Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
Iran Media: Tehran Suspends U.S. Talks Over Israel Strikes On Lebanon; CNN Goes Inside An Ebola Clinic In D.R. Congo; Colombia's Presidential Race Set For High-Stakes Runoff; Serene Williams Returning To Tennis Next Week In London; Woman Secures Father's Release From "Alligator Alcatraz"; U.S. Fans Encouraged By Win Over Senegal; Goldman Sachs Predicts Spain Will Win Tournament; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired June 01, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:35]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Talks between the United States and Iran have been suspended.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's not going to be easy to resolve it, took a lot of pressure from President Trump last time.
And it's really not clear what happens next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So, where will negotiations go from here? The sticking point that has Iranian diplomats headed for the door.
ASHER: And heading for a runoff, what the results of Colombia's presidential election could mean for relations with the United States.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIANNE BETANCOURT, DAUGHTER OF JUSTO BETANCOURT: And everyone told me that it was impossible to give up, that I wasn't going to get it done. And my
dad is sitting right next to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: A story of resilience, the daughter who stopped at nothing to secure her father's release from a notorious Florida detention facility.
ASHER: And later she is back. Serena Williams is returning to the court. How she's doing it, just ahead.
All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
Iran's top negotiator says that the U.S. naval blockade and what he's calling an escalation of Israel's war crimes, quote-unquote, in Lebanon, is
evidence that Washington is in violation of the ceasefire.
ASHER: Yes. A short time ago, Iranian media reported that Tehran is suspending peace talks with the U.S. and vowing to completely block not
only the Strait of Hormuz, but another key straight as well.
It comes as the U.S. military says, it intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces in Kuwait on Sunday evening. Just hours
after the U.S. struck various locations in Iran in a move described as defensive by the Pentagon.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us now live from Jerusalem.
So, Oren, a couple of events transpiring over the last 24 to 48 hours. The president reportedly responding to the initial MOU, or at least reports,
that memorandum of understanding by tightening some of his demands and asking for further concessions from Iran.
At the same time, Israel is deepening its offensive into Lebanon, going into Beirut once again in its fight against Hezbollah. And now Iran
responding by saying that the two are contingent, that any sort of ceasefire, would have to relate to the war in Lebanon as well, that that
would have to come to an end.
Just walk us through how we got here and what happens now.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: And it shows you how all of this is connected from decisions that President Donald Trump makes in D.C.
about that memorandum of understanding to what happens between the U.S. and Iran, to what happens between Israel and Hezbollah.
It was on Friday that we expected Trump to go into a situational meeting and make a decision about the MOU. But instead, he came out and asked for
stricter and harsher or more -- or more tight wording on the nuclear issue, as well as on the Strait of Hormuz.
Well, that means it's back to negotiations, and these are difficult and can take time, as we have repeatedly seen.
Meanwhile, the U.S. carried out additional strikes in Iran after they say Iran downed a U.S. MQ-1 Reaper drone. Iran responded with ballistic missile
fire towards the site of where they say that attack was launched from.
Nevertheless, we have seen those sorts of attacks before. They haven't completely derailed the ceasefire. But what they show you is how delicate
it is and how difficult it is to make political or diplomatic progress in the middle of -- of two countries that are at least poised for war, even if
Trump has signaled that he doesn't intend to resume this at full scale.
Meanwhile, earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said, they would escalate in Beirut, and once
again renew strikes on Beirut, and specifically the Dahieh neighborhood, which is considered a Hezbollah stronghold, after an increased number of
Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks against Israeli forces and into Israel, including rockets that are coming a bit deeper into Israeli territory.
Now, that, according to an Israeli source, is coordinated with the United States. We have reached out to the White House for comment.
But only several hours after Israel made that announcement, it was Iran that, according to state media, announced they would suspend talks with the
United States because of that escalation.
[12:05:02]
Iran has always viewed them as linked. They want a broader ceasefire. They don't want to -- they don't want to treat these as two separate issues.
