One of the tournament’s biggest stars, Kylian Mbappe, has yet to take to the field while the FIFA Club World Cup is in its second week.
The Real Madrid forward was initially denied entry after he initially missed his team’s opening game against Al Hilal on Wednesday, but Xabi Alonso’s confirmation that Mbappe would also miss their second game against Pachuca on Sunday made his exclusion even more significant.
What is known about the Mbappe situation, please:
Before the Club World Cup, why did Mbappe visit the hospital?
After experiencing a high fever and gastroenteritis, Mbappe was treated in Florida, United States.
Real Madrid announced in a statement on Thursday that Kylian Mbappe is receiving treatment for an acute case of gastroenteritis in a hospital.
Mbappe was not given a date for his admission, but a subsequent club update, released seven hours later, confirmed that he had been treated and had returned to Real Madrid’s training facility.
According to the club, “Mbappe will continue receiving specialized medical care and gradually resume his team activity.”
How did Mbappe get gastroenteritis, and what is it?
A common illness that results in diarrhea, fever, and vomiting is gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu or stomach bug.
The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom states that “gastritis is typically brought on by a bacterial or viral tummy bug and affects people of all ages.”
The NHS says “cases in adults are typically caused by norovirus or bacterial food poisoning,” though it has not been revealed how the Real Madrid star contracted the illness.
At the Club World Cup, how many games will Mbappe miss?
Real’s manager, Xabi Alonso, has ruled the France captain out of one game and has so far missed one.
In his pre-game press conference on Saturday, Alonso declared, “He]Mbappe is better.
He returned from the hospital two days later. He is improving steadily.
Mbappe, second left, was ruled out of Real Madrid’s opening game at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, following his absence from the Gardens North Country District Park training facility.
Who will play in the Real Madrid Club World Cup games in place of Mbappe?
In the opening game of Real Madrid, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, Mbappe was replaced by Gonzalo Garcia, who played for Real Madrid’s second team.
Real’s 21-year-old opened the scoring, giving Alonso another chance to give him.
The Spanish manager said, “Gonzalo can do what he did the other day]against Al Hilal.”
He had three chances and scored one. We’ll see what happens as we move forward. It’s crucial to have players who can sense smell. He did very well.
Mbappe will participate in the Club World Cup.
Mbappe might be selected for Real’s final group game against FC Salzburg on Thursday, according to Alonso.
“We’re getting more and more confident about him for the upcoming game.”
The NHS claims that gastroenteritis usually resolves itself within a week. The 26-year-old may be discharged from the hospital by Wednesday, but it’s still to be seen if he will be fit for the game, especially since it’s a late afternoon kickoff in the middle of the afternoon.
Given the gap between the final group-stage match and the opening knockout game, Mbappe’s chances of playing out a full game will increase if Real is selected for the round of 16.
Mbappe during a warm-up session [File: Susana Vera/Reuters]
What is Real Madrid’s World Cup training schedule?
The Spanish giants will wrap up Group H play on Thursday at 19:00 GMT against RB Salzburg at the Philadelphia Lincoln Field following Sunday’s game against Pachuca.
At 19:00 GMT, Real will play their first knockout game against Group H’s runners-up on July 1 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Real will play Group G winners at 9 p.m. on June 30 at 9 p.m. (01:00 GMT, July 1) at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Mbappe hasn’t won a club World Cup.
No. Only one European team, the winners of the UEFA Champions League, has ever played in the Club World Cup under its previous rules, making Mbappe the first to do so.
Mbappe was still working in the French Ligue 1 at the time, and his former clubs PSG and Monaco did not take part in the competition despite Real Madrid’s record five victories.
Without Mbappe, can Real Madrid win the Club World Cup?
Los Blancos have won the most European and Club World Cup titles in the history of club competitions, a flawless record. In the last ten years, they have won the continent’s top club competition five times.
Mbappe joined Real at the start of the 2024-25 season, but he did not participate in any of their previous victories in La Liga, Champions League, and Club World Cup.
Without its star Frenchman, it is fair to say the club has performed fairly well without him, but it would be nice to have him back for the duration of the Club World Cup.
Mbappe is a favorite of the many Real Madrid players that fans adore.
Washington, DC – Democrats quickly accused US President Donald Trump of overstepping his authority as he praised what he called the “spectacular military success” of the strikes he authorized against Iran.
Trump launched military strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites without the consent of Congress, according to numerous critics who have since charged him with violating the US Constitution.
Trump threatened to end wars, but now he has plunged America into one, according to Senator Christopher Van Hollen Junior.
His actions “ignore a clear violation of our Constitution,” despite the requirement that only the Congress can declare war.
Legislators from both major parties have spearheaded measures to compel Trump to approach Congress before starting any strikes in the wake of the US attacks.
