FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom will meet Iranian FA officials in Istanbul to offer reassurance over Iran's participation in the World Cup, amidst concerns raised by recent geopolitical tensions and visa issues.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday her government agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico during the World Cup, adding that the United States did not want to host the team.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is set to be football's largest tournament but will unfold against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tensions, including conflicts, strained alliances, and complex immigration policies, challenging its traditional role as a symbol of global unity.
Iran hosted a large send-off rally for its World Cup team in Tehran, despite ongoing concerns about visa issues for entry into the United States, where the team is scheduled to play its group matches.
Despite the World Cup returning to their country for the first time in four decades, many in Mexico said they feel excluded, priced out of stadiums, forced to pay for expensive TV subscriptions and constrained by strict licensing rules.
Climate change has increased the likelihood of temperatures high enough to affect player performance at 97 of the 104 tournament matches.
Millions of soccer fans in the world's two most populous nations may not be able to watch the World Cup that starts next month, due to a deadlock over broadcast rights in India and no official decision in China.
Iran's participation in this year's World Cup has been called into question after co-hosts the United States launched joint air strikes at the country along with Israel at the weekend.
With hot weather due and memories fresh of the scorching 2025 Club World Cup, FIFA has for the first time mandated three-minute hydration breaks in each half for all 104 matches of the World Cup starting this week in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
"Excited to bring world's biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences": Zee CEO Punit Goenka after securing FIFA broadcasting rights till 2034
Several soccer games in Mexico were postponed due to violence following a military operation and the reported death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, alias "El Mencho."
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday raised tariffs on Canada by 10 per cent, over and above the already-imposed tariffs, due to the 'fraudulent' advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan that was broadcast during the MLB World Series.
The US-China rapprochement, however tenuous, is not without implications for India. Both China and Pakistan have become closer to the US, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Guadalajara violence postpones matches, FIFA monitoring World Cup host city
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
'Infertility and reproductive health challenges, much like other chronic conditions, are rising globally.'
SKYTRAX's annual airport rankings for 2026, based on a global passenger poll, placed four Indian gateways within the top 100. Delhi moved up to 28th and led the India-South Asia region, while Hyderabad climbed to 43rd and earned praise for staff service. Goa and Mumbai improved to 64th and 66th respectively.
The gold and currency had arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland, to Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has been left out of the squad for World Cup warm-ups amid reports of expulsion over alleged disloyalty, sparking controversy.
Iran's men's national soccer team wore black armbands and held schoolbags as their anthem played ahead of a match in Turkey on Friday, in what a team official said was a protest over the killing of schoolgirls on the first day of the Iran war.
Iran's football federation is in discussions with FIFA about moving their World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico due to concerns about the safety of their players, Iranian football president Mehdi Taj said.
Iraq's participation in the inter-confederation play-offs in Mexico that will decide two berths at this year's FIFA World Cup is in doubt because of the travel chaos triggered by the conflict in neighbouring Iran.
The Olympic freestyle skiers and snowboarders who flip, spin and twist high above the Alps might look fearless, but they say the reality is very different. Fear is part of the job, and they feel it every day.
Sardar Azmoun, one of Iran's top football players, has been expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government, Iranian media has reported.
The 'Finalissima' match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged its citizens to immediately depart from several Middle Eastern countries, citing "serious safety risks."
IndiGo operator InterGlobe Aviation had a mildly encouraging third quarter in financial year 2026 (Q3FY26).
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
The driver of the SUV that fatally struck Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathoner, has been arrested. Amritpal Singh Dhillon, 26, was apprehended and his vehicle seized. The incident occurred on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway in Punjab's Jalandhar district.
Captain Shambhavi Pathak, a pilot with VSR Ventures, was among those killed in the Learjet 45 crash in Baramati, Maharashtra. Her family in Delhi is devastated by the loss.
The Canadian government and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have confirmed they are investigating a possible terror threat.
'The day tilkut gets the GI tag, it will be a big hit for its health benefits during the cold season in the USA, Canada and Europe.'
Air India and Air India Express on Tuesday progressively resumed their services to the Middle East, with flights to Dubai and Muscat, respectively, as countries in the region reopened their airspaces.
2025 was a period of profound transformation across the globe. From historical leadership changes in the United States and the Vatican to groundbreaking scientific achievements and rising geopolitical tensions, these events reshaped international relations.
Despite ongoing tension between the two countries on the issue of extremism, Bezirgan said he expects warmer ties henceforth as Carney has invited Prime Minister Modi for the G7 Summit.
The Natural History Museum, London, has officially unveiled the 24-image shortlist for the 2026 Nuveen People's Choice Award. This prestigious contest, a key part of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and supported by lead sponsor Nuveen, invites the public to decide which image will be crowned the winner.
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
Play was briefly interrupted during the women's doubles semifinal of the ongoing India Open Super 750 tournament on Saturday after some "particles from the bird's nest" fell on the court.
'No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan.' 'The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence.
The Canadian Air Force aircraft is ferrying 191 stranded passengers of an Air India flight from Iqaluit airport has landed in Chicago.
