The world took a breath between crises and mostly just played sports.
Qatar's first World Cup point arrives roughly when you'd expect from a team that bought the tournament then forgot to buy the players.
▸ Wikipedia — In association football, Qatar earns their first point in World Cup history after drawing with Switzerland 1–1 in their group stage match. (AFP via The Daily Star) (The New York TiHardliners protest the possibility of diplomacy outside the building where diplomacy happens, a level of self-awareness that would be touching if it weren't so perfectly on-brand.
▸ Wikipedia — Dozens of hardliners and pro-regime demonstrators gather outside a foreign ministry office in Mashhad, Iran, to protest against foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and a potential dealA football league nobody watches crowns a champion from a city with no other professional teams, which is either brilliant market strategy or elaborate money laundering.
▸ Wikipedia — In American football, the United Football League's Louisville Kings defeat the DC Defenders, 27–20, to win their first United Bowl championship in their inaugural year in the leagu