Welcome to 'The 2026 Dispatch'
We are exactly one month out from the start of the 2026 World Cup. The quadrennial event kicks off June 11 in a matchup between Mexico and South Africa. This will mark the tournament’s return to North America for the first time in 32 years, and I’m planning to be there covering it.
I’m announcing the launch of my first Substack: The 2026 Dispatch. This newsletter is for the people who love soccer and watch it with a passion every four years. It is for those who might not care about stats but love the stories behind the squads, learning who these athletes are and what it took for them to reach the world stage.
If you know me, you know I am a huge sports fan, and no sporting event is more important to me than the World Cup. I will never forget watching France ‘98 with my parents, and learning that every four years, nations put aside their differences to connect through the one sport that knows no borders. I saw this firsthand when my dad and I traveled to Brazil for the 2014 tournament, and this is why I’ve been planning for this edition of the World Cup since it was announced in 2018.
If you don’t know me, here’s what you need to know: My name is Salvador, and I’ve been a professional journalist for 14 years. While my work for the past decade has focused on covering the tech industry, my entry into journalism came through my passion for sports. My first internships were in sports journalism, and I’m excited to flex this muscle once more.
In this newsletter, I’ll provide tournament analysis, stories about the World Cup that you likely haven’t heard and on-the-ground writings from host cities, including Mexico City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.
The idea for this newsletter arrived after I traveled to Guadalajara in March to watch one of the final qualifying matches, a game between New Caledonia and Jamaica. I went to enjoy the atmosphere and see Guadalajara for the first time. Afterward, I wrote my thoughts about the match and the trip, sending updates to a listserv of friends and family.
I’ve written nearly 30 updates to that group since last year. The goal was to help friends navigate the logistical complexities of World Cup travel, drawing on my experience following the Mexican squad play in its three group matches at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. That was an unforgettable trip and a key reason I wanted to make 2026 an even bigger experience.
After my trip to Guadalajara, I noticed that my writing was evolving and an email listserv was no longer the best format for what I wanted to create. That’s how I landed on The 2026 Dispatch.
So what can you expect? For the first month of coverage, I plan to publish three group previews each week to help you get a feel for every team. I’ll also publish a weekly article to help you prepare to watch the tournament. Once play begins, I will post about my travels, the matches, whatever else comes to mind and article suggestions from my followers and subscribers.
Here’s what you get if you decide to subscribe:
Free subscribers will receive access to the occasional free post.
Monthly subscribers will receive all of my content as well as the ability to leave comments and engage in The 2026 Dispatch’s subscriber chats. This is priced at $8 a month.
Annual plan subscribers will receive a curated souvenir from one of the cities I visit and a founding credit at the bottom of every article for their generous support. This is priced at $175 for access to The 2026 Dispatch throughout the entire tournament.
If you forgot the World Cup is right around the corner, I invite you to follow and subscribe. Allow me to catch you up on the most important narratives so you can fully experience this special global event.
A special thank you to the annual subscribers of The 2026 Dispatch for their support