There is the U.S. and Iran, and that's very much connected to Israel and Hezbollah. Worth remembering that Iran doesn't see much of a difference
between the U.S. and Israel.
Israel, on the other hand, has tried to keep them separate to try to ensure that if the U.S. and Iran reach an agreement, it doesn't prohibit Israel
from pursuing its war aims and pursuing a degrading of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
But that's not, certainly not how Iran sees it, and that's not how Trump has seen it. The reason Beirut is a big deal is because Trump had
prohibited Israel from carrying out strikes there since the ceasefire went into effect. Israel had only carried out two strikes in early and -- and
late May, but other than that has refrained.
Now, at the -- at the announcement of what is effectively a dramatic or would-be a dramatic escalation, it now puts, not only Israel in a position
of this escalation, vis-a-vis Hezbollah, but now really the only person who can force a de-escalation there is Trump, and we'll wait to see what
decision he makes as he continues to pursue those negotiations.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Oren Liebermann breaking it all down for us. Thank you so much.
ASHER: Now, let's turn now to CNN's Alayna Treene, joining us live now from the White House.
So, Alayna, just in terms of what Trump's calculation is here, you've got to run, playing tough, essentially saying that, you know, they're not going
to have any more peace talks until Israel de-escalates actions in Lebanon.
How will President Trump respond to that, do you think?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, we have been asking and waiting to hear what the response from the White House will be.
I will tell you, you know, in the past, and this could be very different because this is a different call on the Iranians, you know, saying that
they want to cease negotiations overall.
But in the past, when we've seen these really tough threats from Tehran, though I know the White House argues that, look, they are being very
forceful publicly in the rhetoric and the language they are choosing, not necessarily the same picture that is playing out behind the scenes.
Now, is that the case with this scenario? We don't know yet. We have not gotten any word whether publicly in a statement from the White House or
privately in the conversations I know my colleagues and I have been having with our sources about how the president is going to respond to this.
But what I can tell you is that in the conversations I was having over the weekend, including following that exchange of fire we saw between the U.S.
and Iran yesterday, the goal and the preference of the president does remain wanting to handle this diplomatically.
We know that there has been a lot of back and forth, you know, a lot of start and stops as it comes to the negotiations over this memorandum of
understanding, essentially that short-term deal that they are both working toward finalizing that would then trigger a 60-day negotiating period to
further discuss Iran's nuclear program, but also by having the Strait opened and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports closed.
And so, you know, we know they were close on that. The president in most recently we were told had sent back proposed changes to it. We were waiting
to hear what the Iranians had to say. Of course, this all definitely could upend these talks at a very, very fragile point in all of this.
The other thing I would say is we know that the White House has long been really putting pressure on Israel to hold off on far -- a much more fuller-
scale attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
We have to see whether or not, though, you know, this is really the thing that blows these talks up at this stage. We'll have to wait and see how the
White House responds.
ASHER: All right. Alayna Treene, live for us. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: The "Associated Press" reports that protests involving hundreds of youths broke out Monday in the town in central Kenya over U.S. plans to
open an Ebola quarantine center at an air base there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: It comes after U.S. official said Thursday the United States plans to send Americans who've been exposed to Ebola to a new facility in Kenya
instead of flying them back to the United States.
Kenya's High Court has since suspended the establishment of the facility. And the arrival of any foreign patients, Kenya has not recorded any Ebola
cases, protests to say the move will expose Kenyans unnecessarily.
GOLODRYGA: So far, 42 people have died from the rare strain of Ebola that has caused the outbreak. And 282 cases have been confirmed.
But on a more hopeful note, the World Health Organization now says four nurses treated for the virus have recovered.
CNN's Clarissa Ward is in the red zone. She went inside an Ebola clinic in the DRC to see firsthand the measures healthcare workers have to take when
treating infected patients.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are now getting ready to go into the so-called red zone of this hospital. That is the area
where all suspected Ebola patients are put. And there is a lot of protective gear, unsurprisingly, that one needs to wear to go inside.
