On Thursday, FIFA announced the full slate of cities that will host the 2026 World Cup, selecting 16 among 22 contenders in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

The U.S.-based hosts include the country’s largest cities, as well as some mid-sized sports hubs. The world’s biggest sports tournament is coming to:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Dallas
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York/New Jersey
• Philadelphia
• San Francisco/Bay Area
• Seattle

Every U.S. bidder other than Orlando pitched the use of an NFL stadium.

Toronto and Vancouver made the cut, as did Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Mexico will be the first country to host the World Cup three different times. This will be Canada’s first time hosting.

The U.S. will host 60 of the 48-team tournament’s 80 games, including every game from the quarterfinals onward.

A 2018 study by The Boston Consulting Group claimed that the 2026 World Cup would bring an economic impact of $5 billion to North America, or $3 billion to $4 billion after factoring in investments required for playing facilities and the expected surge in tourism.

Missing the Cut

FIFA had more contenders than available slots, necessitating cuts from the list of applicants, including Cincinnati, Nashville, Denver, Orlando, Edmonton, and a joint bid between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

There is uncertainty about which cities will remain on Formula 1’s calendar going forward, but not Down Under.

Melbourne will host the Australian Grand Prix through 2035, F1 announced on Thursday, after the two sides agreed to a 10-year deal. 

• The lower-tier competitions Formula 2 and Formula 3 will be added to the racing weekend.
• Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit, which has hosted F1 since 1996, received “significant investment” over the last two years, according to F1, with further work planned for the paddock and pit lane.
• The April race there brought more than 419,000 fans.

“We know how important this event is to our economy, and that’s why we’ve delivered the longest extension for the race since it has been held in Melbourne,” said Martin Pakula, Victoria’s minister for tourism, sport and major events.

Wheeling and Dealing

The extension at Melbourne was just one of the recent deals F1 has struck in the southern hemisphere. The series reached a three-year broadcast agreement with Brazilian company Bandeirantes, while Claro Brasil signed a deal for exclusive over-the-top rights.

Band, which took over the rights in 2021 from Globo, had sold $23.5 million in advertising connected to its F1 coverage this year. That revenue is split evenly between Band and F1-parent Liberty Media.

A major announcement on a third continent could be imminent: F1 is in negotiations to bring a grand prix to Midrand, South Africa.

A 100-year-old antitrust exemption that has helped shape Major League Baseball is coming under scrutiny.

The Department of Justice has asked the U.S. District Court in New York to limit MLB’s antitrust exemption, which has been in place since 1922. 

The “statement of interest” filing — in which the department weighs in on a case as neither plaintiff nor defendant — concerned a suit brought by three minor league teams. The teams were among 43 that lost their MLB affiliation in 2020.

MLB asked that the suit be thrown out, citing the antitrust exemption. The Department of Justice asked the court to “define the exemption narrowly.”

• Should the exemption be cut back, MLB teams could move to different cities without input from the league.
• Minor league players could explore other playing opportunities, which advocates argue would pressure teams to improve wages and living conditions.

Federal legislation has been introduced this year to remove MLB’s exemption, which is unique among U.S. sports leagues.

Minor Matters

The New York Mets are in talks with state representatives and advocacy groups on improving wages and conditions for their minor league affiliates, all of which play in New York State.

Sen. Jessica Ramos, whose district includes Citi Field, wrote a letter to Mets owner Steve Cohen calling on the team to pay weekly salaries year-round, cover or provide in-season housing and meals, cover the cost of offseason training, and adjust salaries based on the cost of living in certain areas.

The University of Miami is facing an inquiry by the NCAA regarding NIL deals involving the school’s athletes. 

The NCAA has conducted interviews with those involved with Miami athletics, including Miami booster and billionaire John Ruiz — who pledged to spend at least $10 million on NIL deals. 

• Ruiz has signed 115 athletes to NIL pacts, with the majority being Miami students.
• He has already built an NIL payroll that is roughly $7 million.
• The inquiry is believed to be the first serious inquiry into a college athletic department since the NIL era began in July 2021. 

The NCAA’s probe into Miami and Ruiz is the result of a broad set of rules governing NIL deals that continue to be updated since being enacted last July. 

The guidelines prohibit deals from being used as recruiting inducements or forms of pay-for-play — including deals from boosters and their collectives.

Ruiz’s involvement in a potential NIL violation comes after two of his companies — healthcare application LifeWallet and Cigarette Racing Team — secured a two-year, $800,000 endorsement deal with Nijel Pack, a men’s basketball transfer from Kansas State. 

What’s Next 

Ruiz believes that the NCAA’s inquiry will show no signs of NIL violations. “I’m extremely comfortable with what we are doing,” Ruiz told Sports Illustrated. “I have nothing to hide.”

Others, like the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum and AL.com’s John Talty, have said they believe the NCAA will continue its previous mode of operation by delivering little to no enforcement.