Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are reportedly costing several hundred dollars, with some reaching thousands.
FIFA plans to use ‘dynamic pricing,’ which could increase ticket costs further based on demand.
The high cost of attending may prevent many families and potential new fans from experiencing the tournament in person.

How foolish to think FIFA president Gianni Infantino is talking about the game when he raves about the growth next year’s World Cup will bring.

Given the outrageous ticket prices, he’s clearly referring to FIFA’s ballooning bank account.

Prices for tickets to the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States were finally revealed last week during the Visa presale window and, according to The Athletic, most cost several hundreds of dollars. Tickets for the U.S. men’s national team opener in Los Angeles start at $560 for one of the few nose-bleed seats available, while the best seats will set you back $2,735. Want to go to the Final at MetLife Stadium? It’s going to cost you big, with tickets ranging from $2,030 up to $6,370.

There are some $60 seats, but they are only for group-stage games and The Athletic reported they are “extremely scarce” and often located in the uppermost corners of the stadium.

Add in airfare and hotels for those traveling, or parking for those who are local, and the cost of going to one World Cup game, let alone several, is going to be more than the GDP of some countries.

Infantino and his FIFA brethren are like so many of the elites these days: tone deaf to the economic reality of those who aren’t part of their wine and cheese set. Or don’t have Qatari and Saudi sugar daddies.

Say you want to take a family of four to see the USMNT play in the World Cup. The cheapest seats, for the second group-stage game in Seattle, are $90 each, according to The Athletic. Infantino can probably scrounge up the $360 just by pulling up the cushions of the couches and seats in his private jet, but for a working-class family — hell, for a middle-class family — that is prohibitively expensive.

And it could get worse! There will be several windows for the general public to purchase tickets, and FIFA plans to use ‘dynamic pricing’ as it did for the Club World Cup, scaling prices by demand for the game. So if there’s a rush on tickets for USMNT games (duh), expect that get-in price to rise.

2026 World Cup a missed opportunity to grow soccer in US

Explain to me like I’m 5 how this World Cup is going to attract a new generation of fans and expand the reach of the game in the United States when only the wealthiest people can experience it in person.

And don’t say by watching on television. Americans have been able to watch the major European leagues, Champions League, continental championships in Europe and South America, and the World Cup for a good decade now and that hasn’t prompted the kind of growth Infantino envisions next year’s tournament creating.

“You have a good team, you have good players, you have a great coach as well — Mauricio Pochettino, who’s fantastic — and these players they play now for the best teams in the world or in Europe, if you want, and the world can see that,” Infantino said in April during an appearance on FOX’s “The Herd.”

“Combine this with the fact that a World Cup is going to be played at home, well, that’s a pretty explosive combination, isn’t it?’

It could have been. But greed won out.

1999 World Cup inspired fans, players

Imagine grade school-aged kids getting to see Christian Pulisic play in person. Or, better yet, Kylian Mbappé or Lamine Yamal. They’d see how captivating the game is at the feet of the best players in the world and be mesmerized by the carnival-like atmosphere in the stadium. That’s how you entice kids to start playing soccer or stick with it beyond Lil’ Kickers. That’s how you create lifelong fans.

How do we know this? Because of all the players on the U.S. women’s national team that won the World Cup in 2015 who recalled going to games during the 1999 tournament in the United States and being inspired by the USWNT.

“I was still a little bit young, but I definitely thought, ‘I would love this. This would be really cool to get to do,’” former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who went to the 1999 tournament with her sister and their club teammates, told USA TODAY Sports in 2023.

“It was the first time that it was a bigger thought than just doing it as a kid — that you could participate and do something like that when you grew up.”

This World Cup could have had a similar impact. Alas, Infantino and FIFA only see it as a cash cow to be bled dry. First it was super-sizing the tournament, going from 32 teams to 48 in 2026. Now it’s prices jacked up to Super Bowl heights.

