How the Bay Area Helped Shape US Soccer Ahead of the 2026 World Cup
The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup
Protests and Celebrations: Iranians in Los Angeles Have Mixed Feelings on World Cup
How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup
2026 World Cup’s Bay Area Matches Kick Off, But It’s No Super Bowl
US Soccer Fans Flood Streets Around SoFi as World Cup Kicks Off in LA
For Bay Area Latinos, World Cup Is a Celebration of Pride and Identity
An Oakland Soccer Program Helps Immigrant Youth Find Belonging
Levi’s Stadium Is No More: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Hosts World Cup
Player sponsored by
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_12084953": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12084953",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12084953",
"found": true
},
"title": "260522-SF City FC vs. Davis Legacy-AC-12-KQED",
"publishDate": 1779469392,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1779469417,
"caption": "Die-hard fans of the San Francisco City Football Club gather at the spectator railing to cheer and heckle during the San Francisco City Football Club vs. Davis Legacy Soccer Club game at Kezar Stadium on May 17. 2026.",
"credit": "Aryk Copley for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-SF-City-FC-vs.-Davis-Legacy-AC-12-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12086751": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12086751",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12086751",
"found": true
},
"title": "060926Paraguay SJSU_GH_010",
"publishDate": 1781038631,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781039538,
"caption": "Paraguay national football team head coach Gustavo Alfaro walks across the field during an open training session at CEFCU Stadium in San José on June 8, 2026.",
"credit": "Gustavo Hernandez/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_010.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087797": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087797",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087797",
"found": true
},
"title": "US-IRAN-ISRAEL-WAR-FBL-WC-2026-PROTEST",
"publishDate": 1781635380,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781635482,
"caption": "People wave pre-revolutionary Iranian flags as they protest the Iranian regime outside Carson Sports Park before Iran's training session in Los Angeles on June 14, 2026, on the eve of the 2026 World Cup football match between Iran and New Zealand.",
"credit": "Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GETTYIMAGES-2281027532-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087313": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087313",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087313",
"found": true
},
"title": "FBL-WC-2026-STADIUM-LOS ANGELES",
"publishDate": 1781282046,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12087311,
"modified": 1781282077,
"caption": "Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. ",
"credit": "Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2279843852.jpg",
"width": 1980,
"height": 1320
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087523": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087523",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087523",
"found": true
},
"title": "World Cup Kickoff",
"publishDate": 1781395896,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12087516,
"modified": 1781395915,
"caption": "Hundreds of people exit Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara during the Qatar versus Switzerland World Cup match on Saturday, June 13, 2026.",
"credit": "Estefany Gonzalez for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087461": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087461",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087461",
"found": true
},
"title": "061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1",
"publishDate": 1781304211,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781307760,
"caption": "Fans gather ahead of the USA vs. Paraguay World Cup game in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026. ",
"credit": "Lauren Justice for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_2159-KQED-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087340": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087340",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087340",
"found": true
},
"title": "260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED",
"publishDate": 1781283412,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781283953,
"caption": "Cici Nuñez poses for a portrait with a Mexico flag at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026.",
"credit": "Tâm Vũ/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00428_TV-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087240": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087240",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087240",
"found": true
},
"title": "Copy of Untitled (12 x 8 in) - 3",
"publishDate": 1781215013,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781238379,
"caption": "Scenes from the last game of the season for an East Oakland high school’s Soccer Without Borders team. ",
"credit": "Instant photos made by Ximena Natera and Soccer Without Borders players",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-2000x1429.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1429,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-2000x1429.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1429,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-160x114.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 114,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-1536x1097.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1097,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-2048x1463.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1463,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-2000x1429.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1429,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_COVER_260609_001-KQED-1.jpg",
"width": 2500,
"height": 1786
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12087137": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12087137",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087137",
"found": true
},
"title": "260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED",
"publishDate": 1781200586,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781200652,
"caption": "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.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-12-BL_KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_news_12086356": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12086356",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12086356",
"name": "Alonso Daboub",
"isLoading": false
},
"kqed": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "236",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "236",
"found": true
},
"name": "KQED News Staff",
"firstName": "KQED News Staff",
"lastName": null,
"slug": "kqed",
"email": "faq@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "KQED News Staff | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef0e801a68c4c54afa9180db14084167?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kqed"
},
"ecruzguevarra": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8654",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8654",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra",
"firstName": "Ericka",
"lastName": "Cruz Guevarra",
"slug": "ecruzguevarra",
"email": "ecruzguevarra@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"bio": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra is host of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay\">\u003cem>The Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/a> podcast at KQED. Before host, she was the show’s producer. Her work in that capacity includes a three-part reported series on policing in Vallejo, which won a 2020 excellence in journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Ericka has worked as a breaking news reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting, helped produce the Code Switch podcast, and was KQED’s inaugural Raul Ramirez Diversity Fund intern. She’s also an alumna of NPR’s Next Generation Radio program. Send her an email if you have strong feelings about whether Fairfield and Suisun City are the Bay. Ericka is represented by SAG-AFTRA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25e5ab8d3d53fad2dcc7bb2b5c506b1a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "NotoriousECG",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25e5ab8d3d53fad2dcc7bb2b5c506b1a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/25e5ab8d3d53fad2dcc7bb2b5c506b1a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ecruzguevarra"
},
"amontecillo": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11649",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11649",
"found": true
},
"name": "Alan Montecillo",
"firstName": "Alan",
"lastName": "Montecillo",
"slug": "amontecillo",
"email": "amontecillo@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Alan Montecillo is the senior editor of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/thebay\">The Bay\u003c/a>, \u003c/em> KQED's local news podcast. Before moving to the Bay Area, he worked as a senior talk show producer for WILL in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and at Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland, Oregon. He has won journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California, the Public Media Journalists Association, The Signal Awards, and has also received a regional Edward R. Murrow award. Alan is a Filipino American from Hong Kong and a graduate of Reed College.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "alanmontecillo",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Alan Montecillo | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/amontecillo"
},
"btorres": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11666",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11666",
"found": true
},
"name": "Blanca Torres",
"firstName": "Blanca",
"lastName": "Torres",
"slug": "btorres",
"email": "btorres@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Producer, Forum",
"bio": "Blanca Torres brings sharp news judgement and keen sense of lively conversation to her work as producer for Forum. She loves producing shows that leave listeners feeling like they heard distinctive voices, learned something new and gained a fresh perspective.\r\n\r\nShe joined KQED in January of 2020 after 16 years of working as a newspaper reporter most recently at the \u003cem>San Francisco Business Times,\u003c/em> where she wrote about real estate and economic development. Before that, she covered a variety of beats including crime, education, retail, workplace, the economy, consumer issues, and small business for the \u003cem>Contra Costa Times, Baltimore Sun\u003c/em> and\u003cem> The Seattle Times\u003c/em>. In addition to reporting, she worked as an editorial writer and columnist for the \u003cem>Seattle Times\u003c/em>. From 2017 to 2020, Blanca won a total of ten awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors and won first place for land use reporting from the California News Publishers Association two years in a row. She is also a member and former board member for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.\r\n\r\nA native of the Pacific Northwest, Blanca earned her bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville and a master's in fine arts in creative writing at Mills College. She lives in the East Bay with her family.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2322ff46076d337f7ba731ee6068cb1?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "@blancawrites",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Blanca Torres | KQED",
"description": "Producer, Forum",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2322ff46076d337f7ba731ee6068cb1?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2322ff46076d337f7ba731ee6068cb1?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/btorres"
},
"kmizuguchi": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11739",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11739",
"found": true
},
"name": "Keith Mizuguchi",
"firstName": "Keith",
"lastName": "Mizuguchi",
"slug": "kmizuguchi",
"email": "kmizuguchi@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce1182f9924192ae5ea66d39a75cd7d1?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Keith Mizuguchi | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce1182f9924192ae5ea66d39a75cd7d1?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce1182f9924192ae5ea66d39a75cd7d1?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kmizuguchi"
},
"ernestoaguilar": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11783",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11783",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ernesto Aguilar",
"firstName": "Ernesto",
"lastName": "Aguilar",
"slug": "ernestoaguilar",
"email": "eaguilar@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Executive Director of Radio Programming and Content Innovation Initiatives",
"bio": "Born in East Houston, Ernesto Aguilar’s life was transformed by public media. His career has traversed daily newspapers and alternative weeklies to public radio news and program director roles. At KQED, he oversees radio broadcast content and innovation initiatives in the Content division, including leading its AI Working Group. Prior to KQED, Aguilar served public media as executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. A Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education Fellow, Sulzberger Executive Leadership Fellow, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY AI in Journalism Leadership cohort selection and Public Media CEO/COO Bootcamp graduate, Aguilar has a B.A. in journalism, with minors in sociology and Women’s Studies from the University of Houston. In his spare time, he writes OIGO, a newsletter on public media and Latino audiences, and AI and Public Media Futures, a newsletter on artificial intelligence's impact on public broadcasting.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3d1cf94be8d5fd3a3c8aa1e755cefa3c?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twitter": "@eaXLR",
"facebook": "https://www.facebook.com/eaXLR/",
"instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/eaxlr/",
"linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/eaxlr/",
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "about",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "radio",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ernesto Aguilar | KQED",
"description": "Executive Director of Radio Programming and Content Innovation Initiatives",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3d1cf94be8d5fd3a3c8aa1e755cefa3c?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3d1cf94be8d5fd3a3c8aa1e755cefa3c?s=600&d=mm&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ernestoaguilar"
},
"jessicakariisa": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11831",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11831",
"found": true
},
"name": "Jessica Kariisa",
"firstName": "Jessica",
"lastName": "Kariisa",
"slug": "jessicakariisa",
"email": "jkariisa@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Producer, The Bay",
"bio": "Jessica Kariisa is the producer of The Bay. She first joined KQED as an intern for The California Report Magazine, after which she became an on-call producer. She reported a Bay Curious episode on the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials which won a Society of Professional Journalists award in 2023 for Excellence in Features Journalism and the 2023 Signal Award for Best Conversation Starter. She’s worked on podcasts for Snap Judgment and American Public Media. Before embarking on her audio career, she was a music journalist.\r\n\r\nJessica Kariisa is represented by SAG-AFTRA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4afd355fd24f5515aeab77fd6c72b671?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Jessica Kariisa | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4afd355fd24f5515aeab77fd6c72b671?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4afd355fd24f5515aeab77fd6c72b671?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/jessicakariisa"
},
"jgeha": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11906",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11906",
"found": true
},
"name": "Joseph Geha",
"firstName": "Joseph",
"lastName": "Geha",
"slug": "jgeha",
"email": "jgeha@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/06334764312afacae9c3d6cd48fd9fd7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Joseph Geha | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/06334764312afacae9c3d6cd48fd9fd7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/06334764312afacae9c3d6cd48fd9fd7?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/jgeha"
},
"skennedy": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11935",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11935",
"found": true
},
"name": "Samantha Kennedy",
"firstName": "Samantha",
"lastName": "Kennedy",
"slug": "skennedy",
"email": "SKennedy@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/43c08445062d04cdb6776b73517064c6?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Samantha Kennedy | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/43c08445062d04cdb6776b73517064c6?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/43c08445062d04cdb6776b73517064c6?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/skennedy"
},
"aaliahmad": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11986",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11986",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ayah Ali-Ahmad",
"firstName": "Ayah",
"lastName": "Ali-Ahmad",
"slug": "aaliahmad",
"email": "aaliahmad@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7f340465c69a2c816f6c07000137a3ee?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "ayahaliahmad",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ayah Ali-Ahmad | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7f340465c69a2c816f6c07000137a3ee?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7f340465c69a2c816f6c07000137a3ee?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/aaliahmad"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"news_tag_world-cup": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6464",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6464",
"score": 8.932975
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "World Cup",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "World Cup Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6488,
"slug": "world-cup",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "World Cup",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "news",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial"
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/news?tag=world-cup",
"seeMore": true
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_12087770": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087770",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087770",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1782068402000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-the-bay-area-helped-shape-u-s-soccer-ahead-of-the-2026-world-cup",
"title": "How the Bay Area Helped Shape US Soccer Ahead of the 2026 World Cup",
