100 days to the World Cup: Half a billion viewers? That's just a Tuesday for soccer

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on. Each day ahead of the tournament's return to North America, Yahoo Sports will bring you an insight or moment that helps explain how the world's biggest sporting event became what it is today.

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The World Cup is 100 days away and soccer's global reach has never been bigger.

Tuesday's Copa del Rey match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona (3 p.m. ET, ESPN+)has the possibility of drawing a worldwide audience of 550 million viewers. That number would not even crack the10 most-watched soccer matches ever.

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A pair ofEl Clásicosbetween Real Madrid and Barcelona each brought in a worldwide audience of 650 million viewers in 2017 and 2025. That's nearly one-third of the 2022 World Cup final (1.5 billion) between Argentina and France, which saw Lionel Messi help his country to its third World Cup title.

In fact, the top seven most-watched soccer games worldwide are all World Cup finals. Other than the 2017-18 and 2025-26El Clásicos, the only other non-World Cup final in the top 10 is the 2022 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool. That match, which Real Madrid won 1-0, saw 700 million viewers tune in around the world.

That's the scale the World Cup operates on.

100 days to the World Cup: Half a billion viewers? That's just a Tuesday for soccer

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on. Each day ahead of the tournament's return to North America, Yahoo Sports ...
Sheriff Says Investigators Are 'Definitely Closer' to Finding Suspects in Nancy Guthrie's Abduction Case

Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mom, Nancy, was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home on Feb. 1, and no suspects have been identified yet

People Sheriff Chris Nanos and Nancy GuthrieCredit: NBC; Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

  • Investigators are reviewing doorbell footage, a speeding car, and a backpack possibly purchased online for new leads

  • The Guthrie family increased the reward to $1 million and continues urging the public to share any information

More than amonth into the searchforSavannah Guthrie's missing mom,Nancy Guthrie, the sheriff leading the investigation believes they are "definitely closer" to identifying and locating a suspect or suspects.

Pima CountySheriff Chris Nanosspoke with NBC's Liz Kreutz in a new interview, which aired on theTodayshow on Tuesday, March 3. When asked by Kreutz whether investigators are "any closer to finding a suspect or suspects," Nanos replied, "I think that investigators are definitely closer. We've got a lot of intel, a lot of leads, but now it's time to just go to work."

Nancy, 84, was taken from her Tucson, Ariz., home on Feb. 1, and since that time, authorities have not been able to successfully identify a single suspect.

Last month, doorbell camera footage was released of a masked, armed man attempting to enter Nancy's residence, shortly before her pacemaker was disconnected from its track device.

Masked intruder attempts to enter Nancy Guthrie's home on Feb. 1.Credit: Pima County Sheriff's Department

Nancy's neighbors have also submitted numerous doorbell camera videos in the area, including a video first shared by Fox News Digital last week of a car speeding down the road 2.5 miles from Nancy's home around the time of her abduction.

"We're aware of it and we're looking into it, just like any other piece of evidence," Nanos said of the clip, adding that investigators have not been able to identify the vehicle.

"We're looking at that vehicle as well as hundreds of thousands of other vehicles that were out driving at that time of day," he added.

Shrine of messages and flowers outside of Nancy Guthrie's Tucson, Ariz., home.Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty

Police are exhausting every pathway, including second-guessing their original claim that the intruder'sbackpack came from Walmart.

"We're now learned that maybe it wasn't purchased out of Walmart," Nanos said. "That backpack is new, it's exclusive to Walmart, but who's to say I didn't buy it and put it on eBay? That's what we're looking into."

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Nanos also admitted that he and other authorities have intentionally kept many details from the public.

Nancy Guthrie and daughters Savannah and Annie on Instagram.Credit: Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

"There's so much that everybody wants to know, right? But I would be very neglectful and irresponsible as a police, law enforcement leader to share that with everybody," Nanos said. "We have information on this case that we think is going to hopefully lead us to solving this case, but it takes time."

When asked whether he would eventually solve the case, Nanos replied, "Absolutely."

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To mark the one-month anniversary of their mother's disappearance, Savannah, her sister, Annie Guthrie, and her brother-in-law, Tommasso Cioni, wereseen visiting the shrineof yellow flowers, cards and messages left outside of Nancy's home on March 2.

"We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country 💛" Savannah wrote on Instagram after the visit. "Please don't stop praying and hoping with us. Bring her home."

The Guthrie family hasincreased the reward to $1 millionfor any information that leads to Nancy's recovery or the arrest of a suspect.

The FBI is urging anyone with tips or leads to call 1-800-CALL-FBI in addition to the Pima County Sheriff's Office number, 520-351-4900.

Read the original article onPeople

Sheriff Says Investigators Are 'Definitely Closer' to Finding Suspects in Nancy Guthrie's Abduction Case

Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mom, Nancy, was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home on Feb. 1, and no suspects have...
Grammy-Winning Blues Legend John Hammond Dies at 83

Blues guitarist and singer John Hammond has died at the age of 83

People John Hammond in New York City in October 1990Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • News of his death was confirmed by Toronto blues musician Paul Smith in a Facebook post on Sunday, March 1

  • "The blues world has lost a giant," Smith wrote in the post

Legendary blues guitarist and singer John Hammond has died. He was 83.

