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.
In the wake of Pompeo’s visit, we need to establish a clear, well-defined foreign policy that focuses a bit less on rhetoric and more on a long-term vision of our place in the world.
The U.S. cannot expect to win friends by adopting a double standard of calling for democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan but closing its eyes on all her dictatorial allies in the Middle East and Central Asia.