World Cup 2026 live updates: SF students escort players during Bay Area matches

With the Bay Area helping host FIFA World Cup matches, a group of San Francisco students is getting a chance to participate on the global stage.

With the Bay Area helping host FIFA World Cup matches, a group of San Francisco students is getting a chance to participate on the global stage.

Students in the Street Soccer USA San Francisco program have had a presence at matches in Santa Clara, where nearly 30 youth are serving as player escorts across three matches, including Monday.

"We've got the opportunity to walk alongside team Qatar and Switzerland and Paraguay and Australia," said Keith Hsu Chernin, Street Soccer USA San Francisco Bay Area Managing Director. "And later Monday, we'll have some players that can walk with the Jordanian and Algerian teams."

Participants in the program come from neighborhoods including the Tenderloin, Mission, Bayview and East Cut. Among them is 11-year-old Angelina Rodriguez of the Tenderloin, who walked onto the field with players from Qatar.

"It was really fun and exciting," Rodriguez said.

"It was special for me because it was my first time at the World Cup," she added.

Chernin said the opportunity carries deeper meaning for the students and their families.

"What a special thing to be able to represent your community on the world stage. People seeing our players or players from the Tenderloin standing next to the best players in the world," he said. "Many of them who are representing countries that are the same as the countries of heritage of our players themselves, which is really cool. We're really excited for many of our Algerian players and families to be represented out there Monday next to the Algerian nation."

Looking ahead, the U.S. Men's National Team is scheduled to play a knockout-round match in Santa Clara on July 1. Program leaders say they hope their students will have the chance to escort the U.S. team onto the field.

"At the moment, we are not on the schedule to be escorting Team USA for that game, but I am staying close to my phone in case that changes, because that would be an amazing opportunity," Chernin said.

Street Soccer USA San Francisco serves youth ranging from kindergarten through age 24.

Lionel Messi broke the World Cup scoring record with his 17th goal in defending champion Argentina's match against Austria on Monday, coming about a half hour after he had missed a penalty kick.

The record goal for a 1-0 lead came in the 38th minute and two days before Messi's 39th birthday, and amid the concern of an ailing father back at home. It was the sixth consecutive World Cup game in which Messi has scored.

Messi had equaled Germany striker Miroslav Klose for the most goals in the World Cup at 16 with his first hat trick at the tournament in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria in the Group J opener last Tuesday night in Kansas City.

With a chance to break the record in the ninth minute on Monday, Messi missed a penalty kick.

Messi's left-footed kick went just wide of the right post. He is now 4 of 7 on penalty kicks in regulation play at the World Cup with with misses in three consecutive tournaments.

Lautaro Martinez was running free in the box when he was tackled from behind by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, the defender playing with a broken jaw. Schalger got a foot on the ball, but Posch drew the penalty because he did not touch the ball as Martinez tumbled to the ground.

Play continued for more than a minute with Martinez still on the ground near the goal. When play was stopped for him, officials went to review the play.

Messi's hat trick in the pervious game, in his 200th international appearance, came 20 years to the date of his World Cup debut, when he also scored. He is playing in sixth World Cup, and Monday was his FIFA-record 28th match in the tournament.

Klose played in 24 World Cup matches for Germany, which wrapped up his fourth tournament by winning the 2014 final 1-0 in extra time over Messi and Argentina.

Messi's father has been undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, the family said in a statement last week while not providing any specifics.

The 68-year-old Jorge Messi has played a key role in his third son's soccer career, acting as his agent and managing his business affairs off the field.

Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.

Elmo announced his support for Team USA on social media on Friday after he faced criticism during the NBA Finals.

In a video on his social media account, the famous "Sesame Street" character said he wanted to "set the record straight", stating that he hopes Team USA wins the FIFA World Cup.

Elmo did add that he still loves everybody, telling viewers, "Don't make this a thing."

This video comes after Elmo faced controversy earlier in June during the NBA Finals, when the furry red monster posted on social media that he wished both the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs well in their first matchup.

Elmo's neutral stance drew sharp criticism from Knicks fans online, ABC News reported, with many pointing out that the fictional Sesame Street is located in New York City.

For the first time in World Cup history, FIFA is mandating all soccer players take hydration breaks to protect them from the threats of extreme heat. But the new rule has sparked criticism from different groups.

Some experts have warned that this summer's World Cup - co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada - could be the hottest in the tournament's history. In response to concerns about extreme heat, FIFA implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half regardless of temperatures or whether stadiums are enclosed or air-conditioned. But some critics say they're interrupting the game's flow and give coaches a chance to shift momentum in their team's favor, while some scientists have said the breaks are too short to make a significant impact on cooling and rehydration when conditions are sizzling.

FIFA said the mandatory breaks are to "ensure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches," and the rules draw upon the experiences of past tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. last summer, when temperatures soared.

Athletes pushing themselves physically in hot and humid conditions risk getting what's called exertional heat illness. It happens when the body gets too hot and is accompanied by significant strain on the heart, nerves, muscles, and central nervous system.

Symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping, and dehydration.

The three-minute mandatory hydration breaks are meant to protect players and referees from extreme heat illness and help them maintain their physical performance.

How much time a player needs to recover also varies. "Depending on your body, you might need more or less time. But those kinds of breaks are crucial so that your body isn't just being forced to keep trying to play catch-up... to keep trying to cool you down without any kind of rest or a break," said Bharat Venkat, director of the Heat Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.

As our planet gets hotter, mandating hydration breaks and changing where, when, and how sports are played will be necessary.

"No matter what sport you play, there's going to be adjustments that have to be made in the face of climate change, " he said.