GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — FIFA on Friday blamed the empty seats during the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara on fans who watched from the concourses.
There were many visible empty spots at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, with sections in the middle of the stands showing many unoccupied spaces and with other empty seats scattered around the venue. The announced attendance was 44,985 — including FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match,” FIFA said, adding that it works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data.
“Please note that, during last night’s match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match,” the governing body of world soccer said.
There was indeed a significant number of fans standing on the concourses and by the concession stands throughout Thursday’s match.
There were some empty seats in Toronto also
On Friday, the stadium in Toronto was close to full for Canada’s first World Cup match on home soil, but there were some empty spots, notably close to the field in the lower bowl, and in a high corner of temporary seating.
Toronto Stadium, with an official capacity of 43,036, is the smallest venue in the tournament and had to have the extra seats added to meet FIFA’s minimum standards. The announced attendance on Friday was 43,002.
It’s a busy sports weekend in Toronto, with the Blue Jays hosting the New York Yankees and the Canadian Open golf tournament about an hour away.
FIFA charged record high ticket prices for this year’s World Cup
FIFA has been charging record ticket prices at the 11 stadiums in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. The soccer body was using dynamic pricing and has repeatedly raised the prices since tickets first went on sale last fall.
Infantino defended those prices Wednesday as fitting in the North American market, but they have been criticized for list prices that have reached five figures.
Before the tournament started on Thursday, 29 games were sold out (with wheelchair seats available for some of those) and 75 had tickets remaining.
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Associated Press writer Lexie Linderman in Toronto contributed to this report.
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Tickets to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup may be scarce and very expensive, but there are several ways soccer fans can watch all 104 matches scheduled across the United States, Mexico and Canada, that started Thursday, June 11.
“Imagine, with this World Cup, a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks,” U.S. team captain Tim Ream told CBS News, adding, “It’s not an accident that 5 billion people will be watching.”
FOX and NBCUniversal have the broadcasting rights for the 78 games being played in the U.S., as well as the 13 apiece in Canada and Mexico. A record of 40 matches, or more than a third of the World Cup, will air during primetime on FOX, according to the broadcaster.
For Spanish-language broadcasts, every single match will air on NBC-owned Telemundo and Universo.
All matches will also be available for on-demand streaming on several platforms. Here’s what to know.
How to watch the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup
Viewers with a TV antenna, or access to the FOX network channel through a smart TV, can watch 70 of the matches for free. The rest will air on Fox Sports 1, a cable channel.
Ninety-two of the 104 matches can be watched for free in Spanish on Telemundo. The rest of the matches in Spanish will air on Universo, a cable network.
For cord-cutters, the World Cup opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa, as well as the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12, will be available to stream for free on Tubi, an ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox.
All matches are available to stream through FOX One, the FOX Sports app, while Peacock has exclusive Spanish-language streaming rights. All matches will also be available on other streaming providers like YouTube TV, Fubo or Hulu + Live TV, for a subscription fee.
You can follow World Cup news and highlights throughout the tournament at CBSSports.com.
U.S. Men’s 2026 World Cup schedule
The U.S. World Cup team will play three matches in the group stage. Their Group D opponents are Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, in that order.
Their first match kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, June 12, against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The U.S. has a 3 p.m. ET kickoff against Australia at Lumen Seattle on Friday, June 19, and then a 10 p.m. ET start on Thursday, June 25, back at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood against Turkey.
2026 World Cup broadcast schedule
The tournament begins on June 11, with co-host Mexico playing the opener in Mexico City against South Africa. The U.S. and Canada will play their first games a day later in Los Angeles and Toronto, respectively. The group stage runs until June 27.
