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Every team heading into this World Cup is managing something. Spain has Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in a Chattanooga training room racing the clock. Morocco lost two starters in their final warm-up. Brazil has already burned through an injury replacement before a ball has been kicked. The uncertainty is universal, and it is part of what makes the next few days feel so alive.

Atlanta is seven days away from its own answer. Spain arrives at Mercedes-Benz Stadium next Monday, and this city has been building toward that moment longer than most people realize. Whatever happens between now and then, with fitness reports and lineup decisions and last-minute scares, the World Cup is coming here. We have been around the corner from this all along.

The news out of Chattanooga is about as good as Spain could have hoped for. Coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed Sunday that Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will be available for the defending European champions' World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15, a significant boost for a side that has been managing both players through hamstring injuries over the past several weeks.

Yamal, 18, has not played since suffering the injury during Barcelona's La Liga win over Celta Vigo on April 22. He and Williams, who missed the end of Athletic Club's season with a similar issue, stayed behind at Spain's Chattanooga training base while the rest of the squad traveled to Mexico for tonight's friendly against Peru. Osasuna's Víctor Muñoz, also working through a knock, remained with them. De la Fuente said the medical staff recommended keeping all three in Tennessee for more specific recovery work, and by Sunday all three had returned to full group training.

"If there are no setbacks in the coming days, we expect them to be available on the 15th," De la Fuente said. "I think all three will be in a position to play." He was careful, though, to pump the brakes on starting lineup speculation, describing it as "more complicated" and noting that how many minutes any of the three see against Cape Verde remains an open question.

There was one other item out of the Spanish camp worth noting. A training ground collision between Gavi and Rodri drew some attention, but De la Fuente quickly moved to close that story. "This is football, it's training, everyone gives their all," he said. "Nobody has to apologize or criticize anything." Teammate Yeremy Pino backed that up with a bit of humor, joking that what Gavi brings to the group is "kicks" before offering genuine praise for his fight and energy. Spain's World Cup opener is seven days away in Atlanta, and the camp feels settled.

The Atlas Lions came away from Sunday's final warm-up match with a result they can live with, but an injury report that is genuinely concerning. Morocco drew 1-1 with Norway at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, with Brahim Díaz giving them an early lead before Martin Ødegaard equalized with 15 minutes to go. The performance had its moments. The injury news afterward did not.

Winger Abdessamad Ezzalzouli came off at halftime after a collision during a Norwegian corner left him in clear discomfort. Initial assessments point to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, and early reports suggest a recovery timeline of three to four weeks, which would rule him out of Morocco's entire group stage. He will undergo further testing Monday, but the early prognosis is not encouraging for a player who has made 35 appearances for the Atlas Lions and was expected to be a key creative presence in Group C.

The Ezzalzouli news is bad enough. The situation with right back Noussair Mazraoui adds another layer of anxiety. The Manchester United defender came off in the 29th minute with what appears to be a partial shoulder dislocation. Early reports offered a bit more cautious optimism there, with initial assessments suggesting the injury may not be as severe as first feared. Morocco are awaiting scan results before making any determination on his availability for their June 13 opener against Brazil.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi was candid after the match. "Two players went off injured. We're waiting to see how serious it is. I'm more concerned about that," he said. Morocco face Brazil first, then Scotland on June 19 at Gillette Stadium, and finally Haiti on June 24 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium right here in Atlanta. The Atlas Lions were surprise semifinalists in Qatar and carry genuine ambitions into this tournament. Losing two starters before the first whistle would be a significant test of the squad's depth.

Colombia arrived in San Diego for their final World Cup tune-up and dominated Jordan in a strong performance, with Jhon Arias scoring twice in a 2-0 win that had Los Cafeteros looking sharp, confident, and ready. It is the kind of show from Colombia that reminds you that they are a team to keep an eye on this summer.

Uzbekistan will make its World Cup debut in 2026, a genuinely historic moment for Central Asian football. But the country's relationship with the global game, and specifically with Brazil, goes back further than most people realize. Long before the White Wolves earned their place in this tournament, a club in Tashkent tried to buy its way onto the world stage with one of the most unlikely spending sprees in football history.

