Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Tuberville Rebukes Trump Over ‘Football’ Remark as FIFA Ties Face Ethics Complaint

The Alabama senator, a former coach, publicly rejected the president’s push to relabel the sport, a rare split coinciding with fresh scrutiny of FIFA’s engagement with him.

Overview

  • Sen. Tommy Tuberville said “We kick the ball too” and declared “We’re not changing football in our country” in response to President Trump’s comments.
  • At last week’s FIFA World Cup draw, Trump argued Americans should call soccer “football” and suggested the NFL needs a different name.
  • Tuberville’s stance stands out because he is a longtime Trump ally and is leaving the Senate to run for governor.
  • FIFA presented Trump with a newly minted “FIFA Peace Prize” around the World Cup draw event, according to the reports.
  • An ethics complaint alleges FIFA president Gianni Infantino violated the organization’s neutrality in dealings involving Trump.