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Mexico City declares itself the ‘soul of the World Cup’ as its preps to host 2026 matches

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Mexico City declares itself the ‘soul of the World Cup’ as its preps to host 2026 matches

Mexico City is finalizing preparations for the 2026 World Cup, with Estadio Azteca set to become the first venue to host matches during three World Cup tournaments. It was previously the scene of Pelé’s triumph in 1970 and Diego Maradona’s Cup win in 1986.

Neither of the other two Mexican venues existed when Mexico hosted the tournament before: The Estadio Akron in Guadalajara was founded in 2010 as the home of Liga MX team Chivas de Guadalajara, and the Estadio BBVA was inaugurated in 2015 as the home of the Liga MX team Rayados del Monterrey.

Diego Maradona holds up the World Cup trophy after Argentina beat West Germany in the World Cup final at Estadio Azteca on June 29, 1986.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

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Mexico will face South Africa during the first match of the 2026 World Cup at Estadio Azteca, which has undergone about $80 million in renovations.

“The stadium is coming along nicely. We are working hard every day to be ready for the inauguration in March. Everything is going smoothly,” said Estefanía Padilla, head of marketing and operations for the Mexico City World Cup headquarters.

Organizers are preparing to open the renovated stadium on March 28 when Mexico will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in a friendly match that will mark the end of the work that began in the middle of last year. The organizers also had to resolve a dispute over luxury boxes. After 18 months of litigation, the luxury box owners won the right to use them during the World Cup without paying additional fees. They demanded that an agreement dating to the stadium’s construction six decades ago, which grants them unlimited access to their seats for 99 years, be honored.

Mexico City expects to receive around 5.5 million tourists, so improvements also have been made to infrastructure, airports and transportation. Beyond that, Padilla said, the World Cup will be an opportunity to show the world the cultural richness of Mexico’s capital. In addition to the stadium, the city has developed three pillars to attract fans: culture, entertainment and experiences, with more than 36 activities planned.

“Mexico City is the soul of the World Cup,” Padilla said. “Hopefully, everyone will be able to visit. Mexico is very famous internationally for its culture and gastronomy.”

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In the cultural sphere, more than 12 museums will participate in World Cup events, including the Museo Franz Mayer. There also will be an exhibition by Annie Leibovitz at the National Museum of Anthropology.

The fan festival will be set up in the Zócalo, the main public square in the historic center of Mexico City, and will feature the largest video screen among all the World Cup venues. It is expected to attract 60,000 spectators per day, more than 100,000 during Mexico’s matches and a total of about 2.5 million during the tournament.

In terms of entertainment, concerts are being planned at the National Auditorium featuring international artists and a fashion show highlighting clothing made in Mexico.

A young Mexican soccer fan blows a horn while watching a 2014 World Cup match on big screens in Mexico City.

A young Mexican soccer fan blows a horn while watching a 2014 World Cup match on big screens in Mexico City.

(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)

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However, security concerns remain ever present in the capital, as organized crime violence has continued to plague the country in recent months, with a new wave of violence linked to drug trafficking that has affected the popularity of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“We have developed a comprehensive plan that coordinates all levels of government. Our goal is to ensure that this event takes place in a safe environment for everyone,” said Gabriela Cuevas, federal coordinator for the World Cup, during a recent presentation alongside Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum joined President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the World Cup draw ceremony Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Guadalajara is the ‘most Mexican venue,’ organizers say

Pelé holds a ball before the Brazilian national team's World Cup workout in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 5, 1970.

Pelé holds a ball before Brazil’s World Cup practice in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 5, 1970.

(GB / Associated Press)

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Guadalajara will host Mexico’s second match, and it will be the first time the national team played there in a World Cup. The city’s Estadio Jalisco did previously host one of Brazil’s great teams led by Pelé in 1970.

Preparation of a newer stadium, Estadio Akron, for this World Cup began five years ago and is 85% complete. According to the organizers, the venue, which will be called Estadio Guadalajara during the tournament, is ready to host two intercontinental playoff games in March, in something of a World Cup preview, and then actual World Cup matches in June.

So far only minor adjustments have been made, mainly to bring the pitch up to FIFA standards.

Ainara Zatarain, director of stadium operations, said the city seeks to project itself as “the most Mexican,” with distinctive gastronomic and cultural offerings. She also highlighted the FIFA fan festival that will be set up in the city center. Jalisco expects to attract 3 million tourists during the tournament, which is why 40 new hotels have been built.

Zatarain recalled that the stadium was designed in the early 2000s specifically for a World Cup, completing the vision of the late Chivas owner Jorge Vergara.

