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Trump Boldly Claims the End of the War with Iran; Mexico, South Korea Won Opening Games at FIFA World Cup, U.S., Canada Set to Kick Off Opening Games; Looming Super El Nino Could Happen This 2026. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 12, 2026 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us all around the world, I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. Here is what's ahead.
U.S. President Trump says there's a deal to end the Iran war. Iran says not so fast. We'll go live to the Gulf with the latest.
With a new FIFA World Cup comes some important new rules. We'll walk you through them, plus bring you highlights from the first day of action.
El Nino is here and it could become a super El Nino. We'll explain what that could mean for hundreds of millions of people.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Hong Kong, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Ivan Watson.
WATSON: Hello again, it is 3:00 a.m. in Washington, 10:30 in the morning in Tehran. And we begin this hour with a bold claim from U.S. President Donald Trump on the war with Iran.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (on the phone): I don't know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today and they have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon, something that we insisted on.
That was the whole purpose. That was 95 percent of it. And they've done it in the most powerful way you can do it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WATSON: The President even suggested that Iran's new supreme leader supports the deal, which would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. He says Iran agreed to the deal because they've taken a pounding from the U.S. military. Earlier Thursday, President Trump floated the prospect of taking over parts of Iran's oil infrastructure. But a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry told state-run media that reports of a finalized agreement are merely speculation.
To get more on this, let's go to CNN's Paula Hancocks, who will have the very latest from Abu Dhabi. Good to see you, Paula.
So, President Trump makes this bold announcement. What is the message coming out of Tehran right now?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ivan, they're certainly casting doubt on what we've heard from the U.S. President.
President Trump saying that they have agreed a deal also pointing out that it had been agreed by the gulf nations by other countries Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, all of those that have a vested interest in seeing the guns fall silent here.
He said that it had been agreed by everybody, but the timing was up in the air. There could be a potential signing, maybe even in Europe. There were talks about U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance going to a signing.
But Tehran has said that this is possible merely speculation at this point. They say that there hasn't been a decision even though they do acknowledge that things are moving forward. So let's listen to what the spokesperson of the foreign ministry said.
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ESMAIL BAGHAEI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Regardless of the rhetoric, threats and claims of the other side, we are focused on the interests of the Iranian nation. We are doing our own work.
Regarding the text and the overall understanding, whenever we conclude that it secures the interests of the Iranian nation, we will certainly announce it transparently. As I speak to you at this moment, we have not reached a final conclusion on this matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: Now we have heard from a number of different sources that the Qatari delegation that was in Tehran up until Thursday morning during the U.S. bombing of certain locations in Iran, but that meeting was crucial. We understand from a person familiar with the situation that they managed to iron out some of the sticking points, specifically finalizing plans on how to potentially release or unfreeze some of the billions of dollars of Iranian money that has been frozen so far.
So the sequencing of financial relief is the way it was said to us. And also looking at how the sorting out and the fixing of the nuclear program to make sure that Iran is not able to produce a nuclear weapon, how that will unfold in the future. [03:05:09]
Because this deal that the U.S. President has announced at this point, whether or not Tehran is where the U.S. President is, and it doesn't appear they are, this is for a memorandum of understanding, where the Strait of Hormuz will be open, where there will be a certain extension of time where they will discuss the more difficult parts of an eventual deal and that is crucially the nuclear program.
Now also another element of this of course is Israel. It was the U.S. and Israel that jointly started these strikes in Iran and what we've heard from a source, an Israeli source, is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn't pre-warned about the announcement that the President was going to give, even suggesting that he was in a Security Cabinet meeting at the time and was taken aback by it.
We understand there has been a phone call since, there's been a message, a statement from the Prime Minister's office in Israel saying that they appreciate the final agreement, but they also point out what that final agreement should include, which of course is the enriched uranium that Iran still has, making sure that is dealt with, the dismantling of the nuclear infrastructure, limiting of missile production, and halting support for proxies.
Now, the last two are issues that we haven't really heard the U.S. President mention now for many weeks. Ivan?
