"Stateside & Sold Out: A World Cup Guest Breakdown"

We had a special guest on this week — and the conversation did not disappoint.

In this episode, we sat down with Jeff St James of Ask A Brotha Podcast to get an outside perspective on everything the 2026 World Cup has been so far — the football, the atmosphere, and the bigger picture of what it means to host the planet's biggest sporting event on American soil.

We talked about how the United States has shown up for this tournament in a way that surprised even the skeptics. The FIFA Fan Festival alone crossed 2 million visitors in just the first round of matches, with venues in Canada and the US consistently operating at capacity. From Queens' globally diverse Fan Zone at the USTA Billie Jean King Center to Philadelphia's festival atmosphere celebrating community, culture, and America's 250th anniversary, the host nation has leaned into its multicultural identity to make every fan feel at home — regardless of which country they're cheering for.

Then we got into the football. France leads the betting markets at +400, with Spain and England close behind — but this tournament has already proven it won't simply hand a trophy to the expected powers. There is no clear frontrunner, and margins between contenders remain narrow, making this one of the most open World Cups in years. Argentina arrive as defending champions with much of their 2022 core intact, and Messi, at 38, already has five goals in two games and has become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer.

We broke down who we think lifts the trophy in New York on July 19 — and why the answer might not be as obvious as the bookmakers suggest.