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Tag: World Cup

  • The Eagles and Phillies boost business more than the World Cup did, Philly bar owners say

    The Eagles and Phillies boost business more than the World Cup did, Philly bar owners say

    Philadelphia has been flush with tourists flocking here for the World Cup and the nation’s 250th, patronizing local restaurants, bars, and stadiums.

    And in the aftermath, bar owners are weighing the exact size of any World Cup sales boom, how it compares to an Eagles’ Super Bowl run, and whether Philadelphia truly is a 4 a.m. bar town as the state allowed some establishments to stay open later.

    One thing is clear: If the bar had TVs playing World Cup games, it had a chance at cashing in on fans eager to experience the game with others.

    Sports bars and tourism hot spots made out well

    Jason Evenchik’s Garage bars in Fishtown, Passyunk, and Rittenhouse saw “a nice bump in sales” throughout the World Cup, driving business up 30% to 40%, he said. Evenchik said the TV bars fared better than usual during what’s typically a summertime lull — and much better than when World Cup games were being broadcast from Qatar in 2022.

    Lucy’s Rittenhouse, a sports bar from FCM Hospitality’s Avram Hornik, also did well during the afternoon and evening games, especially when Team USA played, Hornik said. And it attracted patrons during its 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. shift, thanks to a Philadelphia 250 Permit, a temporary license that allows eligible bars to serve alcohol two hours past the city’s usual 2 a.m. closing time.

    “I don’t think it could have gone better,” Hornik said. FCM also operates the Center City nightclub Concourse, the family-friendly taproom Craft Hall, and riverside deck Morgan’s Pier, among other bars.

    “It was a mix of tourists. A lot of South Americans stayed out later because they’re used to places open late. Europeans we found like to camp out at a bar and stay for a while. There was also just a lot of Philadelphians who were happy to have some place to go and experience this moment,” Hornik said.

    Even bars without TVs like the decades-old Fergie’s Pub, nestled smack dab in Center City’s bar scene, saw a tourism boom, said owner Fergie Carey, attracting tourists to its authentic Irish experience. Carey even decided to open for the Fourth of July, when the bar usually closes, because there was so much foot traffic. But having no TVs can have repercussions.

    “The most people I’ve ever seen leave our pub because there are no TVs was on the Fourth of July,” Carey quipped.

    Evenchik and Hornik also saw lower engagement at some of their bars with little to no TVs or sports vibe, such as Evenchik’s Vintage wine bar, which he said suffered a 30% decline in sales during World Cup weeks. Hornik’s neighborhood restaurant and bars like Rosy’s Taco Bar or Harper’s Garden didn’t necessarily take a sales hit, but their private dinner party business “almost disappeared during the time of World Cup,” he said.

    Fans react to the Eagles play the Chiefs in the NFL Super Bowl LIX, in a bar near Frankford and Cottman Aves., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Philadelphia.Tyger Willliams / Staff Photographer

    The World Cup pales in comparison to a Super Bowl at Philly bars

    While the sports bars and hotter tourism areas saw a World Cup sales bump, bar owners say it was nothing compared to the revenue brought in from the Eagles going on a playoff-to-Super Bowl run, or the Phillies in the World Series.

    “I don’t think there’s anything that compares to Philly sports fans and their loyalty to our Philadelphia teams when they do well,” Hornik said.

    When a Philly sports team is doing well, Evenchik said, people seem more willing to go out and celebrate on the town.

    “In those times we see a bump in the sports bars, but also everywhere else, including restaurants, because everyone’s so joyous,” Evenchik said. “The World Cup doesn’t really get close to the Super Bowl madness.”

    At Philly’s oldest craft and woman-owned brewery, Dock Street, bartender Jessica Head and assistant general manager Abby Stover said they’ve been relishing the fervor of World Cup fans for every game, regardless of who is playing.

    “The World Cup finals are truly similar to us Philadelphia sports fans in their passion and how much they are willing to ride for their teams, but nothing can beat a good Eagles playoff run,” Stover said.

    “With an Eagles playoff run, we get the bursts during the games once a week, and the energy is undeniable. But the World Cup is really something so special,” Head said. “We’re so lucky we get to see that excitement every single day during the tournament.”

    Fans watch a Team USA match at the Fishtown sports bar, Garage, during the 2026 World Cup.(Courtesy of Jason Evenchik)

    4 a.m. bars in Philly aren’t as popular as believed

    Hornik applied for the Philadelphia 250 Permit at several of his bars.

    But only Lucy’s really enjoyed the benefits of 4 a.m. closing times. FCM’s other nightlife-oriented locations generally didn’t take advantage of their permits, Hornik said.

    While Hornik found success at Lucy’s, others have said the 4 a.m. party culture in Philadelphia just didn’t materialize.

    “I’ve spoken to a couple people who are involved in some of the bars that had a 4 a.m. license, and everyone kind of universally agreed that it cost a bit more than it was worth,” Evenchik said.

    The permit itself cost $500 to apply for, and another $250 for safety training from the city.

    Additionally, only a handful of the 104 World Cup matches were broadcast close to times near Philadelphia’s usual 2 a.m. closing time. “It didn’t really make sense because none of the games were really that late,” Evenchik said.

    World Cup fans share pizza and beer while watching matches at Dock Street South on Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia during the 2026 World Cup.(Courtesy of Renata Vesey)

    What lasts is the cultural exchange

    Neighborhood bars largely didn’t see a boom like Center City and established sports bars, but the World Cup did bring more business and, occasionally, international tourists, said Renata Vesey, creative director at Dock Street, which operates a brewery along Washington Avenue and a taproom in Fishtown.

    “When Côte d’Ivoire played, we got a big crew of Ivorians of all ages,” Vesey said. “It happened to be on a Sunday that we were also hosting a line-dancing event, so it was just such a random, cool mix of people and interests and vibes.”

    Bars were livelier and more crowded than usual, and Dock Street opened for a few games on Mondays, when it is normally closed, she said.

    Hornik’s neighborhood bars and restaurants like Rosy’s continued to draw their usual crowds as well. But what stands out to him is the role that Philadelphia bars and restaurants played in making the city one of the more memorable places to watch the World Cup, he said.

    “It’s not just our job to entertain them for one night, but to make them want to come back here,” Hornik said. “I think that Philadelphia did a great job of showing how great a city Philadelphia is.”

  • New York vowed to protect immigrants. The World Cup final is the moment of truth.

    New York vowed to protect immigrants. The World Cup final is the moment of truth.

    On Sunday, the eyes of the world turn to New York for the World Cup final, capping a tournament set to beat the record for highest cumulative attendance in World Cup history.

    The deeper story of this tournament isn’t playing out under the lights. It’s unfolding in the parking lots, transit hubs, and neighborhoods around the stadiums, where immigrant families are asking whether hosting the world’s game means being welcomed — or being watched.

    Fans of Senegal and France gather outside New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on June 16. The deeper story of this tournament is unfolding in the parking lots, transit hubs, and neighborhoods where immigrants wonder if they are being watched by ICE, writes Debbie Almontaser.Hiroko Masuike

    A recent poll conducted by Opinium for the transatlantic think tank Concordia Forum found that 45% of Muslims in the U.S. are often or always worried they or someone close to them will be affected by anti-Muslim violence. More striking still, over 39% said they avoid certain places out of safety concerns. Their fears will have been sharpened by two fatal shootings within a week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — one in Maine, one in Houston. In both cases, neither man was the original target of the enforcement operation, and both leave behind grieving families.

    This is what “enforcement” looks like under this administration: lethal, indiscriminate, and expanding.

