US President Donald Trump said Iran are still welcome to play in the 2026 football World Cup but maybe shouldn’t for their safety.

Iran have said the United States should be kicked out of the soccer tournament, which starts on 11 June, not them.

And FIFA President Gianni Infantino says the World Cup can bring people together.

There is nothing in the FIFA statutes against tournament hosts being at war. However, Article 3 of the governing body’s statutes do pledge to uphold international human rights standards.

Nevertheless, Infantino awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Trump in December 2025 and was also at the launch of Trump’s Board of Peace. This despite Article 4 of the statutes “mandat[ing] neutrality regarding politics.”

Both Trump and Infantino “do as they please without serious commitment to the democratic principles of the organizations that they represent,” Alan Tomlinson, a professor at the University of Brighton in the UK, who specializes in the social history of sport and FIFA, told DW.

Iran war the tipping point?

The US’ decision to enter a conflict with Israel against Iran isn’t the first issue that causing fans to consider whether they should travel to the tournament, or if the games should even be played.

In the months before the war started on February 28, the actions of ICE agents rounding up migrants, travel bans on certain nationalities, visa hurdles and ticket pricing have led to numerous debates and concerns about the upcoming tournament. The games are spread over the US, Canada and Mexico, but 78 out of the 104 matches are being playing in the US.

Indeed, talk of a European boycott grew loud at the end of January in the midst of Trump’s threatened invasion of Greenland.

The question is, will the war in Iran prove a decisive moment for the 2026 World Cup?

“I don’t think Iran will be the tipping point, but maybe it should be,” Jake Wojtowicz told DW.

Wojtowicz is a researcher and author in the philosophy of sport and specializes in the ethics of sports fandom. Wojtowicz, who co-authored the book “Why It’s OK to Be a Sports Fan” in 2023, believes a lot of the conversation is about perception.

“In the West, America has a massive cultural impact, whereas [2022 World Cup host] Qatar is not culturally significant. So, when a nation comes along, and it’s going to get involved in the World Cup, and you find out that it does bad things that we aren’t used to, it’s easier to be critical. The United States does bad things, and we are used to it.”

Global sport is regularly confronted with ethical issues, as the last two football World Cups in Russia and Qatar respectively prove.

But is the US’ war with Iran creating a new dimension of thinking for all involved with the tournament?

“A host country at war, led by a political leader proud to accept a bogus Peace Prize, and now just months away from a five-week global sport spectacle, is without doubt a moral line that should not be crossed,” Tomlinson said. “But moral lines are not economic and commercial considerations.”

Wojtowicz has a similar view. “I think the problem slips in when you think this [the war in Iran] is a bad thing, and then you go to the World Cup or you watch the World Cup, and you think America’s pretty good actually,” Wojtowicz said.

“You start to think of the United States in terms of [England captain and striker] Harry Kane scoring two goals to sink Brazil in the final rather than thinking about ICE or the fact that citizens are getting deported. And that’s the worry, that the World Cup gets in the way of normal moral thinking.”

FIFA: The house of many truths

DW contacted both Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International for this article, but neither replied. Concerns from those organizations around FIFA’s decision were made public at the end of 2025, with both calling for FIFA to act on human rights issues.

“Infantino’s actions are in many respects politically and ethically unprecedented,” added Tomlinson.

That wasn’t the case when he arrived in office, succeeding former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter who didn’t exactly leave with a clean record. However, since then, Infantino has, in many ways, pushed the boundaries even further than many men before him.

“Infantino has accepted an award from Vladimir Putin following the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018; he has supported Qatar, even taking up residency in the country, at every stage of the build-up to the controversial Qatar 2022 men’s World Cup; and, with little debate, has allocated the 2034 event to Saudi Arabia. In the build-up to the 2026 event he has taken up residency in Miami, pretty much on the doorstep of his mentor Trump,” Tomlinson explained.

