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World Cup

World Cup Overview

Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal GFX

Portugal need Martinez to learn when to axe ageing Ronaldo

Another major tournament, another debate raging around Portugal's continued selection of Cristiano Ronaldo. The veteran forward's anonymous performance in his country's World Cup opener against DR Congo has reignited the now-biennial discussion over whether or not he should still be starting for the Seleccao at the grand old age of 41. Although you shouldn't expect anything to actually change so long as Roberto Martinez is in charge, the manager must learn when to take action.

FBL-WC-2026-TRAINING-BRA

Carlos insists Brazil 'will improve a lot' with Neymar back

Brazil icon Roberto Carlos believes the Selecao are ready to turn a corner at the 2026 World Cup provided they can successfully reintegrate Neymar into the starting XI. Speaking during the tournament in North America, the legendary left-back offered a candid assessment of the current squad compared to rivals Argentina while backing Carlo Ancelotti’s side to make a deep run.

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Standings

PosTeamPWDLFA+/-PTSForm
1Bayern Munich crestBayern Munich342851122368689
W
W
D
W
W
2Borussia Dortmund crestBorussia Dortmund34227570343673
W
W
L
W
L
3RB Leipzig crestRB Leipzig34205966471965
L
W
L
W
W
4VfB Stuttgart crestVfB Stuttgart34188871492262
D
W
D
D
L
5Hoffenheim crestHoffenheim34187965521361
L
W
D
W
W
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Frequently asked questions

Brazil have won the World Cup five times, more than any other country. They first lifted the trophy in 1958, before successfully defending their title four years later. They then made it three in 1970, while also emerging victorious in 1994 and 2002 to show what they're made of.

The most recent edition of the World Cup, which took place in Qatar in 2022, featured 32 teams. However, from the upcoming edition in 2026, as many as 48 teams will be contesting for the ultimate prize in international football. The number of teams that will be featuring has almost quadrupled since the inaugural edition in 1930, which hosted 13 teams.

Lionel Messi holds the record of making the most appearances in World Cups, having represented Argentina 26 times across five editions.

Germany's Miroslav Klose tops the all-time goalscoring charts in World Cups, having scored an incredible 16 goals in 24 games across four consecutive editions from 2002 to 2014.

Egyptian legend Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to have ever featured in a World Cup game. The goalkeeper was 45 years and 161 days old when he participated in Egypt's 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia at the 2018 World Cup.

Former Manchester United man Norman Whiteside is the youngest player ever to play a World Cup game. The midfielder was just 17 years and 41 days old when he featured for Northern Ireland in a game against Yugoslavia at the 1982 World Cup.

The likes of Didier Deschamps, Franz Beckenbauer, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Vicente del Bosque, Vittorio Pozzo, Louis van Gaal, Sven-Goran Eriksson, and Ivica Osim are some of the most accomplished individuals to have managed at the World Cup finals.