Serious questions have already been asked about FIFA’s decision to award the 2026 World Cup to the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.

Multiple controversies hit the biggest competition in world football before a ball had even been kicked, with many involving the President of the United States, Donald Trump. First, many European nations considered boycotting the tournament due to his attempted takeover of Greenland.

Then the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, whose participation at the World Cup has been in constant doubt ever since. In the days leading up to the opening game between Mexico and South Africa, there have been even more issues surrounding entry to the host nations.

FIFA ‘Contractual Guarantees’ Not Being Met By the United States

Top African referee, Omar Artan, was denied entry to America, while fans of various nations have faced visa issues. Iran have also failed to secure a training base in the US, despite their three group stage games being held in the country.

Instead, they’ve been forced to prepare for the World Cup in Mexico and will have to commute in and out of the US within 24 hours of all games they play. Being accessible to all participating nations is actually a ‘contractual guarantee’ considered by FIFA before awarding the World Cup to any country.

Journalist Miguel Delaney informed LBC that football’s governing body takes into account the accessibility of a host nation when considering bids for the World Cup. He said:

He then pointed out the close relationship between Trump and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, stating: “FIFA, evidently, despite Infantino’s very craven relationship with Donald Trump, hasn’t been able to secure those guarantees.”

Henry Romero via Reuters

Infantino himself previously expressed the need for the biggest international competition to be available and accessible to everyone. Or else there would be ‘no World Cup’, in his eyes. Per Delaney (via The Independent), the FIFA president said in 2017:

FIFA have stated they are ‘not involved in host country immigration processes’, but stripped Indonesia of the Under-20s World Cup after they refused to allow Israel’s team into the country.

The best golfers on the planet will be heading to Shinnecock Hills next week for the US Open, and it has proven a challenge for many players.

The last time the tournament was in Long Island was in 2018, and it was Brooks Koepka who picked up the title in difficult circumstances that year, with strong winds and rough penal meaning he only finished one-over-par.

Rory McIlroy has already predicted that this year’s winner will be under par, but how would an average golfer get on at the infamous Long Island course?

Amateur Takes to Shinnecock Ahead of US Open

Bobby Fairways is a golf YouTuber for Bob Does Sports, and was down at Shinnecock Hills two weeks before the tournament gets underway, playing off a handicap of 10.

He played alongside Fat Perez and Joey Cold Cuts in gusts of up to 30 miles per hour to understand the difficulty of the course. The three of them were playing from the forward tees, a full 1,300 yards shorter than the full length that the professional golfers will be playing next week.

The results varied for the trio. Bobby Fairways scored a round of 99 across the par-70 layout, making two triple bogys, 10 double bogeys, three bogeys, and just three pars.

Fat Perez, meanwhile, who is an 11.2 handicap, scored much better with a 75, while Joey Cold Cuts went round in 83.

While Joey was the only golfer to shoot a birdie, doing so on holes 6 and 9, Perez was more consistent, shooting just five bogeys in total.

The slope rating of the course was 135. Being a 10-handicap player, Bobby would have received 13 strokes from the blue tees. From the tips, you would get 18 shots.

Though the handicap can be forgiving, the conditions faced are incredibly difficult if the wind does not work in your favour. So, while 99 looks terrible on paper, getting that on a windy day at Shinnecock is nothing to sneer at.

US Open 2026

Scottie Scheffler goes into the tournament as the favourite. He leads the PGA Tour in approach-shot strokes gained from 150 to 175 yards, the most important distance band at Shinnecock Hills if you compare it to 2018’s edition of the US Open.

The one element of the tournament that could best him, however, is the pressure. Scheffler is looking to complete the career Grand Slam and the knowledge that a difficult course is standing in between him and the history books might prove too much mentally.

The US Open kicks off on the 18th of June and runs through to the 21st.

With the World Cup taking centre stage for the next five weeks, Premier League clubs are continuing their preparations for the 2026/27 campaign.

Aston Villa are no exception, as they look to continue their progress under Unai Emery. The Villa Park outfit lifted the Europa League last campaign and finished fourth in the table.

Winning a major trophy and qualifying for the Champions League puts Villa in a much stronger financial position as they aim to build a squad that can compete with Europe’s elite clubs.

However, there are poised to be exits as Villa still require some sales to balance the books and keep themselves on the right side of the Premier League and UEFA’s financial rules.

Emi Martinez agrees personal terms with Juventus

One player who could leave this summer is goalkeeper Emi Martinez. The 33-year-old is part of Argentina’s World Cup squad as they seek to defend their crown after winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

According to Corriere Dello Sport in Italy, Martinez has already reached a general agreement on a three-year contract with Serie A giants Juventus.

The Italian club had been interested in signing Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker but the Anfield club were resistant to losing the Brazilian this summer.

Juve have now turned their attention to Martinez, with Villa asking for £8.5million plus add-ons for the transfer to go ahead. However, the Old Lady are keen to reduce the asking price before proceeding with the deal.

Martinez is under contract at Villa until 2029, having penned a new five-year deal back in 2024.

Aston Villa should hold firm on Emi Martinez price

Rodrigo Valle via Reuters

He came close to leaving the club last summer as Manchester United weighed up a move before signing Senne Lammens.

Martinez retained his number one spot under Emery and went on to make 44 appearances in all competitions.

It was previously reported that Villa are open to selling the goalkeeper due to his £230,000-a-week wages.

However, Villa should resist any attempts from Juve to lower the £8.5million fee and the add-ons in the deal should be achievable ones.

Martinez is not getting any younger but, like many goalkeepers, he can still play at a high level for several more years. With Villa needing to sanction some sales, selling a regular starter for such a low transfer fee would be a mistake.

The Argentine still has several years to run on his contract and there will likely be more interest in the player if Villa are open to selling. A replacement is also likely to prove costly too, so Villa should be in no rush to push a deal through.