The long road to World Cup qualification isn’t over for six non-European countries.
Of those final six, three, in Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname will head to a FIFA playoff round in late March to battle it out for the last spot in Group I. Win, and in addition to a berth into the World Cup alongside Norway, France and Senegal, a stop in Philly awaits for one of the three group stage games to be played against France on June 22 (5 p.m., Fox29, tickets).
No pressure.
What’s that road look like? For Suriname and Bolivia, it’s a first-round, single-elimination playoff match in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 26 (5 p.m.). The winner will then face Iraq, again in Monterrey on March 31. That game is currently scheduled to start at 9 p.m.
Your matchups for the FIFA World Cup 26 Play-Off Tournament! 🆚
Here’s your guide to all three ahead of March’s playoff rounds, the key players who could help their nation get over the hump, and if any of these three nations have previously had a footprint here in Philly.
About the nations
BOLIVIA
Confederation: CONMEBOL; FIFA world rank: 76
A seventh-place finish in grueling CONMEBOL qualifiers is what led to the South American nation needing to win two more matches for a trip to what would be its fourth World Cup finals appearance. Coincidentally, it would be Bolivia’s first trip since 1994, the last time the event was held in the United States — should they qualify. Bolivia will look to advance out of the group stages, something it hasn’t done in any of its previous appearances in 1930 and 1950.
IRAQ
Confederation(s): AFC and WAFF; FIFA world rank: 58
The Lions of Mesopotamia, as this team is affectionately known are looking for just its second ever World Cup berth, qualifying for the 1986 edition in Mexico. The team qualified for this year’s FIFA playoff by way of originally finishing third in their qualifying group, and then needing to playing a pair of inter-confederation playoff matches. The first one against Saudi Arabia, saw the Saudis book its second consecutive trip to the World Cup at the expense of Iraq. Iraq would redeem itself by defeating the United Arab Emirates, securing this final opportunity to qualify. As the nation with the highest FIFA ranking of the three, Iraq will face the winner of March 26 first round playoff match between Bolivia and Suriname.
A second place finish in Group A of Concacaf World Cup qualifying is what kept hopes alive for this tiny South American nation which is home to a little over 600,000 people according to 2024 World Bank data. Nestled between, Guyana and French Guiana, this Dutch colony is just two matches away from qualifying for its first ever World Cup. To get it over the hump, the country appointed former Ajax manager Erik Ten Cate as its coach in December ahead of the March playoff match against Bolivia. Ten Cate, 71, has experience with the national team as its assistant in 2023.
Bolivia’s goalkeeper Carlos Lampe (right) celebrates with teammate Luis Haquin following their team’s 1-0 victory against Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Sept. 9, 2025.
Players to watch
Carlos Lampe (Bolivia): The longtime goalkeeper wasn’t in net for his nation in the 2024 Copa America tournament in the United States, but is expected to lead this team in March’s playoff round. Lampe, 38, who has dual citizenship in Argentina, plays his club ball for Bolívar La Paz in the first division of the Venezuelan league.
Sheraldo Becker (Suriname): Becker has had a healthy career in Europe as a forward since 2019. Currently, he’s signed with CA Osasuna in Spain’s La Liga, but is on loan with Mainz 05, in Germany’s top division. He appeared in in 20 matches for his country including six games during qualifying.
Aymen Hussein (Iraq): Hussein ranks fifth all-time on his nation’s list of top goalscorers. Since debuting for his national team in 2015, Hussein, 30, has had 88 appearances, scoring 31 goals, 12 of which have arrived in World Cup qualifying campaigns. He’s expected to lead again as Iraq will look to qualify for the World Cup for the second time ever.
Philly ties
While it would be a first for both Suriname and Iraq to have passed through the Greater Philadelphia Region as a soccer nation, Bolivia trained at WSFS Sportsplex took part in a June 12, 2024 friendly against Ecuador at Subaru Park in Chester as part of a tune-up game ahead of that summer’s Copa America tournament. Bolivia was in a group with the U.S. men’s national team and in the first match for both countries, the Americans trounced the South American nation, 4-0.
Marketed as a ticket to deeper sleep, the soft hum of pink noise has become part of millions’ nightly routines.
However, its use may come at the cost of sleep quality, a University of Pennsylvania study suggests.
Published this month in the medical journal Sleep, the study found that the presence of pink noise at night reduced REM sleep — the stagewhen most vivid dreams occur and memory, emotional regulation, and learning are supported. This was based on a sample size of 25 healthy adults assessed over seven days in a sleep lab.
To Mathias Basner, a Penn professor of psychiatry and lead author on the study, it’s evidence that background noise may not be risk-free.
“The negative consequences of the pink noise far outweigh the positive ones that we saw,” he said.
Pink noise vs. white noise
Pink noise is what’s called a “broadband noise,” meaning sounds made up of a wide range of frequencies. The most well-known example of this, white noise, is considered the sound equivalent of the color white, which contains all colors combined.
Pink, brown, and other colored noises differ based on the frequencies they boost.
Pink noise, for example, emphasizes lower frequencies — making it sound similar to steady rainfall or ocean waves. It’s often used for sleep, although uses for focus and tinnitus have also been reported.
These types of background noise can mask unwanted sounds — an appealing quality in an increasingly noisy world.