FIFA did something similar at the Club World Cup, only to be forced to lower ticket prices because of low demand. Fitting, really, because Infantino and FIFA do nothing but continue to cheapen the game they are supposed to be championing.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

University of Oklahoma men’s basketball coach Porter Moser offered a fond remembrance of Loyola-Chicago super fan Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, who died on Thursday at the age of 106.

Moser spent 10 seasons as head coach for the Ramblers, including during the two deep NCAA tournament runs that introduced the nation to Sister Jean, the program’s chaplain and an ever-present figure donning a scarf featuring the program’s maroon and gold colors.

‘As we all mourn the death of our dear friend Sister Jean, my heart is sad but also filled with joy and gratitude for my time spent with her and the impact she had on my life and so many others,’ Moser wrote in a message posted to social media on Friday, Oct. 10.

‘She had time for everyone. She had a kind word for everyone. She listened and gave encouragement to everyone. She had true self purpose to help others. What a legacy to leave behind.’

‘I will be talking about Sister Jean for years to come,’ Moser continued. ‘Her unparalleled positivity and energy for life. To the best of my ability, I will be sharing her purpose to help others.’

Moser arrived at Loyola-Chicago in 2011, taking over a program that had been waiting 26 seasons to get back to the Big Dance. While the Ramblers struggled to a 32-61 record in the Naperville, Illinois native’s first three seasons, better times were ahead.

A CBI championship at the end of the 2014-15 season was eventually followed by an incredible 2017-18 run, during which Loyola-Chicago won the Missouri Valley Conference title. Seeded 11th in the NCAA tournament, the Ramblers captured the nation’s attention with three consecutive nail-biting wins over Miami, Tennessee and Nevada before a fourth upset, of Kansas State, sent the team to its first Final Four since 1963.

Sister Jean was along for the wild ride, becoming one of the stars of the tournament in part due to her leading the team in basketball-influenced pregame prayers. The same dynamic played out in 2021, when the Ramblers — in what turned out to be Moser’s final season with the program — went on a run to the Sweet 16 that included an upset of No. 1 seed Illinois.

Former Loyola-Chicago coach Moser’s remembrance of Sister Jean

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PHOENIX — Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas suffered an apparent shoulder injury during Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals on Friday at Mortgage Market Arena.

Thomas left the game with 9.2 seconds remaining in the first half after a collision with Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd. Thomas and Loyd bumped shoulders on a screen, which sent the Phoenix forward to the floor. While on the court, Thomas was writhing back and forth in apparent pain, grabbing her shoulder, before teammates and Mercury staff rushed to her side.

Thomas started the second half with a taped right shoulder. She is averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the postseason. She was named first-team All-WNBA earlier Friday.

While she was down, the call on Loyd was reviewed for a possible flagrant foul. After review, the call on the floor stood as a common foul, and Thomas headed to the locker room with the Mercury staff. The injury is notable as Thomas has torn labrums in both shoulders and has never had them fixed.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski named Sanders QB2, backing up starter Dillon Gabriel.
Sanders’ step up comes on the heels of Joe Flacco’s trade to the Cincinnati Bengals.
There was some speculation Bailey Zappe, not Sanders, would be named the backup for this weekend. That turned out not to be the case.

It truly might be only a matter of time for Shedeur Sanders.

On Friday, Oct. 10, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski named Sanders QB2, backing up starter Dillon Gabriel as the Browns get set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6.

Sanders’ step up comes on the heels of Joe Flacco’s trade to the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco, who was named starter this season, took snaps for four games before being benched in favor of Gabriel, the team’s 2025 third-round pick.

‘I’m always thinking about our players and what’s best for our players,’ Stefanski said Friday. ‘I want to make sure when it comes to young football players, particularly at the quarterback position, you are intentional about your decision making. And that’s really all it is.’

There was some speculation that Bailey Zappe, not Sanders, would be named the backup for this weekend. That turned out not to be the case with the Sanders promotion.

