Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil shares his predictions for the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, expressing a personal preference for Lionel Messi's Argentina while acknowledging Spain's strong form and tactical advantages. He anticipates a tough and equal match.
Australia's assistant coach Hayden Foxe states that the Socceroos are mature enough to handle media hype and social media comments ahead of their World Cup match against co-hosts the United States. Despite being written off by some US commentators, the team is confident after a strong start to the tournament, having defeated Turkey 2-0. Players are focused on the upcoming game, drawing motivation from past criticisms while remaining grounded.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, representing esports and gaming content outfit S8UL, has qualified for the chess event of the upcoming Esports World Cup in Paris.
Seattle's LGBTQ community members say they hope that this Friday's World Cup "Pride Match" between Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is criminalised, can be an opportunity to change minds.
Lionel Messi earned a spot in the World Cup history books with a hat-trick that saw Argentina begin the defence of their title with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium, Missouri, on Tuesday.
Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich. The duo scored 483.6 in the final, finishing behind China's Qianxun Yao and Kai Hu.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting believes Indian superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are capable of playing until the ODI World Cup in 2027, citing their passion and determination.
It's goalless at half-time in the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in New York on Sunday.
Former cricketer Reema Malhotra believes the Indian women's cricket team is a strong contender to win the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup, largely because of its strong spin bowling resources.
Sahil Jadhav, the reigning World University Games champion, secured his first Archery World Cup medal, a bronze in the compound men's event at Stage 2 in Shanghai, defeating Denmark's Martin Damsbo.
A dominant 6-0 victory for Canada over Qatar in a World Cup 2026 Group B match in Vancouver was marred by a heated post-game confrontation between players and coaching staffs. Tensions escalated after two red cards for Qatar and Canada's continued attacking play, leading to a fiery exchange between coaches Jesse Marsch and Julen Lopetegui.
Mexico celebrated a historic 2-0 victory over South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup at the Azteca stadium, breaking a seven-game opening day curse.
Japan's Yuto Nagatomo made history by becoming the first Asian player to feature in five FIFA World Cups during Japan's 1-1 draw against Sweden. This achievement places him among an elite group of players globally. The draw secured both Japan and Sweden's advancement to the Round of 32 in the 2026 tournament.
Former world champion Ojas Deotale led India's men's compound team to a top-10 finish in the qualification round of the Archery World Cup Stage 2, while Aditi Swami finished 13th in the women's section.
Global pop stars Shakira, Madonna and Korean sensation BTS will headline the first-ever halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with proceeds going towards a global education initiative.
The Pakistan women's cricket team is reportedly facing significant internal disagreements and a tense environment during the Women's T20 World Cup in England. Amidst a winless streak, reports highlight clashes between team mentor Wahab Riaz and captain Fatima Sana over selection and disciplinary matters, alongside broader issues of team groupings and coaching frustrations. This mirrors past problems in Pakistani cricket, exacerbated by frequent coaching changes.
India head into the Women's T20 World Cup with questions over their bowling attack, top-order form and squad balance. Harmanpreet Kaur's side will need key players to deliver if they are to challenge for another ICC title.
Australia's coach, Tony Popovic, believes Donald Trump's potential attendance at their World Cup match against the United States would motivate his team. While midfielder Jackson Irvine voiced concerns about FIFA's Peace Prize to Trump and LGBT rights in the U.S., Popovic remains focused on the team's preparation and player fitness.
FIFA's Technical Study Group believes set-pieces are unlikely to dominate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Gilberto Silva predicting tighter, transition-based football due to limited preparation time for national teams.
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.
India will field a 22-member shooting squad at the ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Munich from May 24 to 31, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker set to compete in two individual pistol events besides the mixed team competition.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek scored a brace each to help India beat arch-rivals Pakistan 5-3 in their final Pool D match of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, on Wednesday.
Football's global players' union has renewed concerns about the potential impact of heat on the 2026 World Cup, following a scientific analysis indicating a high likelihood of dangerous temperatures for both players and fans.
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.
Spain returned to winning form with a strong 3-0 victory over Austria, as Lamine Yamal's return from injury proved key in lifting Luis de la Fuente's side back to their best.
Neeru Dhanda and Vivaan Kapoor won a bronze medal in the trap mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Almaty, Kazakhstan, marking their first World Cup podium finish in the Olympic event.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni lauded his team's ability to perform under pressure, stating they 'play its best football when it's under pressure' after their dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against England secured a spot in the World Cup final.
When the final whistle blew, players embraced, danced and celebrated on the pitch as if they had won the match. Their joy was understandable. Against one of football's traditional giants and the world's second-ranked team, Cape Verde had achieved something few thought possible.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said the hydration breaks introduced in each half of matches at the World Cup add nothing to football while destroying the sport's cultural essence.
Former cricketer and selector Saba Karim discusses the prospects of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the 2027 ODI World Cup, highlighting Kohli's assured spot due to fitness and performance, while Rohit needs to prove himself. Karim also praises Kohli's multi-format adaptability and addresses Rishabh Pant's struggles in white-ball cricket.
The United States defeated Bosnia 2-0 to advance to the World Cup round of 16. Malik Tillman scored the decisive goal from a free kick after Folarin Balogun was sent off, having previously opened the scoring. This marks their first knockout win since 2002.
The United States football team secured its place in the World Cup knockout stage with a convincing 2-0 victory over Australia. An early own goal and an Alex Freeman header sealed the win, despite the absence of key player Christian Pulisic. The team's depth was highlighted as they dominated the match, moving to six points in Group D.
England coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed Bukayo Saka is fully fit and available for the World Cup clash against Ghana, while also voicing concerns that FIFA's mandatory hydration breaks are disrupting the flow and identity of football.
While Mbappe and Messi currently lead the charts, Haaland, Kane, Dembele, and Vinicius Junior are all within striking distance, setting up an intense battle for the tournament's top scorer award in the matches ahead.
The final teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Find out which teams have qualified and their group stage assignments.
India defeated West Indies by 26 runs in their first Women's T20 World Cup warm-up match. Bharti Fulmali's unbeaten 56 and strong bowling performances from Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav secured the victory, despite a batting collapse by the West Indies.
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.
Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group C opening match. Morocco took an early lead through Ismael Saibari, but Vinicius Jr's brilliant goal brought Brazil level before halftime. Despite Brazil's second-half improvements, Morocco's strong defence held them to a point.
Multi-champions Brazil, Argentina and Germany all won their preparatory games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, although by small margins, with former champion England and hopeful Portugal also securing victories.
Australia secured a commanding 98-run victory over the Netherlands in the Women's T20 World Cup, setting a new tournament record by becoming the first team to cross 200 runs. Beth Mooney's 74 and Ashleigh Gardner's 58 were key to their 219/6 total, while the Netherlands showed resilience with Babette de Leede's unbeaten 56.
