“We don’t have to explain where Cape Verde is anymore.” No truer words have been spoken. What an extraordinary, one for eternity, performance by the Cape Verdeans. They pushed the world champions to the absolute limit. What a World Cup!

“We should remember that the distance between the first Polish partition in 1772 and the Declaration of Independence was barely four years,” @davidrarmitage.bsky.social writes. “An event that causes shock at first can become a feature of the political landscape.”

In today’s Starting Point, Massachusetts health care operators are expressing alarm over the Supreme Court ruling siding with the Trump administration’s effort to end immigration protections for Syrians and Haitians.

All of the critiques of this tournament have proven valid and warranted, even as the action on the pitch has delighted

More than 10,000 Haitians in the Massachusetts workforce, many filling crucial jobs in long-term care, construction, and transportation, will lose their Temporary Protected Status.

Mayors such as New York’s Zohran Mamdani show leftwing ideology can go hand-in-hand with effective governance

From @theathleticfc.bsky.social: Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has criticised FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino for their handling of his country’s World Cup campaign. “It’s a disaster World Cup; a disaster,” he told reporters on Friday.

If past World Cup tournaments are any indication, fans of the talent-rich French team — which has reached four of the last seven World Cup finals, and won two — know to make a massive racket once they win. big.https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/26/metro/french-world-cup-boston/

New from @globespotlight.bsky.social : MassHousing’s $1.4M investment didn’t pan out. Developers with undisclosed ties to the official who gave them grants delivered shoddy renovations. One tenant called the work “some half-ass shit.” ✍️ w/Gordon Russell www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/25/m...

June 25-26, marks the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Greasy Grass – an important day spotlighting Indigenous resistance on Turtle Island. On this day, we honor our ancestors and their allies who gathered in unity against the United States Army. ℹ️ Read our blog: ndnco.cc/150victory

Trump is running out of European friends—even on the nationalist right.

The mini-pitches are meant to serve as pocket sanctuaries — places that will unite communities and give kids of all backgrounds and incomes a healthy outlet. They’re also meant to ensure this summer’s World Cup leaves a permanent footprint in the region. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/20/s...

The report said that Israel’s targeting of neonatal and maternity care centres during its war on Gaza directly endangered Palestinians’ reproductive future and the survival of newborns – driving a rise in miscarriages, birth defects and lasting vulnerabilities. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/...

It’s been fantastic that Scotland’s Tartan Army transformed Boston and Providence into a joyous spectacle of what the World Cup means. What’s also true is a lot of fans have been unable to do the same for their countries, as my colleague Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio reminds us amid the euphoria.

REVERE — Fans in red jerseys have flocked to Moroccan cafes bellowing “Dima Maghreb” as Atlas Lions supporters swarm the city during the World Cup. Ahead of their game against Scotland on Friday, can they out do the Tartan Army?

Going into the 2026 World Cup qualifying process, no former champion had ever failed to qualify three straight times. Italy is now the first, and some have theorized that the country’s immigration policies could be to blame. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

Specks of black oil have rained down on part of Moscow after a refinery was hit during the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones fired towards the Russian capital. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Many African migrants in France and across Europe see soccer as an opportunity to climb out of poverty. However, the current flows in both directions. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/w...

When Boston passed an ordinance in 2022 to make suggestions for reparations for Black Bostonians, the city set an ambitious deadline: 2023. It’s now 2026, and the city’s Equity and Inclusion Cabinet is on the cusp of having two research reports.

The lawsuit reanimates a long-running rift between the Kraft family company and Foxborough. It also suggests the finger-pointing and logistical headaches that marred Boston’s early World Cup preparations are not truly settled — and can boil over at any time. mobileapp.bostonglobe.com/A7UZYHSVLNFS...

The beautiful thing about Messi is that he doesn’t seem to know that he’s Messi. apnews.com/article/worl...

How do you outdrink St. Patrick’s Day in Boston? Inviting Scots to town is a good start.

Cape Verdean fans in Massachusetts ecstatic at their country’s historic World Cup performance against the mighty Spain.

The talks between MGB and Medical Properties Trust began late last fall and continued into early this year. MPT requested $250 million…but the state’s biggest health care system said that was too much. The owner came back with another price: $375 million. mobileapp.bostonglobe.com/45GBVBOLLBGR...

Soccer fans will pay just $2.90 to take the subway to and from matches. They can gather in a park for 39 days of free fan festivals. As cities across North America gear up to host World Cup matches, Philadelphia is prioritizing accessibility and convenience.

