Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title?

Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title? Scooby Axson, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 7:07 AM 0 NEW YORK — The NBA offseason can mean different things to different players. For the nonplayoff teams, it was an early trip to the oftjokedabout sandy beaches of Cancun.

- - Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title?

Scooby Axson, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 7:07 AM

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NEW YORK — The NBA offseason can mean different things to different players. For the non-playoff teams, it was an early trip to the oft-joked-about sandy beaches of Cancun.

And for teams like the New York Knicks, the moment they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Indiana Pacers, it has been a painful four months of what ifs, what should have beens, and a surprising change at head coach.

Never mind that the Knicks made the NBA's final four for the first time in a quarter of a century; the scapegoat for that success – or failure – to some, was Tom Thibodeau, who was let go after five years at the helm.

"It's sad to see a man I've known for a long time part ways with this organization, but he's meant a lot to me. I've expressed that to him, publicly and personally. But yeah, he's meant a lot to my career to this point." All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said about Thibodeau during the team's media day.

1 / 36NBA stars strike a pose during photo sessions for 2025 media dayShai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Thibodeau was replaced by two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown, who has also coached the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Sacramento Kings, and served as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, winning three NBA Championships.

Brown brings a different philosophy than Thibodeau, who maximized his players' minutes, sometimes to the point of league-wide snickers about their usage.

Last season's starting lineup – Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby – is back for another run, though that may not be the lineup you see when New York opens its season on Oct. 22 at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It will be up to Brown to put his stamp on the team, which might see the team hoisting more three-pointers and embracing a more up-tempo style than in years before.

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Fully-healed Brunson motivated by playoff loss

Brunson is the team's unquestioned leader, with the accolades to back it up: a second-team All-NBA selection, who was also named the league's Clutch Player of the Year.

Don't let his listed height of 6-2 fool you, because Brunson, who says there are no setbacks and he is fully healed from a late-season ankle injury, can bang inside with the best of them, while getting his own shot anytime he wants.

However, it was the six-game defeat to the Pacers, who also eliminated New York in the 2024 playoffs, that has bothered Brunson and serves as extra motivation and a renewed focus for the new season. The Eastern Conference has suddenly become up for grabs, with no clear favorite, as Achilles injuries have sidelined Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton and Boston's Jayson Tatum.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during a playoff game at Madison Square Garden on April 19, 2025.

"I think for me personally, just nothing is going to be out of your mind. You got to think about it." Brunson told USA TODAY Sports last month, while he was promoting BodyArmor, a sports hydration drink. "You're gonna think about the good. It's all about how you use that to kind of prepare yourself for. You've got to have short-term memory."

The 29-year-old Brunson, who averaged 26 points, a career-high 7.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 65 games last season, said his summer was uneventful, mainly concentrating on injury prevention, conditioning, and podcasting "The Roommates Show" with co-host Hart.

"For me. I don't like to take too much time off away from the game," Brunson said. "If I'm, like, working or doing anything to kind of improve myself. But, I think having a slow ramp-up into the offseason, for whenever you start, kind of helps build up physically and mentally. And so, just understanding where you 're at, where your body's at.

"I just try to make sure that I have my best foot forward and do what I can to ensure I'm putting my body in the best position to withstand a long season. I tried not to put that (injury concern) in my mind at all there are too many things that are unpredictable."

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Knicks' new philosophy starts and ends with Brunson

It is evident by the looks of him that Brunson comes into the season looking lighter, although he declined to say if he lost any weight at all.

"I'm not that much lighter, definitely more toned, and like that, but it's just important for me to get my body in the best shape possible I can, and go from there," he said.

What Brunson is saying could be the key to a different-looking Knicks, especially since Brown revealed his plans for his star, which might mean less wear and tear as he enters his eighth NBA season.

ready to see captain clutch back in action 🫡 pic.twitter.com/0gJGXmrf8X

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 19, 2025

The Knicks, almost to a fault, did not rely heavily on the three-point shot, averaging only 34.1 attempts per game last season, but when they did shoot them, they made them at a 37% rate, ranking eighth in the league. What hurt them in some games, especially in the Indiana series, was keeping their opponents off the three-point line.

Brown said the new philosophy in winning games starts and ends with Brunson.

"The biggest thing I want to do for him is get easy shots. One of the easiest shots is a spray three. I'm a big proponent of touching the paint and spraying that basketball for a catch-and-shoot three," Brown said.

Brunson is all for doing whatever it takes to bring the Knicks their first championship in 1973.

