Robert De Niro Crashed a Stranger's World Cup Party

In 2014, Robert De Niro shut down a movie production and took off to watch the World Cup with fans in a random Brooklyn apartment. This week, we look back at the Oscar-winning actor’s wild adventure to support the USMNT. Plus, we unveil our sprawling bus tour for the summer, examine Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Bernabéu, and more.

This week’s stories:

• 🚌 Our 2026 Summer Bus Tour!

• 🏟️ The Pope at the Bernabéu

• 📺 Robert De Niro Crashed a Stranger's World Cup Party

• ☁️ A Day of Soccer in the Bay

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
Our 2026 Summer Bus Tour!

From LA ➡️ NYC!!!

This summer, we’re embarking on our most ambitious bus journey yet. 40 days to get from Los Angeles to the grand final in New York/New Jersey. Just like our bus tour last year, which took us to 20 different cities across 14k miles, we’d like to keep things as spontaneous as possible and let you dictate the spots we visit.

Here are some of the cities we have in our plans: Los Angeles, Kansas City, St Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and New York City.

Tell us about communities you think we should meet, local soccer places we need to pull up to, and stories we should uncover in these destinations!

And as many of you know, our beloved 1998 school bus-turned-mobile soccer museum can be a bit “temperamental,” so we’ll keep things flexible to make sure we hit as many incredible soccer cities as possible along the way.

Keep an eye out for details on our first stop, coming very soon here 👀

CULTURE
The Pope at the Bernabéu

American-born Pope Leo XIV visited Real Madrid’s stadium yesterday to address thousands of Catholic worshippers.

Following prayers, hymns, and readings, the Pope delivered a soccer-themed message that drew a warm reaction from all those present.

“For a football player, scoring a goal in this stadium is something that marks your life,” he said. “Today the Church of Madrid has scored a goal for good.”

One thing I was not expecting, though, was to see the Pope with the Champions League trophy…

COVER STORY
Robert De Niro Crashed a Stranger's World Cup Party

Imagine getting this email on a random weekday morning:

"Our lead actor, Robert De Niro, would very much like to watch the World Cup game, today at 12p. Would it be possible to place a small portable satellite on the building rooftop ASAP and run a cable to the street to help facilitate this request?"

That’s exactly what some residents in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood received in their inbox back in 2014 ahead of the USMNT’s pivotal World Cup clash against Germany.

De Niro was in the neighborhood filming a movie with Anne Hathaway, but apparently, he was desperate to catch this game.

So much so that when production was unable to find a way for De Niro to watch the game, the iconic Hollywood actor decided to join a house of people who had the match on.

Production stopped for about 90 minutes, and the Oscar-winning actor was able to enjoy the game alongside his random new friends on the block.

Overall, it’s pretty awesome to know De Niro loves soccer enough to shut down production to support the USMNT. But really, who doesn’t wanna blow off work to watch the World Cup?

We’ve all tried to at least once in our lives…

TOURISM
A Day of Soccer in the Bay

Over the weekend, we had the chance to spend 24 hrs in the Bay Area, so we tried to come up with a straightforward itinerary for anyone who’ll be rolling through for the World Cup.

From venturing amidst eucalyptus trees to watch Foggy (the chill dude pictured above) getting crowds pumped up at SF City FC games, to playing pickup at one of the coolest facilities in the country, these are three things you HAVE to try if you’re in town this summer.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know your thoughts—we’ll feature your best answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Thunderbolt: Take a bow. What a hit by Robinson against Germany. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s this banger from over the weekend!

Rattled: The Swiss National Team is on high alert for this unusual danger at their World Cup base…

German Road Warrior: This German fan is having the time of his life exploring the American South. The beauty of the World Cup!

Chipotle: Pro tip, wear a jersey to Chipotle on Thursday and get a bogo.

The Showdown: Scenes from Steve Nash’s favorite day of soccer in NYC!

FASHION
VOYCENOW World Cup Collection

VOYCENOW has launched its latest limited-edition collection ahead of the World Cup!

Inspired by a season of passion, pride, and possibility, this special drop represents a way to make an impact beyond just apparel.

VOYCENOW was founded by pro players Zack Steffen and Alex Crognale with the goal of providing equal access to resources and opportunities for at-risk youth across the United States. Every purchase from this collection goes straight into the foundation to help support that work and empower the next generation to pursue their potential.

The collection is available for a limited time only right here!

LAW
Texas Artist Sues FIFA

The artist who painted a giant mural on a building in downtown Dallas of life-sized swimming whales filed a $25 million lawsuit against FIFA, claiming that they illegally painted over his work to promote the city’s upcoming World Cup matches.

The mural had stood for nearly three decades before workers began painting over it last month.

Here are all the details, courtesy of the great Pablo Maurer, for the Guardian.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: How far will we go at the World Cup? Here are some of your answers:

• “I think Round of 16 is the most balanced answer. If things go bad, we could go out in Rof32, but let's hope it doesn't happen. We could also make it to the QF depending on the draw (after all, it’s just 1 more round than in Qatar 22), but it’s unlikely imo.” - Dario

• “Round of 16. Why not us?” - Meghan

The poll results came in at 76% for “Round of 16,” followed by “Round of 32” with 17%.

I’m on the Round of 16 train for sure, but there is something in me that believes we can really make the quarters. Call it World Cup fever, but my optimism is sky-high at the moment.

UP NEXT
Headed to Los Angeles

Writing this one from Highway 1 in California, on our way down from SF to LA! We chose to take the scenic route, and it’s one of the most beautiful drives I think we’ve ever done.

Super excited for some big stuff planned this week in Los Angeles… stay tuned!

Onwards!!

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo