The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway this afternoon — starting what should be your new summer obsession, Axios' Ryan Deto writes.

• The U.S., Canada and Mexico are hosting this year's tournament. It's the largest World Cup ever, with nearly 50 nations competing.
• 11 U.S. cities are hosting matches, including the New York metro, Miami and Seattle. (Chicago notably didn't bid, citing the fiscal unknowns.)

🌎 The World Cup, held every four years, is the pinnacle of competition for global soccer.

• The 2022 tournament drew in over 5 billion viewers worldwide.
• It's been 32 years since the world's biggest sporting event was played on American soil.

🇺🇸 The U.S., led by forward Christian "Captain America" Pulisic, isn't considered a top contender this year.

• But home turf offers their best chance at victory in decades — and who doesn't love an underdog?

🏆 Meanwhile, soccer legends like Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo are playing in their final World Cup.

• French superstar Kylian Mbappé (12 World Cup goals overall) is chasing the all-time World Cup scoring record (16, held by Germany's Miroslav Klose).

📺 What we're watching: Today's Mexico-South Africa match (3 p.m. ET, Mexico City) kicks off the tournament.

• The U.S. starts tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET against Paraguay in L.A.

Go deeper ... How to watch ... Full schedule.

SpaceX's projected $1.77 trillion market cap would equal nearly the combined value of the 29 biggest U.S. IPOs since 2000, Axios' Madison Mills and Erin Davis report.

• That's based on those companies' market caps at closing time on the day they went public, adjusted for inflation.

💵 The Elon Musk-led company is set to list tomorrow on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol SPCX, with shares expected to be priced at $135.

• Go deeper ... IPO countdown.

1. 🛰️ A new space weather satellite can more quickly detect hazardous plasma blasts from the Sun — and predict awe-inspiring auroral displays on Earth. Go deeper.
2. 🔎 President Trump is nominating Jay Clayton, currently U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be his next Director of National Intelligence, he posted on Truth Social. Go deeper.
3. 🏛️ The House rejected a short-term extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — meaning the government's foreign surveillance authority could expire tomorrow. Go deeper.
4. 🪱 The CDC is taking emergency measures to fight New World screwworm after the dangerous parasite was found in U.S. cattle after once being eradicated, Bloomberg reports. Gift link.

Swimmers are taking to urban rivers across the U.S. as cleanup projects bear fruit, Outside reports.

🩳 Patrick Scott writes for the outdoors lifestyle magazine: "It's a movement decades in the making, as anti-pollution laws and billions spent in overhauling sewer systems and cleaning contaminated riverbeds made waterways safe again for swimming."

• "It's been buoyed more recently by the rising popularity of open-water swimming, inspired by everything from the Olympic debut of a 10K swim in 2008 to the current wellness trend of cold-water immersion."

🚫 Yes, but: Many urban rivers still aren't safe for swimmers — and environmental regulation pullbacks stand to jeopardize cleanup progress.