"My personal goals align with my team's goals," he said. "I don't think in my life I've ever had a personal goal where I needed to average a certain amount of points. It's not my style of basketball. And I don't think that's a winning style play either. I think of 'how can I affect my team's ability to win? And I can be the best version of myself.' "

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson ready to chase NBA title with new coach

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Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title?

Jalen Brunson is clutch. Is that enough to propel Knicks to NBA title? Scooby Axson, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 7:0...

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College football report card grades highs and lows of season's first month

College football report card grades highs and lows of season's first month Paul Myerberg, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 7:07 AM 0 Arch Manning isn't going to win the Heisman Trophy. Clemson isn't going to win the national championship. Penn State still can't figure out how to beat a topfive opponent.

- - College football report card grades highs and lows of season's first month

Paul Myerberg, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 7:07 AM

0

Arch Manning isn't going to win the Heisman Trophy. Clemson isn't going to win the national championship. Penn State still can't figure out how to beat a top-five opponent.

North Carolina and new coach Bill Belichick might not win a game against Power Four competition. No. 8 Indiana isn't going anywhere. No. 10 Georgia's defense has dropped off the map.

Those are just a few of the biggest takeaways from the first month of college football's regular season, which ends with the Big Ten and SEC dominating the US LBM Coaches Poll but no clear favorite for the national championship.

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The stage is set for an unpredictable stretch before the College Football Playoff bracket is unveiled in early December. USA TODAY Sports looks back at the opening month of the regular season by crowning the best team, biggest surprise, Heisman favorite and more:

Best team: No. 2 Oregon

No. 4 Mississippi has three SEC wins and a non-conference victory against Tulane. After beating No. 7 Texas in the season opener, No. 1 Ohio State added a strong road win against Washington last weekend. No. 3 Miami has stormed out of the gate by beating No. 21 Notre Dame, South Florida and Florida. But Oregon had maybe the best single win of the first month with Saturday's double-overtime victory at No. 6 Penn State, along with additional Power Four wins against Oklahoma State and Northwestern and a rivalry win against Oregon State. The Ducks look like a powerhouse.

Most improved team: No. 8 Oklahoma

After fumbling through a rocky SEC debut, the Sooners have quickly rebounded thanks to a drastic offensive reboot that included the addition of transfer quarterback John Mateer. While Mateer's hand injury could sideline him for a month, Oklahoma remains a major playoff contender with conference play about to kick into high gear. A difficult schedule gives them some wiggle room if the Sooners can bag some quality wins.

Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks (4) runs for a touchdown after a catch against Michigan during their game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.Surprise team: No. 18 Vanderbilt

After reaching and winning the Birmingham Bowl last season, Vanderbilt has taken another step forward with just the program's second 5-0 start in the modern era. The face of this surge has been quarterback Diego Pavia, one of several New Mexico State transfers who have changed the complexion of the program and the Commodores' strongest Heisman Trophy contender in almost a century.

Disappointing team: Clemson

The offense stinks. Again. The defense has just two takeaways in three games against the Power Four. The Tigers have dropped three of four to open the year for the first time since 2004. Seen as one of the top teams in the Bowl Subdivision back in August, Clemson isn't even the best Power Four team in South Carolina.

Best conference: Big Ten

With the top two teams in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll and four of the top nine, the Big Ten has delivered on preseason expectations while the best teams in the SEC have struggled to stay afloat during the early part of the league's meat-grinder regular season. The final two months should provide more clarity of the picture, but it's a nice start for the Big Ten.

Heisman Trophy leader: QB Dante Moore, Oregon

The Heisman odds have changed almost weekly, cycling through a series of favorites — Cade Klubnik, Arch Manning, Mateer, Fernando Mendoza — before Moore took over to end the month after his brilliant performance against the Nittany Lions. The redshirt sophomore completed 29 of 39 throws for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the win, giving him 14 scores against just one interception through five games.

Breakout star: QB Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi

The former Ferris State transfer was expected to hold a clipboard for Austin Simmons but was thrust into the lineup after Simmons was injured late in the win against Kentucky. Chambliss has at least 385 yards of total offense in each of his three starts with six combined touchdowns as the Rebels have ascended into the top five.

Best non-quarterback: DL Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

After battling injuries in 2024, Bain has been the most dominant defender in the country since posting six tackles, a half-sack and an interception in Miami's win against the Fighting Irish. Against Florida, the junior had seven tackles, one for loss, and 10 quarterback pressures. So far, he's putting together a year that ranks favorably among the best by a defensive lineman in recent FBS history.

