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Connect the World
Hezbollah Chief: No Place in Israel Would be Safe in a War; Russian President in Vietnam after Trip to North Korea; Biden and Trump Face Off on CNN One Week from Today; Kenyan Protesters Denounce Proposed Tax Hikes; Lionel Messi and World Champions Argentina Face Canada when Tournament Gets Underway Tonight. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired June 20, 2024 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Well, this is the scene in Washington that where we expect the Supreme Court to announce opinions in the next hour all eyes
on a possible ruling on former President Donald Trump's claim of immunity from criminal prosecution. It's 9 am on the U.S. East Coast. It's 5 pm here
in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the World".
Also happening over the next two hours on this show, Hezbollah threatens Cyprus's tensions with Israel ramp up. Russian President Vladimir Putin
continues his tour of Asia with a trip to Hanoi. Lionel Messi in the World Champions Argentina kicks off the Copa America in Atlanta. We'll be live
from outside the stadium.
Right, the stock markets will open about 30 minutes from now, after a day off, of course for the Juneteenth holiday in the U.S. on Tuesday. The S&P
500 and the NASDAQ hit record highs as traders push Nvidia higher on hopes for its artificial intelligence chips. If the futures are anything to go
by, it is going to be a rip roaring days -- for that back with more at the bottom of the hour.
Well, there aren't new fears that the conflict in the Middle East is set to spread after the Leader of Hezbollah threatened the Republic of Cyprus. In
a television address Hassan Nasrallah said the island would be targeted, if it opens its airports and bases to Israeli forces. Cyprus has held joint
military exercises with Israel in recent years, and as recently as last year.
Well, Nasrallah's main focus in his speech that purported Hezbollah drone video of Israeli cities and military facilities that we showed you on this
show yesterday. At this time, he warned Israel that the Iran backed group's intelligence and weaponry have significantly expanded and that if all-out
war erupts, no place in Israel will be safe.
Our Ben Wedeman is in Beirut for us. We talked about the sort of psychological warfare being waged by Hezbollah on Israel and Israel's
response in the sort of past 36 hours or so when you and I spoke yesterday, we were awaiting Hassan Nasrallah's speech. Ben, just explain to us and our
viewers why Cyprus is a target as far as he is concerned, and just how serious this threat is?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he said it's a potential target. He noted, as you mentioned, the growing relations on the
military side between Cyprus and Israel. And of course, their concern is that Cypriot bases, and airports and airspace will be used to launch
operations on Lebanon, particularly Hezbollah.
Now we've heard back from the Cypriots who said that there was a spokesman this morning, who said that they will not allow their territory to be used
in any military action. But it is certainly a concern of Hezbollah at this point. Now that tensions have really reached a level we haven't seen since
last October.
And what we're hearing -- what we heard in that speech from Nasrallah yesterday was a series of things, all of them amounting to a very stark
warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSAN NASRALLAH, HEZBOLLAH LEADER: If war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules, and without
limits. The enemy knows very well that we have prepared ourselves for the worst and most difficult days. And the enemy knows very well what awaits
it. And that is why it was deterred for nine months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: And what we've seen is, for instance, that drone video that Hezbollah put out that nine minutes posted on social media, in a sense had
more impact, I think on the Israelis, then what have been almost daily strikes in some days, hourly strikes by Hezbollah and targets in Northern
Israel.
[09:05:00]
It really underscored Hezbollah has made a huge leap in its capabilities in terms of collecting intelligence. It's really clearly invested a lot of
resources in developing its drone capabilities over the last few weeks. We've seen them take out an iron dome battery shoot down advanced Israeli
drones. And so it really does all amount to something that obviously is causing great concern in Israel, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and much discussion amongst the IDF about readying their troops for an offensive a wider conflict on that northern border. Ben,
thank you. New video and satellite images, meantime reviewed by CNN shows severe damage to a crucial point four aid into Gaza.
The conflict there, of course goes on, you can see the passenger terminal on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is burned and
severely damaged. The Israeli military conducted significant bulldozing there earlier this month following a fire in late May.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials say the U.S. has re-anchored its temporary peer to Gaza's coast that was dismantled earlier this month for the second time,
in anticipation of poor weather, will the U.S. started using it to deliver aid in May. CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Jerusalem. Paula, what more has CNN
learned from looking at these images down in Rafah?
