- The chemistry between Future and Tyla shined during their performance at the World Cup opening ceremony.
- The US team’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay indicates its potential to be a force in the tournament.
- World Cup viewership is expected to increase with 48 teams competing this year.
The FIFA World Cup has come to the United States and at the opening ceremony Future and Tyla collaborated for a performance that spanned the African diaspora.
Their song “Game Time” has been used in promoting the international games in the weeks leading up to the official start, but the pair’s chemistry on stage was something not to be missed. Future stayed true to his roots, sporting Atlanta Falcons colors during the performance, while Tyla sported her own star-studded blue and white number.
The South African beauty also sported a diamond and gold encrusted FIFA grill for the occasion. Nice! Although soccer is not as big here in the United States as it is internationally, there has begun to be a lot of interest in the sport as more people from different cultures migrate to the United States. Unfortunately, the current political climate meant the games got off to a rocky start, as players, coaches and referees ran into visa issues trying to enter the country.
However, the games are always a time to commune for five weeks while the entire world’s attention is focused on the World Cup. The games remain the most-watched sporting event in the world, with FIFA reporting that an estimated 2.1 billion viewers watched the 2022 matches in Qatar, despite criticism of the decision to host them in the country.
Amid the tense political context in the United States, FIFA believes World Cup viewership will see an increase as 48 teams will compete this year, compared to 32 in 2022. Interest in the matches has seen a steady rise over the last three World Cup matches, in fact, as sports stars continue to find mass appeal among young fans. Lionel Messi, one of the sport’s most popular and recognizable athletes, now plays for a team based in the United States; an important step to continue making football the world’s favorite pastime.
There has also been significant improvement in the US men’s team, as it was long considered one of the worst (often failing to compete in the games), while the women’s team earned numerous accolades, including gold medals at the Olympics. However, they scored an impressive 4-1 victory over Team Paraguay to kick off the World Cup on June 12, seemingly putting the world on notice that they may be a team to watch this round play out.
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