The Beautiful Game is coming to North America and the World Cup is just 3 days away
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Note: This is story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
It’s almost here. After years of talk, preparation and anticipation, the 2026 World Cup is now just right around the corner.
On Thursday, the first of 104 matches will kick off in Mexico City. Then, on July 19, we’ll have a winner. What happens in between, no one knows and that’s what makes the World Cup the best sporting spectacle on the planet.
Our newsletter will be your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the day ahead, so let’s dive straight into what’s been happening across North America – from pitch inspections, incredible goals and an interview with a US Men’s National Team (USMNT) star.
The Main Thing
Three really is the magic number today – it’s three days to go until the biggest sporting event in the world kicks off. It all starts to feel a bit more real now that teams have arrived in North America as they put their finishing touches to their preparations.
A big talking point so far has been the weather and the conditions that many of these games will be played in – be that intense humidity, high heat or even the altitude of some stadiums (Mexico City, we’re looking at you and your near-1.4-mile-high-up venue).
That’s why many of the teams have set themselves up in temporary training camps across the continent, almost like boot camps to acclimatize the players to extreme conditions.
It’s also why some experts are backing teams from South America to do well in this year’s World Cup – despite many European nations boasting better squads.
Along with the players, fans have started trickling into the host cities. So much has been made of ticket prices and travel costs for this World Cup that it will be fascinating to see exactly what the fan experience will be. CNN teams will be situated around North America to tell us exactly what they’re seeing and hearing when the majority of supporters start arriving later this week.
But first, a reminder of what to expect this summer. A record 48 teams – the most in World Cup history – will first play the group stages. After three games each, 16 teams will leave the tournament. It’s then all down to five knockout rounds of soccer to find the eventual world champion.
You can treat The Beautiful Game as a trusted companion that will help guide you through the myriads of matches, drama and storylines.
I, for one, cannot wait.
Quote of the day
These are the humbling words of American defender Miles Robinson, who is set to feature in his first World Cup this summer. The 29-year-old has earned 40 caps with the national team since his debut in 2019 and was set to star for his country at Qatar 2022 before a heartbreaking Achilles injury forced him to miss out.
Now, the FC Cincinnati star has a second chance to achieve his dream and told CNN that the USMNT can surprise a few people at the tournament.
It’s a beautiful reminder of how special the World Cup is to the players. It really is the pinnacle of the sport and the result of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice.
Robinson sat down to speak to CNN’s Jim Sciutto about his hopes for the World Cup. You can read more from that interview here.
US defender scores golazo in loss
The Beautiful Game will usually be a place where we preview the big games coming up, but given we must wait a few more days before action starts, let’s indulge in some of the friendlies played over the weekend. If nothing else, it gives me a chance to tell you about Antonee Robinson’s stunning goal – or what Spanish speakers would call a golazo – as the US lost 2-1 to Germany in Chicago on Saturday.
The American defender, who plies his trade in the Premier League for Fulham, connected with a volley so sweetly that it could genuinely be a contender for goal of the season. It came late in the first half with the US already 1-0 down. A corner was cleared to the edge of the box where Robinson was waiting. The defender timed his run perfectly before sending a volley thunderblasting – is that a word? (Editor’s note: in this context, yes) – past the German goalkeeper. If you haven’t seen it yet, you have to go check it out.
As for the result, it’s definitely not awful for the Americans. Given these friendlies are played to get players used to the conditions and playing surfaces (note the name “friendlies”), the score isn’t really indicative of what to expect over the next few weeks. The USMNT’s form has been mixed this season, so it’s anyone’s guess which version of the Red, White and Blue will turn up to the first game against Paraguay Friday night in Los Angeles.
Messi watch in College Station
There was a whole host of other friendlies played over the weekend. Notably, reigning champion Argentina was in action against Honduras at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
More than 91,000 people were in attendance on Sunday, and you imagine most were there to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi in action. The 38-year-old was an unused substitute for the 2-0 win, though, with Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni not wanting to risk his star man as he recovers from a minor injury.
At least those fans got to see him – albeit not actually playing.
The 6-year process of turning football fields into World Cup pitches
One of the many concerns around this year’s World Cup is whether the playing surfaces will be ready to host the best players on the planet, and no one will be watching the pitches more closely than John Trey Rogers.
The professor of turfgrass research at Michigan State University is the grass guru responsible for the quality and durability of the World Cup pitches at the tournament’s 16 venues in North America.
Rogers and his collaborators have worked for nearly six years in preparation for the tournament, with research beginning in late 2020.
“I’m more of a grass guy than a soccer guy,” he said.
Using three species of grass, the team has devised the best type — or combination — for each stadium, using specialist equipment that mimics the wear and tear of cleated shoes and measures the height of the ball’s bounce.
The grass has come from all over the US, with the pitch for the Atlanta, Houston and Dallas stadiums being grown in Colorado by sod farmer Joe Wilkins III.
“It seems a little strange that the grass is coming all the way from Colorado, but those buildings will be climate-controlled at 70 degrees throughout the whole tournament,” Wilkins said, “so they needed a cool-season grass which thrives in our environment that’s near impossible to grow closer to where the venues are.”
The whole process has been made even more tricky given many of the host stadiums in the US have been designed to host NFL or college football games. Converting them into soccer arenas has been a labor of love.
Read more about the entire process here.
Iran lands in Mexico ahead of highly debated participation
Iran’s participation at this year’s World Cup has been a topic of debate ever since the war with the US broke out earlier this year.
Team Melli is scheduled to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in LA again on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26 and the team touched down in Mexico’s northwestern city of Tijuana on Sunday – a stone’s throw from the US border.
The president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, said Sunday that the Iranian team had been granted permission to enter the US for the tournament, but “only one day before the match,” according to semi-official Iranian media, sparking accusations of unfair treatment.
A US administration official told CNN that the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including those for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued. The two nations remain at war with no sign of an immediate breakthrough in peace negotiations.
CNN’s Ultimate World Cup Quiz
With three days left until the tournament starts, you still have some time to brush up on your World Cup trivia. Test your knowledge with CNN’s ultimate World Cup quiz here.
Fill out your World Cup bracket
In this interactive graphic, you can play out your predictions for the entire tournament and build your own World Cup: Pick the top two teams in each group, choose the eight best third-place finishers and you can make your picks in the resulting bracket to choose your eventual champion.
The Final Whistle
One last thing before we go. You might have seen yesterday that Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered another frightening health scare on the pitch.
During Denmark’s game against Ukraine, Eriksen was seen clutching his chest before collapsing to the pitch. It brought back memories from five years ago, when he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field while playing for his country at the Covid-delayed Euro 2020.
He was resuscitated on the pitch back then in Copenhagen and made a full recovery, returning to the sport after having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted. That device appeared to kick in yesterday.
Eriksen is said to have lost consciousness temporarily on Sunday, but quickly came around before being taken to hospital. Denmark’s team physician said today via the Danish Football Association that Eriksen was in “good spirits” and is likely to be discharged soon.
The midfielder won’t be at the World Cup after Denmark failed to qualify, but it’s a stark reminder that puts the tournament into perspective.
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