As SF Giants’ Pride Night Fallout Continues, Fans Recall Historic 1994 AIDS Benefit
World Cup Brings Celebrations, Mixed Emotions for Bay Area Immigrant Communities
Want to Watch the US Play in the World Cup at Levi’s Stadium? It Won’t Be Cheap
How the 1994 World Cup Helped Spark Soccer’s Rise in the Bay Area
In a Rainbow-Trimmed Robe at the World Cup, a Gay Qatari Doctor Advocates for Equal Rights
What It Was Like Inside Levi’s for the Algeria vs. Jordan World Cup Match
After SF Giants Pride Night Culture Clash, Scott Wiener Claps Back at Republicans
The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup
Protests and Celebrations: Iranians in Los Angeles Have Mixed Feelings on World Cup
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"slug": "as-sf-giants-pride-night-fallout-continues-fans-recall-historic-1994-aids-benefit",
"title": "As SF Giants’ Pride Night Fallout Continues, Fans Recall Historic 1994 AIDS Benefit",
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"content": "\u003cp>Thirty-two years ago, Lynn Struiksma attended a momentous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/giants\">San Francisco Giants\u003c/a> game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A devoted San Diego Padres fan, Struiksma, then a student at San Francisco State University, decided to give Bay Area baseball a chance by buying a ticket for the July 31, 1994, afternoon game against the Colorado Rockies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only while listening to the radio in the days beforehand did he learn that the game would be observing “Until There’s a Cure Day” — an event founded by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.until.org/about-us.html\">Bay Area-based\u003c/a> national organization that promotes HIV and AIDS awareness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The game, which marked the first time a major professional sports organization hosted a benefit for \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/history/timeline-1990s\">HIV\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/history/timeline-1990s\">and AIDS\u003c/a>, has resurfaced in collective memory over the past few weeks, as the fallout continues from a protest by four pitchers during the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087912/after-sf-giants-pride-night-culture-clash-scott-wiener-claps-back-at-republicans\">team’s Pride Month celebration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As lawmakers, Major League Baseball, and fans have entered the fray, KQED looked back on the sports history episode to understand how it got started — and how much has changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A swell of connection’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There were a couple of key figures behind the 1994 “Until There’s a Cure Day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsports.com/2020/12/1/21754607/san-francisco-giants-mlb-aids-hiv-awareness-until-theres-a-cure-day/\">OutSports\u003c/a>, one reason is that new owner Peter Magowan wanted to ask the city for a new stadium. In campaigning for the new structure, Magowan made moves to connect with people across the Bay Area through community outreach — and San Francisco was deep in HIV/AIDS advocacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/remembering-a-tough-time\">San Franciscans\u003c/a> were reeling from the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/remembering-a-tough-time\">around 20,000 city residents dying\u003c/a> during the crisis. Because so many were gay men or part of the LGBTQ+ community, bias and homophobia allowed their suffering to go \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/podcast/how-act-up-changed-the-face-of-aids-and-activism\">unacknowledged \u003c/a>by governments and medical authorities for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1443px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089147 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1322405139.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1443\" height=\"931\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1322405139.jpg 1443w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1322405139-160x103.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1443px) 100vw, 1443px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Giants President Peter Magowan, Mary Fisher, AIDS activist and keynote speaker, along with her sons, Zachary, 6, and Max, 8, and Giants’ Rod Beck. Max Fisher, 6, slips out the back of his chair during “Until There’s A Cure” pregame ceremonies on July 28, 1996. \u003ccite>(Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This special day will give our fans an opportunity to learn more about the disease, which affects all of us,” Magowan said at the time, according to the \u003cem>Bay Area Reporter. \u003c/em>“This is not a baseball event, it’s a humanitarian event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Giants’ promotional flyer for the 1994 event, the team vowed to donate $1 from every ticket sold to AIDS research and education. Players would also wear a red ribbon on their uniforms, “which I thought was very cool,” Struiksma said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It did feel like, ‘Hmm, this is something a little different,’” recalled Struiksma, who now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in the film industry. “‘Something we’re not used to.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another major reason was \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/giants-rod-beck-aids-19594162.php\">a supportive manager, Dusty Baker\u003c/a>, and the fact that HIV/AIDS advocacy was already being pursued by star Giants player Rob Beck, after being deeply moved by a 1993 documentary about \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/giants-rod-beck-aids-19594162.php\">Ryan White\u003c/a>, a young boy living with AIDS.[aside postID=news_12087912 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsLandenRouppGetty.jpg']But the lead-up to the event wasn’t without some protest and pushback, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/08/01/giants-join-fight-vs-aids/ac59ce23-7910-4241-a976-0410c3f094b2/?_pml=1\">the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Giants vice president for business operations Pat Gallagher noted “some negative phone calls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ongoing stigma around HIV and AIDs was apparent. Calling it “a controversial cause,” Magowan told \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-08-01-sp-22364-story.html\">the \u003cem>LA Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1994 that “A lot of people associate it with a certain lifestyle — I think incorrectly … AIDS can affect anybody, whatever lifestyle, whatever sex, whatever age.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve worked here for 18 years, and nothing else we’ve ever done has been universally accepted by everyone in the organization,” Gallagher said\u003cem>. \u003c/em>“Because we live in San Francisco, everyone’s been touched in some way by HIV and AIDS.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t care how you get it,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/08/01/giants-join-fight-vs-aids/ac59ce23-7910-4241-a976-0410c3f094b2/?_pml=1\">another player, Todd Benzinger\u003c/a>. “No one deserves it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once the game started, the commemoration felt like a natural fit, Struiksma said, “maybe because it’s San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among thousands of fans decked in orange and black, Struiksma sat high up in the stands of Candlestick Park, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10583120/watch-the-slow-demolition-of-candlestick-park\">the Giants’ previous home before Oracle Park\u003c/a>. From his vantage point, he got a perfect view of the field where Giants players organized themselves into the shape of a giant ribbon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, members of the opposing team that day, the Rockies, were brought onto the field where they, too, joined the formation. Outlets at the time \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/MARK-SIMON-Atlanta-Braves-Join-Giants-AIDS-2972390.php\">reported\u003c/a> that Giants star player Barry Bonds had waved to the Rockies to bring them in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089146\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1925px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089146\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1925\" height=\"1699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082.jpg 1925w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082-160x141.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082-1536x1356.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1925px) 100vw, 1925px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds greets volunteers during a pregame benefit for Until There’s a Cure Day, the sixth annual Aids benefit program sponsored by the Giants Aug. 15, 1999. The Giants played the New York Mets after the benefit. \u003ccite>(Monica Davey/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You felt a swell of connection to the team. A connection to community,” Struiksma said. “It really was just one of those games where it’s like, ‘This is amazing, what’s happening right now.’” And over three decades later, “I’m almost getting choked up talking about it now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the event, Beck listed the names of children who died of AIDS. Quilts — a longtime way of \u003ca href=\"https://www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt\">memorializing \u003c/a>those lost to AIDS — were \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/giants-rod-beck-aids-19594162.php\">laid out \u003c/a>on the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This might be the single most significant day since we’ve all heard of this disease,” Beck told the \u003cem>Washington Post \u003c/em>after the event in 1994, which ultimately raised over $100,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, it was business as usual during the actual game. Struiksma said that he remembered a fight that broke out on the field. “There was a real, like, dichotomy of emotions during the game,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A slap in the face’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many SF Giants fans have referenced the historic nature of 1994’s “Until There’s a Cure Day” event in recent weeks, after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087912/after-sf-giants-pride-night-culture-clash-scott-wiener-claps-back-at-republicans\">four SF Giants players\u003c/a> staged an apparent protest against the team’s Pride Night on June 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three players wrote controversial Bible verses often cited by anti-gay conservative Christians on the team’s rainbow-themed Pride Month caps. The team was \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/mlb-commissioner-giants-pride-night/4103023/\">not required \u003c/a>to wear them, according to NBC Bay Area. One player opted to wear the standard black-and-orange cap instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reaction was swift and strong, with LGBTQ+ \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/06/24/sf-giants-pride-night-maga-backlash/\">fans and allies \u003c/a>alike protesting the team with Pride and trans flags at Oracle Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Jim Soos, Noah Wallace, Matt Foley and a person who gave their initials as J.P., protest outside Oracle Park ahead of the San Francisco Giants’ MLB game against the Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. A demonstration was held against four Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and opted out of wearing the team’s Pride-themed gear during the Giants’ Pride Night celebration on June 12. \u003ccite>(Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t see them attempting to come out with this pro-Bible rhetoric any other night of the week, so it did feel like a very specific slap in the face for their queer-coded fans,” said Sarah, a one queer Giants fan who called into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914206/sf-giants-pride-night-fallout-amplifies\">KQED Forum earlier this week\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Across the board, just think it was a giant ‘L’ for the Giants, who don’t need any more help with ‘L’s,’ because their record is doing that for them,” the caller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ann Killion, a \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle \u003c/em>sports columnist, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914206/sf-giants-pride-night-fallout-amplifies\">told Forum\u003c/a> that Giants fans “feel like on a night that was meant to celebrate the joy of inclusiveness, that these players kind of co-opted the whole event and hijacked it — and turned around and basically flipped the metaphorical bird to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Killian said fans also felt let down by the response from the Giants’ management, who issued a “kind of both-sides-ing type of statement, full of platitudes, ‘We’re sorry if you’re hurt,’ and then went radio silent,” she said. “They kind of let this thing build and build and build.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-1366x2048.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A flyer from 1994 promoting the SF Giants’ AIDS awareness night, “Until There’s a Cure Day.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the San Francisco GLBT Historical Society)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Major League Baseball issued a warning to the players for writing on their uniforms, which is against uniform regulations. However, the situation quickly escalated, with the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump announcing its intent to launch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/sports/doj-to-investigate-mlb-over-giants-pride-night-protest/\">an investigation into the MLB\u003c/a>’s response to the Pride Night protest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baseball is “probably the most conservative of the big professional team sports in America,” with many players coming from suburbs and smaller towns, Killion said. But a protest like this in San Francisco stung extra hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is where the Giants are honestly hurt by their own good work in the past, because they have been so upfront,” SFGate sports editor Alex Simon said on Forum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An HIV and AIDS awareness night has been a tradition for the Giants since that first event in 1994, and while the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story?id=9670811&src=desktop\">Pride Night\u003c/a> in 2013, the Giants were the very first team to bring the \u003ca href=\"https://www.greensportsalliance.org/media/giants-to-become-first-mlb-team-to-incorporate-pride-colors-into-on-field-uniforms-in-honor-of-the-lgbtq-community-and-pride-celebrations\">Pride flag \u003c/a>onto the field in 2021. In 2023, when the league adopted \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/mlb-commissioner-giants-pride-night/4103023/\">a policy\u003c/a> that would stop teams from wearing special uniforms on celebration days, with some exceptions, the Giants and the Dodgers requested to be exempted for Pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fan base is very much more upset at the team and the organization, really beyond what the players themselves have done,” Simon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Remembering how far we’ve come\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tiffany Babb, a Southern California writer who runs \u003ca href=\"https://www.thefanfiles.com/\">The Fan Files\u003c/a>, is a queer baseball fan who has been following the SF Giants case closely. Babb has felt a decline in enthusiasm for Pride Nights in sports teams in recent years — something she attributes to the U.S. becoming more conservative in many ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I remember like three, four years ago, they kept those [Pride] logos up all month,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Giants’ pride logo in right field during a MLB game between the Athletics and the San Francisco Giants on June 23, 2026, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And the SF Giants debacle has presented an opportunity for the Trump administration to jump on board with the pushback. On X, Vice President J.D. Vance \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JDVance/status/2066922921046544396\">wrote:\u003c/a> “Trump won, we don’t have to do this anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whether or not the players intended to do this, it is a very popular narrative that ‘Christians are under attack in the United States,’” Babb said. “And it is a very useful narrative for the president.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s why, she said, remembering the 1994 “Until There’s A Cure Day” is still important for fans 32 years later.[aside postID=news_12086888 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250629-SFPrideParade-30-BL.jpg']“Not just because of San Francisco’s long history with the queer community, but also because a lot of people like to treat activism in baseball as a brand new thing that was just invented in 2012,” she said. “There’s a long history of this — pretty much since the beginning of baseball.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Giants’ first event in 1994 “was such a good, earlier example of this kind of conversation, but in a positive way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Babbs, it’s about reminding people what — and who — has come before. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48979319/dodgers-honor-gay-trailblazers-burke-bean-stadium-display\">Dodgers icon Glenn Burke, \u003c/a>who died at age 42 in 1995, was among the first major league players to come out as gay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Glenn Burke — if he hadn’t died of AIDS — he would still be around,” she said. “That generation was not that long ago.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important for us to keep their memories alive … Because once you start to forget about history, people can twist it into whatever they want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/amadrigal\">\u003cem>Alexis Madrigal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As San Francisco’s MLB team faces continued backlash over its Pride Night controversy, fans are revisiting the team's groundbreaking 1994 HIV/AIDS benefit game — the first in pro sports.",
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"title": "As SF Giants’ Pride Night Fallout Continues, Fans Recall Historic 1994 AIDS Benefit | KQED",
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"headline": "As SF Giants’ Pride Night Fallout Continues, Fans Recall Historic 1994 AIDS Benefit",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Thirty-two years ago, Lynn Struiksma attended a momentous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/giants\">San Francisco Giants\u003c/a> game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A devoted San Diego Padres fan, Struiksma, then a student at San Francisco State University, decided to give Bay Area baseball a chance by buying a ticket for the July 31, 1994, afternoon game against the Colorado Rockies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only while listening to the radio in the days beforehand did he learn that the game would be observing “Until There’s a Cure Day” — an event founded by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.until.org/about-us.html\">Bay Area-based\u003c/a> national organization that promotes HIV and AIDS awareness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The game, which marked the first time a major professional sports organization hosted a benefit for \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/history/timeline-1990s\">HIV\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/history/timeline-1990s\">and AIDS\u003c/a>, has resurfaced in collective memory over the past few weeks, as the fallout continues from a protest by four pitchers during the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087912/after-sf-giants-pride-night-culture-clash-scott-wiener-claps-back-at-republicans\">team’s Pride Month celebration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As lawmakers, Major League Baseball, and fans have entered the fray, KQED looked back on the sports history episode to understand how it got started — and how much has changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A swell of connection’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There were a couple of key figures behind the 1994 “Until There’s a Cure Day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsports.com/2020/12/1/21754607/san-francisco-giants-mlb-aids-hiv-awareness-until-theres-a-cure-day/\">OutSports\u003c/a>, one reason is that new owner Peter Magowan wanted to ask the city for a new stadium. In campaigning for the new structure, Magowan made moves to connect with people across the Bay Area through community outreach — and San Francisco was deep in HIV/AIDS advocacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/remembering-a-tough-time\">San Franciscans\u003c/a> were reeling from the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/remembering-a-tough-time\">around 20,000 city residents dying\u003c/a> during the crisis. Because so many were gay men or part of the LGBTQ+ community, bias and homophobia allowed their suffering to go \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/podcast/how-act-up-changed-the-face-of-aids-and-activism\">unacknowledged \u003c/a>by governments and medical authorities for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1443px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089147 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1322405139.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1443\" height=\"931\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1322405139.jpg 1443w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1322405139-160x103.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1443px) 100vw, 1443px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Giants President Peter Magowan, Mary Fisher, AIDS activist and keynote speaker, along with her sons, Zachary, 6, and Max, 8, and Giants’ Rod Beck. Max Fisher, 6, slips out the back of his chair during “Until There’s A Cure” pregame ceremonies on July 28, 1996. \u003ccite>(Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This special day will give our fans an opportunity to learn more about the disease, which affects all of us,” Magowan said at the time, according to the \u003cem>Bay Area Reporter. \u003c/em>“This is not a baseball event, it’s a humanitarian event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Giants’ promotional flyer for the 1994 event, the team vowed to donate $1 from every ticket sold to AIDS research and education. Players would also wear a red ribbon on their uniforms, “which I thought was very cool,” Struiksma said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It did feel like, ‘Hmm, this is something a little different,’” recalled Struiksma, who now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in the film industry. “‘Something we’re not used to.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another major reason was \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/giants-rod-beck-aids-19594162.php\">a supportive manager, Dusty Baker\u003c/a>, and the fact that HIV/AIDS advocacy was already being pursued by star Giants player Rob Beck, after being deeply moved by a 1993 documentary about \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/giants-rod-beck-aids-19594162.php\">Ryan White\u003c/a>, a young boy living with AIDS.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But the lead-up to the event wasn’t without some protest and pushback, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/08/01/giants-join-fight-vs-aids/ac59ce23-7910-4241-a976-0410c3f094b2/?_pml=1\">the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Giants vice president for business operations Pat Gallagher noted “some negative phone calls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ongoing stigma around HIV and AIDs was apparent. Calling it “a controversial cause,” Magowan told \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-08-01-sp-22364-story.html\">the \u003cem>LA Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1994 that “A lot of people associate it with a certain lifestyle — I think incorrectly … AIDS can affect anybody, whatever lifestyle, whatever sex, whatever age.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve worked here for 18 years, and nothing else we’ve ever done has been universally accepted by everyone in the organization,” Gallagher said\u003cem>. \u003c/em>“Because we live in San Francisco, everyone’s been touched in some way by HIV and AIDS.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t care how you get it,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/08/01/giants-join-fight-vs-aids/ac59ce23-7910-4241-a976-0410c3f094b2/?