'Great American Sleepover' softens US image abroad, but World Cup charm campaign hit some bumps

NEW YORK, July 20 : A supersized World Cup tournament and its dizzying array of feel-good social media fodder gave the U.S. image a much-needed boost globally, though concerns over high-level interference and visa difficulties for some fans overshadowed the action on the field at times as the lines between politics and sport blurred.An annual study of democracy in May showed that global perceptions of the United States under the Trump administration had fallen below those of Russia. A crackdown on immigration, sweeping tariffs and the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran damaged America's standing in the eyes of the world. But while U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating at home was at the lowest of his second term early in the tournament, a series of viral social media moments may have sof