[12:10:08]
One of the things that makes this so challenging for these healthcare workers is that it becomes unbearably hot to wear these for, honestly, even
just 10 or 15 minutes.
It's actually quite hard to breathe normally in these things.
(INAUDIBLE). Another pair of gloves.
WARD (voice-over): He tells me to pull the gloves over the sleeves of the suit.
WARD: Ebola is not actually airborne. It's contracted through fluids but still healthcare workers have to take absolutely every precaution before
they can treat the patients. Because, of course, to treat the patients, they need to touch them.
WARD (voice-over): The doctors write our names on our backs so they can recognize us. And then it's time to go in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Clarissa Ward will continue to bring us fresh on the ground reporting from the center of the outbreak in the coming days, so do stay
tuned to CNN for that.
ASHER: All right. Colombia is headed for a highly polarized presidential run of election that could redefine its relations with the United States.
GOLODRYGA: This after conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella took nearly 44 percent of the vote on Sunday. He faces the leftist government-
backed candidate, Senator Ivan Cepeda who got more than 40 percent of the vote.
ASHER: De la Espriella is a pro-Donald Trump candidate. He has quickly become one of the strongest challenges to Colombia's ruling coalition.
GOLODRYGA: Joining us now for more is Elizabeth Dickinson. She is an international crisis Group's deputy director for Latin America. Elizabeth,
welcome back to the program.
So you spent years with communities living under these armed groups. And you have two different approaches from these candidates. De la Espriella is
running on a Bukele-style crackdown. His opponent is running on Petro's total peace initiative and that's focused on reducing violence.
So, how do these groups react to each other? And which do you think is the more effective model going into these elections?
ELIZABETH DICKINSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, LATIN REGION, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Well, I think probably what candidates, what -- what the successful
candidate will find, whoever takes office in August when the new president assumes power, is that they will need a whole toolkit, toolkit of options
to address the conflict here in Colombia.
As you mentioned on the one hand, we have Ivan Cepeda promising continuity with a strategy that really prioritizes sitting down with armed criminal
groups and trying to deescalate violence through talks.
On the other hand, on the right, De la Espriella is promising a hardline crackdown of the style that we have seen from El Salvador's Nayib Bukele
and the next door in Ecuador.
I think one of the challenges of this situation and -- and certainly something that will, I think that certainly De la Espriella will come face
-- will -- will sort of confront face on, if he is the successful candidate, is that the military here is already operating on all cylinders.
There is very little capacity to expand and probably what's necessary is a mix of military pressure and dialogue as well as addressing some of the
structural issues that continue to recycle violence here.
ASHER: It's an interesting trend where we're seeing across Latin America, as you point out, you mentioned Ecuador, you mentioned El Salvador with
Bukele and obviously now it's a key theme in this -- these elections in Colombia, this idea that you have people or the sort of electorate ditching
the sort of leftist approach which is, let's address the root cause of the gang violence. Let's address the root cause of the conflict. Let's tackle
it economically.
People are sort of rejecting that and focusing on no, let's just have a hard stance on crime. Just to sort of broaden it out a bit, this is a trend
again not just in Colombia, but we're seeing it play out in multiple Latin American countries. Why is that?
DICKINSON: Look, I think the hard-handed approach to criminality reflects a few things. The first is really the extent to which violence has affected
communities across Latin America in recent years.
Really over the last five years, 10 years, we've seen this wave of expansion of organized criminal groups who have entered into new contexts
where they previously didn't have such a protagonic (ph) role, for example in Ecuador where the situation of security has really deteriorated.
I think the appeal of a hard-handed approach is that it appears to be a simple solution to what is in fact a very difficult problem. And I think
that -- that on the left of the political spectrum, there hasn't been a narrative that is as convincing as that seemingly simple solution to a
crackdown.