_pml=1\">another player, Todd Benzinger\u003c/a>. “No one deserves it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once the game started, the commemoration felt like a natural fit, Struiksma said, “maybe because it’s San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among thousands of fans decked in orange and black, Struiksma sat high up in the stands of Candlestick Park, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10583120/watch-the-slow-demolition-of-candlestick-park\">the Giants’ previous home before Oracle Park\u003c/a>. From his vantage point, he got a perfect view of the field where Giants players organized themselves into the shape of a giant ribbon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, members of the opposing team that day, the Rockies, were brought onto the field where they, too, joined the formation. Outlets at the time \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/MARK-SIMON-Atlanta-Braves-Join-Giants-AIDS-2972390.php\">reported\u003c/a> that Giants star player Barry Bonds had waved to the Rockies to bring them in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089146\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1925px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089146\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1925\" height=\"1699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082.jpg 1925w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082-160x141.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1195131082-1536x1356.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1925px) 100vw, 1925px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds greets volunteers during a pregame benefit for Until There’s a Cure Day, the sixth annual Aids benefit program sponsored by the Giants Aug. 15, 1999. The Giants played the New York Mets after the benefit. \u003ccite>(Monica Davey/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You felt a swell of connection to the team. A connection to community,” Struiksma said. “It really was just one of those games where it’s like, ‘This is amazing, what’s happening right now.’” And over three decades later, “I’m almost getting choked up talking about it now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the event, Beck listed the names of children who died of AIDS. Quilts — a longtime way of \u003ca href=\"https://www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt\">memorializing \u003c/a>those lost to AIDS — were \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/giants-rod-beck-aids-19594162.php\">laid out \u003c/a>on the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This might be the single most significant day since we’ve all heard of this disease,” Beck told the \u003cem>Washington Post \u003c/em>after the event in 1994, which ultimately raised over $100,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, it was business as usual during the actual game. Struiksma said that he remembered a fight that broke out on the field. “There was a real, like, dichotomy of emotions during the game,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A slap in the face’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many SF Giants fans have referenced the historic nature of 1994’s “Until There’s a Cure Day” event in recent weeks, after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087912/after-sf-giants-pride-night-culture-clash-scott-wiener-claps-back-at-republicans\">four SF Giants players\u003c/a> staged an apparent protest against the team’s Pride Night on June 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three players wrote controversial Bible verses often cited by anti-gay conservative Christians on the team’s rainbow-themed Pride Month caps. The team was \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/mlb-commissioner-giants-pride-night/4103023/\">not required \u003c/a>to wear them, according to NBC Bay Area. One player opted to wear the standard black-and-orange cap instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reaction was swift and strong, with LGBTQ+ \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/06/24/sf-giants-pride-night-maga-backlash/\">fans and allies \u003c/a>alike protesting the team with Pride and trans flags at Oracle Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsProtestPrideGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Jim Soos, Noah Wallace, Matt Foley and a person who gave their initials as J.P., protest outside Oracle Park ahead of the San Francisco Giants’ MLB game against the Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. A demonstration was held against four Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and opted out of wearing the team’s Pride-themed gear during the Giants’ Pride Night celebration on June 12. \u003ccite>(Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t see them attempting to come out with this pro-Bible rhetoric any other night of the week, so it did feel like a very specific slap in the face for their queer-coded fans,” said Sarah, a one queer Giants fan who called into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914206/sf-giants-pride-night-fallout-amplifies\">KQED Forum earlier this week\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Across the board, just think it was a giant ‘L’ for the Giants, who don’t need any more help with ‘L’s,’ because their record is doing that for them,” the caller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ann Killion, a \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle \u003c/em>sports columnist, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914206/sf-giants-pride-night-fallout-amplifies\">told Forum\u003c/a> that Giants fans “feel like on a night that was meant to celebrate the joy of inclusiveness, that these players kind of co-opted the whole event and hijacked it — and turned around and basically flipped the metaphorical bird to them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Killian said fans also felt let down by the response from the Giants’ management, who issued a “kind of both-sides-ing type of statement, full of platitudes, ‘We’re sorry if you’re hurt,’ and then went radio silent,” she said. “They kind of let this thing build and build and build.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SF-giants-poster-2000-RESIZED-1366x2048.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A flyer from 1994 promoting the SF Giants’ AIDS awareness night, “Until There’s a Cure Day.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the San Francisco GLBT Historical Society)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Major League Baseball issued a warning to the players for writing on their uniforms, which is against uniform regulations. However, the situation quickly escalated, with the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump announcing its intent to launch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/sports/doj-to-investigate-mlb-over-giants-pride-night-protest/\">an investigation into the MLB\u003c/a>’s response to the Pride Night protest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baseball is “probably the most conservative of the big professional team sports in America,” with many players coming from suburbs and smaller towns, Killion said. But a protest like this in San Francisco stung extra hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is where the Giants are honestly hurt by their own good work in the past, because they have been so upfront,” SFGate sports editor Alex Simon said on Forum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An HIV and AIDS awareness night has been a tradition for the Giants since that first event in 1994, and while the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story?id=9670811&src=desktop\">Pride Night\u003c/a> in 2013, the Giants were the very first team to bring the \u003ca href=\"https://www.greensportsalliance.org/media/giants-to-become-first-mlb-team-to-incorporate-pride-colors-into-on-field-uniforms-in-honor-of-the-lgbtq-community-and-pride-celebrations\">Pride flag \u003c/a>onto the field in 2021. In 2023, when the league adopted \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/mlb-commissioner-giants-pride-night/4103023/\">a policy\u003c/a> that would stop teams from wearing special uniforms on celebration days, with some exceptions, the Giants and the Dodgers requested to be exempted for Pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fan base is very much more upset at the team and the organization, really beyond what the players themselves have done,” Simon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Remembering how far we’ve come\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tiffany Babb, a Southern California writer who runs \u003ca href=\"https://www.thefanfiles.com/\">The Fan Files\u003c/a>, is a queer baseball fan who has been following the SF Giants case closely. Babb has felt a decline in enthusiasm for Pride Nights in sports teams in recent years — something she attributes to the U.S. becoming more conservative in many ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I remember like three, four years ago, they kept those [Pride] logos up all month,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsPrideLogoGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Giants’ pride logo in right field during a MLB game between the Athletics and the San Francisco Giants on June 23, 2026, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And the SF Giants debacle has presented an opportunity for the Trump administration to jump on board with the pushback. On X, Vice President J.D. Vance \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JDVance/status/2066922921046544396\">wrote:\u003c/a> “Trump won, we don’t have to do this anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whether or not the players intended to do this, it is a very popular narrative that ‘Christians are under attack in the United States,’” Babb said. “And it is a very useful narrative for the president.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s why, she said, remembering the 1994 “Until There’s A Cure Day” is still important for fans 32 years later.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Not just because of San Francisco’s long history with the queer community, but also because a lot of people like to treat activism in baseball as a brand new thing that was just invented in 2012,” she said. “There’s a long history of this — pretty much since the beginning of baseball.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Giants’ first event in 1994 “was such a good, earlier example of this kind of conversation, but in a positive way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Babbs, it’s about reminding people what — and who — has come before. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48979319/dodgers-honor-gay-trailblazers-burke-bean-stadium-display\">Dodgers icon Glenn Burke, \u003c/a>who died at age 42 in 1995, was among the first major league players to come out as gay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Glenn Burke — if he hadn’t died of AIDS — he would still be around,” she said. “That generation was not that long ago.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important for us to keep their memories alive … Because once you start to forget about history, people can twist it into whatever they want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/amadrigal\">\u003cem>Alexis Madrigal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tucked in a side street near Fisherman’s Wharf, soccer fans like Nesrine Williams have gathered at a local Algerian restaurant, KAYMA, to watch their team compete in this year’s FIFA \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> tournament.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a really big deal, and I feel so proud to be Algerian,” said Williams, who brought her family here to watch the Algeria versus Argentina match. “A lot of people don’t know about Algeria, and oftentimes, the best players for teams like France are actually Algerian.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, she said, “It’s so nice to share this experience with my daughter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From watch parties like that at KAYMA to protests outside stadiums, diaspora communities across the Bay Area are coming together \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088838/2026-world-cup-is-putting-fifas-rules-on-political-neutrality-to-the-test\">around the World Cup\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s tournament is bigger than ever before, with 48 national teams — up from 32 in the 2022 tournament — and 104 games spread out across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089043\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089043 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans watch the Argentina vs. Algeria World Cup game at KAYMA Algerian Eatery in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While ticket sales and hotel bookings have fallen short of expectations for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">international travelers\u003c/a> coming for the games, it’s been a moment of celebration for many people from immigrant backgrounds watching their favorite teams play so close to their homes in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My whole family is in Algeria on my dad’s side. Their players are always more raw and talented than you expect,” said Ben Imadali, who was also watching the game over a bowl of lentil soup at KAYMA. “I’m just stoked for my family; they’re all sitting out there watching this game. I’m not even the biggest soccer fan, but for me it’s a familial connection, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Just be fans and just belong’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For others who were forced to leave their home countries, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088756/in-a-rainbow-trimmed-robe-at-the-world-cup-a-gay-qatari-doctor-advocates-for-equal-rights\">physician Nasser Mohamed\u003c/a>, the World Cup has also renewed concerns and tensions over global politics and safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 24, Mohamed fled Qatar, where it is illegal to be openly gay, and landed in San Francisco. With the World Cup putting Qatar on the national stage, Mohamed, one of the very few Qatari people who is publicly out, is using the moment to draw attention to LGBTQ+ rights in his home country, but this comes with real risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087523\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087523\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of people exit Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara during the Qatar versus Switzerland World Cup match on Saturday, June 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mohamed attended the World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland at Levi’s Stadium, dressed in a ceremonial Arab cloak with rainbows. Even with security and a seat next to Sen. Scott Wiener, Mohamed said the attention felt dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was numb. I felt like I had to leave my body to stand there and be visible, because I know they want to hurt me. I have death threats against me right now,” Mohamed told KQED. “A lot of us in the United States have fled political persecution, and now they are all coming to us here where we have sought refuge.”[aside postID=news_12088198 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-05-KQED.jpg']The head-turning at the soccer stadium hasn’t slowed him down. Mohamed has been organizing Pride events around the World Cup all month to help more residents feel safe and supported around the tournament and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people react violently to the fact that we just sit in the stands,” he said. “And that’s where we need some advocacy, to just be fans and just belong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say ongoing international issues like the U.S. war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s aggressive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086777/a-warm-world-cup-welcome-us-immigration-policies-have-chilling-effect\">immigration enforcement campaign\u003c/a> have contributed to the lower-than-expected World Cup turnout from international travelers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ticket prices, inflation fears and the so-called ‘Trump slump’ are putting fans off, with hotel rates down by a third in host cities from Atlanta to San Francisco,” a \u003ca href=\"https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/fifa-world-cup-sports-economy-growth/\">post\u003c/a> from the World Economic Forum read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While travel from abroad has dipped, the matches have nonetheless drawn local demonstrators out to protest the political backdrop to the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087615/protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup\">Hundreds of Iranian Americans demonstrated\u003c/a> outside the first Iran match in Los Angeles earlier this month. While thousands of fans cheered inside SoFi Stadium, those on the outside challenged the team for supporting the Iranian government in Tehran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089050\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans react to a goal during a FIFA World Cup match between the United States and Turkey at Mad Dog in the Fog in San Francisco on June 25, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But inside the homes, bars and restaurants where fans are gathering to watch the tournament, they’re also contending with their mixed feelings of celebration and conflict.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Milka Pineda is of Mexican descent and hopes the team will win this year. She attended a watch party at Mad Dog in the Fog, a bar in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, on a recent Thursday night to watch Australia versus Paraguay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s cool, but it would be nicer if, you know, there weren’t all of these political issues going on,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘This beautiful moment’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Down the bar at Mad Dog in the Fog, Guatemala-born Kevin Ocha kept an eye on Paraguay, whose team had knocked out Guatemala to qualify for the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My country has never made it into the World Cup. This year they came very close,” he said — and if his team were to make it in the future, he said he would be thrilled. “Soccer originated out of the Mayan culture, and Guatemala is Mayan, so it’s a very big deal for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089040\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089040\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans cheer for Mexico as they watch the team score a goal at a Mexico vs. Korea World Cup game at a watch party at Mad Dog in the Fog in San Francisco on June 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back at KAYMA, the restaurant’s owner and head chef, Wafa Bahloul, said that the World Cup has been a chance to showcase the Algerian food and culture she loves with anyone who wants a place to sit and watch some soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if they ultimately watched Algeria lose 3-0 to Argentina that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089045\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089045 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mounir Bahloul (left) and Wafa Bahloul (right) pose for a portrait at a watch party for the Argentina vs. Algeria World Cup game at KAYMA Algerian Eatery in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is so special for us. It reminds me of the kind of events we do in Algeria; we gather all together around the food, laughing and telling stories,” Bahloul said in between rushing out plates to customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is really a unique thing and doesn’t happen every day,” she said. “We really want to take advantage, as much as we can, of this beautiful moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tucked in a side street near Fisherman’s Wharf, soccer fans like Nesrine Williams have gathered at a local Algerian restaurant, KAYMA, to watch their team compete in this year’s FIFA \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> tournament.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a really big deal, and I feel so proud to be Algerian,” said Williams, who brought her family here to watch the Algeria versus Argentina match. “A lot of people don’t know about Algeria, and oftentimes, the best players for teams like France are actually Algerian.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, she said, “It’s so nice to share this experience with my daughter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From watch parties like that at KAYMA to protests outside stadiums, diaspora communities across the Bay Area are coming together \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088838/2026-world-cup-is-putting-fifas-rules-on-political-neutrality-to-the-test\">around the World Cup\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s tournament is bigger than ever before, with 48 national teams — up from 32 in the 2022 tournament — and 104 games spread out across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089043\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089043 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01140_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans watch the Argentina vs. Algeria World Cup game at KAYMA Algerian Eatery in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While ticket sales and hotel bookings have fallen short of expectations for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">international travelers\u003c/a> coming for the games, it’s been a moment of celebration for many people from immigrant backgrounds watching their favorite teams play so close to their homes in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My whole family is in Algeria on my dad’s side. Their players are always more raw and talented than you expect,” said Ben Imadali, who was also watching the game over a bowl of lentil soup at KAYMA. “I’m just stoked for my family; they’re all sitting out there watching this game. I’m not even the biggest soccer fan, but for me it’s a familial connection, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Just be fans and just belong’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For others who were forced to leave their home countries, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088756/in-a-rainbow-trimmed-robe-at-the-world-cup-a-gay-qatari-doctor-advocates-for-equal-rights\">physician Nasser Mohamed\u003c/a>, the World Cup has also renewed concerns and tensions over global politics and safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 24, Mohamed fled Qatar, where it is illegal to be openly gay, and landed in San Francisco. With the World Cup putting Qatar on the national stage, Mohamed, one of the very few Qatari people who is publicly out, is using the moment to draw attention to LGBTQ+ rights in his home country, but this comes with real risks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087523\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087523\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of people exit Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara during the Qatar versus Switzerland World Cup match on Saturday, June 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mohamed attended the World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland at Levi’s Stadium, dressed in a ceremonial Arab cloak with rainbows. Even with security and a seat next to Sen. Scott Wiener, Mohamed said the attention felt dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was numb. I felt like I had to leave my body to stand there and be visible, because I know they want to hurt me. I have death threats against me right now,” Mohamed told KQED. “A lot of us in the United States have fled political persecution, and now they are all coming to us here where we have sought refuge.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The head-turning at the soccer stadium hasn’t slowed him down. Mohamed has been organizing Pride events around the World Cup all month to help more residents feel safe and supported around the tournament and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people react violently to the fact that we just sit in the stands,” he said. “And that’s where we need some advocacy, to just be fans and just belong.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts say ongoing international issues like the U.S. war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s aggressive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086777/a-warm-world-cup-welcome-us-immigration-policies-have-chilling-effect\">immigration enforcement campaign\u003c/a> have contributed to the lower-than-expected World Cup turnout from international travelers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ticket prices, inflation fears and the so-called ‘Trump slump’ are putting fans off, with hotel rates down by a third in host cities from Atlanta to San Francisco,” a \u003ca href=\"https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/fifa-world-cup-sports-economy-growth/\">post\u003c/a> from the World Economic Forum read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While travel from abroad has dipped, the matches have nonetheless drawn local demonstrators out to protest the political backdrop to the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087615/protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup\">Hundreds of Iranian Americans demonstrated\u003c/a> outside the first Iran match in Los Angeles earlier this month. While thousands of fans cheered inside SoFi Stadium, those on the outside challenged the team for supporting the Iranian government in Tehran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089050\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans react to a goal during a FIFA World Cup match between the United States and Turkey at Mad Dog in the Fog in San Francisco on June 25, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But inside the homes, bars and restaurants where fans are gathering to watch the tournament, they’re also contending with their mixed feelings of celebration and conflict.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Milka Pineda is of Mexican descent and hopes the team will win this year. She attended a watch party at Mad Dog in the Fog, a bar in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, on a recent Thursday night to watch Australia versus Paraguay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s cool, but it would be nicer if, you know, there weren’t all of these political issues going on,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘This beautiful moment’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Down the bar at Mad Dog in the Fog, Guatemala-born Kevin Ocha kept an eye on Paraguay, whose team had knocked out Guatemala to qualify for the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My country has never made it into the World Cup. This year they came very close,” he said — and if his team were to make it in the future, he said he would be thrilled. “Soccer originated out of the Mayan culture, and Guatemala is Mayan, so it’s a very big deal for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089040\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089040\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA-TV-00451-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans cheer for Mexico as they watch the team score a goal at a Mexico vs. Korea World Cup game at a watch party at Mad Dog in the Fog in San Francisco on June 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back at KAYMA, the restaurant’s owner and head chef, Wafa Bahloul, said that the World Cup has been a chance to showcase the Algerian food and culture she loves with anyone who wants a place to sit and watch some soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if they ultimately watched Algeria lose 3-0 to Argentina that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089045\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089045 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260617-WORLDCUPDIASPORA01364_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mounir Bahloul (left) and Wafa Bahloul (right) pose for a portrait at a watch party for the Argentina vs. Algeria World Cup game at KAYMA Algerian Eatery in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is so special for us. It reminds me of the kind of events we do in Algeria; we gather all together around the food, laughing and telling stories,” Bahloul said in between rushing out plates to customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is really a unique thing and doesn’t happen every day,” she said. “We really want to take advantage, as much as we can, of this beautiful moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "world-cup-tickets-us-mens-national-soccer-team-bay-area-july-1-bosnia-herzegovina-levis-stadium",