WATSON: Well, as some analysts have put it, Israel launched this war with the U.S., but it does not seem to be playing a key role in ending it with its American ally. Paula Hancocks, live from Abu Dhabi, thank you very much.
I spoke last hour with Ali Fathollah-Nejad. He's the founder and director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order. And I asked him how he's reading the various messages coming from the U.S. and Iran right now.
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ALI FATHOLLAH-NEJAD, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST AND GLOBAL ORDER: I think there's also some suggestions from Iranian semiofficial sources that an agreement on an MOU may be imminent. There's also the account according to which the Qatari message that was delivered to Iran signaled that there was some U.S. back-paddling from earlier maximalist demands, according to the Iranian version.
And there's the hope from the Iranian side that they're going to get access to billions of dollars. There is also the talk that there is a 14-point plan of confidence-building measures which entails the core agreement on reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, on sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports, on Iranian access to those billions of dollars.
But then again, according to the same accounts, there may be some aspects of those 14 points that may still be controversial. WATSON: There's so much posturing on both sides from both governments.
But do you think that the current status quo of this very shaky ceasefire deal and these eruptions of violence, do you think that can be sustained much longer by either party?
FATHOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, I think the calculation from both sides is that a return to a full-fledged war would be too costly. There is obviously pressure on the Trump administration, not only domestically but also regionally from Arab Gulf states and, of course, from the world economy. But also there is also pressure piling up upon the Islamic Republic.
After all, the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has now reached, you know, has now led to a six-year low of Iranian oil exports. So the economic pressure on the Iranian regime has also been quite up recently.
WATSON: And beyond Iran and the pressure on the American economy, there's the global economy. I mean, the World Bank is predicting the slowest global economic growth this year since the COVID-19 pandemic, with global economic growth forecasted to be around 2.5 percent this year. That would be down from 2.9 percent in 2025.
So is everyone paying for this war? And who's being hurt the most outside of the U.S. and Iran and the countries around the Gulf that have been hit periodically?
FATHOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, because of, you know, many of the things that are produced in the Arab Gulf states that are also important for the international community, many countries, many poorer countries have suffered a lot.
[03:10:06]
And even if we imagine that there's going to be an MOU between the United States and Iran signed tomorrow, and we're going to see the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, we will have to see the modus operandi of that reopening.
And also, if we're going to see an MOU tomorrow, we're going to still have this cascade of different economic fallouts from this war still having important impacts not only for months but also maybe for one or two years at least on many countries on this globe because of those various cascading effects of this conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: The North American World Cup is finally underway, and co-host Mexico is off to a strong start.
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That massive crowd in Mexico City just erupted as their hometown hero scored in the tournament's opening match. The Mexicans went on to dominate in terms of possession, shots on goal and big chances created, defeating South Africa 2-0, the victory puts Mexico at the top of Group A.
CNN's Elizabeth Perez was in the stadium and CNN's Valeria Leon checked out the fan festival.
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ELIZABETH PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy World Cup Day from Mexico City where the biggest soccer tournament has officially started with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. A very special game because it was a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opener in South Africa.
The atmosphere inside and outside the stadium has been incredible. Shakira, Andrea Bocelli and J Balvin performed at today's opening ceremony. The first of three, the other two will be in Canada and the U.S. this Friday and the World Cup is on their way and we will be following all the action.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mexico City's iconic Zocalo has transformed in this football temple. This is the largest fan fest of the tournament, big enough for 50,000 people. Here visitors from all over the world have brought their music, culture, traditions to celebrate this opening match with thousands of Mexicans and of course tourists in this Mexico City.
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WATSON: All right, in more sobering news, troubles are piling on for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Still ahead, new resignations from his government, the head of an election that could decide his political future.
Plus, U.S. President Donald Trump makes his pick to lead the intelligence community. What we know about the man tapped to be the nation's next top spy. That's coming up after the break.
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WATSON: Pope Leo will be heading back to the Vatican in the coming hours, but first he travels to Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, for more meetings with migrants and organizations advocating for them. The Pope held similar meetings on Thursday when he arrived in the region for the final leg of his trip to Spain, he called on leaders to treat all people with dignity. The Canary Islands are a major entry point for migrants from parts of West Africa.
