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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Grey Whitebloom

Snakes, Bongs, Drug Busts: 11 Fun Storylines From 2026 World Cup Week One

World Cup United States Fifa Erling Haaland Tyler Bindon Haaland Haaland

The build-up to the World Cup felt like an endless roll call of horror stories. Ticket prices, visa complications and bulletins from the frontline of actual battlefields were rightfully given the coverage they deserved.

Soccer, after all, is only “the most important of the least important things,” as Italy’s World Cup finalist manager Arrigo Sacchi wonderfully put it.

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