    Now Washington is bringing that same posture to New York. In advance of the final match, border czar Tom Homan has promised New Yorkers “more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen,” framing it as payback for New York’s sanctuary laws — local rules limiting how far city agencies help federal immigration enforcement. The surge is timed to a tournament that’s drawn millions of visitors, many from countries now targeted by expanded travel restrictions.

    It is hard to read this as anything other than an attempt to punish New York for refusing to do Washington’s enforcement work for it.

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers an address from George Washington’s desk, surrounded by recently naturalized citizens, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary on Friday, July 3.Anna Connors

    New York has not backed down. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been unambiguous, calling ICE’s presence an attempt “to divide us” and noting that six U.S. men’s national team players are themselves immigrants. His administration has restricted New York Police Department cooperation with ICE, barred federal agents from city property without a judicial warrant, and has completed and published a citywide audit of every city agency’s dealings with federal immigration authorities — a level of transparency and follow-through most sanctuary cities never attempt.

    That kind of institutional courage carries a cost, and I know exactly what it can look like up close. As an immigrant rights advocate in the weeks after 9/11, I saw this play out in my Brooklyn backyard on Coney Island Avenue, where thousands of Muslims were rounded up and detained and/or deported under the Bush administration. Washington is running the same playbook now, just at a much larger scale: manufacture a threat, attach it to an immigrant identity, and let the political pressure do the rest.

    Brazil fans sing while watching the FIFA World Cup Group C match between Brazil and Morocco during a public watch party in New York’s Central Park on June 13.Andres Kudacki

    That escalation doesn’t stop with the final whistle. Los Angeles hosts the Olympics in 2028, and Washington’s willingness to weaponize federal enforcement against a host city sets a precedent every future host will have to reckon with. Agents visibly stationed near Sunday’s Central Park watch party would send an unmistakable message about how far this administration is willing to go to undermine New York’s resolve in full view of the world.

    New York’s sanctuary protections are real, and Mamdani has been consistent in defending them. Washington’s decision to turn a global celebration into a show of federal force against a city that has broken no law — a city that has only declined to do the federal government’s job for it — is the actual failure here. Call it what it is: retaliation, staged for an audience of billions. All eyes are on New York again — this time, waiting to see what Washington does next.

    Debbie Almontaser is a Yemeni American educator with 25 years’ experience teaching in New York City public schools. She is a published author and motivational speaker, spending two decades advocating for Muslim and immigrant communities in New York. She is also the founding principal of NYC’s Khalil Gibran International Academy and CEO of Bridging Cultures Group.

  • Philly’s Summer of Sports: No ICE arrests, unruly fans, or scary scenes at World Cup, PGA, All-Star Game

    Philly’s Summer of Sports: No ICE arrests, unruly fans, or scary scenes at World Cup, PGA, All-Star Game

    Well done, Philadelphia.

    The World Cup, the PGA Championship, and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the most daunting events in this Summer of Sports Celebration, are finished here.

    Philly is undefeated.

    “This summer proved what we have always known: Philadelphia is built to host world-class events,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “Our city shined on the national and international stage.”

    It was hot, and it was rainy, but hey, that’s Philly in July. At least the big three events didn’t have to deal with the current wildfire smog.

    Think about it. So many things could have gone wrong.

    There could have been embarrassing incidents involving the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and other complications involving our suddenly inhospitable visitation policies in the United States.

    “Worry number one was, with the influx of all of these people from all over the world into the city, making sure it was a peaceful experience for them,” said Dan Hilferty, the Flyers’ governor and CEO of Comcast Spectacor, who also served as co-chair of Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and is a Philly-area native.

    Chairman & CEO of Comcast Spectacor and Governor of the Flyers Dan Hilferty said this summer’s local events gave him “real hope” in troubled times. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    It was peaceful, Hilferty said, relieved.

    “We live in troubled times, not only in America but around the world. Sports can be a soft diplomacy effort,” he said. “To see people come to our city and us, as Philadelphians, welcome them with open arms — people of different faiths, different races, different nationalities — commingling in a peaceful and exciting environment … I witnessed that. It gave me a real hope for a more friendly future.”

    There could have been incidents on the streets of Philadelphia — crime or intimidation or boorishness — that would further entrench stereotypes about American cities, especially East Coast cities, and especially Philly. Nope.

    Philadelphia was the star in its men’s World Cup debut

    There could have been incidents in the golf crowds, the soccer crowds, and the baseball crowds. Nope. Local cops, state police, and private security kept cool and kept everyone in line.

    There could have been massive traffic problems, vociferous price gouging, public transportation disasters. On the whole, however, there was none of it. Hotels and short-term rental agencies offered reasonable options, some of them including public transportation vouchers in the rental price. Smart routing and parking rules kept cars at the sites flowing. And Philly subway rides stayed at $2.90 a pop while New York and New Jersey charged almost 10 times their normal fares. It might have taken a while to get onto the Broad Street Line after matches, but fans were patient, and the trains ran on time.

    “SEPTA really stepped up big,” Hilferty said.

    Philadelphia and its surrounding area, on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was glorious.

    Aaron Rai’s PGA Championship triumph at Aronimink was worthy of celebration, as was the success of the event itself. Carolyn Kaster

    Aronimink Golf Club stood strong as a major-championship venue, and, just as critically, Philly golf fans made the obnoxious New Yorkers at Shinnecock and Bethpage Black look bestial by comparison. Actually, there was no comparison: Philly golf fans once again proved to be the best in the country.

    “The crowd had great energy.” That was from Scottie Scheffler, Texas native and Cowboys fan, who had been heckled mercilessly in his opening round. “It was all in good fun.”

    Aronimink and Philly fans star at the PGA Championship in a year of big events in Philadelphia

    The World Cup, the biggest event in Philly since the Sesquicentennial Exposition held 100 years ago, in which 10 teams played six games in a span of 21 days — including Iraq, a country with which the U.S. has a recent war history — held the largest possibility of calamity. There was none.

    Philadelphia, its law enforcement, its public transport, its politicians, and, more than anything else, its businesses and residents, literally could not have acquitted themselves better. From the specially installed pitch at Lincoln Financial Field (renamed Philadelphia Stadium for the World Cup), to the neighborhood restaurants and bars, to the sites at the South Philly sports complex that accommodated visitors, to the Lemon Hill Fan Festival that sometimes had crowds of 50,000, all you heard were stories of camaraderie and welcome.

    And, finally, this past week, MLB and the Phillies collaborated on five days of celebration capped by two nights of baseball magic that not only went off without a hitch but, really, incorporating the pomp and pageantry, were without compare. The key moment: The Sandlot interlude.

    How MLB’s All-Star Game tribute to ‘The Sandlot’ came together — and what the kids said about their experiences with major leaguers

    For five minutes after the fourth inning Tuesday, 10 kids joined 10 players on the field as fireworks exploded and Ray Charles sang “America the Beautiful” from the scoreboard screen, a tribute to a scene from the 1993 kids’ baseball movie The Sandlot. It even got to me, and I don’t like the movie or fireworks.

    The game itself wasn’t great, but the Home Run Derby on Monday was superb. It was almost everything the Phillies could have wished for.

    “Together, these were not simply successful events,” said Phillies CEO John Middleton, also a Philly-area native. “They were defining moments that elevated both Major League Baseball and the City of Philadelphia, leaving a legacy that will endure for years to come.”

    The MLB All-Star Game was a culmination of the city’s summer of big events. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    David Montgomery, the late Phillies CEO who dreamed of having Citizens Bank Park host the midsummer classic in the middle of this special summer, surely is smiling down from above.

