“Fifa World Cup matches set to be held across the United States face heightened terrorism risks, with experts warning that vulnerabilities are being amplified by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and a depletion of counter-terrorism expertise within federal law enforcement. The biggest threat stems from homegrown violent extremists, often lone actors that may have become radicalized online by extreme political views or jihadists such as the Islamic State (Isis), said four counter-terror experts interviewed. …”
Guardian
Fifa World Cup matches face heightened terror risk in US amid Iran conflict
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“Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and a sustained ‘Trump Slump’ of declining international visitation, the substantial World Cup bump U.S. hotels were promised may not materialize, according to CoStar, the industry’s leading benchmarking and analytics firm.”
“With a little over a month until the World Cup comes to New Jersey, workers this week began installing the grass field at MetLife Stadium. Workers began the two-day installation process on Wednesday afternoon, when the first of 27 trucks filled with hundreds of rolls of grass arrived at the stadium from a turf farm in North Carolina roughly 12 hours away. The venue, which will be called ‘New York New Jersey’ for the duration of the tournament, will stage eight matches from June 13 until the World Cup final on July 19. …”
“How many times will Elon Musk post on X today? Will Donald Trump do anything this week? Hantavirus pandemic in 2026? Where will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding occur? Oh, and who will win the 2026 World Cup? Welcome to the world of prediction markets, the increasingly popular betting platform that allows users to stake money, cash or crypto, on a wide range of topics. Just don’t call it gambling in the United States because, well, it technically isn’t… yet. …”
“In one of the more monumental shifts in the collectibles world, FIFA and Fanatics have inked a long-term, exclusive licensing deal that will allow Topps — owned by Fanatics — to produce soccer cards, stickers and trading card games for the World Cup and other FIFA events starting in 2031. This will end FIFA and Panini’s long-standing partnership in the space. Panini will have served as the key licensee for FIFA World Cup cards and 
“The San Diego, Calif. area is a major soccer hotbed in the United States, but will not be hosting any 2026 World Cup matches due to its lack of an NFL stadium. But that’s not stopping nearby Legoland California from getting in on the action! The amusement park in nearby Carlsbad, Calif., run by and themed after the famed Danish toy company, will provide several World Cup experiences from June 11-19. Visitors can play soccer mini-games and challenges against Lego minifigures, meet soccer legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in life-size Lego brick form, design custom World Cup jerseys and even get the chance to lift the Lego version of the World Cup trophy! 
“
“A coalition of more than 120 US-based civil society groups on Thursday issued a travel advisory ahead of the upcoming FIFA Men’s World Cup over what the ACLU called the “deteriorating 
“The mood around England was great last year as they won all eight World Cup qualifiers without conceding a single goal. But they were poor in both home friendlies last month, showing how lost they look without Harry Kane. With 50 days to go until this summer’s tournament kicks off, you can hear expectations being gently recalibrated… …”
“The 2026 World Cup is 50 days away. After nearly eight years of planning and promise, a tournament that could help shape American soccer for decades is near. And among the 
“Fifty days out from the World Cup, France are in ominously impressive form and will go into the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. After a curious Euro 2024, where Les Bleus went out in the semi-finals having scored only three goals from open play (two of which were own goals), head coach Didier Deschamps used the subsequent Nations League campaign to recalibrate his misfiring attack. 
“It’s not just that the first men’s World Cup game in Canada is around the corner. A potential landscape-altering sporting event for the nation will begin in 50 days. Unlike the other 2026 World Cup co-hosts, Canada has never been in this position. What could happen with a strong performance on home soil? Domestically, soccer could end up joining mainstream consciousness the way it did in the United States after the 1994 World Cup. …”
“With 50 days to go until the World Cup, European champions Spain are comfortable with being one of the favourites. Yet manager Luis de la Fuente still has some interesting selection decisions to make before finalising his squad — and picking his starting XI for the opener against Cape Verde on June 15. From the outside, all seems serene for the world’s No 2-ranked team. Is this the case? …”
“Germany are 50 days away from what they hope will be redemption. Since winning the World Cup in 2014, they have twice failed to emerge from their group — falling at the first hurdle in 2018 and 2022 — but are among the favourites for 2026. An encouraging showing at the 2024 European Championship, where they reached the quarter-final, was seen as progress. However, in the two years since, the country’s optimism has risen and fallen in response to capricious form. What does Germany expect? Nobody’s quite sure. …”
“ITALY is in a state of mourning after the Azzurri crashed out of the World Cup against Bosnia & Herzegovina, a nation that sits 53 places lower in the. FIFA rankings. The subject is so sensitive that the government, via Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, called for the removal of Gabriele Gravina, the head of Federcalcio, the Italian Football Federation. It was, after all, the third successive World Cup failure, with the Bosnia play-off added to similar exits at the hands of Sweden and North Macedonia. Gravina announced his resignation two days after Italy’s embarrassing elimination and most observers of Italian football expect coach Gennaro Gattuso will fall on his sword after just eight games in charge. …”
