Uzbekistan’s World Cup moment nudges Washington toward a minerals pivot

Uzbekistan’s first World Cup appearance has drawn U.S. policymakers’ attention to the Central Five region’s role in critical minerals, with a Houston policy panel and a White House meeting that secured a $400 million investment and highlighted national-security aims to diversify away from China; the coverage also threads in how soccer influences U.S. politics (e.g., Josh Shapiro in Philadelphia) and touches on related World Cup logistics and enforcement stories in New York-New Jersey and beyond.