When Does the World Cup Start?
The expanded tournament’s early matchups haven’t offered much excitement.
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Today in Free Expression, columnist James B. Meigs warns the Democratic establishment that far-left newcomers don’t want reform, but an entirely new government; Emma Camp watches the cult classic ‘Labyrinth’ and finds that 40 years later, it hasn’t lost its magic; and Chris Scalia declares that America’s mystery-solving lone rangers are making a comeback on TV.
But first, the summer soccer is about to get good . . .
Against the Run of Play
—Matthew Hennessey
The first two weeks of the World Cup have been short on exciting matchups and long on hydration breaks.
FIFA has expanded the initial group stage of the competition from the usual 32 teams to 48 teams. This has watered down the early drama. There’s no “group of death” from which at least one top-tier team can expect to be expelled before the knock-out phase of the tournament kicks off.
By way of compensation we have been treated to an extra portion of off-the-field drama. Iran could end up getting through to the next round despite having to sleep every night in Tijuana. The emerging rivalry between Fox Sports commentators Zlatan Ibrahimović and Alexi Lalas gave viewers more to chew on than Portugal’s 5-0 drubbing of Uzbekistan. And, of course, social media has been awash in debate about whether the Europeans rhapsodizing about ranch dressing and free refills are “glazing” us gullible Americans.
Then there’s the Beckham family circus. As England waddles through the tournament’s group stage, handsome British soccer legend David Beckham and his wife Victoria, aka Posh Spice, are enduring a painfully public rift with their oldest son, Brooklyn, and his heiress wife, Nicola Peltz. The shape of the dispute resembles the break in the British royal family—mutual uncharitable accusations of controlling behavior, ingratitude and disloyalty. It’s all a huge mess.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m watching the FIFA World Cup 2026 from home,” Brooklyn said in a DoorDash commercial he shared on his Instagram. “It’s not like I don’t have tickets. Um, it’s because . . . it’s a long story.”
The story may be long, but life is short, dude. Don’t feud with your parents. And if you do end up on the outs, don’t exploit your estrangement for a reported $1 million. Family peace is like winning the World Cup—you may only get one shot at it in a lifetime. Try to stay onside.
While we are waiting for the real games to begin, we must content ourselves with this and other sideline subplots:
Why are ticket prices so expensive when I can see acres of empty seats on TV?
If a player can earn a red card for covering his mouth, why is there still so much unpenalized flopping going on?
Are the hydration breaks really necessary or are they merely meant to maximize advertising revenue?
Will Argentina’s Lionel Messi bother to suit up against Jordan on Saturday in a game that means nothing to either team?
Is the U.S. team for real?
Email your best wrong answers to fxnewsletter@wsj.com.
Flipper Mouth: Scientists are discovering that sea creatures can be pretty chatty. Male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins use their vocal patterns to communicate with each other to find mates. But the females are listening, too. A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that female dolphins recognize these patterns from particular male dolphins, and will avoid those who’ve been overly aggressive in their attempts to mate. And it isn’t only dolphins who read a lot into different sounds. Sperm whales in the Mediterranean have recognizably distinct “dialects” when they communicate. One is centered off the coast of Spain, the other off the coast of Greece, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Be careful what you say down there. — Jack Butler
Catch These Fins: The Mississippi River basin is filled to the brim with massive, jumping, invasive fish. Asian Carp, which frequently leap into the air when disturbed by boats, have been blamed for breaking fishermen’s noses, giving them black eyes, and even knocking some of them out cold. “I took one right in the side of the head,” Nate Wallick, an Illinois boater, told the Journal. “The fish darn near knocked me out.” For safety, Mr. Wallick makes his children wear football helmets when tubing in Carp-infested waters. Can these fishy projectiles be stopped? Some chefs hope to persuade people to eat them, renaming the fish “Copi” (short for “copious”) and serving them as fish cakes and croquettes. — Emma Camp
Garbage Time: JPMorgan Chase has reportedly fired a DEI executive who was filmed emptying and hauling off a special-edition blue-and-orange trash can placed along the route of the Knicks’ victory parade in lower Manhattan. Some say a true champion does the right thing even when no one is watching. What do you call doing the wrong thing in full public view? There’s a name for it. — M.H.
The Radicals Inside the Tent
James B. Meigs
Mainstream Democrats want to believe far-left insurgents aren’t scary extremists but simply passionate idealists. That’s a dangerous mistake.
The DSA Class of 2026 isn’t coming to nudge the Democratic Party to the left. It’s coming to burn it down.
Read James’s Column ⧁
‘Labyrinth’ Still Dances the Magic Dance
The cult classic film from Jim Henson is nearing its 40th anniversary. It remains a muppety, synth-packed, oddball fantasy that swings wildly between childlike whimsy and adult danger.
Private Investigators Are Back on the Case
We could be entering a renaissance for a great American television genre. Private investigators disappeared from the screen in the 1990s, but now it appears audiences are interested again in fun TV about independent agents solving mysteries.
By Christopher Scalia
Ben Sasse: Keep Cameras Out of the Supreme Court
The last thing the judicial branch needs is to become a platform for partisan gasbags.
By Ben Sasse
The Best Politics Are Local
Every town council, county commission and school board is a testament to the American system of government.
By Howard Husock
America Is a Volunteer Nation
Service has always been central to our proud tradition of self-government. Here’s how to keep it that way.
By Stephen Eide
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