Australian PM Will Grant Iranian Women’s Soccer Players Asylum After Trump Mounts Pressure Campaign

President Donald Trump on Monday successfully urged Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese to grant the Iranian women’s soccer team diplomatic protection after the hardline regime branded them "wartime traitors" for refusing to sing the Islamic Republic’s national anthem during a game last week.

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Actor Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham AFC — the world's 3rd-oldest soccer team — to play its biggest game of all time



Ryan Reynolds has made an almost 50X return on a tiny Welsh soccer team.

When Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney, best known for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," bought Wrexham AFC in 2021 for about $2.6 million, it played in England's fifth-tier soccer league and placed eighth. Now, it is knocking on the door of the country's top league and is worth around $130 million.

'Home! Chelsea! Yes!'

It did not take long for the Hollywood owners to bring the team out of obscurity, even though Wrexham is known as being the third-oldest existing professional soccer team in the world. Wrexham was founded over 161 years ago, in October 1864.

Five years of success after success has brought the stars' team to the fifth round of the FA Cup, the final 16 teams of England's biggest tournament and the oldest national soccer competition in the world.

Wrexham plays Chelsea FC, a team from England's top-flight English Premier League, on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. ET. Chelsea is one of the wealthiest teams in the world and would typically crush lower-tiered teams. However, Wrexham has had magic surrounding it lately.

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Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images

It already defeated Premier League team Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup (3-3, won on penalties) and Ipswich Town, a team ahead of Wrexham in its own division, in the fourth round (1-0).

"Home! Chelsea! Yes!" Reynolds said in an X video after learning about his team's opponent.

While Wrexham has played both Chelsea and world-famous Manchester United in exhibition games, this is by far the biggest team it has played in real competition since Reynolds took the helm. His time as owner has been nothing short of a fairy tale for supporters over the last five years.

In 2022-2023, Wrexham won the National League, gaining promotion to the fourth tier, English League Two. Finishing in second place in consecutive years has garnered Wrexham a promotion to the EFL Championship, England's second-highest league, where the team currently sits.

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Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

After Saturday's match, Wrexham will continue its push to make the Premier League. As it stands, the team is in sixth place with 11 games remaining. The top two teams in the league will gain automatic promotion to the Premier League, while third through sixth will play in a four-team, single-elimination tournament with the winner getting promoted.

Wrexham would likely have to beat other giant clubs after Chelsea to win the FA Cup, though, which seems an unlikely outcome.

However, a win against the Blues would still be the biggest in its history in a year in which bigger upsets have happened. In January, Macclesfield FC shocked Crystal Palace 2-1. Macclesfield is a sixth-tier team with part-time players, while Crystal Palace was the defending champion and is in the Premier League.

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Unpaid bill has Foxboro refusing to grant license for World Cup games at Gillette Stadium



The home of the New England Patriots is standing strong until it gets paid.

Foxboro, Massachusetts, is set to host seven World Cup matches this summer at Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play. However, the Boston-area organizing committee for the World Cup has not come up with the money yet.

'All we're trying to do is protect our citizens.'

Representatives from Boston 26, the host city initiative for the World Cup, met in Foxboro this week, where they received a lashing from city officials over the mysteriously absent funding.

"I'm shocked you're not sitting here in front of us right now saying, 'We got the money for ya,'" Foxboro Select Board Member Mark Elfman told the soccer officials on Tuesday.

Board members said they would not grant an entertainment license for the World Cup games until the organizers could put up the money needed for event and security fees, which is a reported $7 million, according to WHDH- TV.

The host committee says it is not at fault, but rather the federal government has simply yet to pay.

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"This task force is working on a daily basis to work with DHS and FEMA on that," Mike Loynd, CEO of Boston 26, told reporters. "I don't think I can say anything more about that. We're being told that it's, you know, it's expected any day now."

Select Board Member Bill Yukna described the World Cup games as the "equivalent of seven Super Bowls" over 39 days, requiring security for the stadium every single day throughout the event.

"All we're trying to do is protect our citizens," Yukna added.

Select Board Vice Chair Stephanie McGowan was more direct with the soccer officials, saying the small city of about 18,000 cannot simply front the millions of dollars required.

"We're not prepared to issue this license unless everything is in place," McGowan said, per WHDH. "I've seen people saying, 'Oh, there’s no way, they won't.' I’m going to tell you, this board will not issue this license," she affirmed.

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Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images

Sixteen venues are scheduled to host games for the 2026 World Cup, the most ever for a single tournament, according to Fox Sports.

