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4 Takeaways After Spain Beats Argentina In Extra Time To Win 2026 FIFA World Cup
Spain stands alone on top of the world. Here are four takeaways from the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Bangor businesses hope World Cup excitement scores big with local fans
As the world’s biggest soccer tournament comes to a close with its championship match, Bangor businesses are hoping the global excitement translates into packed dining rooms and a busy Sunday afternoo...
Madonna-Justin Bieber Tension Erupts Behind World Cup Halftime Show
The first-ever World Cup final halftime show was designed to unite some of music’s biggest stars, but Madonna and Justin The Madonna-Justin Bieber Tension Erupts Behind World Cup Halftime Show first a...
At World Cup Final, Trump Seeks to Bask in Another Sports Championship
The president flew in Marine One over MetLife Stadium on Sunday ahead of his arrival. It was the second time recently that he sought to seize the spotlight at a major sporting event.
Prediction markets Swell to 27% of sports bets during World Cup
Kalshi, the biggest player, has repeatedly broken its own trading records during the World Cup.
Full 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Final Halftime Show ⭐️
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Halftime Show during halftime of Spain vs Argentina
AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 4:22 p.m. EDT
BTS, Madonna and the Muppets take the World Cup stage
BTS, Madonna and the Muppets take the World Cup stage
Madonna opened the World Cup halftime show with her 2000 dance-pop hit “Music,” joined by star Brazilian soccer players of yesteryear, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Sunday's show started with an apparently
Tom Cruise and Half of Hollywood Lit Up the 2026 World Cup Final
The movie star, who is promoting the heck out of his new film “Digger,” put his stamp on Sunday’s World Cup final, and was joined by half of Hollywood.
Madonna and the Muppets take the World Cup stage
Madonna opened the World Cup halftime show with her 2000 dance-pop hit “Music,” joined by star Brazilian soccer players of yesteryear, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. It started with an apparently pre-recorded
Madonna and the Muppets take the World Cup stage
Madonna opened the World Cup halftime show with her 2000 dance-pop hit “Music,” joined by star Brazilian soccer players of yesteryear, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. It started with an apparently pre-recorded
When Is The Next World Cup?
What to know about the next women's and men's FIFA World Cups.
Madonna and the Muppets take the World Cup stage
Madonna opened the World Cup halftime show with her 2000 dance-pop hit “Music,” joined by star Brazilian soccer players of yesteryear, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
Madonna and the Muppets take the World Cup stage
Madonna opened the World Cup halftime show with her 2000 dance-pop hit “Music,” joined by star Brazilian soccer players of yesteryear, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
Spain or Argentina? Politicians are divided on the World Cup final - Live Updates
We asked some of the most dedicated tourney followers in American politics to share their predictions for the final.
IShowSpeed hypes 2026 World Cup Final with hit song ‘Champions’
YouTube star iShowSpeed pumps up Argentina and Spain fans at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final with his hit song "Champions."
Tom Cruise, IShowSpeed, and More to Headline World Cup Closing Ceremony
Tom Cruise, IShowSpeed, Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, and Jennifer Hudson will headline FIFA's star-studded closing ceremony before the 2026 World Cup final at New York New Jerse...
World Cup final entertainment kicks off
The 2026 World Cup comes to an end this morning with a match between Spain and Argentina – and a musical line-up featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Spain vs Argentina, World Cup Final: Live Thread
Join us for an epic World Cup Final adventure!
Argentina vs. Spain starting lineups today for World Cup Final
See the official starting lineups for Argentina and Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
Spain's Pau Cubarsí Wins 2026 World Cup Young Player Award
Spain's Pau Cubarsí has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup Young Player Award, given to the tournament's top player under the age of 21.
Ireland's World Cup play - Live Updates
Ireland is hoping the global sporting spotlight surrounding the World Cup will also shine on its growing sports technology industry.
Trump presence means long queues for World Cup final
Supporters are facing hours of queues to get into New York New Jersey Stadium amid heightened security for the 2026 World Cup final.
The World Cup final is finally here as Spain and Argentina face off in an epic clash of styles
Live updates: Spain and Argentina meet in the World Cup final. Follow along for the latest.
