@adamcrafton.bsky.social
✍️ I am a journalist at The Athletic 🏆 British Sports Writer of the Year 🇺🇸 Recently relocated to NYC
NEW: FIFA are charging BOTH resellers & buyers a 15 per cent fee on its official 2026 World Cup ticket resale platform, which launched Thursday and almost immediately had some tickets listed for tens of thousands of dollars.
Story with @henrybushnell.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
Not a story I ever thought I’d write:
Why a former Paraguayan Miss Universe candidate, who claims to have met President Trump at a pageant in 2013, is petitioning the US President to make visa access easier for soccer fans going to the World Cup….
www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp, in the second part of his exclusive interview with @adamcrafton.bsky.social, discusses the state of soccer in the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
📈 Where youth soccer can improve
🤔 What he thinks of MLS
💎 Are they missing the best talents?
🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...
Jurgen Klopp really appears to be the most normal person ever to have been a great football manager
(great interview / profile here by @adamcrafton.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
Story… @theathleticfc.bsky.social
FIFA President Gianni Infantino hosted heads of state & football execs from Paraguay, Uruguay & Argentina on Tuesday at Trump Tower.
They pitched 64-team 2030 World Cup & for each of the 3 South American nations to host a group.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Also interesting; FIFA received complaints about an alleged failure to provide for freedom of religion, which included a lack of prayer rooms in stadiums. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
23.09.2025 12:56 — 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Other complaints included: 20 or more for extreme heat, discrimination and accessibility issues, as well as a dozen workers rights complaints, 5 harassment and 4 each for freedom of speech and excessive use of force.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
DHS describe these reports as “another case of fear mongering”, in a statement to @theathletic.com FIFA say they were told by White House Task Force that ICE were not enforcing around CWC.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Exclusive
FIFA received 145 reports of human rights concerns at Club World Cup this summer, mostly from fans via its own grievance mechanism portal. The highest number related to U.S. government policy and enforcement (e.g. alleged sightings of ICE).
www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Did you get through?
10.09.2025 17:22 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1In what world is that the sole alternative?
10.09.2025 01:07 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Exclusive :
NYC mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani has launched a World Cup petition demanding FIFA;
🎫Scrap dynamic pricing plan
💰Cap prices on resale platform (currently no cap)
💰Keep 15% of tickets aside at discount for local residents
www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...
In a direct challenge to FIFA, Mamdani says: “FIFA is using dynamic pricing for ticket sales. They can raise prices, in real time, depending on how much profit they think they can make off of us”
Full story @theathleticfc.bsky.social
t.co/T0zgkEEPzf
Exclusive :
NYC mayoral favorite Zohran Mamdani has launched a World Cup petition demanding FIFA;
🎫Scrap dynamic pricing plan
💰Cap prices on resale platform (currently no cap)
💰Keep 15% of tickets aside at discount for local residents
www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...
NEW:
A secret trailer of a demo for a FIFA 26 video game for the World Cup - which features FIFA sponsors Bank of America, McDonalds and Coca-Cola - has been seen by the Athletic. Are FIFA plotting a rival game to EA FC?
Details in this column:
t.co/wo9F1My7vc
NEW
FIFA opened applications for 65000 volunteers for 2026 World Cup - & Infantino says tens of thousands of them will come from overseas - BUT …. U.S. state department is still to inform FIFA which visa class that volunteers may apply for
www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...
Exclusive;
What *really* happened at Michel Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, which owes athletes millions
💰GST never had $30m+ cash in 1st place
💵Todd Boehly’s Eldridge backed away from non-binding term sheet for up to $40m to rescue GST after opening meet in Kingston
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
GST and Winners Alliance continue to insist they believe in the idea and are seeking further funding. The full remarkable inside story as a track legend scrambles to salvage his reputation and his league. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Further big payments owed to multiple contractors, facilities and World Athletics (for use of rights and rankings). GST has cut members of exec team and reduced staff pay. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Even now, the only money paid out by GST to athletes is promotional fees from Jamaica; prize money still not paid, and all fees for Miami and Philly not paid. Some agents considering legal action, others more patient. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Yet Eldridge sources insist their concerns centred on the business model; a reliance on event-day revenue which then became a bigger problem when Jamaica meet underwhelmed. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
The Philly meet was almost cancelled: still in balance 10 days before the event. In agent calls, MJ blamed payment delays first on drug testing delays, then cited world economic turmoil as dissuading investors. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
While cause for optimism with Eldridge deal sheet; Johnson knew before Jamaica funding not guaranteed & agents/athletes were not informed before Miami & Philly meets that funding was an issue, even as business class travel + $12.6m prize pot remained www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
While GST went public last year declaring they had $30m+ “secured financial commitments”, the truth, they & lead investors Winners Alliance now concede, is they had $13m with WA having the OPTION of investing a further $19m. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
28.08.2025 16:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Exclusive;
What *really* happened at Michel Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, which owes athletes millions
💰GST never had $30m+ cash in 1st place
💵Todd Boehly’s Eldridge backed away from non-binding term sheet for up to $40m to rescue GST after opening meet in Kingston
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
NEW:
🎰 FIFA was in advanced talks with venues in Vegas to host World Cup draw
🫡 But Trump admin insisted on Kennedy Center in DC - a venue he is now chairing & shaping - & Infantino fell into line, despite numerous FIFA officials preferring Vegas option
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
Venues in Vegas received generic “thank you, but no thank you” email from FIFA on Friday, hours before announcement, as Infantino went to news briefing where Trump suggested Putin would like to come to the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA declined to comment.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
Several US host cities unhappy with process by FIFA & venue - they were not consulted. Many preferred less political option of Vegas where they could entertain prospective sponsors for their cities, who are shouldering World Cup costs much more than FIFA
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
😳Vegas talks so advanced U.S. Soccer even planned a conference in Vegas for the week of the World Cup draw, securing event space and sending “save the date” messages. Now pivoting to DC
🏨 MGM in Vegas thousands of hotel rooms for FIFA until mid August
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
For those who haven’t followed takeover of Kennedy Center, Trump has removed Biden appointees from previously bipartisan board and installed his own loyalists, calling for an end to “drag shows, wokesters and anti-American propaganda”.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...
