Happy Wednesday, football fans. Just over a month to go until your two weeks of PTO are put into good use, or for those of you who planned accordingly, parental leave begins. And would you look at that, we have our first official roster announcement, courtesy of Edin Džeko’s Bosnia & Herzegovina. Are you starting to feel it yet? If not, check out this new World Cup hype video, which has us thinking that this competition may offer a glimmer of hope after all. On that note, there’s still so much happening, including:

ii. ICYMI: We’re teaming up with The Home Depot this summer and we have the big, orange MiB bus to prove it. Read all about our partnership for the tournament right here. 🚌

iii. Also, if you’ve ever wanted to hear Rog deliver commentary over an impromptu three-on-three match in a hotel lobby feat. Lionel Messi and Christian Pulisic, well, today’s your lucky day. Check out our new video with Michelob Ultra. 🍻

iv. No big kit drops to share, but these new World Cup posters feature an artist from each of the 48 nations and they are truly glorious to behold. 🖼️

v. A few notable goals (and one other peculiar football situation) that you might’ve missed this week:

🇹🇷 First, we head to Türkiye for one of the strangest things we’ve ever seen in a penalty shootout. Just… how?

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Then, in the Championship playoffs, how about a 116th-minute winner that punched Southampton’s ticket to Wembley later this month?

🇳🇱 We’ll end things in the Dutch fifth tier where two teams had to wait three weeks to play the last 42 seconds of a game. Of course, nonsense ensued.

vi. Lastly, want to win a $100 gift card to the MiB store? We've just dropped some incredible Supporter Tees. Take this quick survey HERE. Three winners will be chosen! ✅

Cheers,
Jacob Schneider & Max Bonem

P.S. Is it possible to walk to MetLife Stadium from NYC? Well, this guy found out. 👀

Come be with us for our live show in Dallas on May 20, where the legend EMMITT SMITH will join us live on stage.

One Last Hoorah for a WC Legend 🇧🇷

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti named his preliminary roster for this summer’s World Cup on Monday, and one name in particular stood out: Neymar. The former Barcelona ace, who now plays with Santos in Brazil’s Série A, is making a late push. The Seleção, who will be without both Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Chelsea’s Estêvão this summer due to injuries, could call upon their all-time scorer at 34, giving fans one last look at the player who stole the football world’s heart for over a decade. He recently scored his sixth goal of the spring campaign, and is injury free for the first time in years. Could this be his “Last Dance” moment?

More: He may not be the only Brazil icon who’s called upon this summer.

Banking on France to Win 🏆 

Analysts at Bank of America have predicted that France will win the World Cup this summer, claiming their third title against Spain in the final. Their research showed that Kylian Mbappé will win the Golden Boot and that Lamine Yamal will be named Young Player of the Tournament. FIFA’s final pre-tournament index rankings list Les Bleus as the No. 1 team in the world with La Roja in second, followed by Argentina in third. See the full WC rankings here.

Trump Contradicts Infantino Over High-Profile Issue 👀

Late last week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino doubled-down on the justification of World Cup ticket prices in the U.S., claiming that the current value is based on market demand. Infantino then stated that one cannot go to a college game for “less than $300” in the U.S., a remark that was immediately debunked by numerous outlets. More recently in a phone conversation, President Trump stated that current ticket prices for the USMNT’s opening game against Panama have baffled him, as well: “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you,” he said.

FIFA recently tripled the price of the cheapest, best-available tickets for the final on July 19 from $10,990 to roughly $33,000, causing an even bigger shakeup in the secondary market for fans looking to attend the match. The dynamic pricing model has also left several nations around the world shocked by prices as they look to bring players’ friends and families to the competition this summer. One FA reported that after fees, they’ve risen to roughly $3,000 per ticket for each member a player brings.

NJ Transit & FIFA’s War of Words Continues 🚆

It’s time: We’re back with another edition of #TrainWatch, the real reason you all subscribe to this newsletter. If you recall, NJ Transit and FIFA have been going back and forth like a forbidden Shakespearean love affair over the past month regarding transit prices to and from MetLife Stadium – host of the World Cup final. Following initial backlash over a $150 price-point for a round-trip train ticket to and from the venue, NJ Transit announced late last week that it had been reduced to $105, and just this week, shared that the cost is now down to $98 due to contributions from “sponsorships and other sources.”