"publishDate": 1782068402,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "How the Bay Area Helped Shape US Soccer Ahead of the 2026 World Cup | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>With the 2026 FIFA Men’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup coming to the Bay Area\u003c/a>, KQED and Arizona State University’s Great Game Lab present Bay Area Soccer Legacy, a program that explores how Northern California became a dynamic hub of soccer in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area Soccer Legacy portrays the rich diversity of the region’s soccer subcultures and how they connect so many of our communities to the rest of the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program examines early attempts to launch professional leagues in the United States, the vital role played by Bay Area universities in growing the women’s game overseas, the importance of tech giants like Apple (with Ted Lasso and MLS streaming rights) and Electronic Arts (with its legendary FIFA video game series) in connecting us to the global game and the groundbreaking work done by organizations like Soccer Without Borders and Oakland Roots and Soul to leverage the power of the global game to improve lives across our communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A new KQED and Arizona State University project examines the people, teams and institutions that made the Bay Area a center of soccer culture and innovation.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781821895,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 5,
"wordCount": 168
},
"headData": {
"title": "How the Bay Area Helped Shape US Soccer Ahead of the 2026 World Cup | KQED",
"description": "A new KQED and Arizona State University project examines the people, teams and institutions that made the Bay Area a center of soccer culture and innovation.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "How the Bay Area Helped Shape US Soccer Ahead of the 2026 World Cup",
"datePublished": "2026-06-21T12:00:02-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-18T15:31:35-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 8,
"slug": "news",
"name": "News"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-4[…]f-aaef00f5a073/799aff0f-7dfb-4aa8-b424-b46b01747cf6/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087770/how-the-bay-area-helped-shape-u-s-soccer-ahead-of-the-2026-world-cup",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With the 2026 FIFA Men’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup coming to the Bay Area\u003c/a>, KQED and Arizona State University’s Great Game Lab present Bay Area Soccer Legacy, a program that explores how Northern California became a dynamic hub of soccer in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area Soccer Legacy portrays the rich diversity of the region’s soccer subcultures and how they connect so many of our communities to the rest of the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program examines early attempts to launch professional leagues in the United States, the vital role played by Bay Area universities in growing the women’s game overseas, the importance of tech giants like Apple (with Ted Lasso and MLS streaming rights) and Electronic Arts (with its legendary FIFA video game series) in connecting us to the global game and the groundbreaking work done by organizations like Soccer Without Borders and Oakland Roots and Soul to leverage the power of the global game to improve lives across our communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087770/how-the-bay-area-helped-shape-u-s-soccer-ahead-of-the-2026-world-cup",
"authors": [
"11783"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_27626",
"news_9",
"news_38",
"news_1489",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12084953",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12087827": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087827",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087827",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781690423000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "south-bay-plays-host-to-the-world-cup",
"title": "The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup",
"publishDate": 1781690423,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"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",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "San Jose welcomes visitors for yet another big sporting event in the Bay Area.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781720297,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": true,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 57,
"wordCount": 2771
},
"headData": {
"title": "The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup | KQED",
"description": "KQED's Ayah Ali-Ahmad tells us what it’s like in San Jose, as thousands of visitors come to the Bay Area again for a big sporting event.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialDescription": "KQED's Ayah Ali-Ahmad tells us what it’s like in San Jose, as thousands of visitors come to the Bay Area again for a big sporting event.",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup",
"datePublished": "2026-06-17T03:00:23-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-17T11:18:17-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 33520,
"slug": "podcast",
"name": "Podcast"
},
"source": "The Bay",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC4325448619.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12087827",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087827/south-bay-plays-host-to-the-world-cup",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087827/south-bay-plays-host-to-the-world-cup",
"authors": [
"8654",
"11986",
"11831",
"11649"
],
"categories": [
"news_8",
"news_33520",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_32793",
"news_33812",
"news_23121",
"news_18541",
"news_34078",
"news_22598",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12086751",
"label": "source_news_12087827"
},
"news_12087615": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087615",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087615",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781635996000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup",
"title": "Protests and Celebrations: Iranians in Los Angeles Have Mixed Feelings on World Cup",
"publishDate": 1781635996,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Protests and Celebrations: Iranians in Los Angeles Have Mixed Feelings on World Cup | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"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",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Iran played New Zealand at SoFi Stadium on Monday.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781639274,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 27,
"wordCount": 1345
},
"headData": {
"title": "Protests and Celebrations: Iranians in Los Angeles Have Mixed Feelings on World Cup | KQED",
"description": "Iran played New Zealand at SoFi Stadium on Monday.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Protests and Celebrations: Iranians in Los Angeles Have Mixed Feelings on World Cup",
"datePublished": "2026-06-16T11:53:16-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-16T12:47:54-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"name": "Sports"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/d7a2fad5-7505-424d-8bb8-b46a0117beea/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12087615",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087615/protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12087547",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_046.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087615/protests-and-celebrations-iranians-in-los-angeles-have-mixed-feelings-on-world-cup",
"authors": [
"11739"
],
"categories": [
"news_8",
"news_13",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_27626",
"news_36837",
"news_339",
"news_1489",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087797",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12087547": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087547",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087547",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781541668000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-iranian-americans-feel-about-iran-in-the-world-cup",
"title": "How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup",
"publishDate": 1781541668,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003ch4>Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, June 15, 2026:\u003c/h4>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The state legislature is expected to vote today on a budget plan that rejects some of the health care cuts proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>California Democrats are urging the Trump administration to release millions in transportation funds it withheld in a dispute over drivers licenses for immigrant truckers.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Iran’s men’s soccer team is scheduled to play its first match in this year’s World Cup this evening in Inglewood. But many members of the Iranian diaspora say they can’t support the team.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>A Vote on the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-budget-legislature-deal/\">State Budget\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Today, June 15th, is the deadline for the state legislature to pass a balanced budget. But that budget plan is not set in stone. What follows will be a series of negotiations between the Governor’s Office and state lawmakers, in which several amendments to the budget will likely take place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for savings by raising Medi-Cal premiums on undocumented adults and lowering the assets seniors on Medi-Cal are allowed to have from $130,000 dollars to $2000. KQED Politics Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati\u003c/a> reports that the plan from Democratic leaders in the Senate and Assembly delays both issues to next year – for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087400/as-the-dust-settles-on-californias-primary-november-battles-take-shape\">new governor\u003c/a> to decide.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>CA Dems Demand Trump Release Transportation Funds\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Currently, the Trump Administration is withholding $160 million in transportation funds that go to highway safety. That’s because California hasn’t complied with federal guidelines requiring states to deny commercial drivers licenses to certain lawful immigrants with work permits, but not visas. This law disqualified hundreds of thousands of formerly eligible drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, June 12th, Senator Adam Schiff, along with 21 other congressmembers sent a \u003ca href=\"https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-leads-21-colleagues-in-demanding-administration-release-160-million-in-transportation-funding-for-california-reverse-strict-restrictions-on-california-truck-drivers/\">letter\u003c/a> to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanding the release of those funds. In the letter, he says that disqualifying 200-thousand experienced drivers a quarter of them in California will bottleneck commerce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Transportation says the new rule is for safety. But Schiff says, the government’s own data shows these truckers are actually among the safest on the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iran Set to Play in World Cup Today\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Iran’s men’s soccer team is set to face off against New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup today. The game will take place in Inglewood, California. The soccer match comes just after the announcement of a deal between the United States and Iran to end the months-long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people within the Iranian diaspora are not rooting for the Iranian team, seeing the team as an extension or representation for the current Iranian regime. When the men’s soccer team arrived in Southern California, they were met with widespread protests. “It’s not Iran’s team. It’s the regime’s team,” says Sam Beykzadeh, an Iranian book store owner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, other people within the Iranian diaspora are excited to see the team play. Ryan Mortazavi and his family flew from Dallas to Southern California to attend the soccer match. “When it’s our own country, you don’t want to miss them play,” say Mortazavi. This will be the 7th World Cup that Iran has participated in.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": null,
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781557919,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 10,
"wordCount": 566
},
"headData": {
"title": "How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup | KQED",
"description": "Here are the morning's top stories on Monday, June 15, 2026: The state legislature is expected to vote today on a budget plan that rejects some of the health care cuts proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom. California Democrats are urging the Trump administration to release millions in transportation funds it withheld in a dispute over drivers licenses for immigrant truckers. Iran’s men’s soccer team is scheduled to play its first match in this year’s World Cup this evening in Inglewood. But many members of the Iranian diaspora say they can’t support the team. A Vote on the State Budget Today, June",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup",
"datePublished": "2026-06-15T09:41:08-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-15T14:11:59-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 33520,
"slug": "podcast",
"name": "Podcast"
},
"source": "The California Report",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrarchive/",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7977122003.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12087547",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087547/how-iranian-americans-feel-about-iran-in-the-world-cup",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ch4>Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, June 15, 2026:\u003c/h4>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The state legislature is expected to vote today on a budget plan that rejects some of the health care cuts proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>California Democrats are urging the Trump administration to release millions in transportation funds it withheld in a dispute over drivers licenses for immigrant truckers.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Iran’s men’s soccer team is scheduled to play its first match in this year’s World Cup this evening in Inglewood. But many members of the Iranian diaspora say they can’t support the team.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>A Vote on the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-budget-legislature-deal/\">State Budget\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Today, June 15th, is the deadline for the state legislature to pass a balanced budget. But that budget plan is not set in stone. What follows will be a series of negotiations between the Governor’s Office and state lawmakers, in which several amendments to the budget will likely take place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for savings by raising Medi-Cal premiums on undocumented adults and lowering the assets seniors on Medi-Cal are allowed to have from $130,000 dollars to $2000. KQED Politics Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati\u003c/a> reports that the plan from Democratic leaders in the Senate and Assembly delays both issues to next year – for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087400/as-the-dust-settles-on-californias-primary-november-battles-take-shape\">new governor\u003c/a> to decide.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>CA Dems Demand Trump Release Transportation Funds\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Currently, the Trump Administration is withholding $160 million in transportation funds that go to highway safety. That’s because California hasn’t complied with federal guidelines requiring states to deny commercial drivers licenses to certain lawful immigrants with work permits, but not visas. This law disqualified hundreds of thousands of formerly eligible drivers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, June 12th, Senator Adam Schiff, along with 21 other congressmembers sent a \u003ca href=\"https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-leads-21-colleagues-in-demanding-administration-release-160-million-in-transportation-funding-for-california-reverse-strict-restrictions-on-california-truck-drivers/\">letter\u003c/a> to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanding the release of those funds. In the letter, he says that disqualifying 200-thousand experienced drivers a quarter of them in California will bottleneck commerce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Transportation says the new rule is for safety. But Schiff says, the government’s own data shows these truckers are actually among the safest on the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iran Set to Play in World Cup Today\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Iran’s men’s soccer team is set to face off against New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup today. The game will take place in Inglewood, California. The soccer match comes just after the announcement of a deal between the United States and Iran to end the months-long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people within the Iranian diaspora are not rooting for the Iranian team, seeing the team as an extension or representation for the current Iranian regime. When the men’s soccer team arrived in Southern California, they were met with widespread protests. “It’s not Iran’s team. It’s the regime’s team,” says Sam Beykzadeh, an Iranian book store owner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, other people within the Iranian diaspora are excited to see the team play. Ryan Mortazavi and his family flew from Dallas to Southern California to attend the soccer match. “When it’s our own country, you don’t want to miss them play,” say Mortazavi. This will be the 7th World Cup that Iran has participated in.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087547/how-iranian-americans-feel-about-iran-in-the-world-cup",
"authors": [
"236"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_8",
"news_33520",
"news_34018"
],
"tags": [
"news_1759",
"news_22178",
"news_36267",
"news_339",
"news_1489",
"news_17286",
"news_21268",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087313",
"label": "source_news_12087547"
},
"news_12087516": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087516",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087516",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781397293000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "2026-world-cups-bay-area-matches-kick-off-but-its-no-super-bowl",
"title": "2026 World Cup’s Bay Area Matches Kick Off, But It’s No Super Bowl",