And what is the situation with regard aid after all, it is down there in Rafah that there is so much aid still waiting to crossing and be delivered?
And also, of course, the maritime corridor, which looks as if it may be once again, functioning at some point soon. What do we know at this point?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, there are two really key elements when you're talking about getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, in
particular, the Rafah crossing before this happened when the Israeli military took control of the Rafah crossing, at the beginning of May.
There's about a quarter of humanitarian aid was coming through from Egypt into Gaza, that has not happened at all, since the Israeli military took
control. So at this point, we now know that it appears the passenger terminal itself has been severely damaged. We saw from footage from a
journalist also satellite imagery that last month that appeared to have been burned to towards the end of last month.
And then at the beginning of this month, there was as you say, bulldozing activity, which was clearing the area and it appears to have seriously
damaged the passenger terminal itself. Now of course, the reason this is significant is because even though this crossing is closed at this point,
Israel and Egypt both blaming the other for the fact that this is closed.
Once it is open again, it's not going to necessarily be usable. This is where a significant amount of humanitarian aid comes in. It's also where
the injured in Gaza have been extracted to take to other countries for much needed treatment. The W.H.O. believes there are about 10,000 critical
patients at the moment in Gaza that need to come out but haven't been able to since about May the seventh because that crossing has been shut.
So it is a key crossing. It's hard to under to overstate how important the Rafah crossing is. And then when it comes to the U.S. pier. Now this the
U.S. has consistently said is in addition to the land crossings and the land crossings are far more important, but they created this pier to try
and get more humanitarian aid in.
So we understand from two U.S. officials, it has now been attached once again to the Gaza coastline. But as you say, twice it has been either
damaged or disassembled because of high waters, because of adverse weather conditions, which it simply couldn't cope with. It has been fairly
disappointing.
It has to be said because this was seen as yet another way of getting aid to those who need it, but really since May when it started it's only been
running for two weeks in all that we did hear from the Pentagon that within the two weeks. They say that some 6000 metric tons of aid was able to come
across that pier and into Gaza itself.
We know the WFP that World Food Programme is coordinating with the United States to be able to live with that -- deliver that aid as the U.S. has
said that it will not have U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza, Becky.
[09:10:00]
ANDERSON: Paula, thank you, all of that, of course. So just tip of the iceberg in terms of what is happening in Gaza right now. You can find more
analysis as well as the rest of the big stories from this region over on our website and by signing up to our newsletter, "Meanwhile in the Middle
East", and you can do that by using the QR code there on your screens.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Vietnam to try and strengthen political, economic and military ties with the Southeast Asian country.
He's been meeting with President to Lam and senior officials in Hanoi. Russian media reporting that Mr. Putin told the Vietnamese President a
strategic partnership with Vietnam is one of Russia's top priorities.
Mr. Putin is keen to dispel the perception that Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine have left Russia isolated. The U.S. government, a key
partner of Vietnam, criticize Hanoi's decision to host the Russian President. CNN's Mike Valerio following the story for us, and joins us now.
Putin arrives in Hanoi, of course, fresh from his meetings in North Korea. Clearly, you know, he is limited in his choice of destination, and partners
at this point. But it's -- there are those countries out there that are prepared to still do business with Russia, many of them are in the global
south. Why does it make sense from Putin's perspective, to move his chess piece as it were to Vietnam on this trip?
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So Becky, I think to answer that question, we can best analogize it to basic human relationships. If you have a
neighborhood pariah, where you live, something horrible has been done by that neighborhood prime, make no mistake, you know, what are they going to
do?
Oftentimes they go from home to home in the neighborhood to say, you know, we good. It's just a checkup. So obviously, in terms of Russia and the
neighborhood here in Asia, North Korea, certainly make sense. You get headlines like this, a new military treaty, all the pomp and circumstance
in Pyongyang that we're still talking about right now.
Vietnam certainly makes sense, because Becky, I think what people need to know is that a whopping 70 percent of Vietnam's military hardware comes
from one place, and that's Russia. So Vietnam, no time soon will let go of their connections to Russia. Also, we can't forget about the history, the
number one backer of Vietnam when it was fighting the French, when it was fighting, the Americans for years came from one place.
