Popular
Governor Phil Murphy delivered a reassuring message in Berlin on Sunday. It came a day after Donald Trump was shot in the ear during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. New Jersey will host eight matches, including the final, at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
“New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said on Sunday, “This is an incredibly safe tournament. He made the statement during a public appearance in Berlin, hours before the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England, which ended with a 2-1 victory for Spain. He made the promise on Sunday, hours after an assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and amid violence at Copa America matches.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, with New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium hosting eight matches, including the final. Murphy’s statement comes amid a tense atmosphere after Trump was shot in the ear by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, killing a bystander.
Violence also erupted in the stands at the end of Wednesday’s Copa America semi-final between Colombia and Uruguay in Charlotte. It took more than 10 minutes for the police to arrive and restore order, while players, including Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez, were seen entering the crowd to protect family members.
These moments of tension have raised concerns about security, one of the most important aspects of organising an event of this magnitude.
Murphy told reporters he was confident the 2026 World Cup would be peaceful and safe. Referring to the assassination attempt on Trump, Murphy said: “This kind of violence has no place in the American public discourse. He stressed that New Jersey and neighbouring New York “have some of America’s strongest gun laws.”
Murphy added, “I can say with a great deal of confidence that this is going to be an incredibly safe tournament.”
Ready to make @FIFAWorldCup history! It’s the first time ever that the FIFA World Cup is heading to Canada, while it’s familiar territory for the U.S. and Mexico! The FIFA World Cup 26 ™ will be the most inclusive ever, with a record 48 participating teams. @GreaterMiamiCVB pic.twitter.com/FzEZrukNhv
The governor also addressed the violence at the Copa America, saying: “The 2026 World Cup organisers will have much more time to put on a safe tournament. Murphy focused his remarks on the New York-New Jersey bid, saying it will be one of the safest.
He made a specific reference to MetLife Stadium, which is located in New Jersey, just outside New York City, and is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.
“I wasn’t there, but that’s not the way we do things at MetLife. That is something that has never been the case in our stadium and, God willing, never will be the case. It’s just not how we approach segregation (of fans) and security,” he concluded.
Para Panam Games Santiago 2023 Photos
When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act”. He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
Head of Technical Officials
Reporting to and working closely with the Events Director – Technical Operations, the Head of Technical Officials is responsible for day-to-day management of the Technical Officials programmes within the Events Department, including: Management of day-to-day technical officials operations including tournament assignments and planning; Management and development of the professional technical officials workforce including referees, umpires, and tournament doctors; Technical officials policy development through consultation with key stakeholder groups including commissions, panels, Continental Confederations and working groups; Innovation initiatives within the technical officials area to enhance officiating accuracy and sport presentation; and Technical officials pathway development including working with Continental Confederations and Member Associations on recruitment, education, training, and development initiatives.
More jobs
Pierre de Coubertin once said cricket has “practically no appeal for those who are not British”. While he expressed doubts about the Olympic viability of cricket, lacrosse and baseball, Philip Barker wonders how the man who helped revive the modern Games would have reacted to new sports at Los Angeles 2028.
Read more
Big Read Archive
Should cricket be an Olympic sport?