"title": "Want to Watch the US Play in the World Cup at Levi’s Stadium? It Won’t Be Cheap",
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"headTitle": "Want to Watch the US Play in the World Cup at Levi’s Stadium? It Won’t Be Cheap | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>If you hadn’t already heard, the U.S. men’s national soccer team is coming to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> — to play its first World Cup knockout stage match at Levi’s Stadium on July 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the team suffered its \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5869807/2026-world-cup-fifa-usmnt-turkey\">first loss\u003c/a> in the tournament on Thursday with a 3-2 loss against Turkey — in a true nail-biter of a match that went to overtime — the team has nonetheless advanced to the next phase of the competition, after pulling off a pretty historic run in the group stage matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 2022 World Cup, the Americans only scored three goals in the \u003cem>whole tournament\u003c/em>. This year, they’ve already more than doubled that. And even two consecutive wins — first against Paraguay, then Australia — is something the men’s soccer team hasn’t achieved since 1930.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the most dominant USMNT of a generation is coming to Santa Clara for the July 1 knockout stage match to play against Bosnia and Herzegovina.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if the fútbol hype is getting to you and you’re tempted to try to see superstar striker Folarin Balogun score — or Christian Pulisic play after finally recovering from his calf injury — you’re not the only one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089024\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089024 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sebastian Berhalter #14 of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026, in Inglewood, California. \u003ccite>(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Demand for World Cup games has only grown since the tournament kicked off, with some of the more “affordable” seats for the upcoming USMNT match listed online for more than $2,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what to know if you’re hoping to see Team USA play their World Cup knockout match in Santa Clara next week — how much tickets are going for and how to avoid falling prey to a ticket scam.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still get a ticket to see the United States men’s national soccer team’s Bay Area World Cup match?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>FIFA is no longer offering tickets or hospitality packages for the upcoming USMNT match on its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/tickets\">official website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means your remaining option is to check out available resale tickets on verified resale sites like Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek and TickPick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087136\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087136\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A team locker room at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi’s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you end up buying tickets on a resale site, you will choose the seat you want and make your payment on that site, but you will then have to confirm that these tickets are now yours on either the official FIFA World Cup 2026 App or the FIFA Resale Marketplace website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the actual tickets, they will only be available on FIFA’s FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app — available in both the \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fwc2026-mobile-tickets/id6532603739\">Apple\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.tixngo.app.fifatickets&hl=en_US\">Play\u003c/a> stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A resale vendor can only transfer the tickets via the FIFA Resale Marketplace — they can’t promise to email or text you your tickets.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much are tickets for the USMNT’s July 1 World Cup match?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What’s a fair price for tickets? Because FIFA is no longer offering tickets for this match, it’s difficult to say with accuracy. But across major resale sites, prices seem to follow a general trend a few days before the July 1 match:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>400 section seating: The “nosebleed” seats are going for between $2,000 and $4,000\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>300 and 200 section seating: Seats in the “middle” section are going for between $3,000 and $6,000, with a few vendors listing their tickets at almost $10,000\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>100 section seating: While many of the closest seats to the field are going for more than $5,000, you \u003cem>can \u003c/em>find slightly cheaper spots in the rows behind the goal, which means less visibility of the whole game.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Even on verified resale sites, stay alert\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A few weeks before the Australia vs. Paraguay match at Levi’s Stadium on June 25, Marin County soccer fan Lei Cai bought two tickets to the game on StubHub. She soon received an email from StubHub telling her that her tickets were ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when she logged into the FIFA portal, “that’s when I found out there’s no tickets to claim,” Cai said. And after calling StubHub multiple times for several weeks, trying to get an answer, she was eventually informed by the company that the person who listed the seats online never actually made the tickets available for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087142\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12087142 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi’s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara, on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cai said StubHub originally offered only a refund for her tickets after learning of the situation. “You should not be able to sell something that doesn’t exist,” Cai said after accepting she wouldn’t be going to the game. “You’re scamming families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, after KQED contacted the company requesting comment on Cai’s situation, StubHub reached out to her directly to offer two new, free tickets to the same match — in a seating section much closer to the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar ticket transfer problems have plagued soccer fans \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-ticket-problems-stubhub-fifa-21c31f5cc33012e7f4619d4bff3b44a1\">nationwide\u003c/a>. At Spain’s World Cup match against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, an Associated Press journalist \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-ticket-problems-stubhub-fifa-21c31f5cc33012e7f4619d4bff3b44a1\">encountered\u003c/a> more than a dozen fans who reported being in similar situations, stuck outside the stadium without access to the tickets they thought they’d bought.[aside postID=arts_13990640 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/20260528-WORLDCUPBARS-JY-02-KQED.jpg']StubHub told KQED that FIFA’s ticketing app has seen performance issues affecting ticket transfers across all resale platforms, leading to situations where the transfer process couldn’t be completed in time for the match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every order is backed by our FanProtect Guarantee and getting fans to their matches remains our top priority for the rest of this tournament,” a company spokesperson said, adding that fans who are still having ticket problems should contact customer services directly and ask for “World Cup specialist support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, FIFA told KQED that it “can guarantee the validity and delivery of tickets purchased through its official platforms.” However, the problems that Cai and other fans have experienced on third-party sites have arisen when they can no longer \u003cem>buy \u003c/em>tickets on FIFA’s website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/9781090147985-Third-Party-Resale-Tickets-Everything-You-Need-to-Know#2026_world_cup\">Ticketmaster\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://seatgeek.ca/buyer-guarantee\">SeatGeek\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickpick.com/buyertrust-guarantee/\">TickPick\u003c/a> also have consumer guarantees listed on their website that promise buyers will receive their tickets on time ahead of the event. If you’ve already bought a ticket, confirm — as soon as possible — that you actually have access to them on the FIFA Resale Marketplace and FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t see your tickets? Contact the resale site as soon as possible. Have your order number ready, along with any other information you had to share when you made your purchase. In past cases, these sites have usually offered affected customers a full refund, and in some instances, folks got different seats to the same game.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don’t fall for a scam\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Vendor problems on resale sites may encourage some soccer fans to look \u003cem>elsewhere\u003c/em> for a better deal. But talking to strangers on sites that are not verified — like Facebook Marketplace — increases the risk of getting ripped off, Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney James Gibbons-Shapiro said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The criminal is simply looking for someone desperate enough to go to the World Cup that they’re willing to send a lot of money right away to a total stranger,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2282393383-scaled-e1782497582317.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Weston McKennie of the United States runs with the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. \u003ccite>(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you find seats you like on a verified site like Ticketmaster or SeatGeek, make sure you make the actual payment on this same website — and never on another platform. Scammers often promise you “a better deal” if you make the payment using instant payment sites like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fraudsters aren’t trying to save you money with this suggestion: They’re trying to make it easier for themselves to keep your money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you paid for seats that are listed on Ticketmaster, for example, but paid the “vendor” on Venmo, you can’t claim Ticketmaster’s buyer protections, as you didn’t actually use the resale site to make a purchase.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No, don’t try to buy a ticket outside Levi’s Stadium on July 1\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While some scammers are able to print tickets that look very “realistic,” there are, in fact, no physical tickets being issued during this World Cup. FIFA has adopted a fully electronic model for fans to store and display their tickets on their phones using the FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So if someone approaches you outside Levi’s Stadium and offers you a physical ticket, that’s a fake. “Don’t go to the stadium to try to buy a ticket there,” Gibbons-Shapiro said. “You’re not gonna be able to get in, and you’re going to lose all your money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans gather ahead of the USA vs Paraguay World Cup game in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026. \u003ccite>(Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Scalpers are actually not permitted on stadium grounds — and reselling tickets near the stadium is a misdemeanor crime in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, ticket rules require fans to claim their tickets on FIFA’s platforms at least 1 hour before the match starts; otherwise, they won’t be able to enter the stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If someone shows you they have a virtual ticket available on the FIFA Resale Marketplace website — but the game begins in 20 minutes — it’s likely you won’t be able to claim the ticket once the seller has transferred it to you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I just got scammed buying a fake World Cup ticket. What can I do?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If this were an individual you met online, make sure to document all your communication with them — including screenshots of any messages in case they attempt to delete anything from their end of the conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you were scammed online or over the phone:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can then report the situation to your local police department, as the city where you live is defined as where the crime took place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you bought the fake ticket in person from a scalper:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contact the police department of the city where the transaction took place. “If that happened right outside the stadium, that would be Santa Clara Police Department,” Gibbons-Shapiro said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty-1536x948.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (temporarily renamed from Levi’s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup) in Santa Clara, California, on May 19, 2026. Levi’s Stadium will host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including five group stage matches throughout June 2026. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can also file a complaint with the \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company\">California Attorney General’s office\u003c/a> or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint\">Better Business Bureau\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gibbons-Shapiro said his office is ready to prosecute anyone who tricks others into buying fake World Cup tickets, adding that he would consider that to be a felony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have robust teams for consumer protection and theft enforcement,” he said. “We’re going to prosecute the scammers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you think you were scammed while using a verified resale site, contact the platform’s customer service team immediately. While it’s not certain that they can get you the seat you initially bought, they can usually help you get your money back — something that’s not guaranteed at all if you contact a stranger making offers on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Ticketmaster:\u003c/strong> Call their customer service line directly at 800-653-8000, available Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. PST, Saturdays 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST and Sundays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>StubHub:\u003c/strong> You can message the customer service team \u003ca href=\"https://my.stubhub.com/contactus\">online\u003c/a> or call 888-720-9452.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>SeatGeek:\u003c/strong> You can message the customer service team \u003ca href=\"https://seatgeek.com/help/articles/8985475094931-Help-with-an-order\">online\u003c/a>, email \u003ca href=\"mailto:hi@seatgeek.com\">hi@seatgeek.com\u003c/a> or call 888-506-4101.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>TickPick:\u003c/strong> You can fill out an \u003ca href=\"https://support.tickpick.com/hc/en-us/requests/new\">online form\u003c/a> or call 845-538-4567.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting from The Associated Press.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Want to see the U.S. men’s national soccer team play in the Bay Area against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup’s knockout phase? What to know about buying tickets on resale sites.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If you hadn’t already heard, the U.S. men’s national soccer team is coming to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> — to play its first World Cup knockout stage match at Levi’s Stadium on July 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the team suffered its \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5869807/2026-world-cup-fifa-usmnt-turkey\">first loss\u003c/a> in the tournament on Thursday with a 3-2 loss against Turkey — in a true nail-biter of a match that went to overtime — the team has nonetheless advanced to the next phase of the competition, after pulling off a pretty historic run in the group stage matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 2022 World Cup, the Americans only scored three goals in the \u003cem>whole tournament\u003c/em>. This year, they’ve already more than doubled that. And even two consecutive wins — first against Paraguay, then Australia — is something the men’s soccer team hasn’t achieved since 1930.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the most dominant USMNT of a generation is coming to Santa Clara for the July 1 knockout stage match to play against Bosnia and Herzegovina.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if the fútbol hype is getting to you and you’re tempted to try to see superstar striker Folarin Balogun score — or Christian Pulisic play after finally recovering from his calf injury — you’re not the only one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089024\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12089024 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/USAWorldCupGetty2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sebastian Berhalter #14 of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026, in Inglewood, California. \u003ccite>(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Demand for World Cup games has only grown since the tournament kicked off, with some of the more “affordable” seats for the upcoming USMNT match listed online for more than $2,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what to know if you’re hoping to see Team USA play their World Cup knockout match in Santa Clara next week — how much tickets are going for and how to avoid falling prey to a ticket scam.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still get a ticket to see the United States men’s national soccer team’s Bay Area World Cup match?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>FIFA is no longer offering tickets or hospitality packages for the upcoming USMNT match on its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/tickets\">official website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means your remaining option is to check out available resale tickets on verified resale sites like Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek and TickPick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087136\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087136\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-02-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A team locker room at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi’s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you end up buying tickets on a resale site, you will choose the seat you want and make your payment on that site, but you will then have to confirm that these tickets are now yours on either the official FIFA World Cup 2026 App or the FIFA Resale Marketplace website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the actual tickets, they will only be available on FIFA’s FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app — available in both the \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fwc2026-mobile-tickets/id6532603739\">Apple\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.tixngo.app.fifatickets&hl=en_US\">Play\u003c/a> stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A resale vendor can only transfer the tickets via the FIFA Resale Marketplace — they can’t promise to email or text you your tickets.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much are tickets for the USMNT’s July 1 World Cup match?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What’s a fair price for tickets? Because FIFA is no longer offering tickets for this match, it’s difficult to say with accuracy. But across major resale sites, prices seem to follow a general trend a few days before the July 1 match:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>400 section seating: The “nosebleed” seats are going for between $2,000 and $4,000\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>300 and 200 section seating: Seats in the “middle” section are going for between $3,000 and $6,000, with a few vendors listing their tickets at almost $10,000\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>100 section seating: While many of the closest seats to the field are going for more than $5,000, you \u003cem>can \u003c/em>find slightly cheaper spots in the rows behind the goal, which means less visibility of the whole game.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Even on verified resale sites, stay alert\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A few weeks before the Australia vs. Paraguay match at Levi’s Stadium on June 25, Marin County soccer fan Lei Cai bought two tickets to the game on StubHub. She soon received an email from StubHub telling her that her tickets were ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when she logged into the FIFA portal, “that’s when I found out there’s no tickets to claim,” Cai said. And after calling StubHub multiple times for several weeks, trying to get an answer, she was eventually informed by the company that the person who listed the seats online never actually made the tickets available for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087142\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12087142 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-51-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi’s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara, on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cai said StubHub originally offered only a refund for her tickets after learning of the situation. “You should not be able to sell something that doesn’t exist,” Cai said after accepting she wouldn’t be going to the game. “You’re scamming families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, after KQED contacted the company requesting comment on Cai’s situation, StubHub reached out to her directly to offer two new, free tickets to the same match — in a seating section much closer to the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar ticket transfer problems have plagued soccer fans \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-ticket-problems-stubhub-fifa-21c31f5cc33012e7f4619d4bff3b44a1\">nationwide\u003c/a>. At Spain’s World Cup match against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, an Associated Press journalist \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-ticket-problems-stubhub-fifa-21c31f5cc33012e7f4619d4bff3b44a1\">encountered\u003c/a> more than a dozen fans who reported being in similar situations, stuck outside the stadium without access to the tickets they thought they’d bought.