Along with two venues in Canada and three in Mexico, 10 other U.S. stadiums are scheduled to host games: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; NRG Stadium in Houston; SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles; Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri; Hard Rock Stadium in Miami; MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California; and Lumen Field in Seattle.

The select board will meet again on March 3, and the deadline to issue the license is March 17.

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Seattle plans World Cup 'Pride match' — then schedules two countries that prosecute gays to play in it



The city of Seattle's progressive ideology is set to clash with Islam during the FIFA World Cup next June.

Lumen Field in Seattle is scheduled to host six World Cup games in 2026, and the city's organizing committee is planning a special gay-pride game for June 26.

'The match-up of two countries where it is illegal to be gay is actually a "good thing" for the Pride Match.'

Announced in October, the committee is dubbing the game the "Seattle Pride Match" and has even procured gay art from fans through a contest meant to be used in Seattle's "citywide celebration."

However, after the World Cup draw finally happened on Friday to determine the tournament groups, the gay game is likely to run into ethical problems after it was decided who the two combatants will be.

The June 26 game will showcase a Group G matchup between two Muslim nations where homosexuality is prosecuted: The Islamic Republic of Iran and Egypt.

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Photograph by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In Iran, same-sex relations are criminalized, with punishments ranging from flogging to the death penalty, according to Amnesty International.

Egypt is known to use its "debauchery" laws to prosecute gay acts, and while homosexuality is not explicitly illegal, the country used anti-prostitution laws to convict a man for sending nude photos to another man on the gay-dating app Grindr in 2017, according to the Guardian.

The Seattle organizers, who are not affiliated with FIFA, said they are already preparing the area's gay businesses to prepare for the influx of fans.

"We're working with small businesses so the region's LGBTQ+-owned enterprises are ready to benefit from the tournament's unprecedented visitor surge," said Hedda McLendon, the committee's senior vice president of legacy, according to Newsweek.

Seattle also organized a committee specifically for the Pride match, calling it the Seattle Pride Match Advisory Committee. A member of that of that group, Eric Wahl, reportedly stated on social media that "the match-up of two countries where it is illegal to be gay is actually a 'good thing' for the Pride Match."

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Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty images

The activism does not stop at gay pride for the Seattle group. It will also celebrate Juneteenth for one of the games. Juneteenth was first recognized by President Biden to celebrate the end of slavery annually on June 19.

A Group D match between the United States and Australia will take place in Seattle that day.

"Having the U.S. Team playing in Seattle on Juneteenth creates a high-visibility, high-responsibility moment to introduce hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide to Juneteenth and to create benefit for local Black-owned businesses and arts and cultural organizations," the organizers said on their website.

For that match, the group created another committee called the Juneteenth Advisory Committee.

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Female soccer player called 'racist' and 'transphobic' after call for gender testing



The National Women's Soccer League has entered crisis mode at the end of its season.

With the playoffs set to start, a recent opinion article sent shockwaves through the league because it mentions one simple issue: that men should not play in women's sports.

'That article does not speak for this team in this locker room.'

Elizabeth Eddy, a 34-year-old who plays for Angel City FC in Los Angeles, penned an article for the New York Post recently asking for the league to adopt gender testing in order to maintain an even playing field.

Eddy suggested one-time genetic testing through either blood sample or cheek swab, which would be kept confidential to protect player privacy.

The American's level-headed essay even included the idea of "creating pathways for athletes traditionally excluded from competing at the highest level" in order to demonstrate "inclusion."

Still, the vary notion of screening men out of the NWSL was met with heavy criticisms from Eddy's teammates.

Angel City captain Sarah Gorden and vice captain Angelina Anderson held a press conference a few days later to publicly condemn Eddy's comments, shockingly accusing her of racism and bigotry.

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Barbra Banda of Orlando Pride was removed from a Zambian roster over alleged elevated testosterone levels. Photo by Eakin Howard/NWSL via Getty Images

"That article does not speak for this team in this locker room," Gorden stated vehemently. The captain said her teammates were "hurt," "harmed," and "disgusted" by some of the things that Eddy wrote.

Gorden went on to claim that Eddy's essay had "undertones that come across as transphobic and racist as well," but fell short of providing any quotes or specific details that fit her description.

However, Gorden did specify that she found it "inherently racist" for the article to feature a photo of Orlando Pride player Barbra Banda, claiming that it was likely because Banda looks different or is different.

However, Banda has been surrounded by controversy for years since being pulled from the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

As previously reported by Blaze News, Banda — along with teammate Racheal Kundananji — both allegedly had tested positive for impermissibly high levels of testosterone. An investigative report by the Telegraph stated that the players were removed from the Zambian women's team because they did not want to take hormone suppressants, citing possible side effects.

