First Touch '26
June 10, 2026 — Newsletter #40
A quick note on our World Cup coverage: Kickback Soccer Media will have a daily World Cup studio show, First Touch ‘26 (live on both First Touch and Soccerwise YT)! You can get your 24/7 World Cup coverage from our First Touch IG and Bluesky accounts, and USMNT/El Tri/Canada from Soccerwise.
The Wednesday newsletter will remain broadly World Cup focused, while Friday’s will focus on USMNT momentarily until returning to incorporating MLS/NWSL coverage as those leagues restart.
Remembering a Random World Cup Legend Every Week
We gotta go big for the last day before the World Cup. Zinedine Zidane!!
Headlines:
The USMNT didn’t disappoint in their 2-1 loss to Germany. While a Germany set piece goal in the first few minutes created an air of anxiety, the U.S. regained confidence quickly and seemed to match Germany’s intensity and quality for the remainder of the match.
The Chicago send-off didn’t disappoint either, with the sold out crowd eagerly supporting the USMNT in the exceedingly rare instance that a filled NFL stadium is primarily supportive of the home team.
Off-the-pitch, all eyes are on Chris Richard. The essential U.S. center back returned to full training Monday, though the U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t expect him to play in the first match vs. Paraguay.
Mexico finished their friendlies with a big 5-1 victory over Serbia. The Man of the Match was Mexican-American Brian Gutierrez, a Chicago Fire homegrown playmaker who switched from the U.S. to Mexico at the beginning of the year.
The anticipation around Lamine Yamal’s World Cup debut may even surpass Messi’s, as the Barcelona star is poised to be the best player on one of the tournament favorites, Spain. Yamal’s debut, however, may be delayed as he’s yet to return to the pitch following his hamstring injury in April.
Iran may be missing multiple members of their backroom staff as they were denied visas to the U.S., a result of what many believe to be politically motivated actions undertaken by the U.S. government.
Somali referee Omar Artan was similarly denied entry by U.S. officials, another purported instance of the Trump administration’s efforts to block entry of individuals from targeted nations.
Fortunately, we will have workers at SoFi as the union agreed to terms to avoid a strike in advance of the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12th.
Let's Do Some Trivia!
Yet again FC Dallas is the premier developer of talent for the U.S. national team, featuring four players from their academy in the national team (Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Alejandro Zendejas, and Ricardo Pepi).
However, 2026 may be the conclusion of their decade-long run as the premier producer of USMNT players, as the Philadelphia Union have also produced four players for the 2026 World Cup squad, and feature numerous others in an alumni roster that includes Cavan and Quinn Sullivan, Jack McGlynn, Paxten Aaronson, and Andrew Rick.
If someone else is to battle the Union for America’s top talent producer in the next World Cup cycle, you won’t have to look too far from Philly. Red Bull New York have two of the top prospects in the country, Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti, and numerous other talents poised to join club legend Tyler Adams in the national team ranks.
A Thing We're Excited About:
Is it possible that all three Concacaf hosts—Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.—are all good?
Following their most disappointing World Cup in history in 2022, Mexico has rediscovered balance and swagger and are on a roll heading into the World Cup opener against South Africa on June 11th. They’re unbeaten in eight, and have won consecutive continental championships.
Meanwhile, Canada assuredly will affirm head coach Jesse Marsch’s proclamation that this is their best side of all time. While defender Moise Bombito’s injury will be a brutal blow, Canada features arguably the best top end talent in the region with Davies and David, and have thrived under Marsch as manager.
Finally, the USMNT may have actually rediscovered some swagger of their own! The send off matches were encouraging, with some of the best play we’ve seen from Pulisic in ages, and quality play from nearly every part of the pitch.
It’d definitely be an exception story to see the three hosts in the first ever three nation World Cup make some noise.
Our World Cup Winner(s):
On-the-pitch:
- Champion: Spain
- International Player: Michael Olise
- USMNT Player: Folarin Balogun
Off–the-pitch:
- Vibes Team: Norway
- City: Philadelphia
- Fan Base: Haiti
- Culturally: American Stadium Food / Street Food
First Touch's World Cup 2026
First Touch has announced its 2026 slate of soccer coverage, featuring a daily studio show every morning, live from New York!
Hosted by Susannah Fuller, Matt Doyle, and David Gass alongside a rotating cast of journalists and experts, the show delivers the sharpest coverage of matches and previews of the upcoming day.
- Watch here.
Listen here (Apple) or here (Spotify) or wherever you find your podcasts!
Every World Cup Nation, Previewed!
Over at our website kickbacksoccer.com, we’ve launched a first-of-its-kind team by team preview of every participating World Cup nation!
You can find both written overviews, and special video and podcast primers for every country, all right at your fingertips.
Check it out here and tell your friends!