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>StubHub told KQED that FIFA’s ticketing app has seen performance issues affecting ticket transfers across all resale platforms, leading to situations where the transfer process couldn’t be completed in time for the match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every order is backed by our FanProtect Guarantee and getting fans to their matches remains our top priority for the rest of this tournament,” a company spokesperson said, adding that fans who are still having ticket problems should contact customer services directly and ask for “World Cup specialist support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, FIFA told KQED that it “can guarantee the validity and delivery of tickets purchased through its official platforms.” However, the problems that Cai and other fans have experienced on third-party sites have arisen when they can no longer \u003cem>buy \u003c/em>tickets on FIFA’s website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/9781090147985-Third-Party-Resale-Tickets-Everything-You-Need-to-Know#2026_world_cup\">Ticketmaster\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://seatgeek.ca/buyer-guarantee\">SeatGeek\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.tickpick.com/buyertrust-guarantee/\">TickPick\u003c/a> also have consumer guarantees listed on their website that promise buyers will receive their tickets on time ahead of the event. If you’ve already bought a ticket, confirm — as soon as possible — that you actually have access to them on the FIFA Resale Marketplace and FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t see your tickets? Contact the resale site as soon as possible. Have your order number ready, along with any other information you had to share when you made your purchase. In past cases, these sites have usually offered affected customers a full refund, and in some instances, folks got different seats to the same game.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don’t fall for a scam\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Vendor problems on resale sites may encourage some soccer fans to look \u003cem>elsewhere\u003c/em> for a better deal. But talking to strangers on sites that are not verified — like Facebook Marketplace — increases the risk of getting ripped off, Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney James Gibbons-Shapiro said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The criminal is simply looking for someone desperate enough to go to the World Cup that they’re willing to send a lot of money right away to a total stranger,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2282393383-scaled-e1782497582317.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Weston McKennie of the United States runs with the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. \u003ccite>(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you find seats you like on a verified site like Ticketmaster or SeatGeek, make sure you make the actual payment on this same website — and never on another platform. Scammers often promise you “a better deal” if you make the payment using instant payment sites like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fraudsters aren’t trying to save you money with this suggestion: They’re trying to make it easier for themselves to keep your money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you paid for seats that are listed on Ticketmaster, for example, but paid the “vendor” on Venmo, you can’t claim Ticketmaster’s buyer protections, as you didn’t actually use the resale site to make a purchase.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No, don’t try to buy a ticket outside Levi’s Stadium on July 1\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While some scammers are able to print tickets that look very “realistic,” there are, in fact, no physical tickets being issued during this World Cup. FIFA has adopted a fully electronic model for fans to store and display their tickets on their phones using the FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So if someone approaches you outside Levi’s Stadium and offers you a physical ticket, that’s a fake. “Don’t go to the stadium to try to buy a ticket there,” Gibbons-Shapiro said. “You’re not gonna be able to get in, and you’re going to lose all your money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2163-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans gather ahead of the USA vs Paraguay World Cup game in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026. \u003ccite>(Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Scalpers are actually not permitted on stadium grounds — and reselling tickets near the stadium is a misdemeanor crime in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, ticket rules require fans to claim their tickets on FIFA’s platforms at least 1 hour before the match starts; otherwise, they won’t be able to enter the stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If someone shows you they have a virtual ticket available on the FIFA Resale Marketplace website — but the game begins in 20 minutes — it’s likely you won’t be able to claim the ticket once the seller has transferred it to you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I just got scammed buying a fake World Cup ticket. What can I do?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If this were an individual you met online, make sure to document all your communication with them — including screenshots of any messages in case they attempt to delete anything from their end of the conversation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you were scammed online or over the phone:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can then report the situation to your local police department, as the city where you live is defined as where the crime took place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you bought the fake ticket in person from a scalper:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contact the police department of the city where the transaction took place. “If that happened right outside the stadium, that would be Santa Clara Police Department,” Gibbons-Shapiro said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/FIFAWorldCupLevisStadiumGetty-1536x948.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (temporarily renamed from Levi’s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup) in Santa Clara, California, on May 19, 2026. Levi’s Stadium will host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including five group stage matches throughout June 2026. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can also file a complaint with the \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company\">California Attorney General’s office\u003c/a> or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint\">Better Business Bureau\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gibbons-Shapiro said his office is ready to prosecute anyone who tricks others into buying fake World Cup tickets, adding that he would consider that to be a felony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have robust teams for consumer protection and theft enforcement,” he said. “We’re going to prosecute the scammers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you think you were scammed while using a verified resale site, contact the platform’s customer service team immediately. While it’s not certain that they can get you the seat you initially bought, they can usually help you get your money back — something that’s not guaranteed at all if you contact a stranger making offers on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Ticketmaster:\u003c/strong> Call their customer service line directly at 800-653-8000, available Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. PST, Saturdays 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST and Sundays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>StubHub:\u003c/strong> You can message the customer service team \u003ca href=\"https://my.stubhub.com/contactus\">online\u003c/a> or call 888-720-9452.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>SeatGeek:\u003c/strong> You can message the customer service team \u003ca href=\"https://seatgeek.com/help/articles/8985475094931-Help-with-an-order\">online\u003c/a>, email \u003ca href=\"mailto:hi@seatgeek.com\">hi@seatgeek.com\u003c/a> or call 888-506-4101.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>TickPick:\u003c/strong> You can fill out an \u003ca href=\"https://support.tickpick.com/hc/en-us/requests/new\">online form\u003c/a> or call 845-538-4567.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting from The Associated Press.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Much has changed since the last time the U.S. Men’s National Team played a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> match in the Bay Area — on July 4, 1994, at Stanford Stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Professional soccer didn’t yet have a strong foothold here. Ticket prices have soared. Fanbases have grown. Stadiums have sprung up across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those who attended, played in the game, or helped bring the event to life, say the California-hosted World Cup matches at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, and the U.S. team’s Round of 16 game against soccer powerhouse Brazil at Stanford University drew sellout crowds and helped \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087770/how-the-bay-area-helped-shape-u-s-soccer-ahead-of-the-2026-world-cup\">drive interest in the sport\u003c/a> for generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was fantastic to see the turnout for all of these games and to see how much support we got from our home fans,” Cobi Jones, who played for the men’s team at the time, said in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the current squad advances and gears up for a knockout game at the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\"> temporarily renamed Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> on July 1, Jones said the reaction from fans all those years ago showed the sport was “building” in the U.S., and laid the groundwork for the event’s popularity today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would say that ‘94 team was the foundation for everything going forward,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087233\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087233\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ray Purpur looks through photographs and memorabilia from the 1994 FIFA World Cup in his office at Stanford University on June 11, 2026. Stanford Stadium hosted World Cup matches during the tournament. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Long before the games could be played at Stanford Stadium, an aging facility built in 1921, it had to be prepared to host professional soccer matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The job was a big undertaking, and for Ray Purpur, who was hired in January 1994 as a deputy director of athletics overseeing facilities, it was a feat he won’t forget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I didn’t realize everything that had to go into it, or I may not have made it,” Purpur said with a chuckle during an interview in his office. “Stanford Stadium was almost a perfect candidate on paper. There was a lot of seats, there was a whole lot of parking, the field was an incredible field.”[aside postID=arts_13990640 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/20260528-WORLDCUPBARS-JY-02-KQED.jpg']But some things needed upgrades, like old wooden seating that needed to be removed and replaced with more comfortable metal-clad seats. The press box also needed a major overhaul to accommodate an influx of media, and much like today’s game, FIFA had specifications for the playing field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And they, kind of late in the game, decided that the crown [the rise in the center of the field] was too much, so we went in, and we scalped the crown off of it and flattened the field just slightly,” Purpur said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once the games were underway, he said the massive crowds were something he had never witnessed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hadn’t been to a game that big before. There were very few photos of Stanford football being sold out like that,” he said. “And every seat was full.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Mastrocola, a San José native and soccer fan, joined the USA94 organizing committee in the Bay Area, which helped to get Stanford selected as a host site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the pieces for a dramatic, entertaining game between the U.S. and Brazil were already in place, as the Brazilian team’s World Cup base camp was in Los Gatos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088814\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A general view of Stanford Stadium during the Brazil-USA World Cup game at Stanford in Palo Alto on July 4, 1994. \u003ccite>(Peter Robinson/PA Images via Getty Ima)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Diehard supporters of the team \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/los-gatos-looks-toward-renewal-of-world-cup-madness/\">flooded \u003c/a>the small South Bay town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When Brazil came to Los Gatos, it was insane. Everything was yellow and green. They were samba [dancing] all through the streets of Los Gatos, and they really lit the city up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Independence Day, the gameplay and the Stanford venue didn’t disappoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everywhere you went, it was red, white and blue mixed in with the sea of the Sambas, of course,” he said, referring to U.S. and Brazil supporters, filling 84,000 seats. “It was electric.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they introduced the players, you could just see the glow on people’s faces,” he said. “I remember walking out looking at the turf and the turf was like a carpet. You know, it was perfectly green and bright and manicured.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>International professional soccer was still “a baby brother to football and basketball and Super Bowls,” Mastrocola said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t lost on the U.S. players that a strong showing against a three-time World Cup champion like Brazil could boost their credibility on an international stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088819\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED-1536x998.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Happy Brazilian fans celebrate during Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Russian in World Cup game at Stanford in Palo Alto on June 20, 1994. \u003ccite>(Steve Dunn/ALLSPORT via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We were weathering the storm,” Jones said, recalling the matchup and some of Brazil’s best players. “Because they had such talent in the Romários, the Bebetos, the Dungas all over the field.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Brazil won the game, scoring a goal late in the match. But Mastrocola said the U.S. team proved themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They had good coaching. They had great excitement and enthusiasm,” he said. “They wanted to make the USA proud, and they did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the rise in soccer professionalization and interest domestically has also tracked with the increasing price of admission for major tournaments like the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Admission to the group stage games for the current World Cup generally costs fans a minimum of several hundred dollars per ticket, and tickets to the later stages and final matches are akin to buying seats at the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tickets for the U.S. game on July 1 are currently reselling on the FIFA official marketplace for a minimum of several thousand dollars, and listing as high as more than $20,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088815\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cobi Jones of USA chases down the ball in the Brazil-USA World Cup game at Stanford in Palo Alto on July 4, 1994. \u003ccite>(Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It really is ring-fenced around those who can afford these kinds of very high prices,” said Matthew Atencio, a professor of kinesiology and co-director of the Center for Sport and Social Justice at California State University East Bay. “So many of your kids in the Bay Area who love the game or might be interested or curious about the matches that are being hosted are not able to go to those, and I’m disappointed in that aspect.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Atencio drove down from Washington state to see Brazil take on Cameroon at Stanford in 1994. Tickets were less than $100, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For young fans like Atencio and his friends, who played soccer at the time, those in-person experiences with the game were inspirational and influential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a real catalyst to us still wanting to be part of the game. And it drove us to keep playing, it drove us to keep coaching,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’d go on to play on teams and in leagues around the world. He noted players now have many more avenues to play domestically, whether in college, academies, or semi-professionally in various leagues that were not around in the ‘90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mastrocola, who sold ticket and hospitality packages around the World Cup in 1994, said he’s happy soccer has taken off, but sad to see prices shooting up so high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087234\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087234\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ray Purpur, Stanford’s deputy athletics director, sits with photographs and memorabilia from the 1994 FIFA World Cup in his office at Stanford University on June 11, 2026. Purpur helped oversee preparations when Stanford Stadium hosted matches during the tournament. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The World Cup has become quite corporate,” he said. “You can tell by the price of tickets, it’s not for the fan, it doesn’t seem like it’s for the fans anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Atencio said he’s encouraged to see how community-based organizations have stepped up with grassroots soccer programs to help sustain the sport for youth and in lower-income communities, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086356/an-oakland-soccer-program-helps-immigrant-youth-find-belonging\">Soccer Without Borders\u003c/a>, Street Soccer USA and 3v3 soccer tournaments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like they’re really on the line of how this sport can be for the masses, for the people, and especially for people who simply can’t afford to be part of a pay-to-play system,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kmizuguchi\">\u003cem>Keith Mizuguchi\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/agonzalez\">\u003cem>Alex Gonzalez\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Much has changed since the last time the U.S. Men’s National Team played a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> match in the Bay Area — on July 4, 1994, at Stanford Stadium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Professional soccer didn’t yet have a strong foothold here. Ticket prices have soared. Fanbases have grown. Stadiums have sprung up across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those who attended, played in the game, or helped bring the event to life, say the California-hosted World Cup matches at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, and the U.S. team’s Round of 16 game against soccer powerhouse Brazil at Stanford University drew sellout crowds and helped \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087770/how-the-bay-area-helped-shape-u-s-soccer-ahead-of-the-2026-world-cup\">drive interest in the sport\u003c/a> for generations to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was fantastic to see the turnout for all of these games and to see how much support we got from our home fans,” Cobi Jones, who played for the men’s team at the time, said in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the current squad advances and gears up for a knockout game at the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\"> temporarily renamed Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> on July 1, Jones said the reaction from fans all those years ago showed the sport was “building” in the U.S., and laid the groundwork for the event’s popularity today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would say that ‘94 team was the foundation for everything going forward,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087233\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087233\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_013-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ray Purpur looks through photographs and memorabilia from the 1994 FIFA World Cup in his office at Stanford University on June 11, 2026. Stanford Stadium hosted World Cup matches during the tournament. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Long before the games could be played at Stanford Stadium, an aging facility built in 1921, it had to be prepared to host professional soccer matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The job was a big undertaking, and for Ray Purpur, who was hired in January 1994 as a deputy director of athletics overseeing facilities, it was a feat he won’t forget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I didn’t realize everything that had to go into it, or I may not have made it,” Purpur said with a chuckle during an interview in his office. “Stanford Stadium was almost a perfect candidate on paper. There was a lot of seats, there was a whole lot of parking, the field was an incredible field.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But some things needed upgrades, like old wooden seating that needed to be removed and replaced with more comfortable metal-clad seats. The press box also needed a major overhaul to accommodate an influx of media, and much like today’s game, FIFA had specifications for the playing field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And they, kind of late in the game, decided that the crown [the rise in the center of the field] was too much, so we went in, and we scalped the crown off of it and flattened the field just slightly,” Purpur said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once the games were underway, he said the massive crowds were something he had never witnessed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hadn’t been to a game that big before. There were very few photos of Stanford football being sold out like that,” he said. “And every seat was full.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Mastrocola, a San José native and soccer fan, joined the USA94 organizing committee in the Bay Area, which helped to get Stanford selected as a host site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the pieces for a dramatic, entertaining game between the U.S. and Brazil were already in place, as the Brazilian team’s World Cup base camp was in Los Gatos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088814\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-661359852-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A general view of Stanford Stadium during the Brazil-USA World Cup game at Stanford in Palo Alto on July 4, 1994. \u003ccite>(Peter Robinson/PA Images via Getty Ima)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Diehard supporters of the team \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/los-gatos-looks-toward-renewal-of-world-cup-madness/\">flooded \u003c/a>the small South Bay town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When Brazil came to Los Gatos, it was insane. Everything was yellow and green. They were samba [dancing] all through the streets of Los Gatos, and they really lit the city up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Independence Day, the gameplay and the Stanford venue didn’t disappoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everywhere you went, it was red, white and blue mixed in with the sea of the Sambas, of course,” he said, referring to U.S. and Brazil supporters, filling 84,000 seats. “It was electric.