“”Olé! Olé! Olé! Congooo Congooo!’ In the bowels of the Guadalajara stadium, Congolese and Mexican fans sang as one to celebrate the Leopards’ historic victory over Jamaica on Tuesday. Fifty-two years after their first appearance as Zaire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s men’s national team is back in the World Cup. Among the roughly 1,000 Congolese fans, most of whom had come dressed in blue, some left the stadium with Mexico’s green jersey draped over their shoulders. Meanwhile, others continued to jump arm in arm to the beat of ‘Vamos al Mundial!’ …”
The World Cup trophy outside the White House before the 2026 tournament’s group-stage draw
Bosnia and Herzegovina fans celebrate their World Cup qualification in Sarajevo on Tuesday night
The Ivica Osim mural in Sarajevo
“The 
“This was not the World Cup send-off that England were hoping for. Thomas Tuchel’s final match at Wembley before he and his squad travel to the United States — where they will play two more friendlies ahead of the start of the World Cup in June — was supposed to be a celebration of a squad brimming with talent and ambition. Instead, Tuchel’s flat and disjointed side missing captain Harry Kane through injury were defeated 1-0 by a polished Japan, who made their own statement of intent ahead of the summer thanks to Karou Mitoma’s first-half goal. …”
“Roberto Martinez has been to a Super Bowl here 
“There is always a slightly odd rhythm to the World Cup. The final round of qualifying games is almost invariably more exciting than the early games at the tournament itself, and now with 32 teams making it through the group stage and into the knockout rounds, that is likely to be even more true for the 2026 edition. Those final qualifiers in November were thrilling and meaningful – 
“The U.S. men’s national team hoped that these spring friendlies, the last before coach Mauricio Pochettino selects his World Cup roster, would reinforce the positive momentum of the fall. Instead, a deflating loss served as a warning for what can come against some of the world’s best teams and against the game’s attacking players. 
“The day before Spain played the European Championship final against England in Berlin, Germany, in July 2024, manager Luis de la Fuente announced the team would be welcoming a special guest. It was Spain’s most important match in a decade, and Gavi had to be there — De la Fuente called him ‘the 27th player of this squad’. Gavi was not called up to the tournament in Germany because he was injured. The previous November, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Spain’s final Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia. Back then, he was essentially the face of the team, its most recognisable and popular star. …”
“Kees Smit made a winning start to his international career as the Netherlands impressed in the latest game of their World Cup preparations by triumphing 2-1 at home to a Norway team who were missing Erling Haaland. The Dutch, who face Japan, Tunisia and either Sweden or Poland in Group F at the finals in June and July, fell behind in Friday’s friendly in Amsterdam to a fine curling strike from 21-year-old Benfica attacker Andreas Schjelderup on 24 minutes. They responded with a header from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk 11 minutes later, then took the lead early in the second half when Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders finished off a fine, flowing team move. …”
“In Los Angeles, big stages are part of everyday life. This is the city of stars, where major stories unfold beneath the Hollywood sign and along the star-studded Walk of Fame. While iconic teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers have made the city one of the world’s great sporting capitals, football also has its own story here. LA has helped bring the global game to new audiences since hosting the 1984 Olympic tournament, and later staged the historic 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy at the Rose Bowl. …”
“Italy can breathe again — for now, at least. A tension-racked evening in Bergamo saw Gennaro Gattuso’s side edge past Northern Ireland in their World Cup play-off semi-final. Second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean proved enough, and while Italy’s performance was far from perfect, it enabled them to take a big step towards this summer’s tournament in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. We analyse the major talking points. …”
“… Sunday’s final was Rice’s 50th appearance and 44th start of the season for club and country. There is the capacity for another 18 — 15 with Arsenal and three with England — before the World Cup is even underway, with the likelihood Rice will have played more than 70 games by the time England’s summer adventures are over. The workload is heavy but not unique. Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk brought up his own half-century for the season in the Champions League rout of Galatasaray last week, a feat Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali had managed by March 7. Others in the Premier League, such as international regulars Martin Zubimendi, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Malick Thiaw, are all lining up to do the same in the coming weeks. …”
“Welcome to the final mid-season international window of 2025-26, the last chance for managers to work with players before naming their World Cup squads. Over the next 10 days, we will find out the identity of the final six of the record 48 qualifiers, with 22 nations still in contention via two play-off routes, one in Europe and the other playing out a rest-of-the-world mini-tournament in Mexico. So there are plenty of key decisions to make, while lots of players need to make a good impression now or risk missing out on the tournament altogether. We asked 20 of our writers to answer the key questions that will be addressed this month. You can use the tabs to scroll to the areas that interest you the most: European play-offs, inter-confederation play-offs, players, around the world (featuring key issues facing assorted managers), USMNT, England, Canada and how ready the co-hosts are off the pitch. Let’s start with perhaps the biggest question of all. …”
“Stop me if you’ve heard this one before but the Premier League and English Football Association are having another club vs country row. The latest flare-up in this forever war is significant for two reasons. The first is its timing and the second is the likely solution, which some English Football League clubs believe is to gang up on them. Let’s deal with the timing first. On Friday, Thomas Tuchel announced 
