Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Gavi during training ahead of their FIFA World Cup opener | Photo Credit: Imagn Images via REUTERS Spain stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams took part in training on Thursday (June 11, 2026), allaying fears over their fitness ahead of La Roja’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde. Both … Read more
Fans of Argentina’s soccer team gather during an event ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at Kurumassery village in Kerala, India, June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: Sivaram V Bringing an end to months of anticipation, the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off on Thursday (June 11, 2026) with Mexico’s triumphing victory of 2-1 … Read more
The United States of America (USA) begin their FIFA World Cup challenge on Friday, taking on a savvy Paraguay side in a high-stakes match in Los Angeles. The World Cup co-hosts know they must avoid a banana skin at the futuristic SoFi Stadium in the first World Cup finals game on U.S. soil for 32 … Read more
South Korea reacts after defeating Czechia during the World Cup Group A soccer match in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, on June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said his team had followed his pre-match instructions to the letter after they staged a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic in their … Read more
South Korea’s Oh Hyeon-gyu (right) scores the winning goal during the Group A FIFA World Cup game against Czechia in Guadalajara on June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP South Korea came back from a goal down to snatch a thrilling 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their World Cup Group A opener on … Read more
The FIFA World Cup returns in 2026 as the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. It kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico. By comparison, the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 featured just 13 teams and 18 matches. The … Read more
Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre reacts during the World Cup Group A soccer match against South Africa in Mexico City, on June 11, 2026 | Photo Credit: AP Mexico coach Javier Aguirre revealed his team had overcome a bout of stage fright before clinching their first victory in a World Cup opener with a 2-0 … Read more
Mexico’s Raul Jimenez celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match against South Africa in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Mexico had never won their opening game of World Cup in seven attempts, registering five defeats and two draws during their previous appearances … Read more
Japan’s captain Wataru Endo is out of this FIFA World Cup and also announced his retirement from international football. | Photo Credit: AP The Japan Football Association said Thursday (June 11, 2026) that captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the country’s World Cup squad due to a foot injury. Later the Liverpool midfielder announced his … Read more
South Korea’s Seol Young-woo (22) celebrates with his team after a goal during the World Cup Group A soccer against Czechia in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP South Korea came back from a goal down to snatch a thrilling 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in their FIFA … Read more
Messi mundu or Neymar mundu? Which would you pick? Football merchandise has just got a Malayali upgrade with local stores designing mundus (dhoti) and lungis featuring football heroes. While jerseys have always been around, FIFA 2026 has inspired a range of regional attire too. In a State already awash with football colours, flags, buntings and … Read more
Shakira performs during the opening ceremony before the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy had the spectators out of their seats in the opening ceremony for the 2026 World Cup in the … Read more
Mexico’s Julian Quinones (16) celebrates with Israel Reyes after scoring their opening goal against South Africa during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South … Read more
Messi. | Photo Credit: Reuters A look at age-verification documents would make one wonder how these warhorses’ batteries still have enough charge for the FIFA World Cup. It appears as though they have been competing at football’s glitziest spectacle since time immemorial. The ageless fighters, however, are likely to bid adieu to the pinnacle of … Read more
A volatile second half comes to an end, with three players having received their marching orders in the half. Mexico wins 2-0, taking three points from the tournament’s opening to take an early lead in the Group A standings. The win should be enough to grant them a place in the next round, but the … Read more
Shakira performs during the opening ceremony before the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy had the spectators out of their seats in the opening ceremony for the 2026 World Cup in the … Read more
Desire, left, and Guela share a light-hearted moment. | Photo Credit: AFP FIFA World Cups are as much about shared memory as they are about football. They are, at the same time, grand and intimate — a collective realisation that we are about to turn the page to a brand-new chapter in our global family … Read more
Argentina Valentín Barco (8) celebrates with Valentin Barco (2) after he scores during the first half of an international friendly match against Iceland, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Auburn, Ala. | Photo Credit: AP With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off, the debate over who will lift football’s biggest prize is intensifying. Are France … Read more
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held across the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The tournament will be the largest in the competition’s history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and featuring a record 104 matches. Spanning three countries, four time zones and distances of up … Read more
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Mexico Press Conference in Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico on June 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Javier Aguirre knows exactly what awaits his Mexico side when it hosts the World Cup opener against South Africa on Thursday (June 11, 2026) in Mexico City to … Read more
On June 11, 2026, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin in North America, bringing together teams from across the globe. The tournament, to be jointly hosted by three countries and staged across 16 cities, will feature an expanded field of 48 teams, making it the largest edition in the competition’s history. More than 1,000 … Read more
England’s Anthony Gordon celebrates scoring against Costa Rica in a friendly match on June 10, 2026 | Photo Credit: Imagn Images via Reuters England were undeterred by a thunderstorm that delayed their final World Cup warm-up friendly as they beat Costa Rica 3-0 in Orlando on Wednesday (June 10, 2026). Anthony Gordon was the star … Read more
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo during a friendly against Nigeria, on June 10, 2026 | Photo Credit: Reuters Portugal is heading to the FIFA World Cup on the back of a 2-1 warmup win over Nigeria and some regrets for star striker Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old Ronaldo failed to add to his men’s-record international haul of 143 … Read more
A view of the Toronto stadium. | Photo Credit: Reuters The World Cup starts on Thursday (June 11, 2026), and FIFA is charging record prices at the 11 stadiums in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. FIFA is using dynamic pricing and has repeatedly raised the prices since tickets first went … Read more
FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices on Wednesday (June 10, 2026), saying “if we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong”. Infantino spoke with reporters during a rare question-and-answer session on the eve of the opening match of an expanded 48-nation, 104-game World Cup … Read more
No showpiece event of a sport has lived up to its billing quite like the FIFA World Cup. The 2026 edition, which kicks off on Thursday, offers proof. With 48 teams and 104 matches, it is the biggest ever. With roughly one in four FIFA member nations qualifying, and six of the seven continents represented, … Read more
Mexico players have fun during a training session. | Photo Credit: Reuters The World Cup has a habit of redefining football’s hierarchy. New stars emerge, established powers fall and careers are forever defined by a handful of moments. As the tournament heads to North America for the first time since 1994, the game is at … Read more
While the stage is set for the FIFA World Cup 2026 commencing on June 11, the mood in the host nations is not entirely euphoric. In Mexico’s capital, where the first match is to be held, teachers associated with the CNTE union have toppled statues of football players and disrupted traffic in their protests for better wages … Read more
The FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy | Photo Credit: Reuters The FIFA World Cup 2026 begins on the night of June 11 and will be played across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This year, 48 teams will take part, expanded from the 32 nations of previous editions. The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups … Read more
Shakira and Burna Boy will perform “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 World Cup, live for the first time during the tournament’s opening ceremony on June 11, 2026. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be an extraordinary event, featuring multi-nation opening ceremonies and culminating on July 19 … Read more