Inspired by Lamine Yamal, Spain strolled to a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Group H on Sunday, where Mikel Oyarzabal restored his reputation with two goals and Luis de la Fuente's side found their groove after an underwhelming World Cup opener.
Cabo Verde's star goalkeeper Vozinha has expressed confidence ahead of their FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against Argentina, vowing to make history. The debutant nation has impressed with three draws in the group stage, becoming the smallest country to reach the knockout phase. Vozinha also achieved a rare feat, becoming only the third goalkeeper over 40 to register multiple clean sheets in the tournament. Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged Cabo Verde as a tough opponent.
Lamine Yamal exploded into view at 16 and became an integral part of Spain's record fourth European Championship triumph in 2024.
The World Cup has seen a shift to a more lenient refereeing style, prioritising game flow and reducing stoppages. This, combined with stronger, faster players, has led to a quicker, more physically demanding tournament with higher scoring. While welcomed, experts warn that this intensity tests players' physical limits, increasing injury risks, especially for those not fully fit.
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.
Packed with legendary players and remarkable milestones, these fascinating FIFA World Cup facts offer a glimpse into the tournament's rich history.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
'...we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion, but we will definitely return to visit India.'
Belgium edged ahead of France to take outright top spot in FIFA's world rankings released on Thursday while tiny Gibraltar were the biggest risers.
A 64-team World Cup in 2030 should not be considered, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has said, joining some other confederations in opposing a plan presented by CONMEBOL.
England will begin their World Cup quest next June against a very familiar foe with seasoned tournament regulars Croatia the first hurdle for Thomas Tuchel's highly-fancied team.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Next year's 48-team World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Lionel Messi's brief appearance in Kolkata was marred by security breaches and crowd management issues, raising concerns about planning and coordination. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage reveal a chaotic scene with organizers and VIPs crowding the player, leading to his early withdrawal and subsequent protests.
Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's touchdown in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy.
The forward was again the stand-out Brazil player and he coolly side-footed home his 60th international goal in the 76th minute after Diego Laxalt brought down Danilo, although Uruguay claimed there was a handball in the build-up.
Diego Forlan, whose fine performances and five goals helped Uruguay finish fourth in the 2010 World Cup, announced his retirement.
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.
FIFA launched proceedings against the players who angrily harangued the referee after crashing out of the tournament in Qatar, despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final group match on December 2.
From their glory days at Barcelona to reuniting at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have now brought their enduring partnership into a new chapter, co-founding Deportivo LSM, a club set to compete in professional Uruguayan football.
Inspired by 24-year-old playmaker Shoya Nakajima and forward Takumi Minamino, who finished the night with a brace, Japan stunned Oscar Tabarez's side, who are ranked fifth in the world.
Portugal could qualify early for the next phase of the World Cup with a game remaining if they beat Uruguay on Monday, a task probably much easier said than done.
The goal gave Argentina all three points and condemned their neighbors to a losing start to their Copa campaign.
Fourteen stadiums across the US will host the Copa America matches.
Uruguay made light of the absence of striker Luis Suarez to recover from a goal down and beat 2015 Copa America hosts Chile 2-1 in a friendly in Santiago.
Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country's football confederation (CBF) said on Friday, after the five-times World champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
Saudi Arabia will host the men's soccer World Cup in 2034 while the 2030 edition will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with one-off matches in three South American countries, world soccer's governing body FIFA confirmed on Wednesday.
Suarez spurned the first penalty of the shootout, his effort bouncing off the chest of Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, to complete a frustrating evening for Uruguay's all-time top scorer, who also had a goal ruled out for offside.
Wilmar Valdez, the head of Uruguay's football association, says it was a mistake to play the Centenary Copa America in the US.
Brazil lost their second consecutive World Cup qualifier match as Colombia fought back to win 2-1 against the five-times champions.
A stunning overhead kick by Eduard Bello helped Venezuela hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Son Heung-min will be able to play with a mask in their World Cup Group H opener against Uruguay
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Uruguay, with 3.3 million people, are into a quarter-final with Argentina's conquerors France after four straight wins including a stunning 2-1 knockout victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
IMAGES from the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Tuesday.
Uruguay have one of the best recent records of all 32 World Cup sides, having won all six of their games this year, conceding precisely zero goals.
But despite some early close attempts from Uruguay, Japan began to impose themselves on the game and Koji Miyoshi gave them the lead in the 25th minute with a confident finish following a counterattack.
Pragmatic, difficult to beat, spearheaded by talismanic forwards and led by veteran, battle-hardened coaches -- few teams have as much in common with each other as Uruguay and Portugal who meet in a World Cup round of 16 tie on Saturday.
