Latest news with #Men'sWorldCup
First Post
18-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
England Cry Foul After Lord's Win, Vaughan Targets India First Sports With Rupha Ramani
England Cry Foul After Lord's Win, Vaughan Targets India | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G England Cry Foul After Lord's Win, Vaughan Targets India | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G England have taken the lead in the Test series against India, heading to Manchester 2-1 up — but that hasn't stopped the complaints. The latest? ICC docked England two vital WTC points for a slow over rate at Lord's, pushing them down in the Test Championship standings. But why is only England crying foul when both teams were equally fiery? Michael Vaughan leads the outrage, once again questioning the ICC's decisions, especially when it involves India. In this breakdown, Rupha Ramani dives deep into why these points matter more than ever in a long WTC cycle, the irony in England's complaints, and the drama that unfolded at Lord's — including fines, send-offs, glares, and chirps. With two fiery Tests still to go, are England justified, or just playing the blame game again? Also on the show, Lamine Yamal has signed a contract extension with Barcelona. The Spaniard will now wear the number 10 jersey after being hailed as the new Messi; the jersey only symbolises Yamal's rise. But with the off-field controversies looming around Yamal, can he really emulate Messi's legacy? And FIFA is once again under the scanner for their approach to the Club World Cup. The governing body slashed ticket prices owing to a lack of crowd turnout. But what about the refunds? Are fans suffering because of booking the tickets in advance? Will FIFA opt for a similar approach during the Men's World Cup 2026 too? See More
First Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Club World Cup: $474 Tickets for $13, Did FIFA Scam Fans? First Sports With Rupha Ramani
Club World Cup: $474 Tickets for $13, Did FIFA Scam Fans? | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G Club World Cup: $474 Tickets for $13, Did FIFA Scam Fans? | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G FIFA's Club World Cup just turned into a full-blown reality check, and fans are not happy. From selling $474 tickets for just $13 at the last minute to partially refunding loyal supporters and downgrading seat allocations without warning, FIFA's dynamic pricing disaster has exposed a broken system. And here's the kicker: this might just be the test run for the 2026 Men's World Cup. In this video, Rupha Ramani breaks down the price-gouging, the chaos, and the disrespect shown to fans who booked early. Is this football's future? Or is FIFA turning the world's biggest sport into a Wall Street sideshow? See More
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Open letter urges Fifa to stand up against Donald Trump's immigration policies ahead of 2026 World Cup
In an open letter to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, 90 leading civil society organisations highlighted what it called 'a series of repressive executive orders and enacted policy changes that violate both U.S. and international human rights law' by President Donald Trump's administration which could impact visitors to the United States next summer. Infantino was encouraged to use his leverage with Trump to influence American government policies by groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. They claimed that Fifa has not taken into account what they called a 'significant deterioration in the rights climate in the United States', citing that non-American nationals in the United States or those who express political opinions that are not shared by the current administration are at risk of denial of entry, detention or deportation. They also called conditions in American immigration detention facilities 'cruel' and 'inhuman' and said the Trump administration's travel bans restricted the ability of nationals from 19 countries to go to the United States. The letter read: 'Since the inauguration of President Trump in January 2025, the U.S. government has issued a series of repressive executive orders and enacted policy changes that violate both U.S. and international human rights law. These actions pose a serious threat to individuals - particularly non-citizens - traveling to or residing in the United States, including the estimated 1.5m foreign visitors attending this summer's Club World Cup and 2.6m visitors projected to attend next summer's Men's World Cup. Increased immigration enforcement actions, abusive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, and broader border restrictions have also contributed to widespread fear and uncertainty.' The 90 bodies have called upon Fifa to 'publicly recognize the severity of the risks that U.S. government policies and practices pose to tournament attendees and migrant communities in the U.S. and publicly urge President Trump to reverse these policies and practices.' Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU's Human Rights Program, said: 'The Trump administration has aggressively pursued a systematic anti-human rights campaign to target, detain, and disappear immigrants in communities across the U.S. – including in cities where the World Cup will take place.' Nick McGeehan, co-director of FairSquare, added: 'This is a hugely significant intervention from a broad swathe of U.S. civil society, which leaves Fifa in no doubt as to their profound concerns not just about the deterioration of the rights climate in the U.S. but the role that Fifa seems to be playing in that regard.' Other signatures to the letter included organisations in World Cup host states and cities, including New York, Florida, Georgia, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
DW
02-07-2025
- Sport
- DW
Euro 2025: How is Germany shaping up? – DW – 07/02/2025
A shock group stage exit at the 2023 World Cup and a number of retirements mean a new look Germany face their first big test at Euro 2025. Germany are the most successful team in Euros history with eight titles. New coach Christian Wück is leading the team in his firstmajor tournament and has already ruffled some feathers. Wück faced criticism from within the team for poor communication while dropping veteran defender Felicitas Rauch and Frankfurt striker Nicole Anyomi. Despite the snafu, it seems things have been papered over and Germany enter Switzerland in good spirits. "We're so excited to be here," said midfielder Linda Dallmann as the squad arrived earlier this week. The team is particularly pleased about another change from recent tournaments — Germany's camp is a stone's throw from downtown Zürich, a departure from the past approach of setting up an isolated compound far from any distractions (or things to do). "It's always cool to be well connected and have some opportunities for the team to get out and about. That's really important over the course of a tournament, so I think this is a perfect location," continued Dallmann. "It's great — its nice to have our own space, but also good that it's not only football, football, football and only seeing the exact same people all the time, even if we cherish time together as a team. It's always good to be able to get out into the city," said defender Rebecca Knaak, who's preparing for her first major tournament. Another change from Germany's 2023 World Cup outing should immediately catch fans' eyes. Giulia Gwinn's captain's armband will look different from Popp's: she will be sporting a rainbow armband, which was banned by FIFA in Australia and New Zealand. 