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they introduced the players, you could just see the glow on people’s faces,” he said. “I remember walking out looking at the turf and the turf was like a carpet. You know, it was perfectly green and bright and manicured.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>International professional soccer was still “a baby brother to football and basketball and Super Bowls,” Mastrocola said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t lost on the U.S. players that a strong showing against a three-time World Cup champion like Brazil could boost their credibility on an international stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088819\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-233338-KQED-1536x998.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Happy Brazilian fans celebrate during Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Russian in World Cup game at Stanford in Palo Alto on June 20, 1994. \u003ccite>(Steve Dunn/ALLSPORT via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We were weathering the storm,” Jones said, recalling the matchup and some of Brazil’s best players. “Because they had such talent in the Romários, the Bebetos, the Dungas all over the field.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Brazil won the game, scoring a goal late in the match. But Mastrocola said the U.S. team proved themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They had good coaching. They had great excitement and enthusiasm,” he said. “They wanted to make the USA proud, and they did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the rise in soccer professionalization and interest domestically has also tracked with the increasing price of admission for major tournaments like the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Admission to the group stage games for the current World Cup generally costs fans a minimum of several hundred dollars per ticket, and tickets to the later stages and final matches are akin to buying seats at the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tickets for the U.S. game on July 1 are currently reselling on the FIFA official marketplace for a minimum of several thousand dollars, and listing as high as more than $20,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088815\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-1129411309-KQED-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cobi Jones of USA chases down the ball in the Brazil-USA World Cup game at Stanford in Palo Alto on July 4, 1994. \u003ccite>(Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It really is ring-fenced around those who can afford these kinds of very high prices,” said Matthew Atencio, a professor of kinesiology and co-director of the Center for Sport and Social Justice at California State University East Bay. “So many of your kids in the Bay Area who love the game or might be interested or curious about the matches that are being hosted are not able to go to those, and I’m disappointed in that aspect.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Atencio drove down from Washington state to see Brazil take on Cameroon at Stanford in 1994. Tickets were less than $100, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For young fans like Atencio and his friends, who played soccer at the time, those in-person experiences with the game were inspirational and influential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a real catalyst to us still wanting to be part of the game. And it drove us to keep playing, it drove us to keep coaching,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’d go on to play on teams and in leagues around the world. He noted players now have many more avenues to play domestically, whether in college, academies, or semi-professionally in various leagues that were not around in the ‘90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mastrocola, who sold ticket and hospitality packages around the World Cup in 1994, said he’s happy soccer has taken off, but sad to see prices shooting up so high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087234\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087234\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061126World-Cup_-Stanford-1994_GH_015-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ray Purpur, Stanford’s deputy athletics director, sits with photographs and memorabilia from the 1994 FIFA World Cup in his office at Stanford University on June 11, 2026. Purpur helped oversee preparations when Stanford Stadium hosted matches during the tournament. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The World Cup has become quite corporate,” he said. “You can tell by the price of tickets, it’s not for the fan, it doesn’t seem like it’s for the fans anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Atencio said he’s encouraged to see how community-based organizations have stepped up with grassroots soccer programs to help sustain the sport for youth and in lower-income communities, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086356/an-oakland-soccer-program-helps-immigrant-youth-find-belonging\">Soccer Without Borders\u003c/a>, Street Soccer USA and 3v3 soccer tournaments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like they’re really on the line of how this sport can be for the masses, for the people, and especially for people who simply can’t afford to be part of a pay-to-play system,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kmizuguchi\">\u003cem>Keith Mizuguchi\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/agonzalez\">\u003cem>Alex Gonzalez\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "In a Rainbow-Trimmed Robe at the World Cup, a Gay Qatari Doctor Advocates for Equal Rights",
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"content": "\u003cp>Formally dressed in a traditional Qatari bisht, Dr. Nasser Mohamed strolled past a crowd of several hundred people \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">outside Chase Center\u003c/a> as the England-Croatia \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup \u003c/a>match was shown high above on the big screen. His gold-and-black robe featured a flourish: rainbow piping down each sleeve and the words “love” and “freedom” written in Arabic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why the World Cup is really powerful, because people don’t need to hear about who I am — I can just walk, be seen, and that’s it,” he said. “We don’t have to say a word.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four years ago, when the World Cup was \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-sports-soccer-international-gay-rights-54e5b2a4f51e471ca3a8f10816af201b\">played in his home country\u003c/a> and Mohamed was already living across the world in San Francisco, he came out and became an exceptionally rare openly gay man from Qatar, where gay sex is prohibited and he can’t dress how he’d like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mohamed is speaking up again for those without a voice. The 39-year-old now feels secure enough to walk around with confidence, and without fear of harm, while wearing chunky heeled boots, mascara and 2-inch dangly earrings. He still gets regular backlash and hate, but he has also found support and kindness from around the globe that helps drown out the death threats and divisiveness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am so loved in San Francisco, really, truly,” Mohamed said of the city he moved to more than a decade ago. “I have not worn this since I was a kid in Qatar, and San Francisco put it back on my shoulders, with rainbows.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For him, donning the bisht for everyone to see is important: “The emir of Qatar put it on (Lionel) Messi at the last World Cup to celebrate Messi. We should be celebrated too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Mohamed campaigns for love at the World Cup\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An LGBTQ+ activist and family doctor who treats HIV, “Dr. Nas” — as he is known — launched his “Love is the Goal” campaign ahead of the World Cup and Pride Month, hoping to humanize all people taking part. For a video, he combined soccer lingo with references to love, such as him reading “love is kickoff, the very first touch,” and someone else offering “love is the assist, finding you exactly where you are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Saving a life like mine is very expensive, and I know that, and this is the hard truth,” Mohamed said. “So that’s why I had to pave my own path and get out. I lost everything. I’m disowned completely. I had to build myself from scratch, the ground up, all of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088758\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088758\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Nasser Mohamed, of Qatar, is photographed, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Qatar plays its final group-stage match, against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Seattle. Mohamed won’t be there, but he was at the team’s first game, on June 13 in Santa Clara, California. He had clear and visible security, and was escorted by California state Sen. Scott Wiener to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/qatar-switzerland-world-cup-score-c1232e9fc7bcde023a14db26e767e90e\">the 1-1 draw with Switzerland.\u003c/a> A photo from the day has more than 12 million views on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As I was passing, everybody was taking pictures of me with the senator,” he recalled. “It was so dramatic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And emotional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the stadium I couldn’t speak because if I started talking I’m not going to stop crying, because when am I going to see Qatar again in my life?” Mohamed said through tears. “When is it ever going to happen again? I don’t know. When am I going to see home? I can’t see Mom and Dad, even when they were getting hit by missiles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Even in exile, Mohamed still cheers for Qatar\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After the game, he hosted a dance party at the San Francisco Mint highlighted by a performance \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_zOTqlMJ9w\">“Let Your Love Shine,”\u003c/a> written by close friend Simon Tam and sung by Debby Holiday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nas’ journey moves me because it is rooted in extraordinary courage and an enormous heart,” Tam said. “He’s taken his own truth and turned it into a way to help others feel seen, worthy, and less alone.” [aside postID=news_12088198 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-05-KQED.jpg'] Tam believes Mohamed can change the world — and that’s the doctor’s hope, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first step to heal is to witness things the way they are,” Mohamed said. “My endgame is for every child to belong with their own family and their own society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, it breaks his heart knowing he can’t go back to Qatar, he says. Mohamed says he has been ostracized by his own family because of his sexuality and for standing up to power to help others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has aided moves out of Qatar for others, including a transgender woman who told The Associated Press she had been imprisoned and tortured because of her identity. The woman spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear for her safety. The AP could not independently confirm the woman’s account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The AP did not contact Qatar’s government prior to publication of the story, and the government did not respond to subsequent later requests seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mohamed is thankful for this new existence, embracing the obstacles that come with his work, even as he believes his safety could be at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all fled persecution and took political asylum in the U.S., and now we invited all of them to come here to play soccer,” he said. “I didn’t feel safe leaving my apartment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, after everything, he roots for Qatar — and the Americans. He plans to watch the U.S. during the round of 32 next week in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am cheering for both the United States and for Qatar with love,” he said. “They both had homes for me and, when I challenge either of them, it is out of love, and I mean it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Formally dressed in a traditional Qatari bisht, Dr. Nasser Mohamed strolled past a crowd of several hundred people \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">outside Chase Center\u003c/a> as the England-Croatia \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup \u003c/a>match was shown high above on the big screen. His gold-and-black robe featured a flourish: rainbow piping down each sleeve and the words “love” and “freedom” written in Arabic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why the World Cup is really powerful, because people don’t need to hear about who I am — I can just walk, be seen, and that’s it,” he said. “We don’t have to say a word.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four years ago, when the World Cup was \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-sports-soccer-international-gay-rights-54e5b2a4f51e471ca3a8f10816af201b\">played in his home country\u003c/a> and Mohamed was already living across the world in San Francisco, he came out and became an exceptionally rare openly gay man from Qatar, where gay sex is prohibited and he can’t dress how he’d like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mohamed is speaking up again for those without a voice. The 39-year-old now feels secure enough to walk around with confidence, and without fear of harm, while wearing chunky heeled boots, mascara and 2-inch dangly earrings. He still gets regular backlash and hate, but he has also found support and kindness from around the globe that helps drown out the death threats and divisiveness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am so loved in San Francisco, really, truly,” Mohamed said of the city he moved to more than a decade ago. “I have not worn this since I was a kid in Qatar, and San Francisco put it back on my shoulders, with rainbows.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For him, donning the bisht for everyone to see is important: “The emir of Qatar put it on (Lionel) Messi at the last World Cup to celebrate Messi. We should be celebrated too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Mohamed campaigns for love at the World Cup\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An LGBTQ+ activist and family doctor who treats HIV, “Dr. Nas” — as he is known — launched his “Love is the Goal” campaign ahead of the World Cup and Pride Month, hoping to humanize all people taking part. For a video, he combined soccer lingo with references to love, such as him reading “love is kickoff, the very first touch,” and someone else offering “love is the assist, finding you exactly where you are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Saving a life like mine is very expensive, and I know that, and this is the hard truth,” Mohamed said. “So that’s why I had to pave my own path and get out. I lost everything. I’m disowned completely. I had to build myself from scratch, the ground up, all of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088758\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088758\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26172718919179-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Nasser Mohamed, of Qatar, is photographed, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Qatar plays its final group-stage match, against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Seattle. Mohamed won’t be there, but he was at the team’s first game, on June 13 in Santa Clara, California. He had clear and visible security, and was escorted by California state Sen. Scott Wiener to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/qatar-switzerland-world-cup-score-c1232e9fc7bcde023a14db26e767e90e\">the 1-1 draw with Switzerland.\u003c/a> A photo from the day has more than 12 million views on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As I was passing, everybody was taking pictures of me with the senator,” he recalled. “It was so dramatic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And emotional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the stadium I couldn’t speak because if I started talking I’m not going to stop crying, because when am I going to see Qatar again in my life?” Mohamed said through tears. “When is it ever going to happen again? I don’t know. When am I going to see home? I can’t see Mom and Dad, even when they were getting hit by missiles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Even in exile, Mohamed still cheers for Qatar\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After the game, he hosted a dance party at the San Francisco Mint highlighted by a performance \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_zOTqlMJ9w\">“Let Your Love Shine,”\u003c/a> written by close friend Simon Tam and sung by Debby Holiday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nas’ journey moves me because it is rooted in extraordinary courage and an enormous heart,” Tam said. “He’s taken his own truth and turned it into a way to help others feel seen, worthy, and less alone.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> Tam believes Mohamed can change the world — and that’s the doctor’s hope, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first step to heal is to witness things the way they are,” Mohamed said. “My endgame is for every child to belong with their own family and their own society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, it breaks his heart knowing he can’t go back to Qatar, he says. Mohamed says he has been ostracized by his own family because of his sexuality and for standing up to power to help others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has aided moves out of Qatar for others, including a transgender woman who told The Associated Press she had been imprisoned and tortured because of her identity. The woman spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear for her safety. The AP could not independently confirm the woman’s account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The AP did not contact Qatar’s government prior to publication of the story, and the government did not respond to subsequent later requests seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mohamed is thankful for this new existence, embracing the obstacles that come with his work, even as he believes his safety could be at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all fled persecution and took political asylum in the U.S., and now we invited all of them to come here to play soccer,” he said. “I didn’t feel safe leaving my apartment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, after everything, he roots for Qatar — and the Americans. He plans to watch the U.S. during the round of 32 next week in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am cheering for both the United States and for Qatar with love,” he said. “They both had homes for me and, when I challenge either of them, it is out of love, and I mean it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "what-it-was-like-inside-levis-for-the-algeria-vs-jordan-world-cup-match",
"title": "What It Was Like Inside Levi’s for the Algeria vs. Jordan World Cup Match",
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"headTitle": "What It Was Like Inside Levi’s for the Algeria vs. Jordan World Cup Match | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>One, two, three, viva l’Algerie! One, two, three, viva l’Algerie!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chants were thunderous, with thousands of fans of Algeria’s national soccer team celebrating a 2-1 victory over Jordan at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/levis-stadium\">Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> on Monday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083101/world-cup-2026-bay-area-games-where-is-fifa-world-cup-santa-clara-levis-stadium-tickets-fan-zone-watch-parties\">World Cup match\u003c/a> ended, the throngs of revelers filled the cavernous concourses, and the building shook as they danced, jumped for joy and played drums and horns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Algeria’s supporters were the last ones cheering, just about every moment surrounding the match at the temporarily \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cBQqZzxkA4Q\">renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a> in Santa Clara felt like a celebration of sport, unity and togetherness among people hailing from far beyond Algeria, Jordan and the broader Middle East.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now it’s a time for the Middle East to kind of unite,” Sandy Kikhia of San José said ahead of the match. Kikhia is of Syrian descent and attended her first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">World Cup game\u003c/a> with two of her sisters, Masah and Jana, all supporting Jordan’s side in the team’s first-ever World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the sisters said a win for either team was a win for the larger community, especially for fans whose teams are not in this World Cup, such as Syrians, Palestinians and Lebanese people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A child held up on a person’s shoulders waves a Jordanian flag outside Levi’s Stadium, ahead of the World Cup match between Jordan and Algeria, in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/ KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There is nothing that is nicer than having our whole Arab community come together for something that brings everyone joy,” Masah Kikhia said. “Such a nice feeling to see everyone wearing their cultural clothing, the shemagh, the keffiyeh,” she said, referring to both the black and white checkered scarves with Palestinian origins, and the red and white version most commonly donned by Jordanians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, which organizes the World Cup and is widely known as FIFA, didn’t grant KQED any \u003ca href=\"https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-06-17/fifa-didnt-offer-gbh-news-media-credentials-for-the-world-cup-we-went-anyway\">media credentials to cover matches\u003c/a>. So we purchased our own upper deck ticket for $400 to experience the game, the stadium and the fandom up close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fans did not disappoint.[aside postID=news_12086949 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED.jpg']Even hours ahead of kickoff, the parking lots outside of the stadium were filled with thousands of people wearing their nation’s colors, dancing on cement railings, greeting each other with big hugs and waving huge flags.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups of people huddled around news reporters, anxiously awaiting the chance to be broadcast live on Algerian and Jordanian news networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No tailgating is allowed at World Cup matches, but some generous folks handed out snacks and sweets, like dates and baklava, and others posed for pictures with bags of pistachios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amine Tigha, an Algerian who lives in New York City, traveled to the Bay Area for this match, also his first World Cup game, and said he loves the weather here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The most important thing,” he said ahead of kickoff, is that Algeria wins the game, but he said the vibes were more of a friendly rivalry with Jordan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, we both are Arab, we share a lot of things. We share the religion, the language and everything. It’s like a derby. We play like neighbors,” he said with a big laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nazim Bellahsene is originally from Algeria and has lived in the U.S. for 15 years. He lives in Santa Clara and came to the match with his wife, Wisam, and his two young kids, Emma and Nolan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporters of Jordan’s men’s soccer team party outside of Levi’s Stadium, ahead of the World Cup match between Jordan and Algeria, in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s super exciting. We’re loving it. It’s really unexpected that it’s here at home, near home. So, you know, we can’t miss it,” he said of the match. Monday was his first time ever seeing the Algerian national team on the pitch in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decked out in an Algerian jersey and draped with the country’s flag, Bellahsene was confident in his side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re looking forward to a win, for sure,” he said. “But you know, at the same time, enjoying and having a great family time with everybody here in a very festive environment. So it’s going to be fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088550\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088550\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans take a selfie from the concourse of Levi’s Stadium during the World Cup match between Algeria and Jordan in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The stadium was filled with people from seemingly all backgrounds, from babies to elders, and several fans said they loved the diversity of the Bay Area and the international draw of the sport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfred and Veronica Zamora, and their daughter Brianna, are San José residents and big fans of Mexico’s national team. Like many other fans on Monday night, they sported their Mexico kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family has been to 49ers games at Levi’s before, but the vibes around the match on Monday were in “a whole different league,” Alfred said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088552\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088552\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the temporarily renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium filled with fans from an upper deck seat purchased by KQED for the World Cup match between Algeria and Jordan on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s just a different experience altogether, you know. [American] football is great, but this is a world event. I feel like everybody’s here and joined together to watch something good.