Happy Thursday in the smokehouse, where the weather today is better suited for tanning animal hides than human skin.

It’s been a fun summer of sporting events in the city, but the festivities will soon be coming to a close. Yesterday, Argentina beat England in Atlanta to advance to the World Cup final at “New York/New Jersey Stadium,” also known as MetLife, in East Rutherford. They will face off against Spain in a battle between the South American champions and the European champions for the first time in history. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. EST.

There are a number of exciting storylines to follow in this match. Will 39-year-old Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest to ever put boot to ball, manage to add one more feather to his overstuffed cap in what is likely his last appearance on the World Cup stage? Or will 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, thought to be Messi’s heir apparent as the face of the sport, snatch this juiciest of prizes away?

Sunday’s final whistle will bring the curtain down on a legendary run of live events in the New York area. From the NY Knicks championship run to the Swift-Kelce wedding to the July 4th flotilla to the World Cup, this city has been treated to a parade of spectacles not likely to be matched anytime soon.

There will be no shortages of opportunities to watch the game live. Take a walk from Jamaica, Queens to Washington Heights, keep walking across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Midwest and the country, hop on a boat in San Francisco and sail to China, walk clear across the Eurasian landmass, and, for good measure, take a detour to every other continent on the planet before flying back to JFK, and you aren’t likely to find a bar with a working television that isn’t showing this game. And if that doesn’t work for you, you can attend one of the city’s many live watch parties across the city or catch the action on one of the 200 LinkNYC kiosks.

Or, you could always choose not to join the rest of the 1.5 billion of us and opt not watch the game at all.

And you thought that presentation you gave at work was pressure.

Large crowds formed for the opening of Hobby Box’s new flagship store at 2600 Flatbush Ave. on Sunday, July 12.

The store specializes in sports cards, memorabilia, trading card games and collectibles. Yoni Sarfaty, 38, and his brother and business partner, Sammie Sarfaty, 36, own the store.

The duo outgrew their previous space at 2913 Quentin Rd. and relocated to the former Sam Ash building across from Kings Plaza.

A close childhood friend of the brothers, Mitchell Partnow, now helps out with the business. He told the Brooklyn Eagle that both brothers are community- and family-oriented.

“They want to be mainstays and partners in the community, not just a business that came into the community, made their money and left,” Partnow said. “They want to give back to the community wherever they can partner.”

Read on to learn more.

The PREMIUM tag indicates articles that come with extra photographs or special coverage. Thinking of a subscription? Try us out with a day pass for just 99 cents. No long-term commitment for a subscription.

Got a tip? Send it in to [email protected].