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“After 15 years we are fulfilling Jorge Vergara’s dream, which was to have a World Cup in the Guadalajara Stadium. For us, the changes have been minimal, and it has been more because, of course, several things have been updated over the years, such as the field that we now have in our stadium,” Zatarain said in Washington prior to the World Cup draw.

Guadalajara seeks to stand out for its cuisine, tequila, mariachis and cultural traditions.

“We say that we are the most Mexican city or the most Mexican venue,” Zatarain said. “We have an impressive gastronomic variety, and we invite you to try all the traditions and culture that we have in our state and in our city. Guadalajara is something unique.”

However, the city also faces problems with violence and transportation difficulties around the stadium.

Local authorities estimate that the World Cup will generate $1 billion for the state of Jalisco.

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Monterrey focuses on completing improvements

Monterrey, Mexico’s third host city, made significant investments in infrastructure, the airport and Estadio BBVA for the World Cup. The investments include more than $6 million in stadium renovations and $416 million in airport renovations as well as upgrades to public transportation, urban image projects and security.

Monterrey will have the newest stadium of the three Mexican venues — Estadio BBVA debuted in 2015 — and also will host continental playoff matches to be played from March 23 to 31.

“The most important challenge is mobility, without a doubt … and security,” said Francisco Rodríguez, head of television and commercial rights for the Monterrey venue.

“The challenge is to coordinate mobility, provide good security and keep the city clean.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

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Giants part with longtime executive one day after John Harbaugh introduced as head coach

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Giants part with longtime executive one day after John Harbaugh introduced as head coach

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The New York Giants parted with a longtime high-ranking executive just one day after introducing John Harbaugh as head coach.

Senior Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Abrams is leaving the organization. Abrams had been with the organization since 1999, and in a front office executive position since 2002 when he was assistant general manager.

Abrams had been a constant at the top of the organization throughout its bevy of general manager and coach firings over the last decade. Abrams’ tenure in the front office spanned four general managers, including his own short stint as interim GM in 2017, and seven head coaches before Harbaugh.

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New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks to the media after being introduced during a news conference at the team’s NFL football training facility. The event took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (Adam Hunger/AP Photo)

Harbaugh’s arrival as head coach came with a different set of terms related to the organizational structure and his own power to shape it compared to previous Giants coaches.

Harbaugh is the first Giants coach who will report directly to ownership, bypassing a long-running team tradition of the coach reporting to the general manager.

Giants’ Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Chris Mara told reporters Tuesday that Harbaugh will be the “most important cog in the wheel” for the organization now and suggested Harbaugh was a unique candidate with the leverage to negotiate such power.

“He’s going to be the most important cog in the wheel. Let’s put it that way. But in terms of final say, this is going to be a collaborative effort between ownership, general manager and coach,” Mara said.

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“We’re just comfortable doing this with him. I think with anybody else, maybe it might not have happened that way. Everyone was in agreement, so we’re good.”

Harbaugh was endorsed for the Giants head coaching job by President Donald Trump several days before the hiring in a Truth Social post. Trump also said Harbaugh should “take the job,” in the endorsement. Harbaugh acknowledged Trump’s endorsement in his introductory press conference Tuesday.

“It feels really great!” Harbaugh said, when asked by Fox News Digital how it felt to have the president’s endorsement. “I also noticed in that post that he said, ‘John take the job!’ So I thought [owner] John Mara might’ve had something to do with that.”

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Trump praised Harbaugh and the Giants for the hire while speaking to Fox News Digital late on Monday night, and hinted at a personal connection with the Harbaugh family.

“I like the coach. I like his brother,” Trump said. “They came up to see me about three months ago. They came up to see me in the White House with their mother and father because the mother likes me, and the father likes me and I think they like me. And he’s a great coach and he’s gonna do well with the Giants, just like his brother does so well. They got something very special in their blood. And I’m happy for the Giants. They got a great coach.”

Fox News Digital’s Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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Alijah Arenas’ debut spoiled by USC’s loss to Northwestern

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Alijah Arenas’ debut spoiled by USC’s loss to Northwestern

As he laid in a hospital bed last April, grateful just to be alive, Alijah Arenas dreamed of this moment. He thought of it in the weeks and months after his Tesla Cybertruck hit a tree and burst into flames in Reseda, leaving him hospitalized for six days. And he thought of it over a long summer and fall spent rehabbing the injured knee that failed him in his first week back to practice at USC.

Nine difficult months spent waiting for the day to finally arrive had culminated Wednesday night with Arenas roaring into the lane, with just one defender standing between him and the hoop. The five-star freshman had committed to USC with every intention of bolting for the NBA after one season, only for the setbacks of the past year to put his likely lottery status in doubt.

But here, as he lifted towards the hoop early in his college debut, Arenas spun around that lone defender in mid-air and softly laid in a finger roll, reminding everyone in attendance of the talent they’d waited so eagerly to see.

But what unfolded from that moment on Wednesday night probably wasn’t how Arenas had envisioned it, as Northwestern spoiled his debut, dealing USC a 74-68 defeat.

It was Arenas’ backup in the backcourt who would drag the Trojans back from the brink against Northwestern after the Wildcats had led nearly the entire game. Just a week earlier, Jordan Marsh had dropped 17 in the second half of USC’s win over Maryland. On Wednesday, he was even better, piling up 19 after halftime.

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But there was little he or USC’s five-star freshman could do in the final minutes as Northwestern fended off every push from the desperate Trojans, thanks largely to the efforts of senior forward Nick Martinelli, who had 22 points.

Arenas had eight points in his debut, shooting three of 15 from the perimeter in a performance that left him obviously gassed throughout. He played 29 minutes, nonetheless, at one point leaving to have his knee evaluated by trainers on the bench.

With losses in three of their last five coming into Wednesday, USC (14-5 overall, 3-5 in Big Ten) had hoped that Arenas’ arrival would act as a salve at the start of its Big Ten slate, injecting five-star talent into a lineup ravaged by injuries. But there were only so many problems that talent could paper over for the Trojans, even if Northwestern had come into Wednesday night on the heels of a five-game losing streak.

Arenas’ debut didn’t suddenly correct the Trojans’ free-throw woes. After hitting just five of 14 from the stripe in a loss to Purdue on Saturday, USC responded by shooting 26 of 43 on Wednesday night, with Northwestern content to foul them pretty much whenever the Trojans drove inside.

Once again, no one, Arenas included, could get going from three-point range for USC either, as the Trojans followed up a three of 20 showing from deep against Purdue loss by hitting their first two three-pointers … only to miss their next 11.

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They spent most of the second half without their leading scorer, too, after Chad Baker-Mazara fouled out with more than nine minutes remaining.

Still, USC hung on tight through the second half, never letting Northwestern’s lead grow to more than eight. Marsh drove the lane with a chance to cut Northwestern’s lead to a single possession in the final 15 seconds. But his lay-in flew wildly out of his hands.

The loss spoiled a debut that had been perhaps the most anticipated at USC in at least half a decade, since Evan Mobley graced the Galen Center court in 2021. But while Mobley led the Trojans on an Elite Eight run, his lone season at USC was played front of empty arenas because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Arenas, meanwhile, was just the sort of blue-chip prospect that Eric Musselman and his staff had hoped to build around.

The path to that point would prove far more harrowing than anyone expected. But what felt like a light at the end of the tunnel Wednesday night didn’t feel nearly as hopeful by the final buzzer.

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Bills quarterback’s wife pens heartfelt social media post to fired coach Sean McDermott’s family

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Bills quarterback’s wife pens heartfelt social media post to fired coach Sean McDermott’s family

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Hillary Trubisky, the wife of Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, posted a heartfelt message on social media following the firing of head coach Sean McDermott.

Trubisky credited McDermott and his wife, Jamie, for making Buffalo feel like home.

“Jamie and Sean are a huge reason why Buffalo has always felt like home to us,” Trubisky captioned on her Instagram story. “So thankful for you both and everything you have done for our family on and off the field. Wherever you go next is very lucky.”

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (11) throws a pass before a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

“Love you (Jamie). Our nighttime dog walks, carpooling, and slime sales with the kids will always have a special place in my heart. You are truly a one-of-a-kind human being, and I am so lucky our paths crossed.”

Mitch Trubisky signed a two-year, $5.25 million contract in 2024 to rejoin the Bills for his second stint with the team. His first season with the Bills was in 2021 after four seasons with the Chicago Bears.

BILLS OWNER DIVES INTO REASONING FOR SEAN MCDERMOTT FIRING, BLAMES ‘COACHING’ ON LACK OF WIDE RECEIVER SUCCESS

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on before the game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 4, 2026.  (Mark Konezny/Imagn Images)

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The 31-year-old has seen limited action over his three seasons with the Bills with Josh Allen at the helm but has played well when called upon. In Week 18 against the New York Jets, while he didn’t technically start because Allen took the first snap to preserve his starting streak, Trubisky played the rest of the game and performed well.

In the Bills’ 35-8 win over the Jets, Trubisky completed 22 of his 29 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns. He is a free agent this offseason.

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Head coach Sean McDermott and owner Terry Pegula of the Buffalo Bills look on before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 12, 2021. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Bills owner Terry Pegula told reporters on Wednesday that his decision to fire McDermott was based on the results of the team’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

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McDermott spent nine seasons with the Bills and went 98-50 with a 16-8 record in the playoffs but was unable to lead the team to a Super Bowl.

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