Since the first white noise machine for sleep was released in the 1960s, hundreds of variations have spawned. Today, 10-hour videos of pink noise, which is often preferred over white noise for sleep due to its softer sound,pick up millions of views on YouTube.
“So many people are using it, and it’s really indiscriminate use,” Basner said.
Putting pink noise to the test
Having studied the effects of noise his whole career, Basner was surprised to learn several years ago that some people used it as a sleep aid.
That led him down a rabbit hole of research, where he found dozens of studies assessing the effects of broadband noise on sleep. However, most of them were considered to be low quality — sample sizes were small and the assessments were usually subjective.
“We don’t know whether it’s working, whether it’s harmful or not,” he said.
He designed his study to occur in the hypercontrolled environment of a sleep lab at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania,where participants were measured using polysomnography, a test that looks at brain waves, eye movements, and muscle tone.
This allowed his team to differentiate sleep stages and figure out what was happening biologically as participants were exposed to a variety of conditions: no noise, environmental noise, pink noise, pink noise and environmental noise combined, or environmental noise with ear plugs.
Each night, the 25 participants, comprised of 18 women and seven men,were given an eight-hour window to sleep. (Lights were out at 11 p.m. and back on at 7 a.m.)
His team found that environmental noise — which ranged from the sound of a helicopter to a sonic boom — led to a 23.4-minute decrease in stage 3 sleep. This so-called deep sleep phase where recovery occurs is important for physical repair and immune function, as well as memory.
And while pink noise didn’t affect deep sleep, it was associated with an average decrease of 18.6 minutes in REM sleep.
“REM sleep is extremely important for a lot of things like memory consolidation, emotion regulation, brain plasticity, and neurodevelopment,” Basner said.
Though the study didn’t look at children, he cautioned that babies spend around half of their time sleeping in REM, compared to a quarter in adults.
Based on his findings, he would discourage parents from using broadband noise machines in the bedrooms of newborns.
For adults who don’t want to forgo the noise, he would recommend using the lowest volume and setting a timer so it eventually turns off.
However, the best option would be to use foam ear plugs, he said. When paired with environmental noise in the study, they were able to block out noise and recover 72% of the deep sleep time that had been lost — although they did start losing effectiveness at higher noise levels, around 65 decibels.
“You didn’t get the REM sleep reduction because they didn’t play anything back,” Basner said.
A limitation of the study is that it had a relatively small sample size comprised of younger, healthy people without sleep disorders or hearing loss. It also only looked at the short-term effects of pink noise, and was conducted in a lab setting, versus the participants’ homes.
In the future, Basner hopes to study the long-term effects of pink noise on sleep, as well as test other types of broadband noise.
“We need to do the proper research to make sure that it is actually, at least, not harmful,” he said.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s campaign raised almost $1.7 million last year despite her not facing reelection until 2027, according to a new campaign finance report.
That is the most any Philadelphia mayor has raised during their second year in office since at least the early 2000s, when the city’s current ethics and campaign finance rules took effect, according to Parker’s campaign. She is also the only mayor in that time frame to avoid a dip in fundraising after her first year in office, when many donors shell out to support the city’s new leader.
“The Mayor has strong support from across the City and the region,” Aren Platt, the executive director of the mayor’s campaign committee, People for Parker, said in a written statement. “These numbers equate to people investing in her vision as Mayor for the City and supporting the work that she is doing.”
Her campaign also spent $812,000 in 2025, a huge sum for a nonelection year. Parker entered 2026 with nearly $1.6 million in the bank — a significant haul two years out from a municipal election cycle. (For context, Parker’s campaign in 2023 raised almost $3.4 million, and spent just over $3.2 million en route to winning the mayor’s race.)
State law gives politicians wide latitude in how they spend their campaign donations beyond traditional election expenses like buying TV ads and printing fliers.
Parker’s campaign expenditures last year included airfare to Colorado for a mayoral roundtable at the Aspen Institute, and almost $20,000 to cover costs for a constituent’s funeral.
Parker’s hefty off-year fundraising is reflective of the increasingly constant and professionalized world of political fundraising in Philadelphia. Local politicians no longer wait until challengers emerge to press donors for cash or host major fundraisers.
“Philadelphia elections keep getting more expensive, so now all the candidates have professional fundraisers, which means the frequency of their events and calls has risen dramatically as well,” said John Hawkins, a City Hall lobbyist.
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, for instance, last year raised about $960,000 and entered 2026 with more than $1.1 million in the bank. Johnson, who, like Parker, will not face reelection until 2027, said he raises money in off years so that he can support other Council members and fund community programs.
“I am blessed to support 16 other hardworking members of Council,” he said Friday. “I always support different community initiatives that come before me, individuals always seeking support for a variety of different initiatives.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker stands beside Council President Kenyatta Johnson (left) after she finisher her budget address to City Council, City Hall, Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Johnson, a close ally of the mayor, is also seen as a potential contender in the race to succeed Parker, which would happen in 2031 if she wins reelection. Racking up money between now and then could allow him to enter the race in a strong financial position.
“My focus is being the best City Council president that I can be,” Johnson said when asked if he was considering the city’s top job.