“This is not the conduct of the representative of a global, democratic organisation. Infantino has without doubt escalated the ethical conflicts characterizing the contemporary game,” Tomlinson added.

The show must go on?

Many sports events around the world have been faced with challenging ethical considerations or political shadows, but in most cases the action on the field takes place.

A 2025 paper by Paul Bertin and Pauline Grippa published in Political Psychology revealed that many fans who intended to boycott the 2022 World Cup did not. This research is among the many reasons why Wojtowicz believes the draw of football makes ethical boycotts unlikely, but fans should be proactively engaged all the same.

“If someone turns around and says, ‘Well, Trump’s put on a great World Cup, hasn’t he?’ The correct response should be: ‘What are you talking about? He’s got nothing to do with this, and he is using this to look better’,” Wojtowicz said.

“I think the point is you just have to engage with it. You have to think about it and and make sure you don’t let it slip because the World Cup’s happening,” Wojtowicz said. “I think small acts of ethical resistance can be helpful.”

Edited by: Matt Pearson

Jarrell Miller is set for a speedy return to the ring after his unforgettable moment in January that caught the attention of people around the world.

It was just over a month ago when Miller clashed with Kingsley Ibeh at Madison Square Garden in New York, but the bout isn’t exactly remembered for the action inside the ring.

Instead, a hairpiece that Miller was wearing became loose, leading him to remove it and throw it into the crowd. Despite the adversity, ‘Big Baby’ managed to earn a split decision win, later claiming the hairpiece was needed after his hair was damaged by bleach.

Despite the initial embarrassment, the notable moment arguably worked in Miller’s favour, as it saw him gain a vast amount of publicity, which is certainly a good thing ahead of his next outing.

That will reportedly come in April, after Boxing Scene revealed that he is set for a battle against unbeaten contender Lenier Pero at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas on April 25.

Pero has won all 13 of his professional fights, eight of those coming by knockout. He was last in action in November, claiming a unanimous decision win over former cruiserweight world title challenger Jordan Thompson.

The winner of the bout could find themselves on the cusp of world title contention, with Oleksandr Usyk currently holding the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, while Fabio Wardley is the WBO champion.

Miller was pencilled in to face Wardley in Ipswich last June before withdrawing through injury, so that could be a match-up that is revisited in the future.

The godfather of the NFL draft has linked the Carolina Panthers to a relatively fresh name following their active adventure through free agency.

In his latest 2026 mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. connects the Panthers with University of Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at the 19th overall pick. Kiper writes the following of the 2025 second-team All-American, who has risen up the boards of late:

McNeil-Warren deserves to be here; he has the speed and instincts to make plays, accumulating 10 forced fumbles and five interceptions over his four seasons at Toledo. Carolina focused on defense this month, signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd to sizable contracts. It also brought back safety Nick Scott alongside Tre’von Moehrig, but McNeil-Warren could make a big impact in the secondary and give the team some options. The Panthers allowed 6.5 yards per dropback last season (22nd in the NFL).

As Kiper notes, Carolina did bring back safety Nick Scott—who posted a career-high 111 tackles over 17 starts this past season. They’re also rostering soon-to-be second-year safety Lathan Ransom, one of the team’s two fourth-round picks from 2025.

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McNeil-Warren, however, could provide a big-play element to the group—which combined for just three interceptions last year. The 22-year-old—in addition to the takeaways—posted 5.5 tackles for a loss, five passes defensed and an interception return for a touchdown in his final campaign for the Rockets.

Follow our free agency tracker for all the latest moves.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Mel Kiper links Panthers to fresh name in post-free agency mock draft

Talented colt Sixties shone brightly with a powerful win, allowing Waller to claim his ninth edition of the leading three-year-old race, differing from his first eight all-female winners that kicked off with superstar Winx during 2015.

