Fifa World Cup

Azteca Stadium to feature modern amenities for FIFA World Cup 2026

A hybrid field, updated locker rooms, elevators and hospitality zones are among the new features of Azteca Stadium for the 2026 World Cup. Ollamani, the sports entertainment company that owns the stadium, also confirmed Wednesday that Azteca will reopen March 26, which will be 75 days before the start of the World Cup as Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced recently. The centerpiece of the stadium's renovation is the people who visit it. Our main objective is to substantially improve their experience in every way, stadium director Felix Aguirre said in a statement. The iconic venue closed last May for renovations ahead of next year's 48-team competition hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. The 83,000-seat Azteca, which recently was renamed, will host five games including the tournament opener. It also hosted the first matches in the 1970 and 1986 World Cups. Ollamani, which is affiliated with Grupo Televisa, Mexico's largest television network, also said the stadiu

U.S host cities brace for uncertainty ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

Philadelphia's host city executive for the 2026 World Cup says organizers accept that an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump's administration may be among the outside events that impact next year's tournament. "There are certainly things that are happening at the national level, the international level, there are going to be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now that are going affect the tournament next year, so we recognize that we're planning within uncertainty, Meg Kane said Monday at a gathering of the 11 U.S. host city leaders, one year and two days ahead of the tournament opener. The World Cup will be played at 16 stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 next year, a tournament expanded to 48 nations and 104 games. All matches from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Whether it's the Olympics, whether it's a World Cup, whether it's a Super Bowl, you name i

Brazil one win away from securing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification

More South American teams could qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Second-place Ecuador can do it by winning in Peru on Tuesday. Fourth-place Brazil or third-place Paraguay could secure a spot at next year's global tournament with a win in Sao Paulo as long as Venezuela loses at Uruguay. If Venezuela draws, either team could also qualify with a win if defending champion Argentina, which has already qualified, beats Colombia. The most anticipated match of the round is in Sao Paulo, where Carlo Ancelotti will make his home debut as Brazil coach. Brazil, which had a 0-0 draw with Ecuador last week, is two points behind Paraguay in the standings. Lionel Messi's Argentina takes on Colombia in Buenos Aires in a match where coach Lionel Scaloni will continue adding depth to his squad. South America's last two qualifying game days are in September. The top six teams earn direct spots for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The seventh-place team goes into an ...

China crash out of qualifiers; Uzbekistan, Jordan seal FIFA WC berths

China slumped out of World Cup contention before Uzbekistan and Jordan qualified for the first time, taking advantage of Asia getting double the number of guaranteed entries at the first 48-team tournament in North America next year. Asian soccer power South Korea sealed an 11th straight appearance at the men's World Cup finals with a 2-0 win in Iraq. In a hectic night Thursday with a lot on the line, Australia scored late to edge already-qualified Japan 1-0 before China lost 1-0 in Indonesia. For Uzbekistan, a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates was enough to take the second automatic qualification spot in Group A behind Iran. With Asia now having eight guaranteed qualifiers after just four for the 2022 edition in Qatar Uzbekistan was a likely contender to step up. While most of its team plays in the domestic league, it includes a few Europe-based stars like Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov and Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov. In Group B, South Korea and Jordan .

Women's World Cup to feature 48 teams starting 2031 US World Cup: FIFA

The Women's World Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when the United States is expected to host the tournament, FIFA confirmed Friday. FIFA has wanted to expand the women's tournament from 32 teams to match the men's World Cup which has 48 teams for the first time next year, when the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. The decision follows one month after FIFA president Gianni Infantino s aid it had just one candidate bidding for each of the 2031 and 2035 women's tournaments the U.S. followed by the United Kingdom. FIFA is expected to confirm these two hosts next year. Brazil will host a 32-team Women's World Cup in 2027. FIFA said the bigger, 104-game tournament with 48 teams will significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women's football worldwide. The Women's World Cup had just 16 teams as recently as the 2011 edition in Germany, 24 teams at each of the next two tournaments in Can

Argentina secure WC spot, celebrate it with 4-1 win over rivals Brazil

Defending champion Argentina celebrated throughout Tuesday as the team secured its place at the 2026 World Cup hours before an historic 4-1 win over archrival Brazil. Bolivia's failure to beat Uruguay meant Argentina had enough cushion in South American qualifying to secure one of the continent's six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup set to be co-hosted next year by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. After Bolivia's 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, about 85,000 raucous Argentina fans kicked off the festivities at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi. They were chanting into the night in Buenos Aires, now more confident their team can defend the World Cup title. For Brazil, its worst deficit in South American World Cup qualifying history compounded pressure on coach Dorival Jnior. Brazil is in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which was held to a 0-0 draw by Chile. ..

