Happy Wednesday, football fans, and welcome back to your potpourri of all things 2026 World Cup. Before we dive in, though, we can’t begin without talking about Arsenal clinching their first Champions League final berth in 20 years yesterday. The Emirates was absolutely electric in a riveting tie against Atlético Madrid, with Gunners’ academy grad Bukayo Saka netting the 44th-minute winner to send them to the final in Budapest on May 30. They’ll find out their foe this afternoon when Bayern Munich host PSG at the Allianz Arena, but until then, you’ll have a chance to read up on the latest news surrounding this summer’s marquee competition. Now, shall we?

ii. In a bit of news that hits very close to home, FOX and Indeed are launching a nationwide search to find a “Chief World Cup Watcher,” who will be tasked with catching all 104 matches across the 39-day tournament. Since we’ll be doing that anyway, maybe we should apply. 🤔

iii. For those of you on jersey watch: The New York Cosmos, who were reborn this year in the third division of USL League One, just dropped a very bold and bright third kit. 🗽

iv. Lastly, back on the UCL front, join Rog and James Horncastle this evening for “Big Match Breakdown” immediately after the Bayern and PSG game wraps up. Enjoy that here. 📺

Cheers,
Jacob Schneider, Tommy Stewart & Max Bonem

P.S. No one was having more fun yesterday than Gunnersaurus. 🦖

Thanks to Verizon Ultimate Access, attendees at our live show in Philadelphia will have a chance to win tickets to the summer's biggest matches.

Pochettino: American Fans Lack ‘Emotional’ Connection 😒

USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino has questioned American soccer fans’ “emotional relationship with the game” in a recent podcast appearance. The Argentine, whose contract ends after the World Cup, stated that the U.S. soccer ecosystem lacks basic resources to instill that connection to footballers and fans at a young age. He noted that there needs to be more public access to the game recreationally, rather than forcing kids to play in expensive clubs/academies, and believes that if that access were to be instilled, an emotional connection could create lifelong bonds with the game. The 54-year-old, who’s been in charge of the program since Sept. 2024, has expectations to make at least the quarterfinal of the World Cup, but he’s played the role of optimist in recent months. In a notable pre-tournament draw interview, Pochettino replied “of course” when asked if he believes the USMNT can win it all.

More: Check out the new World Cup ad that shows the U.S. Men doing just that.

Red Card Rule Changes Invoked 🟥

Beginning this summer, players who cover their mouth while speaking to an opponent or leave the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision may see straight red. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) confirmed the rule change ahead of this summer’s World Cup last week before a FIFA meeting in Canada. The red card offense for leaving the pitch in protest arrives after the 2026 AFCON final controversy, where during that match, multiple Senegalese players walked off following a late penalty decision, causing a delay until the game resumed. As for the “covering one’s mouth” offense, that comes as the result of Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr accusing Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse in this year’s Champions League. The Argentine covered his mouth with his hand while speaking to the Brazilian, and was eventually banned for six matches after admitting he made homophobic comments. 

Scotland Fans: Please, Never Change 🚌

Oh yeah, it’s #TransitTime. This time around, though, we’re not talking trains, but rather, buses. With rising transportation costs being a key talking point around the country ahead of the tournament, Scotland fans have found a unique loophole to limit spending for navigating around host cities: big yellow school buses. A group of traveling supporters have secured 21 buses for their first group-stage match against Haiti in Boston and 20 for game two vs. Morocco in Foxborough, with fees being $38 per person round trip, which covers transportation costs as well as a donation to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, R.I.. Working with local officials, they’ve also secured a police escort to avoid traffic in high-density areas en route to the stadium. We love the creativity. Onward you go, you Tartan Army.

The Biggest Party in North America Has Been Scheduled 🇲🇽

Mexico City has confirmed that it will host 18 free fan festivals across the capital during this summer’s World Cup, featuring match screenings, family-friendly events, food and cultural experiences. Each festival will be alcohol free, and spread across the city’s neighborhoods as local officials look to bring tourism and tournament atmospheres to sites outside of stadiums. FIFA will also host a main fan fest in the historic Centro district’s famous Zócalo, which is one of seven locations that will show all matches during the 39-day tournament.

More: ICYMI, read about New York City’s fan fest plan in last week’s newsletter here.

Hotels in U.S. Stunned Over Lack of World Cup Demand 😬

Data released on Monday by the American Hotel and Lodging Association shows that the majority of hotels in the 11 U.S. host cities for the World Cup are reporting lower-than-expected numbers of reservations this summer. The report states that anticipated demand has not translated expectedly, and that domestic travelers are outpacing international travelers. Eighty percent of responders from the surveyed hoteliers across host cities reported that bookings are below expectation, and that 65-70% believe geopolitical concerns could be limiting international travelers for the competition. Read more about it here.

