×
Italy to replace Iran in FIFA World Cup 2026? Trump envoy seeks change: Reports A top ​envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump has asked ‌FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in ​the upcoming World Cup, the Financial ⁠Times reported on Wednesday.The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister ‌Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against ‌Pope Leo XIV over the Iran ‌war, ⁠the FT reported, citing people familiar with ⁠the matter.“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA president Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World ​Cup. I’m an ‌Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the ‌pedigree to justify inclusion,” U.S. special envoy ​Paolo Zampolli told the FT.The White House, FIFA, the Italian Football Federation(FIGC) ⁠and Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.Italy suffered a shock ‌in March after the national team missed out on the World Cup for the third time in a row following a 1-4 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final. Meanwhile, Iran has qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup.Iran reportedly issued a statement on Wednesday saying it was ​prepared for the tournament and planned to participate. Reuters could not immediately verify ⁠the report.Iran had said earlier in April it would ⁠only decide on the national team’s participation in the World Cup once it ‌received a response from FIFA over the relocation of its matches from the U.S. ​to Mexico.Published on Apr 23, 2026 #Italy #replace #Iran #FIFA #World #Cup #Trump #envoy #seeks #change #Reports

Italy to replace Iran in FIFA World Cup 2026? Trump envoy seeks change: Reports

A top ​envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump has asked ‌FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in ​the upcoming World Cup, the Financial ⁠Times reported on Wednesday.

The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister ‌Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against ‌Pope Leo XIV over the Iran ‌war, ⁠the FT reported, citing people familiar with ⁠the matter.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA president Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World ​Cup. I’m an ‌Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the ‌pedigree to justify inclusion,” U.S. special envoy ​Paolo Zampolli told the FT.

The White House, FIFA, the Italian Football Federation(FIGC) ⁠and Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Italy suffered a shock ‌in March after the national team missed out on the World Cup for the third time in a row following a 1-4 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final. Meanwhile, Iran has qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup.

Iran reportedly issued a statement on Wednesday saying it was ​prepared for the tournament and planned to participate. Reuters could not immediately verify ⁠the report.

Iran had said earlier in April it would ⁠only decide on the national team’s participation in the World Cup once it ‌received a response from FIFA over the relocation of its matches from the U.S. ​to Mexico.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Italy #replace #Iran #FIFA #World #Cup #Trump #envoy #seeks #change #Reports

Sports news , , , , , , , , , , ,

A top ​envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump has asked ‌FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in ​the upcoming World Cup, the Financial ⁠Times reported on Wednesday.

The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister ‌Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against ‌Pope Leo XIV over the Iran ‌war, ⁠the FT reported, citing people familiar with ⁠the matter.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA president Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World ​Cup. I’m an ‌Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the ‌pedigree to justify inclusion,” U.S. special envoy ​Paolo Zampolli told the FT.

The White House, FIFA, the Italian Football Federation(FIGC) ⁠and Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Italy suffered a shock ‌in March after the national team missed out on the World Cup for the third time in a row following a 1-4 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final. Meanwhile, Iran has qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup.

Iran reportedly issued a statement on Wednesday saying it was ​prepared for the tournament and planned to participate. Reuters could not immediately verify ⁠the report.

Iran had said earlier in April it would ⁠only decide on the national team’s participation in the World Cup once it ‌received a response from FIFA over the relocation of its matches from the U.S. ​to Mexico.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

Source link
#Italy #replace #Iran #FIFA #World #Cup #Trump #envoy #seeks #change #Reports

Tag
Previous post

Bobby Chu’s illustrations (51 photos)