    It’s hard to overstate how unlikely it was that all of these events went off without an appreciable glitch. I’ve worked with the PGA of America, with FIFA, and with MLB. They are not particularly streamlined, seamless organizations. Combine the balkiness of those organizations and the history of glitches and missteps in Philadelphia’s past, there always was a chance that things might go haywire here this summer.

    But between Pennsylvania’s state government, local municipalities and city governments — more than 40 entities in all — and the golf course, the baseball team, and the guy who runs the Flyers, anyone who watched or attended the big three events should know that the efforts on a local level cannot be credited too much.

    ‘My favorite place to play’: Philly and Citizens Bank Park were All-Stars on a magical night. Just ask the actual All-Stars.

    “People came from across Philadelphia, our region, the nation, and the world, and, by every measure, they experienced the very best our city has to offer,” Mayor Parker said.

    Now, as the World Cup final in North Jersey closes down these 10 weeks of spotlight — there will be one more watch party at Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday for the Spain-Argentina final — the folks in charge and the folks they represent can breathe sighs of relief and stick their chests out, proud of the concept, the planning, and the execution of a summertime run such as the region has never seen.

    To be fair, incidents and accidents at other World Cup sites in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico were virtually nonexistent. But few venues faced the unique logistical and cultural challenges you get in Philadelphia.

    The bigwigs made sure to monitor the situation.

    Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker celebrated the city’s big events along with their constituents and visitors from all over the world. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Mayor Parker went to Lemon Hill and commingled with Mexico soccer fans. She, Gov. Josh Shapiro (a Montco native), and the owners kept running into each other at the various events, their attendance less choreographed appearances than invested fandom and stewardship. They wanted to make sure everything was OK.

    Before the first World Cup match in Philadelphia, Hilferty and his wife, Joan, walked across the parking lot from his office at the Xfinity Mobile Arena to the Stateside Live! open-air bar. There, they saw Ecuador fans in yellow jerseys exchanging partisan chants with orange-clad Ivory Coast supporters — then exchanging cellphones so they could take pictures for each other.

    Ivory Coast won the match. The fans shared drinks in the parking lot and subway rides home.

    “After the first match,” Hilferty said, “I felt really good.”

    That feeling remains.

  • This World Cup served as the ultimate proof of how big global soccer stars have become in America

    This World Cup served as the ultimate proof of how big global soccer stars have become in America

    NEW YORK — When Spain played France in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday, there were 32 players on the field and 20 more across the respective benches.

    At the final whistle, the reigning European champions had reminded the world that soccer is a team game. Spain didn’t just win 2-0; it delivered the most comprehensive performance of the tournament against the most prolific attacking team in the tournament field.

    But before the game, the hype was about individuals, and for good reason: It was the first World Cup meeting of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Spain’s Lamine Yamal. For as many stars play in World Cups, there hadn’t been a semifinal matchup with that much individual sizzle in decades.

    The framing was justified. And in a country that loves star power, it was a sign of how far this World Cup has broken through in America.

    Lamine Yamal (left) battles France’s Kylian Mbappé in the FIFA World Cup semifinal match between the two teams on Wednesday.Tom Weller

    Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo became the sport’s standard-bearers, the only men’s soccer players who’d really made it here were Pelé in the 1970s and David Beckham in the 2000s — the latter more for reasons off the field than on it.

    Now Messi and Ronaldo aren’t the only household names. At least five more from beyond American shores have reached that level of notoriety before any American player: France’s Mbappé, Spain’s Yamal, England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and Norway’s Erling Haaland.

    The World Cup has left Philly. Here’s where all the stuff at the stadium went.

    As Messi gets set to face Yamal for the title on Sunday in the Meadowlands (3 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62), it’s worth taking a moment to step back and realize how that’s another sign of soccer’s growth here.

    Falling for France

    Mbappé was the closest to being a household name in the U.S. of the quintet. Thanks to his back-to-back World Cup final runs with France (including the 2018 title) and a big stage in the Champions League, both his national team and Paris Saint-Germain jerseys became big sellers in the U.S. At almost any youth soccer clinic you’d come across, even around Philadelphia, you’d almost certainly see a few kids with his shirt.

    Kylian Mbappé celebrates scoring what proved to be France’s winning goal against Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    His status rose further when he moved to Spanish superpower Real Madrid in 2024. And when he arrived at the World Cup to captain the tournament’s most star-studded team, he was immediately a marquee attraction. Philadelphia saw that up close: He scored in both of France’s games here, including one of the tournament’s best goals against Iraq.

    You could see that without even watching the France-Spain game itself. (And given how badly it went for him, Mbappé might prefer you didn’t.) All it took was being in the seating bowl when the video board showed him getting off France’s bus at the stadium. A massive roar went up from a crowd that had only just started to make its way in.

    ‘Mbappé gave me a hug:’ These two soccer hopefuls from Kensington got the full World Cup experience

    French journalists weren’t surprised, especially those who know American sports culture. A conversation on Radio France’s pregame show was an example: One of the analysts said Mbappé “isn’t just the symbol of the French team to America, he’s the symbol of all of France.”

    Or take the scene a day earlier at France’s practice, in the lush surroundings of Southern Methodist University’s sports complex. Though the field was surrounded by covered fences, a cluster of kids still shouted Mbappé’s name in hope he’d stop by.

    France gets to work as the world watches:

    [image or embed]

    — Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) July 13, 2026 at 3:06 PM

    Alas, they couldn’t see how far away he was. But as he spoke about in Philadelphia before the France-Iraq game, he knows how big a deal he is here, and he likes it.

    “The United States is a country that has a different culture from ours in Europe,” he said. “It’s true that I’ve always liked its culture, where ambition is limitless and where no one is afraid to say what they want to do and what they can do. It’s not like that everywhere, but it is here.”

    Meg Kane was the perfect face of Philly’s World Cup campaign. Her family, and its tragedy, shaped her message.

    Mbappé even joked about being asked by Beckham if he’d play here toward the end of his career.

    “Maybe one day, who knows?” he said. “We’ll see. In any case, I do like this country, and I’m happy to be here.”

    So was his manager. Didier Deschamps saw often how popular Les Bleus are in the land of red, white, and blue.

    “When we went out when we could, yes, I heard it, that we’re an enjoyable team,” he said that day in Dallas. “We’re enjoyable because we’ve won games, too. But even if the most important thing is results, with the attitudes, we’ve seen a lot of photos of the moments we’ve left camp, videos shared of the group interacting, and so on.”

    Alejandro Bedoya reflects on his World Cup TV debut, the U.S.’ run, and lessons for Union teammates

    And when French fans didn’t travel here in huge numbers, Americans packed the stands instead. Deschamps understood the bigger picture.

    “It’s something that we appreciate, and all the better if it helps the development of soccer in the United States,” said Deschamps, one of only three men’s players to win the World Cup as a player (1998) and coach (2018). “We gain from the support of the public, which we obviously have in France, but to have it here in the United States too is something that we very much appreciate.”

    France fans, whether from there or from here, in the stands for Les Bleus’ group game against Iraq in Philadelphia.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    He even drew a smile from the American media when he said: “I know that there are five major sports here, and soccer today hasn’t quite made it — apart from women’s soccer.”

    Deschamps meant it in terms of trophies won, referring to a U.S. women’s team that won its last World Cup in France in 2019. But just as he was in the stands when the Americans beat the hosts in an all-time game, he has had a front-row seat to soccer’s wins in this summer’s sports popularity contest.

