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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FIFA is facing unexpected ticket sales challenges ahead of the opening match of the 2026 World Cup involving the United States men’s national soccer team, according to details contained in an internal planning document reported by The Athletic.

The document, dated April 10 and circulated among local organisers in Los Angeles, indicates that 40,934 tickets had been purchased for the United States’ opening fixture against the Paraguay national football team, scheduled for June 12 at SoFi Stadium.

That figure trails ticket sales for another group-stage match at the same venue, between the Iran national football team and the New Zealand national football team, which had already reached 50,661 tickets sold for its June 15 encounter.

With SoFi Stadium configured for a reported World Cup capacity of 69,650, the figures suggest a notable gap in demand for what would typically be one of the tournament’s marquee fixtures. However, it remains unclear whether the numbers include premium hospitality allocations and other non-public ticket categories.

FIFA declined to clarify the figures when contacted before publication, but later pushed back against the report. In a statement, a spokesperson insisted that ticket sales for the tournament “remain strong” and argued that the internal data cited “does not accurately reflect actual sales to date,” without providing further detail.

Pricing Strategy Under Scrutiny

Industry observers point to FIFA’s pricing model as a key factor behind the slower uptake. When tickets were first released in October, the U.S.-Paraguay opener was positioned as one of the most expensive matches of the entire tournament, ranking behind only the final and one semi-final.

Top-tier Category 1 tickets were priced at $2,730, with Category 2 at $1,940 and Category 3 at $1,120.

Unlike most other fixtures, where prices have since risen due to what FIFA describes as “unprecedented” demand, prices for this particular match have remained unchanged, an unusual move that may signal weaker-than-expected sales.

By contrast, other high-profile matches have seen sharp price increases. For instance, the opening match involving the Mexico national football team has experienced steady price hikes, reflecting stronger demand dynamics.

A Surprising Trend

The apparent lag in ticket sales for a host nation’s opening game has raised eyebrows across the football world. Traditionally, such matches generate significant interest, driven by home support, global attention, and ceremonial significance.

Yet, the availability of high-priced tickets months after release suggests that fans may be resisting what they perceive as high costs, even in a major market like Los Angeles.

Broader Implications

If confirmed, the trend could have wider implications for 2026 FIFA World Cup organisers, particularly as the tournament expands to 48 teams and multiple host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

It may also force FIFA to reassess its ticket pricing strategy, balancing revenue generation with accessibility to ensure full stadiums and vibrant atmospheres—critical components of the World Cup experience.

For now, while FIFA maintains that demand remains strong overall, the early indicators from Los Angeles suggest that even the world’s most popular sporting event is not immune to market realities.

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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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