Major World Cup Venues Preparing for Extreme Summer Weather ☀️

Officials from multiple World Cup host cities and stadiums have shared they are working alongside FIFA to protect players, staff and spectators from inclement summer weather. This includes conducting heat-risk assessments, adding cooling zones, boosting drinking water access and stationing medical teams throughout the tournament across June and July. Some venues have roof coverage, which reduces risk, but facilities in open sunlight bear the risk of extreme heat, with the stadiums in Houston and Monterrey notably being two of the most vulnerable. To counter that on the pitch, FIFA has introduced three-minute hydration breaks in each half regardless of conditions, implemented a minimum of three days between matches and all touchline personnel and substitutes will have access to climate-controlled benches in those outdoor venues.

More: At the 2025 FIFA Club World Club in the U.S., major heat waves caused match delays and more. Read about how it affected the tournament here.

With the European window coming to a close, and only 20 days left until the release of the USMNT World Cup roster, we locked in on the latest big moments and storylines from the potential player pool:

World Cup managers aren’t like other managers. Sometimes they’re guns for hire, sometimes they’re national heroes looking for one last thrill and other times they’re Gregg Berhalter. But no matter where they come from, once the tournament starts, there’s no way of knowing what they might do. Here are some of our favorite managerial moments that celebrate that very reality:

🇸🇦 Herve Renard’s 2022 halftime speech: Anyone else ready to run through a brick wall after listening to that? The Saudis were the only team to defeat Argentina at the last World Cup, and it will forever be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. Without Renard’s halftime berating, though, it likely would never have happened. 

🇩🇪 Joachim Löw's ambitious 2014 substitution: Removing the greatest scorer in World Cup history was the biggest gamble Germany could have taken in the 2014 final against Argentina. In the 88th minute of the match, Löw did just that, and replaced legend Miroslav Klose with 19-year-old Mario Götze, famously telling him to show the world he is “better than Messi.” The substitute then scored in the 113th minute of extra time, sending the Maracanã into chaos, and eventually, Messi home trophyless on a plane.

🇲🇽 Miguel Herrera’s hysterical 2014 touchline celebrations: With reactions straight out of an episode of “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” Herrera became the symbol of Mexican fandom during the 2014 tournament. The El Tri manager wasn’t just their coach; he was somebody who embodied Mexican football and was rooting just as hard as every other supporter in the stadium. Whether it was cartoonishly leaping into the air or tackling his players in celebration like he was part of the squad, it was a beautiful sight to see.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The Gareth Southgate-inspired waistcoat boom of 2018: Having taken over from disgraced Big Sam Allardyce, Gareth Southgate was on a mission to complete his own England redemption arc. The former player heartbreakingly missed the penalty that knocked his nation out of Euro ‘96 in a home semifinal against Germany, a moment that haunted him and his country for decades. Twenty-two years on, his stoic grace made England fall in love with both their national team, and checks notes waistcoats, again.

🇳🇱 Louis van Gaal makes the bravest (and maybe greatest) sub in WC history: The word “maverick” is often used lazily, but the Netherlands’ three-time former manager is truly one of one. Many of Van Gaal’s actions and words warrant him a Netflix special, but his defining moment of inspired genius came in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinal. With his side on the brink of penalties against Costa Rica, he unexpectedly substituted goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for Tim Krul, who psyched out the opposition, saved two spot kicks and took his side to the semifinal.

🇦🇷 Coach Diego Maradona showing up his squad in training: Maradona was historically great at many, many things, but football management wasn’t his bag. When he led Argentina to the 2010 World Cup, coaching the heir to his throne, a 23-year-old Messi, he kicked every ball and rode each tackle on the sidelines, looking resplendent in a grey suit and hooped earrings, but his side’s performances were anticlimactic. They were dispatched 4-0 in the quarterfinals by Germany, but hey, at least we have the rest of his legend to remember him by.

Did we miss one? We’d love to see it. Send your other favorites to [email protected].

This week’s question: A few weeks ago, Ghana hired Carlos Queiroz to lead them at this summer’s tournament. The Portuguese manager has coached three other nations at previous World Cups, which teams were they?

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

Last week’s answer: Which player set the record in 2010 for the latest goal in a World Cup final? That would be Spain’s Andrés Iniesta, who scored the match winner in the 116th minute in 2010.

Congratulations to Thomas Kwan for being the first person to respond with the correct answer. Thomas, the patch will be in the mail soon!

Correction: In yesterday’s newsletter, we incorrectly listed Monday’s Everton vs. Man City result as a “2-2” draw when it was actually “3-3.” We apologize for the error.

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

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