Waller’s list includes Foxplay (2017), Unforgotten (2018), Verry Elleegant (2019), Funstar (2020), Hungry Heart (2021), Zougotcha (2023) and Lazzura (2025).

Sixties, sent off at $1.65 odds-on, was forced to burn energy initially to cross from an outside draw and track the leader externally, where champion James McDonald orchestrated matters prior to the colt’s three-quarters length defeat of fast-closing Federalist ($41) and Cellarmaster ($26) half a length behind in third.

In a span of merely 35 minutes after Sixties crossed the line, Waller and McDonald added the Group 1 Coolmore Classic courtesy of Lazzura.

This feat underscores Waller’s phenomenal history in the Phar Lap Stakes, since each of those eight fillies advanced to Group 1 victories.

Sixties aims to emulate them as Waller’s ninth Phar Lap Stakes winner at Group 1 when tackling the $4 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.

Allocated only 49kg for the Doncaster, Sixties avoids any re-handicap stemming from his Phar Lap Stakes score.

Waller disclosed that Rachel King is retained to steer Sixties in the Doncaster Mile.

From a recent near-miss third placing in the Group 1 Australian Guineas, the colt validated his superiority via a compelling Phar Lap Stakes run.

“Things didn’t really work out in the Australian Guineas, like today, he’s had bad draws and it just makes it harder,” Waller said.

I think his best win was when we rode him quiet. But today, being a short priced favourite, we’ve got three weeks into the Doncaster I thought ‘oh well we’ll try you up again on the speed.’

“But ideally in the Doncaster we’ll ride him more conservatively. He’s got to go to a new level in the Doncaster but he’s very well weighted.”

James McDonald, riding to a record sixth Phar Lap Stakes win and fifth with Waller, was effusive about Sixties afterwards.

“He would be a lot better off being a bit further back in the run,” Waller said.

“But obviously he’s a classy horse, he’s just come on leaps and bounds from each run he’s had and he’s a gorgeous colt to boot.

When ridden a bit quieter you’d really see a lethal performance. Obviously it was a bit tradesman-like today but there’s room to improve.”

With 49kg, McDonald expects Sixties to figure prominently in the Doncaster Mile.

“If he’s ridden three or four pairs back in a Doncaster on nice ground he would come out and run extremely well,” McDonald said.

“Ideally, I think his best trip is six furlongs to 1400m and he’s just getting that mile on ability at the moment.

“But he travelled really comfortably today, he’s just so honest, you can’t teach that. He’s got a heart of a lion.”

Visit leading betting sites to compare odds for Sixties’ Doncaster Mile challenge.

One former world champion, who faced both Terence Crawford and fellow star Manny Pacquiao, has had his say on which legend he believes to be superior.

Crawford became the first fighter since Henry Armstrong to become a three-division undisputed champion when he overcame super-middleweight icon Canelo Alvarez in his final professional fight in September, simultaneously becoming a five-division world champion.

Meanwhile, Filipino hero Pacquiao remains as boxing’s singular eight-division world champion and has been a lineal flyweight, featherweight, super-featherweight and super-lightweight ruler during his career.

Speaking to Ring Magazine, Australian fighter Jeff Horn, who famously defeated Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight crown in 2017 but lost it to Crawford the year after, favoured the versatility of the American over the skills of ‘PacMan.’

“Crawford just had all the answers to everything I had. His counters were really good, he was fast, his footwork was good, he was able to measure that distance.

“I feel Pacquiao is a very come forward fighter, if he can’t go forward, Pacquiao doesn’t really have as many answers when he can’t really do that. Crawford can do it all. I’m going on pure boxing ability and overall, I guess Terence has the answers to all different of types of fighters.”

Pacquiao will likely be permitted to come forward when he rematches Floyd Mayweather at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, in what is expected to be one of the biggest events of the year, as he seeks to avenge his most frustrating defeat from back in 2015.