The story centers on Bunyodkor, a club founded in 2005 by oil industry businessmen who had ambitions that stretched well beyond the Uzbek Championship. Their first move was audacious: they announced the signing of Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona. The deal never happened, with Inter Milan ultimately winning that race, but the announcement alone put Bunyodkor on the global football map. Undeterred, the club pivoted to Rivaldo, signing the 2002 World Cup winner out of Greece on a contract worth more than 10 million euros. He rewarded them immediately, becoming the league's top scorer in 2009 with 20 goals and winning the national title twice before leaving in 2010 after 42 goals in 76 appearances.

The coaching side of the project was equally ambitious. Zico arrived in September 2008 and, in roughly 100 days, won both the Uzbek Championship and the Uzbek Cup while guiding Bunyodkor to the AFC Champions League semifinals. He left for CSKA Moscow in January 2009, and Bunyodkor responded by hiring Luiz Felipe Scolari, who at the time was reportedly the highest-paid coach on the planet. Felipão had been expected to stay in European football after leaving Chelsea, but the financial terms from Tashkent were simply too good. "I went to Uzbekistan and received practically double my salary," he said in a recent interview. His side went 28 wins and 4 draws across 32 matches and won the 2009 national championship.

The project eventually ran out of steam. Rivaldo and the other Brazilian players departed, a Barcelona partnership cooled, and Bunyodkor drifted into financial difficulty. But something the Brazilian era helped build did not disappear entirely. The investment in youth infrastructure, the raised profile, the ambition of thinking beyond Central Asia, all of it contributed to a football culture that has grown steadily in Uzbekistan over the past decade and a half. Now the national team is headed to North America for a first World Cup appearance. The dream that started with a headline about Eto'o and a contract for Rivaldo did not die in Tashkent. It just took a different shape.

The World Cup is three days away. Mexico opens at the Estadio Azteca against South Africa on Thursday, and by the weekend the full tournament will be underway. The final week of preparation has been everything you would expect: coaches rotating lineups, players pushing through knocks, and storylines multiplying by the hour. The tournament hasn't kicked a ball yet and it already has our full attention.

On The Field

Brazil's injury issues keep piling up. Right back Wesley, who was expected to start at the back for Carlo Ancelotti's side, suffered a left thigh injury in Saturday's 2-1 friendly win over Egypt and has been ruled out of the tournament entirely. Atalanta midfielder Éderson has been called up as his replacement, making him the first player in 20 years to join Brazil's World Cup squad as an injury substitute. Meanwhile, Neymar was set to undergo an MRI on Monday to evaluate a grade 2 muscle strain in his right calf, adding another layer of concern for the five-time champions ahead of their Group C opener against Morocco on June 13.

Canada is dealing with its own injury anxiety. Centre back Moïse Bombito, recovering from a broken tibia suffered in October, has been unable to convince the coaching staff he is ready. He played 30 minutes against Uzbekistan in a pre-tournament friendly and was seen limping off with an ice pack on the same leg. Coach Jesse Marsch confirmed the team is giving him until June 11 at 3 p.m. ET, 24 hours before the Bosnia opener, to prove his fitness. Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ralph Priso has remained in camp and is the likely replacement. Twenty-year-old Luc de Fougerolles, who impressed against Ireland, is expected to start alongside Derek Cornelius if Bombito is ruled out.

Off The Field

The fan experience conversation around this World Cup is one worth having. With 78 FIFA-sanctioned fan fests spread across the three host nations, the scale is unlike anything the tournament has produced before. But the 48-team expanded format means more games over a longer stretch, and cities are feeling the financial weight of it. Some fan zones are charging admission or selling premium packages to cover costs. New York City responded by announcing free events in all five boroughs. Toronto initially floated a $10 entry fee before public backlash prompted a reversal, though a limited number of premium tickets will still be sold alongside the free ones. The tension between access and sustainability is real, and it is playing out differently in every host city. Seattle, for its part, found a distinctly Pacific Northwest solution: a functioning soccer pitch on a barge, moored at Pier 62 on Elliott Bay, complete with a massive video screen and free clinics for kids. It will host watch parties throughout the tournament and is exactly the kind of thing that makes a World Cup feel like it belongs to the city, not just to FIFA.

Bellingham's Starting Spot Is Not Guaranteed: England manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed that Jude Bellingham is competing with 13 or 14 other potential starters for a place in the lineup. Morgan Rogers appeared in all eight of England's qualifying matches while Bellingham featured in just four. Tuchel said Bellingham looks sharp in training and has the hunger of a player coming back from injury, but his spot is not automatic. England open against Croatia on June 17 in Dallas.

