Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight! I remember just about eight years ago being excited about the 2026 FIFA World Cup being selected to take place in my own backyard, and making a point of saying—perhaps naively—that I would “definitely” be in attendance at the Meadowlands in a sea of fans from all over the world and from all walks of life for what would undoubtedly be a memorable global sporting event. Well, over the span of that eight years, that “definitely” has been eroded, and my romanticism blunted by astronomical ticket prices fueled by high demand and in some instances, gouging. Indeed, prices range from a monthly car payment to several months mortgage payments.

For this “beautiful game,” the lower barrier to entry for those learning to play, stands in stark contrast to the price of entry for those looking to watch in person. And that’s to say nothing of concession prices (which don’t really seem like much of a “concession”) or even transit prices, which could cost about $150 for a train ride between New York City and the Meadowlands. That people are willing to pay these prices is a testament to the draw of the World Cup and the explosion of popularity of soccer here in the US, but still, it does not have to be this way. The mountains of dollars that go into infrastructure, security and planning for these events have to come from somewhere—and municipalities are (rightly so) loathe to pass the costs onto taxpayers, and FIFA is not ponying up any money despite standing to earn an estimated $11 billion from this Summer’s tournament. So, alas, prices get passed along to the consumer. So, unless I win some sort of sweepstakes or get invited to a match (first two rounds of beers are on me, just saying…), I will be making a fiscally responsible decision to watch from the best seat in the house (my own). And if these prices seem like a strain for a gainfully employed lawyer who has a casual interest in soccer, then they are completely out of reach for a working class family with kids that eat, sleep and breathe soccer and who would give anything to be close to the action.

• • Philadelphia 76ers Guard Tyrese Maxey debuts his signature New Balance shoe, the Maxey v1 during his team’s NBA Playoffs play-in game – meaning not only are the shoes tie-on but they are on Ty.
  • Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has been sued for $7 million for allegedly breaching a contract to play in an international friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela. So much for being friendly!
  • Just four years after the commercial success of the 2024 film “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun,” Actor Tom Cruise is reprising his role for “Top Gun 3.” A big relief for those concerned that another 18 year lag might mean that Maverick’s fighter jet might have to be replaced with a missile-equipped wheelchair.