Next post

Tesla just increased its spending plan to $25B — here’s where the money is going | TechCrunch<div> <p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">Tesla CEO Elon Musk kicked off the company’s first-quarter earnings call with a monetary heads-up — or depending on the mindset of the investor, a warning. Tesla’s capital expenditures will skyrocket to $25 billion in 2026, far outpacing its previous annual spend as it races to stay ahead of the competition and transitions to an AI and robotics company, according to its <a href="https://assets-ir.tesla.com/tesla-contents/IR/TSLA-Q1-2026-Update.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">first-quarter earnings report</a>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">That figure, which covers what Tesla plans to spend on physical assets outside of its day-to-day operating expenditures, is three times higher than its annual capex budget in previous years. For comparison, Tesla’s annual capital expenditures were $8.5 billion in 2025, $11.3 billion in 2024, and $8.9 billion in 2023. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tesla had announced in January that it expected capital expenditures to be in excess of $20 billion in 2026, already a substantial increase meant to cover its AI initiatives, including investments in compute infrastructure and data centers, and the expansion and ramp of its manufacturing and R&D production lines, among other items. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This $5 billion uptick suggests these initiatives will require more money than previously planned. But so far, its quarterly capital expenditure, which was $2.5 billion, was in line with previous quarters, the report shows.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Of course, Musk views this as a positive, a sentiment many other shareholders will likely also share since it positions Tesla as a company investing in its future, namely AI and robotics. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">“With 2026 we’re going to be substantially increasing our investments in the future,” Musk said in the earnings call Wednesday. “So you should expect to see significant, a very significant increase in capital expenditures, but I think well justified for a substantially increased future revenue stream.”</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Musk was quick to note that Tesla isn’t the only company raising its capital expenditure budget. Amazon, for instance, has projected <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/05/amazon-and-google-are-winning-the-ai-capex-race-but-whats-the-prize/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$200 billion in capital expenditures</a> in 2026, across “AI, chips, robotics, and low earth orbit satellites.” Google is slated to spend between $175 billion and $185 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, up from $91.4 billion the previous year.</p> <div class="wp-block-techcrunch-inline-cta"> <div class="inline-cta__wrapper"> <p>Techcrunch event</p> <div class="inline-cta__content"> <p> <span class="inline-cta__location">San Francisco, CA</span> <span class="inline-cta__separator">|</span> <span class="inline-cta__date">October 13-15, 2026</span> </p> </div> </div> </div> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The increase in Tesla’s capital expenditures is linked to Musk’s desire and ambition to evolve the company beyond building and selling EVs, solar, and energy storage. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Some of the capex spend will go toward Tesla’s core technologies such as its battery and AI software, according to Musk. The company plans to invest in AI training, chip design, and “laying the groundwork” for increasing manufacturing production, as well as invest in its robotaxi operations and its new semiconductor research fab in Austin.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Fremont, California, factory will likely suck up some of that capital as the company ends production of the Tesla Model S and Model X and begins building its Optimus humanoid robot at scale. The company said Wednesday it has also cleared ground outside its Austin factory for a dedicated Optimus manufacturing facility.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tesla plans to increase its internal production of Optimus for testing and then “probably” make Optimus “useful outside of Tesla sometime next year,” he said. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tesla is also putting money toward strengthening its supply chain “across the board,” Musk said, adding that this covers batteries, energy, and AI silicon.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">All of this spending, which CFO Vaibhav Taneja said will last a couple of years, comes with a literal cost. The company — which enjoyed a brief 4% share price bump due, in part, to an unexpected <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/22/tesla-q1-revenue-rises-driven-by-ev-sales-and-fsd-subscriptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$1.4 billion in free cash flow</a> — will head into negative territory later this year, Taneja said.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tesla shares erased their gains in after-hours trading as Musk and Taneja laid out these plans to investors. Still, Tesla is sitting on loads of cash. At the end of the first quarter, Tesla reported $44.7 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">“While this may seem like a lot, and we will have the impact of negative free cash flow for the rest of the year, we believe this is the right strategy to position the company for the next era,” Taneja said. </p> </div><p><em>When you purchase through links in our articles, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards/">we may earn a small commission</a>. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.</em></p>#Tesla #increased #spending #plan #25B #heres #money #TechCrunchElon Musk,Tesla

Related Posts

International Cricket Council CEO Sanjog Gupta on Thursday described the groundbreaking of the cricket venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as the fulfilment of a long-awaited “promise”, marking the sport’s return to the Games after 128 years.