    Baseball and soccer crossed paths when the USMNT was in Seattle during the World Cup

    All but one of France’s games so far have drawn TV audiences of over 10 million viewers combined between Fox and Telemundo, led by just under 23 million for each of the semifinal and the July 4 quarterfinal in Philadelphia. Fox’s audience alone for the semifinal was just over 13 million — far bigger than the 8.8 million who watched the same channel’s broadcast of baseball’s All-Star Game a few hours later.

    ‘Well-known in Chattanooga’

    Yamal entered this summer as the sport’s top young phenom, already a three-time La Liga winner with Barcelona and a European champion with Spain in 2024. Soccer fans knew about him when the World Cup kicked off, especially younger ones who play the sport’s video games — a huge entry point for kids — and follow him on Instagram.

    Lamine Yamal signing autographs for kids at Spain’s World Cup base camp in Chattanooga, Tenn.Mike Stewart

    A big sponsorship deal with Adidas meant Yamal was all over the company’s pretournament marketing, just as much as Messi, a longtime client of the apparel giant. A few days after Yamal scored his first World Cup goal, on June 21 vs. Saudi Arabia, Adidas constructed a huge cutout of him celebrating, and sent it parading on a barge in New York’s East River.

    And was it Yamal’s idea or someone else’s that he wore a Yankees cap as he left the stadium on Tuesday? Whoever it was, you can be sure he knew where he was headed: to the Big Apple for Sunday’s title clash in the Meadowlands.

    Before Auston Trusty scored a World Cup goal, he ‘put the work in’ at Penncrest High and Nether United

    But he isn’t just known in New York. Or in Atlanta, where Adidas put up big billboards as Spain played two of its group games there.

    “Soccer has given me the opportunity to be well-known in Chattanooga, for example, which is something very beautiful,” Yamal said of the Tennessee city where La Roja had its base camp. “I never could have imagined that I’d go out for a walk in a town in the United States and be recognized. So I value it a lot. I know where I come from, and each day I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.”

    A few days after Lamine Yamal scored his first World Cup goal, Adidas stuck a huge cutout of him celebrating on a barge in New York’s East River.adidas

    Kane and Bellingham’s status here is helped by being English. The former gained from the Premier League’s huge commercial presence here, as a legend of Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Germany’s Bayern Munich in 2023. He’s also a big NFL fan, which opened more American doors for him as the league grew its presence in London.

    Bellingham took a different path. He played just one professional season in his home country before moving abroad, and it was at second-tier Birmingham City. Then he spent three years at Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, and Real Madrid bought him from there in 2023 for over $110 million.

    Hall of Fame broadcaster JP Dellacamera has called his last World Cup game

    You don’t go to the world’s most famous club for that kind of money unless you’re already a star or soon to become one. But for a long time, you couldn’t get the full status in England unless you played in the Premier League. As a result, Bellingham has sometimes been seen as a kind of outsider in his home country.

    Over here, he is simply a star. Though the Premier League is the most popular European circuit in the U.S., Real Madrid is the most popular club team — as Philadelphia saw firsthand last summer. When Real played here last summer in the Club World Cup, there were a lot of Bellingham’s jerseys in the sellout crowd. Now, this summer has made him even bigger.

    Harry Kane (left) and Jude Bellingham celebrate teaming up for one of England’s goals against Mexico, in a game that drew over 46 million TV viewers in the United States.Natacha Pisarenko

    Haaland’s popularity, meanwhile, is mostly a product of the Premier League’s power. Not entirely, to be sure: His first spotlight came at Dortmund, including when the Bundesliga returned to action before other leagues amid the pandemic.

    His fame skyrocketed after moving to Manchester City, where he has piled up 112 goals in 132 games and won two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy. Combine that with the club being the Premier League’s dominant force for nearly a decade, and the odds are if you know someone with a City jersey, it has Haaland’s name on the back.

    Until this summer, his resumé lacked one big line: playing at the World Cup. It is now filled in with style: seven goals in six games, leading Norway fans’ ‘Viking Row’ chant, and a love of American culture. He went to a western goods store in Dallas, posed for photos in a cowboy hat and boots, and left with a stuffed raccoon.

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    The GOAT feasts again

    Finally, there’s Messi. Major League Soccer has made piles of money from his presence here, and stands to make piles more from his playing a World Cup final in America’s biggest market. Any remaining belief that Miami was a retirement destination vanished when he led Argentina’s stunning 2-1 comeback win over England in Atlanta.

    “He is pure history,” said Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, the man who four years ago did what nine men before him could not: coach Messi’s country to the biggest title of all.

    “To see him reach a final like this, at his age, 39, is incredible,” Scaloni said. “He is history and legend, along with this entire group of players who have given us such wonderful years. Even though we might always believe an Argentine futbolista is capable of achieving greatness, actually doing it is incredibly difficult.”

    Philly’s path to the World Cup was paved at Newt’s, where playing on cinder was a ‘badge of honor’

    There are days when it feels like MLS’s marketing team focuses on Messi too much. But a lot of people think the league actually hasn’t done enough to spotlight his presence (and Argentina and Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo de Paul) this summer.

    That is for getting into later. For now, Messi will play a World Cup final in the country he has come to call home on Sunday, and he will face a player he has known for a long time.

    How long? When Yamal was a baby, Messi played for Barcelona, as he did for many years. In 2007, the Yamal family won a raffle to have a photo shoot with Messi, organized by a local newspaper and UNICEF. Thus was Messi pictured holding a baby Yamal, and washing him in a bathtub.

    One of the famous photos of Lionel Messi holding a baby Lamine Yamal in 2007.Joan Monfort

    Sure, they couldn’t really have known each other back then. But fans the world over hoped they’d someday see a Messi vs. Yamal game with real stakes.

    Many fans hoped for it here in America, too, even as others hoped for England or France to make the final instead. Now it’s here, and the marquee at the Meadowlands is ready for a show.

  • Spain or Argentina? Our soccer writers weigh in on who will win Sunday’s World Cup final.

    Spain or Argentina? Our soccer writers weigh in on who will win Sunday’s World Cup final.

    The final game of what has been a World Cup to remember — particularly on the pitch — pits Spain against Argentina for arguably the greatest prize in all of sports.

    But it will once again create a new chapter in the longstanding argument that South American soccer is on par, if not better than, European. Europe is widely regarded as the continent that is the class of the sport, despite Argentina’s dominance on the world stage, with many of its players being stars on the world’s best clubs.

    Alejandro Bedoya reflects on his World Cup TV debut, the U.S.’ run, and lessons for Union teammates

    When the two converge on the Meadowlands for Sunday’s finale (3 p.m., Fox29), it will mark the first time a European champion has played a South American champion in a World Cup final. Spain, winner of the 2024 European championships, hasn’t lost a match in any competition since June 2025, and features one of the world’s best players in 19-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal.

    Lionel Messi (top, center) celebrates with his Argentine teammates at the end of the World Cup semifinal against England on Wednesday.Rebecca Blackwell

    On the other side, you have an improbable run to the final led by 39-year-old Lionel Messi, the catalyst in three consecutive late winners to thrust Argentina, the reigning world champions, back into soccer’s biggest spotlight.

    Oddsmakers have given the slight edge to Spain, which has been near-flawless down the stretch, highlighted by the absolute clinic they conveyed in their 2-0 win over France in Wednesday’s semifinal. But Argentina has shown fight to lift themselves to late victories against Cape Verde, Egypt, and England, the latter a pair of matches in which they trailed until the game’s final moments.

    Analyzing both, The Inquirer’s team of soccer writers offer their predictions of which nation will be raising the FIFA World Cup Trophy after 90 minutes (or 120 minutes, plus penalties) ahead of Sunday’s final.