And of course, that was the Soviet Union. So ties run deep. But the question here, you know, we saw the fanfare in Pyongyang and Kim Il Sung
Square, it's been certainly more reserved in Hanoi. Certainly, there has been some degree of celebrations with school children, waving the Russian
and Vietnamese flags.
But Vietnam has to be very careful here. They're trying not to be aligned, as you alluded to, with any nation be at China or Russia or the United
States are very proud of their -- non-alignment able to host the leaders of those three countries in pretty rapid succession. So what really matters,
what we are looking for similar to North Korea, and Putin strip there, what's the deliverable?
How is Putin going to leave the house of Vietnam? Is he going to leave, you know, with coffee, with gifts, with the food come back soon? Or is Putin
going to leave Vietnam with President Lam saying, OK, you know, bye. We'll see you later. And that's it. It really matters to Vladimir Putin, when he
comes back to his domestic audience saying, look, I left Vietnam with all this stuff, with all these new economic deals.
If he doesn't, it will be a hollow visit. And, you know, of course, he does his own thing. That is the point of his trip to say, we don't need the
West, we can operate with this new world order. But I think it certainly matters to some degree to show that he has credence with his regional
neighbors and saying, you know, what we're loved, we still matter. So it's going to be very interesting to see what he leaves Vietnam with.
ANDERSON: Yeah, you know, you're making some very good points. And of course, as you talk about that new world order, Vietnam plays a really
important part in that. I mean, as we see the rewiring of globalization, so we're seeing a lot of reshoring of business, for example, out of China into
Vietnam.
It's a really strategic emerging country. Its economy is on a clip and as you say, it's proud as so many of these global south countries are of its
non-aligned or neutral status when it comes to its dealings with Russia. Then there are many more of them as well.
[09:15:00]
It's good to have you sir. Thank you. We're also keeping an eye on rising tensions between China and the Philippines. Manila is accusing China's
Coast Guard of launching a brutal assault during a confrontation with Philippine sailors in the South China Sea this week. CNN's Ivan Watson
looks at how the U.S. could find itself in the middle of what is an increasingly tense dispute?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A high seas confrontation that could ignite a war. In the middle is a boat
belonging to U.S. ally, the Philippines, sandwiched by the China Coast Guard in the heavily contested South China Sea on Monday. Footage released
by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows its uniformed sailors attempting to fight back.
Some Chinese Coast Guard personnel armed with axes and knives. But Beijing says the Philippines started it.
LIN JIAN, CHINA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Law enforcement measures taken by the China coast guard at the site were professional and restrained.
WATSON (voice-over): China says it seized guns and ammunition from the Philippines ship, which was on route to the Second Thomas Shoal. It is in
Manila's exclusive economic zone, but Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea for itself. In March, I was on board, a Philippine Coast
Guard ship on one of these routine trips. Chinese coast guard ships swarmed the Philippine ship.
WATSON: It is just after sunrise and as you may see, there is a large Chinese Coast Guard ship directly in front of this Philippine Coast Guard
vessel.
WATSON (voice-over): A Chinese Coast Guard ship blasted another Philippine boat with water cannons. Monday's clash marks a clear escalation with
multiple Philippine servicemen injured. Just last month, the Philippine President drew this red line.
FERDINAND MARCOS JUNIOR, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: If a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act, that is, I think, very, very close to what we
define as an act of war, and therefore we will respond accordingly.
WATSON (voice-over): If that happens, the United States could be called to help the Philippines and some experts argue Manila already has grounds to
invoke its mutual defense treaty with U.S., which has increased its military presence in the Philippines, angering China.
RAY POWELL, GORDIAN KNOT CENTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY INNOVATION: The Philippines would be perfectly within its rights under the treaty to go to
the United States and say this meets the terms of Article Three. We need your help and enter into those formal high level consultations about what
is to be done.
WATSON (voice-over): In a call with his Filipino counterpart this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. commitment to
defending the Philippines is ironclad. This simmering maritime dispute now threatens to boil over with all the potential for a much greater conflict.
