FIFA World Cup 2026

October 8, 2026 1:13 PM

Spain stay atop FIFA rankings; Portugal rise to fifth

Spain have pulled further ahead of second-placed Argentina on the FIFA world ranking, while Portugal and Switzerland have jumped two places to fifth and 12th respectively. Australia, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, Sweden, Greece, Mali and South Africa were also among the multiple-position risers on the latest edition of the global ladder. Spain replaced Argentina atop the world ranking in July, largely thanks to their 1-0 extra-time victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. Luis de la Fuente’s side,...

July 17, 2026 1:36 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026: “Destiny”: 18 years after iconic photo, Messi-Yamal to square off in Final

Defending champions Argentina will take on European champions Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, setting up the first-ever on-field meeting between Lionel Messi and Spain's teenage star Lamine Yamal. The final at MetLife Stadium comes nearly 18 years after the two footballers first met during a charity photoshoot organised by Catalan newspaper Diario Sport in 2008, when Messi, then a 20-year-old Barcelona player, posed with an infant Yamal at Camp Nou. The photoshoot, captured by...

July 16, 2026 10:51 AM

FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi celebrates Argentina’s SF win, says ‘we dug deep to put in another great performance’

Argentina captain Lionel Messi celebrated his side's dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, hailing the team's resilience after securing a place in the final. In a post on Instagram following Wednesday's match (local time), Messi thanked supporters for their faith in the squad and praised his teammates for another determined display. "WE'RE IN THE FINAL!!!!! We dug deep once again to put in another great performance. A huge thank you to everyone who be...

July 13, 2026 11:35 AM

FIFA World Cup 2026 prize money rises to record USD 871 million

FIFA has announced a record prize pool of USD 871 million for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a 65 per cent increase over the USD 529 million distributed during the Qatar 2022 edition. According to FIFA, the increase in prize money is driven by the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams, the addition of 40 more matches, and higher commercial revenues, which are being reinvested into the sport. Of the total prize pool, USD 655 million has been allocated as performance-based rewards, c...

July 6, 2026 10:23 AM

Aguirre bids farewell with pride, backs Marquez to lead Mexico forward

Javier Aguirre backed Rafa Marquez to lead Mexico into the future after the co-hosts' World Cup run ended with a 3-2 defeat by England on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on Aguirre's third spell in charge. Aguirre, who had already made clear he would leave his role after the tournament, said former Mexico captain Marquez was ready to continue the work done with a squad that restored belief during the country's deepest World Cup run in 40 years. England booked their place in the quarter...

July 5, 2026 12:03 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026: Mbappe penalty sends France past Paraguay into quarter-finals

France arrived in Philadelphia with the swagger of World Cup heavyweights and left looking like they had spent the afternoon wrestling a cactus, grinding out a narrow victory over Paraguay in sweltering conditions. Their win was less a showcase of French elegance than a survival exercise, with Kylian Mbappe's penalty finally settling an ill-tempered contest that Paraguay had dragged into their preferred territory of physical confrontation and tactical disruption. Paraguay offered something Fra...

July 5, 2026 11:15 AM

FIFA World Cup 2026: Clinical Morocco ease past Canada 3-0 to reach quarter-finals

Morocco dispatched a determined Canada 3-0 in the World Cup last 16 on Saturday as Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and the North Africans ended the co-hosts' record run while advancing to the quarter-finals for the second time in a row. The scoreline flattered Morocco, who were on the back foot for most of the opening period and failed to register an attempt on goal until the 28th minute after Canada had spurned a number of solid chances. The tame first-half performance caused Morocco's visibly f...

June 16, 2026 4:27 PM

‘We were told to leave immediately’: Iranian coach hits out at FIFA

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed his dissatisfaction with a sudden change to his team's itinerary after Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand in its FIFA World Cup Group G opener on Tuesday (IST). Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ghalenoei said his team was unexpectedly informed that it had to return to Mexico immediately after the match in Los Angeles. According to Ghalenoei, the team had earlier been told it could remain in the United States until Tuesday afternoon, but the itin...

June 14, 2026 11:11 AM

FIFA World Cup 2026: All you need to know about Sweden vs Tunisia

Sweden will take on Tunisia in a Group F encounter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday, with both teams aiming to make a strong start to their campaign. Tunisia are appearing in their seventh FIFA World Cup and their third consecutive tournament after qualifying for the 2018 and 2022 editions. Despite their consistent appearances on football’s biggest stage, the North African side is yet to progress beyond the group phase. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Tunisia competed in a challenging gr...

June 13, 2026 7:44 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026: All you need to know about Brazil vs Morocco clash

Five-time world champions Brazil will begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Morocco in a high-profile Group C encounter at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday (IST). The match is widely regarded as the standout fixture of the opening round in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti. Brazil and Morocco are considered the strongest sides in the group and favourites to secure direct qualification to the Round of 32. Under head coach Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil enter the tou...