Last-minute tickets to see Argentina and Lionel Messi face off against Spain and Lamine Yamal in the FIFA World Cup final “range from $10,000 to $60,000” (ESPN.com, 7/18).
Rain in the greater N.Y. area on Saturday “helped blow out the smoke from Canadian wildfires that had choked the tristate area for days and threatened to disrupt Sunday’s World Cup final” at New York New Jersey Stadium. Concerns about hazardous air quality “led the White House and FIFA to hold informal discussions Friday over the possibility of moving the game, with the most likely venue being Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla” (L.A. TIMES, 7/18).
The FBI said that it has “seized more than 700 illegal drones -- and detected almost 1,600 in total” -- around the 11 stadiums in the U.S. during the World Cup (THE ATHLETIC, 7/19).
MLS Commissioner Don Garber was interviewed by the N.Y. TIMES’ DealBook under the header, “America Caught World Cup Fever. His Job Is to Capitalize on It” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/18).
Ahead of the World Cup final, multiple NFL players took to social media to “emphasize their desire to make grass playing surfaces permanent across the league, using the hashtag #WorthTheCost.” The calls come as the home of the Jets and Giants -- and other stadiums throughout the NFL -- replaced artificial turf with natural grass for the tournament (YAHOO SPORTS, 7/17).