Best coach: Lane Kiffin, Mississippi

He's pushed all the right buttons for the unbeaten Rebels, who may be one of the safest bets for the playoff with just two more games against team in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll. Whether they remain on track could depend on where Kiffin lands on the unexpected quarterback controversy between Simmons and Chambliss.

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin stands on the field before his team's game against Kentucky at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 28, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi.Best first-year coach: Dan Mullen, UNLV

Mullen is the only first-year coach still unbeaten after leading UNLV to wins against Idaho State, Sam Houston State, UCLA and Miami (Ohio). While three of these wins were decided by a possession — and it's not like this is a murderer's row of competition — the former Mississippi State and Florida coach has successfully carried over the foundation set in place by his predecessor, Barry Odom.

Biggest upset: South Florida 18, Florida 16

Eighteen-point underdogs heading into Gainesville, South Florida's win was the biggest upset of September by point spread and one of the most impactful results overall. In addition to spoiling the Gators' season and ushering in the end of Florida coach Billy Napier's tenure, the win is another feather in the cap for the American in the fight with the Mountain West and Sun Belt for Group of Five supremacy.

Best game: Oregon 30, Penn State 24 (Sept. 27)

In terms of talent level, drama and overall meaning, it's hard to top the Ducks' double-overtime win in Happy Valley. Oregon led 17-3 early in the fourth quarter before Drew Allar sparked a pair of touchdown drives to force overtime. After exchanging touchdowns in the first extra frame, Oregon scored to open the second overtime but missed the two-point try. Penn State's ensuing possession ended with an Allar interception, marking the second time in as many games against top-five competition the Nittany Lions have been ruined by a late turnover.

Coach on the hot seat: Billy Napier, Florida

Four major-conference coaches have already been fired in Virginia Tech's Brent Pry, UCLA's Deshaun Foster, Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Arkansas' Sam Pittman. Barring an epic recovery against a brutal schedule, Florida will eventually part ways with Napier and end the most unsuccessful coaching tenure in modern program history.

Best transfer: QB Carson Beck, Miami

One year after coach Mario Cristobal hit paydirt with Washington State transfer Cam Ward, Beck has been the nation's most influential transfer and the main reason for the Hurricanes' unbeaten start. While he struggled amid rough weather conditions in the win against Florida, Beck is completing 73.2% of his attempts with seven touchdowns.

Best freshman: DL Sidney Stewart, Maryland

Stewart is one of several freshmen occupying major roles for the surprisingly unbeaten Terrapins. After missing his senior season in high school due to ineligibility issues, he's posted a sack and at least one tackle for loss in all four games. That gives Stewart an edge over Ohio State running back Bo Jackson, who's run for 297 yards on 8.5 yards per carry, and California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a big reason for the Golden Bears' 4-1 start.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football report card after one month

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College football report card grades highs and lows of season's first month

College football report card grades highs and lows of season's first month Paul Myerberg, USA TODAYOctober 1, 20...

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Josh Allen remains atop NFL QB power rankings ahead of Week 5

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USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.

Josh Allen remains atop NFL QB power rankings ahead of Week 5

Jack McKessy, USA TODAYOctober 1, 2025 at 7:30 AM

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Week 4 of the NFL season was an interesting one for the league's quarterbacks.

Over the course of the week, there were a few more outings from backups – both good and bad – a couple of bounce-back performances and even a regular-season starting debut for one rookie: New York Giants youngster Jaxson Dart.

There wasn't much change in the bigger picture for the league's team standings and power rankings. But quarterback power rankings were a different story. After a wide range of quality in Week 4 performances, there were some shake-ups all across the board in quarterback power rankings.

Here's how all 32 current starting quarterbacks rank ahead of Week 5:

NFL POWER RANKINGS: Who's at bottom as Jets join 0-4 squads Monday night

NFL quarterback power rankings: Week 5 edition1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Last week: 1

The Bills are one of the last two undefeated teams in the NFL. Allen threw his first interception of the season against the Saints on a ball that had just a bit too much air under it. Otherwise, he got things done with his arm (209 yards, two touchdowns) and legs (45 rushing yards, one touchdown).

2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Last week: 5

Mahomes and the Chiefs are 2-0 in their last two games after an 0-2 start. Against the Ravens, he threw for 270 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. His second touchdown pass Sunday was the 250th of his career, making him the youngest quarterback to reach that mark.

3. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Last week: 4

An underthrown ball led to Goff's second interception of the year, but his efforts complementing Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions' run game against the Browns kept him and his team a perfect 2-0 at home.

4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Last week: 3

Herbert's performance suffered as the offensive line struggled to protect him. Left tackle Joe Alt suffered a high ankle sprain, and Giants pass-rushers got through the Chargers' front five for 20 pressures. Herbert threw two interceptions, but he still almost did enough to keep his team undefeated with some excellent throws.

5. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Last week: 10

Stafford's 375-yard, three-touchdown day doesn't crack the top 15 of the most productive starts of his career. His 88-yard beauty of a touchdown pass to Tutu Atwell as he got hit was just another sign his back is holding up just fine. And Stafford now leads the league with 311 deep passing yards (throws with 20+ air yards), per Next Gen Stats.

TuTu for SixSix📺: #PHIvsLAR on FOX📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/ue9ZJilDSi

— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023

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Josh Allen remains atop NFL QB power rankings ahead of Week 5

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. ...

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Neko Case on finding beauty in the sorrow: 'Death gives us so many gifts if you're willing to loo...

The lauded artist's new album is a tribute to her late idols and to music at its most communal and authentic: &34;I don't think AI can write a song that makes y

The lauded artist's new album is a tribute to her late idols and to music at its most communal and authentic: "I don't think AI can write a song that makes you pull your car over and cry."

Neko Case on finding beauty in the sorrow: 'Death gives us so many gifts if you're willing to look at it'

The lauded artist's new album is a tribute to her late idols and to music at its most communal and authentic: "I don't think AI can write a song that makes you pull your car over and cry."

By Allaire Nuss

Allaire Nuss

Allaire Nuss has been an associate editor at ** since 2022, where she oversees evergreen content and contributes to the music section.

EW's editorial guidelines

September 29, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET

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Neko Case. Credit:

Death doesn't scare Neko Case.

Do not mistake her resolve for indifference. Coming off her last album, 2018's *Hell-On*, the hypnotic 55-year-old indie singer-songwriter experienced repeated loss in rapid succession, as around 10 people she held dear died. Many of them were musicians who were her idols, who then became her collaborators, and soon her friends. She was heartbroken, stunned by the onslaught of bad news, yet inspired by their impact.

"Death gives us so many gifts if you're willing to look at it," she tells * *days before she's set to kick off her North American tour. "I thought the gifts needed to be turned into some sort of love that would be broadcast on this record in a way."

One might consider her eighth solo album, *Neon Grey Midnight Green, *a eulogy. But she calls it a celebration, "a tribute to music, and musicians specifically." It's the first LP for which she was the main producer, and her fingerprints are on every detail. Like its title, her songs evoke imagery akin to Brontë novels, all foggy plains adorned with "mansions of sound" and "tender psychic rivers." Its compositions include dense forests of baritone guitar and an opulent 25-person chamber orchestra.

"I got what probably is the last advance anybody will ever get for a record," Case says on the day she starts rehearsals for the tour, tuning into our Zoom from her very own studio, Carnassial Sound, a converted post office in St. Johnsbury, a town in Vermont where much of *Neon Grey* came to life. "So I thought it would be good to spread it around and pay these people to play." She's often wry like that in her asides, unafraid to stare straight at the s--- facing artists today while still reveling in the magic of collaboration, of tinkering with so many strings.

Here, Case opens up to EW about the existential threats against musicians and other creatives, navigating her industry as a gender-fluid person, and using her songwriting to find beauty in sorrow.**

**: When you recorded the album, it was all of you playing live in one setting, and that totally comes across while listening to it. Why was it so important to you that it really sound like musicians gathered together? **

**NEKO CASE:** The world right now, and technology, are working hard to make people who create things obsolete. It's been really bad for musicians and pretty much every other field of work. But I just wanted to remind people what it sounds like when humans can make something together that way. There's nothing wrong with using instruments and having one person overdub a bunch of things. But I wanted the sound of the air, of all the people breathing together, and people's coats moving across a microphone, or human breaths. There's intention that you can hear, or you can feel.

