Why the World Cup may be the biggest human event on Earth04:15 Meet Leander Schaerlaeckens and The Long Game05:00 Why the World Cup matters even if you don't follow soccer07:00 How global the World Cup really is09:00 Messi, Ronaldo, and the final chapter of two legends10:40 Spain, France, England, and the favorites to watch12:00 Political controversies surrounding the 2026 World Cup13:00 How the 1994 World Cup transformed soccer in America16:00 Why FIFA took control of the 2026 tournament17:45 Did FIFA work over U.S. Soccer?19:00 The ticket price controversy and accessibility problem21:00 Why 2026 may not leave the same legacy as 199422:00 The story of Weston McKennie and American player development24:00 The pay-to-play problem in U.S. youth soccer27:00 Why Texas could be producing far more elite players29:00 Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, and America’s stars30:15 How far can the USMNT realistically go?32:00 What success actually looks like for Team USA33:00 Why this World Cup could shape the next generation of players34:00 The opportunity America cannot afford to miss36:00 FIFA, Trump, money, and power39:00 Gianni Infantino’s relationship with Donald Trump41:00 Why soccer may be the ultimate capitalist sport43:30 The community and human connection behind soccer45:00 The most surprising story uncovered while writing The Long Game47:00 Team America and one of the strangest failures in U.S. soccer history49:00 The turning point that eventually led to today's USMNT50:00 Why every American should pay attention to this World Cup51:00 What makes the World Cup unlike anything else in the world52:30 Final thoughts and why the moment mattersAbout Leander SchaerlaeckensLeander Schaerlaeckens is a columnist for The Guardian, contributor to The Ringer, senior lecturer at Marist University, and one of America's leading soccer writers. He has covered multiple World Cups and authored The Long Game, the definitive history of the U.S. Men's National Team.Subscribe📩 Subscribe to Worth Knowing on Substack: worthknowing.substack.com🎙️ More interviews, analysis, politics, history, economics, technology, and ideas that are Worth Knowing.Keywords2026 World Cup, FIFA World Cup, USMNT, United States Men's National Team, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, FIFA, Gianni Infantino, Donald Trump, soccer politics, World Cup America, World Cup 2026 USA, soccer history, American soccer, Major League Soccer, MLS, youth soccer, pay to play soccer, World Cup economics, Leander Schaerlaeckens, The Long Game, soccer book, World Cup preview, Team USA soccer#WorldCup2026 #USMNT #ChristianPulisic #Soccer #FIFA #WorldCup #AmericanSoccer #MLS #Football #WorthKnowing #LeanderSchaerlaeckens #LionelMessi #CristianoRonaldo #SportsPolitics #TeamUSA