Marta Vrbetic

International relations professional formerly @TheWilsonCenter @FletcherSchool @collegeofeurope. Published in @TheNatlInterest @BrusselsMorning @thehill @E_IR

[Marta Vrbetic @MartaVrbetic]

"And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"
♥️🇺🇲🙏🎆🥰 @America250

[Luka Misetic @MiseticLaw]

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup run was impressive, but sports rarely fix fractured politics. Case in point: Yugoslavia reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 1990, pushing Maradona's Argentina to the brink. One year later, the country was gone.

[Erling Haaland @Erling]

It’s been quite a row, thank you for making it so special 🚣🏼🇳🇴❤️

[Manchester City US @ManCityUS]

Lost the game, won our hearts 🩵🇳🇴

[Croatian Football  @CroatiaFooty]

At least we're not the only ones that were robbed by a ball sensor.

Welcome to the club Norwegians.

[George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway3d]

FIFA has disallowed Newton's First Law of Motion.

[Dr. Simon @goddek]

This sensor detected a Croatian player touching a ball that no camera on Earth saw him touch: GOAL DISALLOWED.

The same sensor felt nothing when the ball visibly smashed into a camera cable and handed England a goal.

It detects hairs but not steel cables.
Impressive technology.

[ESPN @espn]

Erling Haaland, in his first-ever World Cup, led his nation of less than six million people to the quarterfinals, their best-ever finish.

He scored seven times in six games and made his mark on the global stage.

The viking king 🇳🇴

[HNS @HNS_CFF]

That was THE day. 🇭🇷❤️

📆 #OnThisDay, 8⃣ years ago, #Croatia defeated @England to reach the @FIFAWorldCup final!

🌟 The match of fearless hearts, unbreakable belief, and a dream that became the pride of a nation. The victory that went down in history and will forever echo in Croatian hearts.

#WorldCup #OTD #HrabarBroj #Family #Vatreni❤️‍🔥

[Erling Haaland @Erling]

Here come the… Vikings 🇳🇴👊🏻

[Fox News @FoxNews]

BREAKING: Team USA's World Cup run has come to an end.

The United States fell 4-1 to Belgium in the Round of 16 in Seattle, ending the Americans' tournament after advancing out of the group stage and defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.

Team USA striker Folarin Balogun was cleared to play after FIFA overturned his controversial red card from the Bosnia and Herzegovina match, but the Americans were unable to keep their World Cup run alive as Belgium advanced to the quarterfinals.

[Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_org]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is poised to use the NATO summit in Anakara on July 7–8 to burnish his own credentials as a global power broker—and to signal his increasingly absolute power domestically, argues expert @hbarkey.

Erdoğan "intends to present himself as 'the indispensable ally' to Europeans and a valued friend to the U.S. president," writes Barkey.

"From almost the beginning of his rule in 2003, [Erdoğan] has envisioned a global role for himself, and at a time beset by conflict and uncertainty, he clearly believes his moment has come. His real goal is to legitimize his worldview and undemocratic rule, and to make the prolongation of his already drawn-out reign appear natural," he writes.

Read his full analysis: https://t.co/DU9qxMiclJ

[Sarahh @Sarahhuniverse]

Erling Haaland of Norway leading a traditional "Viking Row" celebration after defeating Brazil 2-1 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 🇳🇴🇧🇷🏆⚽

[Marta Vrbetic @MartaVrbetic]

https://t.co/CEEVySVxrv

[Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_org]

Over the past 250 years, U.S. foreign policy has left a lasting global imprint, from moves that secured the country’s sovereignty and expanded its continental reach to creating the post-World War II institutions that ushered in unprecedented peace and prosperity.

We asked members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations what they considered to be the 10 best and 10 worst foreign policy decisions in U.S. history.

Here's how they ranked the best foreign policy decisions: https://t.co/YaQ5rO1MTu

[HEATT @0xHeatt]

Did #Croatia Really Lose?

For the past two days, Portugal vs. Croatia has been one of the world's most talked about sporting events.

Officially, Croatia is going home. But many believe the match was decided behind the VAR room rather than on the pitch. A combination of new sensor technology inside the ball and officials who failed to correctly interpret or apply that data sparked controversy across the football world, overshadowing what could have become one of the greatest World Cup matches in recent history.

The controversy didn't end there. From the penalty awarded to Portugal to two Croatian goals that were ultimately disallowed, a series of highly questionable decisions fueled the debate and left millions of fans believing the match had slipped away from the players and into the hands of officiating.

Yet despite the result, Croatia as a nation has definitely not lost.

If anything, this World Cup has once again reminded the world what Croatia represents.

Support for these phenomenal players and sportsmen came from every corner of the globe. From Japan to Mexico, from USA to South Africa, from Argentina to Norway, football fans, journalists, commentators, analysts, and even football legends overwhelmingly stood behind Croatia. Many concluded that Croatia had been robbed of a deserved victory.

The only greater promotion Croatia could have received by reaching the World Cup final itself.

Once again, this small but proud nation captured the hearts of millions football fans around the world. Once again, Croatian footballers demonstrated the passion, courage, resilience, and belief that have defined them for decades. Time and time again, they prove that their extraordinary achievements are not luck or coincidence, but the result of an unbreakable mentality and exceptional football.

The Croatian national team may be leaving the #FIFAWorldCup

But Croatia leaves with something many nations never achieve: the respect, admiration, and support of millions of football fans around the world 👏👏👏

[Fareed Zakaria @FareedZakaria]

The documentary filmmaker @KenBurns says the American Revolution was the most important event since the birth of Christ.

I spoke with him at @aspenideas about the moment, 250 years ago, that launched America's democratic experiment. Part 1 of our conversation:

[Fareed Zakaria @FareedZakaria]

The American Revolution was, above all, a battle over big ideas: about rights, the pursuit of happiness and who gets to govern.

What can we learn from it, 250 years on?

Part 2 of my conversation with the legendary documentarian @KenBurns at @aspenideas:

[PBS News @NewsHour]

As the nation turns 250, PBS News looked at some notable — but lesser-known — people and moments in American military history.

From how a makeup product became a staple for women in uniform to how a duck served in the Marines and earned a citation for bravery, PBS News' Cecilia Lallmann explored five iconic stories.

[Fox News @FoxNews]

NOW: Fireworks illuminate the Washington Monument and the National Mall as America celebrates Independence Day with the nation's largest fireworks display.

[Fox News @FoxNews]

WATCH: Fireworks light up the sky behind the Capitol Building as Americans celebrate Independence Day.