The 2026 World Cup has been stolen at the last minute from the primary host country.
OK, it’s not that bad.
But how is FIFA going to turn soccer into a major sport in the United States of America when average Americans will be working, mowing the lawn, stuck in their cars or shopping at Home Depot midway through the World Cup semifinals?
Look, I will admit that having England vs Argentina on London TV at 8 p.m. on Wednesday is absolutely brilliant.
I can walk the dog in the morning and evening, take the Tube to and from central London, have a few Neck Oils and scarf down a proper cheeseburger with triple-cooked chips in a local pub, all before an enraged Thomas Tuchel starts screaming at his Three Lions to play faster.
But, obviously, this has nothing to do with me.
This is about the USA, the future of soccer in America, and inspiring the next generation of international football superstars from Washington to Maine.
So why in the world did FIFA decide to have both semifinals and the final start at 2 p.m. in Chicago and 3 p.m. in New York City?
It’s even worse if you’re stuck living in Los Angeles, where the semifinals and finals of the biggest sports tournament in world history will kick off at the super-uncool hour of noon.
Nothing important or life-changing happens in Los Angeles at noon, outside of paying too much for lunch or getting stuck in traffic again.
“One of the dumbest ideas (is) to have these World Cup semifinals at 12 p.m. on a Tuesday and Wednesday,” one fan tweeted.
“How f****** disgusting is it that the semifinals for the World Cup (are) being played in America are at 3 p.m. with the f****** sun out, and 12 p.m. NOON on the west coast, instead of primetime,” posted a second fan, who bolded World Cup for extra emphasis.
“Before people get out of work, the games will be over. Horrible ratings. Horrendous scheduling.”
4
4
All-time record attendance, widespread praise and two dreamy semifinals matchups say otherwise.
Big picture, this super-sized World Cup has been another big win for FIFA, as Canada, Mexico and the USA have helped turn the Tartan Army, Viking Row and Erling Haaland’s stuffed pet raccoon into global viral sensations.
There are also fairly straightforward explanations for having the World Cup final start at 3 p.m. in NYC and noon in sunny LA.
First, football (not soccer) is a global game and much more popular across the the rest of the world than specifically in the USA.
Then there’s the summer weather factor — which could affect Sunday’s final inside a roof-less New York New Jersey Stadium near Manhattan — player recovery, and travel time between matches potentially affecting players and fans.
4
“We’ve tried to basically strike the right balance,” said Manolo Zubiria, World Cup chief tournament officer for the United States.
England had it super tough in the Round of 16, surviving Estadio Azteca’s altitude and intensity while going down to 10 men in a gutsy 3-2 win over Mexico.
But try waking up at 1 a.m., finding out that the match had been delayed for an hour, waking up again at 1:55 a.m., then staying in bed and constantly screaming at the TV until 4:30 a.m. — and working a full shift a few hours later.
That took serious personal sacrifice and made the beautiful game even more romantic.
England has it easy vs Messi and Argentina on Wednesday.
Have a normal day, find a pub with a TV or somewhere else special to watch a perfect 8 p.m. kickoff, then start dreaming of the country’s first World Cup final since 1966.
The USA has every right to feel ignored by FIFA during the most important matches of a massive 2026 World Cup.
But let’s be honest about the insult.
How many sports-obsessed Americans are really going to care when it’s a perfect excuse to start watching the NFL, college football, MLB, WNBA, auto racing, golf, tennis and pickleball again?
Stay up to date on all things World Cup across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.
All 104 games at the 2026 World Cup this summer will be live on talkSPORT, talkSPORT 2 and the talkSPORT app.
