Good morning. Two U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan, bringing the total number of American military personnel killed in the war with Iran to 16. We’ve got more details on that below, along with all of the other news you need, and a revealing interview with Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York.

But we start today with soccer, of course. The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern time, after a remarkable third-place match yesterday (England beat France, 6-4). Madness!

The beautiful game

By Jodi Rudoren

I played soccer through age 29, when I tore my A.C.L. on a bad tackle

Sam Anderson, a longtime writer for The New York Times Magazine, has spent the last month immersed in the World Cup. No, not like the rest of us. Sam’s made it his job.

He’s been to six matches and, as he put it, has “watched many more in strange places: a movie theater, a dance club, crowded hotel lobbies, on a TV in the back of someone’s pickup truck.” He’s crisscrossed the nation’s strip malls and back alleys to go deep into fan culture, filing three wildly entertaining and insightful dispatches totaling 6,797 words — many of them five-letters, starting with a capital M and ending in i. I asked him what he learned.

So what qualified you for this incredible gig? Are you secretly a former soccer star or coach?

I played for one year when I was 5. I only remember touching the ball once: a sea of opposing players parted, and I went to kick it but somehow ended up launching myself backward into a mud puddle — and my white shorts got so muddy that all the other kids called me “Poopy Pants.” I never played again. But then, 30 years later, my son got into soccer and was pretty good at it. I coached his team very badly for a while.

A florist we interviewed for our wedding asked me, “Why Gary?” (My husband) So I ask you: Why soccer?

I grew up playing and loving basketball. The two sports are like looking through opposite ends of a telescope — in terms of pace, scoring, rules, culture, philosophy, everything. But soccer is so beautiful. Every second involves infinite overlapping layers of skill and strategy and angles and effort. And of course the World Cup is totally magical — every four years, I get sucked right back in.

Watching on TV, I’m totally surprised by how many people in the stands seem like authentic fans of each country. How is this possible?

Yep. On the ground, it feels like the crowds are 95 percent rabid fans who have traveled, at outrageous expense, from all over the world. Argentina fans have a reputation for being particularly devoted. I met lots of them who were staying in the U.S. for the entire World Cup. I think that sense of being unmoored — for a month, life is 100 percent soccer — contributes to the wild carnival atmosphere at games.

You described it as “a giant spectacle of nationalism.” I think you meant this in a good way?

Well, yes and no. It gives people a chance to bond through these extremely over-the-top displays of national pride: the jerseys and costumes and face paint and chanting. Ninety-nine percent of it is funny and joyful and self-aware. But nationalism can turn ugly very quickly. As the stakes got higher and higher, the vibes got a little more confrontational.

What has this crazy adventure taught you about America?

On one hand it has confirmed some of my longstanding frustrations: our addiction to car culture, which means a lack of walkability and public transportation and other things most Europeans get to take for granted. On the other hand, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what a fun, funny, welcoming, joyful, arms-wide-open hosting job we’ve done. It felt like, given the current climate, there were some real nightmare scenarios on the table — tear gas outside of stadiums, et cetera. But what I’ve experienced, personally, has been a lot of wonderful humans being good to each other.

What has it taught you about soccer?

I have learned that soccer is ridiculous, cruel, maddening, nonsensical, unjust, heartbreaking, horrendous, a total waste of time, a fraud perpetrated on humanity, the absolute worst sport ever invented — and also the only thing that matters in life.

You wrote that you rooted for Norway because you discovered through 23andMe that 25.8 percent of your DNA is Norwegian. But that means you’re 74.2 percent other stuff, so — why Norway?

Because Germany (the origin of most of the rest of my DNA) got knocked out early, and the World Cup is all about making these kinds of ruthless calculations and then believing them with your whole heart. I watched Norway’s final game standing in a parking lot drinking warm tequila out of a plastic cup. When they lost, I shouted curse words out loud in public.

Messi or Haaland?

Yes.

What do you see as the most memorable moment of the World Cup (so far)?

Oh, so many contenders! Some all-time great goals, England’s heroic performance against Mexico in Mexico City, all of Haaland’s Haalanding. But if I have to choose one, I think it’s Argentina’s (i.e., Messi’s) white-knuckle comeback against England in the semifinal: two goals, right at the end, to snatch the game. I’ve never seen something that felt so improbable and inevitable at the same time.

What’s the most memorable moment behind the scenes?

The scene I keep returning to mentally is in downtown Dallas, at Dealey Plaza, where J.F.K. was assassinated in 1963. I figured it would be empty. But it was packed: a whole river of soccer fans, most of them in Messi jerseys, taking turns running out into traffic to stand in the middle of the street on the big white X that marks the historic spot (there is an X!) to have their photo taken.

It felt like the ultimate explosion of Americana and tragedy and kitsch and tourism. I stayed for probably two hours just marveling at it all, taking photos of people taking photos. (Let me know if you’d ever like to see my three-hour slide show of Messis taking photos of other Messis — I am happy to share.)

Who’s going to win today?

Well, let’s see: I believe that Spain is the better team, by far, and that they’ll put on a clinic of defense and ball-control, frustrating Argentina at every turn, allowing Messi zero space to get anything going — and I also believe that none of that matters, and Argentina will somehow inexplicably come out on top, and after the match Messi will rise into the heavens on a shaft of golden light, and then the sun will turn permanently blue and white like an Argentina jersey. So my prediction is Argentina 2-1.

Read Sam’s latest dispatch to get yourself hyped for the game. And — why not? — the other two (they’re so, so good):

WAR IN IRAN

The United States and Iran edged closer to wider war this weekend after the killing of the American service members on Friday. The deaths capped a week of spiraling attacks as the deal that President Trump reached with Iran last month continued to unravel.

The U.S. military said that it had attacked Iranian military facilities as well as the forces responsible for the strikes on Friday in Jordan. Iran launched strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, all countries where the United States maintains a significant military presence.

The recent Iranian strikes suggest that Tehran has plenty of missiles on hand — and that it has become more adept at evading American air defense systems, U.S. officials told The Times.
Iranians said U.S. strikes targeting parts of southern Iran last week had rattled their nerves and destroyed key links between one province and the rest of the country.

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WORLD CUP

Here’s what to know about today’s final, along with a mega-preview that focuses on the tactical matchup.
Kylian Mbappé of France scored twice in yesterday’s third-place game against England, making him the World Cup’s leading goal scorer. He also moved ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for this year’s Golden Boot.
An old photo of Messi and Lamine Yamal has been making the rounds online as the two prepare to face off on the pitch. In the video below, Joan Monfort tells the story behind his picture. Click to watch.

“I think the point of political capital is to spend it to deliver material change.”

— Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York, speaking with Lulu Garcia-Navarro about his recent endorsements in local races. Read their full interview here, or watch a longer version on YouTube.