THE LIFT FROM the top of the Philadelphia Stadium down to the lobby was rammed.
Journalists and hospitality ticket holders were bundled together.
“Where are you from?” a cheery Brazil fan asked.
“Oireland,” The 42 replied, forgetting to put the pre-tournament elocution lessons into practice.
“Where?” her friend asked.
“Sorry, Aye-er-land. Duh-beh-lin.”
“Oh my God, oh my God. We love Ireland. We love Dublin. We went there last year, we went all over the country. I think our people are very similar. We drink, we dance, we party, we love to sing.”
Then the lift doors pinged open.
A different energy was in the lobby. Romario had already completed a flash TV interview with Vinicius Jnr for Brazilian television. Both were quickly whisked away while a few other greats, a couple of World Cup winners and Balon d’Or recipients, just hung around a long hallway.
Kaka stood quietly, gloriously in a corner. When asked by The 42 for a quick word about Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti and what he expects from this World Cup he politely declined. The 2007 Balon d’Or winner was happy to reminisce with The 42, at least, talking about his superb goal for AC Milan against Manchester United at Old Trafford during the 2006/07 Champions League campaign.
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He said it was a beautiful goal in a beautiful stadium and something about football being beautiful. Maybe it was just the kind of script he has learned to reel off in situations like this one.
Lumbering his way nearby was Rivaldo. Yes, Rivaldo. Balon d’Or in 1999 and World Cup winner in 2002 (with a little bit of embarrassing theatrics thrown in for good measure). He had a special Fifa badge to commemorate that success in South Korea/Japan.
He was carrying the physical remnants of a career in which he would have suffered for his talent. It almost looked like he struggled to produce enough strength in his legs to carry his body with him, yet he still towered over everyone. Those legs were still wide and imposing, his jaw chiselled and intense, his smile disarming.
You’re looking at him close up and in a blink of an eye you can see him score that hat-trick for Barcelona against Valencia or brace against Manchester United. That is what these greats of the game can do, they transport you to a time in your life that feels perfect; spark memories of genius that make you feel happy.
And then there was Bebeto. Shiny suit and even shinier, pristine hair. He looks like a cross between Phil Leotardo from the Sopranos and a seasoned politician campaigning for one more term. But all you see is that goal in USA 94 and the baby-cradling celebration.
There is no respite for any Brazilian generation, they must embrace the pressure. Carlo Ancelotti also said it can affect the players emotionally.
That’s also what World Cups do.
The 42 has been in Mexico City, Atlanta, Boston and Philadelphia since 8 June. On Sunday we will be Miami for Cape Verde versus Uruguay to see if Pico Lopes’ side can continue a captivating run towards the knockout stages.
Mexico and the Azteca Stadium was like a spiritual, supernatural experience. The last nine days in the United States have also shown that this tournament is engaging the country. It has helped that their side has made such a positive, exciting start, booking their place in the round of 32 with impressive wins over Paraguay and Australia.
Winning is one thing, yet Maurico Pochettino has done so with a swagger that has taken a lot more people along for the ride. Sport elsewhere in the country is not coming to a standstill.
The baseball season is XXXXXXXXXXX.
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The New York Knicks won the NBA Championship for the first time since 1973 and the city turned out for a parade to celebrate. They were soon joined by Brazilians, Moroccans, French and Senegalese.
When the New York Rangers claimed the Stanley Cup in ice hockey during the 1994 World Cup they ended a 54-year drought. The World Cup for many in the US then was a sideshow, but now its power is reverberating around the country.
Social media feeds are filled with incessant positivity. Such is the power of the World Cup even the algorithm does not stand a chance.
And it’s helped that so much of the football has been good. The Netherlands have just battered Sweden 5-1 and momentum continues to shift given the Swedes looked so impressive in their opener while the Dutch were stung by Japan with a late equaliser.
There is an element of unpredictability, at least for now.
The aftershocks could lead to a new landscape in the land of opportunity.
The World Cup is here and so much of the world is, too. Tourists have arrived (although not as many as host cities expected) and those generations of immigrants whose life has been established here.
The problems of the world will not be cured by sport’s greatest event, yet the solutions are clear when you see so much happiness and basic decency. To walk the streets and be in the stadiums is to be reminded that people are, fundamentally, kind and eager to embrace the power of this moment in their lives.
The ticket prices have been outrageous, of course, and there has not been a single supporter who has said otherwise. Maybe, like the Oasis comeback tour, people are so deeply invested, spiritually and financially, they are simply determined to have the best time of their lives.
That’s how I felt when I decided that Kaka, Rivaldo and Bebeto were worth getting a selfie with. The World Cup is having the kind of effect on everybody.
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America captivated by a World Cup that won't cure all ills but does show a better way
THE LIFT FROM the top of the Philadelphia Stadium down to the lobby was rammed.
