Sports
Local officials warn Congress of serious World Cup security concerns
[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; General view of the FIFA logo before a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images Representatives from cities hosting the FIFA World Cup later this summer testified before a congressional committee on Tuesday, laying out their concerns over potentially “catastrophic” problems with security as the event nears.
Speaking at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, witnesses pointed at two primary reasons why security preparations are far behind where they need to be with little more than 100 days before the World Cup kicks off: the freezing of FEMA funds earmarked for World Cup security and a lack of coordination between local entities and the federal government.
With the federal government currently in a shutdown, FEMA on Sunday announced it was scaling back to “bare-minimum, life-saving operations.” That meant the freezing of all funds not fitting that description, among which is nearly $900 million set aside for World Cup host cities.
As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, FEMA in November launched the FIFA World Cup Grant Program, which provided $625 million to host cities to “carry out the extensive security activities required to protect players, staff, attendees, venues, and critical infrastructure across the host cities, strengthening them against potential terrorist attacks.”
In December, the agency awarded another $250 million to the 11 host states, helping them to “strengthen their ability to detect, identify, track, or mitigate unmanned aircraft systems (drones).”
“I feel that if we’d been having this conversation two years ago, we’d be in better shape,” Mike Sena, president of the National Fusion Center Association, said during the hearing, before continuing, “but today, as we’re approaching these games, we’re nowhere near the capability we need.”
Ray Martinez, the COO of the Miami World Cup Host Committee, was more specific about his needs and concerns.
“We’re 107 days out from the tournament but, more importantly, we’re about 70-something days out from starting to build the Fan Fest,” he said, adding that if organizers don’t get the $70 million they applied for by the end of March, they will start cancelling events, starting with the Fan Fest.
“These decisions have to be made,” he added. “Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and coordination.”
Officials in Foxboro, Mass., have alluded to pulling out of hosting the seven matches scheduled for Gillette Stadium if the funding does not come through.
Kansas City Deputy Chief of Police Joseph Mabin said his department does not currently have enough staff to cover all of the city’s security needs, and called funding critical for the city’s ability to hire more personnel.
The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, officially kicks off June 11 with Mexico playing South Africa in Mexico City and South Korea playing an opponent to be determined near Guadalajara. The first match to be played in the U.S. will come a day later, with the United States playing Paraguay in Los Angeles.
The 11 host cities in the United States are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rays place LHP Steven Matz (elbow) on 15-day IL
Apr 10, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Steven Matz throws a pitch during the first inning against New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay Rays placed left-hander Steven Matz on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with elbow inflammation and selected the contract of right-hander Chase Solesky from Triple-A Durham.
Matz, 34, is coming off one of his best starts of the season when he allowed one run on four hits over six innings Sunday against the San Francisco Giants. He is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA over seven starts during his first season with Tampa Bay.
The IL move for Matz is retroactive to Monday.
In 12 major league seasons, Matz is 64-63 with a 4.18 ERA over 253 outings (179 starts) for the New York Mets (2015-20), Toronto Blue Jays (2021), St. Louis Cardinals (2022-25), Boston Red Sox (2025) and Rays.
Solesky, 28, is set to make his major league debut after seven seasons in the minor leagues. In his first season in the Rays’ organization, he is 2-1 with a 6.57 ERA in six starts at Durham.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Matt Fitzpatrick advising brother as he brings win streak to Truist
Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick watches his drive on the third hole during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Two weeks ago, Matt Fitzpatrick helped his brother Alex earn his PGA Tour card through 2028 with their dual victory at the Zurich Classic pairs event.
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This week at the Truist Championship in Charlotte, they’ll play alongside each other as full-time PGA competitors for the first time at Quail Hollow Club.
For Matt, who has much more PGA Tour experience while Alex was playing full-time on the DP World Tour until his Zurich victory, the 31-year-old feels an obligation to take his brother, who is four years younger, under his wing.