Using the rules to their advantage
Philadelphia’s campaign finance laws rules limit contributions to $3,700 per calendar year from individual donors, and cap political committees and businesses allowed to make political donations at contributions of $14,800 per year.
That means incumbents can collect the maximum amount from donors in each of the four years in their terms before running for reelection. That is not possible in federal elections, where contribution limits apply to the entire election cycle.
The city’s rules give incumbents a potential advantage over new candidates, who typically have the opportunity to raise money over only one or two calendar years after they enter a race.
Incumbents do not always maximize that opportunity. But Parker last year set a new standard.
She is also among the growing number of Philly elected officials taking advantage of a rule that allows politicians to accept donations larger than the city’s contribution limits if they do not spend the excess money on electioneering activities, such as buying ads or paying canvassers to knock on doors.
The electricians union, the politically active Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, for instance, gave $50,000 to Parker’s campaign in 2025. At most $14,800 of that can be spent on persuading city voters to support Parker during her next campaign. The remaining $35,200 will be deposited into a separate bank account known as a Segregated Pre-candidacy Excess Contribution, or SPEC, account.
While SPEC accounts are nothing new, more Philly elected officials are using them. In addition to Parker, at least a half dozen Council members, including Johnson, now have SPEC accounts, said Shane Creamer, executive director of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics.
“We haven’t seen this in the lead-up to past elections, certainly not in this number,” Creamer said, adding that the trend shows that politicians are being conscientious about the city’s rules. “I think it suggests that, fundraising aside, there’s an effort to comply with the contribution limits.”
How Parker raises money
Parker hosts major fundraising events, such her annual birthday party, which last September took place at the Live! Casino & Hotel. She also calls donors to ask for contributions, and her supporters sometimes host smaller fundraisers to collect money for her campaign.
Labor unions gave more than $330,000 to Parker last year, campaign finance reports show. That includes $50,000 from the electricians union, $64,800 from the Carpenters union, and $45,000 from the Laborers District Council.
Organized labor — especially the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, the Carpenters union, and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union — fueled Parker’s victory in the 2023 mayor’s race.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (center) joins the chant as she marches with Local 332 during the annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade in Philadelphia on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025.
“We’re very aligned on policy, and if you look at her campaign promises, she is doing fairly well. She’s made some progress on all of them,” said Brown, who serves on the mayor’s business roundtable and an advisory panel providing input on the city’s efforts to revitalize Market East. “I’m invested in the city, and I want to see a functional, good mayor who can lay out a vision and get things done.”
Corporate interests also donated heavily to Parker in 2025. Her campaign contributions from law firms last year included $10,000 from Ballard Spahr, $11,000 from Duane Morris, $5,000 from Buchanan Ingersoll, and $11,000 from Cozen O’Connor. She also received $5,000 from Comcast, $1,000 from Independence Blue Cross, and $4,700 from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
Wealthy individuals shelled out big bucks, too. Investor Richard Vague gave $16,000; developer Carl Dranoff contributed $15,000; former Aramark CEO Joseph Neubauer gave $30,000; and Firstrust Bank executive chair Richard J. Green gave $15,000.
How Parker spends campaign money
Although campaign donors may imagine their contributions pay for yard signs and radio spots, the money also often covers strategy meetings held at expensive restaurants, gifts for constituents, and costs related to officeholders’ public duties.
Elected officials are prohibited from using political donations for personal expenses. But beyond that, the rules for spending campaign cash are famously lax and rarely enforced.
Parker’s expenditures on the recently filed reports included a $1,200 tab at Vernick Fish, and 14 more modest purchases from Shanghai Gourmet in Chinatown, totaling $424.
In addition to the Aspen Institute roundtable, Parker’s campaign helped her pay for trips to Miami for a tour of wellness and homeless centers that are part of the Florida judicial system, to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for a Black Economic Alliance gathering, to Puerto Rico for a National League of Cities event, and to Harvard University’s Bloomberg Center for Cities.
Aren Platt (right) executive director of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s political committee is with her after a Kamala Harris campaign event in Germantown Nov. 3, 2024. Platt was senior campaign adviser in Parker’s run for mayor, and served briefly as deputy mayor before leaving her administration.
The campaign paid $112,000 in consulting fees for ALP Impact Strategies, Platt’s firm; and $30,000 to 215 Bears, the private security company owned by Shawntee Willis, whom Parker has hired as a special assistant in the mayor’s office and who works closely with her police detail.
It also paid $158,563.73 to Rittenhouse Political Partners, the fundraising firm founded by well-known political consultant Aubrey Montgomery and used by Parker, Johnson, and five other members of Council who saw large fundraising hauls last year.
Rittenhouse’s clients include some of the most aggressive off-year fundraisers in Philly politics and some of the most prominent adopters of SPEC accounts.
Montgomery declined to comment.
Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.
If you’re in Philly or headed to Philly over the course of the six scheduled FIFA World Cup matches from June 14 to July 4, you’re in for a treat.
And we’re not even talking about the football, fútbol, fussball, voetbal, or soccer as we know it here, we’re referring to being in the nation’s birthplace on the year of its 250th anniversary.
Philadelphia is scheduled to be “on and poppin’,” as the kids say, with a host of special events over the two glorious weeks Philly joins 16 other cities to host the largest edition of the FIFA World Cup in history.
