FIFA World Cup | DD News

May 11, 2026 8:50 PM

How Kansas City became a surprise World Cup hotspot

In its storied history, Kansas City has attracted traders and mobsters, jazz legends and barbecue pitmasters, and even Taylor Swift. Now it is preparing to welcome some of the world's best soccer players - and their devoted followers. Kansas City is the smallest of the 11 U.S. host cities for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. Yet three of the top seeds - Argentina, England and the Netherlands - have chosen it as their base. That means this Midwestern city will tr...

April 1, 2026 1:27 PM

Italy miss out on World Cup for third straight time after shootout loss to Bosnia

Italy's agonising World Cup exile continues after they fell to a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in their playoff final on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw. Four-time champions Italy had lost out at the playoff stage to miss the last two World Cups, and their last qualification in 2014 coincided with Bosnia's only previous appearance. Since lifting the trophy in 2006, Italy have won one game at the finals. Bosnia will play in Group B at the World Cup, joining co-hosts Canada,...

November 17, 2025 9:32 AM

Portugal qualify for World Cup with 9-1 thrashing of Armenia

Portugal qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia that included hat-tricks from both Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves. The reigning Nations League champions were forced to wait to book an automatic spot after losing 2-0 to Ireland on Thursday in a game where their captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off. But Roberto Martinez's side needed no help from their all-time top scorer in a one-sided match that assured them top spot in Group F with 13 points, giving Ronal...

November 6, 2025 12:22 PM

FIFA launches annual Peace Prize with first to be awarded at World Cup draw

FIFA announced a new annual award called the FIFA Peace Prize which will be given to its first winner during the 2026 World Cup finals draw in Washington D.C. next month, world soccer's governing body said on Wednesday. Dubbed the "FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World", FIFA said it was created to "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace". "In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it's fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribut...

September 24, 2025 9:38 AM

Trump invites global fans to World Cup and Olympics as US tightens visa policies

U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes "countless people from all over the globe" will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the United States. Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound ...

September 17, 2025 12:55 PM

FIFA to distribute record $355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup

FIFA is set to distribute a record $355 million to clubs around the world as part of an expanded Club Benefits Programme (CBP) tied to the 2026 World Cup, soccer's world governing body announced on Tuesday. The initiative marks an increase of close to 70% from the $209 million paid out after the 2022 tournament in Qatar. For the first time, clubs that release players for World Cup qualifiers -- not just the finals -- will be compensated. The initiative is part of a renewed memorandum of under...

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...

March 7, 2025 1:36 PM

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 ...