“This is a moment in history because what we are breaking ground on today is not simply a cricket field. We are breaking ground on a promise. A promise that took 128 years to keep,” Gupta said at the ceremony.

Cricket’s inclusion was approved by the International Olympic Committee, a move Gupta said reflects the sport’s global appeal.

“That’s how long the world’s second most popular sport, a game played and passionately followed by more than 2.5 billion people, has been missing from the Olympic stage.

“When the International Olympic Committee formally approved cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Games, it wasn’t just a scheduling announcement. It was a recognition that the Olympics should reflect the sports that billions of people love,” he said.

The venue at Pomona, which also serves as the home of the Los Angeles Knight Riders, was chosen for its community-driven legacy.

“I can’t imagine a better venue than Pomona for the coming together of this promise… There is something fitting, almost poetic, about the fact that a venue built on the idea of community coming together will now host a sport that, at its very core, is all about community.”

Gupta credited the Knight Riders group for helping grow cricket in the United States and emphasised the Olympic stage’s reach.

“When the LA28 Games take place in July 2028, the eyes of four billion Olympic viewers will be on Los Angeles… That is not just a sporting moment, it is a cultural one.”

“The Olympics remind us why sport matters… Two years from now, at this very ground, it will finally have it on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Olympic #cricket #venue #takes #shape #LA28 #countdown #begins">Olympic cricket venue takes shape as LA28 countdown begins International Cricket Council CEO Sanjog Gupta on Thursday described the groundbreaking of the cricket venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as the fulfilment of a long-awaited “promise”, marking the sport’s return to the Games after 128 years.“This is a moment in history because what we are breaking ground on today is not simply a cricket field. We are breaking ground on a promise. A promise that took 128 years to keep,” Gupta said at the ceremony.Cricket’s inclusion was approved by the International Olympic Committee, a move Gupta said reflects the sport’s global appeal.“That’s how long the world’s second most popular sport, a game played and passionately followed by more than 2.5 billion people, has been missing from the Olympic stage.“When the International Olympic Committee formally approved cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Games, it wasn’t just a scheduling announcement. It was a recognition that the Olympics should reflect the sports that billions of people love,” he said.The venue at Pomona, which also serves as the home of the Los Angeles Knight Riders, was chosen for its community-driven legacy.“I can’t imagine a better venue than Pomona for the coming together of this promise… There is something fitting, almost poetic, about the fact that a venue built on the idea of community coming together will now host a sport that, at its very core, is all about community.”Gupta credited the Knight Riders group for helping grow cricket in the United States and emphasised the Olympic stage’s reach.“When the LA28 Games take place in July 2028, the eyes of four billion Olympic viewers will be on Los Angeles… That is not just a sporting moment, it is a cultural one.”“The Olympics remind us why sport matters… Two years from now, at this very ground, it will finally have it on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”Published on Apr 23, 2026 #Olympic #cricket #venue #takes #shape #LA28 #countdown #begins