Here is the broadcast schedule:
June 11
Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A) — Mexico City
South Korea vs. Czechia (Group A) — Guadalajara
June 12
Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B): 1-1 draw
9 p.m. ET — USA vs. Paraguay (Group D) — Inglewood [FOX, Telemundo]
June 13
3 p.m. ET — Qatar vs. Switzerland (Group B) — San Francisco Bay Area [FOX, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Brazil vs. Morocco (Group C) — New York/New Jersey [FS1, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Haiti vs. Scotland (Group C) — Boston [FS1, Telemundo]
June 14
12:00 a.m. ET — Australia vs. Turkey (Group D) — Vancouver [FS1, Telemundo]
1:00 p.m. ET — Germany vs. Curaçao (Group E) — Houston [FOX, Telemundo]
4:00 p.m. ET — Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F) — Dallas [FOX, Telemundo]
7:00 p.m. ET — Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Group E) — Philadelphia [FS1, Telemundo]
10:00 p.m. ET — Sweden vs. Tunisia (Group F) — Monterrey [FS1, Telemundo]
June 15
12 p.m. ET — Spain vs. Cape Verde (Group H) — Atlanta [FOX, Telemundo]
3 p.m. ET — Belgium vs. Egypt (Group G) — Seattle [FOX, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Group H) — Miami [FS1, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Iran vs. New Zealand (Group G) — Inglewood [FS1, Telemundo]
June 16
3 p.m. ET — France vs. Senegal (Group I) — New York/New Jersey [FOX, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Iraq vs. Norway (Group I) — Boston [FOX, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Argentina vs. Algeria (Group J) — Kansas City [FOX, Telemundo]
June 17
12 a.m. ET — Austria vs. Jordan (Group J) — San Francisco Bay Area [FS1, Telemundo]
1 p.m. ET — Portugal vs. DR Congo (Group K) — Houston or Mexico City [FOX, Telemundo]
4 p.m. ET — England vs. Croatia (Group L) — Toronto or Dallas [FOX, Telemundo]
7 p.m. ET — Ghana vs. Panama (Group L) — Toronto or Dallas [FS1, Telemundo]
10 p.m. ET — Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (Group K) — Houston or Mexico City [FS1, Telemundo]
June 18
12 p.m. ET — Czechia vs. South Africa (Group A) — Atlanta [FOX, Telemundo]
3 p.m. ET — Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group A) — Los Angeles [FOX, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Canada vs. Qatar (Group B) — Vancouver [FS1, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Mexico vs. South Korea (Group A) — Guadalajara [FOX, Telemundo]
June 19
3 p.m. ET — USA vs. Australia (Group D) — Seattle [FOX, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Scotland vs. Morocco (Group C) — Boston [FOX, Telemundo]
8:30 p.m. ET — Brazil vs. Haiti (Group C) — Philadelphia [FOX, Telemundo]
11 p.m. ET — Turkey vs. Paraguay (Group D) — San Francisco Bay Area [FS1, Telemundo]
June 20
1 p.m. ET — Netherlands vs. Sweden (Group F) — Houston [FOX, Telemundo]
4 p.m. ET — Germany vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) — Toronto [FOX, Telemundo]
8 p.m. ET — Ecuador vs. Curaçao (Group E) — Kansas City [FS1, Telemundo]
June 21
12 a.m. ET — Tunisia vs. Japan (Group F) — Monterrey [FS1, Telemundo]
12 p.m. ET — Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) — Atlanta [FOX, Telemundo]
3 p.m. ET — Belgium vs. Iran (Group G) — Inglewood [FS1, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (Group H) — Miami [FS1, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — New Zealand vs. Egypt (Group G) — Vancouver [FS1, Telemundo]
June 22
1 p.m. ET — Argentina vs. Austria (Group J) — Dallas [FOX, Telemundo]
5 p.m. ET — France vs. Iraq – (Group I) — Philadelphia [FOX, Telemundo]
