The World Cup is here

The world's biggest sporting event kicks off this afternoon.

At 3pm ET, South Africa will play Mexico in the first match of the 2026 World Cup.

The last World Cup was a little different.

Because it was held in Qatar, the 2022 tournament was played in November instead of the usual summer. Which means my World Cup memory that year involves me — on my couch, still in my running clothes — watching soccer after running the Wayne Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.

(Run a 5K + eat turkey + watch the World Cup = highly recommend.)

But my love for soccer goes back further than 2022.

In 2011, I spent a year in Chile. When the national team played, the country stopped to watch. Watching these games holds a special place in my heart because when I moved to Chile, my Spanish was terrible. So, I couldn’t understand what was being said nor could I communicate my thoughts. But while watching soccer, I didn't need to be fluent in Spanish to connect with the people around me. We were all watching the same game, and we all felt the same way when a goal was scored — ecstatic.

Some things transcend continents.

This year, Philadelphia is hosting 6 World Cup matches — including a Round of 16 knockout game on July 4th, our country's 250th birthday. In other words, the whole world will watch a soccer game in Philly exactly 250 years after America’s founding fathers declared independence.

I've been lucky to play a small part in Philly’s 250 celebrations and I won't pretend that organizing a 5K is the same level of undertaking as the World Cup. The scale isn't close.

But the mission is the same — hosting an event that brings people together.

A World Cup match has billion-dollar broadcast deals and the best athletes in the world. A neighborhood 5K has a scrappy group of volunteers making things happen.

However, if you strip away the scale, the events are both working to accomplish the same thing — bringing strangers together to feel part of something bigger than themselves.

You don't need 80,000 fans in a stadium to do that. You need a start line, a finish line, and a good reason for people to sign up.

So this summer, while the best soccer players represent their countries, remember that we’re all working towards the same goal — creating more unity.

— Ian

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