Now, in reality, what we've seen is for example in Ecuador, this crackdown did work initially to some extent, homicide rates went down, but they have
since skyrocketed once again to their highest ever historical levels.
[12:15:06]
And so this sort of one-sided military approach is likely to possibly yield benefits in the short term but it's very difficult to sustain.
GOLODRYGA: Elizabeth, at this stage of the race, is Gustavo Petro's surrogacy and his advocacy for his appointed successor, is that helpful for
his campaign? Or do you think that's causing more harm?
DICKINSON: I think what we have to understand about the left in Colombia is that it is a new political phenomenon.
For half a century, Colombia was locked in an existential conflict, really, between the state and the largest rebel group at the time, the former FARC.
When that group demobilized in a peace deal, I think concerns that had been pushed aside for many years about inequality, about the lack of
opportunity, about social mobility were suddenly rose to the surface.
And what the Petro government and now Ivan Cepeda, the left wing candidate, have tried to do is really create this constituency that puts those
concerns at their core.
And let's be -- let's be very honest about it, Gustavo Petro is the first Colombian politician who has spoken to these poor and disenfranchised
Colombian voters as a constituency that merits a political response.
That has been very successful. And I think in many ways, Ivan Cepeda's candidacy and the 40 percent of the vote that he received really is
reflective of this new political force in Colombia that is very potent. And -- and I think will remain potent regardless of who wins.
The party that is behind Gustavo Petro and Cepeda on the left has already won the largest share of congressional seats in this vote. So whoever
governs will have to somehow deal with these concerns about social inequality.
GOLODRYGA: It will be interesting to see how, if at all, President Trump weighs in to all of this as well.
Elizabeth Dickinson, thank you so much.
Tennis icon Serena Williams is set to return to the court in a doubles competition at the Queen's Club in London.
ASHER: Yes. The club confirmed the 44-year-old will be competing. She never officially technically announced her retirement, but it's been nearly four
years since her last professional match today. She posted this on X, quote, "Good news travels fast."
Let's go to CNN's Don Riddell, joining us live for us in Atlanta.
I mean, Don, she was always a little bit on the fence about retiring. She used the word evolve. She never said the word retire. And I think she said
something akin to, you know, I know a lot of people feel excited about retiring and I -- I wish I felt that way.
So, it's been four years since she's played. What do we know about -- I mean, I'm so excited. I don't know if it means Wimbledon as well. I mean,
maybe it's too late for Wimbledon. We'll see. But, Don, take it away.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes. Look, we don't really know exactly what Serena Williams is thinking.
I'll tell you this. For the last four years, I've been telling people that I saw Serena Williams last ever tennis match, because I was there at the
U.S. Open in 2022 when she did great to get to the third round and ultimately lost to Ajla Tomljanovic.
And we, I think everybody just assumed this was it, but you're right, she never actually said she was retiring. She was just evolving away from
tennis.
We kind of got a whiff that something like this might be happening, or at least on the cards towards the end of last year, when her name appeared on
the register of tennis players who'd signed up to be drug tested again while she was kind of back in the pool.
So that made you think, well, why would she be doing that if she wasn't thinking about a competitive return? And now we have this news.
The Nike ad that she posted earlier was really cool. It showed you just kind of on a practice court and you could hear her phone just blowing up
ding, ding, ding. The phone was ringing off the hook. And that's why she had this line, "good news travels fast."
But what happens now? We don't know. We do know that she'll be playing, as you guys say, at Queen's next week. She's never played at Queen's before
because the women didn't play there from the early '70s until last year.
She's going to be playing in the doubles competition. We don't know with whom, but it's rumored to be Victoria Mboko, the young Canadian teen
sensation.
But beyond that, is this a comeback? Can we even call it a comeback if she never retired? Is she going to play Wimbledon? I mean, that's where the
real excitement and the real curiosity comes in because, of course, Wimbledon is where she had some of the biggest successes of her career. She
won it seven times in singles, six in doubles, one in mixed doubles as well.
