|
GM football fans. It’s Thursday, Mar. 5 - President Trump says he does not care if Iran plays at this year’s World Cup, Fifa releases the cheapest World Cup tickets yet for the play-offs in Mexico, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
MUST CLICKS
Spanish club Celta Vigo writes an open letter to pop star Madonna, asking her to help find a shirt she wore in 1990
Good World Cup news: The Kraft Group will cover any Boston Soccer funding shortfall, ensuring Boston meets its World Cup obligations
KEY FIXTURE
Premier League MD29 (Mar 5): Tottenham Hotspur vs. Crystal Palace, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Tottenham have lost six of their last seven home league London derbies (W1), including four of their five this season. Meanwhile, Palace have only lost one of their last nine away such derby matches, going down 1-0 at Arsenal in October. This will be the eighth Premier League game played on a Thursday this season, while the previous seven have seen three 1-1 draws and four 0-0 draws. See the Premier League table here.
Results…
Premier League: Villa 1-4 Chelsea | Brighton 0-1 Arsenal | Fulham 0-1 West Ham | Man City 2-2 Forest | Newcastle 2-1 Man United
Spanish Copa del Rey semi-final, leg 2: Real Sociedad 1-0 Athletic Club (Agg 2-0)
Coppa Italia semi-final, leg 1: Lazio 2-2 Atalanta
FROM OUR PARTNERS
The Pan That Changed the Pan
The Always Pan® from Our Place went viral for a reason. With over 85,000 five-star reviews, it’s become a true kitchen icon trusted by over a million home cooks.
Toxin-free, naturally nonstick, and endlessly versatile, it’s designed to make cooking easier, healthier, and more enjoyable every day. Shallow enough to flip omelettes, deep enough to roast chicken dinners, and beautiful enough to live on your stovetop – it’s the kind of cookware that actually makes you want to cook more. And when you’re done? It wipes clean in seconds.
Try the Always Pan today and get 10% off with code NEWSLETTER10. With free shipping, free returns, and a 100-day risk-free trial, upgrading your kitchen has never been easier.
TOP TALKING POINTS
Trump's World Cup Warning
United States president Donald Trump has said that he “does not care” if Iran take part in this summer’s 2026 World Cup. Trump’s comments follow US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which has responded by launching attacks on US-allied states in the Gulf. Iran was the first team to qualify for this edition of the World Cup.
“I really don’t care,” if Iran participates, Trump told Politico in an interview this week. “I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.” While Iran did not pull out of the competition last summer when the US bombed three nuclear facilities in the country, Iran’s top football official has said the current situation may prevent his country from sending a team to the tournament.
Tensions over Iran’s participation in the World Cup have been brewing for some time. In December, the US State Department did not approve all visa applications for Iranian representatives planning to attend the draw in Washington. Iran subsequently threatened to boycott the ceremony, prompting Fifa to reportedly step in and mediate the dispute.
In related news, Iran’s women’s national team are currently competing in the Asia Cup, losing their opening game to South Korea 3-0 on Monday. The players refused to sing their country’s national anthem before the match.
Cheapest Tickets Released
Tickets for this month’s World Cup play-off tournament in Mexico went on sale for as little as 200 Mexican pesos ($11.33; £8.48). The play-offs, set for March 26 and March 31 at World Cup stadiums near Guadalajara and Monterrey, will fill two of the last six spots at this summer’s tournament. See all the fixtures here.
It means that the play-offs in Guadalajara will go ahead as planned, despite concerns that the killing of Mexico’s most-wanted cartel leader last week triggered retaliatory violence in Guadalajara and the surrounding areas of the Jalisco state. Reports suggest that order has been largely restored, with state authorities claiming they have stepped up security efforts.
Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Jamaica, and Suriname will play at two stadiums that are also venues for the World Cup finals. The tickets are available to anyone on Fifa’s website on a first-come, first-served basis.
WAFCON in Limbo
The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is in doubt with less than two weeks until the tournament is meant to start. The uncertainty stems from whether Morocco will host the upcoming tournament, as reports suggest it is considering withdrawing due to the demand on the country’s stadia and infrastructure. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said Wednesday it will clarify the situation “in the coming days” after weeks of discussions about the tournament’s status.
South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie said Wednesday that leaving the status unresolved so close to the start is unfair to players and teams. South Africa previously offered to step in as host. “If [Morocco] are not ready, we want to tell them, we are not a country with no stadiums, we are not a country with less infrastructure,” McKenzie said. “We will not allow women to be treated in such a fashion.”
Morocco, who hosted the 2025 men’s edition, is scheduled to stage the women’s competition from March 17 to April 3, the third straight edition to be hosted by the kingdom.
POLL
Does the way your team loses matter to you as a fan?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Tottenham have written to Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb to raise their concerns over key refereeing decisions (More)
> Galatasaray fans won’t be able to attend this month’s Champions League match against Liverpool after Uefa sanctioned the club for their supporters throwing objects and lighting fireworks in last week’s trip to Juventus (More)
> Manchester United midfielder Jack Fletcher, son of Darren, has received a six-match ban for using a homophobic slur (More) | Man United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court for an incident in 2020 (More)
Americas
> The SheBelieves fixtures — Argentine vs. Colombia & USA vs. Canada — will conclude shortly after publication; see live results (More)
> Inter Miami CF's new home stadium at Miami Freedom Park will officially be named Nu Stadium (More)
> The No More Foundation launched an initiative that calls attention to violence against women and girls in Brazil ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup (More)
Rest of the World
> Football officials will meet before Thursday’s deadline to decide if and where the Finalissima between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London now the leading option after doubts over Doha (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Are you worried that politics will overshadow the 2026 World Cup?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 😕 Yes (77%)
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (20%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
😕 A.W: “This World Cup was supposed to be a show of unity between three nations, and that alone has not been achieved, let alone the other crises that are already overshadowing it. I want to be excited, but the feeling is not the same this time.”
😕 W.G.P: “It already has, unfortunately. Many of us in the US want other countries to stay home. We cannot morally condone ‘business as usual’ given the actions of the US government. The rest of the world should help make this clear. Sorry.”
🙅♂️ J.H: “There are always political undertones to the World Cup. To believe differently would fly in the face of all the evidence. However, at the end of the day, you could have a World Cup without politics, but you couldn’t have a World Cup without sport. The sporting spectacle is the essence of the World Cup, and not even the outrageous behaviour of the politicos can change that.”
EXTRA TIME
The reason Liverpool concede so many late goals.
Adidas release Lamine Yamal signature boots.
Ted Lasso actor tries out for USL Championship team.
Denmark release clean home kit ahead of World Cup qualifiers.
Why does Scotland lead the way on football headers?
Football mascots in Australia race each other.
Exploring Saudi clubs’ new strategy to buy France’s best talent.
GAME FACE ON
Question: What team comes fourth in this sequence… Leyton Orient. Southampton. West Bromwich Albion.
Clue: EFL compass.
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
You can only go to the coffee shop so many times. You can only feed the chickens and the ducks so many times.
Answer
Preston North End or Northampton Town. Each team represents the four cardinal directions.
