White House says UK PM's World Cup meddling exceeds Trump's

A senior White House official has accused British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of making a "far more egregious" intervention in World Cup affairs than former U.S. President Donald Trump, escalating a diplomatic dispute over political involvement in the tournament. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, made the remarks, criticizing Starmer's role in opposing a proposed schedule change for England's recent round of 16 match against Mexico.

The controversy stems from discussions before the match in Mexico City, where FIFA considered moving the kickoff from 6 p.m. local time to noon due to safety concerns following the deaths of three Mexican fans in celebratory crowds after the host nation's previous victory over Ecuador. Giuliani argued that Starmer's support for the Football Association's efforts to block the change, which would have shortened England's acclimatization period to high altitude, disregarded public safety. He characterized the Prime Minister's actions as an intervention concerning "life and safety," while framing President Trump's separate lobbying of FIFA over a U.S. player's red card as a matter of "play on the pitch."