Can Donald Trump simply move World Cup venues? That’s what lies behind it

Good morning, dear readers,

There are still around eight months until the start of the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. It will be clear in November whether the German national team will qualify for the tournament. Where she will play if she qualifies will be decided in the draw in December. Or maybe later, because US President Trump is now threatening to withdraw the games from many cities run by Democrats – with a call to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.

The reason for Trump’s threat is his usual tale of cities drowning in crime: the democratically governed cities are “lawless” and the mayors are all “radical leftists.” Only “Peace President” Trump can ensure order here and, as the nation’s sheriff, send in the National Guard. And if not? Then there are no World Cup games there. But is it really that easy for Trump?

The answer is no. First of all, FIFA has awarded the 2026 World Cup to the USA, but the contracts are with the respective host cities and not the government. Although the US authorities are also involved in the planning, the contracts cannot be terminated or changed unilaterally by the host.

However, FIFA actually has the option to postpone games. This emerges from the contract that Seattle concluded with the world association and published on the Internet. Section 14.5.2 states that the “host city acknowledges and agrees that FIFA may cancel, reschedule or relocate games to a new venue”. A central point in the contract are the security precautions that the host city must ensure.

Trump maintains very good relations with Infantino, who was recently spotted at his side at the signing of the Gaza peace agreement in Egypt. And so the US President is using this relationship to put pressure on the cities. On Wednesday evening, FIFA also gave the impression that it was siding with Trump. “Safety and security are of course the responsibility of governments and they decide what is in the best interests of public safety,” a FIFA spokesman said.

However, new venues would present the world association with an organizational fiasco. Trump recently criticized the venues Seattle, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles for not doing enough to ensure security. If FIFA were to actually take action here, it would have to re-award a total of 27 games, an almost impossible undertaking in such a short time. But one thing is already certain: Trump is using the 2026 World Cup for his political agenda. And in June and July 2026, the sports world around the world will be looking at Trump, er the USA.

The aging society offers an immense market. According to the most recent available surveys, there were more than six million people aged 80 or older living in Germany at the end of 2024. In 2050 there could be more than nine million.

Alloheim is Germany’s largest nursing home operator. People are cared for in around 300 nursing homes, and there are a total of around 28,000 nursing places. The group of companies belongs to the Swedish company Nordic Capital, a private equity company, and is expanding.

“You are in good hands with us,” promises Alloheim. However, the company is repeatedly criticized for poor care. A team of reporters from star and RTL researched for months, spoke to nursing professionals, assistants, nursing service managers and insiders, and researched the experiences of residents and relatives. The results suggest blatant deficiencies in several facilities.

The wild flight of two birds, a spider in the light of street lamps, three young cheetahs and their prey – these are just three of the famous images that appear at the “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” was awarded. For 60 years, a jury has chosen outstanding images from all over the world. This year 60,000 recordings were submitted.

They are snapshots that require a lot of work. Photographers not only need the talent to press the shutter button at the right moment, but also a lot of patience. They sometimes wait days and weeks for the right moment, going into water, high altitudes or close to dangerous animals. Amit Eshel endured twelve days in temperatures of minus 35 degrees before he was finally able to photograph arctic wolves in northern Canada. Winner Wim van den Heever had to wait twelve years before he caught sight of a nocturnal hyena in a ghost town.

Jackie, Thomas and their children didn’t actually want to emigrate, they just wanted to travel for a year – that was five years ago now.

How did you like this morning star? Feel free to write it to me: . You can also receive this morning briefing in your inbox as a newsletter. Get in touch

I wish you a good start to the day!