"publishDate": 1781397293,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "2026 World Cup’s Bay Area Matches Kick Off, But It’s No Super Bowl | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>For the first time in decades, people from around the world are supposed to be making their way to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> for one of the largest sporting events on the planet. But some fans are wondering where everyone is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">2026 FIFA World Cup’s\u003c/a> Bay Area debut at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">rebranded \u003c/a>from the Levi’s Stadium name for now — did bring some fans to the city for a Saturday afternoon game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coming with them? Plenty of empty seats, and criticism of the federal government, FIFA and high ticket prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suhail Virana, who was rooting for Qatar, said outside the stadium that it was exciting to have the World Cup in the Bay Area, but some things fell short in comparison to previous World Cups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not as nice; there’s too many problems,” Virana said. “This is a whole bunch of chaos here. Football is about unity. There’s been a lot of division.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087527\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ali Alyfei, 45, a Qatar fan, waves his hands in the air as he exits 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>Trump administration policies, high ticket costs and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">less than expected show of excitement\u003c/a> have hung over the event since before it even started. Several participants have been detained or denied entry into the U.S., including a Somali referee, Iraq’s team photographer, and several members of Iran’s team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tournament itself is the largest it’s ever been, double in size since the U.S. hosted back in 1994. The U.S., a co-host this year with Mexico and Canada, is holding most of the competition, and six of the matches will take place in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People walk past an empty parking lot during the Qatar versus Switzerland World Cup match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday, June 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the Bay Area, it’s supposed to be a big economic driver. The Bay Area Host Committee estimated back in 2024 that the region would rake in up to $630 million, with half of that going to Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But days before the Bay Area’s opening match, hotel bookings were lower than expected, and during the game there were patches of empty seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087522\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087522\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans watch from the stands during the World Cup Group B soccer match between Qatar and Switzerland in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco, Saturday, June 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Eakin Howard/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike Borghetti, who was outside the stadium, said the match didn’t look like a Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Super Bowl? This place is packed. People are barbecuing, just having fun,” Borghetti said. “But now it seems, I don’t know, people are not trusting the world right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087528\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A robot in soccer gear interacts with people outside of 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>Unlike at 49ers games at the stadium, tailgating is not allowed at World Cup games, so the parking lot was bare in comparison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodolfo Mora, a Switzerland fan for the day, had a different take on the event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I traveled just for the World Cup. It’s just a dream come true,” said Mora, who lives in Mexico City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087531\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087531\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rodolfo Mora waves a Mexican flag outside of 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>Some of the empty spots in the stadium could be due to the high ticket prices fans were facing. FIFA’s ticket prices reached \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-fifa-tickets-guadalajara-toronto-e80e3ddc277d653c475a9d8544c7584a\">record highs\u003c/a> amid what FIFA President Gianni Infantino \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/fact-checking-claims-about-unprecedented-demand-for-world-cup-tickets\">said \u003c/a>was “unprecedented demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dennis Cruz, a Santa Clara resident who came out in support of Switzerland, said he didn’t think the two teams warranted the high prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“$350? I feel like it’s a little too much,” Cruz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087529\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anthony Burdel, right, exits Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara with his family 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>FIFA \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/fifamedia/status/2065492696693661760\">said\u003c/a> Friday that it doesn’t calculate attendance numbers by visual assessment, but by “the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFGATE \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/fifa-world-cup-heat-avoid-22304081.php\">reported \u003c/a>that hundreds of fans actually took cover in the concourse from the heat in the area, which the National Weather Service had issued an advisory for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside the stadium, some protestors took issue with more than ticket prices. Ahead of the game, they joined together in the streets nearby to protest the U.S.’s role as a host and called for people to boycott the games. They say the country’s policies, including on immigration, should not be rewarded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087521\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters gather outside of 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>“We need to draw the line somewhere,” said Bernice Onuoha at the Black Alliance for Peace-hosted protest near the stadium. “It’s not right for these games to be held while ICE is actively torturing and starving people in captivity with undue process, while we are bombing Iran, helping a genocide in Palestine, which has spread to Lebanon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Virana, the Qatar fan, said he mostly agreed with protestors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe Palestine is being occupied. I do think them using the game to bring attention to it is very good,” Virana said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087520\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Suhail Virana holds a Qatar banner outside of 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>Still, Cruz and Virana said they still planned on going to other games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just for the experience,” Virana said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara will next host Austria and Jordan on Tuesday, followed by Türkiye and Paraguay on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">\u003cem>Christopher Alam\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The Santa Clara match featured Qatar and Switzerland and ended in a draw. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781545967,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 1066
},
"headData": {
"title": "2026 World Cup’s Bay Area Matches Kick Off, But It’s No Super Bowl | KQED",
"description": "The Santa Clara match featured Qatar and Switzerland and ended in a draw. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "2026 World Cup’s Bay Area Matches Kick Off, But It’s No Super Bowl",
"datePublished": "2026-06-13T17:34:53-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-15T10:52:47-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 28250,
"slug": "local",
"name": "Local"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12087516",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087516/2026-world-cups-bay-area-matches-kick-off-but-its-no-super-bowl",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the first time in decades, people from around the world are supposed to be making their way to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> for one of the largest sporting events on the planet. But some fans are wondering where everyone is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">2026 FIFA World Cup’s\u003c/a> Bay Area debut at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">rebranded \u003c/a>from the Levi’s Stadium name for now — did bring some fans to the city for a Saturday afternoon game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coming with them? Plenty of empty seats, and criticism of the federal government, FIFA and high ticket prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suhail Virana, who was rooting for Qatar, said outside the stadium that it was exciting to have the World Cup in the Bay Area, but some things fell short in comparison to previous World Cups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not as nice; there’s too many problems,” Virana said. “This is a whole bunch of chaos here. Football is about unity. There’s been a lot of division.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087527\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_020-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ali Alyfei, 45, a Qatar fan, waves his hands in the air as he exits 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>Trump administration policies, high ticket costs and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">less than expected show of excitement\u003c/a> have hung over the event since before it even started. Several participants have been detained or denied entry into the U.S., including a Somali referee, Iraq’s team photographer, and several members of Iran’s team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tournament itself is the largest it’s ever been, double in size since the U.S. hosted back in 1994. The U.S., a co-host this year with Mexico and Canada, is holding most of the competition, and six of the matches will take place in Santa Clara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People walk past an empty parking lot during the Qatar versus Switzerland World Cup match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday, June 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the Bay Area, it’s supposed to be a big economic driver. The Bay Area Host Committee estimated back in 2024 that the region would rake in up to $630 million, with half of that going to Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But days before the Bay Area’s opening match, hotel bookings were lower than expected, and during the game there were patches of empty seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087522\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087522\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/AP26164716916112-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans watch from the stands during the World Cup Group B soccer match between Qatar and Switzerland in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco, Saturday, June 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Eakin Howard/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike Borghetti, who was outside the stadium, said the match didn’t look like a Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Super Bowl? This place is packed. People are barbecuing, just having fun,” Borghetti said. “But now it seems, I don’t know, people are not trusting the world right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087528\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A robot in soccer gear interacts with people outside of 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>Unlike at 49ers games at the stadium, tailgating is not allowed at World Cup games, so the parking lot was bare in comparison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodolfo Mora, a Switzerland fan for the day, had a different take on the event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I traveled just for the World Cup. It’s just a dream come true,” said Mora, who lives in Mexico City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087531\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087531\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_042-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rodolfo Mora waves a Mexican flag outside of 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>Some of the empty spots in the stadium could be due to the high ticket prices fans were facing. FIFA’s ticket prices reached \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-fifa-tickets-guadalajara-toronto-e80e3ddc277d653c475a9d8544c7584a\">record highs\u003c/a> amid what FIFA President Gianni Infantino \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/fact-checking-claims-about-unprecedented-demand-for-world-cup-tickets\">said \u003c/a>was “unprecedented demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dennis Cruz, a Santa Clara resident who came out in support of Switzerland, said he didn’t think the two teams warranted the high prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“$350? I feel like it’s a little too much,” Cruz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087529\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_034-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anthony Burdel, right, exits Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara with his family 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>FIFA \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/fifamedia/status/2065492696693661760\">said\u003c/a> Friday that it doesn’t calculate attendance numbers by visual assessment, but by “the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SFGATE \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/fifa-world-cup-heat-avoid-22304081.php\">reported \u003c/a>that hundreds of fans actually took cover in the concourse from the heat in the area, which the National Weather Service had issued an advisory for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside the stadium, some protestors took issue with more than ticket prices. Ahead of the game, they joined together in the streets nearby to protest the U.S.’s role as a host and called for people to boycott the games. They say the country’s policies, including on immigration, should not be rewarded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087521\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_002-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters gather outside of 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>“We need to draw the line somewhere,” said Bernice Onuoha at the Black Alliance for Peace-hosted protest near the stadium. “It’s not right for these games to be held while ICE is actively torturing and starving people in captivity with undue process, while we are bombing Iran, helping a genocide in Palestine, which has spread to Lebanon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Virana, the Qatar fan, said he mostly agreed with protestors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe Palestine is being occupied. I do think them using the game to bring attention to it is very good,” Virana said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087520\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260613_WorldCup_EG_011-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Suhail Virana holds a Qatar banner outside of 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>Still, Cruz and Virana said they still planned on going to other games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just for the experience,” Virana said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara will next host Austria and Jordan on Tuesday, followed by Türkiye and Paraguay on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">\u003cem>Christopher Alam\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087516/2026-world-cups-bay-area-matches-kick-off-but-its-no-super-bowl",
"authors": [
"11935"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_27626",
"news_36837",
"news_17996",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087523",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12087311": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087311",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087311",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781307062000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "us-soccer-fans-flood-streets-around-sofi-as-world-cup-kicks-off-in-la",
"title": "US Soccer Fans Flood Streets Around SoFi as World Cup Kicks Off in LA",