To the U.K. now, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is taking what some are calling a political hammer blow at a time when he's just fighting to keep his job. On Thursday, two top defense officials quit his government, including Defense Secretary John Healey. He says Mr. Starmer is not giving the armed forces the resources they need. The resignations came just weeks after the UK Health Minister also called it quits. Now, that's happening as Mr. Starmer is bracing for a possible leadership challenge from within his Labor Party. His would-be rival could emerge after next week's by-election in the city of Makerfield, 14 candidates are running in that race, including Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who's expected to challenge Mr. Starmer if he wins. CNN's Nic Robertson has more.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Andy Burnham, the charismatic Manchester Mayor is on a mission to become Prime Minister and it's starting here in a local election in Makerfield, a northern working class area.
ANDY BRUNHAM, MANCHESTER MAYOR: Evening all, Friday evening in the Burnham Campaign H.Q. at Stubbshire Cross. There they all are, hard at work.
ROBERTSON: Burnham's folksy vibe in here is part of his political superpower. And he's going to need it. This election is widely expected to be one of the most unconventional and consequential in a generation.
This is where the story, so to speak, begins. Downing Street, two years ago. Keir, no drama, Starmer, delivers a rollicking election victory, bringing his Labor Party to power, tossing out the Tories who'd torn through four prime ministers in three years.
Expectations were Starmer would deliver stability, his massive mandate would bring change. But the economy faltered, missteps followed. Not least, Starmer appointing Peter Mandelson, a former friend of Jeffrey Epstein, to be his ambassador to the United States.
[03:20:06]
ROBERTSON (voice-over): When details of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein leaked last year, Starmer fired him. Mandelson denied wrongdoing. It cost Starmer credibility.
Calls for a leadership change grew.
CHRIS CURTIS, LABOR PARLIAMENT MEMBER: People are starting to lose faith in that kind of mainstream politics in order to fix the problems that this country faces. They're doing it because for too long that kind of politics hasn't solved those problems.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Curtis, a former pollster and now a Labor M.P., once Starmer replaced, sees Makerfield as make or break for Labor. Their biggest challenge coming from the hard-right Reform Party.
CURTIS: They are leading in the opinion polls at the moment but it's not just the fact that they could win the next general election and the polls show us that they could. It is just how disastrous, I think they would be for the country if they did. ROBERTSON: So back to Makerfield and Burnham's path to prime minister
for the past 120 years voters here have always returned Labor M.P.'s But this working class community, like so many across the country, is giving up on the main political parties.
The relatively untested new kids on the block, populist right-wing Reform, are surging where Starmer is stumbling.
The race so tight, Reform leader, sometime Trump friend and Brexit cheerleader, Nigel Farage, is suddenly spending time in Makerfield trying to make sure his candidate, Rob Kenyon, wins.
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER, REFORM U.K.: I'm thinking as many reform supporters as possible will come and help him between now and June the 18th, the day of this epic battle against Andy Burnham.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): For Farage, Kenyan's victory in Makerfield would signal his and Reform's path to Downing Street isn't just a pipe dream, that U.K's politics is changed for good and a chance to realize Reform's right-wing policies.
FARAGE: In his first act as Prime Minister--
Not a single unauthorized vessel crossing the English Channel.
BURNHAM: A vote for me in this by-election campaign is a vote to change Labor.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Burnham, by contrast, would shift his party and the U.K. the other direction, to the left.
BURNHAM: We just need to take stronger action to get the basics affordable for people back under public control.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): At the moment, power sits with Labor, over 400 M.P.s to Reform's eight. But Makerfield is set to test who has their finger on the British pulse.
A bellwether for the next general election.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Makerfield, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATSON: All right, CNN contacted the Green Party, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats for comment. The Liberal Democrats said Labor Party infighting has undermined trust in politics and that its candidate is standing in Makerfield to show voters what a committed local champion looks like, one who isn't caught up in national leadership ambitions.
