Page 27 - Latest Updates on FIFA World Cup

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

Norway to protest FIFA, abstain from 2034 World Cup vote for Saudi Arabia

Norway's soccer federation plans to abstain from giving its approval when Saudi Arabia is confirmed Wednesday as the 2034 World Cup host, saying FIFA has done too little to protect human rights around the tournament. FIFA's own guidelines for human rights and due diligence have also not been adequately integrated into the process, increasing the risk of human rights violations, Norway federation president Lise Klaveness said in a statement Tuesday. FIFA's 211 member federations are holding an online meeting on Wednesday to rubberstamp the decision to give Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup and award the 2030 edition to a six-nation project led by Spain, Portugal and Morocco that will see games played on three continents. (Wednesday's) vote is not about who gets the 2030 and 2034 World Cups that has already been decided, Klaveness said, adding that FIFA's approval without an itemized vote does not align with the principles of a sound and predictable governance system. FIFA shaped the

FIFA and Saudi Arabia brace for decade of scrutiny after World Cup rights

The inevitable result has been clear since last year: Saudi Arabia will be confirmed by FIFA as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. The 2030 World Cup also will be awarded to a six-nation, three-continent project led by co-hosts Spain, Portugal Morocco. It gives a single game each at South American neighbors Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the first host in 1930. Two men's World Cups, one candidate for each, both a shoo-in to win. The outcome will be as FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino intended in October last year. Then, on the same day, the 2030 race was effectively decided and the 2034 one surprisingly opened. FIFA is sending one of the biggest prizes in world sports toward the state modernizing project of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A decade of global scrutiny will follow. WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON WEDNESDAY? FIFA hosts a special congress in Zurich from 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) and its 211 member federations will attend remotely online. The closed-doors me

India all set to debut in Fifae World Cup 2024 featuring eFootball

The World Cup, which will be held as part of the FIFAe Finals 2024 in Riyadh, will feature competitions on both console and mobile platforms

Dybala left out of Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers, Martnez back

Roma striker Paulo Dybala was left out of the Argentina squad for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez is back after a suspension. Coach Lionel Scaloni announced his squad on Tuesday, with the absence of Dybala and the inclusion of Valencia midfielder Enzo Barrenechea the two big surprises. Martnez was suspended by FIFA for the last two qualifiers for offensive behavior in two previous matches in September, but he will be available for the match at Paraguay on Nov. 14 and the home game against Peru five days later. Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 22 points from 10 matches. The top six teams will get direct spots at the 2026 tournament. ___ Squad: Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Walter Bentez (PSV Eindhoven), Gernimo Rulli (Marseille). Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Germn Pezzella (River Plate), Nehun Prez (Porto), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille

Lenovo to be FIFA's technology partner for 2026 WC and 2027 Women's WC

Lenovo has signed on to be the official technology partner for FIFA, which includes the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. The announcement was made during Lenovo's Tech World innovation event in Seattle on Tuesday. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement the deal will continue to upgrade fan experiences as well as continue to make data more accessible to fans and teams. "At FIFA, we are committed to growing the game globally and making football accessible for all and we are excited to welcome Lenovo to our journey, and to work with them to implement technologies, innovations and programmes that spread our sport. Data and technology combined helps us to know fans better," he said. The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 through July 19 in 16 cities throughout North America. It will also see the tournament expand from 32 to 48 teams. The 2027 Women's World Cup will feature 32 teams, but the da

Messi equals Ronaldo's record, check full list of most int'l hattricks

An all-round performance from the talisman saw him registering 2 assists along with his hattrick to complete a five-star performance on the night.

Brazil beat Chile away from home in WC qualifying, Messi's Argentina draws

An 89th-minute goal by substitute Luiz Henrique gave Brazil a 2-1 away win over Chile in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The win meant under-pressure Brazil coach Dorival Jnior's team will finish the ninth round of the round-robin competition in fourth place in South American qualifying. Earlier, Lionel Messi's Argentina drew Venezuela 1-1 in a match that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturin. Argentina, which leads the 10-team competition, has 19 points after nine matches. Colombia, with 16 points, remains in second place after losing 1-0 at Bolivia. Uruguay is third with 15 points and has a chance to add more in a match against Peru on Friday. Brazil has 13 points. Brazil has dramatic comebackChile, one of the worst-performing teams in South American qualifying, opened the scoring seconds after the kickoff at the National Stadium in Santiago. Veteran striker Eduardo Vargas headed past goalkeeper Ederson, with the

Mbappe among stars missing from Nations League while teams eye WC berths

In a congested soccer season where elite players have aired the idea of going on strike, the Nations League returns this week looking less than a top priority. France captain Kylian Mbapp opted to stay away, his probable deputy Antoine Griezmann retired from the national team, and Romelu Lukaku asked to work on his fitness at new club Napoli rather than join the Belgium camp. Add a wave of injury call-offs in Germany and elsewhere some of them serious, for Spain defender Dani Carvajal and German goalkeeper Marc-Andr ter Stegen and the Nations League will open an international door for newcomers. Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco called up four potential debutants to experiment in games in what is the third-tier competition for European teams. We will not do it during the important World Cup qualification, said Tedesco, looking ahead to that important next stage in 2025. The 2026 World Cup in North America is, however, already now in play for teams targeting that tournament and each

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson to miss World Cup qualifiers after injury

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson will miss a few weeks after he was injured and substituted in Saturday's English Premier League match against Crystal Palace. Alisson appeared to hurt his hamstring when clearing the ball in the second half at Selhurst Park and had to leave the field in the 79th minute. Liverpool manager Arne Slot expected him to miss Brazil's World Cup qualifiers and Liverpool's next game, at least. What we do know is that if a player walks off like he did, that normally means that he is not in the Brazil squad and I don't expect him to be in the team in the first game we play after (the international break)," Slot said. It is going to take a few weeks I assume for him to be back. I think it is (his hamstring). Brazil has World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru during the upcoming international break. Alisson limped off to be replaced by Vitezslav Jaros. Alisson has only recently returned after a muscle injury and was holding the back of his right leg on the ...