“After years of planning, the World Cup is now just 100 days away. This summer’s tournament in North America will almost certainly be the most-viewed sports event ever, watched by millions (or more likely billions) of fans across the world. But it also offers a huge opportunity to attract a whole new audience, particularly across the United States, where soccer has long been on the rise but still does not dominate the sporting landscape as it does in so many other countries. This will be a World Cup watched by diehards and those who have never engaged with the sport before. With that in mind, we have compiled this article as a guide to everything you could possibly want to know about the tournament, from the most basic questions for those who have never watched the sport to far more intricate details about how teams play, the politics of this tournament, the ticketing situation and much more. With 100 days until the tournament, our reporters have answered 100 questions. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)

World Cup 2026, 100 days to go: 100 staff choose the players they’re most excited to watch
“There are 100 days until the World Cup, so we asked 100 members of staff at The Athletic to choose the player they are most excited to watch at the tournament. We didn’t want 51 Lionel Messis and 49 Cristiano Ronaldos, and they were encouraged to choose differently from their colleagues. Some did, but for others the pull of Messi and (checks notes) Endrick… was just too strong. Clear themes emerged, though, with plenty of references to Last Dances and rising stars, and players picked from countries making their first appearance at a men’s World Cup. There are players from Curacao, Cape Verde and Uzbekistan in our list, but sadly, despite three people with the name Jordan taking part in this exercise, not a single member of the heroic Jordan squad… …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)