FIFA originally stated that the pricing model on NJ Transit would have a “chilling effect” on the tournament, which the governor’s press office responded to with, “Does charging $32,970 for a ticket qualify as a ‘chilling effect’? Asking for a friend,” on social media last Friday, taking a dig at FIFA’s ticket-pricing model for the tournament. This likely isn’t the last of this, so tune in next week to see where this sonnet takes us.

More: In adjacent transit news, round-trip bus service to and from the venue has been cut down from $80 to $20 with big yellow school buses to be used. Read more about the development here.

Hope You’re Ready for a LOT of Fireworks This Summer 🎆

With the USA’s 250th anniversary happening in July, FIFA is including the celebration of Independence Day in the U.S. in their World Cup calendar. Along with holding opening ceremonies at each of the first games featuring all three host nations, events in Philadelphia and Houston July 4 will also take place, celebrating the holiday at both knockout-round matches. Each opening ceremony, meanwhile, will take place 90 minutes to kickoff, with the likes of Canadian singer Michael Bublé, American pop star Katy Perry, rapper Future and Mexican rock band Mana all set to perform.

A-Town Preps for a Summer Shindig 👑

Atlanta has approved a new downtown entertainment zone ahead of the World Cup, with the temporary space allowing spectators and fans to have open containers for alcoholic beverages in specific public spaces from June 11 through July 19. Atlanta Stadium is set to play host to eight matches throughout the competition, including one semifinal bout, and just last week, owner Arthur Blank confirmed that the venue will not raise their already fan-friendly concession prices. The zone, which will only be active during the tournament, will encompass major areas, including Atlanta Stadium, State Farm Arena, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

After news of U.S. Soccer opening its first-ever permanent football training center last week, the start of the World Cup feels closer than ever. With the official roster announcement still 13 days away, here are the biggest stories from the player pool as Pochettino and his staff make their final decisions:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, USA)

A weird one for Pep Guardiola and co. to prepare for. Manchester City have an FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday, but the club also knows that if they drop any points here, the Premier League title race is over. City need all three to stay alive alongside Arsenal, but with Saturday’s match looming, roster changes are likely. Palace, meanwhile, have nothing left to play for in the league outside of serving as a spoiler to City’s title dreams. 

🇫🇷 Lens vs. Paris Saint-Germain (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, FUBO)

This is it; this is for all les billes. If PSG can defeat or draw against second-placed Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Luis Enrique’s side will be crowned Ligue 1 champions. If the shocking title challengers can upset the reigning holders, it will go down to next weekend. Lens trail PSG by six points, and a win for the hosts would force the title to be decided on the final day of the campaign with just two matches left on the calendar.

🇮🇹 Lazio vs. Inter Milan (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 

The Coppa Italia final is upon us as Inter Milan look to pull the domestic double for the first time in 16 years. Cristian Chivu’s side was recently crowned Serie A champions, and now they’ll look to add another title to their impressive campaign. Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio stand in their way, though. I Biancocelesti have knocked out all three of Atalanta, Bologna and AC Milan en route to the final, so they won’t shy away from a fight.

This week’s question: Neymar might be Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, but who leads the Seleção in goals at the World Cup?

Email us with your answers for a chance to win a much-coveted MiB patch!

Last week’s answer: The three nations Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz coached at previous editions of the tournament? That would be South Africa, Iran and Portugal. Congratulations to Thomas Curran, who was the first person to respond with the correct answer. Thomas, we’ll get you a patch soon!

👋 We’ll see you again tomorrow. In the meantime, keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected].

🙌 If you’re enjoying this newsletter, we’d love an assist. Forward this email or share this URL with a friend, family member, or fellow football fan.

📧 First time with us? Sign up here to get the next edition sent straight to your inbox, and be sure to check out our other newsletters too.