Sports

Gearing up for the World Cup

Truman Strand, Staff Reporter • April 23, 2026

With the World Cup in America this time around, people are getting very excited for the most popular sports tournament in the world. The World Cup is a tournament where Fútbol (soccer) teams from around the world compete in a 6-round format.

People all around the world support popular teams like Argentina or Portugal with pure passion. With some top names like Ronaldo and Messi’s careers coming to a close, people seem to think that this might be the best World Cup yet and a time to see their GOATS play one last time.

Even though America finds Fútbol less intriguing than some European countries might, many students at Lakeridge seem excited for the tournament. Lakeridge is in the midst of excitement. Think back to the last World Cup,

“The last World Cup was a lot of fun to watch in 8th grade at school. I think the final was one of the best games I have ever seen,” said sophomore Sebastian Solof.

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The last World Cup is seen as very nostalgic by many, which is why people are so excited for the next one, hoping to make many more memories they can hold on to for the rest of their lives.

There is a wide variety of predictions for the result of the World Cup around Lakeridge.

“I think Portugal is going to win because they have Ronaldo,” said sophomore Jenevieve Jacky.

“England is going to win because of our good players like Declan Rice,” said senior Harry Smallbone.

While these countries are all top contenders for the trophy, some underdogs may slip through the group stage and surprise the world. There are some popular picks like Scotland.

“Scotland is my underdog pick because they played very well getting into the World Cup,” said sophomore Ryker Dodson.

Underdog picks are what make the World Cup so exciting for people. Any team could win, as evidenced by last year’s group-stage match, in which Saudi Arabia shocked the world by defeating Argentina, the team that would go on to win the World Cup.

Whether supporting an underdog Scotland or an obvious contender like England, students around Lakeridge can’t wait for the opening match.

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About the Contributor

Truman Strand, Staff Reporter

Truman Strand is a sophomore and a writer for the Newspacer. While he originally joined to work on photography, he has taken the role of a writer. When he’s not in school, he enjoys playing soccer and going fishing for bass and trout. This is Truman’s second year playing for the LHS soccer team. You can find Truman fishing at Oswego Lake or the Crooked River, whether it is raining or shining. Truman enjoys a good meal, whether it is a fancy steak or chocolate ice cream. He loves cats and has three that he enjoys hanging out with: Cash, Marmalade and Utah.