Zambian officials told the outlet that Banda had abnormally high testosterone levels, and so did at least two other players, including Kundananji.

Banda has been praised through the controversy and was even named the BBC's female footballer of the year in 2024. The award drew mass criticism, including from beloved writer J.K. Rowling, who called the award "more time efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women's faces."

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Gorden added during the recent press conference that since she is a "mixed woman" with a black family, she was "devastated by the undertones" of Eddy's article.

Anderson further cemented the team's position and reinforced that Angel City was "founded upon inclusivity and love" for all.

The NWSL itself supported Banda's recent selection to the FIFPRO World XI, which names the best female players in the world, annually.

The league said Banda is an "extraordinary talent" and that any "harassment or hateful attacks" have no place in the sport or its "communities."

Kundananji was transferred to NWSL team Bay FC (San Francisco) in 2024. Banda missed a chunk of the 2025 season with a hip abductor injury.

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Trump supporter booted from soccer game over 'MAGA' hat — but exposes glaring hypocrisy before leaving



A Trump supporter was escorted out of a professional soccer game in St. Louis over his "Make America Great Again" baseball cap.

A video with over one million views on X showed a man, who identified himself as Michael Weitzel, filming his interaction with stadium security and police at Energizer Park, home of St. Louis City SC, a Major League Soccer team.

'Are these rules equally enforced on everybody?'

Weitzel is seen telling a security guard that he is recording for his own safety when he is approached by a police officer who places a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm being asked to leave by police because of a Donald Trump [hat]," Weitzel says into the camera.

"I'm a Donald Trumper," the officer replied, seemingly stating his political views align with the fan's.

The officer then claimed the venue considers itself "nonpolitical" and, therefore, does not want any political messaging present at its games.

At that point, Weitzel panned the camera to a section across the stadium where gay pride flags were being flown.

"So those flags over there," Weitzel began, before being interrupted by the officer who told him the flags had been "preapproved."

Weitzel pressed on, "So my question to you guys is: Are these rules equally enforced on everybody?"

"Yes," the officer and a security guard told him, adding that in order to enforce the rules, they had to apply to him and his "MAGA" hat, as well.

Although he seemed to accept his fate and agreed to leave, Weitzel soon had a change of heart.

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According to the Post Millennial, Weitzel later tried to comply with the request to remove his hat and stay at the game, but security told him they were "already past that" before requiring him to leave.

Additionally, OutKick reported that Weitzel is actually a season-ticket holder, which could further complicate matters for the organization and its rules.

St. Louis City, staff, and the police officer were seemingly following MLS policy, though. The league states in its Fan Code of Conduct that "displaying signs, symbols or images" for the purposes of advocating for or against any "candidate, political party, legislative issue, or government action" is prohibited.

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Energizer Park in St. Louis, MO, March 25, 2025. Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Reporter Gregg Keller, who originally shared Weitzel's video, claimed that the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division is investigating the video. The Justice Department told Blaze News it had no comment on the matter.

Blaze News has also contacted St. Louis City SC regarding the pride flags, whether or not the fan has been banned from future games, and if the organization is open to flying pro-Donald Trump or "MAGA" flags at any of its games.

This story will be updated with any applicable responses.

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National Disgrace: Trump Appeases Soccer Menace on Home Soil in Solidarity With America's Enemies

We've never had any reason to doubt Donald Trump's commitment to American greatness.

 Until now.

The post National Disgrace: Trump Appeases Soccer Menace on Home Soil in Solidarity With America's Enemies appeared first on .

Zohran Mamdani Has a Disgusting Personality Flaw That's Even Worse than Loving Communism and Hamas

Zohran Mamdani, the radical leftist who is favored to be the next mayor of New York City after toppling degenerate fondler Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, espouses an array of views most Americans would consider antithetical to our country's values.

The post Zohran Mamdani Has a Disgusting Personality Flaw That's Even Worse than Loving Communism and Hamas appeared first on .

Swiss women's national soccer team proves men should not be in women's sports



The argument that sports should be separated by sex got even stronger on Wednesday, when the women's national soccer team of Switzerland took part in a friendly match.

The Swiss team has enjoyed a lot of fanfare due to the popularity of Alisha Lehmann, their 26-year-old forward who has amassed a gigantic online following. Lehmann, who plays in Italy for Juventus after six years on English teams, has a gigantic fan base on Instagram with 16.7 million followers and another 12 million followers on TikTok.

However, Lehmann's popularity could not help the Swiss women in their match against the under-15 boys academy for Austrian club FC Luzern.

