29 Oct 2025

First Touch '26

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Remembering a Random World Cup Legend:

Grzegorz Lato, 1974 Golden Boot winner with Poland. Later became FA President and fired a coach on national television while drunk.

Headlines From the Pitch:

“I would like to be there,” said Messi on the ‘26 World Cup, in a rare interview with NBC. While he maintains that he’d like to be 100% in shape to participate, his historic past few months in MLS point toward a dramatic last call for Messi at the World Cup.

Sunday’s El Clasico concluded with Vini Jr. and Lamine Yamal having to be separated. With the two players the faces of two of the potential World Cup favorites, Brazil and Spain respectively, we'll be keeping an eye on a potential personal rivalry crescendoing in ‘26.

The October USMNT friendlies ended with their own fracas…a battle between the U.S. Soccer Federation and AC Milan. With Pulisic exacerbating an injury that has kept the AC Milan star man out for weeks, Milan are asking Pochettino to leave Pulisic off the November roster.

Headlines From Off the Pitch:

The headlines about World Cup host city financial shortfalls will continue if morale does not improve. This time, Boston is warning that the city’s allocated funding will not suffice for its needs. With FIFA distributing less of its inventory than it did in 1994 for host committees, this is a story to continue watching.

Free Big Boi concert! Take note, unofficials in host cities, because this is how you do it. Decatur, a neighborhood of Atlanta, has announced a free Big Boi concert to kick off its World Cup festivities.

The World Cup has become a focal point in a unique space, the New York mayoral election. Democratic nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani has not only centered the cost of World Cup tickets, but is proposing a reduction of red tapes and permitting for 2026 activations.

World Cup Tickets Update:

Each week First Touch ‘26 will provide an update on the best way to purchase tickets to the 2026 World Cup.

Phase two of the FIFA World Cup Lottery is now open! This phase introduces an additional one million tickets, and an exclusive window for residents Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

You must sign up at the FIFA website before Friday, October 31st, at 11 a.m. ET, even if you signed up for the Visa Presale. If you have not created a FIFA ID, you’ll need to do so.

Do you know who played in the first ever World Cup match? You probably know it was in 1930, in Uruguay.

The answer? It was a simultaneous kick-off that included both the U.S. and Mexico! France defeated Mexico 4-1, while the U.S. took down Belgium 3-0.

A Thing We're Excited About:

New kits!!

Word on the street is a bunch of home jerseys are about to drop in mid-November, and you know damn well we’re going to be picking up a few.

While we’re definitely going to (potentially) miss Nigeria’s quadrennial banger, Japan has been killing it recently, and we’re hopeful some of the World Cup newcomers in an extended field don’t mess around (looking at you, Cape Verde).

A Favorite Memory:

Level Up:

Each week Kickback approves the leveling up of a player who has taken that crucial leap with their game.

“La Masia” at FC Barcelona is the well known soccer mecca of player development. 99% of the players that come through end up playing elsewhere. Fermin Lopez, Spain’s attacking midfielder, was supposed to be one of that 99%, but today, he’s leveling up.

Lopez spent the 2022-23 season at Linares in the fourth tier of Spanish soccer. Returning to Barcelona, there isn’t a single sicko who had him on their radar to play a part in the 2023-24 season. Following a strong preseason training, Lopez was named Man of the Match against Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly, and firmed up his future as a club regular.

This past week, Lopez scored a hat-trick in Champions League, and followed it up with a goal in El Clasico. Two months into the season, the 22-year-old has become an undisputed key piece in Barcelona’s trophy aspirations, and a potential difference maker in Spain’s bid for a second men’s World Cup in 2026.

Spend your points wisely, Fermin.

Kickback Soccer Media's Playoff Challenge:

Did you sign up for Kickback’s American Soccer Playoff Challenge? Good news! You can track your results here.

Even if you didn’t, you can participate in the next leg, a USL Playoff Pool! You can fill out your form here.

Qualified Teams (so far):

Here are the countries who have booked their spot at the final tournament, so far!

U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Egypt, England, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

October 29, 2025 — Newsletter #10