"publishDate": 1781307062,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "US Soccer Fans Flood Streets Around SoFi as World Cup Kicks Off in LA | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>The streets around SoFi Stadium were awash in red, white and blue on Friday as fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team converged on Los Angeles to watch their team play its first match of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990640/where-to-watch-world-cup-bay-area-best-bars-classic-pubs\">2026 FIFA World Cup\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Stars and Stripes aren’t expected to dominate the tournament, a massive global undertaking playing out across 16 host cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Powerhouse teams like Spain and France are likely to fill that role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the U.S.’s middling rankings and the eye-watering ticket prices hardly mattered to the soccer fans crammed into bars, boisterous watch parties and the streets around SoFi ahead of the 6 p.m. kickoff against Paraguay at the temporarily renamed Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin and Katie Howell came to the game with their kids, Alexander and Lily, from Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Kevin Howell, Alexander Howell, Katie Howell and Lily Howell outside SoFi Stadium 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>“The 1994 World Cup inspired me to fall in love with soccer as an 8-year-old boy, and I passed that down to my son, and it’s a thing we share as a family,” said Kevin, referring to the year the U.S. last hosted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin said his dad took his older brother to some of the ‘94 games, some of which were played at Stanford University, but deemed him too young, giving him a serious case of “FOMO.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087444\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fan wears USA-themed hat and pins 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\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans wear USA-themed crocs and socks 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>Just hours ahead of his first World Cup match, he was thrilled to be sharing the experience with his family, including his own 8-year-old-son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was kind of me…I don’t know, a midlife crisis maybe, or something I had to do. Bucket list item for me,” the 39-year-old said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexander was especially excited, he said, to see U.S. forward Christian Pulisic play. “I really like seeing him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Matthew Payano, Junior Payano, Julian Payano and Larry Payano 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\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087443\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087443\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Siblings Beth and Andy Viner, 49 and 47, 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>While SoFi won the opportunity to host the first match featuring the U.S., six games are set to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">played at Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> in Santa Clara, presenting what some local officials said could be an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">economic boon for the San Francisco Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Paraguay’s team has made their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086567/team-paraguay-arrives-in-san-jose-ahead-of-world-cup-games-at-levis\">base camp at San José State University\u003c/a>, while Australia is based in Alameda at the Oakland Roots and Soul facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Straining to be heard over the raucous crowd behind him near SoFi, Chris Powers was looking forward to watching the U.S. play, and hopefully win, with his friend, Jeff Wilson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087442\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087442\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED-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\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>“Everyone is just so excited to be here,” the 40-year-old from Connecticut said. “It’s been a really cool experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearby, Pedro Mendoza had flown in from Paraguay to see his team take on the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Soccer is a big deal in Paraguay,” the 45-year-old said. “It’s like another religion for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mendoza, who joked that his nosebleed seats put him “closest to God,” paid about $1,500 to attend the game, and was hoping to go to one more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paraguay fan Pedro Mendoza walks to SoFi Stadium for 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\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087445\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087445\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luis Ibarra, Juan Lugo and Nate Johnston 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>He said traveling to the U.S. amid the current political climate and President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown was “a little concerning,” but that he had everything “in order” and was ready to enjoy the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juan Lugo and Luis Ibarra of Texas said they were also prepared to do whatever it took to attend the match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wouldn’t miss it,” Lugo said. “There’s no way we were going to miss a World Cup on home soil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The men’s national team was set to take on Paraguay in their first game of the global tournament. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781311131,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 21,
"wordCount": 866
},
"headData": {
"title": "US Soccer Fans Flood Streets Around SoFi as World Cup Kicks Off in LA | KQED",
"description": "The men’s national team was set to take on Paraguay in their first game of the global tournament. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "US Soccer Fans Flood Streets Around SoFi as World Cup Kicks Off in LA",
"datePublished": "2026-06-12T16:31:02-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-12T17:38:51-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"name": "Sports"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12087311",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087311/us-soccer-fans-flood-streets-around-sofi-as-world-cup-kicks-off-in-la",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The streets around SoFi Stadium were awash in red, white and blue on Friday as fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team converged on Los Angeles to watch their team play its first match of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990640/where-to-watch-world-cup-bay-area-best-bars-classic-pubs\">2026 FIFA World Cup\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Stars and Stripes aren’t expected to dominate the tournament, a massive global undertaking playing out across 16 host cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Powerhouse teams like Spain and France are likely to fill that role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the U.S.’s middling rankings and the eye-watering ticket prices hardly mattered to the soccer fans crammed into bars, boisterous watch parties and the streets around SoFi ahead of the 6 p.m. kickoff against Paraguay at the temporarily renamed Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin and Katie Howell came to the game with their kids, Alexander and Lily, from Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0137-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Kevin Howell, Alexander Howell, Katie Howell and Lily Howell outside SoFi Stadium 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>“The 1994 World Cup inspired me to fall in love with soccer as an 8-year-old boy, and I passed that down to my son, and it’s a thing we share as a family,” said Kevin, referring to the year the U.S. last hosted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin said his dad took his older brother to some of the ‘94 games, some of which were played at Stanford University, but deemed him too young, giving him a serious case of “FOMO.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087444\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0045-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fan wears USA-themed hat and pins 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\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0070-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans wear USA-themed crocs and socks 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>Just hours ahead of his first World Cup match, he was thrilled to be sharing the experience with his family, including his own 8-year-old-son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was kind of me…I don’t know, a midlife crisis maybe, or something I had to do. Bucket list item for me,” the 39-year-old said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexander was especially excited, he said, to see U.S. forward Christian Pulisic play. “I really like seeing him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_9973-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Matthew Payano, Junior Payano, Julian Payano and Larry Payano 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\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087443\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087443\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0039-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Siblings Beth and Andy Viner, 49 and 47, 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>While SoFi won the opportunity to host the first match featuring the U.S., six games are set to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">played at Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> in Santa Clara, presenting what some local officials said could be an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">economic boon for the San Francisco Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Paraguay’s team has made their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086567/team-paraguay-arrives-in-san-jose-ahead-of-world-cup-games-at-levis\">base camp at San José State University\u003c/a>, while Australia is based in Alameda at the Oakland Roots and Soul facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Straining to be heard over the raucous crowd behind him near SoFi, Chris Powers was looking forward to watching the U.S. play, and hopefully win, with his friend, Jeff Wilson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087442\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087442\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0012-KQED-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\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>“Everyone is just so excited to be here,” the 40-year-old from Connecticut said. “It’s been a really cool experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearby, Pedro Mendoza had flown in from Paraguay to see his team take on the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Soccer is a big deal in Paraguay,” the 45-year-old said. “It’s like another religion for us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mendoza, who joked that his nosebleed seats put him “closest to God,” paid about $1,500 to attend the game, and was hoping to go to one more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0112-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paraguay fan Pedro Mendoza walks to SoFi Stadium for 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\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087445\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087445\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/061226_WORLDCUPFANS_0059-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luis Ibarra, Juan Lugo and Nate Johnston 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>He said traveling to the U.S. amid the current political climate and President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown was “a little concerning,” but that he had everything “in order” and was ready to enjoy the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juan Lugo and Luis Ibarra of Texas said they were also prepared to do whatever it took to attend the match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wouldn’t miss it,” Lugo said. “There’s no way we were going to miss a World Cup on home soil.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087311/us-soccer-fans-flood-streets-around-sofi-as-world-cup-kicks-off-in-la",
"authors": [
"11739"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_36837",
"news_4",
"news_1489",
"news_36802",
"news_34078",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087461",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12087163": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12087163",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12087163",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781284416000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "for-bay-area-latinos-world-cup-is-a-celebration-of-pride-and-identity",
"title": "For Bay Area Latinos, World Cup Is a Celebration of Pride and Identity",
"publishDate": 1781284416,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "For Bay Area Latinos, World Cup Is a Celebration of Pride and Identity | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was reported for K Onda KQED, a monthly newsletter focused on the Bay Area’s Latinx community. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/k-onda\">Click here to subscribe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco resident Salvador Rodriguez started planning — and saving up — for this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> eight years ago when the United States, Mexico and Canada were named host nations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The independent journalist publishes “\u003ca href=\"https://the2026dispatch.substack.com/\">The 2026 Dispatch\u003c/a>,” a Substack newsletter featuring reporting and personal reflections on the World Cup. He plans to attend at least a dozen matches, including the opener in Mexico City and the final in New York City, as well as matches in Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas and Philadelphia among other cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I personally measure my life based on World Cups,” Rodriguez, 36, said. “If you bring up basically any World Cup and I could tell you where I was during it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Latino fans have long been the backbone of soccer culture in the United States, and many are expected to help fuel interest in the 2026 World Cup as the tournament unfolds across North America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite concerns about high ticket prices, immigration policies and the politics surrounding the event, fans across the Bay Area say the World Cup remains a powerful expression of cultural pride, family heritage and connection to countries they or their relatives still call home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salvador Rodriguez, right, with his mother, Aida Rodriguez, outside of the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Salvador Rodriguez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez agrees that there is plenty to criticize about the World Cup, from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">high ticket prices\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/nyregion/fifa-indictments-soccer-dismissed.html\">administrative corruption\u003c/a> to a lackluster lineup of matches slated for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\"> the Bay Area\u003c/a>. Still, he said, there is nothing like the World Cup, especially for fans from Latin America, where soccer reigns supreme and love of national teams is paramount.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very rare that the majority of the world comes together in a way where everyone can compete, but also have cultural exchanges,” Rodriguez said before departing for Mexico. “For the people who want to focus on that, they’re going to have an amazing time. And even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, there’s so many great ways to partake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Rodriguez attended the opening match in Mexico City, a few hundred people gathered Thursday at the Spark Social SF Food Truck Park in San Francisco’s Mission Bay to watch Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa.[aside postID=news_12086953 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_009.jpg']As soccer slowly gains traction among U.S. sports fans, Latine fans are driving much of the growth, thanks in part to the legacy of soccer fandom from Latin America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love the World Cup. I think it’s so beautiful. I get really emotional during it,” said Cynthia Villamizar of San Francisco, who came to the food truck park with her husband and 7-week-old son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My dad is from Colombia. My mom’s from Ecuador, so both teams are represented. And my husband’s from India, who I don’t think is represented,” she continued. “But either way, the World Cup represents a beautiful, multicultural, global moment. And our baby is one of those global moments. So it’s a whole family thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Latine fans make up much of the growth of soccer in the United States. A 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telemundo-rolls-out-the-future-is-futbol-a-comprehensive-report-on-the-state-of-soccer-the-fastest-growing-major-team-sport-in-america-301619868.html\">report\u003c/a> from NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises found that among U.S. Latinos ages 16 and older, 73% say they are soccer fans and 22% described themselves as “superfans” — more than triple the share of non-Hispanics who ascribe to that term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We definitely see the World Cup as a big opportunity,” said Javier Garcia, senior vice president of multicultural growth for cable and internet provider Comcast. “For multicultural consumers, it is very clear that it’s a huge opportunity. We see soccer as a sport that continues to grow in the United States. We know that is the future and that’s why we’re putting all the investment and efforts behind it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A sea of fans in green Mexico jerseys packed picnic tables in the lawn area at Spark SF under a bright midday sun. They sipped beers, noshed on plates from food trucks while keeping their eyes fixed on a giant TV broadcasting the match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans express disbelief while watching the Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup game at a watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The World Cup is such a moment for our cultures to shine on a global stage, for people to just celebrate where they’re from, whether they were born there or not,” Villamizar said. “Especially for American-born Latinos, it’s a way to represent for a country that their family celebrates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luis Pablo Michel, a 27-year-old from San José, said U.S. hostility toward immigrants and foreign visitors – including World Cup players – along with high ticket prices, is putting a damper on this year’s celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not paying $200 to watch only from the top,” he said. “It’s like the first time you get excited about the World Cup, and it’s like you’re outmatched, you’re outpriced, and it’s kind of a sad thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087328\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087328\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luis Pablo Michel poses for a portrait at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, he was excited to watch the opener with his girlfriend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love soccer. I love Mexico,” he said. “What are you going to do, you know? It’s the World Cup. You’re going to watch it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nataly and Aimee Rendon, two sisters from San Pablo, also came out to watch Mexico play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087329\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087329\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sisters Aimee Rendon (left) and Natalie Rendon (right) pose for a portrait at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m feeling excited, mostly excited,” said Nataly Rendon, 30. “I’m excited for everyone, all the cultures to visit different countries and just get to know other places of the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, Aimee Rendon, 29, said it’s important to recognize other issues surrounding the festivities, like\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/08/nx-s1-5850429/as-mexico-hosts-the-world-cup-families-of-the-disappeared-keep-searching\"> families of missing people \u003c/a>protesting at games in Mexico or \u003ca href=\"http://theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/11/iran-world-cup-tijuana-security-camp-mexico\">the Iranian National Team\u003c/a> being barred from preparing in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Mexican-Americans, they were also excited to cheer for their parents’ home country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A handkerchief with a Mexico flag design rests on a picnic table at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rooting for Mexico “feels natural,” Nataly Rendon said. “I feel like it’s más orgullo mexicano, definitely, 100%.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ana Guzman, 37, took the day off and drove from her home in Stockton with her daughter to San Francisco for “the vibe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The World Cup really brings out something in us — our pride, our heritage, our culture,” Guzman, who is Mexican-American, said. “Every four years you will catch me watching the World Cup.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Soccer fans across the Bay Area embrace the 2026 World Cup as a celebration of Latino culture, family heritage and global connection despite soaring ticket prices.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781286172,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 28,
