World Cup Review: Week One

Spanning (part of) the globe to bring you off-field color from the largest sporting event on the planet.

I confess that the vibes for the World Cup felt off before the event started. FIFA's venality, Trump's gross sheen, visa issues for players and staff - all of those things combined to make me fear the worst. One week in and it seems I had it all wrong. We've witnessed if not a triumph then at least an upwelling of the human spirit. The world has come to North America, and North America has embraced it with arms wide open.

You can find any number of excellent game reports, so we'll take a different approach. In this first weekly recap, we'll share a few of the off-field things that caught our attention, the diversity of humanity that makes this event (and, not so subtly our nation) great.

"Rock, Chalk, Algeria" is a twist we didn't see coming. The African nation set up shop in Lawrence, KS, training at the University of Kansas in advance of their group stage matches, two of which are in Kansas City. And the small midwestern college town has gone all in to adopt the Fennecs.

Meanwhile, large cities are rolling out the red carpet, as well. But not before the guests pregame appropriately. Scotland fans drank a plane dry of beer, finished off the wine, as well, and then took over Boston.

A semi-on-field moment worth noting, now. Mexican striker Raul Jimenez has been on a bit of a rollercoaster over the past several years. He suffered a severe concussion with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 that kept him off the pitch for nine months. He still wears a padded headband as a result. He spent the last four years with Fulham, tallying 28 goals in 98 games as he rebuilt his confidence. 

Jimenez is Mexico's second all-time leading scorer, with 46 goals for El Tri. None may have mattered more than his goal against South Africa in the tournament's first match. Jimenez had a poor World Cup in 2022, just two years removed from his injury. In March, he lost his father. So it's no wonder that this is how he reacted to scoring the 2026 World Cup's second goal:

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The World Cup is being played in Canada and Mexico, in addition to the U.S. Which has led to some amazing fan interactions. Koreans and Mexicans in Guadalajara have become fast hermanos. Flip through all of the videos on this Instagram post:

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And last, but most definitely not least, the traveling party that is the Dutch rolled into Texas, and the results have not disappointed.

All this and we're not even a full week into the festivities. Give me all the silliness and joy.