But then what after that? And again, we can -- we can guess. We won't know until Serena actually sits down and explains this.
But is she thinking about the Olympics in two years time? Of course, it's in L.A. where her story began. By that point, she'd be, what, 46 years old?
So, is that in the thinking? We just don't know.
But you're absolutely right, there is a lot of excitement and a lot of curiosity. And people just want to see what happens next.
[12:20:04]
But she referred to this as, Queen's is the perfect place to begin this next chapter. That doesn't sound like a one-off, does it?
ASHER: No, it doesn't sound.
Don, you thought that the next sort of 10 days you'd be talking about the World Cup, but that's life for you, you know, talking about something
equally and exciting.
RIDDELL: There's -- there's always room to talk about more than one story. Yes.
GOLODRYGA: We didn't know if this was going to be Messi's last World Cup, the last time around he's playing against. So, you know, never say never --
ASHER: Never say never.
GOLODRYGA: -- when it comes to the GOATs.
RIDDELL: Yes.
ASHER: Don Riddell, thank you.
RIDDELL: All right.
ASHER: All right. Still to come here on "One World."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both team played well. U.S. also showed that they're ready for the World Cup.
A lot of people were underestimated the U.S. thinking that they wouldn't, you know, couldn't compete with the team that will be there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They keep going like this, we might see some good things in the World Cup. Go USA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Just 10 days to go until kickoff for the men's football World Cup, team USA fans riding high after a warm up match victory over Senegal. We
hear the expectations for the tournament.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, a 26 percent chance. Goldman Sachs says one country has a better chance than all others to win. How and why? That's later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. The controversial ICE detention center in Florida, known as Alligator Alcatraz, expected to shut down over the summer after nearly a
year of legal challenges and mounting costs.
GOLODRYGA: With the fate of the remaining detainees unknown, one woman fought for months to free her father from the infamous facility.
CNN's Carolina Peguero has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A. BETANCOURT: I can't even say that I'm happy and not cry.
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A relentless legal battle.
A. BETANCOURT: Papi's home, and we got him some cafecito.
PEGUERO (voice-over): And a daughter doing everything in her power to get her father released from Florida's migrant detention center, known as
Alligator Alcatraz.
A. BETANCOURT: I've worked so hard over the last six months for this.
And everyone told me that it was impossible, to give up, that I wasn't going to get it done. And my dad is sitting right next to me.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Her father, a Cuban national, Justo Betancourt, is one of thousands of migrants who have been held at what was billed with
much fanfare as a temporary facility.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATEs: It's an amazing job. They've all done a great job. Proud of them
PEGUERO (voice-over): Under conditions, Justo says are inhumane, with shared cells with barely any space and little to no access to food and
medicine.
JUSTO BETANCOURT, FORMER "ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ" DETAINEE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: From the moment you arrive, you're an animal that's assigned a number.
[12:25:07]
A. BETANCOURT: My dad's health was not the best before he went into Alligator Alcatraz, but my dad, the condition that they released him in. I
learned today that my dad had a mini stroke while he was detained.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Wearing an ankle monitor, Justo recalls being moved through several immigration centers. At one point, U.S. authorities sent
him to Mexico, but officials there refused to take him, due to his poor health. He was then sent back to the Florida center.
Arianne recalls the day he was detained.
A. BETANCOURT: He showed up to his routine immigration check-in. I was sitting in the car, and we were waiting. And hours were going by, and we
couldn't see him anymore. He wasn't outside.
And a woman showed up, screaming that her husband had called her on his Apple watch and told her that they detained him and the other 15 guys that
were in line with him.
PEGUERO (voice-over): ICE tells CNN Justo entered the U.S. illegally and has past criminal history for possession selling illicit substances, though
he says he served time for those charges.
For now, he's back with his family.
