“The magic on the pitch during the World Cup has a way of erasing everything that happens off it – for better or worse,” writes Kyle Feldscher | Analysis

And then there’s the online bickering as Americans and Europeans on social media can’t seem to stop going after each other about everything from the weather to the quality of each other’s stadiums.

It’s all produced some of the worst possible vibes around the world’s biggest sporting event. But when the whistle blows in the Mexican capital this afternoon, the magic of the World Cup can finally begin.

The biggest, the largest
It’s a properly North America-sized tournament that spans thousands of miles, four time zones and scores of different climates and sporting cultures.

Last year, FIFA and the Trump administration estimated more than 8 million people would be traveling internationally for the World Cup and – while Trump’s immigration policies have made travel to the US less enticing for many – those folks are starting to arrive in North America now.

It’s put the brilliance of the tournament on display as fans from around the world go viral for discovering the joys of ranch dressing, stumbling across Buc-ee’s or tubing down the Chattahoochee River as they travel the Southeast. In Mexico, South Koreans are partying with the locals and mariachi bands are greeting teams at their hotels.

Many more will have their own World Cup travel memories this summer, the kind of glue that holds this event together in between the matches.

But the action on the field will be something.

It’s likely the last World Cup for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the two giants of the game that have dominated world soccer for much of the last two decades. New stars are set to take up that mantle in Lamine Yamal (provided he’s healthy), Michael Olisé, Erling Haaland, Florian Wirtz and Luis Díaz. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé, Jude Bellingham and others are trying to put their stamp on the tournament that takes place in the prime of their careers.

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DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 21: United States fans show their support prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between USA and Wales at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on November 21, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 21: United States fans show their support prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between USA and Wales at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on November 21, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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