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jasmine and Zayna Alfarah, sisters of Jordanian descent from Los Angeles, drove up to the Bay Area overnight Sunday into Monday with their two friends, Jacqueline Gutierrez and Marilyn Maldonado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They arrived at 4 a.m. Monday, but said the lack of sleep and long drive was worthwhile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088553\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The flags of Algeria and Jordan are displayed on the pitch at Levi’s Stadium on Monday, June 22, 2026, just before kickoff in the World Cup match between the two nations’ men’s soccer teams. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Seeing Jordan come into the World Cup for the first time is just such a beautiful experience,” Jasmine Alfarah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez and Maldonado support Mexico and Honduras’ national teams, respectively, but on Monday, like so many fans do during the World Cup, they adopted new team allegiances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re making history,” Gutierrez said of Jordan’s squad. “We’re here to witness this history, and I’m proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088551\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088551\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupita Gonzalez and her dad Sergio Gonzalez, both Oakland residents originally from Mexico, attended their first World Cup game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the game’s newly mandated hydration breaks, while fans around the globe watching TV are served ads, people in the stadium were treated to a live mariachi performance and light shows that connected cell phone flashlights at halftime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lupita Gonzalez and her dad Sergio Gonzalez, both Oakland residents originally from Mexico, coming to the game was realizing a dream of his that he had held onto since he was a boy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For Father’s Day, I wanted to give my dad tickets. My dad is a huge soccer fan, and this is his first World Cup ever. As a kid, he dreamed of going to the World Cup when it was in Mexico in 1970. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to do it, so I wanted it to make my dad’s dreams come true,” Gonzalez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088548\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans of Algeria’s soccer team celebrate a victory over Jordan in the concourses of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She and her family \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087163/for-bay-area-latinos-world-cup-is-a-celebration-of-pride-and-identity\">root for Mexico’s team\u003c/a> most days, but on Monday, they were pulling for Jordan. Gonzalez’s great-grandmother immigrated from Lebanon to Mexico, and they wanted to support a nearby country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she was a bit wary of coming to a World Cup game because of the way the U.S. has treated immigrants and made it harder for some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087615/protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup\">teams and fans to experience the tournament\u003c/a>, but she said her experience on Monday proved that fans will support one another in the name of soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not about the politics. It’s not even about FIFA as an organization. It’s about showing up for the country where you’re from or a country that you want to support. I just love that energy,” she said. “We’re sitting next to folks that are rooting for Algeria, we’re still high-fiving, we’re still enjoying each other’s wins because that’s what the World Cup is about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Fans from around the world highlighted unity among Arab nations during Algeria and Jordan’s World Cup match in Santa Clara. ",
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"title": "What It Was Like Inside Levi’s for the Algeria vs. Jordan World Cup Match | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One, two, three, viva l’Algerie! One, two, three, viva l’Algerie!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chants were thunderous, with thousands of fans of Algeria’s national soccer team celebrating a 2-1 victory over Jordan at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/levis-stadium\">Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> on Monday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083101/world-cup-2026-bay-area-games-where-is-fifa-world-cup-santa-clara-levis-stadium-tickets-fan-zone-watch-parties\">World Cup match\u003c/a> ended, the throngs of revelers filled the cavernous concourses, and the building shook as they danced, jumped for joy and played drums and horns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Algeria’s supporters were the last ones cheering, just about every moment surrounding the match at the temporarily \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cBQqZzxkA4Q\">renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a> in Santa Clara felt like a celebration of sport, unity and togetherness among people hailing from far beyond Algeria, Jordan and the broader Middle East.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now it’s a time for the Middle East to kind of unite,” Sandy Kikhia of San José said ahead of the match. Kikhia is of Syrian descent and attended her first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">World Cup game\u003c/a> with two of her sisters, Masah and Jana, all supporting Jordan’s side in the team’s first-ever World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the sisters said a win for either team was a win for the larger community, especially for fans whose teams are not in this World Cup, such as Syrians, Palestinians and Lebanese people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A child held up on a person’s shoulders waves a Jordanian flag outside Levi’s Stadium, ahead of the World Cup match between Jordan and Algeria, in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/ KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There is nothing that is nicer than having our whole Arab community come together for something that brings everyone joy,” Masah Kikhia said. “Such a nice feeling to see everyone wearing their cultural clothing, the shemagh, the keffiyeh,” she said, referring to both the black and white checkered scarves with Palestinian origins, and the red and white version most commonly donned by Jordanians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, which organizes the World Cup and is widely known as FIFA, didn’t grant KQED any \u003ca href=\"https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-06-17/fifa-didnt-offer-gbh-news-media-credentials-for-the-world-cup-we-went-anyway\">media credentials to cover matches\u003c/a>. So we purchased our own upper deck ticket for $400 to experience the game, the stadium and the fandom up close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fans did not disappoint.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Even hours ahead of kickoff, the parking lots outside of the stadium were filled with thousands of people wearing their nation’s colors, dancing on cement railings, greeting each other with big hugs and waving huge flags.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups of people huddled around news reporters, anxiously awaiting the chance to be broadcast live on Algerian and Jordanian news networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No tailgating is allowed at World Cup matches, but some generous folks handed out snacks and sweets, like dates and baklava, and others posed for pictures with bags of pistachios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amine Tigha, an Algerian who lives in New York City, traveled to the Bay Area for this match, also his first World Cup game, and said he loves the weather here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The most important thing,” he said ahead of kickoff, is that Algeria wins the game, but he said the vibes were more of a friendly rivalry with Jordan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, we both are Arab, we share a lot of things. We share the religion, the language and everything. It’s like a derby. We play like neighbors,” he said with a big laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nazim Bellahsene is originally from Algeria and has lived in the U.S. for 15 years. He lives in Santa Clara and came to the match with his wife, Wisam, and his two young kids, Emma and Nolan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporters of Jordan’s men’s soccer team party outside of Levi’s Stadium, ahead of the World Cup match between Jordan and Algeria, in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s super exciting. We’re loving it. It’s really unexpected that it’s here at home, near home. So, you know, we can’t miss it,” he said of the match. Monday was his first time ever seeing the Algerian national team on the pitch in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decked out in an Algerian jersey and draped with the country’s flag, Bellahsene was confident in his side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re looking forward to a win, for sure,” he said. “But you know, at the same time, enjoying and having a great family time with everybody here in a very festive environment. So it’s going to be fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088550\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088550\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans take a selfie from the concourse of Levi’s Stadium during the World Cup match between Algeria and Jordan in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The stadium was filled with people from seemingly all backgrounds, from babies to elders, and several fans said they loved the diversity of the Bay Area and the international draw of the sport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfred and Veronica Zamora, and their daughter Brianna, are San José residents and big fans of Mexico’s national team. Like many other fans on Monday night, they sported their Mexico kits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family has been to 49ers games at Levi’s before, but the vibes around the match on Monday were in “a whole different league,” Alfred said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088552\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088552\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the temporarily renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium filled with fans from an upper deck seat purchased by KQED for the World Cup match between Algeria and Jordan on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s just a different experience altogether, you know. [American] football is great, but this is a world event. I feel like everybody’s here and joined together to watch something good.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jasmine and Zayna Alfarah, sisters of Jordanian descent from Los Angeles, drove up to the Bay Area overnight Sunday into Monday with their two friends, Jacqueline Gutierrez and Marilyn Maldonado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They arrived at 4 a.m. Monday, but said the lack of sleep and long drive was worthwhile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088553\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The flags of Algeria and Jordan are displayed on the pitch at Levi’s Stadium on Monday, June 22, 2026, just before kickoff in the World Cup match between the two nations’ men’s soccer teams. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Seeing Jordan come into the World Cup for the first time is just such a beautiful experience,” Jasmine Alfarah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez and Maldonado support Mexico and Honduras’ national teams, respectively, but on Monday, like so many fans do during the World Cup, they adopted new team allegiances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re making history,” Gutierrez said of Jordan’s squad. “We’re here to witness this history, and I’m proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088551\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088551\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupita Gonzalez and her dad Sergio Gonzalez, both Oakland residents originally from Mexico, attended their first World Cup game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the game’s newly mandated hydration breaks, while fans around the globe watching TV are served ads, people in the stadium were treated to a live mariachi performance and light shows that connected cell phone flashlights at halftime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lupita Gonzalez and her dad Sergio Gonzalez, both Oakland residents originally from Mexico, coming to the game was realizing a dream of his that he had held onto since he was a boy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For Father’s Day, I wanted to give my dad tickets. My dad is a huge soccer fan, and this is his first World Cup ever. As a kid, he dreamed of going to the World Cup when it was in Mexico in 1970. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to do it, so I wanted it to make my dad’s dreams come true,” Gonzalez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088548\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260622-WCJORALG-KQED-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans of Algeria’s soccer team celebrate a victory over Jordan in the concourses of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Monday, June 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She and her family \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087163/for-bay-area-latinos-world-cup-is-a-celebration-of-pride-and-identity\">root for Mexico’s team\u003c/a> most days, but on Monday, they were pulling for Jordan. Gonzalez’s great-grandmother immigrated from Lebanon to Mexico, and they wanted to support a nearby country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she was a bit wary of coming to a World Cup game because of the way the U.S. has treated immigrants and made it harder for some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087615/protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup\">teams and fans to experience the tournament\u003c/a>, but she said her experience on Monday proved that fans will support one another in the name of soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not about the politics. It’s not even about FIFA as an organization. It’s about showing up for the country where you’re from or a country that you want to support. I just love that energy,” she said. “We’re sitting next to folks that are rooting for Algeria, we’re still high-fiving, we’re still enjoying each other’s wins because that’s what the World Cup is about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "after-sf-giants-pride-night-culture-clash-scott-wiener-claps-back-at-republicans",
"title": "After SF Giants Pride Night Culture Clash, Scott Wiener Claps Back at Republicans",
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"headTitle": "After SF Giants Pride Night Culture Clash, Scott Wiener Claps Back at Republicans | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/giants\">San Francisco Giants\u003c/a> players sparked a culture war storm on social media this week after three pitchers were issued warnings by Major League Baseball for wearing Bible verses on the team’s themed Pride Month caps on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state Sen. Scott Wiener shot back at conservative leaders who claimed the league discriminated against the players for their faith Tuesday, saying that MLB’s blanket policies don’t have a “homophobia exemption.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This isn’t an issue of religious freedom,” Wiener said in a \u003ca href=\"https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/senator-wiener-maga-homophobic-backlash-against-major-league-baseball\">statement\u003c/a>. “People have a right to whatever religious beliefs they want — even if those beliefs dehumanize other people — but they don’t have a right to hijack their employer to promote those hateful beliefs at a job-related event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The controversy stems from the team’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs on June 12 at Oracle Park, when the team held a themed celebration in honor of Pride. Giants players donned special caps for the game that featured the team’s “SF” logo in a rainbow colorway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote variations of “Gen 9:12-16,” referring to an Old Testament passage about rainbows symbolizing a “covenant between God and every living creature,” on their Pride Night caps. Sam Hentges, another pitcher, wore the team’s classic black and orange cap instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The protest earned a verbal warning from MLB, which said the players’ actions violated league policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bryce Eldridge #8 and Ryan Walker #74 of the San Francisco Giants prepare for the game against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park on June 13, 2026, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations, which provides in part that, ‘[a] Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment,” the league said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7364268/2026/06/15/sf-giants-pride-night-caps-bible-verses-mlb-warning/\">widely reported statement\u003c/a> Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MLB said the players were told not to wear the written-on hats in future games, but that the action was not disciplinary and “had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We respect players’ right to free expression … We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad,’ ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom’ and names of family members,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After reports that the players had been chastised, Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the social media platform,\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/jdvance/status/2066922921046544396?s=46\"> X\u003c/a>, saying: “Trump won, we don’t have to do this anymore.”[aside postID=news_12086888 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250629-SFPrideParade-30-BL.jpg']Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley also \u003ca href=\"https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-demands-answers-from-mlb-for-penalizing-christian-players/\">sent a letter\u003c/a> to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, demanding an explanation for the league’s “apparent pattern of discriminating against Christians while promoting left-wing ideologies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Quoting the Bible? That’s now an employment offense? You’ve got to be kidding me. God bless these players. MLB has some explaining to do,” Hawley said on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener fired back at the conservative leaders, writing in \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Scott_Wiener/status/2066934161773126091\">response to Vance\u003c/a>: “In San Francisco, unlike in the White House, we treat LGBTQ people as full human beings & we think bigotry is bad. Perhaps go back into your cave for a minute to chill out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He alleged that the backlash was meant to bully MLB out of enforcing its policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also called on the Giants to take action over the players’ protest, saying their response was inconsistent with longstanding support for the LGBTQ+ community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/community/diversity\">In 1994\u003c/a>, the Giants were the first professional sports team to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game — now an annual event. The team became the first in the MLB to incorporate Pride colors into on-field uniforms for the Pride game in 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, the Giants said: “The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community … We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand the choice by individual players has caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The California state senator took aim at conservatives who claimed MLB discriminated against the teams’ pitchers for their faith.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/giants\">San Francisco Giants\u003c/a> players sparked a culture war storm on social media this week after three pitchers were issued warnings by Major League Baseball for wearing Bible verses on the team’s themed Pride Month caps on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state Sen. Scott Wiener shot back at conservative leaders who claimed the league discriminated against the players for their faith Tuesday, saying that MLB’s blanket policies don’t have a “homophobia exemption.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This isn’t an issue of religious freedom,” Wiener said in a \u003ca href=\"https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/senator-wiener-maga-homophobic-backlash-against-major-league-baseball\">statement\u003c/a>. “People have a right to whatever religious beliefs they want — even if those beliefs dehumanize other people — but they don’t have a right to hijack their employer to promote those hateful beliefs at a job-related event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The controversy stems from the team’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs on June 12 at Oracle Park, when the team held a themed celebration in honor of Pride. Giants players donned special caps for the game that featured the team’s “SF” logo in a rainbow colorway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote variations of “Gen 9:12-16,” referring to an Old Testament passage about rainbows symbolizing a “covenant between God and every living creature,” on their Pride Night caps. Sam Hentges, another pitcher, wore the team’s classic black and orange cap instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The protest earned a verbal warning from MLB, which said the players’ actions violated league policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/SFGiantsGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bryce Eldridge #8 and Ryan Walker #74 of the San Francisco Giants prepare for the game against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park on June 13, 2026, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations, which provides in part that, ‘[a] Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment,” the league said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7364268/2026/06/15/sf-giants-pride-night-caps-bible-verses-mlb-warning/\">widely reported statement\u003c/a> Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MLB said the players were told not to wear the written-on hats in future games, but that the action was not disciplinary and “had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We respect players’ right to free expression … We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad,’ ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom’ and names of family members,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After reports that the players had been chastised, Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the social media platform,\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/jdvance/status/2066922921046544396?s=46\"> X\u003c/a>, saying: “Trump won, we don’t have to do this anymore.