Just how poppin’? For starters, the World Cup isn’t the only major sporting event coming through our region. Later this year, the area will host golf’s PGA Championship (May 14-17) and Major League Baseball’s All-Star weekend and the events that surround it from July 10-14.
But with a host of other events, happenings, places, and parties set for what’s expected to be quite the summer, consider this your guide to the city and what to do in addition to watching the world’s largest sporting event come through the City of Brotherly Love.
What to know about Philly
Our fair town is considered the birthplace of the United States, where the laws that govern this nation were signed and, for a while, was the nation’s capital. That changed on Nov. 17, 1800, when Washington was designated as the new capital.
National Park Service ranger James Benson uses an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independence while talking to visitors in the Assembly Room – where both the Declaration and the U.S. Constitution were signed – on the first floor of Independence Hall.
There are a host of iconic sites, but if you’re here for the first or want to explore, we offer a look at the best things to do around the city in addition to climbing the steps of the Art Museum, taking a picture at the foot of the Rocky statue or finding the best cheesesteak in town, the latter of which varies depending on who you ask and which neighborhood you’re in.
Oh, and our food scene is one of the best in the world. Hands down.
Here’s what’s great about Philly. We have a few diagonal arterials, but the Philly metro runs on a grid, with two major highways, I-76 (east-west) and I-95 (north-south), that can get you anywhere you want to go if you’re traveling by car.
If we’re talking about matchdays and getting down to Philadelphia Stadium — which, outside of the World Cup, is Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the city’s beloved NFL franchise, the Philadelphia Eagles — then SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system, is your best bet.
SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.
Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.
Spectators dance in the street as a Venezuelan dancers perform during the Wawa Welcome America Salute to Independence Day Parade in Philadelphia.
Other events coming to Philly
Here’s a highlight of just a few big events interspersed over the course of the three weeks the city will host World Cup group stage matches and the round of 16 match on July 4.
Wawa Welcome America: Philly’s annual celebration that features everything from free food, block parties, a concert, and, of course, fireworks. Oh, and it’s all free to attend. What does all that look like? Here’s what you can expect. 🗓️ June 19-July 4
What Now 2026: A five-week-long arts festival featuring works from a number of Philly artists across music, film, and, of course, art. 🗓️ May 27-July 4
America 250 at Penn: As part of a host of events, the University of Pennsylvania has an exhibit focusing on France, Haiti, and their touchpoints in our city. For any French or Haitian fans coming to town for those games who consider themselves history buffs, this might be worth checking out. 🗓️ Feb. 26-Sept. 4
What other events are on the schedule ahead this year? Take a look.
Where to watch the World Cup
Don’t have a ticket? All good.
In addition to the free FIFA Fan Festival coming to the historic grounds of Lemon Hill Mansion, Philly has a host of bars and restaurants that already serve as soccer hubs across the city. Last summer, we offered a list of the best 11 spots ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, and we can confirm that these will be the go-to places again ahead of this summer’s edition.
You’ll certainly find a soccer crowd at Brauhaus Schmitz, which was packed during the last World Cup.
We’re hearing that local host city organizers, Philadelphia Soccer 2026, in addition to the hometown Major League Soccer team, the Philadelphia Union, also are planning watch parties across the city.
Did you know …
That the first event at Lincoln Financial Field, er, sorry, “Philadelphia Stadium,” was a preseason friendly between European club giants Manchester United and Barcelona in 2003? One could say that Philly was built for soccer.
One cannot truly claim to understand American history without knowing African American history, and without understanding America’s complete history, we’re condemned to repeat past mistakes.
With that recent obfuscation in mind — and in celebration of Black History Month — I’d like to introduce readers to some little-known history from Philadelphia during World War II.
Philadelphia’s newspapers legally listed nonfederal defense job openings and apartment rentals by race.
Newsreels and movies about the iconic battles of Guadalcanal, Saipan, the Bulge, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa almost never featured any Black servicemen, but they were there.
Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr. was an army medic assigned to the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. The battalion’s job was to set up explosive-rigged balloons to deter German planes. At a time when the military was still segregated by race, the balloon battalion was the only African American combat unit to land on Normandy on June 6, 1944.
On D-Day, Overbrook High grad Waverly B. Woodson Jr., a Black combat medic who, despite being wounded, treated over 200 soldiers at an Omaha Beach field dressing station. After toiling for over 30 straight hours and being completely exhausted, he resuscitated three soldiers who had nearly drowned in the frigid waters off the English Channel.
In 1943, Milton R. Henry, a Philadelphia Tuskegee pilot, got into a confrontation with an armed white Montgomery, Ala., bus driver over being forced to sit in the back of a bus. Henry might have been murdered if not for the quick intervention of several white English pilots.
A Philadelphia Transit Co. (which would eventually become SEPTA) protest supporting Black trolley drivers enters Reyburn Plaza across from City Hall on Nov. 8, 1943.
In 1944, racists struck the Philadelphia Transit Co., SEPTA’s predecessor, and prevented workers from using trolleys, buses, and subways for several days. Worker absenteeism caused the loss of a million war matériel production hours. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered 5,000 troops to Philadelphia — instead of to Europe or the Pacific — to restart and guard its transit system.
