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Trump celebrates the World Cup as a US victory as he presents trophy to the winner, Spain
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. | President Donald Trump presented the World Cup trophy to Spain, the winner of Sunday’s final against Argentina. But to him, the real victor of soccer’s premier tournament just might be the United States. “It turned out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” Trump said Friday […]
Tom Cruise and IShowSpeed join the World Cup closing ceremony’s cast
NEW YORK | A wide array of performers, from actor Tom Cruise to streamer IShowSpeed, will help close out the World Cup, FIFA announced Tuesday. Soccer’s governing body released the lineup for the closing ceremony, which will take place 90 minutes before Sunday’s final. The show is meant to “celebrate the 48 teams’ unforgettable journey” […]
Soccer fans are into this year’s World Cup, but the US still isn’t a soccer nation, new poll finds
WASHINGTON | This World Cup has given U.S. soccer fans plenty to cheer about — even if a new survey shows most Americans are still on the sidelines. New polling from Ipsos Sports, provided exclusively to The Associated Press, shows that the World Cup has excited soccer fans and piqued many Americans’ interest, even as […]
Merlín the duck takes a trip to the stadium, but FIFA rules keep him out of Mexico match
MEXICO CITY | One of the biggest folk heroes of this World Cup, Merlín the duck arrived outside Mexico City’s stadium on Wednesday to great fanfare — but was ultimately told he could not remain for Mexico’s match against the Czech Republic. After winning hearts across social media, supporters had launched an effort urging organizers […]
Meet Merlin the duck, a Mexico City streetside regular turned World Cup mascot
MEXICO CITY | Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored the goals, but a duck stole the show. As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a 2-year-old duck dressed in the national team’s colors, became an unlikely internet sensation and the tournament’s first unofficial mascot. Images of Merlin […]