**The record sounds so lived-in, like humans really made it, which is becoming a novelty of sorts. As an artist, what are your feelings about the rise of AI? **

I'm not worried about AI replacing real musicians. I don't think AI can write a song that makes you pull your car over and cry. But I do worry about our music and our art being mined to train AI. I don't think that's a consensual relationship. That is theft, and nobody wants it. If we were somehow compensated for that, maybe, but nobody gives us a choice in anything. And a lot of us, myself included, have a great deal of debt from [COVID-19] that's gonna be really hard to get out from underneath. And then somebody's just using your music to make money for training AI robots to kill people. [*sarcastically*] It's great.

Neko Case: 'I've always been a person who fights'

What to expect from 'Landman,' '9-1-1,' 'Nobody Wants This' and 29 other fall shows

**Thematically, the album seems to decenter romantic love while still basking in the glow of that feeling and how all-consuming it can be. What do you think love means in the context of this record? **

It's about sustenance and community, and a tribute. I lost so many friends in the music industry while making this record. If you lose somebody, you often think, 'Oh, I wish I had told them this or that.' I wanted that to come through on a record, and just tell all the musicians how great they are, because I don't know how great they feel*.*

**The record often feels morbid and majestic at the same time. Why do you think it's so important to find beauty in sorrow, especially now?**

[It] makes it less scary. I wanna remind people how powerful and how capable they are to call things out.

**You've been doing this for a while. Right now, we're seeing the reversal of social progress for women and other threatened demographics. How, in your eyes, has this rollback of progress impacted women in the music industry?**

What *has* changed in the music industry is there's way more women. We're not being paid for it, but we're pretty much running the show. And it's funny, when I first started making records and doing press, it was always all men who were doing the interviews. And it'll be like one out of 10 people who do the interviews now are men. Not that I wanna get rid of men. I'm just very excited that so many people are women. Of course, we've wanted to hear and see ourselves in music all this time. It's been a long time coming. But yeah, they still treat us like s---.

**Do you have a prominent example in mind?**

Just being talked to like you* *don't know what you're talking about. That's my favorite. It's only been 35 years — I couldn't possibly know what I'm talking about. And some of the patriarchal bias is even my own. I'm so indoctrinated with it that I'll be thinking about producers and I will think pretty much only of men. And I'm like, "Wow, [I'm] a producer and [I] still think about it that way." I'm always amazed at the bias I still have. That's something I try to tell men all the time. You're not the only person dealing with toxic masculinity. We have it too.

***Sign up for **'s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.*****

**In my eyes, the album truly climaxes in the title track. You exclaim, "I'm not your backdoor man / I'm not your oxeye daisy / I'm not your Listerine lady / Your girl!" What did you mean by that, and why did you have so much emphasis concentrated into that moment? **

It felt really good. I'm a gender-fluid person. I always refer to myself as a guy because that's how my grandma talked. And I always thought it was really funny, and it was really inclusive and really sly, but it was also really powerful. She was making everyone one gender: a guy. I can't tell you how many times people just corrected me. It's like, "Have you looked down my pants? Can you see how absurd it is to tell somebody what gender they are to their face, like they don't know?"

**Or, like it even matters what that person thinks in the first place…**

Who are we to tell people? I still go by she/her, but I'm not very hung up about it. I've never have felt like I have a place other than being a soul who does things. I've been obsessed with this since I was younger, but women, for the most part, I think they feel that they have to sing beautifully or pretty. I love women who don't have any qualms with just making their voice sound really ugly and guttural, and just bizarre or strange. It's also part of nature, which I really respect. Nature is just scabs and blood and eating each other, in the nicest way possible.

*Neon Grey Midnight Green* is out now. Case's North American tour kicks off October 1 in Woodstock, N.Y.**

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October 01, 2025

Neko Case on finding beauty in the sorrow: 'Death gives us so many gifts if you're willing to loo...

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FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets go on sale amid high demand and many uncertainties

FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets go on sale amid high demand and many uncertainties TIM REYNOLDS October 1, 2025 at 7:54 AM 0 President of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Gianni Infantino speaks at the Global Citizen Awards ceremony, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York.

- - FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets go on sale amid high demand and many uncertainties

TIM REYNOLDS October 1, 2025 at 7:54 AM

0

President of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Gianni Infantino speaks at the Global Citizen Awards ceremony, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

MIAMI (AP) — Not even half of the spots in the 48-team field have been claimed. The schedule of matches won't be finalized until December. And other than host nations U.S., Canada and Mexico, nobody has any idea where or when they'll be playing.

Millions of soccer fans worldwide evidently don't seem to mind any of those points.