First lady Eleanor Roosevelt got a flight over the Tuskegee Institute with C. Alfred Anderson at the controls.
Irrespective of the Tuskegee Airmen’s flying skills, after the war, none was hired by a commercial airline. Some pilots had received their initial training from Bryn Mawr native C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson. In March 1941, Anderson flew Eleanor Roosevelt around Tuskegee, Ala., which caused some War Department skeptics to reevaluate their initial hesitancy with Black pilot training.
In April 1945, 101 Tuskegee Airmen, including several Philadelphians, were arrested for disobeying an unlawful discriminatory order. The charges were quickly dropped, but administrative reprimands were placed in these officers’ 201 files.
Philadelphia native William T. Coleman, a summa cum laude University of Pennsylvania graduate, interrupted his Harvard Law School studies to serve as an Army Air Force officer. Honorably discharged, he returned to Harvard, graduated first in his class, and clerked for a federal appeals court judge and a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Armed with his very substantial résumé and glowing recommendations, he initially moved to New York — as no white Philadelphia firm would hire him.
Throughout the war, while Philadelphia-based Whitman’s Chocolates was producing millions of pounds of “Samplers,” it was also producing “Pickaninny Peppermints,” despite protests by the NAACP to remove the offensive slur from the product’s name.
The Woodside Amusement Park. The Fairmount Park Transit Co.’s trolley stopped at the park until the line closed in 1946.
Paul L. Newman is an amateur historian specializing in African American history of the first half of the 20th century. He has created a mini-series docudrama that highlights the events in this essay.
Philadelphia’s top lawmaker said he’s willing to hold up city funding to the Philadelphia School District over concerns about the recently released closure and consolidation plan, a warning that signals City Council intends to leverage its biggest bargaining chip as members fight to keep schools in their neighborhoods open.
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said in an interview Friday that multiple members oppose proposed closures in their districts, and some want more robust investments in schools slated for consolidation in exchange for their support.
Johnson’s primary concern, he said, is “making sure that the issues and concerns that we would like to see addressed with the facilities plan are reflected in the final recommendations.”
Asked if he’d be willing to hold up the city’s contribution to the school district if their concerns are not met, Johnson said: “If need be.”
Schools Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has proposed sweeping changes to schools across the city, including closing 20 schools, ordering six others to share buildings, and modernizing 159 buildings. His plan is subject to approval by the school board, which will likely vote sometime this winter.
Oz Hill (left), Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. (center), and Claire Landau at a news conference to announce plans for the first draft of the Philadelphia facilities master plan during a news conference at the Philadelphia School District Headquarters in Philadelphia on Jan. 20.
Johnson’s public insistence that Council members exercise veto power over parts of the district’s long-awaited facilities master plan is notable, and it raises the stakes ahead of a Feb. 17 hearing, during which every Council member will have the opportunity to question district officials about the proposal.
The Council president — a Democrat who is typically even-keeled and does not often speak publicly about legislative strategies — wields significant control over the fate of the city budget, which members must pass by the end of June. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker will unveil her proposed budget in March.
Local revenue and city funding made up about 40% of the district’s budget this year, or nearly $2 billion. Most of that is the district’s share of city property taxes which, unlike other school systems in Pennsylvania, are levied by the city and then distributed to the district.
In addition, the city makes a separate, direct contribution to the district, which this year was nearly $285 million.
Johnson’s opposition to elements of the plan could also position lawmakers somewhat at odds with Parker and Watlington. The pair have operated in lockstep since Watlington last month unveiled his proposal.
The plan did not appear to go over well in Council, with several members expressing immediate concerns. The day the plan was released publicly, Johnson endorsed another member’s legislation to amend the city’s governing document and grant Council power to remove members of the school board at will.
Councilmember Cindy Bass at City Council’s first session of the year on Jan. 23, 2025, in City Hall.
Some Council members said they plan to fight proposed closures and advocate for more investment in struggling schools.
Speaking at a meeting at Lankenau High School in Upper Roxborough last week, Councilmember Cindy Bass pushed back against the notion of closing Lankenau, a well-regarded magnet outside of her district, and other strong schools, including Fitler Academics Plus and Parkway Northwest in her district.
“When budget time comes up, I’ll be asking about these decisions that the school district is making,” Bass, a Democrat who represents parts of North and Northwest Philadelphia, told an emotional crowd of more than 100. “We don’t support them and we don’t understand them. They have not been rationalized.”
At Conwell Middle School in Kensington, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, a Democrat who represents the neighborhood, said she was “having a really hard time understanding how the decisions were made.”
Closing Conwell, a magnet school whose enrollment has fallen to just over 100 because of parent concerns over neighborhood safety, was particularly galling, Lozada said.
“We are saying to these families, ‘We are punishing them because, as a city, we can’t respond to the public safety issues that we have on the outside,’” Lozada said. “And that is just not fair.”
Johnson said he wanted to see a clear safety plan for students being asked to travel to schools in new neighborhoods.
He also floated rebuilding consolidated schools as “all-in-one” campuses that are co-located with parks, recreation centers, and other city services.
“It would be in the best interest of the school district and the school board to think outside the box in terms of how they move forward, besides just saying, ‘We’re going to be closing down schools,’” Johnson said. “And those are conversations that we’re having right now.”