Ivan Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: More on that, of course, as we get it. Well, the U.S. Supreme Court could soon be dropping a number of blockbuster rulings. The court
will be convening less than an hour from now, among the cases to be decided, at least by July, Former President Donald Trump's claims of
absolute immunity, government regulation on social media and cases involving abortion and gun rights.
All of this just before what is set to be an historic presidential election. Let's bring in our Senior Supreme Court Analyst Joan Biskupic for
more on what we might expect from today's session, Joan?
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Nice to see you, Becky. Yes, the justices have 20 cases left and they really are down to the most
difficult, biggest cases this time of year. They're going to go as you say for about two more weeks.
And we have a couple that could affect the election whether Donald Trump has to face trial for election subversion charges from the 2020 election,
whether he will face that trial before the 2024 presidential contest.
We have a major gun rights case that the justices are also hearing that takes them back to 2022 when they greatly expanded Second Amendment gun
rights and made it harder for state and federal governments to enforce gun regulation. And they're expected to try to clarify that ruling so that the
federal government and states know just how far they can go to try to protect people in the face of so much gun violence today.
What will happen, Becky, in the courtroom at 10 o'clock Eastern Time here with the nine justices will take the bench, individual justices will read
parts of their majority opinion.
[09:20:00]
But we're also in the season of oral dissents from the bench, typically, that doesn't happen, but because of the kinds of cases that are left now,
often a dissenting justice will feel so moved to complain about the majority ruling that he or she will read from the bench. So I'm expecting
several moments of high drama, and they do want to get out by the end of June.
But with the kinds of cases we have left, we might actually end up seeing the justice go into July but we'll know after today, that's for sure,
Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, know, these and so many of these, if not all of them are so politicized as far as sort of issues are concerned that they couldn't be
more important as we move towards that November election. Joan, it's great to have you and we'll be back with you as some when we get these opinions
dropped. Thank you.
We are just a week away from an historic debate rematch right here on CNN. And Joe Biden, Donald Trump preparing in very different ways. We're going
to find out how from our White House Correspondent, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, a week from today, U.S. President Joe Biden found the man who means to unseat him. Former President Donald Trump will go head to head
right here on CNN and that will be a history making moment. The first ever debate between a sitting and Former U.S. President and for both of them.
This is of course a crucial opportunity to sway voters before the November election. CNN's White House Correspondent Arlette Saenz is in Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware. I hope I've pronounced that correctly, Arlette, where President Biden is spending the day. I'm sure you'll correct me if I did.
This is a rematch. But this seems to be an entirely new fight, doesn't it, between Joe Biden and Donald Trump at this point? And you know, how are
these two candidates or how these two men preparing?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, they really are preparing in their own very different ways. But both men really have their
sights on the same objective as trying to paint each other as chaotic and unfit to serve in the presidency. And really Biden and Trump have been
spending the past few weeks out on the campaign trails sharpening their attacks against one another.
But this will be the first time that they are going head to head, face to face in person since their debates back in 2020. Some of those being quite
chaotic, if you think back to how those unfolded. And each of the men will spend the coming week preparing in their own different ways.
[09:25:00]
President Biden will leave here and had to Camp David a bit later tonight where he will hunker down with his top advisors for the coming days to
prepare for his upcoming debate against Trump. He is expected to really engage in these informal policy discussions to talk about possible areas,
topics that could come up ways to answer questions before then preparing for that full mock 90 minute debate.
Something that Biden has often done in his previous preparations to debate Trump. Trump, On the other hand, his sources have told us that they do not
anticipate that he will be having those mock debates. Instead, he's been having these types of policy discussions with his senior advisors, as well
as some of the people that he is considering as his vice presidential pick.
Now, one thing that the Trump team has also said is that they're focused a little less on policy, but more on the rhetoric, so how to message some of
these things to voters. But both campaigns are fully aware of the stakes of this moment of this debate, which is coming in the earliest point in any
presidential cycle before.
ANDERSON: And now let the economy of course has been a sticking point for Biden, despite the fact that he genuinely believes and has made a big noise
about, you know, how successful his economic policies have been and where the economy stands now, as opposed to when he took over in 2021.