'The boys didn't even look like they were trying that hard either.'

The match against the youth squad resulted in a dominating performance from the teen boys, in which the lads easily handled their older counterparts.

The game ended 7-1 in favor of the Austrian youth squad, with the results plastered all over the internet.

According to Nexus Football though, the match was supposed to be closed to the public, in attempt to gear up for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 competition in July.

However, the outlet said that one of the boys posted the results on TikTok, which led to the widespread sharing of the score.

Swiss website Blick said a video was deleted from TikTok after it garnered 70,000 views, but by that point, it was too late.

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Switzerland women's team, at stadium Schuetzenwiese in Winterthur, on June 26, 2025. Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

According to Sport Bible, Swiss player Leila Wandeler remarked after the game that while the training sessions have been "exhausting," the team wants to be "in our best shape for this European Championship. That's why I think it's a good thing."

She reportedly added that the loss "didn't matter" to the ladies but rather it was about "testing our game principles."

Viewers were not as forgiving to the Swiss national team and chalked up their performance as just another reason why men should not compete against women.

Yes, the match is real. Multiple sources confirm Switzerland's women's national team lost 7-1 to Luzern's U15 boys team in a friendly on June 25, 2025, as part of Euro 2025 prep. The result was meant to be private but was leaked on social media. It's a common practice for…
— Grok (@grok) June 25, 2025

On X, one user did not even believe the result was real and asked Grok AI to clarify.

A female X user piled on, saying, "Losing against U15 boys? Bold move, Switzerland."

"The boys didn't even look like they were trying that hard either," a top comment read underneath a YouTube video.

"Equal pay for the under 15 boys!" another YouTube commentator joked.

While footage circulating online has purported to show the game between the women and the boys, many sources have actually used a combination of footage that showed Lehmann walking onto a field, juxtaposed with video of a 2013 game between Swiss women's team FC Zürich Frauen and the under-15 FC Zürich boys.

That game ended 6-1 in favor of the boys, adding to the list of soccer games between women and teen boys that have been played with a similar result.

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Alisha Lehmann of Switzerland takes selfies with fans on June 3, 2025, in Sion, Switzerland. Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

In 2015, the Australian women's national soccer team lost 7-0 to an under-16 male squad.

Similarly in 2017, the U.S. women's national soccer team lost 5-2 to a team of under-15 boys from the youth academy of MLS team FC Dallas.

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'Showering is not an entitlement': Tennis anti-doping unit announces players must shower 'in full view' of officials



Tennis' leader in anti-doping and anti-corruption said players are not permitted to have a shower before a drug test.

The International Tennis Integrity Unit covers policy, sanctions, prohibition, and testing for doping in tennis, and it recently announced a change to its policy that had many fans asking questions.

The ITIA informed players on Friday that drug testing will be conducted immediately following matches and that if a player wishes to shower before the drug test, he or she will have to do so in front of a drug-testing official.

The new rule was shared by Tennis Channel reporter Jon Wertheim, who showed a snippet of a letter from the ITIA on his X page.

"On behalf of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), we are sharing important updates to the Tennis Anti-Doping Program," the letter stated, before introducing a subsection on "showering,"

"The ITIA and previously the ITF has worked hard to ensure that showers following matches can amount to a permissible delay to doping control, particularly when showering could have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of a player."

The letter continued, "However, showering is not an entitlement, and it is for this reason that the ITIA kindly requests that when showering[,] players adhere to the requirement to stay in full view of the chaperone observing them at all times."

The letter added that if a player is not comfortable with being monitored while showering, the player should consider the idea of whether or not a shower is "necessary before providing a doping control sample. Failure to remain in full view of the chaperone will be taken extremely seriously by the ITIA."

— (@)

After the seemingly bizarre wording of the policy received publicity, the ITIA reaffirmed its stance in a follow-up statement.

"We recognise that parts of the anti-doping testing process are uncomfortable," the group said. "However, as with all World Anti-Doping Agency-compliant sports — not just tennis — players who are notified for a test after a match are observed at all times by an anti-doping chaperone until the test is completed."

The group added, "This is a requirement of the World Anti-Doping Code."

While the policy sounded strange on its surface, it did have a certain level of logic behind it. As outlet Metro noted, soccer's governing body in the region, the Professional Footballers' Association, has a similar policy in place with an added explanation:

"It is important for the laboratory to analyse your first sample and by having a shower a player could urinate easily without anyone noticing."

The organization added, "Sports people have done this before in order to manipulate this seemingly insignificant procedure to avoid a positive result."

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