"wordCount": 1300
},
"headData": {
"title": "For Bay Area Latinos, World Cup Is a Celebration of Pride and Identity | KQED",
"description": "Soccer fans across the Bay Area embrace the 2026 World Cup as a celebration of Latino culture, family heritage and global connection despite soaring ticket prices.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "For Bay Area Latinos, World Cup Is a Celebration of Pride and Identity",
"datePublished": "2026-06-12T10:13:36-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-12T10:42:52-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"name": "Sports"
},
"source": "K Onda KQED",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/k-onda",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12087163",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12087163/for-bay-area-latinos-world-cup-is-a-celebration-of-pride-and-identity",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was reported for K Onda KQED, a monthly newsletter focused on the Bay Area’s Latinx community. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/k-onda\">Click here to subscribe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco resident Salvador Rodriguez started planning — and saving up — for this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">World Cup\u003c/a> eight years ago when the United States, Mexico and Canada were named host nations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The independent journalist publishes “\u003ca href=\"https://the2026dispatch.substack.com/\">The 2026 Dispatch\u003c/a>,” a Substack newsletter featuring reporting and personal reflections on the World Cup. He plans to attend at least a dozen matches, including the opener in Mexico City and the final in New York City, as well as matches in Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas and Philadelphia among other cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I personally measure my life based on World Cups,” Rodriguez, 36, said. “If you bring up basically any World Cup and I could tell you where I was during it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Latino fans have long been the backbone of soccer culture in the United States, and many are expected to help fuel interest in the 2026 World Cup as the tournament unfolds across North America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite concerns about high ticket prices, immigration policies and the politics surrounding the event, fans across the Bay Area say the World Cup remains a powerful expression of cultural pride, family heritage and connection to countries they or their relatives still call home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260612-K-ONDA-LATINO-WORLD-CUP-STORY-01-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salvador Rodriguez, right, with his mother, Aida Rodriguez, outside of the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Salvador Rodriguez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez agrees that there is plenty to criticize about the World Cup, from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">high ticket prices\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/nyregion/fifa-indictments-soccer-dismissed.html\">administrative corruption\u003c/a> to a lackluster lineup of matches slated for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\"> the Bay Area\u003c/a>. Still, he said, there is nothing like the World Cup, especially for fans from Latin America, where soccer reigns supreme and love of national teams is paramount.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very rare that the majority of the world comes together in a way where everyone can compete, but also have cultural exchanges,” Rodriguez said before departing for Mexico. “For the people who want to focus on that, they’re going to have an amazing time. And even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, there’s so many great ways to partake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Rodriguez attended the opening match in Mexico City, a few hundred people gathered Thursday at the Spark Social SF Food Truck Park in San Francisco’s Mission Bay to watch Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12086953",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/060926Paraguay-SJSU_GH_009.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>As soccer slowly gains traction among U.S. sports fans, Latine fans are driving much of the growth, thanks in part to the legacy of soccer fandom from Latin America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love the World Cup. I think it’s so beautiful. I get really emotional during it,” said Cynthia Villamizar of San Francisco, who came to the food truck park with her husband and 7-week-old son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My dad is from Colombia. My mom’s from Ecuador, so both teams are represented. And my husband’s from India, who I don’t think is represented,” she continued. “But either way, the World Cup represents a beautiful, multicultural, global moment. And our baby is one of those global moments. So it’s a whole family thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Latine fans make up much of the growth of soccer in the United States. A 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telemundo-rolls-out-the-future-is-futbol-a-comprehensive-report-on-the-state-of-soccer-the-fastest-growing-major-team-sport-in-america-301619868.html\">report\u003c/a> from NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises found that among U.S. Latinos ages 16 and older, 73% say they are soccer fans and 22% described themselves as “superfans” — more than triple the share of non-Hispanics who ascribe to that term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We definitely see the World Cup as a big opportunity,” said Javier Garcia, senior vice president of multicultural growth for cable and internet provider Comcast. “For multicultural consumers, it is very clear that it’s a huge opportunity. We see soccer as a sport that continues to grow in the United States. We know that is the future and that’s why we’re putting all the investment and efforts behind it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A sea of fans in green Mexico jerseys packed picnic tables in the lawn area at Spark SF under a bright midday sun. They sipped beers, noshed on plates from food trucks while keeping their eyes fixed on a giant TV broadcasting the match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00635_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans express disbelief while watching the Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup game at a watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The World Cup is such a moment for our cultures to shine on a global stage, for people to just celebrate where they’re from, whether they were born there or not,” Villamizar said. “Especially for American-born Latinos, it’s a way to represent for a country that their family celebrates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luis Pablo Michel, a 27-year-old from San José, said U.S. hostility toward immigrants and foreign visitors – including World Cup players – along with high ticket prices, is putting a damper on this year’s celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not paying $200 to watch only from the top,” he said. “It’s like the first time you get excited about the World Cup, and it’s like you’re outmatched, you’re outpriced, and it’s kind of a sad thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087328\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087328\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00033_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luis Pablo Michel poses for a portrait at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, he was excited to watch the opener with his girlfriend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love soccer. I love Mexico,” he said. “What are you going to do, you know? It’s the World Cup. You’re going to watch it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nataly and Aimee Rendon, two sisters from San Pablo, also came out to watch Mexico play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087329\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087329\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00048_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sisters Aimee Rendon (left) and Natalie Rendon (right) pose for a portrait at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m feeling excited, mostly excited,” said Nataly Rendon, 30. “I’m excited for everyone, all the cultures to visit different countries and just get to know other places of the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, Aimee Rendon, 29, said it’s important to recognize other issues surrounding the festivities, like\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/06/08/nx-s1-5850429/as-mexico-hosts-the-world-cup-families-of-the-disappeared-keep-searching\"> families of missing people \u003c/a>protesting at games in Mexico or \u003ca href=\"http://theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/11/iran-world-cup-tijuana-security-camp-mexico\">the Iranian National Team\u003c/a> being barred from preparing in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Mexican-Americans, they were also excited to cheer for their parents’ home country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-KONDAWORLDCUP00413_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A handkerchief with a Mexico flag design rests on a picnic table at a Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup watch party at SPARK Social SF in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rooting for Mexico “feels natural,” Nataly Rendon said. “I feel like it’s más orgullo mexicano, definitely, 100%.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ana Guzman, 37, took the day off and drove from her home in Stockton with her daughter to San Francisco for “the vibe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The World Cup really brings out something in us — our pride, our heritage, our culture,” Guzman, who is Mexican-American, said. “Every four years you will catch me watching the World Cup.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12087163/for-bay-area-latinos-world-cup-is-a-celebration-of-pride-and-identity",
"authors": [
"11666"
],
"categories": [
"news_1169",
"news_28250",
"news_8",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_27626",
"news_18142",
"news_25409",
"news_2403",
"news_1489",
"news_34078",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087340",
"label": "source_news_12087163"
},
"news_12086356": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12086356",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12086356",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781280014000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "an-oakland-soccer-program-helps-immigrant-youth-find-belonging",
"title": "An Oakland Soccer Program Helps Immigrant Youth Find Belonging",
"publishDate": 1781280014,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "An Oakland Soccer Program Helps Immigrant Youth Find Belonging | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>At the soccer fields of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64582/how-can-the-community-school-model-support-newcomer-education\">Oakland International High School\u003c/a> in late May, players excitedly spilled onto the pitch for the last game of the season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes, I get super nervous before a game,” said Sharon, a 15-year-old player for a high school team in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Leave the negative aside, give the best of yourself,” the athlete, an immigrant from El Salvador, said to herself before each game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mildred, her teammate, said she admires Sharon’s improvement over the last year. At one point, she said, Sharon didn’t know how to kick a ball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But I would tell her to have confidence and to not stop,” said Mildred, 17, originally from Honduras.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086815\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-2000x1332.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coach Alexis Catt rallies her players during halftime of their league’s final game of the season. After missing the playoffs last season, the team fought for a podium finish this spring. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The girls have come a long way: last season, their team didn’t make the playoffs. This spring, as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">2026 FIFA World Cup\u003c/a> kicks off in the Bay Area, the girls set out to win third place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More importantly, the teams play for community — “their sense of belonging,” said Alexis Catt, who coaches the East Oakland high school team as part of a national nonprofit Soccer Without Borders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-2000x912.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-1536x700.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-2048x934.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: One Soccer Without Borders girls team earned a medal in the playoffs. Right: The Soccer Without Borders alumni team, composed of former Soccer Without Borders players, huddles after a match in April. Although they get to compete in Soccer Without Borders’s regular league, the alumni are responsible for training themselves. The team has become a tight-knit community for those who aged out of the high school program. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086816\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086816\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Soccer Without Borders player Tatiana battles a Hayward player during the last game of the season. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area location provides critical year-round support to newcomer refugee and immigrant youth across Alameda and San Francisco counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program combines zero-cost access to fields, gear and soccer training with dedicated mental health resources to support underserved youth in the Bay Area. Through a new program called \u003ca href=\"https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT07339228\">Meet Me on the Pitch\u003c/a> and a collaboration with UCSF, coaches aim to provide comprehensive mental health support for the students on and off the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-2000x912.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-1536x700.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-2048x934.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soccer Without Borders coaches Alexis Catt and Ney Lovato photographed at the Soccer Without Borders office. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very holistic approach,” said Natalie Ramos, a program coordinator. On top of coaching, Ramos and other staff act as case managers and provide academic mentorship to their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they need support in their classes, I can do that. If they’re having trouble communicating with one of their teachers, I can help them with that,” Ramos said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ye-Htet Soe, co-director of Soccer Without Borders in the Bay Area, knows firsthand the difference soccer can make in a kid’s life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he remembers his first time playing soccer in a refugee camp between Thailand and Burma. Instead of grass and cleats, the kids played shoeless in the dirt, with a ball wrapped in duct tape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were just so happy,” he said. There were no lines to organize the field, but “it was organized in our heart.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086823\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-2000x1600.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ingrid, a Soccer Without Borders player, poses for a portrait with her boyfriend at Robert’s Regional Park during an end-of-season team picnic. Alongside the stressors of navigating a new country and language, the students experience the universal highs and lows of the teenage experience: romance, friendship, and the uncertainty of the future. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086812\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086812\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-2000x1332.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Loani (left) and Abyade, Soccer Without Borders players from the Purple Team, hang out with teammates and friends after a Saturday game at Oakland High. To increase accessibility, the program concentrates most games in a single day to alleviate the burden of traveling across the Bay on families who often have limited time and resources. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Years later, Soe said he hopes the program can provide the Bay Area’s youth with the same opportunity to find joy on and off the pitch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Soccer Without Borders is all about being part of something larger than you,” Soe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using funding from the National Institute of Health, the \u003ca href=\"https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT07339228\">Meet Me on the Pitch\u003c/a> study will enroll youth aged 14-21 over the next two years to formally explore how soccer can be used as a holistic way to support mental well-being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086819\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Meet Me at the Pitch program, whose approach was informed by a youth advisory team, seeks to bring mental health support out of the clinical setting and onto the field where the kids have learned to build their own communities. The Youth Advisory Team helped pick activities, define relevant topics, and find the right language for discussing mental health. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086814\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1666\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soccer Without Borders Coach Natalie Ramos and Malak, a Youth Advisory Team member and a participant in the “Meet me at the Pitch” pilot program, ride past a cloud on a carousel at Six Flags during a program field trip. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The goal is to see whether programs like Soccer Without Borders can markedly improve mental health, academic support-seeking and social belonging among youth who participate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is already based on the DNA of what Soccer Without Borders has been doing for decades, really using soccer as a way to build community, as a way to build confidence,” said Mara Decker, an associate professor at the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF, who is leading the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decker said the intervention gives kids the opportunity to reflect on their goals and take advantage of guidance and mentorship to get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like we so rarely in our lives have the time to just pause and think about what we want to do and what are the steps we need to take to get there,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086820\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-2000x1600.