But it has been a major sticking point, people do not feel better off macro metric show inflation, has called unemployment is high. But Americans just
aren't feeling that in their pockets. How -- to what the LinkedIn Founder and CEO Reid Hoffman, big noise in the Valley had to say to CNN's Matt Egan
about what a Trump presidency could mean for business?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID HOFFMAN, CO-FOUNDER OF LINKEDIN: And I literally talked to business leaders who are fearful about speaking out against this because they're
fearful of retaliation.
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Are you concerned that Trump could retaliate against you?
HOFFMAN: Of course, I'm concerned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I mean this is remarkable. That, you know, businessman might be concerned about being seen to be down on Donald Trump, you know, and what
that might mean in terms of revenge for deals going forward. Inflation calls we are now though beginning to see that in some polls, and --
Fox News national survey released yesterday shows Biden as the front runner against Trump for the first time since October. Are we seeing any sort of
trends at this point? Are we seeing any shifts at this point?
SAENZ: Well, I think that poll is certainly interesting, as it's still within the margin of era, but it does have Biden leading, but so far,
really, the dynamics of this presidential race have really stayed the same from the beginning. I think that time will tell if there is going to be a
more pronounced shift towards Biden, in the weeks and months to --
You know, some have argued that there could be following Trump's conviction in that criminal hush money trial. And when it pertains to the economy, it
is really one of those tricky spots that both candidates have been dealing with. For Biden, his team often points to those economic indicators, the
fact that unemployment is down, that jobs are increasing, inflation sometimes is cooling.
They point to those things are real bright spots in the economy. But at the same time, as you noted, there are many people who say they just don't feel
that at home. The campaign has long hoped that they would be able to kind of ride this out and sentiment would start to turn when it pertains to the
economy, similar to this point in the race for President Obama's re- election back in 2012.
But one thing that Biden's team is hoping that with this debate is that this will give them some type of bump, it was really one of their main
focuses is trying to get lay out for people what --remind people what Trump was like in his first term in office and what a second Trump presidency
would look like.
And they are hoping that this will really be a starting point where people are starting to tune in a bit more and hear from the both candidates. The
Biden team, of course, thinks that they have the upper hand here while Trump believes that he would be best to serve in the next four years in
office. And so a lot of these debates will play out on that debate stage in just one week.
ANDERSON: The week from now, Arlette it's always good to have you, thank you. Tune in folks to see the CNN presidential debate right here on CNN
coming up on June the 27th. And we will replay that debate in its entirety. A number of times you can watch it next Friday at 7 am London time.
For example, if that suits you. That's 2 pm Hong Kong or 12 hours later 7 pm in London. 8 pm for example, here in Abu Dhabi. Right you're watching
"Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson.
[09:30:00]
Time here is just before half past five in the evening. Still to come, Kenya's government responds after massive protests erupt over a
controversial tax bill, more on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back, just after half past five. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World" and wherever you are
watching, you're more than welcome. 9:30 in New York when markets have opened after a day off for the Juneteenth holiday and on Tuesday.
A reminder the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ hit record highs as traders push NVIDIA shares up on high hopes for its artificial intelligence chips. And
it's how they are trading today. And it's an interesting one because actually the futures markets were in a lot better shape. The indications
were that these markets will be on a clip on the open but not so.
We are still looking at some significant numbers but not as significant as the futures were suggesting. Kenya's government is scrapping portions of a
controversial tax bill amid growing protests. Huge crowds marched in several cities across Kenya, including Mombasa where protests erupted on
Wednesday.
Many Kenyans say the amendments to the bill are not good enough and want the entire bill withdrawn. CNN's Larry Madowo joining us from Nairobi with
the very latest, Larry, what are you seeing on the ground?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, we are just a few 100 meters away from Kenya's National Assembly, which is currently discussing the finance
bill and we'll be voting on it. But out here you see this huge police presence to make sure that these protesters do not get to the National
Assembly.
They've been here all afternoon. And the protesters back there say we are peaceful. They should not be trying to break us up but what we'll see all
afternoon is tear gas and water cannon constantly tried to push them back. They then come back, re group, sing the national anthem, have banners
asking -- government not to pass this bill.
[09:35:00]
And then -- keep getting pushed back again. I want to speak to one of the people who is here is with me, you are a young lady face, this is your
first time in your life protesting. Why are you out here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. I'm protesting because you cannot tax pads. Period is not a choice. Condom is a choice -- period is not a choice. If
you tell me like the young mothers out there will be charged for diapers. What about the students who are learning? How -- that?
