The 2026 World Cup has witnessed an unusual number of own goals in its opening 10 days, with seven already recorded, making it the second-highest tally in tournament history. The United States has benefited from two such incidents. This trend is notable given the tournament's expansion and could surpass the 2018 record of 12 own goals. Several players from different nations have contributed to this statistic, highlighting a peculiar aspect of the early matches.
Iran's national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the US on the days of its three FIFA World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament.
South Africa will look to bounce after a 2-0 loss to co-hosts Mexico in their opening FIFA World Cup match.
The Iranian football team is facing significant travel restrictions in the US during the World Cup, requiring them to enter and leave within 24 hours of matches. This has led the Football Federation of Iran to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, citing concerns over fair play and technical preparation, while US authorities maintain the measures are for safety and security.
Brazil is facing significant defensive challenges, particularly at right-back, ahead of their World Cup opener against Morocco.
At the Iran-Belgium FIFA World Cup match, least one attendee wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt was detained for trying to run onto the pitch and Iranian player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said after the match that he doesn't want to keep focusing on the challenging situations faced by his team.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed that the US will continue to assess Iran's travel arrangements for the tournament despite their complaints about restrictions.
US President Donald Trump announced that a deal to end the war with Iran would be signed on Sunday, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz immediately becoming 'open to all'. This follows indications from Pakistan that negotiations were in their final stages, though Iran has yet to comment on the timeline.
Ten-man Belgium dominated possession but could not break down a disciplined Iranian defence, with goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand producing a string of saves to preserve the result in the Group G encounter.
Iran's coach and their key player said the national team will strive to bring joy and unity to Iranian people around the world, despite war and other tensions making their FIFA World Cup adventure uniquely challenging.
For Iran's team, the FIFA World Cup has been marred by fraught politics at home, the war with the US, and tensions over whether they would actually be able to set foot on US soil to play their games.
Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are overcoming power cuts, poor internet and ongoing insecurity to follow the FIFA World Cup, finding brief moments of joy and escape amid the hardships of war and displacement.
Iran's national soccer team attended visa appointments in Ankara, Turkey, applying for Canadian visas and some players also submitting applications for US entry ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Morocco outmuscled Scotland for a 1-0 win thanks to the tournament's fastest goal on Friday, taking control of Group C in the World Cup and moving into top spot with one match left to play.
Karandeep Kochhar, in excellent form with three top-10 finishes this season, will lead a 10-member Indian contingent at the USD 2 million International Series Morocco golf tournament. He will be joined by other prominent Indian golfers including Anirban Lahiri.
Hours after warning that the United States could strike Iran "very hard tonight", President Donald Trump announced to halt planned military action, despite earlier threats to target Kharg Island and other key Iranian oil facilities.
'Actual implementation of the 14-point agreement is proving hard to achieve let alone striking and sustaining a long-term treaty or deal.'
Iran's national soccer team, currently training in Tijuana, Mexico, will be able to enter the US the day before each of their three World Cup matches, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.
'Producers were ready to pay me obscene amounts of money because after Rangeela, they thought if they took A R Rahman and Ahmed Khan, the film would be a hit.' 'There were no imported cars then, no mobile phones or online shopping, no house to run or any big kharcha. I was rocking!'
Egypt become third African country to qualify for World Cup
Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up behind closed doors in Turkey on Thursday before departing for their tournament base in Mexico on Saturday.
New Zealand defender Tim Payne's social media profile has exploded over the last few days after an Argentine influencer decided he was the least known player at the World Cup.
Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra would hope that his lengthy injury-forced absence from competition does not affect his rhythm when he returns to action against an in-form line-up of heavyweight rivals in the familiar environs of the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with Iran were 'proceeding nicely' and argued that several Muslim and Arab nations should formally recognise Israel and join the Abraham Accords once a deal is reached.
Iran's football federation announced its World Cup ticket allocation has been revoked just days before the tournament, leaving many fans unable to attend.
India's Abhay Singh lost a thrilling five-game match to Egypt's Youssef Ibrahim in the second round of the El Gouna Open.
Donald Trump asked countries involved in the peace talks with Iran to sign on to the Abraham Accords, which deal with establishing diplomatic, economic and security ties between Israel and Arab nations.
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.
Al-Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy was handed a four-match ban after striking a referee on the head following a 1-1 draw with Ceramica Cleopatra, the Egyptian Pro League said on Thursday.
Iran's World Cup campaign has left many Iranian-Americans torn between supporting Team Melli and opposing the country's leadership, highlighting deep divisions within Los Angeles' influential Iranian diaspora.
The 34-year-old Neymar faces two to three more weeks on the sidelines.
A US-Iran memorandum of understanding is set to be signed, outlining sanctions relief, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a 60-day negotiation window for Iran's uranium enrichment, but US President Donald Trump has underscored the deal's conditional nature, warning of military action if Tehran fails to comply.
Abhay Singh of India secured a significant victory against Egyptian world No. 13 Aly Abou Eleinen at the Grasshopper Cup squash tournament in Zurich, advancing to his first PSA Gold-level event quarterfinal.
Indian squash player Abhay Singh lost a close five-game match to Egypt's Youssef Ibrahim in the second round of the El Gouna Open, a PSA Platinum event.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, according to a presidential aide.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a US-Iran peace deal is on the verge of finalisation, potentially within the next 24 hours, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough after months of intense negotiations.
Brazilian football star Neymar remains optimistic about his participation in the FIFA World Cup despite a recent calf injury. He dismisses concerns about his fitness, even though he has been benched for his club Santos' last three matches. Brazil's medical staff is taking precautions, and it is unlikely that Neymar will be fit to play in the warm-up games against Panama and Egypt.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
India's Veer Chotrani was defeated by Egypt's Mostafa Asal in the second round of the World Squash Championships, ending India's participation in the tournament.
Neymar has suffered a minor calf injury but is expected to recover in time to join Brazil's camp next week ahead of the World Cup starting on June 11 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