The Browns QB room has been in a state of flux since the preseason. Sanders was originally QB4 behind Flacco, Gabriel and Kenny Pickett. Pickett was traded to the Raiders ahead of the regular season, easing the path for Sanders’ ascent.

The Browns are searching for their second win of the season and travel to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh in Week 6 for the tilt.

Browns QB depth chart

Here’s how the passers in Cleveland’s QB room line up:

Dillon Gabriel
Shedeur Sanders
Bailey Zappe (practice squad)
Deshaun Watson (injured)

Sanders now rests comfortably in the QB2 spot behind third-round pick Dillon Gabriel.

The Browns also might see the return of Deshaun Watson this season, who was seen working out at the Browns practice facility earlier this week.

PHOENIX ― The Phoenix Mercury will be without forward Satou Sabally when Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces tips off on Friday at Mortgage Market Center (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Sabally has been ruled out after being diagnosed with a concussion after hitting her head on Kierstan Bell’s knee while trying to corral an offensive rebound in the waning minutes of Game 3. Sabally spent several moments down on the court before being helped to her feet and back to the locker room. The Mercury, who are down 0-3 to the Aces, have an even steeper climb without the forward. However, they remain focused on what’s in front of them.

‘We’re still playing for something,’ Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbets said.

‘Unfortunately, we’ve kind of been through this early in the year. We’ve had different people step up at different times. Rotation’s gonna look a little bit different, but we’ve got people who have been on the side, waiting for an opportunity. You’re just not gonna replace Satou [Sabally] with one person. We’re gonna have to do it collectively.’

Tibbets says the team is taking the WNBA Finals one game at a time and liked the energy heading into Game 4. He said they will remain a group that fights and will keep competing. The Phoenix head coach did not reveal who would replace Sabally in the lineup, but said, ‘We’re gonna have to get into the bench more.’

Over the last several days, the team reached out to Sabally and tried to visit her in the hospital, but under the guidance of her medical staff, visitors and screen time has been limited. Tibbets confirmed Sabally is home and disappointed she can’t continue to compete with her team, but understands this is the best course of action given her injury. When USA TODAY spoke with players from the Mercury, they understood what they must do in her absence.

‘We’ve missed one or more of our big three. We’ve always risen to the occasion. We’ve always stepped up,’ guard Sami Whitcomb said. ‘Our season’s on the line, so there’s no better opportunity for us to come together and rise to the challenge. I’m sure you’ll see people stepping up in ways that maybe they haven’t yet in this series. So as much as you never wanna lose someone ― someone that plays such a large role ― that’s sports sometimes. You adjust.’

Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner stated the obvious: Phoenix has been behind in the win column all playoffs, but they can’t continue to do that against Las Vegas’ many weapons. Bonner says the team has been trying to ‘crack the code’ to get a win and build some confidence. She said despite the pressure on them to win on Friday, they aren’t overwhelmed.

‘When one man goes down, the other one just has to step up. All hands on deck. We have nothing to lose,’ Bonner said. ‘So, we’re going to come out and play hard and keep playing the way we know how to play. Definitely gonna miss Satou [Sabally] and her scoring, her lift, her rebounding everything, [but it’s] the next man up. We’re gonna continue to compete for this championship.’

Phoenix maintains it will ‘chip away’ at the path to a championship one play at a time and ‘throw it up again’ and get to the next matchup when Game 4 begins. The message, Bonner said, has been simple: ‘Don’t panic. We’ve seen crazier things. It’s the playoffs, so it’s always a chance to come back.’Starting guard Monique Akoa Makani was a bit more vulnerable with USA TODAY, sharing that despite Sabally’s injury not changing the Mercury’s preparation, it’s always tough to see a teammate struggling. Akoa Makani says Phoenix has tried to stay focused and will do its best to honor Sabally by putting it all on the line Friday.

