World Cup Recap + a signed book giveaway!
Friends,
A stunning 104 matches were played over the course of 39 days, and the 2026 World Cup is now in the books.
It was 32 years ago that the US last hosted the World Cup. Two years later, we saw the launch of Major League Soccer. (Shoutout to FC Dallas, one of the founding members of that league.)
MLS has come a long way in the past three decades; let's hope that the American soccer train continues between now and the next time the biggest stage of the beautiful game is brought back to the United States. (2038?)
I have kept a running list of thoughts in a notepad throughout the tournament, and I share many of those below.
But first, I could use your help spreading the word about Rhythms of Habit.
In the weeks to come, I will have three signed copies available to give away.
Would you like one of those? Here is how to enter the drawing:
Share about the book on social media, via text message, over a cup of coffee, in an email, or in some other creative way.
Email me a screenshot or picture of you sharing to enter to win a free signed copy!
If you have not pre-ordered the book, you can do so now. Am I technically asking you to buy a copy and enter for a chance to receive a free signed copy? Yes. Yes I am.
Pre-Order in the USA: https://circeinstitute.org/product/rhythms-of-habit-cultivating-virtue-through-christian-time/
Pre-Order in Canada: https://classicaleducationbooks.ca/product/rhythms-of-habit-cultivating-virtue-through-christian-time/
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/255072090-rhythms-of-habit
On that note: I do need to publicly share that Jordan Hamilton succeeded in being the first friend to pre-order the book. Congrats, Jordan. I reward you with a lifetime of friendship!
If you already pre-ordered, it would bring me great joy if you could send me a picture of your book when it arrives in August!
Over the course of the next year, Rhythms of Habit will be available on Bookshop.org, local bookstores, and (gulp) even Amazon. But for now the best way for you to support me and the (non-profit) publisher is to order directly through them.
Some observations from this World Cup:
Messi is truly special. The world saw this, but also commented on how much he walks. Let the record show that he walks so much because he is a master of the hidden skill of scanning.
On the whole, I am proud of US soccer. I have likely watched over fifty US matches, though only two in person. Four of their best matches I have ever seen happened during this World Cup. The collapse against Belgium represents how they often look in every single World Cup match. This is something to build off of. (Sorry to end a sentence with a preposition.)
This was an excellent World Cup for our country. Many friends now understand the excitement of the beautiful game, and the world understands some of what makes the United States a special place. If you don't think the United States is a special place to live, you spend too much time reading the news and not enough time living. (Special, as always, does not mean perfect.)
The third place match was a full display of what happens when some of the world's best players show up to have fun AND put all their effort towards putting the ball in the back of the net. England should learn a lesson from this: play the game, don't sit back and defend a one goal lead.
Final verdict from my end: the initial Balogun red card was a sham. So was the way in which it was overturned. A more experienced side would not have let the media second-guessing impact them, but the US men's national team absolutely did. I truly believe that if every national team player deleted all of their social media accounts and refrained from scrolling the Internet in the buildup to the match, it would have been an entirely different result. They let the chatter get to them, and it showed.
I was asked how the MLS compares to the top European leagues, and I think I stand behind my off-the-cuff answer: the gameplay is comparable to the difference between the NFL and college football. There is a clear difference of overall talent, but that does not mean it is not exciting. If you caught the soccer bug this summer, and you live anywhere near an MLS team, you should go to some matches in person.
Argentina—while exciting at the end of (most) matches—did not play particularly well throughout the tournament. Their style reminded me a great deal of Arsenal during their Premier League title season last year. In the case of the Gooners, it got the job done. It almost did for Argentina, too. But “sit back and absorb and hope for moments of brilliance from international superstars before it is too late” is a risky approach that is uninspiring to watch outside of a handful of moments, usually at the end of each match.
Mandated hydration breaks are a scourge on the game. Many top-flight leagues across the world use hydration breaks when matches are played in hot conditions, but a blanket adoption would be miserable. The in-stadium boos at every hydration break—especially at indoor air-conditioned venues—was palpable.
The final match was a major disappointment, due in large part to what I shared about Argentina above. May the memory of the many, many excellent matches live on in our hearts. This, from The Athletic's Darren Richman after the final whistle, just about sums it up:
Only one team had any intention of playing football and it was a frustrating one-sided affair where Spain simply could not find a way through until the second period of extra time. The result was ultimately a win for football but Argentina shamed themselves from beginning to end and even beyond the final whistle. They were an embarrassment.