Road to the World Cup: FIFA’s latest spectacle, exciting groups and ticket economics

The FIFA Final Draw is complete, and if you missed it, you missed quite the show. The 2026 World Cup draw ceremony managed to pack in more unexpected moments than most tournaments deliver in their entirety. Among the notable moments: President Donald Trump receiving a freshly-created peace prize, FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s subsequent effusive praising of Trump and the actual draw being conducted by a distinguished panel of North American sports icons including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal. Talented athletes all, though their combined professional football experience totals precisely zero. 

Men’s soccer advances to NCAA tournament Final Four

San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson once remarked, “It’s the playoffs. There’s no room for okay.”

Women’s soccer takes down Lesley and Wesleyan, advances to Sweet 16

No. 3 Tufts advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Division III NCAA tournament after a dominant 7–0 win against Lesley on Saturday and a 2–0 victory over Wesleyan on Sunday.

Road to the World Cup: FIFA, US politics distract from the game

Welcome back to the “Road to the World Cup.” We’re now just 203 days away from the inaugural match at the Estadio Azteca. Recent developments have been coming fast, so let’s get straight to them.

Love to Hate: Kai Havertz

It is quite a rare occurrence for a player to be hated by their own club for so long. The tale of Kai Havertz is certainly interesting, but it just makes sense. When you score a club defining goal, you become a club defining player, regardless of what happened before the moment. Havertz turned contenders into champions and anxious fans into content ones.

Men’s soccer trounces Emerson on Senior Day

When the Class of 2026 first took the field for the Tufts men’s soccer team, the world was a vastly different place. ChatGPT was not yet released, Queen Elizabeth II was still the monarch of the United Kingdom and Luka Dončić was still a Dallas Maverick. Despite all the turmoil, one constant has remained across the last four years — the Jumbos have continued to win soccer matches.

Women’s soccer scoreless in draw to Middlebury

No. 4 Tufts faced top NESCAC opponent No. 10 Middlebury in an away game on Saturday. The top 10 matchup proved to be a difficult test for the Jumbos, ending scoreless. 

Road to the World Cup: Mexico modernizes, Infantino plays politics

Mexico is not simply relying on its history as a two-time World Cup host (1970 and 1986); it is actively working to modernize its security infrastructure. Mexico City, which will host the tournament’s inaugural game at the Estadio Azteca, recently selected the firm Amper to lead a technological modernization of its centers of Command and Control (C5) specifically in preparation for the World Cup. This update, involving new infrastructure and the latest version of the GEMYC-D system, aims to enhance public safety and optimize operations across the metropolis.

Road to the World Cup: FIFA’s unity problem

FIFA revealed the new World Cup soccer ball on Thursday. Named TRIONDA, it features three colored waves: green for Mexico, red for Canada and blue for the United States. For much of the World Cup’s history, World Cup balls have symbolized host nations.

Tufts men’s soccer grinds out 1–1 draw with Wesleyan

Goal scoring can be artful, vivid and poetic. After glancing off the inner edge of a player’s cleat, the ball can be neatly curled, gently kissing the crossbar before settling into the top corner of the net. Other times, though, goal scoring can be ugly, scrappy and lucky. Still, no matter how a goal is scored, they all count the same. It was in the latter style that both Tufts men’s soccer junior forward Henry Brown and Wesleyan forward Sam Wheeler scored the only goals for their respective sides in a 1–1 draw on Bello Field on Saturday.

Women’s soccer drops first points of season in draw to Wesleyan

Both Tufts and Wesleyan came into the match nationally ranked by United Soccer Coaches at No. 6 and No. 21 respectively. “We knew it was going to be a tough battle, especially because they are undefeated and so are we,” sophomore forward Audrey Cromett said.

In Photos: Men’s soccer draws to cardinals

Road to the World Cup: Ticket prices, trade battles

The World Cup is less than a year away. In this column, I will review the most pressing challenges the tournament faces across all its venues in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Women’s soccer ready to take on 2025 season

On Saturday, Tufts women’s soccer will take on Williams College in their first game of the 2025 season at 12:30 p.m. on Bello Field. Along with it being their season premiere, they will also be facing the pressure of playing their first conference game against the talented Ephs. The Jumbos, who have been in preseason for over a week, have focused their efforts on bettering the team in preparation.

The 90-Minute Breakdown: 3 nations, 1 tournament, countless problems

With 5 billion viewers tuning in for the 2022 tournament, the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup is poised to break every possible record. Held every four years with limited qualification spots, the World Cup represents the pinnacle of soccer. Stars represent their countries in pursuit of the most important trophy of their careers.

Senior Profile: Ethan Feigin leaves a legacy of selflessness, grit and dedication on Tufts men’s soccer

A lone white shirt wrestled through a sea of defenders, deftly maneuvering the ball while shrugging off a host of aggressive tackles. Despite his shirt being pulled, the young 5-foot-6-inch winger was unfazed, keeping balance and gliding past his markers before threading a pass to graduating senior forward Anthony Bhangdia, whose shot was deflected back into play and into the path of the tenacious winger who pounced on the loose ball and buried it in the bottom right corner.  

The 90-Minute Breakdown: Entering the home stretch

Last week’s UCL quarter-final first-legs were full of surprises. Arsenal stunned Real Madrid 3–0 at home, with two incredible free-kick goals from Declan Rice (more on him later). Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 3–1 in Paris, whileInter Milan edged Bayern Munich with an 88th-minute winner from Frattesi. Barcelona smashed Dortmund 4–0, and even with the second leg at Signal Iduna Park, a comeback was unlikely. Even though Dortmund triumphed 3–1 on Wednesday, Barcelona still progressed.