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FIFA World Cup
The World Anti-Doping Agency has put off a decision about barring government officials from major sporting events if their countries voluntarily withhold dues, pushing a potential conflict with President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials until at least after this summer's World Cup. The WADA executive committee met and said it would consider the new rule in September, two months after the end of the World Cup, which the U.S. is hosting along with Canada and Mexico. If such a rule is adopted later this year, it would presumably go into effect before the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The U.S. hasn't paid its dues since 2023. If that continues, the new rule could place Trump and U.S. lawmakers on a banned list for Games in their own country, though there are doubts about whether an anti-doping regulator could keep any of them from attending the Olympics. Conflict with WADA has not been a particularly partisan issue in the U.S., which withheld the payments in 2024 and 2025 - once .
Lionel Messi was called up Wednesday for a March 31 friendly match against Guatemala as Argentina gears up to defend its title in the World Cup. The game at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires was arranged after the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain on March 27 in Qatar was called off because of the conflict in the Middle East. Coach Lionel Scaloni left out striker Lautaro Martinez, defender Lisandro Martinez, and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso because of physical problems. Martinez (left calf strain) has been cleared to play but has yet to return for Inter Milan. Jose Manuel Lopez of Palmeiras in Brazil was called up in his place. Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez is unavailable due to physical discomfort. Lo Celso of Real Betis is recovering from a muscle tear. Estudiantes de La Plata defender Tomas Palacios and Racing Club full-back Gabriel Rojas received their first senior national team call-ups. Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was called up despite being embroiled in ...
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali went off injured against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, eight days before Italy starts its World Cup qualifying playoffs bracket. Tonali appeared to hurt his left thigh chasing back to defend Fermin Lopez and put the ball out for a corner. It was 4-2 at the time early in the second half, and Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski scored a header from the corner to all but guarantee the Spanish champion will advance to the quarterfinals. Barcelona was soon leading 6-2 at Camp Nou after the teams drew 1-1 in Newcastle last week. Tonali has been an expected starter for Italy as the four-time champion aims to play at a World Cup for the first time since 2014. Italy hosts Northern Ireland on March 26 at Atalanta's stadium in Bergamo and the winner will travel to face either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina five days later. The playoff bracket winner will enter a World Cup group with co-host Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
Three months before its World Cup defense, Argentina lost a great chance to gauge where it's at against European champion Spain when the Finalissima was canceled. Since winning the 2022 World Cup, Argentina has steamrolled through South American qualifying - four defeats in 18 matches - won the 2024 Copa America and played 11 low-key friendlies and won them all. Coach Lionel Scaloni was counting on facing Spain this month to clear up the great uncertainty of captain Lionel Messi 's availability for the World Cup, evaluate other starters and assess younger prospects. But the war in the Middle East made staging the Finalissima in Qatar on March 27 impossible, and the Argentine Football Association couldn't find a suitable new date with UEFA. The AFA also had to scrap a friendly against Qatar. That's sent the AFA into frantic negotiations for new opponents in this month's international window with no word regarding immediate plans. The AFA also has not confirmed any final warmup ...
Neymar's troubled path to the upcoming World Cup narrowed further after his subdued performance for Santos in a 1-1 home draw against rival Corinthians in a Brazilian league match. It was Neymar's last game before Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti announces his squad for two key friendlies on Monday. Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals. Brazil's matches against France and Croatia in the United States will, in turn, be the two last games before Ancelotti announces his final squad in May for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. The 34-year-old Neymar's performance against Corinthians came after he missed a match that the Brazil coach attended. Memphis Depay opened the scoring on Sunday for Corinthians in the 19th minute at the Vila Belmiro Stadium. Gabriel Barbosa equalized four minutes later. Neymar's best chance in Sunday's game was a second-half header that narrowly missed. The Santos striker struggled to dribble and didn't shoot on goal. Two staffers
In the span of three days, Mexico has lost two players for the World Cup. Midfielder Marcel Ruiz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, his club Toluca announced on Friday. The 25-year-old Ruiz injured the joint on Wednesday in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against San Diego of the MLS. Toluca said in a statement that in addition to the ligament rupture, Ruiz also suffered a meniscus tear in the same joint and will undergo surgery. "Everyone at this club regrets what happened and we stand in solidarity with him, wishing him a speedy recovery," the team said. Mexico plays the World Cup opener on June 11 against South Africa. Ruiz was key in helping Toluca win their second consecutive championship last December. Ruiz received his first call-up to the senior national team in 2023, and has been one of the most consistent players since Javier Aguirre took over as manager in August 2024. The midfielder has 17 matches with the national team and was expected to go to hi
Iran's sports and youth minister said it's "not possible" for the country to take part in the World Cup after the United States killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in its ongoing war. Iran was expected to take part in the World Cup that will be held across North America in June, but Iranian Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television that his country's soccer team players are not safe in the US, according to a video of the interview posted Tuesday. "Due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran - they have imposed two wars on us over just eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people - definitely it's not possible for us to take part in the World Cup," he said. Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The US is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. FIFA s
Tickets for the playoffs in Mexico that will determine two of the final World Cup berths are being sold by FIFA for less than $17, far less than the $4,185 to $8,680 FIFA is charging for this year's final in New Jersey. FIFA put tickets on sale Tuesday for the games on March 26 and 31 in Guadalajara and Monterrey involving Bolivia, Congo, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname. Tickets are priced at 200 Mexican pesos ($11.30) for the March 26 semifinals and 300 pesos ($16.95) for the March 31 finals. In Guadalajara, Jamaica plays New Caledonia on March 26 and the winner plays Congo on March 31 for a World Cup berth. In Monterrey, Bolivia faces Suriname on March 26 and the winner goes up against Iraq five days later.