Congress has the authority to declare war or authorize the use of force for a particular purpose under the US Constitution.
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) supporters have also been vehement in their opposition to US involvement in Israel’s conflict. It has pointed out that Trump won the election despite making the commitment to end Middle Eastern hostilities. They want Trump to concentrate on domestic issues, particularly the economy.
Justifications for impeachment
The 1973 War Powers Resolution, which curbed the president’s authority to declare war on the military, expanded this authority.
Trump, according to progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, violated both the War Powers Resolution and the Constitution.
He “has impulsively risked starting a war that may ensnare us for generations.” She said that impeachment is unquestionably and clearly a possibility.
Because the president is the armed forces’ commander-in-chief, he can impose orders, but they must also adhere to the rules set forth by the Constitution.
However, the president has the authority to appoint military personnel in the event of a “sudden attack” or to take legal action.
Numerous Democrats quickly realized that the US was not in imminent danger from Iran’s long-running nuclear facilities.
In a March assessment, the US intelligence community stated that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.
Trump appears to be sidelining Congress in his foreign policy because he has increasingly relied on executive powers to govern domestically.
However, lawmakers have little control over his military decision because Republicans control both the House and the Senate. It’s almost impossible to impeach someone.
Without the consent of Congress, President Trump’s sending of American troops to Iran is a flagrant violation of our Constitution. pic. twitter.com/pqzAeS4K19
No legal justification for strikes
Trump is likely to veto any legislation that is introduced by lawmakers under the War Powers Resolution to outlaw attacks on Iran without the Congress’ approval.
Trump’s strikes have enough support to make that outcome unlikely, but the House and Senate could overturn the veto with two-thirds of the vote.
The US president has not provided a legal justification for the strikes, but he is likely to cite an existing military authorization or claim that he was responding to an urgent need.
A law that gave the permission to then-President George W. Bush to launch what would become the “war on terror” was passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
As part of the so-called “war on terror,” US wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, among others, were waged by millions of people and devastated societies. Additionally, it has cost US soldiers’ lives and trillions of dollars.
A year later, lawmakers approved a second authorization to allow the invasion of Iraq in 2002.
The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which is still in effect, was used by previous presidents to justify attacks that Congress did not specifically approve.
The attack on Iran is “patently illegal,” according to Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group’s US program and former State Department lawyer.
In a social media post, he wrote, “Even under the prevailing executive branch doctrine, this is likely to constitute ‘war’ requiring congressional authorization.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s statement regarding the Iranian bombing by the United States:
The Middle East conflict is now at an all-time high, with President Trump ordering the strikes on Iran and ordering them to be carried out without the consent of Congress.
Military strikes won’t be…
When Trump announced the attack, influential progressive senator Bernie Sanders was speaking at a rally in Oklahoma.
Attendees began chanting, “No more war” as Sanders explained the US strikes to the audience.
He claimed that it is “absolutely unconstitutional.” The president does not have that right, as the president is well-known for. The only entity that can bring this nation to war is the US Congress.
Nancy Pelosi, a former member of the Democratic House, said lawmakers will “demand answers” from the administration.
The Lake Chad Basin is the site of a cycle of displacement, ecological disaster, and violence that affects more than six million people.
Communities must choose between returning home to be threatened or remain entangled in uncertainty as Boko Haram exploits shrinking resources and fragile security.
After the United States bombed key Iranian nuclear sites, which dramatically increased tensions in the Middle East, Iran and Israel have exchanged a barrage of missiles.
An Iranian state news agency reported that Iran fired two volleys of 27 missiles at Israel’s main Ben Gurion airport close to Tel Aviv, as well as research facilities and command centers.
As explosions and missile interceptions were visible above Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the port city of Haifa, and other parts of Israel, millions of people were evacuated to safe rooms and bomb shelters as a result of air raid sirens blaring across the country.
Israeli emergency personnel reported that at least 20 people had injuries.
“We have seen two volleys coming in such close succession,” says one expert. Each missile volley has its hours of typical between them. Nour Odeh, a journalist from Amman, Jordan, reported for Al Jazeera for less than half an hour.
10 distinct sites were directly affected by missiles or large shrapnel, according to Odeh, and the targets ranged from Syria’s occupied Golan Heights to northern and central Israel, according to Odeh.
According to Odeh, “these sites have extensive damage,” particularly in the Tel Aviv and Haifa areas.
In the north of Tel Aviv and Haifa, rescue teams were seen searching through debris, apartments being reduced to rubble, mangled cars traveling in a crowded street, and medical personnel attempting to evacuate injured people from rows of blown-out houses.
The Israeli army stated in a statement that it was looking into why Haifa had no air raid warnings.
In western Iran, Israel also bombed “military targets” in a new wave. Israeli forces earlier claimed that their strikes targeted soldiers and targeted Iranian missile launchers.
