From an unlikely goalkeeper to a chance at redemption

They are not immediately apparent. You have to look hard to find them. The bloat of the schedule, the price of the tickets and the exasperation of mid-game commercial breaks nearly saps the joy, and a ball has yet to be kicked.

And yet, if you really strain, you can just about see them: the good things.

Yes, there will be storylines at the upcoming World Cup that compel attention for all the right reasons — the father who put family first; the unlikeliest of goalkeepers; a mayor who met the moment; a legend’s chance at redemption; a tribute that will leave a tear in your eye.

They’re there, and over the next two months they’ll no doubt be joined by other figures, other moments that will inspire, that will dare us to look at them while so much else provokes outrage, or at least annoyance.

Maybe that’s how we’ll get through it. Maybe the good things we’ll strain to see will atone for a tournament that has so far given us more dread than hope.

Here are five of them.

Family first

Back in November, Dick Advocaat guided Curaçao — a Caribbean constituent of the Netherlands, about the size of the Island of Montreal — to a first ever World Cup finals. Then he stepped down. The 78-year-old manager needed to care for his ailing daughter.

“I’ve always said that family comes before football,” he said in a statement. “This is therefore a natural decision.”

A few months later, and his daughter’s health improving (he has kept the details private), Advocaat returned to the Curaçao helm this month. On June 14, he and his players will open their Group E schedule against Germany. Upon the opening whistle, he will be the oldest manager in World Cup history.

Unlikely goalkeeper

Josué Duverger was born in Montreal. Ten years ago, the Canadian U-17s had a look at him, but his heart was elsewhere. In 2017 he made his international debut for Haiti, the country of his parents’ birth.

Now 26, Duverger has paid his dues in the lower leagues of Portugal and Germany. He currently back-stops FC Cosmos Koblenz in the fifth tier of German football, which drew 80 spectators to its home match against SV Gonsenheim in early May. He is also headed to the World Cup.

Haiti booked its place in the tournament after topping a qualification group that included Honduras and Costa Rica. And when manager Sébastien Migné named his squad last weekend, Duverger — a most unlikely international goalkeeper — was on it.

Meeting the moment

As if eliminating his city’s US$12 billion deficit, securing record childcare funding and launching publicly-owned grocery stores wasn’t enough, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has somehow strong-armed FIFA into making World Cup matches affordable for thousands of his citizens.

For the price of US$50 (more than 20 times less than the average price), 1,000 New Yorkers will gain access to seven games at MetLife Stadium, including England-Panama, Brazil-Morocco and Ecuador-Germany. The tickets will be made available via public lottery starting Monday.

To date, no other host city in the United States, Canada or Mexico has bothered to fight FIFA for fairness on this scale.

Chance at redemption

As a youngster coming through the ranks at Santos — Pelé’s club — it was often taken for granted that Neymar would lead Brazil into another period of international dominance. Needless to say, it hasn’t worked out like that.

The forward’s performances at club level did earn him third-place finishes in Ballon d’Or voting in 2015 and 2017, which isn’t bad when you consider that the players ahead of him on both occasions were Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But for Brazil, it just didn’t happen.

Then there was his ill-advised move to Al-Hilal and humble return to Santos. Meanwhile, the injuries and personal dramas piled up. He was left off multiple Brazil squads.

But now, aged 34, and to many people’s surprise, Neymar is back. Recalled to the national team by Carlo Ancelotti, he’s been given one last shot. His career has taken its twists and turns, but at the 2026 World Cup he’ll have a chance to put a lot of things right.

Emotional tribute

When Portugal named its squad on Wednesday, the player at the heart of the team was included on the list. Tragically, he will only be at the World Cup in spirit.

Last June, Diogo Jota was killed in a car accident, along with his brother. He had recently celebrated a UEFA Nations League championship, which followed hot on the heels of his Premier League title with Liverpool. He’d no doubt have been part of the team taken to North America this summer.

As a tribute, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez named a squad of “27+1,” ensuring Jota’s memory would not be forgotten.

“He is our strength and our joy,” Martinez told TNT Sports. “Losing Diogo was an unforgettable and incredibly painful moment, but the following day was a responsibility for all of us to fight for Diogo’s dream.”

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