The USMNT has the second-youngest roster in Qatar. It also has, on paper at least, perhaps the most talented squad in its history.
By the numbers: According to Transfermarkt, which tracks the market value of soccer players globally, this year's USMNT squad has a total value of $288.4 million, more than double the value of the 2010 and 2014 rosters combined.
When the 2018 World Cup kicked off, three U.S. states (Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware) had legal sports betting markets. Four years later, that number has ballooned to 31 states, plus Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: With the World Cup coinciding with the NFL and college football for the first time, the next few weeks should generate huge betting volume across the country.
Iran's players remained stone-faced as the national anthem played ahead of their opening World Cup match against England on Monday.
Why it matters: The decision to remain silent during the anthem came a day after the team captain, Ehsan Hajsafi, spoke in solidarity with the protests in Iran, which began two months ago after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody after being arrested by morality police for "improper hijab."
All 64 World Cup matches will air in the U.S. on Fox and FS1, and most days will feature four kickoff times: 5 a.m. ET, 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The big picture: TV ratings are always a talking point during major sporting events, and Qatar 2022 being sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas makes it especially intriguing.
The 2022 World Cup has been marred by controversy from the very start, and the stench of FIFA's corruption and Qatar's human rights abuses still lingers as the event gets underway.
How we got here: 100 years ago, Qatar was a sparsely populated British protectorate. Then, after discovering oil (1939) and one of Earth's largest natural gas reserves (1960), it transformed into an incredibly wealthy nation.
Seven European World Cup teams have abandoned plans to wear rainbow "one love" armbands in a show of inclusion and anti-discrimination after FIFA threatened that players who did so would face sporting sanctions, the soccer associations said in a joint statement Monday.
Driving the news: The captains of England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales had previously voiced their intent to wear the anti-discrimination armbands during their matches at the World Cup in Qatar.
Kyrie Irving returned to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday after being suspended by the team on Nov. 3 for posting a link on social media to a film that contained antisemitic material, according to AP.
What they're saying: Irving apologized for the post in an interview, saying, “I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race."
The World Cup kicked off in Qatar on Sunday with an elaborate opening ceremony ahead of the inaugural match between Qatar and Ecuador.
Driving the news: This is the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East, but host country Qatar has been repeatedly criticized for its human rights record and the environmental costs of holding the tournament in the region.