Every World Cup is full of great stories, and Haiti will bring a lot to town this summer.
Les Grenadiers have qualified for their first men’s tournament since 1974, after not being able to play any of their home games in their own country because of political unrest. Their matchup against five-time champion Brazil in Philadelphia is one the nation really wanted because there are historic cultural and soccer ties between the countries.
But for as big as that game will be, there will be an even bigger story on the field for local soccer fans.
If Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques makes Haiti’s squad, and he will as long as he’s healthy, he’ll have the rare privilege of getting to play a World Cup game in his club’s home city. Not his home stadium, since the game will be played at the Eagles’ home in South Philly, but it’s still an amazing thing.
“I’m very happy to be playing here in Philly because I know the atmosphere,” Jean Jacques told The Inquirer earlier this year. “I think all the fans in Philly will come to support me, and it will be a pleasure to play here.”
The last time anyone from the Concacaf region, which covers North and Central America, played a men’s World Cup game in their home city was in 1986 in Mexico. There will be many opportunities for it to happen this summer, but Jean Jacques will be the only one with a chance to achieve the feat in Philadelphia.
Haiti’s World Cup schedule
(all times Eastern)
Saturday, June 13: vs. Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., (9 p.m., FS1)
Friday, June 19: vs. Brazil at Lincoln Financial Field (9 p.m., Fox29, tickets)
Wednesday, June 24: vs. Morocco in Atlanta, (6 p.m., FS1)
Haiti’s manager, Sébastien Migné, has never set foot in the country since taking the job in 2024. … Haiti is one of the countries currently under a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration. The team’s official delegation will be able to travel here, but fans who live in the country might not be able to. … Asked about the ban at the World Cup draw in December, Migné told reporters: “It depends on Mr. Trump.” … The largest populations of Haitian expatriates in North America are believed to be in New York, northern New Jersey, Miami, and Montreal. … Haiti’s best Concacaf Gold Cup run in the modern era was in 2019, when it made the semifinals. It won the title in 1973 and was runner-up in 1971 and ’77. … Though the nation’s men’s team hadn’t made a World Cup since 1974, its women’s team got there in 2023. Attacking midfielder Melchie Dumornay of French club OL Lyonnes is one of the world’s top young players.
Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques is expected to be a big piece of Haiti’s World Cup squad.
Three players to watch
Duke Lacroix: Here’s another Haiti story with a Philly angle, and this one might be even more surprising. Lacroix played at Penn from 2011 to 2014. Now 32, he has carved out a solid career in the second-tier USL Championship. A North Jersey native with Haitian ancestry, he earned his first national team cap in 2023.
Danley Jean Jacques: We’re mentioning him again here because it’s that big of a deal. He also could become the first active Union player to play in a World Cup game. Olivier Mbaizo was the first active Union player to make a World Cup roster, with Cameroon in 2022, but he didn’t get on the field.
Derrick Etienne Jr.: One of a few Haiti players with ties to MLS, Union fans have seen him plenty over his years with the New York Red Bulls, Atlanta, Columbus, and currently Toronto.
For a Haitian feast in Philly, get to Gou, says food writer Hira Qureshi: You’ll find fritay platters, flaky pâté pastries, griot, Rasta pasta, and hearty stews at this Olney BYOB. Crowd favorites include the zel poul (fried chicken wings glazed with mango-flavored Rhum Barbancourt, jerk seasoning, and Faye’s hot honey) and Gou’s signature plantain cups — crispy plantain shells with spicy pikliz slaw and generous heaps of shrimp, lambi (conch), oxtail, or griot.
Owned by husband-wife duo Imma and Emmanuel Laguerre and partner Yves Atoulon, Gou is one of the most exciting Caribbean restaurants in Philly’s dining scene, which is why you’ll find it on The 76, The Inquirer’s annual list of essential area restaurants. 📍5734 Old Second St., ☎️ 267-335-4176, instagram.com/gouphilly
SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.
Navigating Philly
The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.
Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.
Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.
Heading into the fifth World Cup in its history, Ecuador will kick off a plan to advance from the group stage for the second time right here in Philadelphia.
Ecuador reached the round of 16 in 2006, its second tournament appearance, but made group-stage exits in 2014 and 2022.
La Tri will contend with Germany, the Ivory Coast, and Curaçao for a spot in the knockout rounds. Bolstered by some emerging stars in Europe, will Ecuador be able to get out of its group and into the knockout stage?
Ecuador’s World Cup schedule
(All times Eastern)
June 14: vs. Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field (7 p.m., FS1, tickets)
June 20: vs. Curaçao in Kansas City, Mo. (8 p.m., FS1)
June 25: vs. Germany in East Rutherford, N.J. (4 p.m., Fox29)
Ecuadorian stalwart Enner Valencia could make his third appearance in a World Cup for his nation at age 36.
Fast facts
Ecuador is ranked 23rd in FIFA’s latest world rankings. … Ecuador’s best result at the Copa América is fourth place. It has accomplished that feat twice, most recently in 1993. Ecuador and Venezuela are the only South American nations without a Copa América championship. … Ecuador’s manager, Sebastián Beccacece, took over the role in August 2024. … the nation’s all-time leading scorer, 36-year old Enner Valencia, could make his third World Cup appearance for La Tri.