President Trump has named his next pick to become the Director of National Intelligence. Jay Clayton was the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term. He's now a federal prosecutor in New York. Trump says he still plans to make Bill Polt the acting intelligence chief, despite bipartisan pushback on his lack of experience. Polt has also come under fire for bringing criminal referrals against a number of the President's perceived political enemies. CNN's Kara Scannell reports.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump's selection of Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence comes as the administration is trying to calm a firestorm over the decision to put a controversial housing official into the role. Clayton has never held a formal intelligence position, but as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, he has walked a fine line.
Clayton has carried out the administration's agenda by prosecuting terrorism, violent crime, and drug trafficking. And recently on CNBC, he supported Trump's $1.8 billion weaponization fund and backed Trump's concerns about voter fraud in California. But Clayton has largely kept the storied U.S. Attorney's Office from being caught in the political winds of Washington.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi directed Clayton to carry out Trump's request for an investigation into prominent Democrats associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Clayton sidestepped that by saying if new information came to light, he would look into it.
Clayton previously served in Trump's first term as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, he has a relationship with the President and has golfed with him several times. Before politics, Clayton spent his career advising bank CEOs and corporate boards, skills his friends say will serve him well in the cabinet.
On Thursday, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle indicated an openness to Clayton's nomination.
[03:25:02]
Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said he has great respect for Clayton. Republican said they hope to get Clayton confirmed as soon as possible. Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
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WATSON: Coming up we're going to find out what a super El Nino is and how it will affect our weather over the coming months plus President Trump's legal battle over the Kennedy Center is not over yet we'll have the latest details when we return
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[03:30:10]
WATSON: Welcome back, I'm Ivan Watson live in Hong Kong. Let's take a look at today's top stories. The Men's World Cup is heating up and the focus is shifting from co-
host Mexico to its northern neighbors. The Americans, who are also hosting, will face Paraguay in Southern California, and co-host Canada will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. There are still a staggering 102 matches left in the tournament.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is standing firm on his level of military spending despite losing two key military officials. Defense Secretary John Healey resigned on Thursday along with the Minister of State for the Armed Forces. They said they left because the government is not giving the military the resources it needs.
U.S. President Donald Trump has canceled plans, planned military strikes on Iran. He claims a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be signed this weekend. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson says negotiations have yielded progress, but there is no final decision on any agreement.
More now from CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump on Thursday abruptly calling off strikes and bombing in Iran that he said were imminent for Thursday evening, saying that a deal or an agreement was close to being reached. He talked to reporters in the Oval Office, saying that it was a great settlement and saying this about the potential deal.
TRUMP: We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, and we're going to be subject to finalization of documents. We should get done over the next few days, probably have a signing maybe in Europe and it's a great thing.
K. HOLMES: President Trump told reporters that he believed that this had been signed off on by the Supreme Leader in Iran and noted that this time he believed that it was different. Now just to be clear we're not talking about an all-over peace deal this is just memorandum of understanding.
It's essentially the beginning or the seed of a peace deal that will eventually be worked out. He wouldn't put a timeline on just how long that would take, saying he knew that if he put a timeline on it that everyone would hold him to it, but that he hoped it would happen relatively quickly.
Now in terms of actually signing this MOU, he said that if he was hopeful that it would be signed as quickly as this weekend, that he would not be in attendance, but Vice President J.D. Vance, along with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be there, that it could take place in Europe, for an example. That was one of the ideas that he had floated.
And he said as soon as this memorandum was signed, that they would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Obviously, this is something that people have been watching incredibly closely. As President Trump made this announcement, the markets spiked upwards. Kristen Holmes, CNN, The White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATSON: Okay, U.S. authorities are investigating giant grass markings of the numbers 8647 on the National Mall. Critics have used the numbers to signal opposition to President Trump, but his administration has interpreted them as a threat. The DOJ indicted former FBI Director James Comey in April for posting a picture on Instagram showing the numbers spelled out in seashells.