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soccer Without Borders Coach Natalie Ramos (center) and Youth Advisory Team members Amar (left) and Malak pose for a portrait outside Oakland International High.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Catt said she’s gotten to see her players grow both as individuals and as a team since last season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We create it as a developmental process. You don’t have to be good, you don’t get left behind,” Catt continued. “We have kids who have never played before with kids who are on their youth national team in their own country, playing on the same team and both excelling together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Mildred, the program provided a place to land when she moved to the U.S. last year to reunite with her family. On her first day of classes at a high school in East Oakland, she asked around about soccer teams. By her second, she was already playing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It makes me feel free because I feel like [on the field] I can forget about my problems and make more friends,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086817\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086817\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Soccer Without Borders alumni team celebrates after their championship title win in late May. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086826\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-2000x912.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-1536x700.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-2048x934.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coach Benji arrived in Oakland at age 10 to reunite with his father. Benji says that being the only Mam speaker at his school in Oakland felt like landing on a different planet. Communicating felt nearly impossible. “I can still remember those days… I cried a couple of times going to school,” he said. He found his first community through soccer when friends from Burma and Vietnam invited him to join Soccer Without Borders. For him, working as a coach supporting for other kids experiencing what he went through fills him with pride. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-2000x1332.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sweet, a player on the Soccer Without Borders alumni team, wraps her shoulders with a commemorative T-shirt signed by her teammates to celebrate her high school graduation. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sharon’s entry into the sport was less immediate. She’d been in the U.S. for three years before Mildred finally convinced her to join the team. But now she’s hooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like a family. I feel really good when I play; I feel confident,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She struggled with being away from El Salvador when her grandfather passed away, but she said playing soccer helped her deal with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would come to practice, and it would make me feel good. I know he would feel good watching me play,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086827\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-2000x1461.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-1536x1122.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-2048x1496.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Best friends Loani, Sharon and Mildred, Soccer Without Borders players from the Purple Team, pose for a portrait with their third-place medals after a grueling season. Right: Loani holds a soccer ball to show off her game-day nails. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086821\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-2000x1600.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I’ve grown in here,” said Reyna (left), about being part of the Purple Team at Soccer Without Borders. For Reyna, who graduated from high school at the end of May with a ceremony at the Paramount Theatre, being in the U.S. allowed her to take soccer more seriously, a game she had played since childhood in her native El Salvador. After graduation, Soccer Without Borders players can continue playing, either by joining the Alumni Team or staying one more year with their original team. For Reyna, the choice to keep playing was simple: “They are my family, I am part of them.” This fall, she said, she has three things in her mind: Taking classes at Lainey College, finding a job and playing soccer.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Together, the teammates ended the game with a hard-fought victory and a well-deserved third-place title. Catt said the biggest win comes from giving the players a place to grow and develop through the sport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they are coming from somewhere that doesn’t speak the same language, it’s hard to feel a part of something,” she said. “And I think it’s a pretty common theme with soccer — people say it’s the same in every language.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This project was produced jointly by KQED and the CatchLight \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>Mental Health Visual Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> initiative. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ximena Natera contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "As the World Cup kicks off in the Bay Area, nonprofit Soccer Without Borders combines mental health and mentorship with the beautiful game to create community. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781300029,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 35,
"wordCount": 1777
},
"headData": {
"title": "An Oakland Soccer Program Helps Immigrant Youth Find Belonging | KQED",
"description": "As the World Cup kicks off in the Bay Area, nonprofit Soccer Without Borders combines mental health and mentorship with the beautiful game to create community. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "An Oakland Soccer Program Helps Immigrant Youth Find Belonging",
"datePublished": "2026-06-12T09:00:14-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-12T14:33:49-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"name": "Sports"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Alonso Daboub",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12086356",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12086356/an-oakland-soccer-program-helps-immigrant-youth-find-belonging",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At the soccer fields of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64582/how-can-the-community-school-model-support-newcomer-education\">Oakland International High School\u003c/a> in late May, players excitedly spilled onto the pitch for the last game of the season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes, I get super nervous before a game,” said Sharon, a 15-year-old player for a high school team in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Leave the negative aside, give the best of yourself,” the athlete, an immigrant from El Salvador, said to herself before each game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mildred, her teammate, said she admires Sharon’s improvement over the last year. At one point, she said, Sharon didn’t know how to kick a ball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But I would tell her to have confidence and to not stop,” said Mildred, 17, originally from Honduras.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086815\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-2000x1332.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_147-KQED-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coach Alexis Catt rallies her players during halftime of their league’s final game of the season. After missing the playoffs last season, the team fought for a podium finish this spring. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The girls have come a long way: last season, their team didn’t make the playoffs. This spring, as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">2026 FIFA World Cup\u003c/a> kicks off in the Bay Area, the girls set out to win third place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More importantly, the teams play for community — “their sense of belonging,” said Alexis Catt, who coaches the East Oakland high school team as part of a national nonprofit Soccer Without Borders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-2000x912.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-1536x700.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-1-KQED-2048x934.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: One Soccer Without Borders girls team earned a medal in the playoffs. Right: The Soccer Without Borders alumni team, composed of former Soccer Without Borders players, huddles after a match in April. Although they get to compete in Soccer Without Borders’s regular league, the alumni are responsible for training themselves. The team has become a tight-knit community for those who aged out of the high school program. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086816\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086816\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_152-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Soccer Without Borders player Tatiana battles a Hayward player during the last game of the season. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area location provides critical year-round support to newcomer refugee and immigrant youth across Alameda and San Francisco counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program combines zero-cost access to fields, gear and soccer training with dedicated mental health resources to support underserved youth in the Bay Area. Through a new program called \u003ca href=\"https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT07339228\">Meet Me on the Pitch\u003c/a> and a collaboration with UCSF, coaches aim to provide comprehensive mental health support for the students on and off the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-2000x912.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-1536x700.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-2-KQED-2048x934.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soccer Without Borders coaches Alexis Catt and Ney Lovato photographed at the Soccer Without Borders office. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very holistic approach,” said Natalie Ramos, a program coordinator. On top of coaching, Ramos and other staff act as case managers and provide academic mentorship to their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they need support in their classes, I can do that. If they’re having trouble communicating with one of their teachers, I can help them with that,” Ramos said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ye-Htet Soe, co-director of Soccer Without Borders in the Bay Area, knows firsthand the difference soccer can make in a kid’s life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he remembers his first time playing soccer in a refugee camp between Thailand and Burma. Instead of grass and cleats, the kids played shoeless in the dirt, with a ball wrapped in duct tape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were just so happy,” he said. There were no lines to organize the field, but “it was organized in our heart.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086823\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-2000x1600.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_019-KQED-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ingrid, a Soccer Without Borders player, poses for a portrait with her boyfriend at Robert’s Regional Park during an end-of-season team picnic. Alongside the stressors of navigating a new country and language, the students experience the universal highs and lows of the teenage experience: romance, friendship, and the uncertainty of the future. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086812\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086812\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-2000x1332.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_014-KQED-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Loani (left) and Abyade, Soccer Without Borders players from the Purple Team, hang out with teammates and friends after a Saturday game at Oakland High. To increase accessibility, the program concentrates most games in a single day to alleviate the burden of traveling across the Bay on families who often have limited time and resources. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Years later, Soe said he hopes the program can provide the Bay Area’s youth with the same opportunity to find joy on and off the pitch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Soccer Without Borders is all about being part of something larger than you,” Soe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using funding from the National Institute of Health, the \u003ca href=\"https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT07339228\">Meet Me on the Pitch\u003c/a> study will enroll youth aged 14-21 over the next two years to formally explore how soccer can be used as a holistic way to support mental well-being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086819\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_200-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Meet Me at the Pitch program, whose approach was informed by a youth advisory team, seeks to bring mental health support out of the clinical setting and onto the field where the kids have learned to build their own communities. The Youth Advisory Team helped pick activities, define relevant topics, and find the right language for discussing mental health. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086814\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1666\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260528_116-KQED-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soccer Without Borders Coach Natalie Ramos and Malak, a Youth Advisory Team member and a participant in the “Meet me at the Pitch” pilot program, ride past a cloud on a carousel at Six Flags during a program field trip. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The goal is to see whether programs like Soccer Without Borders can markedly improve mental health, academic support-seeking and social belonging among youth who participate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is already based on the DNA of what Soccer Without Borders has been doing for decades, really using soccer as a way to build community, as a way to build confidence,” said Mara Decker, an associate professor at the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF, who is leading the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decker said the intervention gives kids the opportunity to reflect on their goals and take advantage of guidance and mentorship to get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like we so rarely in our lives have the time to just pause and think about what we want to do and what are the steps we need to take to get there,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086820\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-2000x1600.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_001-KQED-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soccer Without Borders Coach Natalie Ramos (center) and Youth Advisory Team members Amar (left) and Malak pose for a portrait outside Oakland International High.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Catt said she’s gotten to see her players grow both as individuals and as a team since last season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We create it as a developmental process. You don’t have to be good, you don’t get left behind,” Catt continued. “We have kids who have never played before with kids who are on their youth national team in their own country, playing on the same team and both excelling together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Mildred, the program provided a place to land when she moved to the U.S. last year to reunite with her family. On her first day of classes at a high school in East Oakland, she asked around about soccer teams. By her second, she was already playing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It makes me feel free because I feel like [on the field] I can forget about my problems and make more friends,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086817\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086817\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260530_195-KQED-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Soccer Without Borders alumni team celebrates after their championship title win in late May. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086826\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-2000x912.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-160x73.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-1536x700.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-3-KQED-2048x934.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coach Benji arrived in Oakland at age 10 to reunite with his father. Benji says that being the only Mam speaker at his school in Oakland felt like landing on a different planet. Communicating felt nearly impossible. “I can still remember those days… I cried a couple of times going to school,” he said. He found his first community through soccer when friends from Burma and Vietnam invited him to join Soccer Without Borders. For him, working as a coach supporting for other kids experiencing what he went through fills him with pride. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-2000x1332.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_260509_034-KQED-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sweet, a player on the Soccer Without Borders alumni team, wraps her shoulders with a commemorative T-shirt signed by her teammates to celebrate her high school graduation. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sharon’s entry into the sport was less immediate. She’d been in the U.S. for three years before Mildred finally convinced her to join the team. But now she’s hooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like a family. I feel really good when I play; I feel confident,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She struggled with being away from El Salvador when her grandfather passed away, but she said playing soccer helped her deal with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would come to practice, and it would make me feel good. I know he would feel good watching me play,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086827\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-2000x1461.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-1536x1122.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_NEWAMERICANS-DYPTIC-4-KQED-2048x1496.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Best friends Loani, Sharon and Mildred, Soccer Without Borders players from the Purple Team, pose for a portrait with their third-place medals after a grueling season. Right: Loani holds a soccer ball to show off her game-day nails. \u003ccite>(Ximena Natera for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086821\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-2000x1600.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NATERA_CLMENTALHEALTH_POLAROID_260603_006-KQED-2048x1638.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I’ve grown in here,” said Reyna (left), about being part of the Purple Team at Soccer Without Borders. For Reyna, who graduated from high school at the end of May with a ceremony at the Paramount Theatre, being in the U.S. allowed her to take soccer more seriously, a game she had played since childhood in her native El Salvador. After graduation, Soccer Without Borders players can continue playing, either by joining the Alumni Team or staying one more year with their original team. For Reyna, the choice to keep playing was simple: “They are my family, I am part of them.” This fall, she said, she has three things in her mind: Taking classes at Lainey College, finding a job and playing soccer.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Together, the teammates ended the game with a hard-fought victory and a well-deserved third-place title. Catt said the biggest win comes from giving the players a place to grow and develop through the sport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they are coming from somewhere that doesn’t speak the same language, it’s hard to feel a part of something,” she said. “And I think it’s a pretty common theme with soccer — people say it’s the same in every language.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This project was produced jointly by KQED and the CatchLight \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>Mental Health Visual Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> initiative. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ximena Natera contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12086356/an-oakland-soccer-program-helps-immigrant-youth-find-belonging",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12086356"
