Houston city officials amended on Wednesday an ordinance that halted cooperation with ‌federal immigration authorities after the Texas governor threatened to withhold $114 million in public safety funds ahead of this summer’s soccer World Cup matches.

The ordinance passed this month had restricted police in the largest city in ​Texas and the fourth most populous in the United States from detaining those ​subject to deportation warrants.

The Houston city council voted 13-4 to pass the ⁠amendment, said the office of Democratic Mayor John Whitmire, adding that it would protect $114 ​million in state funding and reinforce people’s rights against unreasonable detention.

The 2026 soccer World Cup ​is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Wednesday’s change dropped an explicit bar on the practice of giving federal agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency ​30 minutes to pick up people named in the warrants.

The amendment approval was “a step ​in the right direction,” a spokesperson for Republican Governor Greg Abbott told the Texas Tribune newspaper.

The amendment ‌also ⁠strikes out a description of ICE’s administrative warrants as being “not reviewed by a neutral magistrate or judge and are not probable cause for a criminal arrest,” the paper added.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had filed a lawsuit against the Democratic mayor and city council ​members over the ordinance.

Civil ​rights groups condemned ⁠the amendment.

“Houston city council caved to the governor’s threats and intimidation,” said Caro Rivera Nelson, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties ​Union (ACLU) of Texas.

“The effective repeal of Proposition A is a stain ​on our ⁠state,” she added, referring to the ordinance.

ICE has been the face of a hardline immigration crackdown and deportation drive pursued by the administration of Republican President Donald Trump.

Rights groups have condemned the ⁠crackdown, saying ​it has led to violations of free speech and ​due process rights and created an unsafe environment, particularly for minorities.

Trump casts his actions as necessary to improve ​domestic security and curb illegal immigration.

-Reuters

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Italian football is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level, following the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the World Cup and compounded by a leadership and structural crisis.

The exits suffered ​by Bologna and Fiorentina on Thursday in the Europa League and Conference League, respectively, meant no Italian teams are left ‌in European competition this season.

Italy’s last remaining Champions League contenders, Atalanta, went out in the round of 16 last month.

It is the first time since the 1986-87 campaign that Italian clubs have been shut out of the European semi-finals across the board in a season with three major continental competitions.

The club-level wipeout has compounded a mounting ​emergency in a country where football is a national passion.

Inter Milan made the 2025 Champions League final, where they were thrashed by ​Paris St-Germain, and Atalanta won the Europa League in 2024, but Italy have now stalled on several fronts.

Coupled with ⁠the national team’s continued World Cup exile, Italian football has been plunged into an identity crisis as the country wraps up its ‘annus horribilis’ ​season.

SYSTEMIC RESET

Italy suffered a collective shock in March after a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup qualifying playoff final following ​a 1-1 draw after extra time led to the departure of coach Gennaro Gattuso.

The resignation of Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina followed in the fallout and he admitted that the foundations of the domestic game had crumbled.

“The crisis is deep, Italian football needs to be redesigned,” said Gravina – a warning now being amplified by several Italian ​coaches.

Fabio Capello noted this week that “it is practically impossible to get worse than this; we have hit rock bottom.”

Carlo Ancelotti, who is in charge ​of five-time world champions Brazil, told Italian media on Friday that the nation has lost its way both on the pitch and financially.

“We already lack talent ‌in other ⁠areas of the pitch, but the excessive focus on tactics has distorted our characteristics, the ones on which we have always built our history,” he said.

He noted that the financial chasm between Serie A and its rivals has stripped the league of its former allure.

“The great foreign players no longer come to Italy. Abroad, with substantial TV rights and powerful investors, a more attractive market is formed.”

The crisis seems to pervade every level of ​the game, with crumbling infrastructure now ​dominating the headlines as Italy ⁠prepares to co-host the 2032 Euros alongside Turkey.

Italian media have warned that stadium projects are significantly behind schedule, with construction yet to begin on several key venues.

“I hope the infrastructure will be ready,” UEFA President Aleksander ​Ceferin said earlier this month. “Otherwise, the tournament will not be played in Italy.”

LOOKING AHEAD

With the season wrapping up, ​Italy face a period ⁠of restructuring. A new coach and FIGC President are yet to be announced following the resignations of Gattuso and Gravina.

Media reports suggest Napoli manager Antonio Conte and AC Milan boss Max Allegri are the frontrunners to succeed Gattuso.

A decision on the next coach is unlikely before the FIGC elections on June ⁠22. Until ​then, Italian football is in a state of suspended animation, waiting to see if ​the new leadership will opt for a total reset or a more pragmatic rebuilding phase.

In the wake of a season of systemic failure, the pressure for structural reform suggests that the ​status quo is no longer an option for the Italian game that once dominated the sport.

-Reuters

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A growing dispute has erupted between FIFA and New Jersey authorities over transportation costs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with organisers warning that steep train fares could deter fans and disrupt the tournament experience.

The row intensified on Friday after New Jersey Transit confirmed it would charge $150 for a round-trip journey from New York Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for World Cup ticket holders — more than 11 times the usual fare.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi criticised the pricing model, describing it as a potential barrier to fan attendance.

“The current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” Schirgi said. “Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options, increasing congestion and the risk of late arrivals, while diminishing the broader economic benefits the region hopes to gain.”

In addition to rail costs, organisers revealed that an alternative bus service to matches would cost $80 per passenger, with no concessions for children, seniors or persons with disabilities.

However, New Jersey officials have defended the pricing, pointing to the financial burden of hosting the tournament. Governor Mikie Sherrill insisted taxpayers should not subsidise transportation for fans, noting that the agreement inherited by her administration placed no financial responsibility on FIFA for transit costs.

“This will cost NJ Transit at least $48 million, while FIFA is positioned to make $11 billion during the World Cup,” Sherrill said. “If FIFA will not cover the cost of transporting its fans, we will not shift that burden onto New Jersey residents.”

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri added that the agency, which faces a $200 million structural deficit, is simply attempting to recover operational costs rather than profit from the event.

The dispute highlights broader tensions between FIFA and host cities over the financial demands of staging the expanded 48-team tournament. While FIFA is expected to generate billions from broadcasting, sponsorships and ticket sales, host cities are responsible for infrastructure, security and transportation expenses.

FIFA, in response, described New Jersey’s pricing stance as “unprecedented,” arguing that no other major sporting event organiser has been asked to absorb such costs.

The governing body also pointed to more affordable transport plans in other host cities. Kansas City is offering $15 matchday bus services, while Philadelphia’s subway fares will remain at $2.90. Houston and Los Angeles are also maintaining low-cost public transport options.

However, similar controversies have surfaced elsewhere. In Boston, rail fares to Gillette Stadium have reportedly increased to $80, with bus alternatives priced at $95, drawing criticism from fans and stakeholders.

The escalating war of words underscores the challenges facing organisers as they prepare for what is expected to be the largest World Cup in history. With MetLife Stadium set to host eight matches, including the final, concerns are mounting that high transport costs could affect attendance, fan experience and the tournament’s economic legacy.

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