For a nation founded on massacres of Native Americans and centuries-long African slave ownership, the lurch towards racism under Trump is not surprising.
From President Trump’s standpoint, a decline in the World Cup’s popularity due to Ronaldo’s absence would not be pleasant, and the same would be true for FIFA's.
The reconciliation culminated in Al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House last week, the first by a Syrian president, and the announcement that Syria had become the 90th member of the US-led Global Coalition Against Daesh.