    This World Cup served as the ultimate proof of how big global soccer stars have become in America

    Jonathan Tannenwald

    You can frame Argentina’s semifinal win over England in two ways. Either it was an all-time choke job by the Three Lions, or more proof of how Argentina’s mental force is like nothing else in the sport right now.

    But there’s only one way to frame Spain’s win over France: total domination. While I don’t expect this game to go quite like that, I do expect La Roja to be ready for what Argentina will throw at them. And because of that, I expect the better team to prevail.

    Prediction: Spain 2, Argentina 1

    The Spanish national team hasn’t lost a match since June 2025, winning 17 matches in international competition since.Eric Gay

    Owen Hewitt

    What a treat. The first 48-team World Cup may have lacked knockout-stage upsets, but it managed to produce the highest-quality semifinal round imaginable, which set up a meeting of two global giants in the final.

    Spain has looked like a complete force of nature all tournament, aside from a draw in the group stage against Cape Verde. Its ability to move the ball and build through possession allowed it to smother France in the semifinal. If the Spanish can repeat that performance against Argentina, it may be too much for La Albiceleste to overcome.

    Headed to Sunday’s World Cup final? Here’s how to get there and back from Philly for $60.

    But let’s not count out Messi’s magic quite yet. Argentina has rarely looked like a perfect side in this tournament, but in three of their four knockout stage games, the Argentines have managed to defy logic and reason to find a win when they need it most.

    I think Spain is the better team, but who am I to pick against a team of destiny?

    Prediction: Argentina 2, Spain 1 (after extra time)

    Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the World Cup semifinal against England. Fernandez was also the hero in the team’s quarterfinal win against Egypt. Rebecca Blackwell

    Kerith Gabriel

    Any way you choose to pore over this matchup, one thing continues to come back to the forefront: You can’t count out Argentina. One of the things Spain does exceptionally well is keep its shape defensively, forcing attacking teams to thread the needle in La Roja’s final third every time.

    Even the best players in the world can’t sustain that type of perfection in their offensive play consistently to give Spain fits. That’s why it was so shocking that of all the teams that were able to crack the code, it was tiny Cape Verde in its first World Cup ever, as it kept Spain’s backline on its toes in addition to exhibiting one of the greatest defensive displays we’ve seen in the World Cup.

    Coincidentally, Argentina just so happens to have the best player in the world at age 39 in Messi, who is surrounded by a supporting cast that has been equally solid. Argentina comes in waves, and it comes down to whether Spain can weather that storm defensively. We know Spain can since it did so against a high-powered French side that bullied its way to the semifinals.

    The real question is: Can Argentina do it again?

    Prediction: Spain 2, Argentina 2 (Spain wins in penalties, 5-3).

    Check out the Inquirer’s complete soccer coverage right here!
  • Headed to Sunday’s World Cup final? Here’s how to get there and back from Philly for $60.

    Headed to Sunday’s World Cup final? Here’s how to get there and back from Philly for $60.

    So, thinking about going to MetLife Stadium for the World Cup final?

    It’s easier coming from Philly than you might think. I know because I’ve taken the trip to New York/New Jersey Stadium (or MetLife Stadium as it’s customarily called) three times for matches between Brazil and Morocco, France against Senegal, and Norway’s quarterfinal win against Brazil.

    Certainly learned a lot along the way. Each time felt very different from the first.

    I took the public transit route to save some dough and avoid traffic: SEPTA’s Trenton line on Regional Rail from William H. Gray 30th Street Station, and then the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor line to Secaucus Junction.

    The World Cup has left Philly. But where does all the stuff go? There’s a WhatsApp group for that.

    Based on the gridlock I saw on the highways while riding the train — not to mention the cost of gas — this is the cheapest and most efficient way to travel from Philly to MetLife Stadium.

    Just make sure you’re ready to get your steps in.

    You’ll never know who you might run into once you’re at New York/New Jersey Stadium, kind of like when we stumbled upon soccer great Ronaldinho outside the main gates during the June 13 Brazil-Morocco match.Kerith Gabriel / Staff

    Buy your tickets online

    Purchasing your trip ahead of time is the way to go, and you can lock that in right now. I bought my train tickets 12 days before through the SEPTA and NJ Transit websites.

    A round-trip ticket on SEPTA’s Trenton line on Regional Rail from Jefferson, Suburban, or 30th Street Station is $20. It’s $26 if you purchase on the train. Not only is it cheaper, but buying online allows you to skip the lines at the station.

    NJ Transit round-trip tickets to Secaucus Junction are just $40.70 and available for purchase on the NJ Transit website. (It almost makes you feel fortunate you’re coming from Philly and not Penn Station, where tickets are upward of $100.)

    The total cost for a trip to MetLife Stadium and back to Center City? Right around $60. For comparison, parking a car in Philly for World Cup games cost between $115-180, and reached $700 for an oversized vehicle.

    Getting there

    The beauty of taking the train out of the city is that Trenton is the last stop on the line, so no need to ask the conductor when it’s your stop; you’ll know, given that the whole train clears out.

    Once you step off the train at Trenton, you’ll need to switch trains. Find the escalators that only go up to the main floor, and according to an NJ Transit ambassador at the station, Northeast Corridor local and express trains have left from a combination of either Track 1 or Track 2, which are located on the same platform.

    When in doubt? Look at the big board, which will read New York-SEC (SEC for Secaucus). Secaucus Junction is one of the final station stops before New York Penn Station, so yes, you’re on the right train.

    From there, it’s a straight shot to Secaucus. Getting on at Trenton means you’re the first stop on the line, so you’re sure to find a good seat.

    Every stop was announced, and conductors shouted instructions to fans on how to navigate Secaucus upon arrival.

    New Jersey is going to great lengths to get people over to matches at MetLife Stadium. If you do it by regional rail, Secaucus is going to be your final stop. Kerith Gabriel / Staff

    You’ve arrived in Secaucus …

    FIFA volunteers and NJ Transit ambassadors were stationed on the platform to answer questions and direct fans to the ground floor, where NJ Transit buses are ready to shuttle people to the stadium.

    The shuttle fare? It’s included in your train ticket, and ambassadors will ask to see both your ticket to the match and your train ticket.

    Should Division I men’s soccer become a two-semester season? Here’s where Philly coaches stand.

    Also, with the snaking line to get to the shuttle, have that ticket ready to show so you’re not holding up the line. You’ll receive a wristband that allows you to board there and come back when the game is over. Don’t lose it.

    Technically, you don’t have to worry about losing it, it’s one of those that will require something sharp or really skinny wrists to remove.

    If you’re headed to the World Cup final, consider the train, but make sure ambassadors give you a bracelet so you can get back on the train.Kerith Gabriel / Staff

    Shuttles run continuously up to an hour before the match. After that, there’s a final courtesy train that makes a run over to MetLife for any remaining passengers. There’s no parking at MetLife, so if you miss that, a ride share is your best bet.

    Heading back

    Outside MetLife, there are giant purple signs that direct fans looking for shuttle buses. If you get turned around after exiting the stadium, walk toward American Dream, the concert venue adjacent to the stadium. You’ll see the massive bus terminal that shuttles fans back to Secaucus Junction.

    You’ll need to show your NJ Transit wristband to ambassadors and some police. Then you’ll board a bus back to Secaucus. The ride will take about 15 minutes, depending on traffic. Then you’re on your way back to Philly, where you’ll have earned bragging rights for your cheap and efficient travel to the world’s grandest sporting event. Enjoy.

    Check out the Inquirer’s complete soccer coverage right here!
  • The World Cup has left Philly. But where does all the stuff go? There’s a WhatsApp group for that.