Iran's place at the men's World Cup in three months' time was put in doubt Monday amid an escalating Middle East conflict sparked by the soccer tournament's co-host the United States. Iran is due to play its three group stage games in the U.S. - two in Inglewood, California, then in Seattle - from June 15-26. Cities in Canada and Mexico also will host some of the 104 games. The U.S. and Israel have targeted Iran in coordinated attacks since Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior officials. It provoked an Iranian response that aimed missiles at U.S. allies including 2022 World Cup host Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which FIFA has picked to stage the 2034 edition. "What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope," said Iran's top soccer official Mehdi Taj, a vice president of the Asian Football Confederation. It is unclear if the state-backed Iranian soccer federation could refuse to sen
Scotland supporters can wear their kilts in all their customary glory at the World Cup. The Scottish Football Association told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it had reached agreement with FIFA for sporrans the traditional fur or leather pouch worn in front of the kilt to be permitted at games despite contravening security limits for entry into stadiums in the United States, which is co-hosting the June 11-July 19 tournament with Canada and Mexico. Scotland has been drawn in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti with two games in Boston and one in Miami. "FIFA have confirmed that sporrans will be permitted into the stadiums following the standard search and inspection procedures and will continue to work together with the Scottish FA to educate their matchday staff as they prepare to welcome fans to Boston and Miami," Scottish FA spokesperson Graeme Thewliss said. Officials are restricting World Cup ticket holders to only bringing clear see-through bags, or small bags tha
A jacket worn by football legend Pele in the 1966 World Cup has become a hit among fans of pop singer Bad Bunny since he borrowed it from a collector's sports merchandise store and used it in his recent concerts in Sao Paulo, in his first performances on Brazilian soil. Bad Bunny's tribute to the three-time World Cup winner, who died in 2022 at age 82, also included a change in the lyrics of the song MONACO, sung by the Puerto Rican artist as "scoring a goal after Pele and Maradona" instead of "Messi and Maradona." Cassio Brandao, the owner of the Alambrado Futebol e Cultura store, seeks historical soccer memorabilia and jerseys and has more than 7,000 of them. He owns 115 items that belonged to Pele and was involved in Bad Bunny's choice for the jacket. "He took very good care of the piece. It came back only with sweat, wet with sweat, but it was perfect, in the same condition. They were very careful. It returned in the same suitcase," Brandao said. Pele's official Instagram later
Major League Soccer opens its 31st season this weekend, kicking off one of the most consequential two-year stretches in the league's history. There's the impact of the World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, then, in 2027, MLS will switch to a summer to spring schedule to align more closely with its international counterparts. MLS will take a seven-week break for the World Cup from May 25 to July 16. Many of the league's stars, including Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and LAFC's Son Heung-min, are expected to play in the tournament. MLS is hoping after that to see the so-called "World Cup Bump," or a surge in interest that both men's and women's leagues often experience around soccer's premier tournament. "The World Cup will accelerate the growth of the sport across North America in ways we've never seen before. Major League Soccer is uniquely positioned at the center of that moment, with all 13 host cities in the U.S. and Canada home to MLS clubs," Commissio