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley also \u003ca href=\"https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-demands-answers-from-mlb-for-penalizing-christian-players/\">sent a letter\u003c/a> to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, demanding an explanation for the league’s “apparent pattern of discriminating against Christians while promoting left-wing ideologies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Quoting the Bible? That’s now an employment offense? You’ve got to be kidding me. God bless these players. MLB has some explaining to do,” Hawley said on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener fired back at the conservative leaders, writing in \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Scott_Wiener/status/2066934161773126091\">response to Vance\u003c/a>: “In San Francisco, unlike in the White House, we treat LGBTQ people as full human beings & we think bigotry is bad. Perhaps go back into your cave for a minute to chill out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He alleged that the backlash was meant to bully MLB out of enforcing its policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also called on the Giants to take action over the players’ protest, saying their response was inconsistent with longstanding support for the LGBTQ+ community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/community/diversity\">In 1994\u003c/a>, the Giants were the first professional sports team to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game — now an annual event. The team became the first in the MLB to incorporate Pride colors into on-field uniforms for the Pride game in 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, the Giants said: “The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community … We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand the choice by individual players has caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "south-bay-plays-host-to-the-world-cup",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another huge sporting event is here in the Bay Area. The World Cup, with 48 participating countries and 104 matches spread out across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is underway until the final on July 19. In addition to the six World Cup games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, free watch parties are on all over the region, and two teams – Paraguay and Australia – are using the Bay Area as their base camps.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">KQED reporter Ayah Ali-Ahmad tells us what it’s like on the ground in San Jose, as thousands of visitors come to the Bay Area yet again.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4325448619&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086567/team-paraguay-arrives-in-san-jose-ahead-of-world-cup-games-at-levis\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Team Paraguay Arrives in San José Ahead of World Cup Games at Levi’s | KQED\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Episode transcript\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz-Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, with matches all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for the next month. And here in the Bay Area, six World Cup games will be played with San Jose and the South Bay at the center of the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jeff Konya: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:32] \u003c/em>This community event, you see just the energy in the crowd. It’s gonna be fantastic World Cup. In our part we’re playing, we couldn’t be more thrilled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:41] \u003c/em>San Jose is yet again hoping to capitalize on the thousands of visitors coming to the Bay for this big sporting event. Today, reporter Aya Ali-Ahmad takes us to San Jose to see what World Cup fever looks like on the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:08] \u003c/em>How would you describe the vibes in San Jose around the World Cup right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:12] \u003c/em>I think it’s been surprisingly consistent and exciting in San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>Ayah Ali-Ahmad is a reporter for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:27] \u003c/em>I’ve seen all types of people come down to downtown San Jose where they’re hosting watch parties, people from other parts of the Bay Area, other parts to the country and also the world. So San Pedro is the neighborhood to be in downtown San Jose. It has a lot of sports bars. It has two big food courts with a communal outdoor space to eat. They barricade off part of San Pedro. You can open carry a bunch of drinks from the sports bars into this turf area that they have laid out for people to sit comfortably down or set up lawn chairs. And then they have this 500 square foot screen. They have multiple screens, but one really big screen for people too to watch all 104 of these matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:30] \u003c/em>It was 97 degrees last week in San Jose and people were out watching the first opening Mexico South Africa match in San Pedro and that was filled up to the brim. There are people hanging out at the parking structure next door just because of how busy it got. People hang out at nearby patios, just filling up the space and being with each other. It’s buzzing, it’s alive. It’s not something that I think I saw really even with the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:06] \u003c/em>Wow, that’s interesting. Yeah, it sounds like people are there for the vibes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:11] \u003c/em>Yeah, and that’s why I kept hearing from people I talked to every time I would go down to San Pedro for these watch parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lugene Youssef: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:19] \u003c/em>My name is Lugene. I’m from South Bay. I’ve been living here in San Jose. I’m coming out here today to celebrate Egypt. And I’m here to support their team. So excited. So far we’re winning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dania Taleb: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:30] \u003c/em>Hi, I’m Dania, also here, local to San Jose. Yeah, shout out Egypt. We’re here to watch the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:36] \u003c/em>I talked to Lugene Youssef and her friend Dania Taleb, two South Bay natives who have tickets to the Jordan and Algeria game coming up, and they made a pit stop down to San Pedro Square to watch the Belgium and Egypt game, which they were rooting for Egypt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dania Taleb: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:56] \u003c/em>It’s been really nice just having, like being able to watch it with others who are also passionate about the games as well. And I’m not somebody who’s like the most passionate, I don’t know the names of the players and whatnot, but it’s still fun to kind of like be there to support each other and even like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:10] \u003c/em>And they talked to me about how they came for the vibes and they’ve been coming for the vibe They’ve came to San Pedro every day since the first opening match\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lugene Youssef: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:21] \u003c/em>It’s an experience that we’re not going to experience again, so like why not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:28] \u003c/em>I know you also talked to some folks who are actually traveling in for the games as well, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:33] \u003c/em>Yeah, so I stopped a group of guys who are attending their first World Cup game, two that are from Jordan who are accompanying their friend who’s lived in the States for 37 years, who’s also from Jordan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamal Abu Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:45] \u003c/em>We came to support the Jordanian team, but I’m here to party and enjoy everything, you know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:53] \u003c/em>Jamal Abu Ahmad and his two friends came from Maryland, staying in the South Bay, stopping by San Pedro Square. They were extremely excited about trying the food in the Bay Area is one thing that they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamal Abu Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:07] \u003c/em>Yet and I am in the restaurant business so I am definitely a foodie so we’re gonna check out the food later\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:14] \u003c/em>and they were excited because again it was a first World Cup game despite being fans all their lives and being able to see their team play out in the U.S. Was particularly exciting for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamal Abu Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:25] \u003c/em>Yeah, they’re playing tomorrow. They’re playing Austria, I think, and we’re going to win probably 3-0, hopefully. Remember this. And then Algeria, 2-0. And we’re gonna beat Argentina in Texas. Many countries, many people from different worlds, and I love that, more than anything. Doesn’t matter who wins it that day, it’s just like, it’s a beautiful, peaceful gathering for everybody to enjoy the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:57] \u003c/em>It was really sweet to listen to your conversation with him and just how excited he was. He really just was this person who’s like, ‘I just wanna be where the party is!’\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:07] \u003c/em>Yeah, and even during the Egypt-Belgium game, which was very excitable over in San Pedro, you had a lot of people repping Egypt especially. He was one of many who, even though that’s not his home team, was very loud and proud about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:26] \u003c/em>As I understand it, there’s games that are being played at Levi’s, also these World Cup sanctioned events that are going on all around the city, but also the Bay Area. And there are also teams practicing here in the Bay area, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:43] \u003c/em>Yeah, so there’s two teams who have base camps in the Bay Area. This is also happening in other parts of the US just because, again, how big the World Cup is. 48 countries participating. And so the two teams, one is Australia and Alameda where the Oakland Roots actually trains. And Paraguay is staying over in San Jose and practicing in San José State University’s facilities, the Spartan Soccer Complex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jeff Konya: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:09] \u003c/em>We were what back in 94 and now again here in 26 with Team Paraguay. This community event, you see just the energy in the crowd. It’s gonna be fantastic World Cup. In our part we’re playing, we couldn’t be more thrilled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:20] \u003c/em>Jeff Konya, the San Jose State University athletic director, actually welcomed the team and he said that the university as well as the city is excited to host the team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jeff Konya: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:34] \u003c/em>The whole campus is excited about having Team Paraguay here and, you know, they’re having two games up here in the Bay so they’re kind of our adopted team locally, I imagine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:42] \u003c/em>I was able to go down and watch them practice during this fan event. About 500 fans were able to watch for free. They were giving out these cute little FIFA sticker books for kids to get autographed from Paraguay. And a lot of the people I talked to there weren’t even necessarily fans of Paraguaya. They were just excited to, again, be in proximity to these teams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kai Burgess: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:07] \u003c/em>I think they’re like, they make it look effortless because they’re so sharp on the ball and they have really good quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:14] \u003c/em>One pair I met was a father and son coming from Oakland, Kai and Evan Burgess, who said they weren’t initially Paraguay fans, but ended up leaving fans of Paraguaya.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Evan Burgess: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:26] \u003c/em>It was a great way to kick off the World Cup to see the players live, you know, training, getting ready for the World cup and getting ready to watch a lot of the World Cup on TV. So it’s going to be an exciting event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:45] \u003c/em>We’ll have more with KQED’s Ayah Ali Ahmad, right after this break. By the way, if you love the local news deep dives that we bring you here on the Bay, consider becoming a KQED member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:12] \u003c/em>Well, I want to talk, Ayah about just the economic impact that the World Cup could have. Because, I mean, Santa Clara just had the Super Bowl. Huge deal, obviously. Lots of conversation leading up to it, and even after, about the economic benefit of having such a big thing like that here in the Bay Area. Is that the same for the World Cup or not so much?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:38] \u003c/em>It’s a hard comparison. The most recent numbers for the Super Bowl, Santa Clara County themselves are saying they saw 195 million in an economic impact, which was four times as much as the Superbowl a decade ago. I don’t know if it’s going to look the same for the World Cup, because again, the World Cup is spread out. You have the 104 matches, only six are here versus the SuperbowL, which had that single week concentrated of big regional events around the Bay Area and then again the Super Bowl. But I think the World Cup will still have a clear positive impact in the Bay area, again especially in South Bay, in Santa Clara. You might not see hotels filling up the same like the Superbowl, but you’re still going to see a lot of fans visiting. The Bay Area host committee that’s helping with a lot of this stuff is estimating around 260,000 visitors from outside of the Bay are coming in. VTA said the other day for the first Levi’s match that happened this past Saturday, they saw 37,000 riders, which is 6,000 more riders than the Super Bowl brought in. So I think there’s going to be different metrics, but again, those are two very different types of sporting events to compare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:57] \u003c/em>Yeah, it feels a little bit maybe more like a patchwork this time around, whereas the Super Bowl was just like one big.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:06] \u003c/em>Yeah, and in July, the last game hosted at Santa Clara is going to be one of the knockout games. It’s going to July 1st. I think that, depending on who plays that, you’ll see more people coming in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:25] \u003c/em>Well my last few questions for you here Aya, you’re actually from San Jose, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:29] \u003c/em>Yes, I am from San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:31] \u003c/em>What’s it been like for you to just watch all the excitement around the World Cup? I mean, it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. Does it feel like that for you living out there?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:43] \u003c/em>I don’t know if it feels like the world is in San Jose and it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. I think the Super Bowl brought in so much hype that just doesn’t necessarily compare. However, it’s been really fun going down to places like San Pedro Square and seeing it fill up. And it’s also just been fun to get on the bus and see people in FIFA gear. Go to a restaurant in downtown and see people in different jerseys kind of reminded me of my childhood going to some of the free sporting events around the Bay Area like San Jose Giants and yeah just felt like it just feels like the South Bay has a lot to give and to show especially these visiting fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:34] \u003c/em>And it must be nice to see San Jose specifically getting some love, not just like, you know, San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:41] \u003c/em>Yeah, San Jose has been doing really well sports-wise. They just announced a female hockey team coming to the SAP Center and sharing that space with sharks. The earthquakes have been doing well. The sharks have been hype. So South Bay has a lot to offer, especially in terms of sports. And I think there’s been finally some sort of recognition to that. And that’s something that the Bay Area Host Committee that, again, is helping host all this sort of stuff and doing a lot of the managing here has said that that’s. That San Jose is the ideal spot in all of the Bay Area to do a lot of these sort of activation activities and bringing fans. Also, you just have a lot of space for people to stay, like at our hotels and.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:23] \u003c/em>Diverse food options in San Jose as well\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:27] \u003c/em>Oh yeah, I mean, you stay anywhere on the Bay Area, but especially San Jose, you can appeal to all types of cultures, all types of visitors, and I think that’s also what San Jose does a really good job at.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:43] \u003c/em>Well Ayah, thank you so much for joining me appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:46] \u003c/em>Thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another huge sporting event is here in the Bay Area. The World Cup, with 48 participating countries and 104 matches spread out across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is underway until the final on July 19. In addition to the six World Cup games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, free watch parties are on all over the region, and two teams – Paraguay and Australia – are using the Bay Area as their base camps.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">KQED reporter Ayah Ali-Ahmad tells us what it’s like on the ground in San Jose, as thousands of visitors come to the Bay Area yet again.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4325448619&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086567/team-paraguay-arrives-in-san-jose-ahead-of-world-cup-games-at-levis\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Team Paraguay Arrives in San José Ahead of World Cup Games at Levi’s | KQED\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Episode transcript\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz-Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, with matches all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for the next month. And here in the Bay Area, six World Cup games will be played with San Jose and the South Bay at the center of the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jeff Konya: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:32] \u003c/em>This community event, you see just the energy in the crowd. It’s gonna be fantastic World Cup. In our part we’re playing, we couldn’t be more thrilled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:41] \u003c/em>San Jose is yet again hoping to capitalize on the thousands of visitors coming to the Bay for this big sporting event. Today, reporter Aya Ali-Ahmad takes us to San Jose to see what World Cup fever looks like on the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:08] \u003c/em>How would you describe the vibes in San Jose around the World Cup right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:12] \u003c/em>I think it’s been surprisingly consistent and exciting in San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>Ayah Ali-Ahmad is a reporter for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:27] \u003c/em>I’ve seen all types of people come down to downtown San Jose where they’re hosting watch parties, people from other parts of the Bay Area, other parts to the country and also the world. So San Pedro is the neighborhood to be in downtown San Jose. It has a lot of sports bars. It has two big food courts with a communal outdoor space to eat. They barricade off part of San Pedro. You can open carry a bunch of drinks from the sports bars into this turf area that they have laid out for people to sit comfortably down or set up lawn chairs. And then they have this 500 square foot screen. They have multiple screens, but one really big screen for people too to watch all 104 of these matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:30] \u003c/em>It was 97 degrees last week in San Jose and people were out watching the first opening Mexico South Africa match in San Pedro and that was filled up to the brim. There are people hanging out at the parking structure next door just because of how busy it got. People hang out at nearby patios, just filling up the space and being with each other. It’s buzzing, it’s alive. It’s not something that I think I saw really even with the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:06] \u003c/em>Wow, that’s interesting. Yeah, it sounds like people are there for the vibes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:11] \u003c/em>Yeah, and that’s why I kept hearing from people I talked to every time I would go down to San Pedro for these watch parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lugene Youssef: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:19] \u003c/em>My name is Lugene. I’m from South Bay. I’ve been living here in San Jose. I’m coming out here today to celebrate Egypt. And I’m here to support their team. So excited. So far we’re winning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dania Taleb: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:30] \u003c/em>Hi, I’m Dania, also here, local to San Jose. Yeah, shout out Egypt. We’re here to watch the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:36] \u003c/em>I talked to Lugene Youssef and her friend Dania Taleb, two South Bay natives who have tickets to the Jordan and Algeria game coming up, and they made a pit stop down to San Pedro Square to watch the Belgium and Egypt game, which they were rooting for Egypt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dania Taleb: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:56] \u003c/em>It’s been really nice just having, like being able to watch it with others who are also passionate about the games as well. And I’m not somebody who’s like the most passionate, I don’t know the names of the players and whatnot, but it’s still fun to kind of like be there to support each other and even like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:10] \u003c/em>And they talked to me about how they came for the vibes and they’ve been coming for the vibe They’ve came to San Pedro every day since the first opening match\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lugene Youssef: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:21] \u003c/em>It’s an experience that we’re not going to experience again, so like why not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:28] \u003c/em>I know you also talked to some folks who are actually traveling in for the games as well, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:33] \u003c/em>Yeah, so I stopped a group of guys who are attending their first World Cup game, two that are from Jordan who are accompanying their friend who’s lived in the States for 37 years, who’s also from Jordan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamal Abu Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:45] \u003c/em>We came to support the Jordanian team, but I’m here to party and enjoy everything, you know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:53] \u003c/em>Jamal Abu Ahmad and his two friends came from Maryland, staying in the South Bay, stopping by San Pedro Square. They were extremely excited about trying the food in the Bay Area is one thing that they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamal Abu Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:07] \u003c/em>Yet and I am in the restaurant business so I am definitely a foodie so we’re gonna check out the food later\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:14] \u003c/em>and they were excited because again it was a first World Cup game despite being fans all their lives and being able to see their team play out in the U.S. Was particularly exciting for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jamal Abu Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:25] \u003c/em>Yeah, they’re playing tomorrow. They’re playing Austria, I think, and we’re going to win probably 3-0, hopefully. Remember this. And then Algeria, 2-0. And we’re gonna beat Argentina in Texas. Many countries, many people from different worlds, and I love that, more than anything. Doesn’t matter who wins it that day, it’s just like, it’s a beautiful, peaceful gathering for everybody to enjoy the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:57] \u003c/em>It was really sweet to listen to your conversation with him and just how excited he was. He really just was this person who’s like, ‘I just wanna be where the party is!’