Deadspin | Rapids’ defense rises up in scoreless draw vs. LAFC Apr 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) fight for the ball against Colorado Rapids midfielder Hamzat Ojediran (8) during the first half at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The visiting Colorado Rapids delivered one of their best defensive performances of the season and continued Los Angeles FC’s offensive doldrums as the teams played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday. The Rapids (4-4-1, 13 points) have allowed 15 goals this season, tied for fourth most in the Western Conference entering play Wednesday. Colorado notched its second shutout of the season. Zack Steffen made one save for Rapids, who allowed a combined seven goals over their previous three MLS games while going 1-2-0. After a dominating start to the season, LAFC (5-2-2, 17 points) have struggled to find the same form of late. The club is 0-2-1 over its past three league games, although LAFC did advance into the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals during that stretch. Hugo Lloris made two saves for LAFC, and he didn’t allow a goal for the seventh time in his eight league game this season. Lloris did see his 593-minute scoreless streak end in a 4-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday. Lloris stepped up in a game when Colorado dominated possession at 71.3%. Each team had five total shots, with Colorado making 789 total passes to 301 for LAFC. The Rapids earned a draw against one of the top teams in the Western Conference after they found positives from a 3-2 home loss to Inter Miami on Saturday. LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos derided his team’s play over the weekend and failed to see any improvement from his offense just a few days later. Los Angeles FC forward Heung-Min Son remains scoreless through eight league games but does have seven assists. LAFC continued to show their defensive prowess, as they have yielded just six goals this season. They are one of four teams in the Western Conference with single-digit goals allowed and one of six in the entire league. Colorado forward Rafael Navarro has an MLS co-leading 10 goal contributions (six goals) but was kept off the scoresheet. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rapids #defense #rises #scoreless #draw #LAFCApr 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) fight for the ball against Colorado Rapids midfielder Hamzat Ojediran (8) during the first half at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The visiting Colorado Rapids delivered one of their best defensive performances of the season and continued Los Angeles FC’s offensive doldrums as the teams played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday.

The Rapids (4-4-1, 13 points) have allowed 15 goals this season, tied for fourth most in the Western Conference entering play Wednesday. Colorado notched its second shutout of the season.

Zack Steffen made one save for Rapids, who allowed a combined seven goals over their previous three MLS games while going 1-2-0.

After a dominating start to the season, LAFC (5-2-2, 17 points) have struggled to find the same form of late. The club is 0-2-1 over its past three league games, although LAFC did advance into the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals during that stretch.

Hugo Lloris made two saves for LAFC, and he didn’t allow a goal for the seventh time in his eight league game this season. Lloris did see his 593-minute scoreless streak end in a 4-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.


Lloris stepped up in a game when Colorado dominated possession at 71.3%. Each team had five total shots, with Colorado making 789 total passes to 301 for LAFC.

The Rapids earned a draw against one of the top teams in the Western Conference after they found positives from a 3-2 home loss to Inter Miami on Saturday.

LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos derided his team’s play over the weekend and failed to see any improvement from his offense just a few days later. Los Angeles FC forward Heung-Min Son remains scoreless through eight league games but does have seven assists.

LAFC continued to show their defensive prowess, as they have yielded just six goals this season. They are one of four teams in the Western Conference with single-digit goals allowed and one of six in the entire league.

Colorado forward Rafael Navarro has an MLS co-leading 10 goal contributions (six goals) but was kept off the scoresheet.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rapids #defense #rises #scoreless #draw #LAFC">Deadspin | Rapids’ defense rises up in scoreless draw vs. LAFC Apr 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) fight for the ball against Colorado Rapids midfielder Hamzat Ojediran (8) during the first half at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The visiting Colorado Rapids delivered one of their best defensive performances of the season and continued Los Angeles FC’s offensive doldrums as the teams played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday. The Rapids (4-4-1, 13 points) have allowed 15 goals this season, tied for fourth most in the Western Conference entering play Wednesday. Colorado notched its second shutout of the season. Zack Steffen made one save for Rapids, who allowed a combined seven goals over their previous three MLS games while going 1-2-0. After a dominating start to the season, LAFC (5-2-2, 17 points) have struggled to find the same form of late. The club is 0-2-1 over its past three league games, although LAFC did advance into the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals during that stretch. Hugo Lloris made two saves for LAFC, and he didn’t allow a goal for the seventh time in his eight league game this season. Lloris did see his 593-minute scoreless streak end in a 4-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday. Lloris stepped up in a game when Colorado dominated possession at 71.3%. Each team had five total shots, with Colorado making 789 total passes to 301 for LAFC. The Rapids earned a draw against one of the top teams in the Western Conference after they found positives from a 3-2 home loss to Inter Miami on Saturday. LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos derided his team’s play over the weekend and failed to see any improvement from his offense just a few days later. Los Angeles FC forward Heung-Min Son remains scoreless through eight league games but does have seven assists. LAFC continued to show their defensive prowess, as they have yielded just six goals this season. They are one of four teams in the Western Conference with single-digit goals allowed and one of six in the entire league. Colorado forward Rafael Navarro has an MLS co-leading 10 goal contributions (six goals) but was kept off the scoresheet. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rapids #defense #rises #scoreless #draw #LAFC

British karter Harry Williams has ​become the youngest ever ‌signing to Formula One ​champions McLaren’s Driver ⁠Development Programme at the age of 11.

