A Grip on Sports: The world’s biggest tournament begins today with about 15% of the population knowing their country could actually win

A GRIP ON SPORTS • And so it begins. The 2026 World Cup. North America’s cup. The first match is today. In Mexico City. El Tri, as Mexico’s national team is affectionally called, facing off with South Africa. Then, for the next month or so, a dominating presence on the continent’s sports scene. But enough about that. How about those Knicks, huh?

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• Soccer is the world’s game. And the tournament that begins today is the pinnacle of that. A once-every-four-years spendfest that determines the best in the world. Mostly.

Though 48 teams are invited, those from much of the world, from Africa to Asia through, yes, the host continent, have little in the way of hope. In fact, if you live outside of Europe or South America, you might as well watch the rest of the NBA finals. And the NHL’s. Then baseball or basketball or something. History tells us your country doesn’t have a shot at the cool-looking trophy.

Of the 22 Cups since 1930, when host Uruguay won the first competition, teams from South America have hosted the trophy 10 times. Including four years ago when Lionel Messi led Argentina to its third title. The other 12 titles? They belong to European countries.

Heck, no one outside those two continents have even made the finals. Only four countries – Morocco in 2022, South Korea and Turkey in 2002, and the U.S. in 1930 – have reached the semifinals. And, heck, 3% of Turkey is in Europe, so maybe it should be disqualified from this list.

Basically, 85% of the world lives in the same space as Mariner fans. There is hope each quadrennium, but somewhere before the competition ends, it dies an ignominious death. At the feet of someone from Europe or South America.

You may have wondered why so much of the soccer talk leading up to this 23rd Cup has focused on the U.S. team’s chance to reach the quarterfinals. Simple. That’s the goal. The golden trophy? That’s out of reach. Don’t fixate on it. It will end up in France or Germany or Brazil or the like.

Don’t fret. The quarterfinals are the goal of quite a few other nations as well.

But, hey, take solace in this. No matter how well the U.S. team does in its matches, it has a better chance to win this tournament than Italy. The four-time champions didn’t even qualify. For the third consecutive time.

Makes one wonder if the folks in Milan and Naples are rooting for the Knicks or the Spurs this week.

• At least no one in Mexico today, or in Canada and the U.S. Friday (the U.S. men start their group at So-Fi Stadium against Paraguay at 6 p.m. on Fox) have to worry about blowing a record-breaking lead as San Antonio did Wednesday night. Mainly it’s hard to translate what a 29-point lead looks like in a World Cup soccer match. A 6-0 one? Maybe?

Not only did the Spurs collapse at the Garden, they exhibited about every way possible to allow it to happen.

Including not understanding the basic nature of two parts of the game: time and score.

Point guard De’Aaron Fox, a guy who should understand the concept, had a chance to crush the Knicks’ chances with 11 seconds remaining in New York’s 107-106 comeback win. He had a runout off a miss with the Spurs leading by one. Thought he could give his team a three-point lead by scoring. Didn’t, in large part because OG Anunoby made the first of two game-winning plays. He ran Fox down and blocked his shot.

But what would have happened if Fox had eschewed the shot attempt. If he had dribbled away from Anunoby and the two other Knicks chasing him?

He probably could have killed a second or two. Maybe three. And then would have gone to the line. Shot two free throws. In his career he’s made three of every four he’s tried. He had hit both of his attempts already Thursday.

If he made one, as his career indicates he would, the Spurs lead by two. Time out Knicks. If they run the same set and have the same result? Game tied. Either overtime or the Spurs, with a second or two more available, run a different set and have a last-second shot.

Either way, Fox did not make the right decision. And he may rue it forever.

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WSU: Football’s top recruiting month, June, rolls on – as does the Cougars’ success. Greg Wood tells us about the latest couple of players to say they want to continue their career in Pullman. … The NCAA Track and Field meet opened in Eugene on Wednesday and a Cougar was part of the featured race. Evans Kurui placed sixth in the 10,000-meter run and earned All-American honors for a second consecutive year. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, the Brendan Sorsby case just keeps grabbing the limelight. Yesterday billionaire bankroller (and Texas Tech regent) Cody Campbell threatened legal action if anyone messed with Tech’s schedules. Called it restraint of trade. Good for him. Others may call it justice. Or deserved. Anyone can sue over anything. That doesn’t mean they are right. Or will prevail. … John Canzano’s column subject Wednesday, about the West having been shunted aside in college athletics the past couple decades, has been a subject here often. As Canzano shows, it is getting worse. … Jon Wilner takes a look in the Mercury News at the Big Ten’s best quarterback rooms. … Oregon State keeps adding defensive line recruits. … New coach JaMarcus Shephard has bonuses in his contract that are weighted toward winning in the regular season. … Deion Sanders is paid a bunch of money coaching Colorado. Turns out, a bit more than he should have been paid. … ReOKcruiting is still in play for Arizona. … Can Fresno State find the money to play with the big guys of the Pac-12? … In basketball news, Colorado’s men will play San Diego State this season for the first time in 50 years. … Randy Bennett has added a lot of size to Arizona State’s roster. … The women’s coach at Arizona and her wife are expecting. And she is not happy how some have reacted to it. 

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Northern Arizona’s women have added another transfer to their basketball roster. Olivia Moore played at Mead High. … Yes, the new John Madden Football Center is not only Cal Poly’s future but also harkens to the past.

Preps: Drew Rasmussen once struck out batters wearing a Mt. Spokane uniform. Did the same for Oregon State. But he’s never struck out more in an MLB uniform than he did last night for Tampa against the Red Sox. His 13 were a career high. He is 6-2 this year and has thrown two of his best outings in the past week.

Indians: Spokane rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth, rallied and topped first-place Eugene 10-9 on the road. Dave Nichols has a lot more in this story.

Mariners: George Kirby had not been pitching well. That ended last night in Baltimore. At least for five innings. But all those scoreless ones got him was a tie. And when Pete Alonso took him deep in the sixth, Kirby did what he does often. Let the bad mojo grow. He gave up two more runs, the offense didn’t really show up until the last two innings and the M’s fell 7-2. … Cooper Criswell’s last two outings were not good. Turns out he’s hurt. And now on the injured list. … The M’s catchers have done well with Cal Raleigh out. Does anyone remember Wally Pipp?

Seahawks: As we said yesterday, the Hawks are in minicamp mode. Devon Witherspoon was there, despite being in contract talks. And Jaxon Smith-Njigba received the correct trophy. Those stories we linked yesterday in the Times are on the S-R site today. … There is more about Zach Charbonnet too, as he comes back four months after major knee surgery. … The offense is new again. It’s been a focus as minicamp winds down.

Storm: Another homecoming for a former player last night. Another loss for the host Storm. Los Angeles won 88-83.

World Cup: One of the teams hoping to become the first from 85% of the world to win the Cup, Egypt, is training in Spokane. At Gonzaga. Theo Lawson has this story on the team’s open-to-the-public workout Wednesday. … Players from Washington have competed in the competition before, six women and five men. … The state’s pro teams have also sent players to the tournaments. … Belgium is making itself at home at the Sounders’ headquarters.

NHL: The Hurricanes are playing like their coach used to play. At least one of them is.

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• As much as I root for the U.S. in every international competition – hey, my blood is blu, er, red, just like everyone else – there is no way I’m going to get overly excited about the team’s chances this next month. If the men do well? Great. If they don’t? I’ll still be rooting. Though watching might not always be an option. To quote my hero Cliff Claven when Sam was shocked folks knew Norm at a bowling alley: “He’s got a life, you know.” Until later …