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Juventus Could Force Virus-Hit Napoli to Forfeit Match

Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)
Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)
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Juventus Could Force Virus-Hit Napoli to Forfeit Match

Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)
Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)

Napoli could be forced to forfeit its Serie A match at Juventus on Sunday.

Defending champion Juventus issued a statement Saturday saying its players will go onto the field for the game against Napoli despite its opponents reportedly being banned from traveling because of coronavirus cases.

Serie A's governing body also said on Saturday night that the match was still scheduled to go ahead the following evening.

This could force Napoli to forfeit the match 3-0.

Two Napoli players have tested positive for COVID-19 and Italian media reported that local health authorities prohibited the team from traveling on Saturday and ordered the team and staff to self-isolate.

Sunday’s match in Turin has not been officially postponed and the Italian league’s protocol for COVID cases is the same as UEFA rules. If a team has 13 available players, including at least one goalkeeper, the game can go ahead.

“Juventus Football Club announces that the First Team will take to the field for the Juventus-Napoli match tomorrow at 20:45, as foreseen by the Serie A League calendar,” read a statement by Juventus on its website and social media channels.

Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, just a day after teammate Piotr Zielinski and a squad staff member tested positive.

There has been constant testing at the club after Napoli played Genoa last weekend. More than 20 Genoa players and staff members have tested positive.

Genoa’s match at Torino on Saturday had already been postponed.

Juventus has reported that two staff members have coronavirus but that “these are neither players nor members of the technical or medical staff.”

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Miami World Cup Officials Play Down Travel Concerns a Year from Kick-off

Workers install sponsor logos and signage at Hard Rock Stadium two days ahead of the scheduled opening match of the Club World Cup soccer tournament Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Workers install sponsor logos and signage at Hard Rock Stadium two days ahead of the scheduled opening match of the Club World Cup soccer tournament Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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Miami World Cup Officials Play Down Travel Concerns a Year from Kick-off

Workers install sponsor logos and signage at Hard Rock Stadium two days ahead of the scheduled opening match of the Club World Cup soccer tournament Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Workers install sponsor logos and signage at Hard Rock Stadium two days ahead of the scheduled opening match of the Club World Cup soccer tournament Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

As a gleaming clock began ticking towards the 2026 World Cup, Miami officials launched the city's one-year countdown seeking to allay fears that America's stricter immigration stance could deter the overseas fans that it hopes to attract.

The celebratory unveiling on Wednesday, featuring singer Marc Anthony, came just days after unrest in Los Angeles and amid the implementation of stricter border controls under President Donald Trump's administration.

"I don't think anybody has anything to be afraid of. Miami is an incredibly welcoming place, and we're very excited to welcome the world," Alina T. Hudak, president of the 2026 Miami Host Committee, said at the countdown event.

The digital clock, soon to greet travelers at Miami International Airport, marks 365 days until the start of the biggest World Cup in history — 48 teams playing 104 matches across three North American nations, Reuters reported.

However, security arrangements have drawn particular scrutiny, especially regarding the involvement of immigration enforcement agencies.

Marcio Carvalho Da Silva Correia, a Brazilian visitor to Miami, told Reuters he had heard people talking about concerns they had about the World Cup.

"They’re scared they'll show up and get deported," he said.

"But I think, given how beautiful the party is going to be, nothing like that is going to happen."

Rodney Barreto, co-chair of the Miami Host Committee, confirmed that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be involved in security operations.

"They will be there to support us with security, but not to capture people," he said.
At Fiorito, an Argentine restaurant in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood, fans of the South American nation's defending champions expressed confidence that their countrymen would travel regardless.

"Wherever the World Cup is, it's great ... we're excited about being world champions and we can do much more," Argentina supporter Nicolas Lomazzi.

For Miami, a city shaped by successive waves of immigration, hosting the tournament represents a delicate balancing act — showcasing its multicultural identity while navigating an increasingly complex immigration landscape.

Brazilian-born Miami resident Pedro Lub said the city's Latino population was really excited about soccer's biggest tournament coming to town and he hoped the immigration authorities did not use it as an excuse for a crackdown.

"I have a lot of friends that are in weird situations without status or something like that and yeah, everybody's worried," he told Reuters.

"People are just trying to watch a soccer match. It’d be pretty bad if they got caught just trying to have fun.

"I think people are expecting it to be a great tournament."