Dallas World Cup moment shadowed by arena battles and global politics

Dallas hosts a World Cup semifinal in Arlington, but off the field the city is mired in arena-and-downtown battles, budget woes, and debates over tearing down City Hall for a new sports venue even as AT&T and other downtown anchors pull back; the coverage also weaves in European stories—Andorra’s slow march toward EU association, France–Spain semifinals and diplomacy in Brussels, Viktor Orban’s U.S. visit for the tournament, and a racism row sparked by Mariano Rajoy’s comments about the French team—while reports track deportation flights linked to the French delegation using a GlobalX jet.