FIFA details Club World Cup prize money with $125M target for the winner

The winner of FIFA's first 32-team Club World Cup in the United States could earn $125 million as details of a $1 billion prize money fund were finally published Wednesday. FIFA said it allocated $525 million in guaranteed fees for teams taking part in the June 14-July 13 tournament, ranging from $38.19 million to the top-ranked European team likely Real Madrid to $3.58 million for the Oceania representative Auckland City. A further $475 million is earned by results in the 63 games, with $2 million paid for winning group stage games, $7.5 million for playing in the round of 16 and $40 million to the team that wins the final at MetLife Stadium near New York. The golden trophy has been sitting in the Oval Office at the White House this month after FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered it to President Donald Trump. The prize fund was delayed until a global broadcast deal was belatedly agreed in December with streaming service DAZN, which then got a major investment from a ...

Reece James leads England to 3-0 win over Latvia in the WC qualifier

Reece James scored a brilliant free kick and Eberechi Eze grabbed his maiden international goal as England beat Latvia 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley Stadium on Monday. James, making his first start in 2 1/2 years, curled a 25-meter free kick into the top corner after 37 minutes. The goal was his first in 18 England appearances and broke down a stuffy Latvia side. Midway through the second half, with the home crowd starting to get restless, young midfielder Morgan Rogers combined well with Declan Rice to pave the way for a Harry Kane tap-in. Then Eze cut in from the right and his shot hit the back of the net after taking a slight deflection. England is the hot favorite to win Europe Group K and qualify for the 2026 World Cup. New coach Thomas Tuchel, in just his second game in charge, was content with the result if not the performance against a side 136 places behind it in the FIFA rankings. The German praised the returning James, a player he knows from his time managing

NZ qualifies for 2026 FIFA World Cup after 3-0 win in Oceania final

New Zealand will play at the 2026 World Cup after beating New Caledonia 3-0 on Monday in the final of the Oceania confederation qualifying series. The New Zealand All Whites reached the World Cup for the third time after qualifying in Spain in 1982 and South Africa in 2010. They join hosts Canada, the United States and Mexico and Japan, which last week became the first team to qualify for the 48-team tournament. New Caledonia still has a chance to qualify through a six-team inter-continental playoff involving teams from the Asian, African, North and Central American and South American confederations. New Zealand had a setback when its captain, Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, was forced from the field with a hip injury in the 53rd minute with the score still 0-0. Wood is the focus of the New Zealand attack, scoring three headed goals in New Zealand's 7-0 semifinal win over Fiji on Friday. Up stepped an unlikely star in Wood's absence. In the 62nd Michael Boxall, the 36-year-o

Argentina one draw away from booking their place in 2026 FIFA World Cup

Argentina didn't miss Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martnez and other key players and beat Uruguay away 1-0 in convincing fashion in their South American World Cup qualifying match. Thiago Almada scored the winner with a powerful curled shot from the edge of the box on Friday, putting the defending champions one point away from its direct spot in the tournament next year. Argentina leads the round robin competition with 28 points after 13 matches, and could secure its place with a home draw with Brazil on Tuesday. The team of coach Lionel Scaloni already has 15 points ahead of 7th-placed Bolivia, with only five rounds to the end of the competition. The last time the two soccer powerhouses clashed, Argentina won 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier, Ecuador defeated Venezuela 2-1 and moved into second place in South American World Cup, edging close to reaching the tournament once again. Brazil is third with 21 points, one ahead of Uruguay and Paraguay. Colombia, with 19 .