Telemundo adds UEFA Champions League rights in multiyear deal
With a record-breaking World Cup drawing to a close on Sunday, Telemundo is announcing its next step in soccer broadcasting. The NBCUniversal-owned network announced on Sunday that it has secured exclusive U.S. Spanish-language broadcast rights for all UEFA men’s club competitions, including Champions League, for three years beginning with the 2027-28 season. Currently, U.S. Spanish-language…
6 big World Cup political moments as Argentina faces Spain
The path to Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain has been dotted with political moments. President Trump, inevitably, was to the fore. Trump’s intervention to get Team USA star Fola…
What Do The World Cup Final Winners Get?
It's not just the winners of the World Cup getting paid at the end of the tournament, but the champions will get that and much, much more.
Infantino's 2026 World Cup Travels, By The Numbers
FIFA President Gianni Infantino got some serious air time over the course of the 2026 World Cup.
I went on Walmart's World Cup tour. It was peak America.
International World Cup fans fell in love with Walmart. I attended one of the tours the company organized to seize on the attention.
World Cup final live updates: Spain vs. Argentina latest news, score, highlights and analysis
Looking back at the World Cup: Fans drank Boston dry, got permanent tattoos, sold out famous BBQ joints, and drove up small business revenue
From permanent tattoos and drinking Boston dry, to a bar doing nearly 300% of weekly business in one night, the World Cup is helping small businesses.
How to Watch the World Cup Today: Schedule, Times, TV, Streaming for the Final
Spain faces Argentina in the World Cup final today. Get kickoff time, TV channel and streaming info for the match on FOX.
Relive 'America's World Cup' with our commemorative book
The United States staged the biggest, boldest and best World Cup in 2026, and USA TODAY Sports has crafted a hardcover keepsake book to commemorate it
2026 World Cup: How to watch all of today's games, Sunday, July 19 match schedule, free streaming info, and more
Poll: Favorite World Cup Fans
After Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, it’s likely that soccer will go back to being a secondary sport here in the United States. Sure, there will be excitement in 2027 for the Women’s World Cup, but that’s happening in Brazil. There will be coverage of the U.S. women’s team, but not nearly as much interest in games not involving the USWNT.
World Cup, the highest-scoring finals ⚽️
World Cup finals are often tight, cagey matches, where every mistake can prove very costly. Yet several of them have produced especially spectacular, high-scoring encounters.Just hours before the bloc...
What TV channel is the World Cup on today?
The final match of the World Cup takes place Sunday in New Jersey.
Meet Joe, Buttercup and Gary, San Francisco’s smallest goat-landscaping business
For months, Joe Corcoran had been staring down the overgrown yard in the back of the building that serves as his barbershop, before inspiration struck.
Arsenal's World Cup finalists
It's European versus world champions in Sunday's World Cup final and Arsenal have three players in Luis de la Fuente's Spain side who face Argentina live on the BBC from 19:00 BST. Mikel Merino has been dubbed the World Cup 'super sub' after scoring two last-minute winners in the knockout stages to eliminate Portugal and Belgium from the competition. At this tournament, he has become the first player in World Cup history to score the winning goal in two different knockout-stage matches as a substitute, and also the first Spanish player to score two winning goals after the 80th minute at the World Cup.
A new AI benchmark: Betting on the World Cup.
Can AI predict the future? A World Cup betting contest reveals which models make the smartest wagers.
Nesbitt may face lengthy Falkirk absence
Falkirk manager John McGlynn fears midfielder Aidan Nesbitt may be out for 12 weeks. Nesbitt, 29, came off after 12 minutes of Falkirk's opening Premier Sports Cup win at Edinburgh City. The Bairns then lost to Ayr United and are still to play Alloa Athletic and Stranraer.
What happens when President Trump attends major sports events – and why he does it
The U.S. President has attended several major sporting events and is set to present the World Cup trophy on Sunday
Kansas City's World Cup small business efforts forged bonds between founders
On top of organizing a Union Station marketplace that drew more than 120,000 visitors, City of Entrepreneurs’ Open Doors! program led to unexpected collaboration opportunities between cohort members.