J. BETANCOURT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: God bless you.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Justo was released after his attorney filed several petitions for habeas corpus.
MIRIAM HASKELL, LAWYER, COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROJECT: We argued that the government still did not have a plan for his deportation.
And the government responded to say that Mr. Betancourt would be sent to Mexico, but ignored the fact that his removal had been attempted to Mexico
in the past and had been denied.
And so that, combined with the length of his deportation, demonstrated that the government really doesn't have a plan and didn't have a plan for his
deportation.
PEGUERO (voice-over): And as the center is set to close, the big question is, what happens to the hundreds of detainees that activists say are still
being held in the Florida center?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very likely that most, if not all, are going to end up at other detention centers, unfortunately.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' office did not directly respond to the questions about the fate of the detainees after the
detention camp closes. Instead, referred us to comments the governor made earlier this month defending the facility.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Being able to fill that void where, at the time, the federal government did not have the resources to do it, no question,
that saved lives, no question, it's increased public safety, and no question it's the right thing to do.
PEGUERO (voice-over): For now, Arianne and her dad are making up for lost time.
J. BETANCOURT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GRAPHIC: As your dad, the biggest thing I can tell you is that I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you, since the day you were born.
A. BETANCOURT: I love you, Papi.
J. BETANCOURT: I love you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:54]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
The men's football World Cup is just 10 days away hosted this year by the U.S.-Canada and Mexico.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Team USA beat Senegal, three-two in a friendly on Sunday.
Diane Gallagher asked supporters from both sides for their analysis about the game and about the tournament's very high ticket prices.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A promising sign for the stars and stripes here in Charlotte as the U.S. men's national team bested Senegal,
three-two in what was the first matchup ever between the two countries in international competition, an entertaining clash at Bank of America
Stadium, full of supporters from both squads, many who admit that this warm-up will likely be their World Cup experience, thanks to high ticket
prices and travel, especially for Team USA, which starts out on the West Coast.
But those supporters who have already purchased tickets say that they felt encouraged by the performance on the pitch and that leads them to believe
their investment or those who are thinking about dropping dollars will be well worth it in the end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, three on Senegal is insane. I -- I - - I can't believe we put three on Senegal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They keep going like this, we might see some good things in World Cup. And go USA.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Both team played well, U.S. also showed that they were ready for the World Cup. A lot of people were underestimated the U.S.,
thinking that they wouldn't -- you know, couldn't compete with the team that would be there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was expecting a loss, to be honest. I was. I was. I was going to be happy with the tie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be my World Cup game.
GALLAGHER: Why aren't you traveling or purchasing tickets to the matches?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm broke. I'm broke.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're all on the West Coast, but I'm going to try if they move up and get close to Atlanta or something like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh no, I'm not going to another match. Tickets are so, so expensive, so we -- we're not going. We're just sitting at home and
watching the game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will go to the other matches, especially Senegal friends.
GALLAGHER: Do you already have tickets?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they made them on 202 (ph), of course, I get ticket already.
GALLAGHER: How expensive were those tickets?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1,300. It's -- it's -- it's out of reach, to be honest with you. It's super, super high.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yesterday, the cheapest one I found was $1,600. It's worth it. It's an experience.
GALLAGHER: To give you an idea of that ticket disparity, there were people who scored seats for 40 bucks a pop just before game time on Sunday.
Now, both squads have one remaining friendly before the World Cup begins. Senegal will take on Saudi Arabia and the United States will play Germany.
Diane Gallagher, CNN. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, Goldman Sachs says that Spain has the highest chances of winning the World Cup.
Business and economics reporter Anna Cooban is here to discuss how reliable that might be. So, what are they basing on all of this on, Anna?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, they think that Spain has a 26 percent probability of winning and they've based that on a
number of different things they've put into this model. One of them is, of course, match data. They've looked at 20,000 matches since 1978 and they've
looked at players' goal scoring history, obviously.
