The First Whistle

On the opening day of the 2030 World Cup, America woke as if summoned by a whistle. Giant screens filled Times Square. Lines formed outside Chicago bars before noon. On Miami Beach, fans drew a sand soccer field in stars and stripes. Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia; every host city became a grandstand on the same day. The United States opened at Metropolitan Stadium in New York against Senegal. Four hours before kickoff, the area outside the stadium was already packed. Drums, horns, beer cups, jerseys, face paint; everything mixed into a festival that seemed to stretch across the country. Sponsors projected Brooks's face onto the side of a building. Beside him was the slogan: LEAD US HOME. Mason's name was not on any official poster.