‘It has never been a question of quitting or feeling sorry for ourselves,’ Akoa Makani said. ‘We know that some of the teams, especially on the NBA side, have been in this position before. We said we’re going to do one win (in a row) four times.’

The school provided the contract to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, Oct. 10, one day after USA TODAY Sports reported on Smith’s employment status.

The contract — which all parties signed in the past 24 hours, per university spokesperson Daniel Pittman — shows Smith will make $850,000 from Ohio this season, including a $50,000 retention payment he would receive if he remains the Bobcats’ coach on Dec. 31, 2025, the final day of the parties’ contract year.

His base salary is $615,000, although he “may receive an annual increase … in accordance with University raise pool guidelines.” He is getting $135,000 in “supplemental compensation,” as consideration for “increased duties, including, but not limited to, external promotion, marketing, development, and communications”. He also can annually receive a $50,000 retention payment for being the school’s head coach as of June 30.

Smith began the season with the possibility of getting a maximum of $660,750 in performance-incentive bonuses, according to the contract. He already has secured a $15,000 bonus, as he can get that amount if the team wins a regular season game against a Power Four conference opponent. The Bobcats defeated West Virginia, 17-10, on Sept. 6 in Athens, Ohio. They also lost at Rutgers, 34-31, and lost at Ohio State, 37-9.

According to documents and correspondence USA TODAY Sports previously had received from the school, Smith’s compensation was to have an average annual value of $850,000 per year from Dec. 17, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2029. Those documents did not say what Smith was to be paid for this, or any other year of his employment. In addition, they said Smith will have performance incentives, but they “will be negotiated between the parties, the terms of which will be comparable with other Mid-American Conference institutions.”

Smith’s bonus maximum for this season ranks sixth among the 12 MAC coaches for whom USA Today Sports could determine that amount as part of its annual survey of major-college football head coaches’ pay.

As of Dec. 1, 2025, if Ohio fires Smith without cause, it would owe him $2,511,250 — that’s 100% of the base salary remaining on the contract. He would owe (or would to cause a third party to pay) the same amount if he leaves on Dec. 1, 2025. 

Central Michigan, another MAC school is still working with coach Matt Drinkall under a “letter of agreement” that leaves details about incentives and an annual retention bonus undetermined. But the letter of agreement states it is “a fully binding contract, and shall remain valid, enforceable, and fully binding until the Long Form Agreement is fully executed by both parties.”

San Francisco earned a thrilling Week 5 ‘Thursday Night Football’ win over the Los Angeles Rams behind a career night from backup quarterback Mac Jones.

The 49ers and their fans have to hope he’s able to go at least one more time.

Starting quarterback Brock Purdy will not play the 49ers’ Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per multiple reports. The 49ers’ franchise quarterback is still sidelined with a toe injury first suffered in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Jones is dealing with oblique and knee injuries as well and is questionable for the team’s Week 6 road game.

Jones has gone undefeated as a starter for San Francisco this season with wins over the Saints, Cardinals and Rams. His efforts have helped the 49ers keep atop the NFC West standings at 4-1 despite injuries on both sides of the ball.

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was also ruled out for Sunday’s game. With the team still waiting for tight end George Kittle’s return from injured reserve, San Francisco has relied on veterans like Kendrick Bourne to pick up the slack.

San Francisco still hasn’t placed Purdy on IR, which would require that he be out for at least four weeks. That could be a good sign he’ll be back in the lineup sooner than later after a one-off in Week 4 against Jacksonville.

49ers QB depth chart

Brock Purdy (injured)
Mac Jones
Adrian Martinez (practice squad)

Jones’ questionable status means there is a chance Martinez makes his 49ers debut Sunday in Tampa. The former undrafted free agent quarterback won MVP honors in the United Football League (UFL) in 2024 for the Birmingham Stallions. He was cut from the New York Jets’ practice squad at the end of training camp and signed with the 49ers in late August.