Overcoming “self-doubts”, Meenakshi Goyat shocked Antim Panghal to book her place in the Indian women’s team for the next month’s Asian Championships, handing the two-time World Championship medallist a rare defeat at home. Having lost to Antim three times in the trials before, Meenakshi put up a display of solid defence, eking out an impressive ‘win by fall’ after leading 6-2 against the Asian Games bronze medalLIST, who has literally owned the 53kg weight category since the departure of iconic Vinesh Phogat.

Meenakshi often had Antim in a headlock position, never allowing her to play to her strength — aggressive and attacking game.

Antim went for a double leg attack in the beginning but Meenakshi denied her fancy rival and even created a position from where she pushed for a ‘pin’.

Meenakshi executed a takedown to go on board while Antim retaliated with a point. The 21-year-old then attempted single leg attacks but Meenakshi stayed solid in her defence. With a push-out point Antim made it 2-2.

In the second period, Meenakshi effected consecutive takedown moves to go up 6-2. With nine seconds to go, Meenakshi managed to push Antim on the mat with a solid grip and succeeded in pinning the three-time Asian Championship medallist.

In utter disbelief, Antim did not get up, staying on the mat on her back. Meenakshi, who could not stop smiling, came and offered a hand to her superior rival.

The 25-year-old Meenakshi, who is a two-time national champion, trains in Sonepat under former national coach Kuldeep Malik. She has competed in 50kg a number of times but is now settled in 53kg.

“It’s really fun winning the trials. I am enjoying the moment,” Meenakshi said, aware of her achievement.

“I could play my game today. I would lose to big names in the past despite being well-prepared but this time I didn’t let it slip. I always had these doubts in mind about my own capabilities but I have overcome that mental block. She (Antim) also made mistakes and I cashed in on,” said Meenakshi, the daughter of a farmer from Jind.

The chirpy wrestler said how she spent the night before with positive affirmations.

“I did not want to waste this chance. Till midnight I was imagining that I have won and won by technical superiority. I was telling myself that I have already won and I am going to Asian Championships,” said Meenakshi, who has trained under a number of coaches in her career.

“My family also supported and kept telling me that I have nothing to lose and all to gain. I have practised my moves so many times that by muscle memory my defence stayed strong, I did not give her my leg. Every time she attacked my leg went back, away from her reach,” she said, explaining the strategy and preparation.

Kuldeep’s son Ajay, who also trains Meenakshi said, “We were confident from the beginning. We had been planning for long.

Before the stunning defeat, Antim had won both her bouts by technical superiority — against Riya and Juli — without conceding a single point and in quick time.

Meenakshi had also won both her bouts by technical superiority — against Gouri and Anjli, without losing a point.

The Asian Championships are slated to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from April 6 to 11.

The Suplex Throw

Also putting up an impressive show was Neelam who claimed her spot in the Indian team in the 50kg weight class.

Neelam’s suplex throw which she effected against Shivani during her 7-3 win was easily the ‘move of the day’. Neelam got a grip of Shivani’s waist, arched backward, lifted her and landed on her back.

Neelam outclassed Priyanshi in the final, winning by technical superiority.

In other categories there were no surprises with Sir Chhotu Ram Akhada’s Mansi Ahlawat (62kg), and Manisha Bhanwala (57kg) emerging winners after winning against the rivals from the same centre in Rohtak that runs under Mandeep Singh.

Since the formidable Manisha Bhanwala has now moved down to 57kg from 62kg, not many wrestlers entered the weight class. It featured only three competitors.

Hanshika (55kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg), Monika (65kg), Mansi Lather (68kg), Harshita (72kg) and Kajal (76kg) were the other winners.

Men’s squad: Ankush (57kg), Aman Sehrawat (61kg), Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), Abhimanyu (70kg) Jaideep (74kg), Sandeep Mann (79kg), Mukul Dahiya (86kg), Puneet Kumar (92kg), Vicky (97kg), and Dinesh (125kg). 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)