],
"categories": [
"news_1169",
"news_28250",
"news_8",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_20013",
"news_27626",
"news_5379",
"news_2672",
"news_34078",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087240",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12086949": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12086949",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12086949",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781219591000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup",
"title": "Levi’s Stadium Is No More: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Hosts World Cup",
"publishDate": 1781219591,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Levi’s Stadium Is No More: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Hosts World Cup | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/levis-stadium\">Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> is no more. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Well, at least for the several weeks of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, anyway. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>The 49ers’ stadium, which has since its opening in 2014 been named for the iconic San Francisco-based denim and clothing company, has been unbranded due to the international soccer organization’s requirements for the tournament.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>It’s one of many changes that have been in the works in the months and weeks leading up to the World Cup, some visible to the public and some out of sight.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Read on to learn more about how things look and feel different at the Santa Clara stadium. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>Branding \u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, widely known as FIFA, requires all of the World Cup venues — a total of 16 this year across the U.S., Mexico and Canada — to strip corporate branding from the exterior and interiors as much as possible. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>That means Levi’s Stadium is now officially known as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, and anyone in or near the venue can see that the recognizable red batwing-style Levi’s logos have been covered tightly in white tarps. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Jeroen van den Berk, part of FIFA’s communications team, said the organization needs a “clean stadium” to protect the commercial rights of FIFA sponsors and partners. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087138\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Greiner chalks the field at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara on June 10, 2026, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where six tournament matches will be played. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\r\n\u003cp>“So we have basically taken over the stadium,” van den Berk said in an interview there this week. “It’s very common in European soccer and in soccer all over the world.” \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Other corporate signage must also be removed or covered, so a giant Bud Light sign that normally shines brightly next to one of the big screens is also obscured by shrink wrap.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>All over the stadium, and even in its underbelly of tunnels, lounges and rooms, much of the San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s signage has been obscured or removed. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>In its place are banners, wallpaper, photos and new signs all from FIFA’s design book, helping fans, players and staff remember where they are. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Not everything can be removed, however. Some reminders remain, such as the embossed 49ers logos on the red padded high-end seats near what would be the 50-yard line. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>The playing field\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>The field at Levi’s is normally a completely natural Bermuda grass, set up primarily for American NFL football, with dimensions of about 120 yards in length and about 53 yards across. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>The entire playing surface was swapped out in March, FIFA officials said, so the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium could meet the tournament specifications. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-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>\r\n\u003cp>FIFA requires its World Cup pitches to be 105 meters long by 68 meters wide, which converts roughly to nearly 115 yards in length and a bit more than 74 yards across.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Officials said portions of the stadium’s fixtures near the playing surface had to be removed or changed to accommodate the extra width of the pitch. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>It’s not the first time Levi’s has hosted soccer, as the San Jose Earthquakes played a match against the Seattle Sounders FC in 2014, serving as the stadium’s inaugural event. The stadium has also hosted the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in 2017.[aside postID=arts_13990640 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/20260528-WORLDCUPBARS-JY-02-KQED.jpg']As for the surface, it looked pristine during a media tour of the stadium this week, like a closely cropped green at a golf course, with FIFA grounds officials working in conjunction with the Levi’s home field crew to make all the needed changes. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Matt Greiner, the 49ers’ head of groundskeeping, was carefully using a wheel-to-wheel line painter to lay down a touchline along the edge of the pitch on Wednesday. The surface, according to van den Berk, is “stitched.”\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>It is largely natural grass, but it includes synthetic fibers stitched beneath the surface to “enhance consistency and durability,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/news/last-stitch-world-cup-2026-houston-stadium-ferguson-hodge\">FIFA\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>“It’s the top standard FIFA pitch. It’s a fantastic pitch,” van den Berk said. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>Dressing rooms \u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>While Levi’s Stadium has two large locker rooms for the 49ers and their opponents during the NFL season, players from around the world will use a different space. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>An auxiliary locker room in the belly of the stadium that had yet to be used was split in two, with crews installing a wall, to create two dressing rooms for soccer teams competing during the World Cup.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Van den Berk said he and his colleagues have verified the wall is “soundproof” so teams are not listening in on their opponents’ schemes. \u003c/p>\r\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>\r\n\u003cp>The visiting NFL locker room has been taken over by FIFA as well, as an area where 12 mini studios are set up with lighting and backdrops, where broadcasters who bought the rights to carry FIFA matches on the airwaves will get to do interviews with players and coaches. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>The food \u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>Some of the concessions at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium will be slightly different than what attendees of 49ers games typically see, and themed to honor soccer and the international and Bay Area food scene — or at the very least to play up the approved corporate food sponsors of the tournament. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Chef Jon Severson, of Levy Restaurants, which runs the food and beverage programs at the stadium, said his team is offering a taquito topped with Lay’s Limon chips, jerk chicken nachos and peri peri chicken nachos. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>His team came up with the “Bay-rito,” essentially a footlong hot dog wrapped in a tortilla with standard burrito accouterments like rice, beans, cheese and avocado crema.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087244\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Jon Severson shows off a display of concession offerings created for the World Cup matches at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on June 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\r\n\u003cp>For fans in premium seats, Severson said there is a cheeseburger with a latticed “soccer ball pretzel bun,” complete with soccer ball-adorned sandwich pick. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>For dessert, fans can try a Cherry Coca-Cola float with fortune cookie crumbles, linked to the legacy of Chinatown fortune cookie production in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Wondering what these delicacies will cost you? Prices remained conspicuously absent from the updated concessions offerings, and FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>Other changes for FIFA\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>The stadium’s security gates apparently weren’t good enough, as high, metal fencing has been installed around the edges of the stadium. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>While standard European league soccer games are typically broadcast with about 15 to 20 cameras, each FIFA match will have 45 cameras trained on the action, officials said, and elimination matches will have 50 cameras. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>A platform for various artists and in-stadium entertainment during matches and pregame celebrations was being completed this week along the concourse.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003c!-- /wp:shortcode -->\r\n\r\n\u003c!-- wp:paragraph /-->\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": " Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is now San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the FIFA World Cup.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781222775,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 36,
"wordCount": 1317
},
"headData": {
"title": "Levi’s Stadium Is No More: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Hosts World Cup | KQED",
"description": " Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is now San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the FIFA World Cup.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Levi’s Stadium Is No More: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Hosts World Cup",
"datePublished": "2026-06-11T16:13:11-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-11T17:06:15-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"name": "Sports"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12086949",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/levis-stadium\">Levi’s Stadium\u003c/a> is no more. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Well, at least for the several weeks of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, anyway. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>The 49ers’ stadium, which has since its opening in 2014 been named for the iconic San Francisco-based denim and clothing company, has been unbranded due to the international soccer organization’s requirements for the tournament.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>It’s one of many changes that have been in the works in the months and weeks leading up to the World Cup, some visible to the public and some out of sight.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Read on to learn more about how things look and feel different at the Santa Clara stadium. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>Branding \u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, widely known as FIFA, requires all of the World Cup venues — a total of 16 this year across the U.S., Mexico and Canada — to strip corporate branding from the exterior and interiors as much as possible. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>That means Levi’s Stadium is now officially known as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, and anyone in or near the venue can see that the recognizable red batwing-style Levi’s logos have been covered tightly in white tarps. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Jeroen van den Berk, part of FIFA’s communications team, said the organization needs a “clean stadium” to protect the commercial rights of FIFA sponsors and partners. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087138\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-18-BL_KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Greiner chalks the field at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara on June 10, 2026, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where six tournament matches will be played. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\r\n\u003cp>“So we have basically taken over the stadium,” van den Berk said in an interview there this week. “It’s very common in European soccer and in soccer all over the world.” \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Other corporate signage must also be removed or covered, so a giant Bud Light sign that normally shines brightly next to one of the big screens is also obscured by shrink wrap.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>All over the stadium, and even in its underbelly of tunnels, lounges and rooms, much of the San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s signage has been obscured or removed. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>In its place are banners, wallpaper, photos and new signs all from FIFA’s design book, helping fans, players and staff remember where they are. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Not everything can be removed, however. Some reminders remain, such as the embossed 49ers logos on the red padded high-end seats near what would be the 50-yard line. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>The playing field\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>The field at Levi’s is normally a completely natural Bermuda grass, set up primarily for American NFL football, with dimensions of about 120 yards in length and about 53 yards across. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>The entire playing surface was swapped out in March, FIFA officials said, so the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium could meet the tournament specifications. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-BL_KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-BL_KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-BL_KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260610-BayAreaStadiumTour-26-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>\r\n\u003cp>FIFA requires its World Cup pitches to be 105 meters long by 68 meters wide, which converts roughly to nearly 115 yards in length and a bit more than 74 yards across.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Officials said portions of the stadium’s fixtures near the playing surface had to be removed or changed to accommodate the extra width of the pitch. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>It’s not the first time Levi’s has hosted soccer, as the San Jose Earthquakes played a match against the Seattle Sounders FC in 2014, serving as the stadium’s inaugural event. The stadium has also hosted the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in 2017.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13990640",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/20260528-WORLDCUPBARS-JY-02-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>As for the surface, it looked pristine during a media tour of the stadium this week, like a closely cropped green at a golf course, with FIFA grounds officials working in conjunction with the Levi’s home field crew to make all the needed changes. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Matt Greiner, the 49ers’ head of groundskeeping, was carefully using a wheel-to-wheel line painter to lay down a touchline along the edge of the pitch on Wednesday. The surface, according to van den Berk, is “stitched.”\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>It is largely natural grass, but it includes synthetic fibers stitched beneath the surface to “enhance consistency and durability,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/news/last-stitch-world-cup-2026-houston-stadium-ferguson-hodge\">FIFA\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>“It’s the top standard FIFA pitch. It’s a fantastic pitch,” van den Berk said. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>Dressing rooms \u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>While Levi’s Stadium has two large locker rooms for the 49ers and their opponents during the NFL season, players from around the world will use a different space. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>An auxiliary locker room in the belly of the stadium that had yet to be used was split in two, with crews installing a wall, to create two dressing rooms for soccer teams competing during the World Cup.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Van den Berk said he and his colleagues have verified the wall is “soundproof” so teams are not listening in on their opponents’ schemes. \u003c/p>\r\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>\r\n\u003cp>The visiting NFL locker room has been taken over by FIFA as well, as an area where 12 mini studios are set up with lighting and backdrops, where broadcasters who bought the rights to carry FIFA matches on the airwaves will get to do interviews with players and coaches. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>The food \u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>Some of the concessions at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium will be slightly different than what attendees of 49ers games typically see, and themed to honor soccer and the international and Bay Area food scene — or at the very least to play up the approved corporate food sponsors of the tournament. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Chef Jon Severson, of Levy Restaurants, which runs the food and beverage programs at the stadium, said his team is offering a taquito topped with Lay’s Limon chips, jerk chicken nachos and peri peri chicken nachos. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>His team came up with the “Bay-rito,” essentially a footlong hot dog wrapped in a tortilla with standard burrito accouterments like rice, beans, cheese and avocado crema.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087244\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/PXL_20260610_195236727-Edit-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Jon Severson shows off a display of concession offerings created for the World Cup matches at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on June 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\r\n\u003cp>For fans in premium seats, Severson said there is a cheeseburger with a latticed “soccer ball pretzel bun,” complete with soccer ball-adorned sandwich pick. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>For dessert, fans can try a Cherry Coca-Cola float with fortune cookie crumbles, linked to the legacy of Chinatown fortune cookie production in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>Wondering what these delicacies will cost you? Prices remained conspicuously absent from the updated concessions offerings, and FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003ch2>Other changes for FIFA\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cp>The stadium’s security gates apparently weren’t good enough, as high, metal fencing has been installed around the edges of the stadium. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>While standard European league soccer games are typically broadcast with about 15 to 20 cameras, each FIFA match will have 45 cameras trained on the action, officials said, and elimination matches will have 50 cameras. \u003c/p>\r\n\u003cp>A platform for various artists and in-stadium entertainment during matches and pregame celebrations was being completed this week along the concourse.\u003c/p>\r\n\u003c!-- /wp:shortcode -->\r\n\r\n\u003c!-- wp:paragraph /-->\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup",