Tickets to next year's FIFA World Cup officially go on sale Wednesday. The buyers will be those who were selected, out of 4.5 million applicants in a lottery that took place last month, to have the first formal chance to purchase tickets over the next few days. FIFA said lottery winners have been, or will soon be, informed by email.

There are unique questions for consumers heading into the tournament, particularly about how they'll get visas, if necessary, to visit the U.S. as the country cracks down on immigration. There are also more traditional concerns such as who, when and where — and none of those will be answered until the draw on Dec. 5. FIFA knows many fans won't fret about those answers; they'll just want tickets now and will figure out the rest later.

"These are not only outstanding figures, but also a strong statement," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on social media, reacting to the 4.5 million applicants for a spot in the purchase window that opened Wednesday. "The whole world wants to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26, the biggest, most inclusive and most exciting event ever. From Canada, Mexico and the United States, to countries big and small across every continent, fans are proving once again passion for football truly unites."

In divided times, the notion of soccer being something that "truly unites" will be put to the test.

Here are some things to know as tickets go on sale.

What's for sale?

Fans can purchase seats in one of four categories; Category 1 is the best seats, Category 4 is somewhere around the tops of stadiums. Ticket prices will range initially from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final but could — and almost certainly will — change as soccer's biggest event utilizes dynamic pricing for the first time.

There are other ways to get tickets other than shelling out big bucks. American Airlines announced last month that its AAdvantage loyalty program members can redeem miles for World Cup tickets, starting Oct. 13 for executive platinum and concierge key members, then Oct. 14 for platinum pro, platinum and gold members, followed on Oct. 15 by all members.

And starting Thursday, some Verizon customers will have access to free World Cup tickets and other perks. The telecommunications giant is a World Cup sponsor and will simply start dropping free ticket chances to its customers through its app.

"For me, there are few things as exciting as experiencing football live, whether that's on or off the pitch, and so I am proud to partner with Verizon to celebrate their plans to give fans unprecedented access to the tournament," said soccer icon David Beckham, part of Verizon's promotion for the World Cup.

Who's in?

The U.S., Mexico and Canada all automatically qualified as host nations. Also in so far: defending champion Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, South Korea, Brazil, Australia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Tunisia, Colombia, Paraguay and Morocco.

That leaves 30 spots still unclaimed.

FIFA said fans from 216 countries and territories applied to be part of the first ticket lottery. The top three nations of interest, to no surprise, were the hosts: the U.S., Mexico and Canada, in that order. The rest of the top 10, also in order of application totals: Germany, England, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain and Italy.

Nobody has said how many tickets FIFA plans to sell in this first window. Availability won't be depleted; based on the listed stadium attendance figures, there are roughly 7.1 million seats to fill for the 104 matches around 16 North American venues, though it's unknown how many of those seats will be available for sale to the public.

Will visitors travel to the U.S.?

There is an immigration crackdown unfolding across the U.S., which could dampen overseas interest in traveling to the country. U.S. tourism officials have already noted a drop in overseas visitors this year and even organizers in some U.S. host cities have acknowledged that political dynamics may have an impact on attendance.

Adding to some of the uncertainty, President Donald Trump, who has a close relationship with Infantino, has suggested that the host cities could be changed if he wants to move some events away from places his administration considers unsafe.

The U.S. cities that are scheduled to host are East Rutherford, New Jersey; Inglewood, California; Foxborough, Massachusetts; Houston; Arlington, Texas; Atlanta; Seattle; Santa Clara, California; Philadelphia; Kansas City, Missouri and Miami Gardens, Florida.

"If any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup … we won't allow it to go there," Trump said last week. "We'll move it around a little bit. But I hope that's not going to happen."

The State Department says that "the safety and security of the United States" along with "World Cup matches, athletes, fans, and venues" are the top priorities with regard to its role in the World Cup process. It also suggests that travelers who need a visa should start applying now, and officials have said the U.S. is trying "to ensure an efficient, smooth, and effective visa process."

What's next?

A second phase, called an early ticket draw, likely will run from Oct. 27-31, with purchase timeslots from mid-November to early December. A third phase, termed a random selection draw, will start after the final draw of teams on Dec. 5 determines the World Cup schedule.

Tickets will also be available closer to the tournament "on a first-come, first-served basis." FIFA also said it will start an official resale platform.

Some tickets have already been snagged; hospitality packages have been sold since May.

"The world will come together in North America," Infantino promised, "like never before."

The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19.

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AP soccer: https://ift.tt/JH2NWiF

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

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