Entertainment
New Zealand players willing to play World Cup opener against Iran outside US
New Zealand soccer players have said they would be willing to play Iran outside the United States in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup, as uncertainty persists over the fixture amid geopolitical tensions.
Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic broke out at the end of February.
Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their opening-round group matches in the US, with their June 15 opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles, but the Iranian soccer federation has threatened to boycott fixtures on US soil.
New Zealand are preparing as if the Los Angeles match will go ahead but players said on Wednesday they could accommodate a switch outside the US if necessary.
Netherlands-based midfielder Ryan Thomas said Iran had earned their spot at the World Cup, and the All Whites would be able to manage the extra attention generated by the match.
“They deserve to be there as qualifiers,” he told Reuters.
“If we’ve got to play them in Mexico or Canada, then yeah, we play them there. It’s not really a big deal for me.”
During the June 11-July 19 World Cup, New Zealand will be based in the southern California city of San Diego, which is a short drive to the Mexican border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said last week her country would be open to hosting Iran’s World Cup fixtures although the final say on any venue switch would be FIFA’s.
Australia-based winger Kosta Barbarouses said players would leave it up to “the people in charge” to make a decision on the match, but did not think a switch would harm New Zealand’s campaign.
“I don’t think it would derail our preparation at all,” he told Reuters.
“We’ve got a base before our first game, anyway. So, yeah, I don’t see why not.”
Security worries
Fifa has declined to comment on the possibility of switching the venues for Iran’s games but said it was in contact with the Iranian soccer federation and looking forward to teams competing as per the current match schedule.
Iran also play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle during the group phase.
Barbarouses, a 36-year-old father of two, acknowledged concerns about security for the New Zealand-Iran match in Los Angeles but said he trusted authorities to ensure the safety of players and their families as the All Whites play their first World Cup since the 2010 finals.
“I understand there will be worries for people but I just think with the magnitude of the event, I would love to have family there,” the Western Sydney Wanderers winger said.
“I would feel safe for them to be over there. I don’t think they’d miss it.”
Thomas said the New Zealand players’ nerves would be high before the match, but that was normal for any opener at a major tournament.
“Obviously there’s a big buildup prior to the first game,” the 31-year-old said.
“So it’s going to be interesting to see how we deal with that, but I’m confident in the group to deal with it on the pitch.”
Cole Sprouse is excited to become an uncle soon as his brother Dylan Sprouse and sister-in-law Barbara Palvin unveiled the update about an upcoming addition to their family.
The 33-year-old actor took to Instagram and re-posted a picture of the couple walking at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet where the supermodel showed off her baby bump.
The Riverdale star shared three heart emojis alongside the wholesome picture from the event.
While rumours about a pregnancy had been swirling for a while, since Dylan fought off the intruders at their house, the news was confirmed at the 79th annual film festival on May 14.
After the pictures from the event went viral, Barbara and Dylan took to Instagram and shared cute pictures from the festival, as well as a scan of their baby.
Barbara and Dylan have been together since 2018, after they first met in 2017.
They transformed their strong bond into marriage in 2023 after they got engaged and tied the knot later that year in Barbara’s hometown in Hungary.
United States (U.S.) Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks has resigned just after 16 months of service as the 27th head of the Patrol force amid a wave of high-profile departures from President Trump’s administration.
His departure marks a major shake-up in Trump’s immigration team as earlier senior Border Patrol official Greg Bovino retired and then Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was fired by Trump.
The reason behind his departure remains unclear; however, he now wanted to return to his home in Texas and focus on his family.
In an interview with Fox News, the 52-year-old former Navy veteran said: “It’s just time. I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen.”
Announcing his resignation in a letter to his staff, Banks hailed the accomplishments of Border Patrol over the course of last one and a half year, saying, “It is nothing short of amazing.”
A look back at Banks’ career:
He has a career in federal service spanning over 37 years (444 months). Banks served in U.S. Navy for 10 years before joining the Border Patrol.
He also served as special advisor on border affairs to Texas Governor Greg Abbot and took the role of 27th chief after President Trump was sworn into his second term in January 2025.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott thanked Banks for his service.
Since Trump took over as president, his administration has taken a strict action to curb illegal migration to the country, in some cases even legally registered migrants were targeted.
According to CBP, the illegal crossings have dropped by more than 90 percent in the last one and a half years.
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