After squaring off against continental rivals to qualify for a spot at the quadrennial competition, 31 teams join Qatar, our problematic hosts, for the month-long tournament in hopes of being crowned world champs.

ICYMI, Qatar’s men’s FIFA World Cup kicked off yesterday with a lavish opening ceremony featuring emcee Morgan Freeman, K-pop star Jungkook and soldiers on camels.

The fallout from last month’s Sally Yates investigation into systemic abuse in the NWSL continued on Wednesday with new reporting that front office members at Racing Louisville FC (including the current president) enabled a culture of abuse under head coach Christy Holly.

Trust your gut and trust the process.

Ahead of what will likely be his final World Cup, Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo’s making the wrong kind of headlines amid his monthslong fallout with Premier League team Manchester United.

Just like these pigeons hanging out on the field, enjoy this bird’s-eye view of the biggest moments from Week 10.

The USWNT saw (their own former players’) tweets about their recent struggles, and they took that personally, avoiding the wrong kind of history with yesterday’s 2–1 friendly win over Germany.

Host nation Qatar’s many human rights abuses are being buried by the excitement for the matches. So before the players take to the pitch, it’s vital to understand the horrific off-field consequences of the tournament. Let’s dig in.

How to bet on the unexpected.

The Indianapolis Colts shocked the NFL world with Monday’s announcement that former Colts center turned ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday would replace fired head coach Frank Reich…despite Saturday having no college or pro coaching experience. Interesting.