Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

News

The Graphic Truth: The Mother of All Games 2.0

Side-by-side chart on a soccer pitch background showing how the US and Iran compare on some soccer and non-soccer metrics.
Paige Fusco
By Carlos Santamaria,
Carlos Santamaria

Carlos Santamaria is a former senior writer at GZERO.

See Full Bio
Paige Fusco
Paige Fusco
Paige Fusco is a graphic designer creating visualizations - data-driven and otherwise - for Eurasia Group and GZERO Media.
See Full Bio
November 28, 2022

The US plays, of all countries, Iran (!) at the Qatar men's soccer World Cup on Tuesday in the most politically charged game of the most political edition of the tournament in decades. What’s more, if Team Melli — as Iran's team is popularly known — wins, it’ll advance to the knockout stage for the first time. (Not to mention that Iran won't miss a chance to beat Great Satan at anything.) USMNT, for its part, wants revenge from France '98, when Iran won 2-1 in a major upset that Tehran billed at the time as the "Mother of all Games." We take a look at how the two geopolitical rivals compare on some soccer and non-soccer metrics.

usa vs irangreat satanworld cupsoccerworld cup politicsgraphic truth

Latest Videos

Trump sings beisbol with Delcyplay icon
Puppet Regime

Trump sings beisbol with Delcy

Europe’s muted response on Iran
GZERO World Clips

Europe’s muted response on Iran

Is regime change in Iran even possible?
ask ian

Is regime change in Iran even possible?

The Pentagon’s growing grip on AI
GZERO World Clips

The Pentagon’s growing grip on AI

Regime invades streamers with Special Military Operation
Puppet Regime

Regime invades streamers with Special Military Operation

War in Iran disrupts global shipping
Quick Take

War in Iran disrupts global shipping

More For You

Abandoned Russian oil tanker drifts toward Libya, Pentagon reportedly makes hefty financial request, K-pop group returns, & Nigerian leader makes rare UK visit

A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in the Mediterranean Sea, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026.​

A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026.

Marina Militare/Handout via REUTERS
700: The tons of fuel and liquefied natural gas aboard a Russian tanker that is currently floating around the Mediterranean Sea unmanned, after a drone attack earlier this month prompted the crew to abandon ship. Russia blames Ukraine for the attack. Italy, France and other EU members have warned that the ship, which is now floating into Libyan [...]

Putin: The real winner of the US-Iran war?

Putin looks on over missiles flying between Israel and Iran.

Putin looks on over missiles flying between Israel and Iran.

Three weeks into the US-Israeli war against Iran, the list of losers is unusually long. Iran is getting devastated. The United States is trapped in an asymmetric conflict it can't exit. Gulf states are absorbing infrastructure damage they never signed up for. The developing world is facing food and energy crises. I could keep going.Washington and [...]

Asia seeks coal amid Iran conflict, Israel expands its war within a war, Chile’s Kast builds a wall

Workers are unloading coal from a cargo ship on the Turag River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 06, 2024.

Workers are unloading coal from a cargo ship on the Turag River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 06, 2024.

Imago Images
Iran conflict has Asia looking for coalMuch as Europe did when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, Asia is turning to a retro, highly-polluting fuel source as the Iran conflict limits the supply of liquefied natural gas: coal. The continent relies heavily on natural gas for its electricity, much of it imported – in the [...]

Venezuela defeat USA in baseball, American diesel surpasses $5, Scotland rejects assisted dying bill, Senegal victory in African soccer tournament annulled

Venezuela outfielder Javier Sanoja reacts in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA, on March 17, 2026.

Venezuela outfielder Javier Sanoja during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA, on March 17, 2026.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
3: The number of runs scored by Venezuela’s national baseball team in their stunning upset of top-seeded USA in the World Baseball Classic final in Miami last night. In an epic game fraught with geopolitical overtones – the US government abducted Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in January – the arepa-powered pitching staff held the fearsome US [...]