Footage from EarthCam shows 8647 slowly appearing as dead grass on the National Mall over the course of a few days. The U.S. Park Police says they've collected samples for testing.
The Trump administration is appealing a judge's order to remove the President's name from the Kennedy Center. The ruling also halted plans to close down the storied arts center during a years-long renovation. The appeal on Thursday came after President Trump's hand-picked board of trustees met to discuss the issue.
The judge gave the Kennedy Center 14 days to remove all references to Trump. The website has been updated and staff have been asked to remove the name from their email signatures, but the sign on the building was still in place as of Thursday night.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has compared the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to the U.S. putting a man on the moon. Live pictures here of the White House decked out to host a UFC fight on June 14th. A news conference is expected to be held on Friday at the Lincoln Memorial with UFC President and CEO Dana White alongside fighters and podcast host Joe Rogan.
[03:35:05]
Now Rubio, he made the comparison during a speech at the State Department after which he signed an agreement making the mixed martial arts company a tool for U.S. diplomacy. In his speech, Rubio praised the UFC for its ability to unite people.
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MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: When President Kennedy announced that we were going to put a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth, no one thought that was possible and we did it. We are a nation founded on doing what no one else dared to do and no one else aspired to do. And at some level, that's what this whole company, what UFC has been.
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WATSON: The weather pattern known as El Nino is expected to intensify into a very strong or super El Nino. Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict the warming effects of El Nino will continue through the fall and into the winter.
CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam explains how it could affect you. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: El Nino has officially arrived and it's poised to affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. But its strength is what could set it apart from previous events with some experts saying this one may become a super El Nino.
So what is it and how could it affect you? Think of the Pacific Ocean as a giant bathtub stretching across the equator. Normally trade winds push warm water towards the western Pacific.
But during an El Nino, these winds weaken, allowing this warm water to spread eastward. Once this wind circulation is altered and the ocean temperature reaches a certain threshold in this part of the Pacific, then an El Nino is declared. This expanding pool of warm water adds a lot of extra heat into the atmosphere.
As we've seen with previous El Ninos, the warmer the temperatures, the greater the impacts. And this one could rewrite the history books. The stronger ones, like what's developing now, they're less common.
But these well-known events have been responsible for reshaping economies around the world. And that's because El Nino's impacts extend far beyond the Pacific Basin. The most immediate impacts will be felt here, across the Atlantic Basin, where hurricane season is likely to be stifled.
Meanwhile, expect increases in tropical development across the Central and Eastern Pacific. In winter, the southern tier of the U.S. is favored by a more active and wet pattern, while the north can end up drier and milder than average.
Consequences of an El Nino ripple around the world too, with changes in seasonal rainfall patterns across Africa that can have devastating impacts on food security and spikes in extreme temperatures, leading to heat stress throughout Europe. Decreased monsoon rains across Asia mean negative impacts to a water source that's relied upon by billions. Increasing drought and heat waves could have major ramifications on next year's harvests in Australia.
El Nino doesn't guarantee specific weather at your home, it simply stacks the odds. And the science is telling us that this could be one of the biggest weather players on the planet in the years to come.
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WATSON: OpenAI is accusing China of trying to sway the debate over data centers in the U.S. After the break, what the company says it found and why that matters.
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[03:40:00]
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WATSON: Welcome back to the program, here are your business headlines.
The World Bank says the war with Iran is on track to slow global economic growth to its weakest pace since the COVID-19 pandemic; it warns an escalation of hostilities could slow growth even further. The bank says the economic fallout from the war means per capita income in most developing countries is now unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels before 2028.
The European Central Bank has become the first major central bank to raise interest rates since the start of the war in Iran. The ECB elevated its benchmark rate a quarter point to 2.25 percent, it's the bank's first rate hike in three years and could suggest similar moves to come from other central banks. Eurozone inflation accelerated to 3.2 percent last month.
On Wall Street, SpaceX is set to make history with the largest IPO ever. On Thursday, it set its opening price at $135 a share. The space technology company said in its filing that it plans to sell 556 million shares of common stock, generating $75 billion, that would put the value of SpaceX at $1.77 trillion.
