The 2026 FIFA World Cup has only just kicked off over in North America, and while the opening match between Mexico and South Africa had lots of drama, the spotlight was already on supporters even prior to the tournament starting, with certain fans being mocked over their presence – or lack thereof, in some cases.
Plenty of people were fully expecting a fair bit of being poked at the USA as one of the joint host nations and the country holding the most fixtures out of the three after Mexico and Canada, in which football remains the biggest sport throughout both.
While the days of claiming that Americans will “never embrace soccer” – a joke even made by The Simpsons back in 2007 – do look to have been a bit hyperbolic and tongue-in-cheek, it goes without saying that the perceived Americanisation of European/association football (which, ironically, we dubbed soccer first) is a growing concern among followers of ‘the beautiful game’ all over the globe.
Especially in situations when you see the likes of so-called fans literally perched pitchside whilst sat eating their dinner in raised posh seats located right next to the corner flag.
One of the weirdest scenes you’ll see in football… people casually eating dinner at tables set up right next to the corner flag 🤔pic.twitter.com/gTtdRlD19v
— No Context World Cup (@NoContextEPL) June 11, 2026
For context, in case anyone missed it, this now-viral clip on social media took place before the World Cup proper actually kicked off, as the puzzling sight was captured in England’s final friendly against Costa Rica at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
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Thankfully, the Three Lions looked to head into their opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup in good shape following the 3-0 win, but we won’t pretend to ignore the fact that lots of the discussion surrounded the scenes up in the stands.
Now, obviously, VIP and hospitality, not to mention the fact that most US sporting arenas are designed quite differently from most football stadiums, often favouring taller structures, with large open bowls that regularly exceed the capacity of, say, Wembley.
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However, when you’re trying to create an atmosphere where those who could afford to buy a ticket have made the effort to travel over to the admittedly controversial tournament to immerse themselves in the sheer passion of following a national team around the world and dreaming of bringing home, arguably, the single biggest prize, it doesn’t make for great visuals seeing ‘fans’ having a casual sit-down meal.
To many, images like these kind of gave the impression that the game itself was secondary and a bit of background entertainment, rather than, you know, the other way round – you’ve only paid THOUSANDS to be there, let alone spitting distance from the turf itself…
We’re not trying to sound like gatekeepers on how someone should enjoy the sport they like watching, but it does feel less like you’re actively supporting the players out there in moments like these, and the English, in particular, have already made their feelings known on some behaviour and what they deem as ‘proper’ footy fandom:
That being said, crowd interactions like this have proved just as divisive, too, with some accusing the Brits abroad of supporter snobbery, almost, and refusing to get in the light-hearted spirit as others have.
Once again, by the way, most of these instances took place before the first matches had even been played, or at the very least before their country had kicked a ball yet.
Besides the obvious political backdrop to the entire month ahead, jibes at the overall vibe of the tournament also haven’t been helped by the fact that some companies have instead paid fans to come and watch the football not inside the grounds but from a premium viewing zone inside a glass box on a big telly right in the heart of Times Square. People are now even watching them watching it.
And that’s not all; far from it.
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There were swathes of empty seats at the Akron Stadium that were particularly concentrated towards the pitchside VIP section at the centre of the east stand, but patches of red seats could be seen throughout — leaving what looked like thousands of empty seats in total.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 12, 2026
Several stadiums are already having to come to terms with the very likely prospect of not only failing to sell out but also settling for being some way off packed out enough to mirror the kind of energy to match the best World Cups in history.
The Mexican home crowd at the Estadio Azteca – the largest in all of Latin America, boasting a max cap of more than 83,000 – was always going to be a sell-out, but with games being played at all manner of times in an effort to try and beat the heat and manage conditions across various challenging climates, empty seats are bound to be spotted.
Thousands of Koreans and Czechs were there to be seen for this year’s second official clash, but it was evident that there were noticeable gaps around the venue, and don’t be surprised if you see more before the final. It’s certainly going to be an edition with just as many narratives off the pitch as on it, if not maybe even more, if this is a sign of things to come.
What are your early impressions of the 2026 World Cup so far?
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani gives thoughts on Andy Burnham running for Prime Minister
Emily Sergeant
Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has given his thoughts on Andy Burnham’s intention to run for Prime Minister.
In case you missed it, after it was announced last Friday that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announcing his intentions to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
Greater Manchester‘s next Mayoral Election has also been announced, given that Burnham is now not eligible to stay in the role – with the date set for Thursday 30 July and candidates frequently being announced.
Talk of Burnham’s chances of running the country have been around for months now, but have ramped up considerably over the past week of course in the wake of his by-election win.
It’s fair to say that for much of Andy Burnham’s time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was up there as one the most famous Mayors in the world… but over the past year, he’s arguably had to hand that unofficial title over to Zohran Mamdani, the current Mayor of New York City.
Mamdani is considered to be a democratic socialist, and campaigned for things like progressive, affordability-focused platform, supporting fare-free city buses, universal child care, city-owned grocery stores, a rent freeze on rent-stabilised units, additional affordable housing units, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030.