Three players to watch
Moisés Caicedo will feature in midfield for La Tri this summer. Caicedo is one of a few young Ecuadorian players who have emerged as key pieces for major European clubs. Caicedo, 24, has spent the last three seasons at Premier League club Chelsea, where he has been a fixture in defensive midfield. Caicedo has been just as important for his country, starting 16 of Ecuador’s World Cup qualifiers. Caicedo has already scored in a World Cup game, netting a goal in La Tri’s 2-1 loss to Senegal in 2022.
Willian Pacho (left) is considered one of the most talented defenders in the world.
Another young rising Ecuadorian star, Willian Pacho, is the team’s most talented defender. The centerback is in his second season at Paris Saint-Germain. Pacho started 23 matches for PSG in its Ligue 1-winning campaign last season and played every minute during the club’s run to winning the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League. Pacho also started all 18 World Cup qualifying matches for Ecuador, leading an Ecuadorian defense that allowed just five goals in those 18 matches.
Kendry Páez is Ecuador’s most exciting young attacker and is expected to make his World Cup debut this summer. After logging seven goals and three assists for Ecuadorian club Independiente as a 16-year old, Chelsea acquired the teenage phenom, who currently is on loan at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. Páez is 18 but will be 19 by the time Ecuador begins its World Cup campaign. This summer’s tournament could be a breakout moment for Páez, who will return to Chelsea at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Philly meets Ecuador moment
La Tri played a warmup friendly against Bolivia at Subaru Park in June 2024 ahead of the 2024 Copa América. Ecuador secured a 3-1 win over the Bolivians behind goals from Enner Valencia, John Yeboah, and Jordy Caicedo. Páez and Moisés Caicedo came on as substitutes for Ecuador.
Make sure you check out …
Support a local Ecuadorian business …
It’s a bit outside the city, but Rinconcito Restaurant and Bakery in Upper Darby is one of the most authentic spots for a good Ecuadorian meal. There’s a full menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, but our favorite are the soups, like the Caldo de Bolas, a beef and plantain soup that comes in a healthy portion (32 ounces).
Looking for a sweet treat? It’ll be summer, so consider trying one of their milkshakes, preferably the Maracuya (passionfruit) one. Delicious. 📍7001 W. West Chester Pike, Upper Darby. ☎️ 610-713-6313. elrinconcitoecuatoriano.com
SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.
Navigating Philly
The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.
Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train or trolley.
Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.
Ivory Coast will try to advance past the group stage for the first time in its history when it returns for its fourth World Cup this summer.
Les Éléphants made three straight World Cups after earning their first qualification in 2006, but all three appearances ended in the group stage. Ivory Coast missed the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, but it will make its return in 2026.
Ivory Coast will battle with Germany, Ecuador, and Curaçao to advance out of Group E, but with the expansion of the knockout stage from 16 to 32 teams, Les Éléphants will have their eyes on the nation’s first trip past the group stage.
Ivory Coast’s World Cup schedule
(All times Eastern)
June 14: vs. Ecuador at Lincoln Financial Field (7 p.m., FS1; tickets)
June 20: vs. Germany in Toronto (4 p.m., Fox29)
June 25: vs. Curaçao at Lincoln Financial Field (4 p.m., FS1; tickets)
Fast facts
Ivory Coast is ranked 37th in FIFA’s latest world rankings. … The country has won the African Cup of Nations three times, most recently as the host nation in 2023. … Emerse Faé will manage Ivory Coast at the World Cup. Faé took over as manager in the middle of the 2023 tournament, which was held in 2024. Jean-Louis Gasset resigned from his managerial duties after Les Éléphants finished third in their group.
Amad Diallo was a big part of Ivory Coast’s run in the African Cup of Nations in December. He is expected to guide the team in his World Cup debut this summer.
Players to watch
While his younger brother, Désiré Doué, draws a bigger spotlight for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, Guéla Doué will have an opportunity to grab some of that attention for himself with Ivory Coast this summer. Doué, a dual citizen of France and the Ivory Coast, plays club soccer for French club Strasbourg in Ligue 1. Doué should be the first-choice right back for Faé’s squad this summer, as he made four starts there at the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
Amad Diallo will be the attacking engine for the Ivory Coast this summer. Diallo was the leading goal scorer for Les Éléphants at the Africa Cup this winter, logging three goals and an assist while lining up in attack and midfield. Diallo, 23, recorded 16 goal contributions (goals and assists) for Manchester United in the English Premier League last season. He is set to make his World Cup debut this summer.
Ibrahim Sangaré likely will be another key piece of the Ivorian team for the World Cup. The defensive midfielder has made 52 appearances for his country after debuting as a 16-year old in 2014, including four starts in the 2023 Africa Cup. Sangaré, 28, has spent the last three seasons with EPL side Nottingham Forest, making 42 starts across all competitions. After helping Les Éléphants top its group in World Cup qualifying, Sangaré will get a chance to make his first appearance at the World Cup.