    The World Cup has left Philly. But where does all the stuff go? There’s a WhatsApp group for that.

    When Shane Gillis fans file into Lincoln Financial Field on Friday night for the actor and comedian’s almost sold-out show, they’ll never know that the venue was the center of the soccer universe in Philadelphia for two weeks of the FIFA World Cup.

    At least there will hardly be any reminders.

    Signage is gone. Seats that were removed to make way for a wider field have been replaced. And when you drive past the south end of the field along I-95, the outline of Abraham Lincoln’s head has returned, instead of the giant blue banner that covered the Lincoln Financial Field sign.

    In just 11 days, a team of union workers — from crane operators to field turf professionals to painters — flooded the venue, ripped down anything that had FIFA attached to it, and turned Philadelphia Stadium back into the Linc.

    But what happens to all of that signage?

    The giant flags during pregame ceremonies? The way finders located both inside and outside the stadium? The caps on the team benches conveying which side each nation has on the sideline?

    There’s a WhatsApp group for that.

    “A lot of our staff and volunteers who come from those countries get to take them, and people get just so excited when we post them in our WhatsApp group,” said Jolyon Bowman, FIFA’s chief venue operations director for the matches in Philadelphia. “We had a member of our staff the other day show off the banner that she received, and hung it up in her backyard. There’s a lot of pride among all our staff in what we accomplished. And I think people wanted to keep that.”

    A giant sculpture of the Adidas Trionda match ball remains the only thing that recalls Lincoln Financial Field as a host for World Cup matches, as workers began dismantling signage last week.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Bowman says for many of the banners, there’s actually a company FIFA works with that takes them and will create tote bags that also get passed on to staff members as a commemoration of the work they put in.

    “We try — I mean, as much as we can — to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and I think we sure did that,” Bowman said. “There are just some things that have to go in the garbage, but a lot of that stuff ends up in the hands of the people [who] have worked the event here; they’re free to take that stuff.”

    With the matches gone, here are three ways World Cup fever is still thriving in Philly

    Staff at Lincoln Financial Field got an opportunity to keep some items as well, but FIFA also noted that it donated leftover food to local charities. Televisions that were used as monitors during the tournament were gifted to the School District of Philadelphia.

    Jolyon Bowman, was the venue operations director for FIFA in Philadelphia for the World Cup and says that planning the breakdown happened 18 months in advance of the tournament. Kerith Gabriel / Staff

    ‘No room for improvisation’

    The efficiency in restoring an arena back to its original look in just 11 days began 18 months before the start of the tournament, says Bowman. Coordinating labor, collaborating with the Eagles, and looking at the calendar of events for the Linc all come into play — especially when you’re not trying to overstay your welcome.

    “One-hundred percent of it is all talked about and organized before. There’s no room for improvisation when you’re dealing with a change of this scale,” Bowman said. “We start talking about bumping out on the first match day of the whole tournament. We knew there was a huge concert [in Shane Gillis’ show] coming up. Lincoln Financial is going to be hosting 60,000 people on Friday, so we knew we were under the gun to get it done.”

    The U.S. women’s national team will play Spain at Subaru Park in October.

    Bowman is very familiar with the process — he’s been in venue operations for nearly 30 years. He can trace his footprint in Philly working as an operations volunteer back to when the Linc first opened in 2003 with a soccer match between European club powers Barcelona and Manchester United.

    Though he’s not originally from the area, the native Ugandan who now resides in Washington D.C., says his touchpoints here are numerous, including staying in a section of West Philadelphia while his now wife attended Penn.

    Work to restore Lincoln Financial Field to its original look following the FIFA World Cup took place for 11 days, with union working crews doing everything from painting to ripping up the field.Kerith Gabriel / Staff

    Above and beyond

    During his 18-month preparation, which also included last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, Bowman says he got acclimated to Philly courtesy of the Eagles, to better understand the day-to-day workings and how to incorporate what they wanted to do both on and off the field.

    Perks of the job? He and his team received a season credential to Eagles games to better understand gameday operations, Philly style.

    “I spent almost two years in Philadelphia preparing for this,” Bowman said. “The Eagles were on board for the World Cup right after their Super Bowl victory. They gave us the keys to the stadium. I saw a lot of Eagles games and was able to prep at any event I wanted to go to.

    “The Eagles gave me a credential to learn as much as I wanted and it really prepared me for the whole thing. Talking to other venue directors [in other World Cup cities], I can tell you that was really unique experience. I just felt like the Eagles went beyond what was expected in trying to host and be a great host, and that just trickled down to everybody in the city.”

    That gracious hosting experience started with the Club World Cup, which offered a beta test for how FIFA stadium workers, operations at Lincoln Financial Field, and outside contractors would coexist.

    Crews work to put Eagles banners back on the outside of Headhouse Plaza at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, July 10.Kerith Gabriel / Staff

    Bowman estimates “hundreds” of people were directly involved in the operations process from the set up to the restoration, along with scores more who worked in a temporary capacity.

    He notes that it’s what made for one of the smoothest restoration projects he’s been apart of, piggybacking what he personally felt was one of the best FIFA World Cups in recent memory.

    He would know, considering his life has been setting them up and breaking them down for over a decade.

    “I’ve been doing sporting events all my life, but there’s nothing quite like the World Cup that brings that international joy and just happiness of being together,” Bowman said. “[During the June 27 Croatia-Ghana match], I left the soccer game for about 15 minutes to go check out the fan experience [in the Linc’s Headhouse Plaza], and when the DJ played Ghanaian songs, Croatians were dancing. And then the DJ plays the Croatian songs, and the Ghanaians are dancing.

    “There was just so much joy, [I think people] enjoyed being together, enjoyed being in Philadelphia. This world needed a World Cup, and I’m happy that I was able to be a little piece of it.”

    Check out the Inquirer’s complete soccer coverage right here!
  • Philly music this week with J. Cole, Death Cab for Cutie, Japanese Breakfast, and more

    Philly music this week with J. Cole, Death Cab for Cutie, Japanese Breakfast, and more

    This week in Philly music features Death Cab for Cutie and Japanese Breakfast in Fairmount Park, a pair of John Coltrane tributes, two nights of J. Cole concerts in South Philly, Trombone Shorty in Fishtown, and “Weird Al” Yankovic in Atlantic City.

    Thursday, July 15

    Earth, Wind & Fire + Lionel Richie

    These seasoned entertainers on the “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour are stars of Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s highly entertaining new HBO documentary, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World). EW&F and its founder and guiding light, Maurice White, are the subjects, and Richie, the American Idol judge and former Commodores leader, is an insightful talking head.

