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With 'summer of soccer' in the rearview, is the U.S. ready for 2026?
On Sunday at 4:45 p.m. ET in Berlin, Mikel Oyarzabal netted Spain's Euro-clinching goal, a thrilling finish to a back-and-forth match against England. Seven hours later in Miami, Lautaro Martinez pushed Argentina past Colombia for its 16th Copa America title with his 112th minute game-winning goal.
It was a drama-filled Sunday with the sport at its best on the field.
Those two moments will have major implications on the FIFA World Cup two years from now in the United States as the country prepares to host with Canada and Mexico.
The "summer of soccer" had Americans watching at record numbers. That's good news as the United States will once again attempt to show the world that it can be a soccer nation. It's been a slow, but steady, upward trend since the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup, and according to Morning Consult, soccer fans are younger and more diverse than general sports fans in the United States.
That could be positive for the future growth of the game. In the short term, it is important that the United States Men's National Team hires a quality coach and shows promise heading into the World Cup. A strong American side would bolster attendance and ratings.
Speaking of attendance, it's a concern ahead of 2026. In the Copa America group stage games in the U.S., 10 matches sold out, but stadiums were less than 66 percent full for 10 other matches. More concerning is the fact that none of the three United States' matches were sellouts. Two of Canada's matches failed to reach capacity (the one that did featured Argentina) and one of Mexico's failed to sell out.
For the final, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami sold out, but a dangerous display of fans rushing the gates, climbing over walls and even trying to sneak in through vents delayed the start of the match and marred the overall storyline of Argentina winning the title.
With average ticket prices around $200 and games spread across the country, Copa America had many barriers to fans attending. In 2026, FIFA is expanding the World Cup to 48 teams from 32, which means there will be a total of 104 matches compared to 64 in the old format. This year's Copa America creates doubt that stadiums will be filled.
On the field, this summer's action was electric. The European Championship boasted 20 matches decided by one goal, along with three matches requiring penalties. Copa America featured 11 matches decided by a goal. However, the actual field is an issue. NFL stadiums will be used for the World Cup and the playing surfaces came under fire by players and coaches alike.
Uruguay's Marcelo Bielsa calls CONMEBOL a "plague of liars."
— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) July 12, 2024
He criticizes the state of the temporary fields used at NFL stadiums as well as training fields, and poor officiating. #CopaAmerica has been a disaster pic.twitter.com/9v7ujuWuTm
Will the United States be ready to welcome the world in 2026? This summer showed the fans are willing to tune in and the game is growing, but there is work to be done to be quality hosts for the game's greatest spectacle.
More must-reads:
- England made history at Euro 2024, but not the kind it hoped for
- The 25 greatest soccer players to hail from the United States
- The 'FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners' quiz
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Deal close: Fabrizio Romano drops morning update as ‘breathtaking’ Liverpool maestro nears exit
Arsenal prepares offer for Eze and it won’t be his release clause
Arsenal are now pushing to sign Eberechi Eze as their next major addition this summer and the England international is reportedly hopeful that a move to the Emirates will materialise soon. The Gunners have been tracking the Crystal Palace star for some time after recognising his growing status as one of Europe’s most exciting attacking talents. Eze’s stock rose considerably last season as he played a central role in Palace’s impressive FA Cup triumph, which was the first major trophy in the club’s history. Arsenal prepare formal bid for Crystal Palace star Despite his continued professionalism and commitment at Selhurst Park, Eze is understood to be open to the Arsenal move and is optimistic that the deal can be completed during this window. With technical director Andrea Berta overseeing a productive transfer window so far, the Gunners believe that Eze would further elevate their squad quality. Mikel Arteta is thought to be a huge admirer of the 27-year-old, and the club views him as a player who could provide serious depth and creativity in their attacking unit. Structured offer of £52m being finalised According to Give Me Sport, Arsenal are preparing to table a bid worth around £52 million for Eze. The proposed deal is expected to include an upfront payment of £30 million, with the remaining £22 million to be paid across the next two seasons. While this figure falls short of Eze’s reported release clause, Arsenal believe the offer represents fair value given the player’s profile and potential. Palace may be reluctant to lose one of their top performers, but the player’s desire and the structure of the deal could influence their stance. If the transfer is completed, Eze would bring flair, unpredictability and competition to Arsenal’s frontline, qualities that could prove vital in their push for major honours this season. __________________________________________________________________________________________
Celtics’ Georges Niang Trade Wasn’t Just About Salary Dump
The Boston Celtics have made yet another curious offseason move, trading 32-year-old 3-point specialist Georges Niang and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for RJ Luis Jr., an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract. On the surface, this trade was more or less a salary dump. While a rebuilding team, the Jazz are expected to absorb Niang’s 2024-25 salary ($8.2 million) in the trade exception they generated from shipping John Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers. This reduced Boston’s luxury tax by $50 million, according Third Apron salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan. For their efforts, the Jazz not only got a pair of second-rounders but a veteran that can teach their young players the nuances of professionalism. Celtics’ Georges Niang Trade Wasn’t Just About Salary Dump Though the Celtics obviously wanted to reduce their bill, the deal wasn’t just about that. Boston genuinely wanted Luis, per ZAGSBLOG draft expert Adam Zagoria. With that in mind, he entered the 2025 NBA Draft out of St. John’s, he played his freshman season at local UMass. That season, he averaged 11.5 points per game on 45.5 percent from the field. He also earned 10 starts, averaging 15.5 points per game in those contests. As a junior in 2024-25, Luis exploded for 18.2 points per game. His season ended on a low note. In a nine-point loss to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, he