Andreas Haffar

Communications. Former TV reporter in ND, MN and IA. Live for ⚽ and Liverpool FC #YNWA. Iowa State alum 🌪️ My Emmy goes with me to the grave. 🇵🇸🇱🇧

[Andreas Haffar @andreashaffar]

Keeping with the World Cup tradition and always happy if I'm wrong:

Winner: 🇫🇷
Could see win it: 🇧🇷🇪🇸🇵🇹
Keep an eye on, I like: 🇪🇨🇯🇵🇲🇦🇸🇳🇳🇱
Supporting: 🇬🇭🇯🇴🇲🇽🇨🇦🇳🇱🇫🇷
Hope they do well: 🇮🇷🇺🇿🇰🇷🇹🇳🇨🇻🇵🇦🇨🇩🇧🇦🇪🇬🇨🇴🇲🇦🇹🇷🇨🇮🇸🇳🇩🇿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇶🇿🇦🇭🇹
Will disappoint: 🇺🇸🇭🇷🇧🇪🇺🇾🇪🇬🇸🇪🇩🇪🇦🇷
Miss you still: 🇱🇧

[Hassan Mafi ‏ @thatdayin1992]

Insane how 20 missiles from Iran is getting more attention in Western media than Zionists bombing Lebanon 3,500 times.

[Men in Blazers @MenInBlazers]

This Cleveland police officer got Egypt fans hyped as they queued to catch a glimpse of their heroes 🇪🇬

World Cup fever is here and it's wonderful ❤️‍🔥

[Assal Rad @AssalRad]

“The IDF, a U.S.-backed genocidal group that controls much of Palestine, declare a ban on humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip”

Why don’t you post that?

[Miguel Delaney @MiguelDelaney]

In 2023, Indonesia were stripped of the under-20 World Cup for refusing to allow the Israeli team entry.

Fifa's justification then was the vague "due to the current circumstances".

Quite a contrast to the hardline "FIFA is not involved in host immigration processes" now.

[Nima Tavallaey Roodsari @NimaTavRood]

So far at the 2026 FIFA Epstein Cup before a ball kicked:
- Senegal & Uzbekistan squads treated like criminals upon arrival given full cavity searches;
- Africa’s best referee sent back to Somalia despite having a diplomatic passport;
- Iraq team photographer sent back despite valid visa;
- AIPS (international sport journalist association) calling on FIFA to sort out unacceptable visa issues of African & Iranian journalists;
- 90% of Moroccan fans with tickets denied entry
- 14 members of Iran backroom staff denied visas

Not a word from Gianni ”today I feel black/gay/disabled etc” Infantino.

[Melissa Reddy @MelissaReddy_]

Gianni Infantino in 2017, talking about the bidding process for 2026 with particular reference to the travel bans the US had in place then:

“Teams who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup. That is obvious.

“We are now in the process of defining the bid requirements. In the world there are many countries who have bans, travel bans, visa requirements and so on and so forth. It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup.

“The requirements will be clear. And then each country can make up their decision, whether they want to bid or not based on the requirements.”

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

FIFA confirm Omar Abdulkadir Artan can’t officiate at the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.

The Somali referee is one of Africa’s most respected officials. Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports say Artan travelled with a valid US visa.

Yet Somalia is on a travel ban list introduced by President Trump’s administration.

🗣️ “FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan's status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

[Liverpool FC @LFC]

Divock Origi has announced his retirement from professional football.

Congratulations on a brilliant career and enjoy your retirement, Divock ❤️

[Muhammad Smiry 🇵🇸 @MuhammadSmiry]

Not many people talk about this.
For many, it has become a grim reality, something they feel powerless to stop.

Yet 2 million people are living through unimaginable suffering.

The tragedy is not only in the suffering itself, but in how easily the world seems able to look away, as if their lives are worthless, as if their blood is cheap.

I am talking about the daily Israeli slaughter of Gaza.

[DataFut @DataFutebol]

A diferença do tratamento no recebimento das seleções no México em relação aos Estados Unidos diz muita coisa.

[Assal Rad @AssalRad]

They tried to convince you for years that Iran is a threat to Israel, when it’s Israel that’s an expansionist state with nuclear weapons, committing genocide, and starting wars.

Iran is a threat to Israel’s hegemony because it can actually fight back, so they want to destroy it.

[AS USA Latino @US_diarioas]

Momentos que hacen que el fut pase a segundo plano 💔

Eriksen volvió a desvanecerse durante un partido con Dinamarca, provocando la suspensión inmediata del encuentro ante Ucrania 🚨

(La Federación Danesa confirma que el futbolista está consciente, estable y bajo observación médica) 🏥

🎥: @Chrisrcor

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

🚨Since dawn, Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least 13 Palestinians and wounded more than 35 others.

5 people were killed and 17 injured after an Israeli airstrike struck a police post at Al-Nass Junction in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

Hours later, 4 more Palestinians were killed when a vehicle near Al-Buraq School in western Gaza City was targeted and bombed.

The latest attacks come despite the so-called “ceasefire” in October, which continues to see Palestinians killed across the Strip on a daily basis.

[T 🇫🇷 @Talhaa10_]

giving the world cup to the usa was a stupid decision.

this tournament was supposed to bring the world together. instead we’re talking about shootings, visa issues, travel restrictions and whether fans from certain countries will even be able to attend

[Joy Bhattacharjya @joybhattacharj]

This is ridiculous. Part of the guarantees that all FIFA World Cup hosts have to sign is the free movement of all participating teams and officials through the hosting counties. I know this because it was part of the guarantees the Indian government had to sign before hosting the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017.
This sounds like a last minute compromise where the US could not outright refuse Iran, but still needed to save face and make it as difficult as possible for them.
That is an unfair disadvantage for Iran and should be condemned by all football lovers.

[Assal Rad @AssalRad]

“When will you stop talking about children being killed?”

Ms Rachel: When people stop killing them

[John Cusack @johncusack]

Israel using white phosphorous weapons in populated areas of Lebanon.
The ugly truth : US and Israel are genocidal states.

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

🎥🇵🇸 A father kisses his young daughter goodbye after she was killed in an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced families in the Al-Jawazat (Passport Office) area, west of Gaza City.

According to multiple local reports, the attack killed seven Palestinians and wounded at least 15 others.

📹: Journalist Aziz Khalil (IG: aziz_khalil00)