Cape Verde rarely played international football some 25 years ago but now head to next year's finals in North America as one of the nine African representatives.
Miguel Almiron became the first player sent off at the World Cup for violating a new rule against covering mouths during confrontations. His dismissal left Paraguay with 10 men, but they still secured a 1-0 victory over Turkey, keeping their World Cup hopes alive while eliminating Turkey. The incident has sparked debate among coaches about the impact of new rules on the game's essence.
The teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Defending champions India will open their campaign against USA in Mumbai on February 7 before facing Namibia in Delhi on February 12.
US President Donald Trump, who has campaigned aggressively this year for a Nobel Peace Prize, was given FIFA's inaugural peace prize for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in some of the world's biggest hotspots.
From Mumbai to Colombo: Venues to host ICC Women's World Cup 2025
"I'll give everything I have to represent Algeria in the best possible way."
Belgium have their full squad available for the Round of 32 match against Senegal but are not taking Senegal for granted, said coach Rudy Garcia.
The following is a list of teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino praised his team's collective effort after their historic 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their World Cup opener. Folarin Balogun scored two goals, a first for a U.S. player since 1930, though Christian Pulisic's calf injury raised concerns. Pochettino credited extended training time for the team's strong start.
Former India coach WV Raman believes the current women's team is the strongest in the country's history and has all the ingredients to win a maiden T20 World Cup, provided the pace attack delivers in key moments.
The 2026 T20 World Cup is likely to be played from February 7 to March 8 with matches spread across at least five venues in India and two in Sri Lanka.
The 13th edition of the global showpiece event, beginning on September 30, is being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt in their World Cup opener after Romelu Lukaku's second-half introduction led to an own goal. Egypt had taken an early lead through Emam Ashour, and despite Belgium's numerous chances, they struggled to equalise until Lukaku's impact. Both coaches reflected on the match, with Belgium's coach highlighting the importance of their next game against Iran, and Egypt's coach feeling his side was closer to victory.
In one of the biggest upsets ever seen at the World Cup, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved the efforts of Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade before Jonathan Tah fired over the bar, paving the way for Jose Canale to blast home the decisive spot kick.
Argentina secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in their World Cup last-32 encounter, which extended into extra time. An own goal in the 111th minute ultimately decided the match, sending the reigning champions into the last 16 where they will face Egypt.
FIFA is expected to keep the scheduled kickoff for Mexico's World Cup Round of 16 clash against England at the Estadio Azteca despite weather concerns, as the hosts prepare to defend their formidable home record.
Argentina start their bid for back-to-back World Cups on Tuesday with a side full of familiar faces from Qatar 2022, facing an Algerian team buoyed by warm-up wins and featuring a 20-year-old rising star nicknamed after Diego Maradona.
Belgium, who missed a slew of scoring chances against Iran on Sunday, have taken only two points from their opening two matches despite entering the tournament as favourites to progress from the group.
Thirty-two teams that qualified for the 2006 Football World Cup Finals in Germany were on Friday drawn into eight groups.
Middle-order batter Rinku Singh has returned home from Chennai due to a family emergency, raising concerns about his availability for India's crucial Super 8s match against Zimbabwe.
Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has said he hopes to continue playing until the 2027 World Cup as he prepares to make his return for his country in the three-match One-Day International series against England, which starts on Sunday.
As New Delhi prepares to host the BWF World Championships from August 17-23, 2026, five young talents - Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Alwi Farhan, Tomoka Miyazaki, and Kalyana Nalbantova - are identified as potential breakout stars capable of challenging the sport's biggest names and redefining their careers.
'Thank you Los Angeles for your hospitality'
Iran's football coach, Amir Ghalenoei, has strongly criticised the United States for imposing travel restrictions on his team during the World Cup, claiming it unfairly hampered their preparation and performance.
Algeria rallied to eliminate debutants Jordan and keep their Round of 32 hopes alive at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
FIFA has dismissed Belgium's challenge regarding the eligibility of US striker Folarin Balogun, upholding the controversial decision to suspend his one-match ban ahead of the World Cup Round of 16 clash, despite the US ultimately losing 4-1 to Belgium and being eliminated.
India's Women's T20 World Cup campaign ended in another group-stage exit, putting Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy under scrutiny and exposing issues with team selection, batting approach, bowling balance and fielding that could trigger a major reset.
Cape Verde pulled off a stunning 2-2 draw against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that star forward Neymar is fully fit for the World Cup but acknowledged the player's frustration over limited game time. Ancelotti praised Neymar's character and confirmed he can play a full 90 minutes, indicating he will be deployed when the team needs him.
Ahead of England's World Cup clash in Mexico, discover the remarkable 200-year-old story of how Cornish miners introduced football and the famous Cornish pasty to the country, shaping Mexico's sporting and cultural identity.
Thousands of Scottish football supporters, known as the Tartan Army, took a break from the World Cup in Boston to attend a baseball game at Fenway Park. They marched with bagpipes and sang their national anthem, bringing their vibrant fan culture to the Boston Red Sox game after their team's recent victory.
The United States' World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA made the unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's automatic red-card ban, clearing the striker to face Belgium in Monday's last-16 clash after US President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
The jubilant Norwegians edged Senegal 3-2 to reach the last 32 and then celebrated by taking part in a "Viking row" on the pitch.
Champions League winners Paris St Germain crushed fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid 4-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday to get their Club World Cup campaign off to a winning start.
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi will not participate in the upcoming World Cup match against Germany in Canada.
Nora Fatehi has successfully transitioned to the global stage, with her FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem Siir Siir becoming a viral hit, especially following Morocco's impressive draw against Brazil.
Cristiano Ronaldo called for unity ahead of Portugal's crucial World Cup clash against Uzbekistan, while teammate Ruben Dias dismissed criticism of the veteran forward following a difficult tournament opener.
Maxi Araujo scored a late equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Uruguay in their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, preventing another stunning upset in Group H after Spain's earlier goalless draw with Cape Verde.