8 p.m. ET — Norway vs. Senegal (Group I) — New York/New Jersey [FOX, Telemundo]
11 p.m. ET — Jordan vs. Algeria (Group J) — San Francisco Bay Area [FS1, Telemundo]
June 23
1 p.m. ET — Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) — Houston [FOX, Telemundo]
4 p.m. ET — England vs. Ghana (Group L) — Boston [FOX, Telemundo]
7 p.m. ET — Panama vs. Croatia (Group L) — Toronto [FOX, Telemundo]
10 p.m. ET — Colombia vs. DR Congo (Group K) — Guadalajara [FS1, Telemundo]
June 24
3 p.m. ET — Canada vs. Switzerland (Group B) — Vancouver [FOX, Telemundo]
3 p.m. ET — Bosnia and Herzegovina A vs. Qatar (Group B) — Seattle [FS1, Universo]
6 p.m. ET — Morocco vs. Haiti (Group C) — Atlanta [FS1, Universo]
6 p.m. ET — Scotland vs. Brazil (Group C) — Miami [FOX, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Mexico vs. Czechia (Group A) — Mexico City [FOX, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — South Korea vs. South Africa (Group A) — Monterrey [FS1, Universo]
June 25
4 p.m. ET — Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) — Philadelphia [FS1, Universo]
4 p.m. ET — Ecuador vs. Germany (Group E) — New York/New Jersey [FOX, Telemundo]
7 p.m. ET — Tunisia vs. Netherlands (Group F) — Kansas City [FOX, Telemundo]
7 p.m. ET — Japan vs. Sweden (Group F) — Dallas [FS1, Universo]
10 p.m. ET — USA vs. Turkey (Group D) — Inglewood [FOX, Telemundo]
10 p.m. ET — Paraguay vs. Australia (Group D) — San Francisco Bay Area [FS1, Universo]
June 26
3 p.m. ET — Norway vs. France (Group I) — Boston [FOX, Telemundo]
3 p.m. ET — Senegal vs. Iraq (Group I) — Toronto [FS1, Universo]
8 p.m. ET— Uruguay vs. Spain (Group H) — Guadalajara [FOX, Telemundo]
8 p.m. ET— Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) — Houston [FS1, Universo]
11 p.m. ET— New Zealand vs. Belgium (Group G) — Vancouver [FOX, Telemundo]
11 p.m. ET— Egypt vs. Iran (Group G) — Seattle [FS1, Universo]
June 27
5 p.m. ET — Panama vs. England (Group L) — New York/New Jersey [FOX, Telemundo
5 p.m. ET — Croatia vs. Ghana (Group L) — Philadelphia [FS1, Universo]
7:30 p.m. ET — Colombia vs. Portugal (Group K) — Miami [FOX, Telemundo]
7:30 p.m. ET — DR Congo 1 vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) — Atlanta [FS1, Universo]
10 p.m. ET — Algeria vs. Austria (Group J) — Kansas City [FS1, Universo]
10 p.m. ET — Jordan vs. Argentina (Group J) — Dallas [FOX, Telemundo]
2026 World Cup knockout stage schedule
Round of 32:
June 28
3 p.m. ET — Runner-up Group A vs. Runner-up Group B — Inglewood (Match 73) [FOX, Telemundo]
June 29
1 p.m. ET — Winner Group C vs. Runner-up Group F — Houston (Match 76) [FOX, Telemundo]
4:30 p.m. ET — Winner Group E vs. Best 3rd place Group A/B/C/D/F — Boston (Match 74) [FOX, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Winner Group F vs. Runner-up Group C — Guadalupe, Mexico (Match 75) [FOX, Telemundo]
June 30
1 p.m. ET — Runner-up Group E vs. Runner-up Group I — Dallas (Match 78) [FOX, Telemundo]
5 p.m. ET — Winner Group I vs. Best 3rd place Group C/D/F/G/H — New Jersey (Match 77) [FOX, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Winner Group A vs. Best 3rd place Group C/E/F/H/I — Mexico City (Match 79) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 1
12 p.m. ET — Winner Group L vs Best 3rd place Group E/H/I/J/K — Atlanta (Match 80) [FOX, Telemundo]
4 p.m. ET — Winner Group G vs Best 3rd place Group A/E/H/I/J — Seattle (Match 82) [FS1, Telemundo]
8 p.m. ET — Winner Group D vs Best 3rd place Group B/E/F/I/J — San Francisco-Bay Area (Match 81) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 2
3 p.m. ET — Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J — Los Angeles (Match 84) [FOX, Telemundo]
