marwan
The Art of Tragedy. Said Elatab calls his latest painting ‘FIFA WORLD CUP 2026’: He writes:
Despite the death of Lebanese and Palestinians, the world chose not realize that the war on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon – a genocide – is still going on and killing of people in these places, continues. He adds, God save the Lebanese and Palestinians from this evil war.
Saleem Ayoub Quna
By Saleem Ayoub Quna
For a change I would like to give credit to President Trump’s, latest attempt to support the American team before facing off Belgium’s team on July 6, when the day before, and despite his tight and loaded schedule, he called “his friend” Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s President, and asked him for a second look at the punishment against the American striker Folarin Balogun, who made a foul against a Bosnia-Herzegovina player in the match they played earlier on July 2, and which the US won 2-0.
FIFA regulations stipulate that when a player gets a red card during a match for an offense he makes against the other team, he should be suspended from playing in the following match! Mr. Infantino obliged and lifted the ban against the American player. But the match against Belgium in which Balogun played was won by Belgium 4-1.
This intervention episode by Trump on behalf of the American national soccer squad did not end there and led to a controversy that would not be settled before the closing of the 32nd round of the current international tournament.
Infantino was criticized by many within and outside the FIFA body and was asked to resign his post as head of this huge powerful organization. In brief, this episode shows that behind the broad smiles and nice words, sits a huge monster of nepotism and even possible corruption!
Also it means that sports, as a human “noble” endeavor, is not immune from certain uncouth and loath viruses that can affect and may shatter the dreams of other less resourceful nations!
Then we have the phenomenon of waiving national flags when a team wins a match. This occasion is ceased by some staff of the winning teams and players to demonstrate their support for a certain political or human cause or admiration of a person. This is exactly what Hossam Hassan, head-coach of the Egyptian team did when his players defeated Australia on July 3 as they scored 4 goals against Australia which scored only 2 goals, in the final shootout play of the match.
Coach Hassan came down to the pitch and waived the Palestinian flag in a sign of support for the Palestinians in beleaguered Gaza, which celebrated Egyptian performance at the tournament. Israel protested this solidarity gesture with Palestinians and labeled it as anti-Semitic, but FIFA officials maintained that flags belonging to FIFA members, (including Palestine) are allowed to be waived on this occasion!
On the other side of the Atlantic, and in London to be precise, another major sports event is underway, known as the Wimbledon grand slam championship. Wimbledon is known for its strict rules starting with the must-wear white attire, by all players and staff!
On June 29, the Turkish Tennis player, Zeynep Sonmez, ranked 51 by WTA, defeated American player Ann Li 2-1. Sonmez wanted to waive a sign of support for the Palestinians, but could not and according to Jamie Baker, the Wimbledon Tournament Director: “Wimbledon rules do not allow political massaging from players”!
So, what does Ms. Zeynep Somez do?! She sticks a small rubber shock absorber to her racket in a shape of a watermelon composed of the four colors of red, white, black and green! To that subtle demonstration, the Wimbledon people could not raise a finger or blow a whistle!
In this regard, other sources insisted that some people among the audience waived the Israeli which was received by a blind eye!
So next time I attend an important tournament or watch it on TV, I will keep my eyes open on tactics and kicks of this sort, which actually might add to the fun of watching!
Saleem Ayoub Quna
(Caption: Huge Jordanian crowds assemble at the Roman Theater in downtown Amman on Wednesday at 7 am to watch the first Jordan-Austria football match for the World Cup that was being broadcast live from San Francisco, USA. (Courtesy photo Dr Zeidan Al Kafafi, directly taken from the Amman Citadel.)
Two prominent universal endeavors help bring people closer to each other: Music and sports. Both can be performed without the need for language. One goes to the ear and the other catches the eye!
Today, the world is watching football matches played in three countries of North America by the best 48 national teams including Jordan for the first time, in this 32nd edition of the World Cup organized by FIFA.
