Page 2 - Latest Updates on FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup: The beautiful game meets ugly realities before kick-off

Referees deported, players detained and fans denied entry - Football World Cup 2026 is already mired in controversies that have little to do with football.

Messi scores from the spot as Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in WC friendly

Lionel Messi is ready for his sixth World Cup. After recovering from a muscle injury, the captain of the reigning world champions played 20 minutes and scored a penalty in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Iceland on Tuesday in its final tune-up match before the World Cup. Messi, recovered from muscle fatigue and a slight strain in his left hamstring that he suffered in his last appearance with Inter Miami on May 24, started the game from the bench. Just days before his 39th birthday and his sixth World Cup, Messi came on in the 70th minute and he scored a penalty kick after Lautaro Martinez was fouled inside the area. Messi, the all-time top scorer for the Argentine national team with 117 goals, converted the penalty with a high left-footed shot in the 72nd minute. Argentina, seeking its fourth World Cup title after those won in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will open its tournament against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan. It was the secon

Record eight players aged 40-plus set to feature at 2026 Fifa World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo will be the oldest outfield player at 41 and is set to feature in a record sixth World Cup

FIFA WC 2026 Group J: Messi-led Argentina eyeing successful title defence

Defending champions Argentina headline Group J, but Austria, Algeria and debutants Jordan all have reasons to believe they can challenge for a knockout berth

FIFA WC 2026 Group I: Mbappe vs Haaland headline group of new stars

France headline a fascinating Group I, but Senegal, Norway and Iraq all have compelling stories as they chase a place in the knockout rounds

FIFA WC 2026 Group H: Spain, Uruguay aim for easy knockout qualification

Reigning European champions Spain headline Group H, but Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and World Cup debutants Cape Verde will all believe they can make life difficult in the race for the knockout rounds

FIFA WC 2026 Group G: Iran, Egypt to challenge Belgium's knockout chances

Belgium remain favourites in Group G, but Egypt, Iran and New Zealand all have realistic ambitions of reaching the knockout rounds in one of the tournament's most intriguing groups

FIFA WC 2026 Group F: Netherlands, Japan to get stiff challenge from Sweden

The Netherlands and Japan start as favourites in Group F, but Sweden's attacking firepower and Tunisia's defensive resilience could make this one of the tournament's most competitive groups

FIFA WC 2026 Group E: Germany aim to go past group stage after 12 years

Four-time champions Germany headline Group E, but Ecuador and Ivory Coast have the quality to challenge for qualification, while World Cup debutants Curacao chase history

FIFA WC 2026 Group D: Hosts USA look to take advantage of home conditions

Co-hosts USA headline one of the most balanced groups at the World Cup, with Turkey, Paraguay and Australia all carrying realistic hopes of reaching the knockout stage

FIFA WC 2026 Group C: Morocco, Scotland challenge Brazil's hunt for glory

Five-time champions Brazil headline a fascinating group featuring African powerhouses Morocco, returning Scotland and World Cup newcomers Haiti

Zee Entertainment gains 4% on fund raise plan; stock up 25% so far in June

Over the weekend, Zee Entertainment Enterprises said it board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, June 10 to consider and approve raising of funds.

FIFA WC 2026 Group B: Co-hosts Canada face Switzerland, Qatar challenge

With no clear heavyweight in Group B, Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia all have reasons to believe they can reach the knockouts

FIFA WC 2026 Group A: South Korea, Mexico in focus in group of underdogs

Co-hosts Mexico and Asian powerhouse South Korea headline one of the World Cup's most evenly matched groups

Fifa World Cup workers threaten strike before $2,000-a-ticket game

Workers are seeking higher wages and stronger protections for personal information from immigration authorities

Iran's World Cup team approved for visas to play games in the US: Officials

Members of Iran's World Cup soccer team have been granted visas to the United States, two U.S. officials said, clearing them to enter the United States from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of their first two matches near Los Angeles this month. The team's participation in the World Cup has been complicated by Iran's war with Israel and the United States. Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on Mexico's border with California. One U.S. official said all players on the Iranian team were approved for visas and were in the process of receiving them. A second official said visas had been issued for players, coaches, trainers and some support staff. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the visas publicly. The second official could not say if any Iranian applicants had been denied. It was not immediately clear when the Iranian team's passports would

Fifa to let fans bring bottled water to World Cup, but with some caveats

Mamdani had raised concerns about reports that Fifa had banned fans from bringing bottles of water to World Cup matches, demanding answers from Fifa

England's World Cup opener set to trigger a spike in UK power demand

One of the biggest surges is expected at half-time, as hundreds of thousands of viewers leave their couches and switch on kettles all at once

The Power and the Glory: Geopolitics, FIFA and the beautiful game

Jonathan Wilson's The Power and the Glory traces how the FIFA World Cup evolved from a football tournament into a global stage for power, politics and profit

Inside Atlanta's FIFA World Cup 2026: matches, fans and matchday magic

With eight World Cup matches scheduled to be played here, Atlanta Stadium is expected to be one of the tournament's busiest and most iconic venues.