7 p.m. ET — Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L — Toronto (Match 83) [FOX, Telemundo]
11 p.m. ET — Winner Group B vs Best 3rd place Group E/F/G/I/J — Vancouver (Match 85) [FS1, Telemundo]
July 3
2 p.m. ET — Runner-up Group D vs. Runner-up Group G — Dallas (Match 88) [FOX, Telemundo]
6 p.m. ET — Winner Group J vs. Runner-up Group H — Miami (Match 86) [FOX, Telemundo]
9:30 p.m. ET — Winner Group K vs. Best 3rd place Group D/E/I/J/L — Kansas City (Match 87), Telemundo]
Round of 16:
July 4
1 p.m. ET — Match 73 winner vs. Match 75 winner — Houston (Match 90) [FOX, Telemundo]
5 p.m. ET — Match 74 winner vs. Match 77 winner — Philadelphia (Match 89) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 5
4 p.m. ET — Match 76 winner vs. Match 78 winner — New Jersey (Match 91) [FOX, Telemundo]
8 p.m. ET — Match 79 winner vs. Match 80 winner — Mexico City (Match 92) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 6
3 p.m. ET — March 83 winner vs. Match 84 winner — Dallas (Match 93) [FOX, Telemundo]
8 p.m. ET — Match 81 winner vs. Match 82 winner — Seattle (Match 94) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 7
12:00 p.m. ET — Match 86 winner vs. Match 88 winner — Atlanta (Match 95) [FOX, Telemundo]
4:00 p.m. ET — Match 85 winner vs. Match 87 winner — Vancouver (Match 96) [FOX, Telemundo]
Quarterfinals:
July 9
4 p.m. ET — Match 89 winner vs. Match 90 winner — Boston (Match 97) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 10
3 p.m. ET — Match 93 winner vs. Match 94 winner — Los Angeles (Match 98) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 11
5 p.m. ET — Match 91 winner vs March 92 winner — Miami (Match 99) [FOX, Telemundo]
9 p.m. ET — Match 95 winner vs. Match 96 winner — Kansas City (Match 100) [FOX, Telemundo]
Semifinals:
July 14
3:00 p.m. ET — Winner 97 vs. Winner 98 — Dallas (Match 101) [FOX, Telemundo]
July 15
3 p.m. ET — Winner 99 vs. Winner 100 — Atlanta (Match 102) [FOX, Telemundo]
Third-place match, July 18:
5 p.m. ET — Miami [FOX, Telemundo]
World Cup Final, July 19:
3 p.m. ET — Metlife Stadium in New Jersey [FOX, Telemundo]

The World Cup has kicked off! Mexico hosted the opening ceremony yesterday and then beat South Africa, 2-0, in front of an electric home crowd. Can the U.S. men’s national team follow suit tonight? The Americans start their World Cup journey in Los Angeles against Paraguay.
We’ll have two reporters at that game and a live blog running all day, keeping you up to date on all things World Cup. After the game, check out our coverage on the NBC News website.
World Cup Recap
Mexico started its World Cup campaign in a fiery opening match of the tournament that also saw three red cards. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored the goals for the home side, in front of a capacity crowd of 80,824 at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were given red cards, forcing the team to finish the match with only nine players. Mexico defender César Montes was then given a red card in injury time.
It was the first time there were three red cards given in the opening match of a World Cup tournament. And it’s the most in a World Cup game since four were handed out when Portugal played the Netherlands at the 2006 tournament in Germany.
“We didn’t play well in the first half, but we could have gone into the break leading 3-0 and no one would have complained — we were far superior,” Mexico’s coach Javier Aguirre said. “In the second half, it felt like we relaxed a bit, but starting with a win is good, and we can certainly improve.”
In the second game of the tournament, South Korea rallied to defeat Czechia 2-1.