Philly meets Ivory Coast moment
Didier Drogba, an Ivorian icon and the nation’s all-time leading scorer, made his first start for Chelsea in a preseason friendly at Lincoln Financial Field in August 2004. Drogba, who scored 104 Premier League goals in nine seasons at Chelsea, scored in the first half to give Chelsea a 2-1 lead over AC Milan. Milan won the match, 3-2.
Drogba scored 65 goals for Ivory Coast, including the nation’s first World Cup goal in 2006. Drogba retired from international competition in 2014 but continued to play domestically, suiting up for Major League Soccer’s Montréal Impact (now CF Montréal) and the United Soccer League’s Phoenix Rising. He retired from club competition in 2018.
You should check out …
Ivory Coast-centric restaurants are in short supply in the Philadelphia region, but Inquirer critic Craig LaBan has a food pick for fans. He recommends Le Baobab in Southwest Philadelphia:
Jeanne Hien nearly lost everything when a kitchen fire tore through her small Woodland Avenue restaurant in 2021 and closed it down for a year. But Le Baobab is back, and so are some of Philly’s only takes on the cuisines of her husband’s homeland, Ivory Coast, and her own in neighboring Burkina Faso.
While the menu shares multiple dishes in common with countries across West Africa, the specialties here come off the grill — succulent halal lamb chops cut from the thigh, juicy chicken, and flavorful whole fish — each scented with a marinade of garlic and rich brown Maggi seasoning that’s smothered in a chunky onion sauce laced with bell peppers and tomatoes.
Order it with the fluffy couscous of fermented grated cassava called attiéké and a side of alloco, or sweet plantains fried to a tawny brown crisp. The restaurant is still takeout-only for now, but, going into its 18th year on Woodland Avenue, Hien aims to revive her 20-seat dining room for inside dining within the coming months. 📍Le Baobab, 5353 Woodland Ave., ☎️ 215-729-1074
SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.
Navigating Philly
The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.
Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.
Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.
Every World Cup has its underdogs, and this year’s edition will have more than most because it’s the first with 48 teams. But none will be quite like Curaçao.
It’s the smallest country ever to qualify for a men’s World Cup, by both population (just over 150,000 people) and land mass (171 square miles).
Long ago, as a Dutch territory and then part of the former Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao became its own nation in late 2010. In March 2011, it became an independent member of FIFA.
Since then, the country has grown in soccer by leveraging its connections to the Dutch diaspora to recruit dual-national players. That started to pay off in 2017, when Curaçao qualified for the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time. Two years later, the Blue Wave reached the quarterfinals, falling to the United States in Philadelphia.
This summer, it’ll be back at the same stadium, this time to play on soccer’s biggest stage of all.
Curaçao’s World Cup schedule
(all times Eastern)
June 14: vs. Germany in Houston (1 p.m., Fox29)
June 20: vs. Ecuador in Kansas City, Mo. (8 p.m., FS1)
June 25: vs. Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field (4 p.m., FS1, tickets)
Former Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius was born in the Netherlands and grew up in Curaçao from age 5.
Fast facts
If you’ve never seen Curaçao on a map, you might have heard of some of its neighbors. Aruba is 75 miles west over the Caribbean Sea, and Venezuela is around 40 miles south. … The squad’s veterans include brothers Juninho and Leandro Bacuna, both of whom have played in England and now play in the Netherlands and Turkey, respectively. … Curaçao’s most famous athletes traditionally have been baseball players. Notable major leaguers include Andruw Jones, Kenley Jansen, and former Phillie Didi Gregorius.
Manager Dick Advocaat is a legend of the sport who previously coached his native Netherlands, Russia, and a slew of club teams, including the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven and Scotland’s Rangers. But on Feb. 23, it was reported Advocaat would step down effective immediately due to personal reasons, which was reported to involve the deteriorating health of his daughter.
Advocaat will be replaced by fellow Dutchman in Fred Rutten, former manager of Dutch first teams Feyenoord, Anderlecht, and PSV Eindhoven.
Three players to watch
Eloy Room: One of a few Curaçao stalwarts with experience in MLS, he played for the Columbus Crew from 2019 to 2023 and backstopped the team’s MLS Cup title win in 2020. Forward Jürgen Locadia played down the road in Cincinnati from 2020 to 2021.
Ruben Kluivert: He hasn’t played for the Blue Wave yet, but the possibility that he might is big enough. His father is former Dutch superstar striker Patrick Kluivert, and one of his brothers is Justin Kluivert of English Premier League club Bournemouth. Ruben plays for French club Lyon and has considered committing to Curaçao. If he does, he’ll go right into the spotlight.
Tahith Chong: He grew up on the books of mighty Manchester United but never made it there. In 2023, he made it to the big time when he signed for Luton Town after the Hatters’ promotion to the Premier League. Now, he plays for Sheffield United in the second-tier Championship.
Curacao’s Roshon Van Eijma (center) guided the nation past Jamaica last year to qualify for its first-ever World Cup.
Curaçao’s Philly connection … sort of
It’s not direct, but if you’re a Union fan, it will matter to you. Curaçao topped Andre Blake’s Jamaica to win its World Cup qualifying group in the final game, a scoreless tie on Jamaica’s turf. If the Reggae Boyz had won that game, Blake may have gotten a World Cup homecoming after waiting so long to play in the tournament.
SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.
Navigating Philly
The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.
Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.
Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.
