Right now, English cyclist Joe Dick is approaching the final few metres of an unusual odyssey: the 23-year-old sports fanatic has just ridden his Cube road bike from the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City – a 5000km escapade he was determined to complete between the first kick of the opening game of 2026 FIFA World Cup and the final whistle of the tournament.
The trainee sport and exercise psychologist from Warwickshire pedalled away from the Aztec Stadium in the heart of the Mexican capital when the whistle blew for the first game of the 2026 World Cup, on 11 June, kicking off both the contest between Mexico and South Africa and Dick’s extraordinary journey. According to the challenge he’d set himself, he had just 39 days to complete his mission and reach the MetLife Stadium in time for the final – a game that he had hoped would feature England.