    White died in 2016, but three key original members of the band — singer Phillip Bailey, bassist Verdine White, and percussionist Ralph Johnson, are still in the band, so there’s no reason to think hits like “Shining Star” and “September” won’t sound as joyous as ever. And Richie showed just how much of a polished entertainer he is last year, when he played a rare intimate date at Union Transfer. 7:30 p.m., Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St., xfinitymobilearena.com

    Friday, July 17

    Joe Jackson

    Joe Jackson was grouped in with Elvis Costello and Graham Parker as an Angry Young Man when he first emerged with his albums Look Sharp! and I’m the Man in 1979, before the British songwriter diversified his musical palette to include Louis Jordan-style jump blues and polished Tin Pan Alley pop. Now, Jackson is feeling cranky again on his latest, Hope & Fury, which finds him again working with bassist Graham Maby. 8 p.m., Lansdowne Theater, 31 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, lansdownetheater.com

    Death Cab for Cutie plays the Highmark Mann on Friday, with Japanese Breakfast opening.Ryan Russell

    Death Cab for Cutie & Japanese Breakfast

    I Built You a Tower, the 11th album by emblematic indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie, finds the Bellingham, Wash., band fronted by Ben Gibbard in fine fettle. They sounded sharp debuting the album at the Non-Commvention this spring. Michelle Zauner’s Philadelphia-born band Japanese Breakfast opens. 8 p.m., TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., highmarkmann.com

    Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue play the Fillmore Philly on Friday.Courtesy of the Artist

    Trombone Shorty

    Troy Andrews got his stage name playing in his family band when he was 4. Thirty-six years later, Andrews is carrying on the rich tradition of New Orleans funk, R&B, and second line rhythms. Bluesy Americana sister band Larkin Poe opens. 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com

    Mikaela Davis plays Free at Noon at World Stage on Friday and Johnny Brenda’s on Friday night.Matthew Reamer

    Mikaela Davis

    Indie rock and alt-country harpist Mikaela Davis is playing two shows Friday. The Graceland Way and Grateful Shred songwriter is doing Free at Noon during the day, followed by a Fishtown gig that night. Noon, World Stage, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org and 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    Taj Mahal

    Last year, the octogenarian bluesman born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. released his 32nd album, Room on the Porch, a collaboration with Keb’ Mo’. That is a mostly acoustic affair, but he’s playing this show with the Phantom Blues Band. 8 p.m., The Grand, 818 N. Market St., thegrandwilmington.org

    Bebe Rexha

    The FIFA Fan Festival runs through Sunday’s Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Final, but the final show in its concert series, which has included shows by Leon Thomas, All-American Rejects, and Deadmau5, is Friday. The last star to grace the Lemon Hill stage will be Bebe Rexha, the dance-pop singer who has had hits with G-Eazy, David Guetta, and Florida Georgia Line. It’s free. FIFA Fan Festival, 1 Lemon Hill Drive, phillyfwc26.com

    “Weird Al” Yankovic in New York in 2025. He plays the Borgata in Atlantic City on Friday. John Nacion

    “Weird Al” Yankovic

    The ”Bigger & Weirder Tour” from the accordion-playing master of song parody is headed down the Shore. The “Amish Paradise” and “Eat It” singer will be supported by Puddles Pity Party. 8 p.m., Borgata Event Center, One Borgata Way, Atlantic City, borgata.mgmresorts.com

    Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18

    Patty Griffin and Kathleen Edwards

    A pairing of top-notch songwriters with two performances. Besides the 12 albums Patty Griffin has recorded under her own name, Griffin has had songs covered by the Chicks, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, and Philly’s Dave Hause as well as made her presence felt on Robert Plant’s 2010 Band of Joy. Kathleen Edwards returned after an eight-year break with Total Freedom in 2020 and released Billionaire, coproduced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson last year. 8 p.m., Friday, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, scottishriteauditorium.com and 8 p.m., Saturday, American Music Theatre, 2425 Lincoln Highway, Lancaster, amtshows.com

    Bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma will play with Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen at Grounds for Sculpture on Saturday.Sound Evidence

    Saturday, July 18

    Bobby Zankel’s Wonderful Sound 6

    Philly saxophonist Zankel is leading a notable tribute to John Coltrane. Along with Zankel, the band includes sax players Jaleel Shaw and Bryan Rogers, plus pianist Sumi Tonooka, bass player Sam Harris, and Nazir Ebo on drums. 8 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah St., blacksquirrelclub.com

    Judy Collins & Richard Thompson

    Folk singing legend Judy Collins is on a “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: Farewell Tour,” named after the 1969 Crosby, Stills & Nash song she inspired. The opening act is British folk rock great Richard Thompson. 7 p.m., Lansdowne Theater, 31 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, landsdownetheater.com

    The tour is also playing the Ocean City Music Pier on Monday.

    Creative Freedom: A Salon Experience

    Philly avant-garde bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma pairs off with Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen. They will debut new music from Allen’s upcoming album, 101: An Audio Odyssey, and be in conversation with artist Salvador Jiménez-Flores, whose exhibition Raíces & Resistencias is on view. 7 p.m., Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, N.J., GroundsForSculpture.org

    Philly anti-folk hero Adam Brodsky’s new album is “American Epitaph.” S. Elfie

    Sunday, July 19

    Songs of Welcome: Concert for Immigrant Aid

    This afternoon event features an impressive array of Philly songwriting talent. Featured artists include John Faye, Cliff Hillis, Laura Mann, Adam Brodsky, Irene Lambrou, and Scott McClatchy. It benefits the Welcome Project, a Hatboro-based social service agency that provides assistance to immigrants in Philadelphia as well as Montgomery and Bucks Counties. 2 p.m., Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org

    Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21

    J. Cole

    North Carolina rap star J. Cole says his new album, The Fall Off, is his final album. We’ll believe it when we don’t see a follow-up, but in the meantime, the 24-track double album is an impressive if uneven effort, with guest appearances by Tems, Future, Petey Pablo, and Erykah Badu. It’s also spawned a print publication, The Fall-Off Magazine. 8 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St, xfinitymobilearena.com

    Downtown Boys play Johnny Brenda’s on Tuesday.Naomi Yang

    Tuesday, July 21

    Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs

    Tom Petty lead guitarist Mike Campbell has carried on after his former boss’ 2017 death, with four albums now with the Dirty Knobs, whose latest is Mission of Mercy. Sara Lee Guthrie, recently seen singing with Billy Bragg and Wilco at the Solid Sound festival in Massachusetts celebrating her grandfather Woody, is the opener. 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, keswicktheatre.com

    Downtown Boys

    It’s been nine years since fiery Providence, Rhode Island, punk band Downtown Boys’ last album, but the Victoria Ruiz-fronted fivesome have returned at full strength. The new bilingual Public Luxury comes out swinging with “No Me Jodas” — which translates as “Don’t [Mess] with Me” — and never lets up from there. They’re a fantastic live band. Pop Music Fever Dream opens. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    Wednesday, July 22

    Coltrane 100: Legacy

    This Coltrane tribute features the saxophone great’s son Ravi Coltrane performing reimagined versions of his father’s classics with the Philadelphia Orchestra in advance of what would have been John Coltrane’s 100th birthday on Sept. 23. 8 p.m., TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., highmarkmann.com.

  • Alejandro Bedoya reflects on his World Cup TV debut, the U.S.’ run, and lessons for Union teammates

    Alejandro Bedoya reflects on his World Cup TV debut, the U.S.’ run, and lessons for Union teammates

    Alejandro Bedoya thought he was getting the hang of things in his first TV job, working as a studio analyst for Telemundo’s World Cup coverage.

    Then, as he was preparing for the U.S. team’s opening game against Paraguay, he was told he would also be in the booth during the game.

    “I was the most nervous I’ve been in a while,” Bedoya said. “I thought I was just doing pregame, halftime, postgame, and then they told me, ‘Nope, you’re going to be up in the booth, chiming in on live commentary.’ That was pretty nerve-wracking.’”

    But he ended up fine, thanks to the guidance of colleagues including Hall of Fame play-by-play voice Andrés Cantor.

    “He was amazing throughout, just tapping me on my shoulder or giving me a look in terms of when it was my time to chime in and when I could have a say,” Bedoya said. “Watching the game from up there, you feel like you’ve got the best seat in the house because tactically you can see everything so clearly. … It was really nerve-wracking knowing that millions and millions of viewers are tuning in, and whatever I say, yeah, everybody takes notice of that. But it was still very cool and unique.”

