world cup 2026

The Digest: FIFA has unveiled its list of match officials for the 2026 World Cup, featuring 52 referees, six of whom are women. The tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the biggest in history with 48 teams and 104 matches. FIFA will also take 88 assistant...

The Digest: Seven football legends could be having their final World Cup dance at the 2026 tournament in North America. Lionel Messi (Argentina) arrives as defending champion, while Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has already announced that this will be his last. Others include Mohamed Salah...

The Digest: Football icons Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr have been transformed into official Lego minifigures for the new 'Editions' collection, timed for the 2026 World Cup. The quartet stars in an advert competing to complete a Lego World Cup trophy at a...

The Digest: Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina resigned on Thursday amid political pressure, two days after the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon also stepped down as the national team's delegation chief...

The Digest: Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen took to social media to celebrate Turkey's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reposting a photo of his Galatasaray teammate Abdulkerim Bardakci waving the Turkish flag with clapping hands and a heart emoji. Turkey secured their spot with...

The Digest: Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh has described Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as a "total disaster for the soul of Italian football." The Azzurri lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina after a 1-1 draw, marking their third consecutive...

The Digest: Four-time world champions Italy have failed to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff final, extending the Azzurri's identity crisis. Nigeria, Africa's most consistent World Cup representative with six appearances since...

The Digest: England suffered their first-ever loss against an Asian nation, falling 1-0 to Japan at Wembley in a World Cup warm-up friendly. Kaoru Mitoma's first-half goal condemned the Three Lions to a second consecutive lackluster performance after Friday's drab draw with Uruguay. Manager...

The Digest: FIFA and the Confederation of African Football have both hailed the Democratic Republic of Congo after it qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the 10th African nation to secure a spot. The Leopards edged Jamaica 1-0 in their intercontinental playoff final, with Axel...

The Digest: Italy's World Cup nightmare has deepened as they crashed out of contention for a third consecutive tournament, falling to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a dramatic qualification play-off final with a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat. The Azzurri took an early lead through Moise Kean in the...

The Digest: The 2026 World Cup lineup is now complete after all playoff matches were concluded early Wednesday, with Iraq securing the final ticket by shocking Bolivia. The tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada, has been expanded by FIFA to accommodate 48 nations. Argentina will...

The Digest: The Democratic Republic of Congo has secured a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 52 years after defeating Jamaica 1-0 in the intercontinental play-off final at the Estadio Akron in Mexico. Axel Tuanzebe scored the winning goal in the 100th minute of a tightly...

The Digest: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup and play their group matches in the United States as scheduled, despite the ongoing Middle East war. Speaking at Iran's friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, Infantino said the team's...

The Digest: Senegal secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Peru in a friendly match on Saturday, marking their first game since the Confederation of African Football controversially stripped them of their AFCON title and awarded it to Morocco. Jackson opened the scoring in the 41st minute...

The Digest: Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has pleaded with Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti to include Neymar in the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad after the Santos forward was omitted from the recent international break squad. Ancelotti had insisted that the former Paris Saint-Germain...

The Digest: France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has addressed the controversy surrounding his knee injury, denying reports that the club's medical staff examined the wrong leg. Speaking at a press conference ahead of France's friendly against Brazil, Mbappe stated, "The information...

The Digest: Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, accusing the football governing body of abusing its monopoly to impose "excessive ticket prices" for the 2026 World Cup. The groups allege that ticket costs have...

The Digest: The Nigeria Football Federation has commenced an appeal against FIFA's rejection of its petition challenging DR Congo players' eligibility in the 2026 World Cup playoff. NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi confirmed the federation is "dissatisfied" with the ruling and will...

The Digest: FIFA dismissed Nigeria's petition against DR Congo over alleged ineligible players due to procedural failures, according to veteran journalist Kunle Solaja. The NFF submitted the protest nearly two weeks after the November 16, 2025, World Cup playoff, which Nigeria lost 4-3 on...

The Digest: Iran has begun negotiations with FIFA to relocate its 2026 World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, citing security concerns. The Iranian Embassy in Mexico confirmed the development, quoting FA president Mehdi Taj, who stated the team "will certainly not travel to...