Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
The Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia confirmed the planned farewell after Messi was included in the squad for the match, which is expected to be his 208th and final appearance for the national side.
Mbappe becomes the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice, having also claimed the prize at Qatar 2022.
Their departure means they will play no further role in officiating the semi-finals or the final due to FIFA's strict neutrality rules, which prohibit referees from officiating matches involving their own country.
Neymar Sr. publicly appealed to his son not to walk away from football altogether. In a heartfelt social media post, he urged Neymar to continue playing at club level, emphasising the importance of the sport to their family.
The 24-year-old covered his mouth while speaking to Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez during stoppage time in the second half, as Ecuador headed out of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the match in Dallas, Scaloni said the decision to rest the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was not injury-related.
French prosecutors confirmed on Friday that an investigating judge ordered the trial in February 2026. French media also reported that Hakimi, 27, recently failed in an appeal to have the case dismissed.
Iran had already moved its World Cup base to Mexico due to concerns stemming from tensions between the country and the United States. Of the 15 Iranian delegation members initially denied US visas, 10 submitted fresh applications after arriving in Mexico. It has now emerged that four of those appeals were successful.
Yahoo Sports reports that the Norwegian national team are reportedly taking 300kg of fish, 116kg of Norwegian cheese, and 6,000 oranges to their tournament base, food acquired from Norway and transported to the USA, with Norwegian chefs involved in every step.
The last time a World Cup match produced three red cards was two decades ago, during the 2006 finals, a tournament still remembered for its disciplinary flashpoints, including the notorious Portugal versus Netherlands encounter that holds the record for the most dismissals in a single game.
Global music star Shakira led part of the entertainment lineup, joined by J Balvin, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean, Mexican band Maná’s Fher Olvera, opera singer Andrea Bocelli, K-pop artist Ejae and South African star Tyla, who also performed her national anthem.
Under the new regulations, players who are being substituted must exit the field within 10 seconds. If a player takes longer, the team will temporarily have fewer players, and the replacement must wait one minute before entering.
Some African teams landed favourable paths; others drew gauntlets that will test depth, experience and nerves.
The World Cup’s new rhythm will be punctuated not just by goals and whistles, but by those brief, vital moments when teams regroup, rehydrate and prepare to sprint back into history.
With six months to go and the draw settled, teams are no longer only plotting formations and set pieces; they are plotting routes, sleep schedules, and the invisible margins that travel can steal or gift.
Across continents, the tournament will be defined less by a single favorite and more by match‑by‑match storylines.
The semi-finals are set for 26 March, with the finals played five days later on 31 March.
With qualification finishing and the tournament draw looming, these 64 teams represent the final, electrifying pool from which the 2026 champion will emerge.
Gattuso’s gripe was blunt: a strong qualifying record shouldn’t be punished by a format that forces successful teams into knock-out roulette.
14 World Cup berths remain, with several groups and decisive finals in all confederations set to write the last chapters before the March play-offs and November’s closing qualifiers
On a mild Monday night in Luxembourg, 20-year-old Jamie Donley delivered his most convincing audition yet.
After two catastrophic misses at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, Italy now slide into perilous playoff territory once more, a route that has already given them their worst international shocks.
Kane carried the headlines, yes, but the night belonged equally to squad depth.
Across UEFA, the standings show a split between teams already asserting control and a clutch of groups still wide open.
Sixteen goals in eight qualifiers- a goal in every match- made Haaland the single hottest scorer across the entire 2026 qualification landscape, continent for continent.
After four qualifying games, Sweden sit bottom of their group, pointless and stunned behind Slovenia, Kosovo and Switzerland, and automatic qualification is already out of reach.
The winger’s recent temperament at Real Madrid and the slow grind of form have turned whispers into headlines, but international duty offers a fresh stage and a coach with a clear plan to flip the script.
Ronaldo’s story is now as much about duration as it is about brilliance. The same figure who first lit up headlines in 2009 still commands them today, nine months past his 40th birthday,
The inaugural award will be revealed on December 5 at the Kennedy Center during the World Cup draw ceremony.
