The expanded World Cup is being dominated by superstar performances from Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, who are leading the scoring charts. Young talent like Lamine Yamal is also making a significant impact, while Harry Kane continues to impress. The tournament is shaping up to be a thrilling display of individual brilliance, with a potential repeat of the last final between Messi and Mbappe.
Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener. Ronaldo had a quiet game, failing to score, and was met with "Messi" chants from fans after the match, raising questions about the team's early performance.
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.
Fernando Alonso's main focus for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend will be making sure he gets home in time to watch Spain play Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Japan v Tunisia marks 1,000th FIFA World Cup match
Curacao and Cape Verde, two of the smallest nations globally, have achieved an unprecedented feat by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.
>Mexican star Raul Jimenez delivered a powerful and emotional performance in the 2026 World Cup opener, scoring a crucial goal against South Africa.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has made three changes to his starting XI for the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, bringing Reece James and Djed Spence into the defence, while Argentina's Lionel Scaloni makes one switch, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul.
Early data from the World Cup indicates that sportswear giant Adidas is currently gaining a significant advantage over rival Nike in brand visibility and sales. Adidas, an official sponsor, is seeing a substantial surge in apparel spending and foot traffic, particularly driven by jersey sales. While Nike's business is also growing, it is being outpaced by Adidas, which appears to have a more resonant product offering. Nike, facing declining market share and intense competition, is relying on the World Cup for a boost, though its footwear presence remains strong.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has made a historic return to the World Cup knockout stages, 52 years after a disastrous debut.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo has been given a five-match ban after receiving a red card for a tackle which seriously injured Canada midfielder Ismael Kone, FIFA said on Wednesday.
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.
Former India captain Gouramangi Singh offers his expert analysis on the upcoming FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. He highlights Spain's aggressive pressing game and defensive transitions against Argentina's champion's mentality and composure, predicting the match will be decided by small margins. Singh also discusses the individual strengths of both teams and downplays the Messi vs. Yamal narrative.
England's football team kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas. Following the thrilling win, players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham celebrated their success with their wives and girlfriends in the stands, sharing emotional moments with their loved ones.
Brazilian defender Wesley has been ruled out of the World Cup squad due to a left thigh muscle injury sustained during a friendly match.
Egypt's national football coach, Hossam Hassan, has vehemently blamed 'unfair' refereeing decisions and 'external factors' for his team's dramatic World Cup elimination by Argentina, stating he will no longer watch the tournament.
A satirical song about leaving Bosnia for America has become the country's unofficial World Cup anthem after Dubioza Kolektiv rewrote the hit to celebrate Bosnia's remarkable journey to the global football stage.
Brazil's World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Japan on Monday comes with the chance for revenge for Carlo Ancelotti's squad and a test of how far he has taken his team since a Tokyo collapse early in his tenure.
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.
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.
Portugal and Croatia's World Cup last-32 clash on Thursday could be Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric's final game on soccer's biggest stage, and the massive moment will unfold at the tournament's smallest venue.
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.
After a stellar performance in the World Cup, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland enjoyed an incognito break in New York City with his partner. Despite his global fame, he managed to explore Times Square and Katz's Deli largely unnoticed, attributing his disguise to a baseball cap and sunglasses. His team, Norway, is preparing for an upcoming match against Senegal.
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.
England secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mexico in the World Cup quarter-finals, demonstrating crucial adaptability and resilience after playing with 10 men for over half an hour, a performance that manager Thomas Tuchel believes proves their ability to survive when matches don't follow the script.
Belgium secured a dominant 4-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup last-16, with midfielder Nicolas Raskin suggesting the win felt like 'justice' following FIFA's controversial decision to allow US striker Folarin Balogun to play despite a previous red card.
Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, expected to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match, was denied entry into the United States due to "vetting concerns" by US Customs and Border Protection.
England manager Thomas Tuchel believes they are in good shape heading into the FIFA World Cup and can "dare to dream" about lifting the trophy.
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.
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.
Lionel Messi will lead defending champions Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after coach Lionel Scaloni named a 26-man squad featuring 17 players from the 2022 title-winning team.
Ten-man Paraguay secured a vital 1-0 victory over Turkey in a dramatic World Cup Group D match, breathing new life into their campaign while condemning Turkey to an early exit.
A first World Cup win for seven-times African champions Egypt, 92 years after their debut, put them in charge though Iran's dogged performances in draws with Belgium and New Zealand means victory could also see them top Group G.
Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their World Cup hopes alive thanks to a stunning goal from teenager Kerim Alajbegovic, which powered them towards a tense 3-1 win over Qatar on Wednesday and secured third place in Group B to eliminate their opponents.
Erling Haaland scored two crucial late goals to lead Norway to a stunning 2-1 victory over five-times champions Brazil in the World Cup Round of 16, securing their place in the quarter-finals. Neymar's late penalty was not enough for Brazil, who also missed an earlier spot-kick.
Tiny Curacao battled to a 0-0 draw with Ecuador to earn the first World Cup point in the Caribbean island's history on Saturday after an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Brazil have lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over the disallowing of a Vinicius Jr goal during their 3-0 FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage victory over Scotland, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) also requesting that Mexican referee Cesar Ramos no longer officiate the team's matches.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos said his side are prepared to face Mexico's quality and home-crowd advantage in Thursday's World Cup opener.
Mexico coach Aguirre hails fans as driving force for victory as they beat Ecuador to break 40-year-old hoodoo.
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.