Following the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, President Donald Trump claimed that the attacks had “obliterated” the three facilities.
Trump claimed that there were numerous other Iranian targets who could be hit, and that Iran’s future would hold the option of “peace or tragedy.” We will pursue those other targets with precision, speed, and skill “if peace does not come quickly,” he said.
Iran responded by saying it “reserved all options” to defend itself and warned of “everlasting consequences” if the US entered the conflict.
The US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities were described as a “gross and unprecedented violation” of international law by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
The United States betrayed diplomacy by supporting Israel’s “aggressive action,” the ministry said, adding that the world must remember that it is now “waging a dangerous war against Iran.”
The US “adheres to no rules or ethics, and spares no lawlessness or crime in order to advance the aims of a genocidal and occupying regime,” it continued.
Israel’s airport authority announced that it will temporarily reopen its airspace for flights starting at 11:00 GMT on Sunday as a result of its efforts to repatriate thousands of citizens who have been stranded abroad as a result of its conflict with Iran, according to the nation’s airport authority.
As part of Operation Safe Return, Ben Gurion Airport will be open for landings from 02:00 pm to 8:00 pm, according to a statement from the airport.
As a result of Washington’s effective engagement in Israel’s nuclear war, US President Donald Trump announced the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Trump used a different spelling for Isfahan to translate the statement on his Truth Social platform to state that “every plane is now outside of Iranian air space.”
He described the strikes as a “spectacular military success” in a televised address on Sunday morning.
The US decision to intervene militarily to aid the Israeli attacks on Iran has prompted fears of a serious escalation across the Middle East and brought back memories of the devastation in Iraq following the 2003 US invasion. On June 13, Israel launched unprecedented attacks against Iran, aiming specifically at its top military figures and nuclear sites.
At least 24 people have been killed in Israel as a result of retaliatory strikes by Tehran, compared to more than 400 in the past 400 attacks in Iran.
Here is what we know so far about the US attacks on Iran:
What areas in Iran have the US bombed?
According to US media reports, the US used bunker-buster bombs to attack three important nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, using B2 bomber jets.
“The strikes were a spectacular military success”, Trump said in his televised address. He continued, “Our goal was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity,” adding that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and completely destroyed.
Trump’s claims were not immediately independently verified by Al Jazeera.
Here’s what we know about the three nuclear sites:
Near Qom in northwestern Iran, Fordow, a highly fortified underground uranium enrichment facility, is reportedly buried hundreds of meters deep. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), this site is designed to house up to 2, 976 spinning centrifuges.
Natanz is Iran’s largest enrichment complex, containing vast halls of centrifuges, some underground. It has been a significant center for Iran’s nuclear program and the site of numerous previous sabotage attempts, and Israeli bombings struck on June 13 as a result.
A uranium conversion facility and fuel fabrication facilities are part of Isfahan, a significant nuclear research and production facility. It plays a critical role in preparing raw materials for enrichment and reactor use.
Iran has been accused of developing nuclear weapons by Israel and the US for years, but Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.
Despite concerns over Iran’s decision to enrich uranium at up to 60% purity, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has refuted claims that Tehran was about to start producing nuclear weapons.
Tehran stepped up enrichment after Trump walked out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal – Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , (JCPOA) – in 2018 that had capped Iran’s nuclear activity.
What weapons did the US use against Iran?
Trump made the claim that the attack’s weapons used “massive precision strikes,” but he provided no specific information. However, US media reports suggested the US army dropped “bunker buster” bombs and navy submarines fired multiple cruise missiles.
The US military’s GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) weighs nearly 13, 000 kg (30, 000 pounds), making it the most potent bunker bomb ever. Bomber buster bombs can penetrate 61 meters (200 feet) of earth or 18 meters (59 feet) of concrete, which conventional bombs cannot do.
The B-2 Spirit, a US stealth bomber, is currently the only aircraft designed to deploy the GBU-57 and can carry two bunker buster bombs at a time, which the air force says can drop multiple bombs sequentially, allowing each strike to burrow deeper.
Given its breadth, the US intervention is seen as crucial at this time for the Israeli campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities, particularly Fordow. The site had been destroyed by Israeli attacks.
While nearly half a dozen B-2 bombers reportedly dropped a dozen 13, 000kg bunker buster bombs on the Fordow site, navy submarines are said to have coordinated strikes by cruise missiles at the Natanz and Isfahan sites, according to media reports.
MOPs are also used for the first time by the US in combat.
What effect did the US strikes have?
Trump claimed “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated”.
Yet the extent of the damage at the nuclear facilities is still being independently verified.
According to Mehdi Mohammadi, an Iranian parliament representative, the US attack was not unexpected and that the Iranian government had already evacuated the Fordow facility in advance.
