10/31/2026 12:43:00
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10/31 12:41 CDT When global diplomacy is done, it's time for American football
When global diplomacy is done, it's time for American football
By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer
ATLANTA (AP) --- Order of operations: foreign policy, then football.
Fresh from chairing a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 20 wealthiest
nations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio planned to host his foreign minister
counterparts on Saturday afternoon at a quintessential American sporting event.
Rubio and a number of his colleagues were expected to attend Saturday's college
football game between Southeastern Conference rivals Florida and Georgia, which
shifted to Atlanta from the usual neutral venue in Jacksonville, Florida, due
to stadium renovations.
A State Department official said 15 of the other G20 diplomats had accepted
invitations to attend the game. Others had to leave immediately after the
meetings for previously scheduled engagements.
It was not clear which ministers might attend what has been called the "World's
Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" due to the large, boisterous crowds that the
matchup attracts.
Georgia is ranked No. 3 in the country and heavily favored. Florida, where
Rubio's son, Anthony, plays, is No. 17.
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