'It's great that we'll be able to wear the rainbow armband. If we have the opportunity to wear it when we play, swapping it for something else is never up for debate," said Gwinn. Captian's armbands explicitly supporting LGBTQ+ pride have a controversial past in German football. In addition to FIFA not allowing them in the last women's World Cup, they were famously banned at the 2022 Men's World Cup in Qatar. The German team protested this decision before their tournament opener setting off a media firestorm which quickly heaped further pressure on the squad. UEFA has proven more lenient on the topic than FIFA in the past and rainbow armbands are likely to be a popular choice among captains in Switzerland. 'Our team stands for so much, and it's amazing that we can wear our values on our sleeve on such a big stage," said Gwinn. On paper, this Germany squad looks thin compared to the side which reached the final of the last Euros. The international retirements of Popp, Svenja Huth, Marina Hegering and Merle Frohms have left a deficit of top level experience while Lena Oberdorf, the engine of Germany's midfield, wasn't able to recover from a season-long injury. Gwinn's role will be crucial in bringing together the new generation. Sjoeke Nüsken, of Chelsea, is another who Wück will look to build his team around while the likes of Klara Bühl, Dallmann and Jule Brand need to make the step up from talented squad members to big game players if Germany are to succeed. Despite an exceptional goal record of 52 in 75 caps, Lea Schüller has spent her Germany career in the shadows, behind Popp. Her only previous tournament goals have come in big Germany wins against less fancied opposition but Schüller now has the weight of expectation on her shoulders. With three goals in Germany's last two matches and a hat trick in the German Cup final that completed the double for Bayern Munich in May, Schüller arrives brimming with confidence. Tournament debutants Poland are Germany's first opponent (July 4) and should prove straightforward if Wück's side play to their potential. After that, it's Denmark (July 8) and Sweden (July 12). The final group match looks the toughest, with the Swedes unbeaten since a loss to France in July 2024 and having knocked out the USA on a run to the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup. The likes of Magdalena Eriksson (121 caps), Sofia Jakobsson (165) and captain Kosovare Asllani (199) offer huge experience while Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfö is a top class performer. Denmark also have one of those in Pernille Harder but appear to have less depth of talent and have struggled at recent tournaments.
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Nearly 81% advertisements on OTT platforms during ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 promoted unhealthy products: Study
A staggering 80.9 per cent of all advertisements aired on over-the-top (OTT) platforms during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's World Cup held in India in October-November 2023 promoted tobacco, alcohol, and high-fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products, a study has found. The study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) was published recently in the journal Frontiers in Digital Health. Dr Prashant Kumar Singh, lead author and senior scientist at ICMR-NICPR, told The Indian Express that the study provides the first systematic evidence from a low- and middle-income country showing how sporting events have become vehicles for promoting products that contribute to non-communicable diseases. A team of experts from ICMR-NICPR, Vital Strategies, Institute of Public Health Bengaluru, and AIIMS New Delhi conducted the research. Five trained researchers independently recorded data for cross-verification to ensure rigour and reduce biases. 'As India aims to reduce premature non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths by 25 per cent by 2025, we cannot allow commercial interests to undermine public health through unregulated digital platforms. Immediate policy intervention is crucial,' said Dr Shalini Singh, senior author and director of ICMR-NICPR. She also stressed that their findings revealed a concerning loophole in digital advertising regulation. 'While we have strict laws against tobacco and alcohol advertising, companies are exploiting OTT platforms through surrogate advertisements, particularly targeting the massive Indian cricket audience. With 422 million viewers exposed to these promotions, this represents a public health crisis hiding in plain sight,' said Dr Singh. Key findings The analysis of 341 hours of streaming across 48 matches revealed disturbing patterns of targeted marketing such as that 80.9 per cent of all advertisements (1,769 out of 2,118) promoted unhealthy products, 90.7 per cent of advertisements during India matches belonged to the unhealthy products category, and 86.7 per cent of surrogate tobacco advertisements were specifically aired during matches involving India. It also found that 60.6 per cent of unhealthy advertisements during over-breaks targeted products commonly consumed by children. A total of 422 million viewers in India were exposed to these promotions. Celebrity endorsements were common, with 17.5 per cent featuring Bollywood actors and 17 per cent featuring cricket celebrities. Children particularly vulnerable The study identified children as especially vulnerable targets, with edible products commonly consumed by them comprising the highest frequency of unhealthy advertisements during cricket breaks. Products included chocolates, potato chips, noodles, and biscuits – all heavily marketed during peak viewing times. Despite existing laws such as the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995, that prohibit direct tobacco and alcohol advertising, the study revealed that companies successfully circumvent these restrictions through surrogate advertising on digital platforms. 'The research showed a stark disparity in advertising patterns – surrogate tobacco advertisements were predominantly displayed during India matches (86.7 per cent) while being negligible during other countries' matches, indicating targeted marketing strategies,' Dr Singh said. Researchers called for immediate action, updated regulatory frameworks to encompass digital and OTT platforms, stricter enforcement mechanisms for surrogate advertising, specific protections for children given their vulnerability to advertisement-induced behaviours, and comprehensive monitoring of OTT platforms with clear consequences for non-compliance. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