"authors": [
"11906"
],
"categories": [
"news_28250",
"news_8",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_27626",
"news_5379",
"news_1489",
"news_21285",
"news_34078",
"news_6464"
],
"featImg": "news_12087137",
"label": "news"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"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>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"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?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"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",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"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.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?tag=world-cup": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"size": 9
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 9,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 32,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_12087770",
"news_12087827",
"news_12087615",
"news_12087547",
"news_12087516",
"news_12087311",
"news_12087163",
"news_12086356",
"news_12086949"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_tag_world-cup": {
"isLoading": true
},
"news_6464": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6464",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6464",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "World Cup",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "World Cup Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6488,
"slug": "world-cup",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/world-cup"
},
"source_news_12087827": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12087827",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Bay",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_12087547": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12087547",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The California Report",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrarchive/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_12087163": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12087163",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "K Onda KQED",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/k-onda",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_1386": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1386",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1386",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Area",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Area Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1398,
"slug": "bay-area",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bay-area"
},
"news_27626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27643,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-news"
},
"news_9": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_9",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "9",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "KQED",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "KQED Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 150,
"slug": "kqed",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/kqed"
},
"news_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 58,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco"
},
"news_1489": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1489",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1489",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "soccer",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "soccer Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1501,
"slug": "soccer",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/soccer"
},
"news_33738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33755,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/california"
},
"news_33520": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33520",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33520",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33537,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/podcast"
},
"news_10": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_10",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "10",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sports Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/sports"
},
"news_32793": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32793",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32793",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Area soccer",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Area soccer Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32810,
"slug": "bay-area-soccer",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bay-area-soccer"
},
"news_33812": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33812",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33812",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Interests",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Interests Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33829,
"slug": "interests",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/interests"
},
"news_23121": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_23121",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "23121",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Mexican Americans",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Mexican Americans Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 23138,
"slug": "mexican-americans",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/mexican-americans"
},
"news_18541": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18541",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18541",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Jose",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Jose Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 91,
"slug": "san-jose",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-jose"
},
"news_34078": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34078",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34078",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sports Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34095,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sports"
},
"news_22598": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22598",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22598",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": "\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11638190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/02/TheBay_1200x6301.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\u003cbr/>\r\n\r\nEvery good story starts local. So that’s where we start. \u003ci>The Bay\u003c/i> is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/Listen_on_Apple_Podcasts_sRGB_US-e1515635079510.png\" />\u003c/a>",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Every good story starts local. So that’s where we start. The Bay is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea. Subscribe to The Bay:",
"title": "The Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22615,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/the-bay"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_36837": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36837",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36837",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "FIFA",
"slug": "fifa",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "FIFA | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36854,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/fifa"
},
"news_339": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_339",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "339",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Iran",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Iran Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 347,
"slug": "iran",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/iran"
},
"news_33733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33750,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/news"
},
"news_72": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_72",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "72",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/TCR-2-Logo-Web-Banners-03.png",
"name": "The California Report",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "The California Report Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6969,
"slug": "the-california-report",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-california-report"
},
"news_34018": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34018",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34018",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tcr",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tcr Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34035,
"slug": "tcr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/tcr"
},
"news_1759": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1759",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1759",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "budget",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "budget Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1772,
"slug": "budget",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/budget"
},
"news_22178": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22178",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22178",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California State Budget",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California State Budget Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22195,
"slug": "california-state-budget",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-state-budget"
},
"news_36267": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36267",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36267",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "immigrant truck drivers",
"slug": "immigrant-truck-drivers",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "immigrant truck drivers | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36284,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigrant-truck-drivers"
},
"news_17286": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17286",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17286",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tcr",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tcr Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17318,
"slug": "tcr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/tcr"
},
"news_21268": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21268",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21268",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tcrarchive",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tcrarchive Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21285,
"slug": "tcrarchive",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/tcrarchive"
},
"news_28250": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28250",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28250",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28267,
"slug": "local",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/local"
},
"news_17996": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17996",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17996",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18030,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/news"
},
"news_4": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "los angeles",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "los angeles Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4,
"slug": "los-angeles",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/los-angeles"
},
"news_36802": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36802",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36802",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "SoFi Stadium",
"slug": "sofi-stadium",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "SoFi Stadium | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36819,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sofi-stadium"
},
"news_33749": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33749",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33749",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Entertainment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Entertainment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33766,
"slug": "entertainment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/entertainment"
},
"news_1169": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1169",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1169",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1180,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/immigration"
},
"news_18142": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18142",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18142",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Latinos",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Latinos Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18176,
"slug": "latinos",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/latinos"
},
"news_25409": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_25409",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "25409",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Latinx",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Latinx Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 25426,
"slug": "latinx",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/latinx"
},
"news_2403": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2403",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2403",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Mexico",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Mexico Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2418,
"slug": "mexico",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/mexico"
},
"news_33740": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33740",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33740",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Events",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Events Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33757,
"slug": "events",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/events"
},
"news_20013": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20013",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20013",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20030,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/education"
},
"news_5379": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_5379",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "5379",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Levi's Stadium",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Levi's Stadium Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5402,
"slug": "levis-stadium",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/levis-stadium"
},
"news_2672": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2672",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2672",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Photography",
"description": "Witness the Bay Area through captivating images and compelling narratives. Explore the latest visually-driven storytelling by KQED and immerse yourself in the heart of our community.",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Witness the Bay Area through captivating images and compelling narratives. Explore the latest visually-driven storytelling by KQED and immerse yourself in the heart of our community.",
"title": "Photography Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2689,
"slug": "photography",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/photography"
},
"news_33746": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33746",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33746",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33763,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/education"
},
"news_33748": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33748",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33748",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33765,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/immigration"
},
"news_21285": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21285",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21285",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21302,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/south-bay"
},
"news_33731": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33731",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33731",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33748,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/south-bay"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