“Definitely. I think it would be wrong of me not to (play practice rounds) with him and help him out as much as I can. He’s been thrown in the deep end straight away and it’s all happening very fast so I feel like I have an obligation to help him too,” Matt Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve already said to him, ‘If you don’t want that, you can tell me to mind my own business.’ I don’t want to feel like I’m getting involved in all these decisions and stuff, that’s his thing. I just kind of want to offer my two cents, if you like, and see where it goes.”
Alex did plenty well without his brother around last week at the Cadillac Championship, finishing in a tie for ninth in his first event since earning his card.
Matt took last week’s signature event off after winning consecutive events the prior two weeks at the RBC Heritage and Zurich. While it was a week away from golf, it was not the celebratory week off people may have expected given his impressive recent form.
“I spent last week at home in Florida with my wife and my parents. We had a little bit of off-course stuff to do with the house that I bought and stuff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think that kind of occupied me for most of the week, which was nice to not have to think about golf for a little bit.”
Matt’s debut win on tour came at the 2022 U.S. Open and he followed with a 2023 win at the RBC Heritage. An extended drought without a title followed, though, as he went winless until this March’s Valspar Championship.
His three wins in a span of five weeks are more than he had in his first 11 years on tour combined, sending him surging up to fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking.
“My DNA is definitely different. The makeup of my game at that point in time was pretty much great driving of the golf ball, like really, really, really good. I was long and straight at that point. I hit my irons pretty well at that point too,” Matt Fitzpatrick said of reflecting on how his game has changed since his U.S. Open victory four years ago. “I would say now I feel like I’m driving it probably just as well, maybe not quite as long, but I’m driving it just as straight if not straighter and my irons are another level above. So I feel like that combination alongside me putting well, which has always been a strength in the past, is obviously a nice mix.”
Matt also has recent success at Quail Hollow, finishing in a tie for eighth at last year’s PGA Championship at the same course.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Louis Munteanu's brace lifts D.C. United past sliding NYCFC
May 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; D.C. United celebrate the goal by D.C. United forward Louis Munteanu (11) during the first half against New York City FC at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Louis Munteanu scored his second and third career MLS goals and short-handed D.C. United earned a 2-0 victory at New York City FC on Sunday afternoon.
Munteanu’s brace completed a third consecutive multi-goal performance after the Black and Red (4-4-3, 15 points) had failed to score in four consecutive league matches.
It came on an afternoon Tai Baribo, D.C.’s leading scorer with six goals, was unavailable because of a thigh injury, while attacker Gabriel Pirani was left out of the team in a coach’s decision.
Sean Johnson made four saves to keep his fourth clean sheet of the season, coming against his former club. That was enough to ensure D.C.’s first consecutive league victories of the season.
New York City (3-5-3, 12 points) held 65% of the possession, but failed to translate that advantage into chances as their league winless run extended to seven matches.
D.C. led 19-8 in overall shots and 7-4 in efforts on target.
Munteanu joined D.C. this offseason from CFR Cluj in his native Romania for a reported $7 million transfer fee, but had mostly been used off the substitute’s bench while the 23-year-old acclimated to a new league and culture.
But Baribo’s absence opened the path for a starting role in last weekend’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Orlando City, in which he scored an 84th-minute equalizer, and he got the nod again from manager Rene Weiler on Sunday.
His first goal came in the 29th minute on an instinctive finish from Jared Stroud’s long throw-in from the right.
The throw dropped in the area of teammate Kye Rowles and then appeared to take a deflection off an NYCFC defender. Munteanu reacted quickly to reach it inside the 6-yard box and poked a first-touch finish past goalkeeper Matt Freese (five saves).
Munteanu’s second came from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.
Referee Ismail Elfath whistled Keaton Parks for a foul on Lucas Bartlett, appearing to signal that Parks had grabbed Bartlett’s neck area.
NYCFC players protested, but replays showed no decisive angles that would’ve led to an overturn. Munteanu stepped up and finished coolly past Freese into the bottom right corner.
–Field Level Media
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