As I write this, we're about two weeks away from the first game of the 2026 World Cup. I'm slowly getting excited. It's like the Olympics, except they're playing my favorite sport all the time. The other appeal: seeing the world's largest sporting stage in North America. It will be epic, if we can all get to the arenas!
My wife Jenn and I saw a World Cup match in 1994, the last time it was held in the United States. Maybe we were ahead of the times. We watched a quarter-final: Italy versus Spain. It was the most I ever paid for a live event. Jenn remembers I paid $450 for each ticket.
Soccer's passion announced itself on the narrow roads leading to Foxboro Stadium. Many cars had large Spanish and Italian flags billowing behind them. We heard lots of horns, and saw many arms waving. People leaned outside their cars bellowing. We hadn't even parked!
Inside the packed stadium, the buzz from the crowd was a cacophony of multiple languages. The match was scintillating. Italy scored in the first 25 minutes. Spain equalized. Then Italy's sleek forward, Roberto Baggio, scored in the 88th minute. In celebration he blew a kiss, seemingly towards the area we were sitting. Electricity though the air.
I don't have tickets for this year's matches. Instead, I hope to see pictures from friends and acquaintances on social media. Let's go USA. Let's go North America. Let's go soccer!