2026 WC: New Zealand, New Caledonia to meet in Oceania qualifier final

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood scored a hat trick of headed goals as New Zealand beat Fiji 7-0 Friday to join New Caledonia in the Oceania qualifying final for the 2026 World Cup. New Caledonia earlier beat Tahiti 3-0 in the first semifinal in FIFA's smallest confederation. The winner of the Oceania qualifying series will gain direct entry to the World Cup for the first time. That means the victor in Monday's final in Auckland, New Zealand will join hosts Canada, the United States and Mexico and Japan, which on Thursday became the first nation to qualify for the 48-team tournament. New Zealand captain Wood headed Sarpreet Singh's cross home to open New Zealand's scoring in the sixth minute as it led 4-0 halftime. He then scored off Tim Payne crosses in the 56th and 59th minutes for his 43rd and 44th goals in 81 internationals before being substituted in the 61st minute. Wood received a yellow card when climbed into the grandstand to finish the game among the crowd, surrounded

FIFA World Cup 2026: Japan becomes first team to qualify after Bahrain win

The win on Thursday guarantees Japan one of the two automatic spots in Group C of the Asian qualifiers, securing their place with three games still to play.

Chris Wood wants automatic World Cup qualifying for Oceania minnows

New Zealand captain Chris Wood says it's "only fair" that FIFA's smallest confederation, Oceania, has been given direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup. New Zealand will play Fiji and Tahiti will play New Caledonia in Wellington, New Zealand on Friday in the semifinals of the Oceania qualifying tournament. The final will be played in Auckland next Monday and the winner will be among the first teams to join hosts Canada, the United States and Mexico at next year's expanded 48-team World Cup. It's the first time a team from Oceania has directly qualified for the World Cup finals rather than having to go through an intercontinental playoff. The loser of the Oceania final still will have a chance to qualify through a playoff series involving teams from the Asian, African, South American and CONCACAF confederations. New Zealand, at 89 in the FIFA rankings, is favored to qualify as the largest Oceania nation and after also qualifying through a more rigorous process for the finals in

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers full schedule, live time, streaming in India

This is the first-ever FIFA World Cup which will see 48 teams feature in the competition and three host countries (Canada, Mexico and USA) co-hosting the event.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: Messi ruled out due to adductor injury

Lionel Messi will miss Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil over the next eight days because of an injury to his adductor. The 37-year-old Messi was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni. Later Monday, Inter Miami said Messi the reigning Major League Soccer MVP underwent an MRI to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region, an injury that the team said occurred in Sunday's win over Atlanta United. The examination's findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle, Inter Miami said. His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition. Argentine media initially reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami's 2-1 victory. Argentina, which leads South America, will visit second-placed Uruguay on Friday and host fifth-placed Brazil four days later at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Messi was not the only ...

FIFA unveils Miami's sonic ID for 2026 World Cup celebrating diversity

On Monday, March 3, the unique sound of Miami was revealed, with renowned producer Mr. NaisGai selected to craft the city's custom Sonic ID.

Deschamps' France coaching career to end after 2026 FIFA World Cup

France coach Didier Deschamps plans to announce on Wednesday that he won't continue in the role after the next World Cup, according to reports in French media. L'Equipe and RMC Sport were among the outlets to report that the 56-year-old Deschamps would leave when his contract expires in the summer of 2026. Deschamps, a World Cup winner as a player, took over as coach of Les Bleus in July 2012 and led France to the World Cup title in 2018, beating Croatia in the final. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, France reached the final and lost and epic title match to Argentina. Europe will send 16 teams to the first 48-team World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of 2026.

Mexico City to boost mobility, security ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

The city's proposed mobility budget, which includes initiatives to make it easier for fans to enter and exit the iconic Azteca stadium, will increase to nearly 7 billion pesos

Ronaldo hails 2030 World Cup as 'most special' after Portugal named co-host

Cristiano Ronaldo led the celebrations after Portugal and five other countries were officially announced as hosts of the 2030 men's World Cup, with the player saying the unique tournament will be the "most special" yet. The 2030 tournament will be the first World Cup played in six different counties, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the main hosts while South American nations Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will each get one game. The format will help FIFA mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930. "A dream come true," the 39-year-old Ronaldo wrote in an Instagram post that had a photo of him celebrating while wearing Portugal's jersey and featured the words: "The Most Special World Cup ever." Ronaldo is the only man to have scored at five World Cup tournaments, but he is unlikely to still be playing in 2030. "Portugal will host the 2030 World Cup and make us proud," he wrote. The approval of the six-nation bid was mostly a formality at FIFA's online me

Saudi Arabia officially announced as host for Fifa World Cup 2034

Saudi Arabia is eight years into a multi-trillion dollar transformation agenda aimed at freeing the economy from its reliance on petrodollars. The plan includes creating dozens of new industries