Why does American coverage of the World Cup not sound very American? - The Athletic

• Spain and Argentina will face off in the 2026 World Cup final, featuring special musical performances during the closing ceremony and half-time break. • Burna Boy, who co-wrote the official tournament song "Dai Dai" with Shakira, will perform to represent Africa on the global stage.

• Dr. Bert Mandelbaum is overseeing the health, performance, and overall wellbeing of the United States men’s national soccer team during their current tournament competition. • The FIFA World Cup is returning to the U.S., with matches scheduled across 16 different cities throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

• Gary Neville has identified three England players who likely played their final World Cup matches during the recent summer tournament. • Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt criticized manager Thomas Tuchel for excluding an unnamed Old Trafford star from the squad.

• India's PV Sindhu has advanced to the semi-finals of the Japan Open 2026 after her quarter-final opponent, Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, withdrew from the competition. • Sindhu is now set to face China's Chen Yufei, a former Olympic champion who has reached the semi-finals in all nine of her BWF World Tour 2026 appearances.

• PV Sindhu is set to face home favorite Akane Yamaguchi in the final match of the Japan Open 2026. • The matchup features two of the world's top badminton players competing for the championship title in Japan.

• Donald Trump publicly criticized England manager Thomas Tuchel following the team's loss in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals. • The tournament is moving toward high-profile finals featuring matchups between France and England, as well as Spain and Argentina.

• Barcelona has signed midfielder El Maimouni from the Belgian club Sporting Charleroi. • The player, a dual citizen of Morocco and Belgium, is praised for his composure and forward passing, drawing comparisons to Sergio Busquets.

• England and France are facing off in the third-place play-off match of the 2026 World Cup, held in Miami. • The match highlights Harry Kane's struggle to impact major tournament knockout stages, having scored only two goals across four semi-finals and two finals for England.

• Several high-profile transfer rumors are circulating, including Arsenal's interest in Morgan Rogers and Mohamed Salah's potential move to Besiktas. • Manchester United is reportedly tracking Neco Williams and Eintracht Frankfurt's 22-year-old Swedish midfielder Hugo Larsson, though no formal bids have been made for Larsson.

• Manchester United is currently undergoing a dramatic squad rebuild during the summer transfer window to reshape the team. • The process is beginning to take shape, though some points of concern remain regarding the club's overall strategy and player acquisitions.

• The 2026 World Cup has achieved record-breaking viewership and attendance, starting with over 50 million combined viewers across the host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. • This surge in popularity is attributed to the tournament's expanded 48-team format, which has led to record-breaking crowds inside stadiums.