The creator of ChatGPT, meanwhile, is accusing China of trying to influence how Americans think about the growing number of A.I. data centers popping up across the country. OpenAI claims China uses ChatGPT to create social media campaigns targeting Americans. CNN Business Editor Lisa Eadicicco explains.
[03:45:08]
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LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: OpenAI said that it found clusters of chat GPT accounts likely originating from China that were tied to social media campaigns looking to influence sentiment around A.I. data center build-outs.
Now, OpenAI does not allow its models to be accessed in China, so the actors behind this initiative used a virtual private network to access its technology. And this is coming at a time when there is a lot of concern around the rise of A.I. data center build outs across the country. In 2025, for example, a research firm called the Data Center Watch found that $152 billion worth of data center projects were either blocked or put on hold because of local opposition.
Now, in this report from OpenAI, some of the content that was A.I. generated and spread on social media included comments and cartoons about rising energy prices and alluding to the idea that ordinary people are stuck with the higher energy costs while executives are profiting from them. And in some cases, these A.I.-generated cartoons and posts were posted alongside legitimate news articles.
And one of the things that I found interesting about this report is that it also suggests that the actors behind the campaign use ChatGPT for the planning and operational and strategic element of the execution as well, not just for the generation of the media, which I think is significant here, because in a lot of the conversations around AI and misinformation and disinformation.
A lot of the focus has been on the fake content and how difficult it can be to tell the difference between what's real and what is A.I.- generated. And what we're seeing in this report is that the technology is also being used on the planning end of things. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATSON: At this year's World Cup, it's the largest ever. And the 48 countries competing are learning some new rules. We'll share those new rules with you after the break.
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WATSON: All right, Mexico is celebrating big time with its dominating performance in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup. After a star- studded opening ceremony, the Mexican team overcame South Africa 2-0 on their home turf. Mexico is hosting 13 of the tournament's 104 matches.
[03:50:02]
A few hours ago, South Korea defeated the Czech Republic in Guadalajara 2-1. In the coming day, the other two World Cup co-hosts will take to the pitch. Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, and Team USA will tangle with Paraguay.
The so-called beautiful game has been around for quite some time, but organizers have made a few tweaks to this tournament. Our team of CNN creators hit the pitch to explain some of the new rules.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTONETTE RADFORD, CNN CREATOR: If you're one of the more than 4 billion people planning on watching this year's World Cup, there are a few rule changes you might want to know about.
Red card, you're off the field.
MATIAS GREZ, CNN CREATOR: New rule: Cover your mouth during an on- pitch confrontation could equal a red card. This was introduced after Vinicius Junior accused a rival of racist abuse in the Champions League.
RADFORD: All right, you've got five seconds. That's five, four, three, two, one.
BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN CREATOR: There's now a new five-second rule for throw-in. The referee will raise their hand and start the countdown. Exceed the time limit and the possession is reversed.
And the same rule applies to goal kicks, except the punishment is a corner for the opposition.
RADFORD: Substitutions!
HOSSEINI: I'm just going to take my time. We're up. We're winning, we're up 1-0.
RADFORD: All right. 10.
HOSSEINI: Might as well.
RADFORD: 9.
HOSSEINI: Wave to the fans.
RADFORD: 8. 7. 6.
Play a vision. You've got five seconds to get off the field. 4.
HOSSEINI: Maybe stretch a bit.
RADFORD: 3.
HOSSEINI: We're up. We're winning.
RADFORD: 2. 1. You're off for a minute now.
CHARLINE BOU MANSOUR, CNN CREATOR: So if a player is being replaced they have 10 seconds to leave the pitch. If it takes longer than that then the incoming player will have to wait for a full minute before coming onto the pitch.
HOSSEINI: Okay, ref he's clearly faking it. Come on, we'll get a load of this guy.
GREZ: My leg.
RADFORD: You need to leave the field to receive treatment. Please leave the field. Just need 30 seconds.
RADFORD: No, I'm sorry, you need to leave the field for minimum one minute to receive medical treatment. Minimum one minute before you can return.
