Mexico have failed to progress beyond the Round of 16 for the last 32 years. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, they hope to finally end the 'quinto partido' curse.
Lionel Messi sparked injury concerns after he left the field in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami CF's 6-4 victory over Philadelphia Union
Spain arrive into their Group H clash against Saudi Arabia needing a sharper attacking display after being held to a shock 0-0 draw by World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their opening match in Atlanta.
Cape Verde pulled off a World Cup shock by holding Spain to a 0-0 draw in the opening game of Group H on Monday, where the European champions and one of the tournament favourites could find no way past the debutants and their keeper Vozinha.
Canada secured its first-ever World Cup victory with a dominant 6-0 win, but the celebration was marred by a severe leg injury to midfielder Ismael Kone. Kone suffered a broken leg after a tackle from Qatar's Assim Madibo, an incident that left his teammates and coach Jesse Marsch deeply shaken. The injury is a significant blow to Canada's World Cup campaign, despite their strong position in Group B.
For the expanded 2026 tournament, FIFA has gone a step further and introduced an extra amnesty for yellow cards, effectively wiping the slate clean twice.
Toronto will hand out free soccer-themed condoms during the FIFA World Cup as part of a public health campaign promoting safer sex and sexual health awareness.
France's formidable attack has propelled them through the World Cup group stage, but coach Didier Deschamps is focused on resolving issues on the team's left side before their Round of 32 match against Sweden.
The FIFA Fan Festival in Toronto was cancelled due to lightning risk, disappointing fans on the eve of Canada's first World Cup game.
Croatia secured their first points in the World Cup Group L by defeating Panama 1-0, thanks to a second-half goal from substitute Ante Budimir. The victory eliminated Panama from the tournament. The match also saw captain Luka Modric achieve his 200th cap for Croatia.
Spain have gone 33 matches unbeaten and faced opponents of every kind along the way, which is why defender Aymeric Laporte is not losing sleep over what Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay might bring to their World Cup Group H clash.
Nicolas Pepe justified his World Cup selection with two goals on Thursday, coming out of the cold to restore his reputation as a key striker for the Ivory Coast.
The mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will finally get to watch her son play at the World Cup after receiving a visa to travel to the United States, following his tearful revelation that she missed his heroics against Spain due to travel issues.
Brazil forward Neymar will not travel with the squad for their second World Cup group game against Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday as he continues to recover from a calf injury, the Brazilian football association said.
Turkey secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over the United States in their FIFA World Cup Group D encounter, scoring a 99th-minute winner. The USA twice came from behind, with goals from Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter, but late heroics from Kaan Ayhan sealed the win for Trkiye after earlier goals from Arda Gler and Bar Alper Ylmaz. Despite the loss, the United States had already qualified for the knockout stage.
South Africa will look to bounce after a 2-0 loss to co-hosts Mexico in their opening FIFA World Cup match.
Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman stood by his tactical decisions and substitutions after Japan struck late to earn a 2-2 draw in their opening Group F match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday.
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry into Canada for a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Panama due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK, where he faces rape and sexual assault charges. Canada's Federal High Court upheld the visa refusal, despite Ghana's government calling the decision "extremely unfair" and questioning the reliance on unproven allegations.
Mexico will kick off their home World Cup campaign against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, carrying the pressure of fan expectations and a strong unbeaten run.
Switzerland found the keys to break down a resolute Bosnia and Herzegovina defence with four late goals in a 4-1 win thanks to a brace from Johan Manzambi and further strikes from fellow substitute Ruben Vargas and captain Granit Xhaka with a penalty.
Former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has apologised to Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann for a comment regarding the team's lineup ahead of their 7-1 World Cup Group E opening victory over Curacao on Sunday after it triggered a furore back home.
The Portugal squad are shutting out criticism of the team and captain Cristiano Ronaldo following an underwhelming draw in their World Cup opener against Democratic Republic of Congo, defender Ruben Dias said on Friday.
Neymar offered Brazil a flicker of World Cup encouragement on Tuesday when he trained on the pitch with the national team in the United States for the first time.
Norway's success at the World Cup has triggered euphoria at home, but the team's trademark "Viking row" celebration is beginning to test the patience of their Scandinavian neighbours, drawing shrugs from Sweden and envy from Denmark.
Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe showcased their exceptional talent in recent World Cup matches, each scoring multiple goals. Despite recent dips in form or career stages, these football superstars proved their enduring prowess, with Mbappe becoming France's all-time top scorer and Messi achieving his first World Cup hat-trick.
Curacao fans will have woken up the morning after still a little hurt by the 7-1 defeat to Germany in their World Cup debut on Sunday, but the result has not dampened their spirit or their delight at a first global finals for the tiny island nation.
With a dazzling hat-trick against Algeria, Lionel Messi once again defied age, expectations and logic at the World Cup, prompting coach Lionel Scaloni to call his performances "inexplicable" and admit he is simply no longer surprised by the Argentine legend's brilliance.
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.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was not too keen to discuss it on Thursday but finally conceded he was very happy his mother had obtained a U.S. visa and would be able to watch him play against Uruguay in the World Cup this weekend.
South Africa scored a penalty seven minutes from fulltime as they fought back to draw 1-1 with the Czechia at the World Cup on Thursday after falling behind early in the Group A clash.
Curacao and Cape Verde, two of the smallest nations globally, have achieved an unprecedented feat by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.
Anthony Elanga's equaliser helped Sweden qualify for the World Cup's round of 32 following a 1-1 draw with Japan, but while his teammates were celebrating the result, the striker collapsed on the ground in frustration thinking they had not qualified.
Across World Cup co-host Mexico, soccer pitches are laid out wherever communities can find the space. On the edges of towns, on highway underpasses, and even in a volcano crater, spaces are cleared that allow the young and the old to share in the dream of the beautiful game.
Julian Quinones gave hosts Mexico a dream start as he scored in the ninth minute in the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match against South Africa.
Mexico counts more than 135,000 missing people, a figure that has surged since 2006 when then-President Felipe Calderon launched a war against the country's drug cartels.
Germany gave debutants Curacao a reality check, as the former champions won 7-1 to kick-start their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a big win.
Harry Kane struck twice while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford delivered the knockout blows as England survived a back-and-forth battle to beat Croatia 4-2 on Wednesday and launch their World Cup campaign in a heavyweight clash that lived up to its billing.
England have suffered a theft of training equipment ahead of their arrival in Kansas City, local police said, after a vehicle transporting the gear to their World Cup base was broken into.
A record eight players aged 40 or older have been selected to play at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States - one more than at all the past 22 tournaments combined.
FIFA officials are visiting India this week to try and resolve a deadlock over broadcast rights for next month's World Cup, with millions of Indian soccer fans potentially missing out on the tournament.
