World Cup volunteers won't get paid for their time this summer, but FIFA is setting them up with some enviable swag to help sweeten the deal.

Why it matters: The volunteers will be the first impression of North Texas for many World Cup travelers, from welcoming them at the airport to helping them navigate the venue and fan festival and finding things to do around town.

State of play: Around 33,000 people applied to volunteer at North Texas' World Cup events. From that pool, 15,000 were invited to a tryout and 5,000 were selected.

• Volunteers have to be at least 18 years old, pass a tryout and background check, and complete mandatory training, with preference given to people who can speak more than one language.
• The final group for North Texas includes soccer coaches, 1994 World Cup spectators, and people who regularly volunteer with other organizations.

Fit check: The Adidas-designed volunteer uniform package includes three T-shirts, pants, shorts, a mid-layer jacket, a cap, a crossbody bag, sneakers and three pairs of socks.

• Volunteers will also get patches themed after their host city and meals during each shift.
• They can mix and match the items based on their preferences.

Zoom in: Eunice Doehring was new to soccer when she volunteered at the 1994 World Cup in Dallas. This year, she will be an ambassador at the airport.

• "Seeing the fans in the stands cheering, the colors, the energy, the excitement was so much fun" in 1994, Doehring says.

Zoom out: Many people have criticized FIFA for not paying people to work at its World Cup events, despite the tournament's high ticket costs and broadcast deals.

• The association says volunteering at a World Cup is a "once-in-a-generation experience" with networking opportunities and a behind-the-scenes view of the tournament.

The Dallas Stars are once again out of the running for a Stanley Cup.

• The Minnesota Wild knocked the team out of its first-round playoff series with a 5-2 win last night, advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.

Why it matters: This is the earliest the Stars have bowed out of the playoffs since 2022.

State of play: The Stars last won the Stanley Cup in 1999. In each of the last three seasons, they lost in the Western Conference Finals.

• The team entered this year's playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Central Division after winning five straight games to end their regular season.
• Playing against the Wild, the Stars had to lean heavily on younger players, while Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin were sidelined because of prolonged injuries.

What they're saying: "It's frustrating, for sure. I think we have a great team and we have been close. We're not going to win every year," Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said in an interview after the game.

• "We have to learn from this and get better."

🚉 TxDOT plans to discontinue a daily train route between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City because of a lack of funding. (WFAA)

🍽️ A "Top Chef" contestant's first Texas restaurant opens today in the Design District, in Meddlesome Moth's former location. (DMN)

❌ Camp Mystic won't reopen this summer. The Central Texas camp withdrew its license renewal application following the 2025 flood that killed 27 girls. (Axios)

The state of Texas executed a North Texas man who was on death row for a 2008 robbery that killed two people in Garland. James Broadnax had claimed that he was not the shooter. (AP)

If you're swaying to the melody,

Seeking mental clarity,

Look up and you'll see,

That maybe solidarity

Is the world's remedy.

📬 Do you know where in North Texas this art resides? Reply with the answer, and the first reader to guess correctly will get a shoutout in a future newsletter.