Here’s a look back at times when international conflicts seeped into soccer’s biggest tournament.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

At its first game in Los Angeles, the men’s national team drew spectators who weren’t coming for the soccer, but rather to protest the regime in Tehran.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

At its first game in Los Angeles, the men’s national team drew spectators who weren’t coming for the soccer, but rather to protest the regime in Tehran.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

The war had stirred doubts about the team’s participation in the tournament. It is set to play New Zealand in a Los Angeles area stadium on Monday.

© Andre Penner/Associated Press

John Sorochan, a turf scientist at the University of Tennessee, has led the yearslong, multimillion-dollar effort to develop perfect playing fields for the 2026 World Cup.

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