Although this is the World Cup with the most participating teams in history, the kits continue to be concentrated in the hands of a few brands. In fact, despite this edition featuring the greatest diversity of manufacturers to date, with 13 brands represented, Adidas, Nike, and Puma maintain an overwhelming dominance: they dress 37 out of the 48 qualified teams, meaning three out of every four teams aspiring to the golden trophy.

Mariano Rajoy knows what is expected of him and does not hesitate to give it to his followers. "In football, what really matters is scoring more goals than the opponent. If you don't, you lose. Or, at best, you draw." Yes, the former Spanish president returns to sports commentary for the World Cup and, again, in the digital media El Debate, which four years ago — also for the World Cup and, later, for the European Championship — already opened its doors for him to publish his analyses of the Spanish national team's matches. Rajoy does so without pay and, in fact, without writing: he sends audio notes when the matches end so that the media's editors can transcribe them. He did so this Monday after the draw of La Roja against Cape Verde.

The duel between the national teams of Mexico and South Africa this Thursday (9 p.m., RTVE) at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City will kick off the World Cup. Millions of fans around the planet will follow the premier competition of national team football, which will extend until July 19 in the format with the most teams (48) in history. It will also be the World Cup played in the most stadiums: sixteen, the majority in the United States, although there will also be three venues in Mexico and two in Canada.

FIFA will have to clarify its ticket sales practices for this year's World Cup in the face of accusations of artificially inflating prices and deceiving fans at the time of purchase. The state attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have opened an investigation into the eight World Cup matches that will be played at MetLife Stadium, including the tournament final. Currently, on the Seatpick.com portal, tickets to watch some of the matches at the New Jersey stadium are being sold for an average price of $2,790.

Football has been another piece in the grand chess game of geopolitics in Iran for years. This Wednesday, the Iranian Minister of Sport confirmed the withdrawal of the Iranian national team from the upcoming World Cup, which begins in less than 100 days in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This announcement comes 24 hours after FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke with US President Donald Trump to guarantee the Iranian team's participation despite the war. "President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States," Infantino said. But the Iranians, through their Minister of Sport, have made it public that they will be the first team to qualify for a World Cup to withdraw due to a political boycott. The Iranian team was scheduled to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

With 100 days to go before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa of this summer's World Cup, nervousness is growing within the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Donald Trump, who was supposed to be the guarantor of the trophy's success, is now jeopardizing the tournament's smooth running. Ironically, on the day of the World Cup group stage draw, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, The FIFA annual peace prize was invented to offer it to a Trump who was still angry about not having won the Nobel Peace Prize. That day, Infantino praised Trump for "working for stability and world peace." Since then, Trump has ordered military actions and bombings in Venezuela, Iran, and Nigeria. And he has hinted at possible additional operations in Greenland, Mexico, Colombia, or Cuba. Trump even invited Infantino to his Peace Board last February. But instead of peace, there is more war. And the president who most enjoys appearing in photos at major sporting events, as he did at the last Club World Cup, is now jeopardizing the biggest football event of the year.

After winning La Liga with Barça and the European Championship with Spain, Lamine Yamal still has three major challenges firmly in his sights: winning a Ballon d'Or, the Champions League, and a World Cup. For the latter, he already knows the path he must follow this summer with the Spanish national team, where they will face Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde in the group stage.