“The turbulent countdown towards this summer’s World Cup finals shows little sign of easing. A social media post from the 
“After much uncertainty about the Finalissima match between Spain and Argentina in Qatar later this month, its cancellation was finally — and dramatically — confirmed on Sunday. The war in the Middle East is why the game, pitting the reigning champions of Europe and South America against one another, 
Iraqis celebrate reaching the World Cup play-offs in November but the journey is not over yet
Iraq fans show their support for the national team
“IT SEEMS bizarre that, despite the multitude of missiles falling on Tehran, the counter-strikes across the Middle East and the punchy rhetoric of the United States, FIFA are even considering to run the World Cup this summer. Let’s remember that the US is a host nation in this World Cup and host means ‘welcoming’ your visitors. And yet, Haiti, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Iran have either had partial or full travel bans slapped on them by the Trump administration. Furthermore, Mexico (co-hosts) and Colombia have been ‘warned’ by the US. Yes, Mexico, who helped the US win hosting rights for this tournament, have been warned. If you add it all up, among the 48 nations taking part, there are quite a few who have either been insulted, bullied, penalised (by tariff bingo) or threatened in some way by the US in the past 18 months. Why, oh why, would anyone want to travel to the States to take part in the competition in 2026? …”
Iran’s players celebrate after qualifying for the World Cup but there are doubts as to whether they will participate in the tournament
Italy’s players perform the fascist salute before the start of the 1938 World Cup final against Hungary in Paris
“After years of planning, the World Cup is now just 100 days away. This summer’s tournament in North America will almost certainly be the most-viewed sports event ever, watched by millions (or more likely billions) of fans across the world. But it also offers a huge opportunity to attract a whole new audience, particularly across the United States, where soccer has long been on the rise but still does not dominate the sporting landscape as it does in so many other countries. This will be a World Cup watched by diehards and those who have never engaged with the sport before. With that in mind, we have compiled this article as a guide to everything you could possibly want to know about the tournament, from the most basic questions for those who have never watched the sport to far more intricate details about how teams play, the politics of this tournament, the ticketing situation and much more. With 100 days until the tournament, our reporters have answered 100 questions. …”
“I’ve been to the last nine men’s soccer World Cups, and the dominant mood is almost always international friendship. The same vibe usually prevails on the field, even after hard-fought matches. One of the tournament’s 
“Six days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino 
“FIFA says it is focusing on ‘everybody participating’ in this summer’s World Cup in the wake of the American military attack on Iran. The U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on major Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran, on Saturday after weeks of mounting diplomatic tension. Iran has retaliated with its own missile attacks on Israel and U.S. air bases in the Gulf region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. 
Queretaro (in red) will be forced to play their league match on a later date 
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the controversial government agency known as ICE, will play a ‘key part’ in the 2026 World Cup’s ‘overall security apparatus,’ its 
“The 2026 
A protester wearing a placard and distributing leaflets against the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan and advocating for the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games
The opening ceremony for the 1994 World Cup took place at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
Harry Kane (England)
“World Cup 2026, previously just a dot on the horizon, starts to come into full view this week. With qualification now wrapped up (well, mostly — more on that shortly), the draw for the tournament takes place in Washington, D.C. on Friday. In the lead-up to that event, we answer some of the big questions you may have about that draw and the World Cup more generally. Let’s start with the basics, and then we’ll delve a bit deeper. …”
“The next men’s FIFA World Cup is now 200 days away and 42 nations — including its co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico — have secured their places in the expanded 48-team competition. Seventy-five per cent of matches will be played in the U.S. across 11 cities. Mexico will host the opening matchday in Mexico City and Guadalajara, but the involvement of both it and Canada, in terms of venues anyway, will cease after the round of 16, with all games from the quarter-finals onwards to be played in the States, including the final at MetLife Stadium in the state of New Jersey, a few miles west of New York City. …”
“The excitement of Jamaica potentially qualifying for just their second World Cup was palpable on the gridlocked streets of Kingston three hours before kick-off. Fans in a variety of yellow shirts, with flicks of green, creating a joyous kaleidoscope of expectation. Wafting through the air was the smell of the jerk chicken and curry goat being cooked outside the city’s National Stadium, while inside dancehall blasted over the speakers. …”
Mexico after winning the CONCACAF Nations League final in March 2025
“Curacao is a Caribbean island that’s home to around only 185,000 people, and it felt like half of them spilt onto the pitch in celebration at reaching their first-ever World Cup on a dramatic night in Jamaica. They are now the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, breaking a record previously set by Iceland in 2018. Two planes carrying Curacao’s most passionate supporters, or as captain Leandro Bacuna termed it, their “ultras”, were chartered to make sure the players would have some backing for their decisive qualifying match on Tuesday night at Jamaica’s National Stadium in Kingston. …”
Scissors Kick 