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Advocacy Groups Call for European Ban on Israel Team, Players in Times Square Billboard

A billboard in Times Square displays the message "Israel is committing genocide" as part of the campaign by Game Over Israel calling for a boycott of Israel by national soccer federations over the war in Gaza, in New York City, US, September 16, 2025. (Reuters) 
A billboard in Times Square displays the message "Israel is committing genocide" as part of the campaign by Game Over Israel calling for a boycott of Israel by national soccer federations over the war in Gaza, in New York City, US, September 16, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Advocacy Groups Call for European Ban on Israel Team, Players in Times Square Billboard

A billboard in Times Square displays the message "Israel is committing genocide" as part of the campaign by Game Over Israel calling for a boycott of Israel by national soccer federations over the war in Gaza, in New York City, US, September 16, 2025. (Reuters) 
A billboard in Times Square displays the message "Israel is committing genocide" as part of the campaign by Game Over Israel calling for a boycott of Israel by national soccer federations over the war in Gaza, in New York City, US, September 16, 2025. (Reuters) 

A coalition of advocacy organizations and fan groups called on European football federations to boycott Israel in a Times Square billboard that went live on Tuesday, kicking off the #GameOverIsrael campaign months ahead of the World Cup.

The billboard went up on Tuesday in New York, which is set to host eight matches in the World Cup next year, including the final. Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the quadrennial international competition with the United States.

The campaign calls on football federations in Belgium, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Scotland, and Spain to boycott the Israel national team and ban Israeli players from domestic competitions, citing the ongoing attacks in Gaza.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach FIFA, UEFA and the Israel Football Association for comment.

"As the United States prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Americans must not allow our stadiums to become platforms for whitewashing war crimes," said American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee National Executive Director Abed Ayoub in a statement.

The ADC launched the #GameOverIsrael initiative with several European partners.

"We stand with our European counterparts and demand that every football governing body take immediate and decisive action to bar Israel from international competition," said Ayoub. "The world must tell Israel that the game is over, and there is no room in sports for war criminals."

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israeli officials rejected the findings of the report, with Israel's ambassador to the United Nations calling it "scandalous" and "fake".

The billboard, which was located near the intersection of Broadway and West 43rd Street, contains the word “genocide,” which ADC said was only approved by the billboard company after it saw the text of the UN commission’s report.

Israel are currently third in the table in their World Cup qualifying Group I, behind Norway and Italy. The winners of UEFA's 12 qualifying groups gain direct entry to the World Cup while the runners-up go into the playoffs.

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David Beckham: Inter Miami Not Rushing to Replace Head Coach

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham attends a training session at the MLS soccer team's training facility, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris Arjoon)
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham attends a training session at the MLS soccer team's training facility, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris Arjoon)
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David Beckham: Inter Miami Not Rushing to Replace Head Coach

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham attends a training session at the MLS soccer team's training facility, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris Arjoon)
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham attends a training session at the MLS soccer team's training facility, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris Arjoon)

Co-owner David Beckham said Inter Miami have to "let things settle down" before hiring a head coach after the sudden, early-season departure of Javier Mascherano on Tuesday.

Mascherano stepped down due to what he called personal reasons in a statement, with ESPN reporting that he made the decision over the weekend after a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls.

Sporting director Guillermo Hoyos took over as interim manager for the Herons (3-1-3, 12 points), who return to action on ⁠Saturday against the ⁠Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, Colo.

Beckham said on CBS Sports that losing Mascherano at this time was "a difficult one." Mascherano, 41, was hired as the club's coach on Nov. 26, 2024. He guided the Lionel Messi-led squad to an MLS ⁠Cup title in 2025.

"He came off the back of last season by winning our first championship," Reuters quoted Beckham as saying. "He's an amazing person, a great coach, the players loved him, but obviously, these things happen in football clubs and we have to move on. We have to find a new coach at some point. But at the moment, we have to let things settle down. But, like ⁠I said, ⁠with owning a team, there are always challenges."

Mascherano replaced Gerardo "Tata" Martino. Inter Miami also reached the Leagues Cup final and CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal last year.

This was the first club coaching job for Mascherano, who began coaching Argentina's youth national teams in 2021. His squads reached the Round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina and the quarterfinals of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Inter Miami's chief soccer officer Alberto Marrero will assume sporting director duties for Hoyos.

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Iran Participating in World Cup, FIFA President Confirms

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an economic conference in Washington. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an economic conference in Washington. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP
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Iran Participating in World Cup, FIFA President Confirms

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an economic conference in Washington. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an economic conference in Washington. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will "for sure" participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war.

"Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help," Infantino told an economic conference organized by broadcaster CNBC.

"But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play," he said of the team's upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Türkiye, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be "safe" in the United States, said AFP.

Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States -- two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle -- with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona.

- 'Outside of politics' -

Iran's participation in the global tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

Iran raised the prospect of a "boycott" of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected.

After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8.

But Tehran has sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and since Monday Washington has imposed a blockade on ships coming from or heading to Iranian ports.

"Sports should be outside of politics," Infantino said on Wednesday.

"If there's nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job," he said.

The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11.

Sports

Report: France’s Ekitike Out of World Cup with Ruptured Achilles

Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
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Report: France’s Ekitike Out of World Cup with Ruptured Achilles

Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)

France forward Hugo Ekitike suffered a ruptured Achilles during Liverpool's Champions League clash against Paris St Germain on Tuesday and will miss the World Cup, French newspapers Le Parisien ‌and L'Equipe ‌reported on Wednesday.

The ‌23-year-old ⁠pointed to his ⁠Achilles tendon as medical staff attended to him before he was carried off on a stretcher at Anfield, ⁠where Liverpool lost ‌2-0 ‌in their quarter-final second leg, ‌exiting the competition with ‌a 4-0 aggregate defeat.

The French football federation (FFF) was not immediately available for ‌comment.

Ekitike has 17 goals in all competitions this ⁠season ⁠since Liverpool signed him from Eintracht Frankfurt for 69 million pounds ($93.58 million) in July.

The World Cup is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11-July 19.