After a lackluster first half in which both teams were jeered as they left the field, the Czechs took the lead in the 59th minute with a header by captain Ladislav Krejci after a long throw-in into the penalty area.
South Korea equalized in the 67th minute when Hwang In-beom scored after faking a shot with a nifty move to clear two Czech players. The midfielder, who plays for Dutch club Feyenoord, then made the cross from the right flank for Oh Hyeon-gyu’s decisive strike in the 80th minute, played in front of hundreds of empty seats at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.
“It was our first game and a very difficult one,” South Korea’s coach Hong Myung-bo said. “The win itself makes me happy, but what’s even more positive is that our boys won by not giving up. I knew that we were more than capable of winning, so at 1-1, I told the boys to keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”
World Cup Preview
The U.S. men’s national team, nicknamed the “Golden Generation,” will be hoping that home advantage counts as it starts its campaign at the Los Angeles Stadium today.
Ranked 17th by FIFA, the U.S. has advanced to the knockout round in four of the last six World Cups it has played, but hasn’t been able to get past the quarterfinals.
Its first opponent, Paraguay, is the lowest-ranked team in Group D at No. 47 and back in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.
All eyes will be on Pennsylvania-born Christian Pulisic, who is widely considered the most talented American player of his generation and — rightly or wrongly — tasked with delivering the best result in the country’s history this summer on home soil.
But the 27-year-old says he’s not letting that pressure get to him.
“I think no matter what, wherever you’re playing, in the World Cup there’s pressure,” Pulisic, dubbed “Captain America,” told NBC News in February at the training facility of his professional club, AC Milan. “I’m just going to try to live in the moment and enjoy the best I can.”
Canada is also searching for its first World Cup win when it faces Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto today.
After being dumped out of the 1986 and 2022 tournaments at the group stage, the co-hosts have been on the rise over the past decade, moving to No. 30 in FIFA’s rankings after being ranked below 100 as recently as 2017.
Forward Jonathan David — who plays for Italian giants Juventus — is the country’s career-leading scorer with 39 goals in 77 matches.
Bosnia-Herzegovina — playing in its second World Cup and first since 2014 — beat four-time world champion Italy in a playoff to qualify for the event.
World Cup Countdown
Leading up to the World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today is the final entry and it is France’s Kylian Mbappé.
Kylian Mbappé already cemented himself among the greats in French history at 19 when he helped secure the country its second World Cup title in 2018. Now 27, Mbappé is a veteran returning to the international tournament with the hopes of securing France its third star.
Soccer is a family business for Mbappé, the son of a former football coach and older brother to another professional player. The Paris-born forward began his career at just 14 when he left home to play for AS Monaco’s academy and garnered international attention at 18 when he scored 21 goals for Paris-St. Germain in his first year with the team.
His first World Cup appearance in Russia was when Mbappé became a household name, becoming only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final. The technical skill that makes Mbappé hard to defend against also makes for a stylish offensive press that was on full display in his first World Cup appearance.
Mbappé returned to the World Cup final in 2022 as a force to be reckoned with, single-handledly tying against Argentina with two goals in the 80th and 81st minutes of regulation. France fell in penalty kicks, though Mbappé earned a hat-trick in the shootout.
It’s a moment that Mbappé told Vanity Fair the French team has to move past as it faces enormous pressure going back to the world stage this summer.
“We have to take that disappointment and transform it into motivation to try to truly change the course of history, and to give ourselves the opportunity to reach another final, which will be extremely difficult, and to try to bring back the third star,” he said in a pre-tournament interview.
He returns to the World Cup this year after scoring 24 goals with Real Madrid this season but is fresh off a recovery from a hamstring strain.
Yesterday’s entry was Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Read about him here.
Men in Blazers
When U.S. Soccer hired Mauricio Pochettino in 2024, it was with this exact moment in mind: A proven big-game coach on a short-term contract for a World Cup on home soil. Well, the day has arrived, and it’s a make-or-break time for the Argentine and the host nation. Star defender Chris Richards is officially back after missing out on both pre-tournament friendlies due to injury, while the rest of Poch’s 26-man squad are all available for selection.