Journalists and hospitality ticket holders were bundled together.
“Where are you from?” a cheery Brazil fan asked.
“Oireland,” The 42 replied, forgetting to put the pre-tournament elocution lessons into practice.
“Where?” her friend asked.
“Sorry, Aye-er-land. Duh-beh-lin.”
“Oh my God, oh my God. We love Ireland. We love Dublin. We went there last year, we went all over the country. I think our people are very similar. We drink, we dance, we party, we love to sing.”
Then the lift doors pinged open.
A different energy was in the lobby. Romario had already completed a flash TV interview with Vinicius Jnr for Brazilian television. Both were quickly whisked away while a few other greats, a couple of World Cup winners and Balon d’Or recipients, just hung around a long hallway.
Kaka stood quietly, gloriously in a corner. When asked by The 42 for a quick word about Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti and what he expects from this World Cup he politely declined. The 2007 Balon d’Or winner was happy to reminisce with The 42, at least, talking about his superb goal for AC Milan against Manchester United at Old Trafford during the 2006/07 Champions League campaign.
He said it was a beautiful goal in a beautiful stadium and something about football being beautiful. Maybe it was just the kind of script he has learned to reel off in situations like this one.
Lumbering his way nearby was Rivaldo. Yes, Rivaldo. Balon d’Or in 1999 and World Cup winner in 2002 (with a little bit of embarrassing theatrics thrown in for good measure). He had a special Fifa badge to commemorate that success in South Korea/Japan.
He was carrying the physical remnants of a career in which he would have suffered for his talent. It almost looked like he struggled to produce enough strength in his legs to carry his body with him, yet he still towered over everyone. Those legs were still wide and imposing, his jaw chiselled and intense, his smile disarming.
You’re looking at him close up and in a blink of an eye you can see him score that hat-trick for Barcelona against Valencia or brace against Manchester United. That is what these greats of the game can do, they transport you to a time in your life that feels perfect; spark memories of genius that make you feel happy.
And then there was Bebeto. Shiny suit and even shinier, pristine hair. He looks like a cross between Phil Leotardo from the Sopranos and a seasoned politician campaigning for one more term. But all you see is that goal in USA 94 and the baby-cradling celebration.
We touched on the strength of this legacy and sense of lore in the piece from the game in Philadelphia on Friday night.
There is no respite for any Brazilian generation, they must embrace the pressure. Carlo Ancelotti also said it can affect the players emotionally.
That’s also what World Cups do.
The 42 has been in Mexico City, Atlanta, Boston and Philadelphia since 8 June. On Sunday we will be Miami for Cape Verde versus Uruguay to see if Pico Lopes’ side can continue a captivating run towards the knockout stages.
Mexico and the Azteca Stadium was like a spiritual, supernatural experience. The last nine days in the United States have also shown that this tournament is engaging the country. It has helped that their side has made such a positive, exciting start, booking their place in the round of 32 with impressive wins over Paraguay and Australia.
Winning is one thing, yet Maurico Pochettino has done so with a swagger that has taken a lot more people along for the ride. Sport elsewhere in the country is not coming to a standstill.
The baseball season is XXXXXXXXXXX.
The New York Knicks won the NBA Championship for the first time since 1973 and the city turned out for a parade to celebrate. They were soon joined by Brazilians, Moroccans, French and Senegalese.
When the New York Rangers claimed the Stanley Cup in ice hockey during the 1994 World Cup they ended a 54-year drought. The World Cup for many in the US then was a sideshow, but now its power is reverberating around the country.
Social media feeds are filled with incessant positivity. Such is the power of the World Cup even the algorithm does not stand a chance.
And it’s helped that so much of the football has been good. The Netherlands have just battered Sweden 5-1 and momentum continues to shift given the Swedes looked so impressive in their opener while the Dutch were stung by Japan with a late equaliser.
There is an element of unpredictability, at least for now.
The aftershocks could lead to a new landscape in the land of opportunity.
The World Cup is here and so much of the world is, too. Tourists have arrived (although not as many as host cities expected) and those generations of immigrants whose life has been established here.
The problems of the world will not be cured by sport’s greatest event, yet the solutions are clear when you see so much happiness and basic decency. To walk the streets and be in the stadiums is to be reminded that people are, fundamentally, kind and eager to embrace the power of this moment in their lives.
The ticket prices have been outrageous, of course, and there has not been a single supporter who has said otherwise. Maybe, like the Oasis comeback tour, people are so deeply invested, spiritually and financially, they are simply determined to have the best time of their lives.
That’s how I felt when I decided that Kaka, Rivaldo and Bebeto were worth getting a selfie with. The World Cup is having the kind of effect on everybody.
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2026 world cup Soccer up close