2 hours ago
Football. Soccer. The beautiful game. Whatever you call it, it's inescapable. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kickoff is still days away, but you can't scroll online without being served tunnel fits, Mbappé memes, stadium tours and … is that Channing Tatum in a blond ponytail?
Log off all you want, but there's no hiding from the soccer hysteria IRL either. McDonald's has World Cup-themed Happy Meals. The grocery store is selling Christian Pulisic-collab Ritz crackers and cleat-shaped mac and cheese. Everyone's wearing a jersey and arguing about GOATs, flops and Lamine Yamal's hamstring.
The only thing left to do is join 'em. Here's your guide to the pre-tournament discourse — from the players and fans swarming North America to the storylines tugging at our heartstrings to the pop culture tie-ins worth getting caught up on. At the risk of getting an Elmo-style trolling: We just hope everyone has fun.
While there's a lot of early hype, the kickoff takes place on June 11 and — strap in — because the final isn't until July 19. So pace yourselves accordingly.
There are three host countries this year: U.S., Canada and Mexico. Within that, the action will be spread across 16 cities, including the New York metro area, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Kansas City.
Log off all you want, but there's no hiding from the soccer hysteria IRL either. McDonald's has World Cup-themed Happy Meals. The grocery store is selling Christian Pulisic-collab Ritz crackers and cleat-shaped mac and cheese. Everyone's wearing a jersey and arguing about GOATs, flops and Lamine Yamal's hamstring.
The only thing left to do is join 'em. Here's your guide to the pre-tournament discourse — from the players and fans swarming North America to the storylines tugging at our heartstrings to the pop culture tie-ins worth getting caught up on. At the risk of getting an Elmo-style trolling: We just hope everyone has fun.
While there's a lot of early hype, the kickoff takes place on June 11 and — strap in — because the final isn't until July 19. So pace yourselves accordingly.
There are three host countries this year: U.S., Canada and Mexico. Within that, the action will be spread across 16 cities, including the New York metro area, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Kansas City.
