FIFA World Cup

March 18, 2025 3:54 PM

Japan eye win over Bahrain to become first team to qualify for 2026 World Cup

Japan will become the first nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday if they defeat Bahrain at Saitama Stadium as Hajime Moriyasu's side looks to continue their imperious form in Asia's preliminaries. Three points would guarantee Japan a top-two finish in Group C and see them join co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico at next year's finals. The Japanese have dropped only two points from their six qualifiers—a 1-1 draw with Australia in October—and are 10 points ahead o...

Soccer-FIFA to consider one-off expansion to 64 teams for 2030 World Cup

Soccer's governing body FIFA will review a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams to mark the centenary of the sport's marquee event, it said on Thursday. The 2030 World Cup will be held in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, where the inaugural edition was staged, set to host three games. The World Cup has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams for next year's edition in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. "A proposal to analyse a 64-team FIFA World Cup ...