Eagles playing first Brazil Game || LED Courts? Are you kidding me? || 2026 Soccer World Cup Locations Revealed || Las Vegas doesn't want Oakland??? || BASKETBALL TRADE DEADLINE Headlines.
Edition #52
Intro
It’s only February 2024, and most of us are already discussing the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Yes. The locations have been released, and guess who gets the finals? Plus, the NBA All-Star game is going to be amazing. Well, not just because of the teams and the next generation, but the NBA will introduce something ENTIRELY new. Another thing is, the Eagles, who ended the season losing 6 of 7, will start the season in Brazil?! More info. All of these stories are only on Sports Square.
(ALSO… THE NBA TRADE DEADLINE IS FEB 8TH AT 3 P.M. EST. I WILL NOT POST SEPARATE POSTS, BUT YOU CAN KEEP YOURSELF UPDATED ON THE CHAT.)
2026 Soccer World Cup Locations Revealed
One-hundred-four matches, 48 teams, three host countries, and one FIFA World Cup champion.
The FIFA World Cup.
It’s all a new format that has a first for so many things. First time 3 countries are hosting the World Cup together. First time 48 countries are playing.
The first match will be in Mexico City and this will be on June 11. The final match will be on July 19, 2026.
Where?
This will surprise you.
Not San Francisco… Not Los Angeles… Not Philadelphia…
New Jersey…
While you may think this is a no-brainer, it isn’t… They’re playing in New Jersey, not New York. Well, only Buffalo is located in New York, even though they don’t have the name New York Bills.
But, MetLife Stadium is a bit high-tech… Not as high-tech as Sofi, but pretty high-tech…
Here are all the stadiums that are going to host a game in the world cup.
The U.S. has 11 hosts: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Bay Area and Seattle. Mexico has three hosts in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. Canada has two hosts in Toronto and Vancouver.
Cities are broken up into three regions: Eastern Region (Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto), Central Region (Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Mexico City, Monterrey) and Western Region (Los Angeles, San Francisco/Bay Area, Seattle, Vancouver).
NUGGET: San Francisco is not going to host a round of 16, quarterfinals, or semifinals game. For that big of a city, how did this happen???
NUGGET2: Because FIA isn’t paid by American sponsors, every stadium that is hosting a game in the World Cup will have to change its name. For example, Gillette Stadium will become Boston Stadium, even though it’s one hour away from Boston!
LED Courts? Are you kidding me?
Watch that video, and then come back here to read the rest of this section.
Alright, did you watch it?
THAT
IS
SO
SICK!
The real all-star game will not be played on this court, but the skills competition, the 3-point contest, the slam dunk competition, and the shooting matchup between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu will take place on the glass floor Feb. 17. It isn’t just this, though. The celebrity game will be played here too!
And what does the NBA comment?
"It gives us a little bit more range in what we can do as far as interactive graphics, reactionary graphics that happen on the floor, changing the floor design, changing the colors, really reacting to the play that happens on the court," said Carlton Myers, an NBA senior vice president overseeing live production and entertainment. "So, we feel really, really good about the capabilities of what this gives us, what this provides us. And we think it's going to be really impactful, both in the building and watching on television."
Yeah.
Now this is obviously more expensive than a wooden court (regular), but…
What is this made of?
Two layers of laminated safety glass and each 5 millimeters thick. The surface is opaque, and all the designs will be provided by the LED panels. It isn’t just this that is so amazing. Part of what'll be displayed are real-time game stats, replays, video content, and even player-tracking animations. On the court! That’s a HUGE advancement.
The NBA experimented with stuff like this during the In-Season tournament. The only thing is, that was just different styles of paint. Still wood courts. This?
It’s…
G
L
A
S
S.
The Eagles playing the first Brazil Game Ever
The Eagles are going to play…
In South America
This game will take place during Week 1 against an opponent that will be revealed before the full 2024 regular-season schedule is released in the spring. The game will be played on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, the first time the NFL has played a game on Friday night of Week 1 in over 50 years (Cardinals at Rams, Sept. 18, 1970).
And where exactly in Southern California?
Brazil… Sao Paulo to be exact.
QUOTES:
"This landmark first international game in South America demonstrates the ongoing expansion of our global footprint," Goodell said in a press release. "Playing on Friday night of Week 1 is a unique way to highlight our international growth and ambitions."
"The league's decision to play the game in the first week of the NFL 2024 season is a true testament to their confidence in our work as host city," said Ricardo Nunes, mayor of São Paulo. "Having this historic spectacle on the eve of Independence Day and driving a great economic impact and job creation for São Paulo, will spotlight our city as a globally relevant destination for the world's most exciting sport and entertainment events."
The Eagles join the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers as a team that will play in an International Game in 2024. The Bears, Vikings, and Jaguars are designated teams for games in London, while the Panthers are the designated team for Munich.
Jeffery Lurie:
"The Eagles organization is honored to have been selected to play in the first-ever National Football League game in South America," said Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles chairman and chief executive officer. "With the global growth of our sport being a top priority to our league, we embrace the opportunity to grow our fanbase around the world and bring Eagles football to the 38 million sports fans in Brazil. As one of the world's most culturally diverse nations, Brazil is an international melting pot, and we look forward to experiencing its warm, vibrant, and welcoming environment later this year."
Las Vegas Mayor doesn’t want Athletics???
BASKETBALL TRADE DEADLINE Headlines
Jalen Brunson injured???
LeBron James pressuring the Lakers to be aggressive before the deadline
LA Clippers = 1st place in the West
Kuzma still linked to the Dallas Mavericks
Miles Bridges to the Suns?
Knicks going to trade for a Guard. It is just bound to happen.
Timberwolves must target PG & Bench Player
Wiggins to Hoosier State?
DeMar DeRozan trade… Bound to happen???
Heat exploring Caleb Martin trade
EMBIID HAS MENISCUS INJURY
Conclusion
We are having a VERY SPECIAL edition on Friday. Multiple people are going to share their hot takes on the Super Bowl and you can too! Check the chat thread posted for Sports Square subscribers only!
SPORTS QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Somebody gives you an opportunity, say yes to it. So what if you fail? you won’t know if you fail or succeed unless you try.” —Ann Meyers
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Put this as a BOLD Super Bowl pick: The Chiefs are gonna beat the 49ers. Even though I'm a Niner fan, I'm concerned about our defense after the Divisional Round matchup and NFC Championship Game.