First Touch '26
December 3, 2025 — Newsletter #15
There will be no Friday edition of the Kickback Minutes this week due to the World Cup draw!
Remembering a Random World Cup Legend Every Week:
Shaka Hislop, starring Trinidad & Tobago goalkeeper in 2006!
Announcing First Touch '26:
Kickback Soccer Media today launched First Touch ’26, the most comprehensive 2026 World Cup media companion platform built specifically for American soccer fans at every stage of their soccer journey.
It’s so much more than a newsletter now! This week alone, you can will enjoy:
- Our first eight “Country Packs” featuring 10-20 minute podcasts, social-first series, and more, introducing fans to each World Cup participant’s soccer story.
- A live event and live streamed World Cup Draw Watchalong and Analysis at New York’s iconic Football Factory.
- A weekly newsletter, original social series, and always-on social channels engaging with fans and exploring ongoing World Cup Storylines.
Over the coming months, we will introduce new podcasts, exclusive interviews, live shows, social series, and more, all designed to guide American fans through every stage of the tournament.
You can follow First Touch now by:
- Following us on Bluesky, Instagram, or YouTube @firsttouchksm
- Listen to our podcasts here https://linktr.ee/firsttouchksm .
- Joining us at Football Factory on December 5th at 11:45 a.m. ET for our World Cup Draw Watchalong (limited seats available) or at 4:00 pm ET at Legends for our After Party (featuring free giveaways).
Headlines From the World Cup Draw:
This Friday, the World Cup Draw will take place live at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. at 12:00 p.m. ET. Here’s what we do know:
- 42 nations and six of the to-be-determined playoff winners will be drawn from four pots into twelve groups.
- The first pots are the seeded teams, including the hosts and the nine highest ranked nations.
- There will also be a FIFA Peace Prize awarded, which most believe has been created to specifically award it to Donald Trump.
- There has been an additional event announced this week, live-streamed on Saturday at 12:00 ET, where the schedule and kickoff times will be announced.
It’s still unclear how FIFA-y the broadcast is going to be (our bet: extremely), how long it’s going to last (our bet: too long), and whether we will get any information on where the matches will take place on Friday, or whether that has been pushed to Saturday.
One thing is for sure, though…once we get groups, the World Cup gets real. Make sure to join us this Friday on YouTube as we bread down all the matchups live as they are announced, and then analyze each of the groups in a Bracketology-style special featuring David Gass, Claudia Pagan, Eric Krakaeur, and Heath Pearce.
Newsletter Halftime: Things We're Excited About:
2026 could confirm the inarguable dynasty of the era, in the form of France:
Other Headlines:
Already experiencing some pre-nostalgia from World Cup 2026? Don’t worry, the U.S. is already working on multiple major international tournaments to follow, including the 2031 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Copa America.
While the U.S. (and Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica) are locks to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup as the only bid, they were still required to submit their Bid Book and have put forward potential stadiums to host the 48 team tournament.
Included are the major stadiums expected that are featuring in the 2026 World Cup, but notable additions include the first NWSL-specific stadium (CPKC in Kansas City), MLS stadiums like Snapdragon and Geodis Park in San Diego and Nashville, and the soon-to-be-built new RFK Stadium in D.C.
An additional Stateside major tournament may be on the cards in 2028, as well. After hosting the 2016 and 2024 renditions, the U.S. and CONMEBOL are again in talks to host Copa America in 2028 in the U.S. in a joint-event featuring Concacaf teams.
While the event would barely precede the 2028 L.A. Olympics, it’s clear that the financial opportunity in the U.S. is a big draw for CONMEBOL, and the growing partnership between North and South America is forming competition with UEFA as formative regional powers.
Level Up:
While he assuredly would have preferred to lift the Copa Libertadores trophy over our humble accolades, this week’s Level Up is Palmeiras’s and Brazil’s Vitor Roque!
Roque, a 20-year-old striker recently receiving his first call-up from head coach Carlo Ancelotti, first came to fame as a much-ballyhooed signing by FC Barcelona. As an 18-year-old, Roque joined Barcelona but wasn’t able to make it on the pitch, and after a loan stint was sold to Palmeiras for over $25m, making him the most expensive signing in South American history.
It was worth it! Roque has eighteen goals in his first league season with Palmeiras, and added seven goal contributions to push Palmeiras to the Copa Libertadores final. A complete forward, Roque exemplifies the prototypical Brazilian striker, with devastating pace, dynamic 1v1 skills, and clinical finishing.
Will Roque be the generation-defining attacking partner for Brazil’s other wonderkid, Estevao? With major European clubs lining up for his services, and Ancelotti making the call himself, Roque seems poised for a big 2026.
Allocate your points wisely, Vitor.
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