\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:07] \u003c/em>Yeah, and even during the Egypt-Belgium game, which was very excitable over in San Pedro, you had a lot of people repping Egypt especially. He was one of many who, even though that’s not his home team, was very loud and proud about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:26] \u003c/em>As I understand it, there’s games that are being played at Levi’s, also these World Cup sanctioned events that are going on all around the city, but also the Bay Area. And there are also teams practicing here in the Bay area, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:43] \u003c/em>Yeah, so there’s two teams who have base camps in the Bay Area. This is also happening in other parts of the US just because, again, how big the World Cup is. 48 countries participating. And so the two teams, one is Australia and Alameda where the Oakland Roots actually trains. And Paraguay is staying over in San Jose and practicing in San José State University’s facilities, the Spartan Soccer Complex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jeff Konya: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:09] \u003c/em>We were what back in 94 and now again here in 26 with Team Paraguay. This community event, you see just the energy in the crowd. It’s gonna be fantastic World Cup. In our part we’re playing, we couldn’t be more thrilled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:20] \u003c/em>Jeff Konya, the San Jose State University athletic director, actually welcomed the team and he said that the university as well as the city is excited to host the team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jeff Konya: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:34] \u003c/em>The whole campus is excited about having Team Paraguay here and, you know, they’re having two games up here in the Bay so they’re kind of our adopted team locally, I imagine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:42] \u003c/em>I was able to go down and watch them practice during this fan event. About 500 fans were able to watch for free. They were giving out these cute little FIFA sticker books for kids to get autographed from Paraguay. And a lot of the people I talked to there weren’t even necessarily fans of Paraguaya. They were just excited to, again, be in proximity to these teams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kai Burgess: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:07] \u003c/em>I think they’re like, they make it look effortless because they’re so sharp on the ball and they have really good quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:14] \u003c/em>One pair I met was a father and son coming from Oakland, Kai and Evan Burgess, who said they weren’t initially Paraguay fans, but ended up leaving fans of Paraguaya.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Evan Burgess: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:26] \u003c/em>It was a great way to kick off the World Cup to see the players live, you know, training, getting ready for the World cup and getting ready to watch a lot of the World Cup on TV. So it’s going to be an exciting event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:45] \u003c/em>We’ll have more with KQED’s Ayah Ali Ahmad, right after this break. By the way, if you love the local news deep dives that we bring you here on the Bay, consider becoming a KQED member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:12] \u003c/em>Well, I want to talk, Ayah about just the economic impact that the World Cup could have. Because, I mean, Santa Clara just had the Super Bowl. Huge deal, obviously. Lots of conversation leading up to it, and even after, about the economic benefit of having such a big thing like that here in the Bay Area. Is that the same for the World Cup or not so much?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:38] \u003c/em>It’s a hard comparison. The most recent numbers for the Super Bowl, Santa Clara County themselves are saying they saw 195 million in an economic impact, which was four times as much as the Superbowl a decade ago. I don’t know if it’s going to look the same for the World Cup, because again, the World Cup is spread out. You have the 104 matches, only six are here versus the SuperbowL, which had that single week concentrated of big regional events around the Bay Area and then again the Super Bowl. But I think the World Cup will still have a clear positive impact in the Bay area, again especially in South Bay, in Santa Clara. You might not see hotels filling up the same like the Superbowl, but you’re still going to see a lot of fans visiting. The Bay Area host committee that’s helping with a lot of this stuff is estimating around 260,000 visitors from outside of the Bay are coming in. VTA said the other day for the first Levi’s match that happened this past Saturday, they saw 37,000 riders, which is 6,000 more riders than the Super Bowl brought in. So I think there’s going to be different metrics, but again, those are two very different types of sporting events to compare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:57] \u003c/em>Yeah, it feels a little bit maybe more like a patchwork this time around, whereas the Super Bowl was just like one big.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:06] \u003c/em>Yeah, and in July, the last game hosted at Santa Clara is going to be one of the knockout games. It’s going to July 1st. I think that, depending on who plays that, you’ll see more people coming in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:25] \u003c/em>Well my last few questions for you here Aya, you’re actually from San Jose, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:29] \u003c/em>Yes, I am from San Jose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:31] \u003c/em>What’s it been like for you to just watch all the excitement around the World Cup? I mean, it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. Does it feel like that for you living out there?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:43] \u003c/em>I don’t know if it feels like the world is in San Jose and it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. I think the Super Bowl brought in so much hype that just doesn’t necessarily compare. However, it’s been really fun going down to places like San Pedro Square and seeing it fill up. And it’s also just been fun to get on the bus and see people in FIFA gear. Go to a restaurant in downtown and see people in different jerseys kind of reminded me of my childhood going to some of the free sporting events around the Bay Area like San Jose Giants and yeah just felt like it just feels like the South Bay has a lot to give and to show especially these visiting fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:34] \u003c/em>And it must be nice to see San Jose specifically getting some love, not just like, you know, San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:41] \u003c/em>Yeah, San Jose has been doing really well sports-wise. They just announced a female hockey team coming to the SAP Center and sharing that space with sharks. The earthquakes have been doing well. The sharks have been hype. So South Bay has a lot to offer, especially in terms of sports. And I think there’s been finally some sort of recognition to that. And that’s something that the Bay Area Host Committee that, again, is helping host all this sort of stuff and doing a lot of the managing here has said that that’s. That San Jose is the ideal spot in all of the Bay Area to do a lot of these sort of activation activities and bringing fans. Also, you just have a lot of space for people to stay, like at our hotels and.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:23] \u003c/em>Diverse food options in San Jose as well\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:27] \u003c/em>Oh yeah, I mean, you stay anywhere on the Bay Area, but especially San Jose, you can appeal to all types of cultures, all types of visitors, and I think that’s also what San Jose does a really good job at.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:43] \u003c/em>Well Ayah, thank you so much for joining me appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ayah Ali-Ahmad: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:46] \u003c/em>Thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The Iranian men’s national soccer team arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday amid global turmoil for its highly anticipated \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> opening match against New Zealand. The two sides played to a 2-2 draw on Monday night. But the game was only one piece of the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iran’s appearance followed months of the team not knowing whether they would even be allowed to participate in the World Cup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team’s inclusion in the tournament had been in flux since the United States and Israel \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/28/nx-s1-5730158/israel-iran-strikes-trump-us\">launched airstrikes on Iran\u003c/a> in late February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116216801278101254\">social media post\u003c/a> a few weeks later, President Donald Trump wrote, “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iran and FIFA eventually confirmed the country’s participation in the World Cup. But problems ensued. Iran had to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, due to U.S. visa restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Players finally received their visas just days before the start of the tournament. But more than a dozen support staff did not get approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nima Tavallaey, a longtime Iranian soccer journalist and co-host of The Italian Football Podcast, said the volatility was unprecedented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087802\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087802\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Players of IR Iran pose for a team photograph before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between IR Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite>(Harry How/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086777/a-warm-world-cup-welcome-us-immigration-policies-have-chilling-effect\">a very politicized World Cup.\u003c/a> It is the most politicized World Cup ever,” he said. “This is something that should have been handled by FIFA together with the Trump administration months ago. There should have protocol in place. Lest we forget, this has never been an issue at any other World Cup, not in Russia, not in Qatar, not in Brazil. The last five, six, seven World Cups, this has not been an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03aEnlQtNbQ\">a pre-match news conference on Sunday\u003c/a>, Iranian team captain Mehdi Taremi said the challenges the team has faced have put a damper on what should be a celebratory experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This kind of tension, it undermines that joy and it undermines the message of FIFA and our people, which is that football brings about peace,” Taremi said through an interpreter. “I feel like this World Cup could have provided a better atmosphere than it has, but I hope in the future it will be better for all fans, whatever team they are supporting in the World Cup.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iranian Americans in Los Angeles torn over participation in World Cup\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But many members of the Iranian diaspora aren’t feeling particularly positive about this year’s team. The greater Los Angeles area is home to the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran. Many fled following the Iranian Revolution in 1979.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the Iranian Americans who live in the region are among the loudest critics of the current regime leading the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mass anti-government protests in Iran in December 2025 led to an unprecedented and violent crackdown the following month, in which thousands of protesters were killed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087798\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087798\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters demonstrate against the Islamic Republic of Iran, while holding pre-revolutionary Iranian flags and other flags, outside Los Angeles Stadium ahead of the Iranian national soccer team’s World Cup match against New Zealand on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>West Los Angeles is home to Persian Square, often referred to as “Tehrangeles.” This is at the heart of the cultural hub of the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles. On Westwood Boulevard in particular, the street is filled with restaurants serving Persian cuisine, markets and specialty grocers, and locally owned businesses highlighted by signs written in Farsi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Pars Book Inc., owner Sam Beykzadeh sat quietly behind the front counter. The shop is widely considered the longest-standing Persian bookstore in the United States. When asked about the Iranian team playing in the World Cup, Beykzadeh had a simple response. “It’s not Iran’s team. It’s the regime’s team,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The opinion is shared by many in the Iranian community.[aside postID=news_12087547 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg']They believe the national team serves as a mouthpiece for the regime and that players often remain silent about actions taken by the government for fear of retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, a former member of the national team was arrested for \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/11/24/1139162898/iran-arrests-soccer-player-voria-ghafouri-world-cup\">allegedly protesting\u003c/a> against the country’s leadership. And star player Sardar Azmoun wasn’t selected for this year’s World Cup squad, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7351056/2026/06/15/iran-world-cup-sardar-azmoun/\">reportedly because of a social media post\u003c/a> that angered the Iranian government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s another side to the argument. Reza Aslan is an Iranian American author and scholar who lives in Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(In Los Angeles), the older generation tends to be far more conservative. Far more zealous in their anti-regime sentiments and much more supportive of a military engagement, whether by the United States or Israel, as a kind of desperate measure for changing this regime after four decades of protests and massacres and diplomacy,” he said. “But at the same time, I think that there’s so much focus on the community in Los Angeles. And in particular, that part of the community that tends to be very conservative, tends to be very wealthy. Tends to support, for instance, royalist aspirations in Iran. And that is really a detriment to the enormous diversity of this diaspora.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>FIFA flag ban a huge point of contention\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s not just the soccer team that many Iranians in Southern California are upset about. Before this year’s World Cup, FIFA announced that it was \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7288376/2026/05/19/world-cup-fifa-iran-flag/?unlocked_article_code=1.jlA.lhj_.q3AMPJl-1l8o&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta\">banning people from displaying the pre-revolution Iran flag in stadiums.\u003c/a> The lion and the sun emblem was featured on the national flag before the Iranian revolution in 1979. Now, that flag is used by many in the diaspora as a sign of protest against the regime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the first World Cup match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood between the United States and Paraguay, a small group of Iranian protesters gathered near one of the entrances to the stadium. They waved the lion and the sun flag and chanted, “USA.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED-1536x1084.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans hold the flag of Iran during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between IR Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The regime massacres over 100,000 people, and then they shut down the internet, all because of raising this flag,” said Bajir Hajikhani, who was born and raised in Iran and now lives in Orange County. “And now globalist organizations like FIFA have the audacity to ban this flag from the stadiums.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this is not the first time FIFA has banned a flag. In 2022, the organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/03/02/1083972155/chess-tennis-soccer-russia-ukraine-sports\">suspended the Russian Football Union from all international competitions \u003c/a>after its invasion of Ukraine. In turn, Russia was not allowed to participate in FIFA events — and the Russian flag and anthem were banned from related matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the ban, the lion and the sun flag was prominently shown in the stands during Monday night’s match. But there were also plenty of cheers for the team and players throughout the game. Taremi, the captain, said Sunday that the team was just trying to concentrate on the game at hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We play for every single Iranian, whether in the diaspora or in Iran. In every country, people have different opinions. We are here to unite people and bring joy,” he said. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We don’t get involved in politics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116216801278101254\">social media post\u003c/a> a few weeks later, President Donald Trump wrote, “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iran and FIFA eventually confirmed the country’s participation in the World Cup. But problems ensued. Iran had to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, due to U.S. visa restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Players finally received their visas just days before the start of the tournament. But more than a dozen support staff did not get approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nima Tavallaey, a longtime Iranian soccer journalist and co-host of The Italian Football Podcast, said the volatility was unprecedented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087802\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087802\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2281791567-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Players of IR Iran pose for a team photograph before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between IR Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite>(Harry How/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086777/a-warm-world-cup-welcome-us-immigration-policies-have-chilling-effect\">a very politicized World Cup.\u003c/a> It is the most politicized World Cup ever,” he said. “This is something that should have been handled by FIFA together with the Trump administration months ago. There should have protocol in place. Lest we forget, this has never been an issue at any other World Cup, not in Russia, not in Qatar, not in Brazil. The last five, six, seven World Cups, this has not been an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03aEnlQtNbQ\">a pre-match news conference on Sunday\u003c/a>, Iranian team captain Mehdi Taremi said the challenges the team has faced have put a damper on what should be a celebratory experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This kind of tension, it undermines that joy and it undermines the message of FIFA and our people, which is that football brings about peace,” Taremi said through an interpreter. “I feel like this World Cup could have provided a better atmosphere than it has, but I hope in the future it will be better for all fans, whatever team they are supporting in the World Cup.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iranian Americans in Los Angeles torn over participation in World Cup\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But many members of the Iranian diaspora aren’t feeling particularly positive about this year’s team. The greater Los Angeles area is home to the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran. Many fled following the Iranian Revolution in 1979.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the Iranian Americans who live in the region are among the loudest critics of the current regime leading the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mass anti-government protests in Iran in December 2025 led to an unprecedented and violent crackdown the following month, in which thousands of protesters were killed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087798\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087798\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281782216-KQED-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters demonstrate against the Islamic Republic of Iran, while holding pre-revolutionary Iranian flags and other flags, outside Los Angeles Stadium ahead of the Iranian national soccer team’s World Cup match against New Zealand on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>West Los Angeles is home to Persian Square, often referred to as “Tehrangeles.” This is at the heart of the cultural hub of the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles. On Westwood Boulevard in particular, the street is filled with restaurants serving Persian cuisine, markets and specialty grocers, and locally owned businesses highlighted by signs written in Farsi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Pars Book Inc., owner Sam Beykzadeh sat quietly behind the front counter. The shop is widely considered the longest-standing Persian bookstore in the United States. When asked about the Iranian team playing in the World Cup, Beykzadeh had a simple response. “It’s not Iran’s team. It’s the regime’s team,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The opinion is shared by many in the Iranian community.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>They believe the national team serves as a mouthpiece for the regime and that players often remain silent about actions taken by the government for fear of retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2022, a former member of the national team was arrested for \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/11/24/1139162898/iran-arrests-soccer-player-voria-ghafouri-world-cup\">allegedly protesting\u003c/a> against the country’s leadership. And star player Sardar Azmoun wasn’t selected for this year’s World Cup squad, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7351056/2026/06/15/iran-world-cup-sardar-azmoun/\">reportedly because of a social media post\u003c/a> that angered the Iranian government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s another side to the argument. Reza Aslan is an Iranian American author and scholar who lives in Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(In Los Angeles), the older generation tends to be far more conservative. Far more zealous in their anti-regime sentiments and much more supportive of a military engagement, whether by the United States or Israel, as a kind of desperate measure for changing this regime after four decades of protests and massacres and diplomacy,” he said. “But at the same time, I think that there’s so much focus on the community in Los Angeles. And in particular, that part of the community that tends to be very conservative, tends to be very wealthy. Tends to support, for instance, royalist aspirations in Iran. And that is really a detriment to the enormous diversity of this diaspora.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>FIFA flag ban a huge point of contention\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s not just the soccer team that many Iranians in Southern California are upset about. Before this year’s World Cup, FIFA announced that it was \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7288376/2026/05/19/world-cup-fifa-iran-flag/?unlocked_article_code=1.jlA.lhj_.q3AMPJl-1l8o&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta\">banning people from displaying the pre-revolution Iran flag in stadiums.\u003c/a> The lion and the sun emblem was featured on the national flag before the Iranian revolution in 1979. Now, that flag is used by many in the diaspora as a sign of protest against the regime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the first World Cup match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood between the United States and Paraguay, a small group of Iranian protesters gathered near one of the entrances to the stadium. They waved the lion and the sun flag and chanted, “USA.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281803167-KQED-1536x1084.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans hold the flag of Iran during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between IR Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The regime massacres over 100,000 people, and then they shut down the internet, all because of raising this flag,” said Bajir Hajikhani, who was born and raised in Iran and now lives in Orange County. “And now globalist organizations like FIFA have the audacity to ban this flag from the stadiums.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this is not the first time FIFA has banned a flag. In 2022, the organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/03/02/1083972155/chess-tennis-soccer-russia-ukraine-sports\">suspended the Russian Football Union from all international competitions \u003c/a>after its invasion of Ukraine. In turn, Russia was not allowed to participate in FIFA events — and the Russian flag and anthem were banned from related matches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the ban, the lion and the sun flag was prominently shown in the stands during Monday night’s match. But there were also plenty of cheers for the team and players throughout the game. Taremi, the captain, said Sunday that the team was just trying to concentrate on the game at hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We play for every single Iranian, whether in the diaspora or in Iran. In every country, people have different opinions. We are here to unite people and bring joy,” he said. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We don’t get involved in politics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"perspectives": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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},
"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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