The previous youngest ‌current member was Ella Hakkinen, daughter of ‌double F1 world ‌champion ⁠Mika, signed last ⁠year aged 14.

Williams, aged 11 from Nether Alderley in Cheshire, first started karting in 2021 in the Super One Series. He graduated to the Cadet category in 2022, racing in various Rotax and IAME races, competing at club level. In November of that year, he joined Fusion Motorsport, participating across national and international championships the following year.

He was the 2025 British Open Champion, O plate winner in the Italian Waterswift Series and was fifth in the European Waterswift Championship. Williams switched classes to juniors and immediately made an impact by finishing third in the WSK Final Cup in OKN-J.

“I am really excited to join the McLaren Driver Development Programme. They’re known for developing talent, so it’s great to join the team as I continue to progress in karting and into single-seater racing in the future. I look forward to learning from the team, and thank them for this exciting opportunity,” Williams was quoted in a release.

McLaren’s young driver programme has produced world champions ​Lewis Hamilton, ‌the most successful driver in the history of Formula One with seven ‌titles including his first ​with the Woking-based team in 2008, and ⁠reigning champion Lando Norris.

Hamilton joined in 1998 at ‌the age of 13.

“Our goal is to build a consistent pipeline, laddering into our race programmes in F1, ‌IndyCar and the World Endurance ​Championship for many years to come, and ⁠adding Harry as a talented ⁠young karter demonstrates this,” said McLaren’s ‌chief business affairs officer Alessandro Alunni Bravi.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#Harry #Williams #11yearold #McLarens #youngest #signing">Who is Harry Williams? The 11-year-old who became McLaren’s youngest signing British karter Harry Williams has ​become the youngest ever ‌signing to Formula One ​champions McLaren’s Driver ⁠Development Programme at the age of 11.The previous youngest ‌current member was Ella Hakkinen, daughter of ‌double F1 world ‌champion ⁠Mika, signed last ⁠year aged 14.Williams, aged 11 from Nether Alderley in Cheshire, first started karting in 2021 in the Super One Series. He graduated to the Cadet category in 2022, racing in various Rotax and IAME races, competing at club level. In November of that year, he joined Fusion Motorsport, participating across national and international championships the following year.He was the 2025 British Open Champion, O plate winner in the Italian Waterswift Series and was fifth in the European Waterswift Championship. Williams switched classes to juniors and immediately made an impact by finishing third in the WSK Final Cup in OKN-J.“I am really excited to join the McLaren Driver Development Programme. They’re known for developing talent, so it’s great to join the team as I continue to progress in karting and into single-seater racing in the future. I look forward to learning from the team, and thank them for this exciting opportunity,” Williams was quoted in a release.McLaren’s young driver programme has produced world champions ​Lewis Hamilton, ‌the most successful driver in the history of Formula One with seven ‌titles including his first ​with the Woking-based team in 2008, and ⁠reigning champion Lando Norris.Hamilton joined in 1998 at ‌the age of 13.“Our goal is to build a consistent pipeline, laddering into our race programmes in F1, ‌IndyCar and the World Endurance ​Championship for many years to come, and ⁠adding Harry as a talented ⁠young karter demonstrates this,” said McLaren’s ‌chief business affairs officer Alessandro Alunni Bravi.Published on Apr 23, 2026 #Harry #Williams #11yearold #McLarens #youngest #signing

Post Comment