The USMNT defeated Paraguay 2-1 in November in an international friendly, but La Albirroja will have put that loss behind them.
For more World Cup coverage sent straight to your inbox every morning, subscribe to the Men in Blazers newsletter. We’ll be covering every match, every goal and every joyous moment that soccer’s biggest spectacle is sure to bring.
Additionally, Men in Blazers is going from host city to host city for Match Day Live! We’re taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans directly before some of the biggest matches this summer. Join us today in Los Angeles at 3 p.m. PT with Rob Mac, Larry Nance Jr. and Kyle Beckerman, or check out the rest of the tour dates here.
What We’re Reading
“Captain America” Christian Pulisic has played under pressure before, but nothing like this World Cup.
Empty seats on the World Cup’s opening day renew ticket price concerns.
Golf legend Phil Mickelson was kicked out of California club after misconduct allegations, Golf Digest reports.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache faces scrutiny over Conor McGregor’s use of PEDs.
What We’re Watching
The U.S. men’s national team kicks off its World Cup tonight, and there are lots of storylines we’ll be following. Who will the starting goalkeeper be? Matt Freese? How will Pulisic perform? How will the squad look under new manager Mauricio Pochettino?
Remember, we’ll be live-blogging all the World Cup games today. Follow along!
All times are Eastern:
3 p.m.: Canada vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Peacock
9 p.m.: United States vs. Paraguay, on Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be back Monday.

The United States makes its 2026 World Cup debut on Friday, at the stadium formerly known as “SoFi” (the name has been redacted, per FIFA demands). Tickets remain available to watch the U.S. and Paraguay play in person at 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT.
Via Joe Lago of Sports Business Journal, FIFA has roughly 350 tickets left in its primary inventory. Another 2,500 or so are available on the secondary market.
As of Friday morning, the cheapest price for a ticket was $1,129.
The matches at SoFi will be played on lush, high-quality grass that Rams owner Stan Kroenke installed at the behest of FIFA. By February, when SoFi Stadium hosts Super Bowl LXI, the grass will be long gone and the fake stuff will have returned in all of its artificial glory.
Kroenke also had to, as mentioned above, remove the sponsored name of the venue for the duration of the World Cup, reconfigure the lower areas of the stadium, and forgo other events that would have generated significant revenue for the duration of FIFA’s SoFi takeover.
As Devin McCourty said earlier this week on PFT Live, and as the NFLPA Twitter account amplified on Thursday, it’s “disrespectful” to NFL players for NFL owners to install high-quality grass for soccer and insist on using artificial turf for football.
Said the NFLPA in another post, “If these extensive field changes are worth the cost for a month-long tournament, why aren’t they worth the cost for the NFL players who primarily compete in these stadiums?”
The bottom line is that grass fields, in the view of owners who choose turf, have too much of an impact on the bottom line. Now that it’s a collective bargaining issue, it will change only if the NFLPA makes a concession that matches the overall cost of converting all stadiums to grass.
Still, there’s value in pushing it. The NFL does a good job of locking arms during CBA talks. What better way to drive a wedge among the oligarchs than to insist on a term that, for the teams already playing on grass, will be viewed as no big deal?

Topline
The judge who presided over a teenage murder trial in Texas that sparked a racial debate in the suburbs of Dallas has defended the controversial 35-year sentence of a 19-year-old Black man he called a “nice young man” and said he’s able to sleep “well at night” following the trial.
Key Facts
how have people responded to the karmelo anthony conviction?