It is important to notice that the power and impact of the little colorful ball being kicked by 22 players for 90 minutes, split into two halves, before an enthusiastic two huge crowds, each representing one team, surpass the effects of any other activity, theory, ideology or doctrine endorsed or practiced by the human race!
All participating nations in the ongoing tournament, big or small, rich or poor, old or new, would be chanting their national anthem and waiving their own flags in a joyful atmosphere that lasts for a whole month.
Also football and “foreign threat or aggression” to the nation have equal weight and role in uniting the people of any nation under one banner; one creates harmony between community members and the other feeds on the fear of the unknown!
Within the boundaries of each participant nation, a kind of a state of emergency prevails, where some days off are observed, city centers and businesses are closed and daily life takes a different beat. Crowds also gather before titanic screens in public places to watch their national team playing.
But some cynics have a different view. They call the soccer game a total nonsense, a sheer waste of energy and a preference of foot over the brain!
Whatever our attitude towards this sports event might be, many tears of joy or regret would be shed, many hearts would be broken and many dreams would be either, fulfilled or shattered.
By the end of the month, our bigger globe will take a break for four long years, then new hopes for a win will arise again and bless humanity with precious moments of joy and celebration.
Saleem Ayoub Quna
This summer promises to be unlike any previous or future summers in the history of mankind. It will witness an unprecedented convergence of two big, unrelated in substance, events that will be the focus of attention of all nations around the globe. One of those events might and indeed, should tip the balance!
On the battle grounds of these two big events, tears will be shed, hearts will be broken and plans flopped! On both occasions, the crucial component of vanity in the human brain would develop into a dubious concept that in each game you play or a confrontation you get involved in, you must be the winner, no matter what!
What would the other side be saying?
As the clock ticks forward, the hostilities in the Middle East or more precisely the off-and-on-rounds of ‘war of choice’ by the US and Israel against Iran’s plans for itself and the region, bounce up and down in a blurred fashion; making it difficult, to see whether those hostilities will continue, as the Israeli Prime Minister wants them to, or whether they will be ordered by Donald Trump to stop, even temporarily, but for completely different reasons.
President Trump’s interest and role in this affair is central and crucial, not only because his country, along with Mexico and Canada, will host the football tournaments matches and because his army is stuck in the quagmire he helped to create in the Middle East since June 2025.
Now and in these final hours before the big sports event kicks off next week, the political ball is also being played, openly bouncing back and forth by Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump and Iran, each according to a specific domestic political agenda and in a dramatic fashion. Indeed, it could threaten the destiny of FIFA’s well-planned agenda, at the expense of letting Israel continue its quasi-impossible crusade against Iran!
Trump on the other hand, and besides the other signs he gave, might opt for a peaceful outcome to his quarrel with Iran. He has few other concerns at home such as the 250th anniversary of his country’s independence, his own birthday party to celebrate, rising prices of gas and inflation to curb, local partisan elections and opinion polls to worry about; lastly off course, he has to guarantee the smooth running of the world cup matches in his country for a whole month.
Now let’s dig deeper in this business of political footballing.
The US and Iran according to the FIFA program belong to two different groups: Fourth and seventh. To qualify for the second level of the tournament, each has to play three matches and win. The US against Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. Iran against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.
Both teams have reasonable chances to pass through this first stage.
Let’s imagine that after a month-long matches between the 48-competing nations, Iran and the US end up facing each other in the final match for the world trophy.
In such a case, heads of states whose teams were playing, are supposed to be present watching and cheering their teams from the premium seating area. Whoever the winner might be, the players, coaches and political leaders would be approaching each other and shaking hands. One saying: “Congratulation” and the other: “Hard luck”!
One more time, picture Donald Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei shaking hands and exchanging these words live, while the whole world is watching!
At such a moment, the real war back on the grounds of the Middle East, would not be more than a fading ripple on the surface of a remote lake!