The U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night.

World Cup fever finally arrived in Boston on Thursday in an early-morning burst of bagpipe music, colorful soccer jerseys, and kilts. Lots and lots of kilts. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/11/m...

“The fundamental problem is that FIFA has changed its financing model to a way where FIFA gets all the revenues, and host cities have to bear all the costs,” said Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College. mobileapp.bostonglobe.com/WKSKFGBKPNF6...

A new United Nations report says militants and police units in Gaza publicly beat, maimed and even executed dozens of Palestinians during Hamas' war with Israel in acts amounting to war crimes.

Ticket prices are astronomical, transportation promises to be confusing, local municipalities worry about congestion/security, and advocates have warned international fans about heightened immigration scrutiny. Sounds like a party, no? mobileapp.bostonglobe.com/WXVDP66FGFFA...

Iran's football federation said on Tuesday ​its ticket allocation had been pulled just days before the World Cup starts, leaving supporters who had ‌already made travel plans unable to attend their team's matches. www.reuters.com/sports/socce...

Dolores Huerta, 96, was honored as the first recipient of the AFL-CIO Si Se Puede Award, named in her honor after the United Farm Workers slogan and union rally cry — meaning “Yes, we can!” — that Huerta created minnesotareformer.com/2026/06/08/d...

Fans from more than a quarter of the countries taking part in the World Cup are facing travel bans, tighter restrictions or high visa rejection rates. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Rainbow flags waved across the streets of downtown Boston during the city’s 56th annual Pride Parade. Many used the occasion to protest the Trump administration’s increased attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and other civil liberties.

According to the World Health Organization, white phosphorus causes severe burns if it comes into contact with flesh. It can also cause respiratory and eye injuries if inhaled. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/w...

SoFi Stadium workers vote to authorize strike with World Cup days away

“What should have been an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime experience was a frustrating mess,” said Diana Correia, a volunteer applicant from Peabody who received her rejection notice on Mother’s Day after a six-month wait. mobileapp.bostonglobe.com/YKQEMHEXZZDF...

Ostensibly, people are talking about soccer, but really they’re talking about their childhood, their country’s history and culture, and how it fits in with the game. The tournament is simply a rhetorical entry point to all that. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/03/m...

MIRA Coalition put out a travel advisory warning that travelers at Logan Airport could face entry denial, arrest, and deportation ahead of the World Cup. www.wgbh.org/news/local/2... @gbhnews.bsky.social

Statement from the Star Tribune Guild in response to management’s plans to lay off 15% of staff, including union members in the newsroom:

When it comes to sports crowds, things can go sideways quickly. Boston, with its 13 titles from major professional sports leagues this century, knows this as well as any place. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/02/m...

Immigrant detainees have told courts across the nation that detention officials have failed to treat or stabilize their conditions, from pregnancy to prostate cancer, suggesting that systemic lapses in care extend well beyond record deaths in ICE custody. kffhealthnews.org/courts/ice-i...

As both cities gear up for World Cup matches and 250th anniversary celebrations, the rivalry between Boston and Philadelphia extends to how the two cities are commemorating the historical events of the American Revolution.

It's not just measles: Doctors are seeing more of a number of vaccine-preventable illnesses. And it's not just childhood vaccines: They're seeing more adults refuse tetanus shots after injuries, and even blood transfusions bc the blood might come from a vaccinated donor. From me and Dani Blum:

‘We want fans to know the risks’: US immigrant rights groups mobilize across World Cup host cities amid ICE fears www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

This year, the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award will go collectively to the people of the Twin Cities “for risking their lives to protect their neighbors and immigrant community members” as federal immigration agents flooded the region earlier this year.

Heard that boom in Eastern Mass. A meteor passed through the atmosphere off the coast of Boston around 2 p.m. on Saturday! #mawx #nasa #boston #meteor @bostonglobe.com

The overwhelming majority of the people deported had no criminal convictions, and at least 600 were children

Leo XIV’s new encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” presents a remarkable case for placing moral concerns, and not profit, or competitive advantage, or efficiency, at the center of any discussion of artificial intelligence. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/ljjoA8

Even with $80 tickets, @mbta.com still expects to lose millions of dollars on World Cup transit service, which is imposing massive and unusual logistical challenges for the agency. Find out why from @jaimereporting.bsky.social: #mapoli mass.streetsblog.org/2026/05/28/e...