technique against top quality pace, movement and bounce. It’s up to Samson to dispel doubts. Tuesday will be a test of his technique and temperament to play the lead batter.
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