He has also expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights, comprehensive public safety reform, and tax increases on corporations and those earning above $1 million annually.
Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City last October, and was officially sworn in on New Year’s Day at the start of this year.
Since then, he has successfully – very successfully, in fact – made a name for himself around the world, and has even managed to deliver on a good chunk of what he set out to do in his campaign, seeing many calls for him to become President one day.
Oh, and he’s also a massive (and very knowledgeable) football fan – an Arsensal fan, to be precise, but football in general really.
Appearing on BBC’s Football Daily podcast this week to talk about his love of the sport as the US currently hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mamdani was also asked to give his thoughts on Andy Burnham and his upcoming run to be Prime Minister.
“I don’t think anything comes with ease at that kind of a level,” Mamdani started out in response to host Mark Chapman’s question.
“I do think they are very important skills because many people have lost faith in Government, the place they earn that faith back, they decide to trust again, is at the most local level. That’s where they see what it’s like to have a Government that delivers for them.
“And if you’re able to respond to people, whether it’s in Greater Manchester or New York City, it is at the heart of what people are looking for for any kind of politics.
Mamdani then closed out his thoughts by questioning: “I don’t think he’s an Arsenal supporter though?” and when the hosts clarified that Burnham is an Everton fan, Mamdani responded: “Well at least you can respect that someone has suffered.”
He concluded: “No but like, I like it when I meet someone who’s a fan of a team that hasn’t just won and won and won.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Sport
The world’s first standalone women’s football retail store has opened in Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Foudys, the world’s first ever store dedicated exclusively to women’s football, has opened in Manchester.
Back in 2020, Helen Hardy began Foudys, with the goal (pardon the pun) of addressing a fundamental gap in the market, regarding the lack of access to official women’s football merchandise.
She began the brand by supplying shirts with women’s players names on the back, something that shockingly has not been widely available until now. The business has since rapidly grown into a highly respected name, working with global brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.
As Hardy rightly said: “Women and girls are underserved by traditional sport retailers. Currently we see store environments created through the male lens, an overwhelming focus on male products and aesthetics that are geared toward football-mad boys.
“The staff are used to selling to men and boys who often grow up with an innate knowledge of football products. Through our online store we can see what our customers want and need is different.
“They like a mix of performance and lifestyle products, more specialist advice and a non-intimidating environment where they feel comfortable to ask any product questions. This is what our Foudys store will deliver.”
A giant football scarf instead of a ribbon cutting at FoudysFoudys celebrates the women’s football game
After developing a loyal community of players and fans across the globe, Foudys has finally branched out into a new in-person two-storey retail store here at Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse, on Deansgate – and where better to have it than a city so synonymous with football?
The store is set to stock official merchandise, exclusive handpicked collaborations, limited-edition ranges, performance products tailored specifically for female athletes, plus some must-have fashion collections inspired by women’s sport.
There’ll be a whole section of performance wear like sports bras, football boots and more, plus football shirts you can have customised with printing in-store.
This isn’t just a shop – it doubles up as a cultural hub for the women’s game, with events in the store including watch parties, panini sticker swaps, player panel discussions and sewing workshops to fix damaged football kits.
A glimpse inside Foudys in ManchesterYou can pick up performance wear as well as merch and fashion pieces
The new Foudys opening represents a wider significant step forward for women’s sport, as the demand for women’s football continues to soar with record-breaking attendances, increased media rights deals and rising brand investment.
This is reflected by Deloitte’s* findings showing that in 2026, global revenue in women’s elite sports is predicted to exceed US$3 billion for the first time, marking a 25 per cent increase over 2025 and 340 per cent growth since 2022. However, retail is currently not sufficiently reflecting this shift, which is something Foudys aspires to change.
“There’s been huge progress on the pitch and in media coverage, but the commercial ecosystem hasn’t fully caught up,” Hardy added.
“Retail is a critical part of that. This store is about creating a space where fans and players feel seen, represented and catered for, something that hasn’t existed before at this scale.
“Foudys has always led from the front, being the first to put female players’ names on the back of shirts and providing exclusive access to products from the US NWSL League and the TOGETHXR range. This is the next step in that journey. We want to break barriers and show what women and girls need from a sports store.”
Foudys is named after USA Legend Julie FoudyPieces in store celebrate the Lionesses’ big wins
Foudys hopes to become the global home of women’s football retail and culture, with their in-person store being a crucial step in bridging the gap between performance and lifestyle.
In 2024, the Sports Innovation Lab* found a significant disparity in sport retail, highlighting that for every nine pieces of men’s sport merchandise available, there is only one piece for women’s sport. While in the same study, it was revealed that women’s sport fans spend more on merchandise and make more purchases per year than men’s sport fans.
Foudys prides itself on its inclusive community feel, with staff trained to help explain their products in a way that is accessible, whether you’re a complete newbie or consider yourself a pro.
Their expert team is on hand to help players consider a wide variety of boot options, as well as providing a safe space for sports bra advice, fittings and help on the best period underwear for performance. What more could you ask for?
The Foudys store is now open (from 25 June 2026) at 293 Deansgate, Manchester.
Danny Jones -
12th June 2026 
