How America is shaping the World Cup
6/7/202622 min
The World Cup is back in North America for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the most popular sporting event on the globe and with 16 additional teams competing this year, it will be the biggest World Cup to date. But in Trump’s America, visa issues and geopolitical tensions are creating additional challenges for the teams and the fans.
Today on The Sunday Story, we bring two of NPR’s biggest soccer nerds onto the show to talk about the competition, the entertainment, and the cultural significance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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First 90 secondsAyesha Rascoe· Host0:00
[percussive music] I'm Ayesha Rascoe, and this is The Sunday Story from Up First. In just a few days, billions of people from around the globe will tune in to the most-watched sporting event there is, the FIFA World Cup. This year, three nations will co-host the tournament: Mexico, the US, and Canada. And the field will be the biggest ever, expanding from 32 national teams to 48. Today on The Sunday Story, a primer on all things World Cup, from the favorites and the underdogs to Shakira and to the global reach and unifying power of soccer. [crowd cheering] Stay with us.
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