World Cup final on Sunday; see where to watch 📲
Today’s Highlights 🔥World Cup16:00 – Spain vs Argentina – SporTV, Rede Globo, SBT, NSports, Globoplay, CazéTV, Disney+ Premium, Ge TV Veikkausliiga (Finnish Championship)12:30 – FF Jaro vs...
Where is the next World Cup? See hosts for 2030 and 2034
The 2026 World Cup ends today at MetLife. Here's where the next tournaments will be played in 2030 and 2034.
The number one health issue in Palestine is the Israeli occupation
In both Gaza and the West Bank, Israeli policies are devastating Palestinian health with deadly consequences.
Bay Area sports calendar, July 19-20
Spain and forward Lamine Yamal are favored to defeat defending champion Argentina in the World Cup final at noon on Sunday. (KTVU 2, KTXL 40)
Harry Kane on World Cup future with England
Harry Kane reflects on England's successes and failures at the 2026 World Cup as well as his future with the national team.
World Cup final entertainment roundup
The 2026 World Cup comes to an end this morning with a match between Spain and Argentina – and a musical line-up featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Who has most goals in World Cup history? Kylian Mbappé ties Lionel Messi with goal in third-place game
🤯 Never before! France have already made unwanted history
France are currently making a fool of themselves in the World Cup third-place playoff — it is already a humiliation of historic proportions. Today’s match for third place was not exactly approach...
How much are tickets to 2026 World Cup finals between Argentina and Spain?
Dig deep if you are looking for a last-minute ticket to see the World Cup final.
Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor game
Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor game to be in with the chance of winning a signed football.
The beginning of the end
To start our final weekend of an incredible World Cup tournament: the third-place match in Miami.
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final has everything: Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and 2 super teams chasing history
What Do The World Cup Third-Place Winners Get?
France and England face off for a third-place finish in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. What does the winner receive besides bronze recognition?
Tickets For World Cup Final—The Most Expensive U.S. Sporting Event Ever—Rise 46%
The cheapest tickets for the final on the secondary market were just shy of $7,000 on Wednesday, with an average ticket price of $11,327, which marked the most expensive sporting event in U.S. history.
The Influencer Whose Friendship With Trump Made Her a Sports Star
Emily Austin has leveraged her political connections for special access to cover World Cup games and UFC fights.
Poll: Who Ya Got in the World Cup Final?
Editor's note: Welcome to Athlon Sports' poll of the day, where we ask readers to weigh in on the biggest topic of the day. Thanks for voting, and be sure to sound off in the comment section. The world is watching!
A small-business mecca in Philadelphia is leaning into World Cup fandom
World Cup boosts East Passyunk businesses in Philadelphia, leading to creative block parties despite denied city permits and limited support.
East Passyunk's businesses thrive amid World Cup permit woes
World Cup boosts East Passyunk businesses in Philadelphia, leading to creative block parties despite denied city permits and limited support.
Marco Bassetti on why global entertainment still depends on local culture
In an age when viewers can drift from TikTok to Netflix to YouTube within minutes, the World Cup remains a rare thing: a live event that can capture the attention of a huge, simultaneous worldwide audience. Banijay Live, part of Banijay Entertainment that is behind hit TV franchises including "MasterChef," "Big Brother," and "The Traitors," is producing the tournament's closing ceremony on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Marco Bassetti, its chief executive, says earning that kind of global attention is harder than ever — and keeping it depends on understanding local culture.
Trump, Messi, Thatcher — and the Most Lucrative World Cup Ever
The quadrennial football competition reaches its climax on Sunday with a whole range of geopolitical subplots.
NFL players want more grass fields after World Cup
NFL players start a social media campaign to support a call by their players union for more permanent grass fields following the World Cup.
Boston businesses hope energy from World Cup crowds can have lasting impact on nightlife
Boston's summer of major international events is nearing its finale, but businesses and residents hope the momentum will continue long after the final whistle of the World Cup.
AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 8:12 p.m. EDT
10 songs to get hyped for the World Cup final
Justin Bieber, Shakira, Madonna and BTS: What to expect at the World Cup final halftime show that could break soccer's rules
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, Yahoo's taking a look at everything there is to know about the soccer organization's first-ever halftime show.