Andrew Anthony, Karmelo Anthony’s father, on Thursday called the situation “unfortunate” and one where “nobody wins.” He questioned if the outcome of the trial would have been the same if his son had not been tried by an “all-white jury” (reporting has suggested there were several minorities on the jury, but no Black people) and said he believes his son was “already convicted” in the court of public opinion before the trial began. Crockett, whose district includes parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex but not Frisco, told TMZ she thinks the outcome of the trial would have been different if the races were reversed: “I don’t even know if (Anthony) would have been convicted, because if a white boy would have said that they were afraid of a Black boy, something tells me that that jury that didn’t have any Black people on it, they would have believed him and his fear,” she said. Dallas-based civil rights activist Dominique Alexander said the verdict showed “Black lives do not matter in Collin County.” The Collin County Young Democrats group supported Anthony and wrote in a Facebook post that “Justice must be more than punishment.” The Collin County NAACP posted on Facebook questioning “fairness, representation, and confidence in our justice system,” and questioned why there were no Black people on the jury. Anthony’s grandmother, Toni Hayes, was filmed shouting “Racist! Bias!” out of her car window as she left the courthouse Tuesday.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING… This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!” Cardi B posted about the sentencing.
Contra
Jeff Metcalf, the victim’s father, said he thinks Anthony should have been sentenced to life in prison. He said he had “a little bit of sorrow” for Anthony but vowed he will advocate against parole for the rest of his life and will record a video to play at parole hearings after he dies. Right-wing provocateur Jake Lang stood outside the courthouse and shouted that Anthony should be “lynched.” Sports columnist Jason Whitlock called the violence “senseless” and said Anthony “should’ve pleaded insanity” as the only “real explanation for his behavior.” State Rep. Jared Patterson, D-Frisco, said he hopes “this moment allows the Metcalf family and our community to begin the difficult process of healing and moving forward together.” A local city councilor, Burt Thakur, said, “justice was served.”
SURPRISING FACT
The families of Anthony and Metcalf have both received death threats, they said. Andrew Anthony said he’s been harassed by people who “want our family dead,” and Jeff Metcalf, the victim’s father, said he has received similar threats: “Yesterday, I had a death threat, this morning had multiple emails, texts threatening me, calling me all sorts of names,” he told CBS News.”
Why is the case being compared to Kyle Rittenhouse?
The case immediately evoked memories of the high-profile trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, a white man who shot three people—and killed two—in Wisconsin while illegally armed with an AR-15-style rifle during a Black Lives Matter protest. Rittenhouse was also 17 at the time, and claimed self defense in a case with strong racial and political overtones that also spurred large, controversial online fundraising campaigns. He was charged with multiple counts, including homicide, but was acquitted after a jury found he acted in self-defense. Supporters of Anthony have argued Rittenhouse was given the benefit of the doubt while Anthony was not for racial reasons, pointing out Rittenhouse was immediately supported by the conservative base while Anthony was widely condemned before trial. “White folks out here asking why Karmelo Anthony had a knife but had no problem with 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse having an AR 15 that he wasn’t licensed to carry,” Talbert Swan, a bishop and NAACP chapter president in Massachusetts, said. Critics say the two cases are fundamentally different, and that the legal facts are not as similar as the political narrative suggests. Rittenhouse slammed the comparison by saying, “I defended myself after I was violently attacked by white antifa thugs with criminal records—and it was clear I’d die if I didn’t defend myself. We are not the same.”
Key background
Anthony and Metcalf had never met before a Frisco school district track meet in April 2025. When it started raining, some athletes stayed on the field and others ran for cover under team tents, reports detail. Anthony’s school, Centennial High School, did not have a team tent and he instead sought shelter under the Memorial High tent, where Metcalf was a student. Witnesses told police Metcalf told Anthony to leave, to which Anthony responded, “Touch me and see what happens,” and then Metcalf grabbed Anthony to remove him from the tent. That’s when the witness said Anthony pulled out a knife, stabbed Metcalf once, then ran away. Anthony immediately told police he was the one who stabbed Melcalf, that he was “protecting himself” and asked if Metcalf was “going to be OK,” according to police reports. The case generated a massive amount of false information online—including fake autopsy reports and a fake social-media account impersonating the Frisco police chief—and an online legal-defense fundraiser raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in what critics argued was a “reward” for someone accused of murder.
TANGENT