GREZ: Players receiving on-field treatment must leave the pitch and wait at least a minute before returning. There are a couple of exceptions though.
If the injury was caused by a foul that resulted in a card and two, if the player returning needs to take a penalty kick.
GREZ: That ball is inside the box! Penalty!
BOU MANSOUR: That wasn't a handball! It didn't touch his hand!
RADFORD: Yellow, no arguing.
HOSSEINI: Only when the team captain is allowed to argue with the referee. Any other player protesting risks getting a yellow card.
I'm exhausted.
GREZ: Jesus, could do with a three minute hydration break by the way.
RADFORD: Alright, three minute hydration break.
HOSSEINI: I like this rule.
Lastly, there will be a three minute hydration break around the 22- minute mark into each half. FIFA says they introduced this rule as a player welfare measure.
BOU MANSOUR: They say 16 of the stadiums across Mexico, U.S. and Canada are open air, exposing the players to extreme summer heat.
RADFORD: And there you have it. Now you're ready to watch your favorite team in the 2026 World Cup.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATSON: I definitely learned something.
Last hour I spoke with the host of the "Sports Ambassador" podcast and I asked Tracey Holmes for her takeaways from the tournament.
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TRACEY HOLMES, "THE SPORTS AMBASSADOR" PODCAST AND SUBSTACK: I think one of the interesting things was from the first match with Mexico and South Africa, there were three red cards. Now that's almost unheard of. In fact, if you think back to the last tournament in Qatar 2022, in the entire tournament, there were only four red cards.
So we've almost approached that on day one of the World Cup. So maybe it's a sign that the referees have been instructed no rubbish at any of these games and come down hard on it at the start so that we don't see any of that as the tournament progresses.
[03:55:01]
But it was a great win for Mexico. Then going into the second game, as you mentioned, that was also incredible.
South Korea coming from behind against Czechia. And remember, it wasn't just a capacity stadium in Guadalajara. There were also reports of 15,000 South Koreans in the center of Seoul watching on a big screen, cheering their team on.
WATSON: Wow. I mean, just football mania. So the stadiums so far look packed. I know there have been a lot of concerns and some criticism about the prices of the tickets for the World Cup matches.
Is that overblown or is it still too early to say?
T. HOLMES: It's probably too early to say. You mentioned previously that the other two hosts, Canada and the U.S.A, will play their first matches tomorrow. We expect those, of course, to be sell-out crowds with people supporting their home nations. But I guess when we see some of the lesser teams competing and we see
how many seats have been sold at those venues is when we get a proper gauge. But I know FIFA has not been concerned, they were also adamant in pointing out that the initial release of these tickets was very much within range, in fact, a lot cheaper than many Americans would expect to pay for a major event.
They pay a lot more for other events that we're seeing taking place now, whether that's the NBA finals or whether you're talking about something like the NFL. So they're confident, but it's the reselling of these tickets, which is highly legal in the U.S.A, that has bumped those prices up, which I think is just an example of demand, what is available and what people will pay. That's what's driving the prices up.
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WATSON: This year's World Cup is the largest in history, with a record 48 countries competing in the tournament. But two Asian giants, China and India, will not be represented on the field.
Now, we take a look at the reasons why in this week's edition of "Meanwhile in Asia." It's a new show co-hosted by myself and Kunal Sehgal, and you can see the full episode online at CNN.com or on the CNN YouTube channel. And for a bonus, we'll take you first hand to see a former secret CIA air base that was used in the Vietnam War. Check it out.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes are one game away from their first Stanley Cup in 20 years. We're pivoting to ice hockey here. Jordan Staal scoring here as he led the Canes to a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights last night. Staal has scored in five straight games, the fifth player to have a five-game goal streak in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The North Carolina team last won the hockey championship in 2006, and they now lead the best of seven series three games to two, with game six on Sunday in Las Vegas.
Thanks for joining us for this hour of "CNN Newsroom," I'm Ivan Watson. The news continues with Salma Abdelaziz in London after a quick break. Bye-bye.
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