Kansas City business owner wins Verizon’s live pitch competition timed to World Cup
Liz Benditt scored the final goal Friday, securing victory in a national pitch competition that began with more than 500 contenders before narrowing to a live, Shark Tank-style round at New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup final.
Will Argentina be punished at the World Cup over a political banner?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer supports a FIFA investigation into Argentina's players celebrating with a political banner on the field.
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Finals Weather Update, Forecast
Ahead of Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, here is what the weather forecast is shaping up to be.
MLS Commish: World Cup ‘Proved We Are a Soccer Nation’
The commissioner said the event has “brought out the best” from the U.S.
AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 1:07 p.m. EDT
10 songs to get hyped for the World Cup final
Did this scientist solve humanity’s biggest mystery? The surprising theory explained - Futura-Sciences
From behind the Iron Curtain Gánti was born in Vác, Hungary, on September 10, 1933. He grew up during World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation. Though he trained as a chemical engineer and worked in industrial biochemistry, his lifelong obsession was a fundamental question: what actually defines something...
World Cup crowds brought record-breaking business to Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Will momentum last?
The organization says the focus now is on turning one-time visitors into repeat customers.
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Final This Sunday
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Final: TV Channel, Live Stream, Kickoff Time, and Messi's Last Shot at Glory
Preparation Spreads the Value of the World Cup Across the Entire Sports Marketing World
The soccer tournament showed how being ready leads to success.
From The Sports Desk: A blockbuster World Cup Final
NBC News previews Spain vs. Argentina: who will win the World Cup final?
Alan Rothenberg on Soccer’s American Future
The architect of the 1994 World Cup on soccer's future, MLS growth, franchise values, and the 2026 final.
How MLS Plans to Take the World Cup Baton Forward
MLS Commissioner Don Garber on the World Cup, Messi in the final, and his 28-year legacy at MLS.
World Cup final on track to be most expensive sporting event ever
The average price of World Cup final tickets is $12,751, more than $2,000 higher than the previous record set by the 2024 Super Bowl.
10 songs to get hyped for the World Cup final
To get in the spirit for the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, The Associated Press has made a themed playlist. The list includes Shakira and Burna Boy's
World Cup had a big impact on the LA restaurant industry, numbers show
Overall revenue rose significantly
FIFA Merges Football, Gaming and Entertainment for the World Cup
Little Black Book, Campaign from Jung von Matt SPORTS features Tony Hawk, IShowSpeed, Squid Game, and Ronaldo
Military Health System experts collaborate with NATO partners on brain health guidelines to improve warfighter readiness
In reaffirming its commitment to implementing protective actions against blast exposure for warfighters, the Military Health System collaborated with experts across the Department of War to develop and release the NATO report, “Guidelines to mitigate military occupational brain health risks from repetitive blast exposure.” The landmark guidelines provide a deeper understanding of repeated exposure to low-level blasts in military training and the battlefield — impacting brain health, force health, and readiness.
World Cup winners to be presented with championship rings in tournament first
FIFA described it as "bringing one of the most recognisable American sporting traditions to the global game".
Has the World Cup Turned Me Into … a Sports Guy?
The pleasures of watching the TV show of the summer as a bandwagon fan.
All hail the World Cup town of East Rutherford, a deserving center of the universe
The small borough in northern New Jersey is about to host the biggest sporting event in the world.
Kalshi says it's not a sportsbook even as World Cup bets surge
The betting site Kalshi emerged as a dominant sports betting platform during the World Cup. But the company avoids billions of dollars in taxes by insisting it is not a sports gambling operator.
Jesse Watters: Communists only want political prisoners
Fox News host Jesse Watters criticizes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for watching a World Cup semifinal game with prisoners at Rikers Island on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
Hattiesburg lands Mississippi Soccer Association State Cup, strengthening reputation as a sports tourism destination
City and tourism leaders say years of investment in athletic facilities and partnerships are paying off as Hattiesburg prepares to host the Mississippi Soccer Association State Cup for the first time in 2027.