Author Christopher Blake Christopher's Latest Articles The World Was Meant to Meet By Christopher Blake ● Opinion ● July 25, 2026 It is all over now, and I already feel a certain emptiness, Christopher Blake writes in his final column about the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And Then There Were Two By Christopher Blake ● Opinion ● July 17, 2026 On Sunday July 19, an estimated two billion people from around the planet will watch as the very last two surviving teams meet in the final match of 2026 FIFA World Cup. Then There Were Thirty-Two: The Knockouts Arrive By Christopher Blake ● Opinion ● July 3, 2026 Celebrate and love the 250th Birthday of the glorious United States of America on July 4th but also keep one eye on the World Cup. Bold choices, high stakes and a World Cup on the horizon By Christopher Blake ● Opinion ● June 3, 2026 June has arrived, and we are days away from the start of the greatest sports tournament on the planet, as well as America’s 250th birthday. World Cup countdown: Six weeks and closing fast By Christopher Blake ● Opinion ● April 27, 2026 The greatest show on earth — the World Cup — is almost here. Are you ready? A century of glory: The stories that made the World Cup By Christopher Blake ● Opinion ● April 1, 2026 The World Cup arrives this summer with its usual pageantry — and this year, with something more urgent underneath it. ‘The beautiful game’ is about to take center stage By Christopher Blake ● Sports ● February 28, 2026 This summer, the FIFA World Cup is coming to North America.