MADOWO: The government's arguments that they're only taxing sanitary pads that are imported, not locally made sanitary pads.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK -- concern of that much what we know is why? Our question is why you taxing why you putting taxes. And secondly, it's --
MADOWO: It's a necessity. Why are you here? What is your name? And why are you here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is -- Elvis (ph). I'm here -- financial --
MADOWO: You don't like it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's -- I don't like it. It's because I don't like the content --
MADOWO: So there's lots of very passionate people who are here that are getting their voices heard. And every time they try and get closer, their
ambition is really to get to the National Assembly. But the police are not allowing them to do that. They're trying to get the National Assembly, the
police allowing them to do that.
If this bill does pass, Becky, there'll be a lot of very unhappy people around me. I want to show you really quickly. You see the hundreds of
people in this part of the capital city. There are many other streets in Nairobi that look like this with protesters trying to present their
petition to the National Assembly in Kenya which is their rights under the Constitution, Becky.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Good to have you. Thank you an important story. Still to come, the biggest star in football is ready for the start of another
major international tournament, preview of the Copa America, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Copa America 2024 kicks off tonight when Argentina faces Canada in Atlanta, Georgia. All eyes will be on one man Lionel Messi defending
champion Argentina, of course, the country has already won the title 15 times. Matches will be -- to cross 14 cities in the U.S. This is the second
time the tournament is being hosted outside South America.
Ecuador was originally designated as a tournament host but pulled out November 2022, due to economic and security concerns. And given that the
World Cup will be in the states, Canada and Mexico in 2026. This is -- it's a good practice as it was. Patrick Snell outside the stadium where that
opening match will be held what can we expect, sir and how is the atmosphere?
[09:40:00]
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi there, Becky. Yeah, you're absolutely right. We've also got next year's FIFA Club World Cup, the newly expanded
Club World Cup as well to throw into the mix. So this is a real the Americas as a whole, Becky a real hotbed of the global game right now.
I guess we've got the Euros ongoing at the moment. And that in itself was a massive tournament. But these three consecutive summers over here in this
part of the world are going to be huge for the growth of the game as well, particularly right across the United States.
But this just to give you some concept here, over a million tickets have already been sold for this year's Copa America, when it comes to the
international game, this is the oldest tournament in history. It's steeped in history, Becky, it goes back to 1916 and you're absolutely right. Many
of the thousands is going to be over -- 70,000 approx will be inside Mercedes Benz later on for Argentina, Canada.
And they are hoping very much to see a certain Lionel Messi taking center stage for his country. He'll turn 37 during this particular tournament and
is quite likely that this is his last ever major international competition for his country. Mind you. He did say that, didn't he ahead of the 2022
FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
So football has always changed their mind he will be turning 39 during the 2026 Men's World Cup over here in America, Canada and Mexico. But look,
we've got some great video from the heart of downtown Atlanta. This is video from Tuesday, and it does give you a sense of the height and
expectations around Argentina and all things Messi.
And literally hundreds of Argentina fans in that historic downtown area close to the team's hotel. The team is based right here in downtown Atlanta
about two miles or so from where I am standing. They've been fixated on every training session as well -- have been having, let's just say the
eighth time Ballon d'Or winner makes headlines everywhere he goes he's scored 108 goals and counting for his country.
And as a subplot to this, Becky, we've also got the potential for another famed Argentina player, Angel Di Maria. He's already said this will be his
last competition for Argentina. Let's hear now from the other celestial head coach Lionel Scaloni on the prospects of Messi, And Di Maria
potentially playing together for the last time for their country in a major competition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL SCALONI, ARGENTINA MANAGER: On the contrary, I am not worried. I say it doesn't make much sense to be thinking about when they are gone. We're
talking about them so much, but let's just enjoy them. And that's the most important thing. The football world not only the Argentinian, I think they
have to enjoy these guys, these players. And in the end, it's a game. Let's not forget that it's a game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Patrick Snell in Atlanta. Thank you, Patrick, looking forward to "World Sport" up next, with of course all the action from the Euros. I'll
be back top of the hour for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
[10:00:00]
END