    Bedoya has always been fluent in Spanish, thanks to Colombian parents who raised him in North Jersey and South Florida; and has long been an outspoken character on and off the field. So it made sense for Telemundo to pick him as part of a new era of American pundits, along with former U.S. teammate Jozy Altidore.

    The USMNT-Belgium World Cup game drew over 50 million viewers despite the blowout loss

    “They were very important in building the fútbol culture in this country, and that means a lot,” studio host Miguel Gurwitz said. “You’re talking about two great players. They know our language, they get it, they know how important fútbol is for our community.”

    Bedoya said he was “very grateful” for “an opportunity that would be hard to turn down, to be part of the World Cup following the U.S. team.”

    He got to work on site at other games, too, including France’s July 4 contest in Philadelphia. There have been some eye-opening lessons about life in the media, from the frenzy of a game day to the travel logistics of moving all of a network’s broadcasters around three countries. And he has met some of the greats from around the world who are also working for Telemundo this summer.

    “I never thought that, I mean, I’d be having breakfast with [Argentina’s] Gabriel Batistuta and [Brazil’s] Dunga and [Paraguay’s] Roque Santa Cruz and all these other legendary players,” Bedoya said. “I feel out of place, of course. I’m not at that level. But it’s been amazing just to be a little bit behind the scenes of everything, and of course, being able to be present at these World Cup games following the U.S. team, and their journey and their ride and the ride that they took us on.”

    Meg Kane was the perfect face of Philly’s World Cup campaign. Her family, and its tragedy, shaped her message.

    His travels also offered a glimpse of how much this World Cup has captivated the American audience.

    “Seeing on all the flights the people tuning into their mobile devices, watching the games, has been awesome,” he said. “All the travel has helped me see how much people really got sucked into the soccer and the World Cup, and what the World Cup does to a nation. … Not just meeting the people I work with, but meeting fans and new people, strangers in the airports, in the lounges, at the hotels, and everything.”

    Looking back at the U.S.’ performance

    Bedoya had lots to say about the U.S. team’s run, which electrified the country before the calamitous defeat to Belgium — and the controversy that came with it — in the round of 16.

    “Like I talked about earlier in my travels and stuff, you really saw how Americans came together,” he said, “They did a great job of uniting the country and leaning on that pride for people to rally behind them. After that game against Paraguay, people started talking and people got really excited. They had another great game against Australia in Seattle.”

    The hype train of a ‘golden generation’ of U.S. players and their $6 million coach crashes out of the World Cup

    It wasn’t just the results, but the manner: a stylish win over Paraguay, a hard-fought win over Australia, and a gritty effort to hold off Bosnia after Folarin Balogun’s red card.

    “In true American-spirit fashion, with their backs against the wall, they really were able to will it out and get that second goal with [Malik] Tillman’s free kick,” Bedoya said. “And then look, hey, the country is even more galvanized and ready to root for this team, and fall in love with them. And then that’s where the sour taste kind of comes into play.”

    Bedoya played in the 2014 U.S.-Belgium World Cup game. So did four players on this year’s Red Devils squad, including three who played in the 4-1 rout in Seattle. Their age and the U.S. team’s talent and belief were among the reasons why Bedoya thought the Americans had a shot to, as he said, “go toe-to-toe with them.”

    “The style that [Mauricio] Pochettino has tried to instill in them, which was to compete with at a level of intensity, aggressiveness that other teams can’t handle. … Well, the U.S. did not do that at all,” he said. “That’s the most disappointing part. Because I do think that this team has the talent to be able to compete better, and I don’t think they competed in the way that we felt that they could, that their level is.”

    As Folarin Balogun reflects on his world exploding, Belgium rejoices over beating the U.S.

    He believes the players “know themselves,” and “feel it [when] you know that you could have done better and it wasn’t good enough.”

    Bedoya also noted the scandal of President Donald Trump’s intervention with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and its affect on the game.

    Folarin Balogun didn’t ask for the scandal of President Trump’s intervention to try to get his red card suspension overturned.RUTH FREMSON

    “And then you go on with all the other distractions and everything that was happening around the game that really was unnecessary,” he said. “There was so much good that had been happening up to that point — up to the day before, I guess you can say — and then it just really turned sour and negative. It’s unfortunate.”

    He had sympathy for the players who had nothing to do with it, especially Balogun, “because I feel like he’s now synonymous with this issue, which is not his fault at all.”

    The USMNT lived down to Donald Trump’s expectations: They played like the losers he thought they were | Mike Sielski

    The Union’s role in the U.S.’ future

    Now the time will come, as always happens after World Cups, for a new generation of players to step up. Two potential candidates who are Bedoya’s Union teammates were at the Belgium game: Cavan Sullivan as a fan, and Andrew Rick as a practice squad goalkeeper with the U.S. for the summer.

    Bedoya got to see Rick along the way, and was happy to know the 20-year-old made himself a sponge and took it all in.

    Union backup goalkeeper Andrew Rick gained invaluable experience when he spent the World Cup run with the U.S. as a practice squad player.Jonathan Tannenwald

    “He’s enjoyed this experience so much, he’s learned so much,” he said. “Training sessions, being around the hotel, the energy, the professionalism, being around the culture that coaching and staff is trying to establish, you can’t replicate that. … That’s the type of person he is, and that’s because he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

    Bedoya didn’t get to see Sullivan but sent the 16-year-old playmaker a text after the game: “Disappointed that the team didn’t perform well, but I hope you when you’re watching this game, you see yourself here, because you’re the future, right?”

    ‘It’s a dream,’ Union goalkeeper Andrew Rick says of helping the U.S. World Cup team

    Both players are “two of our most promising prospects and talents at the Union,” Bedoya said, and “great guys at taking directions and listening. I have great relationships with both of them.”

    Now they have to take their potential and turn it into reality, not just with their skills but as much hard work as Bedoya has put in over his career.

    Cavan Sullivan (right) battling against former Union midfielder Dániel Gazdag during the Columbus Crew’s visit to Subaru Park earlier this year.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “I did fly back to Philly for a few days in between these trips to train with the team, because I’m still actively playing,” he said. “Obviously I’m not a 90-minute player anymore, but I enjoy being in this kind of mentorship role because I can use every ounce of my experience and what I’ve been through, what I’ve seen, what I know, to give them tips here and there.

    And if they need a reminder, they need only think about this moment.

    “I’m just happy that they got to experience this — because experience goes a long way, but they’ve got to keep putting in work,” Bedoya said. “As that Belgium game showed, as much as we think this might be the most talented group of players, talent alone is not going to get you a great career. It takes passion, it takes intensity, it takes mentality.”

  • Argentina books trip to second straight World Cup final behind another come-from-behind win

    Argentina books trip to second straight World Cup final behind another come-from-behind win

    ATLANTA — Defending champion Argentina rallied to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday and reach the World Cup final.

    Trailing 1-0 heading into the final five minutes of regulation, Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez scored for Argentina.

    Argentina will play Spain in the World Cup final in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sunday (3 p.m., Fox29), while England will take on France in the consolation game on Saturday (3 p.m., Fox29).

    Anthony Gordon had given England the lead in the first half. Still, Lionel Messi and Co. rallied for the third straight game, winning down the wire now against Cape Verde in the Round of 16, Egypt in the quarterfinals, and now, England, which was just five minutes plus added time of qualifying for their first World Cup final since they won it all in 1966.

    Argentina pushed for an equalizer, and the pressure eventually led to Fernandez scoring in the 85th minute. Martinez headed in the winner two minutes into injury time.

    The game resumed one of the biggest rivalries in international soccer, and there was a raucous atmosphere in the stadium even before kickoff as both sets of fans tried to drown out the other team’s national anthem.