Luka Modric Scores in What May Be His Final Home International: Croatia edged Slovenia 2-1 on Sunday in their final warm-up, with Modric scoring his 29th international goal in 198 appearances before Mario Pasalic grabbed a stoppage-time winner. Croatia open against England on June 17 in Dallas.

Algeria Extends Petkovic Through 2028: The Algerian federation announced a contract extension for coach Vladimir Petkovic just before the team departed for the United States. The Desert Foxes beat the Netherlands 1-0 in a recent friendly and open the World Cup against defending champion Argentina on June 16 in Kansas City.

Iran Arrives in Mexico With Visa Complications: The Iranian squad landed in Tijuana after a complicated lead-up to the tournament, with several key staff members still without U.S. visas at arrival. Those include the federation's secretary-general and vice president. Iran defender Ehsan Hajsafi publicly called on FIFA to resolve the issue. The team plays its first two matches in Inglewood before heading to Seattle.

Brothers on Opposite Sides: Four sets of brothers will compete at this World Cup representing different countries, a reflection of global migration's impact on the game. The Williams brothers, Iñaki for Ghana and Nico for Spain, are the most prominent pair. The Doué brothers split between France and Ivory Coast, the Souttar brothers between Australia and Scotland, and Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey between Ghana and the Netherlands round out the group. No sibling matchups are scheduled in the group stage.

USL Super League Flips to Spring-Fall Calendar: The USL Super League announced it will switch from its fall-to-spring schedule to a spring-to-fall calendar beginning in 2027, aligning with the NWSL. League president Amanda Vandervort cited domestic collaboration, the 2031 Women's World Cup, and potential inter-league cup competition with the NWSL as key factors in the decision. An abbreviated fall 2026 season will bridge the transition.

CF Montreal Eyes Olympic Stadium Move: MLS commissioner Don Garber traveled to Montreal to support the club's exploration of a move from Stade Saputo to the city's Olympic Stadium. The visit came as Garber acknowledged there has been no progress on the Vancouver situation, where the Whitecaps remain in a stalled lease negotiation with the Province of British Columbia at B.C. Place, with relocation to Las Vegas still a topic of conversation.

SDH AM — Live now on YouTube and Twitch: Jon Nelson has Abe Gordon from 92.9 The Game in studio this morning, with coverage spanning the USMNT, USWNT, Atlanta United 2, and everything happening in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Atlanta Soccer Tonight — Tonight at 10pm on 92.9 The Game, the Audacy app, and the 92.9 YouTube channel: Spain takes on Peru tonight in their final warm-up before arriving in Atlanta next Monday, and it is must-watch television given everything we know about Yamal, Williams, and the injury cloud hanging over the squad.

Christian Eriksen Discharged After Collapsing in Denmark Friendly: Eriksen, 34, collapsed in the 65th minute of Denmark's friendly against Ukraine on Sunday after appearing to hold his chest. The team doctor confirmed his implantable defibrillator responded as it should, and Eriksen briefly lost consciousness before walking off the pitch on his own. He was discharged from hospital Monday and returned home to his family.

Florentino Pérez Re-Elected Real Madrid President: Pérez won 65 percent of the vote in the first contested election at the club in 20 years, defeating challenger Enrique Riquelme. The result clears the path for José Mourinho's formal unveiling as manager, a move that will cost Madrid 15 million euros after the election delay voided an earlier release clause in Mourinho's Benfica contract.

Manchester City Pushing Hard for Elliot Anderson: City had an opening bid for the Nottingham Forest midfielder rejected, with Forest holding out for around 100 million pounds. City are pressing ahead regardless, and Anderson has reportedly already been cleared by England manager Thomas Tuchel to undergo a medical during the World Cup.

Club América Hires Guillermo Almada: The Mexican giants officially confirmed the Uruguayan coach as their new manager for the 2026 Apertura, signing him to a two-year deal with an option for a third. Almada won the 2022 Liga MX Apertura title and the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup with Pachuca, though his two most recent stints in Spain with Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo produced difficult results.

Atlanta has been circling this moment for years, and in seven days it arrives: Spain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, one of the best players on the planet racing the clock to be ready, and a city that has earned its place on the World Cup stage about to find out what that actually means. We have been around the corner from this all along.

Song of the Day: "So Fresh, So Clean" by OutKast. Atlanta's moment is here, and nobody said it better than the hometown legends.

Jason