And they've also looked at factors like geography. So some of these matches will take place in Mexico City, it's high altitude. That may affect some
players more than others negatively or positively.
So they put all that into a model and they've spat this out. It's going to be Spain, 26 percent. France is number two, 19 percent probability in
Argentina, number three, with 14 percent probability.
But, of course, how much stop do we put in this? This isn't the first time Goldman Sachs is trying to predict this and it has gone it wrong before. So
2018 is said that Brazil would win, actually got kicked out in quarterfinals. It was France that won.
And also, it's not the only person or company trying to predict this. Bank of America, the survey data, they say it's going to be France.
And then a person called Joachim Klement, he's a very clever guy. He's an analyst at Panmure Liberum, an investment bank. He thinks Netherlands is
going to win. And Goldman Sachs says Netherlands has a five percent chance of winning, so we're back to square one, really.
GOLODRYGA: I love all of this and it comes down to, I mean --
ASHER: Guesswork.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, guesswork. In performance in the past games, I get how the models are put together, but at the end of the day, it's about who shows up
and how prepared they are and how successful they are in that particular game. And that's what makes it so exciting.
[12:35:12]
ASHER: And who you're playing against. You can't fully predict, at every level, who is going to be playing who, you know, so.
GOLODRYGA: That's right. Anna Cooban, we'll never bet against you.
COOBAN: (INAUDIBLE) the octopus.
GOLODRYGA: the octopus, yes, I remember. I remember the octopus.
COOBAN: He was really accurate.
GOLODRYGA: Sorry, there's a delay.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We need a --
COOBAN: And he's listening (INAUDIBLE).
GOLODRYGA: We need to turn to that octopus again. Anna Cooban, thank you.
ASHER: All right. Let's carry on the football chat with Keir Radnedge from World Soccer Magazine. Keir, thank you so much for being with us.
So I think one of the reasons why I'm so excited about this particular World Cup is because of all the new teams we're seeing. I mean, you've got
Cape Verde included this time around. You've got Uzbekistan included this time.
And then also a lot of teams that haven't been in the World Cup for many, many years, including Iraq, for example.
I mean, and then the whole sort of 48, I'm going on and on. Zain, just get -- get to the questions, Zain. OK?
But just the fact that it's 48 teams instead of the usual 32, just give us your take on -- on how different the dynamics will be this time.
KEIR RADNEDGE, WORLD SOCCER MAGAZINE: Well, I think this time, it's going to be a bit -- a bit more of a marathon for anyone who wants to, well, like
your fans who want to follow the tournament and for the -- the teams and the players.
And I think that's an unknown factor which could disturb some of the results later on in the tournament. You know, you always have people
worrying about, you know, fitness -- have it levels and pressure and psychology and all the rest.
And I think this group stage at the start is fascinating, as you say, because of all these new teams. And I think what you want in the group
stage is, you know, looking in from outside, you want a surprise. You want one of the -- the giants upset, you know, because that's what's going to
spark, a lot of the -- the fun and the intrigue in the tournament itself.
GOLODRYGA: So, what are the odds in your view? We heard from Goldman Sachs. We want to hear from the real expert, and that is Keir.
What -- what are the odds, in your view, that we'll see a giant upset from the likes of Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde. I mean, these, as they noted,
are three countries who are participating for the first time ever?
RADNEDGE: Yes. I think the bad news for Goldman Sachs is that I tend to agree with their estimate. And I'm not very good at tipping these things.
The -- the new comers, I'm really looking forward to are Uzbekistan because they have been a very solid competitor in Asian football now for more than
20 years.
And I think they really have a lot of good experience and -- and they will have a focus about them. They're used to the Asian tournaments. And I think
they're the ones who could really come through and -- and surprise.
ASHER: I was actually talking to my team on the morning call this morning about the sort of psychological pressure that you have to be able to
withstand in order to win a -- a World Cup. Because you're talking about the most watched game on planet Earth and you're carrying the hopes of an
entire nation, right?