went just 3-17 from the field, scoring nine points. Nonetheless, his body of work shouldn’t be overshadowed by the last sentence. Nor should the pedigree he enters the NBA with. In 2024-25, he was a Consensus All-American. His father, Reggie Charles, was a professional basketball player who spent 15 seasons overseas. For the last two seasons of his college career, he was coached by Rick Pitino. The Celtics undoubtedly have a complex history with their former head coach but there’s no denying his greatness at the collegiate level. What Can RJ Luis Jr. Bring To The Celtics? Flawed though he may be, Luis is a good get for Boston, especially on a two-way contract. With Jayson Tatum likely to miss at least the first half of 2025-26 after tearing his Achilles in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics have a lot of minutes to fill in at forward. As a result, players like 2023 No. 38 pick Jordan Walsh and 2025 No. 28 pick Hugo Gonzalez have a real chance of barging into the rotation. In a vacuum, they’re both rotation-caliber forwards but they’re raw, particularly offensively. That being said, if they’re trying to step into Tatum’s shoes, their limitations at that end are problematic. Tatum’s one of the most dangerous scorers in the league, averaging 27.5 points per game over the past five seasons. Luis probably won’t explode onto the season looking like a perennial All-Star. Still, he’s a more masterful scorer than either Walsh or Gonzalez right now. In the open court, he’s exciting, like many athletic wings with his length (6-foot-7). Yet, he’s not refined to impacting the game on the break. In the halfcourt, he’s able to use his handle and footwork to create space whether in the drive or in the post. Indeed, utilizing his instincts and body control, he’s actually pretty nifty with the ball in his hands. He even follows up his own shot, leading to frequent putbacks. Though he doesn’t have elite efficiency in any area, he’s a multifaceted offensive player who also has a knack for playmaking, particularly with regard to pocket passes. To improve his efficiency, he should cut down on his off-the-dribble attempts due to his tendency to take tough jumpers. All the same, while Boston waits for Tatum to return, the 22-year-old could play an important role.
Celtics' moves suggest new guard will be traded — eventually
The Boston Celtics got under the second luxury-tax apron by trading Georges Niang to the Utah Jazz Tuesday. The move also gives them a huge incentive to deal their most expensive new player. The Celtics have dramatically reduced their payroll in the wake of Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury. With their superstar unlikely to play in 2025-26, the Celtics traded away starters Jrue Holiday ($94.4M for three years, plus a $37.2M player option in 2027-28) and Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7M next season). They also let Luke Kornet ($2.8M) leave as a free agent, and Al Horford ($9.5M) is almost certainly gone as well. They received Georges Niang ($8.2M) in the Porzingis deal, but traded him Tuesday for undrafted R.J. Luis Jr., a rookie on a two-way deal. That effectively takes Niang's full salary of their books and gets them under the second luxury-tax apron, freeing them from the penalties and restrictions that go along with second-apron status. According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, the Celtics have saved a whopping $286M in salary and taxes with their moves. Still, the team can reap a larger long-term reward by dropping below the luxury tax entirely, which requires reducing their payroll by just over $12M more. The Celtics don't seem inclined to trade Jaylen Brown, Derrick White or Payton Pritchard, wanting to keep some core members of their 2024 title team together for Tatum's return. Sam Hauser is on an affordable four-year, $45M deal, but losing his $10M salary wouldn't get them under the tax line. That's why Anfernee Simons, acquired in the Holiday trade, is likely not long for Boston. The 26-year-old guard makes $27.7M in the last year of his contract, making him the perfect trade piece to get Boston under the luxury tax. Not only would getting under the tax line free the Celtics of their tax obligations and save them as much as $40M, but it would make them eligible to share in the money from tax-paying teams. The Celtics would also be able to avoid the dreaded repeater tax penalties, which make every dollar over the luxury-tax number progressively more expensive every year a team stays over the tax line. This doesn't mean Simons is going to be traded this summer. Boston has until the Feb. 5 trade deadline to move Simons, since luxury tax is calculated on the team's total payroll the last day of the season. But given the massive savings they'd get back from losing Simons' salary, it seems inevitable. The Celtics have lost a lot of talent this summer, but they've saved a tremendous amount of money in the process. They might have to attach draft capital to get off Simons' deal, but if he plays well in Boston, he might even bring back something in a trade next season. Tatum's injury threw a huge wrench in the Celtics' plans. If they can use this season to get under the luxury tax, they'll have the flexibility to reload and contend again when their star is back in a year.
Aaron Judge Assigns Blame As Yankees Continue to Sprial
Aaron Judge didn’t ease into his return. After missing over two weeks with a strain in his right elbow, the Yankees’ captain was activated Tuesday and inserted as the designated hitter. But his presence wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding or the finger-pointing. As the Yankees dropped their fifth straight game, falling 2-0 to the Rangers, the calls for a change in leadership were growing louder. Yankees fans were howling for Aaron Boone’s job and wanted Brian Cashman to be sent packing with him. But, Judge made it clear who bears the blame. “About us in this room, we’ve got to step up, look ourselves in the mirror and do our job,” he said. That was the message from a captain who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his first game back. Judge didn’t shift the focus to his own timing at the plate or the limitations of his injury. He kept the spotlight squarely on the team’s performance and their accountability. New York has now lost 19 of its last 27 games and watched a once-secure playoff position slip into a Wild Card race that’s tightening by the day. The loss dropped them behind Boston and just a half-game ahead of Texas for the final AL Wild Card spot. Mistakes continue to mount. On Tuesday, it was another bullpen collapse, another critical misplay in the field, and another night where the offense failed to deliver in key spots. For Judge, the diagnosis was simple. Do your job. With the standings getting tighter, Judge’s words carry weight. The Yankees have time to turn this around, but not if they keep looking elsewhere for answers or excuses. The answers, as Judge reminded everyone Tuesday night, have to come from within.
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