In aFacebook postshared on Sunday, March 1, Toronto blues musician Paul Smith shared that Hammond's wife Marla confirmed news of his death.

"Marla Hammond called me yesterday with the heartbreaking news that my dear friend John Hammond has passed away. The blues world has lost a giant. I've lost my best friend. My heart goes out to Marla and the family. Rest easy, John," he wrote.

John Hammond in Topanga, Calif. in 1962Credit: Estate of Edmund Teske/Getty

Smith added: "I've just been going through the photos we've shared over the years — from the Horseshoe Tavern to Albert's Hall, from London to Montreal, to Edmonton to Ottawa — and each picture tells a story of great music, great people, and unforgettable nights." He was such an inspiration to me, I'll miss him terribly...."

According to a report fromBillboardCanada, Hammond died of cardiac arrest.

PEOPLE has reached out to Hammond's reps for additional comment.

Known as both John P. Hammond and John Hammond Jr., the late musician was the son of producer and talent scout John Henry Hammond Jr.

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Hammond began playing guitar in high school and dropped out after studying Antioch College in Ohio after a year to pursue his professional music career.

John Hammond in December 1978 in AtlantaCredit: Tom Hill/WireImage

In 1963, he signed with Vanguard Records and his self-titled debut album featured music written by blues icons like Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Robert Johnson, as well as covers of tracks like Chuck Berry's "Maybellene."

John Hammond in August 2013 in Bethel, N.Y.Credit: Charles Norfleet/Getty

Throughout his career, Hammond released more than 30 albums and he even won a Grammy in 1985 won a Grammy for his work on the compilation recordBlues Explosion, which was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982.

In the following years, Hammond received additional nominations for his 2009 album,Rough & Tough, which earned a nod for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Hammond also received Grammy nominations for albums includingYou Can't Judge a Book by the Cover(1993),Trouble No More(1994),Found True Love(1996),Long As I Have You(1998), andIn Your Arms Again(1995).

He was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.

Read the original article onPeople

Grammy-Winning Blues Legend John Hammond Dies at 83

Blues guitarist and singer John Hammond has died at the age of 83 NEED TO KNOW News of his death was confirm...
Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac to call Wrexham match as pair celebrate 5 years of club ownership

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their purchase of the Welsh soccer team by doing live commentary during a match later this month.

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Reynolds and Mac, who purchased the then-non-League club in 2021, will call the game on a special broadcast when Wrexham hosts fellow English Football League Championship side Swansea at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. It is expected to provide "behind-the-scenes insight" and "documentary-style insider access" over the course of the match, which will be broadcast on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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"As with our decision to take over Wrexham five years ago, we genuinely have no idea how this is going to go, but we will give it our best. Neither of us have called a sporting event of any variety, let alone a sport we basically learned the rules of five years ago,"the pair said in a joint statement.

"Either way, it will be another unpredictable day at the STōK Cae Ras and we can't wait. We're grateful to our partners at the EFL and Sky Sports, the latter of which we hope is ready with the bleep button."

Wrexham currently sits in sixth place in the Championship table, holding on to one of the four playoff places. The Red Dragons have won anunprecedented three consecutive promotions since 2023and are looking to be one of the three teams from the division that will move up to the Premier League next season.

The Hollywood duo purchased Wrexham for $2.5 million in 2020. Since they acquired the club, it has drawn international recognition — thanks in part to the "Welcome to Wrexham" documentary series the two have produced on FX.

Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac to call Wrexham match as pair celebrate 5 years of club ownership

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their purchase of the Welsh soccer team...
Chase Pistone, NASCAR driver in the 2000s, dies at 42

Former NASCAR driver Chase Pistone has died at the age of 42.

USA TODAY Sports Wilbur Wood, baseball, 1941-2026 Phil Goyette, hockey, 1933-206 Eddie McCreadie, soccer, 1940-2026 Dave Giusti, baseball, 1939-2026 <p style=Martin Chivers, soccer, 1945-2026

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Billy Truax, football, 1943-2026 Jawann Oldham, basketball, 1957-2026 Robert Pulford, hockey, 1936-2026

Sports figures we lost in 2026

His older brother, Nick Pistone, posted a message on social media, announcing his death, which did not include a cause or where he died.

But Chase's brothers, Tom and Nick, requested that Legends Nation "post the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is 988 on a phone or text."

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"Chase was not only a wheelman in Legends and Late Models, but his Chase Pistone Inc. Legends team was a force to be reckoned with every time they showed up at a track, and they usually walked away with the winner's trophy,"Legends Nation postedon social media.

During his career, Pistone, who is the grandson of two-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner Tom Pistone, competed in the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Xfinity (now NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts) Series.

"Well, my young brother and best friend is gone,"Nick Pastone saidon social media. "I'm broken-hearted and don't know if I'll ever get over this. I miss you Chase already and I hope you are you are in a better place. I love you and I miss you so much already!!!!!!!"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Former NASCAR racer Chase Pistone dies at 42

Chase Pistone, NASCAR driver in the 2000s, dies at 42

Former NASCAR driver Chase Pistone has died at the age of 42. Martin Chivers, soccer, 1945-2026 " st...

 

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