So there's the sort of mental resilience. There's the ability to thrive in front of massive crowds that you also have to obviously, behind the scenes,
be training constantly. And all of this, you have to be able to keep it up for an entire month, which is no small thing.
And then we were talking on the call about just the pressure of the penalty kick, right? Because you're -- the -- the entire country, both watching you
in the stadium and also from overseas is holding their breath.
And it's so easy to cave to the pressure in those moments. And, you know, just -- just the remarkability, right, of being able to withstand all of
that for -- for 30 days is -- is quite something, Keir.
RADNEDGE: It is tough stuff. I once asked the old England manager, Bobby Robson, who had managed England in Italy in 1990, what was his advice for
World Cup managers? And he said, there are two pieces of advice; one, win your first match. Two; win your first match. It is that important.
If you -- if -- if you win your first -- if you don't win your first match, even if you draw, suddenly, you've got your media on the back. You've got
the fans on your back. You've got other players in the squad thinking, well, actually, maybe, you know, I should have started that match.
ASHER: Oh. Forgot about that.
RADNEDGE: And you're -- you're sparking all the silliness that can -- that can occur.
One of -- one of the brilliant things about Argentina's victory four years ago in Qatar was that they had what could have been a catastrophic defeat
to Saudi Arabia in their first match, but they had the mental resilience, well, talent as well, to -- to put that behind them, get on and go on and
win the tournament. And that was very, very impressive.
[12:40:06]
GOLODRYGA: Yes. That's where experience really comes in handy.
I'd add another rule here, a third rule, is that, do whatever you can to avoid penalty kicks. If you're no other reason, then you're very anxious
fans watching. And it really is a crapshoot. I mean, for a game to come down to one penalty kick.
I do have to ask though, Keir, as soccer, I believe for the first time, has now surpassed baseball as the third most popular sport here in the U.S. How
is team USA looking thus far?
RADNEDGE: I think team USA is looking pretty steady. They've got a good coach. you know, he's not a man who's going to get panicked. He's got a lot
of experience. I think he's worked hard to try and assess who are the right players, the right balance for his squad, for his tactics.
I think he has an awkward opening match against Paraguay. That -- that's going to be a real test. But if they come through that, OK, then team USA
can go a long way.
ASHER: I love what you said, Keir, about just how the dynamics change within the team if a particular player makes a mistake, because the players
then start second guessing each other.
I mean, that is, you know. But it's just such an important point you mentioned as well about not focusing on your mistakes. If you've made a
mistake, if you've messed up, you've lost one match, just keep going and that is --
GOLODRYGA: Next play. Next play is my son's soccer coach used to say. Next play, next play, next play.
All right.
RADNEDGE: Yes, that's important. Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Time now for our next play.
ASHER: I was thinking about David -- David Beckham. Anyway, go ahead
Keir, we have to leave it there. Thank you.
RADNEDGE: Yes.
ASHER: Oh, I have some -- I could have asked so many questions.
GOLODRYGA: We'll have you back. It's not even starting. We have 10 days.
ASHER: Ten days.
GOLODRYGA: Keir, get used to us.
RADNEDGE: That's all right.
(CROSSTALK)
ASHER: He's like, what is going on? Let me go. Let me go. OK.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Keir.
ASHER: Bye, Keir.
GOLODRYGA: Well, if you are a football fanatic and think you know it all, you may want to check out our interactive website.
ASHER: Yes. You can actually build your predictions for the entire tournament and share results with your friends. Good luck trying to pick
the winner, as Goldman Sachs did.
GOLODRYGA: Zain's going to be on the website all day now.
ASHER: Actually, what it is they're actually saying as they predicted? All right.
GOLODRYGA: All right. That does it for "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga. Never rule Messi out. I don't know. He's playing again.
ASHER: Or Serena, apparently.
GOLODRYGA: That's right.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Bianna will be back in 15 minutes with "Amanpour."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END