“Iran has been expecting strikes on Fordow for several days. No irreversible damage was caused by today’s attack, according to Mohammadi in a statement posted on X.
Iran’s nuclear agency confirmed the attacks on Sunday, saying that there are no signs of contamination or danger for nearby residents based on the radiation system data and field surveys.
“Following the illegal US attack on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, field surveys and radiation systems data showed: No contamination recorded”, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said in a social media post. Residents of these locations are not in danger, according to the statement. Safety is in a stable state.
After the US bombing of its key nuclear facilities, the agency insisted that its work would not be stopped.
The organization promises to the great Iranian nation that despite the evil plans of its enemies, the government will not allow the development of this country’s industry, which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, be stopped, according to AEOI in a statement.
Additionally, the IAEA found no increases in radiation near the enlisted sites.
“Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran – including Fordow – the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time”, the agency said in a social media post on Sunday.
As more details become available, “IAEA will provide further assessments of the situation in Iran.”
In response to the attacks, Grossi stated that the IAEA will hold an urgent meeting on Monday.
A satellite image shows trucks and bulldozers near the entrance to the Fordow nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran]File: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
Iran has said what?
Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister, claimed that the US “attacks Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations in a grave violation of international law, international law, and the NPT.”
Tehran has already threatened to walk away from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
The circumstances of this morning are outrageous and will have repercussions for life. This lawless, extremely dangerous, and criminal behavior must be alarming for all UN members, Araghchi said in a statement posted on X.
“In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people”, he added.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran, issued a warning to the US last week to refrain from joining Israeli airstrikes against Iran. He claimed that the US would suffer irreparable harm as a result.
In his first televised address since Israel began its attacks on June 13, Khamenei said Iran “will not surrender to anyone” and “will stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace”.
How will Iran attack the US in retaliation?
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to the US attacks, said on Sunday that it had the right to block such “aggression.”
“The world must not forget that it was the United States that, in the midst of a diplomatic process, betrayed diplomacy” by supporting Israel’s “aggressive action”, and is now waging “a dangerous war against Iran”, the ministry said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The Islamic Republic of Iran added that it has the right to defend Iran’s security and national interests by standing with all of its might in opposition to US military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime.
The US attacks on Iran have seriously alarmed Antonio Guterres, the UN’s chief, who stated.
“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. According to Guterres, there is a growing chance that this conflict will quickly spiral out of control, with disastrous effects for people in the region, as well as the world, “.
The Iranian foreign minister claimed at a press conference on Sunday that his nation had the right to defend itself now that diplomacy had come to an end.
“The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression”, he said.
Iranians have a number of options in the wake of the US attacks, according to Stephen Zunes, the University of San Francisco’s director of Middle Eastern studies. They have the ability to directly attack US forces. There are up to 40, 000 Americans within the range, not just of Iranian missiles but of drones and other weaponry”, he said.
“You have the fleet off the Iranian coast, in the Persian Gulf.” If they attack, they could also be vulnerable, according to Zunes, who also refers to the Gulf as the Arabian Gulf. “It could impact global shipping, impacting oil prices and indeed the entire global economy”.
Zunes also cited “proxy militias in Iraq who could take advantage of American bases there,” adding that he would be surprised if Iranians didn’t take advantage of at least some of these.
Iran launched attacks on Israel on Sunday using one of its most advanced missiles, the Kheibar Shekan.
Iran might also move towards withdrawing from the NPT. Tehran has the legal right to leave the NPT, according to Abbas Golroo, the head of the parliament’s foreign policy committee.
An NPT member has “the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it believes extraordinary events have endangered its country’s supreme interests,” according to Article 10.
Adam Weinstein, the deputy director of the Middle East programme at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said the US is now at risk of getting dragged into a prolonged war in the Middle East.
He noted that Iran has already stated that it intends to carry out its nuclear program.
“They’ll do it more covertly,” they say. They might exit the NPT, and, of course, the Israelis will say, ‘ Well, this is why we need even more strikes. ‘ And the Iranians are likely to engage in some form of retaliation, which would undermine their legitimacy, Weinstein said.
“The escalation cycle begins here.” And so I’m very sceptical that it will be a one-off strike by the US. I believe that the US is at risk of starting an Iran-focused conflict of choice.
Trump, by contrast, threatened Iran with even more threats.
Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla is interviewed by Ken Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, about how much the Global South has influenced the world order and whether it can really exert any influence on the world order.
The global organizing, organizing, and mobilizing of progressive forces is the responsibility of Global Initiative’s General Coordinator, Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla.
She is also one of the group’s founders and head of the Hague Group, which was established in the Global South in January 2025 to support Israel-Palestine’s legal system and “stand together to defend the principles of justice, equality, and human rights.”
