Four nations made debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan gracing the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It was the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and Cape Verde achieved the feat of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages, before succumbing to Lionel Messi's Argentina in a classic.
Pep Guardiola is reportedly open to taking over as England manager in the future as he begins his life after Manchester City. The legendary coach, who has just ended a trophy-laden decade at the Etihad Stadium, is viewed as the ultimate 'dream' candidate for the Football Association.
Italy missed out on qualification for the upcoming showpiece in USA, Mexico and Canada, but they might reportedly get one last chance to book their ticket after all, even if Fifa remains confident no emergency scenarios are required
FIFA has been left facing scrutiny after unprecedented scenes at the Arab Cup, with the third-place playoff abandoned because of severe lightning storms and never restarted. Instead of finishing the match, football’s governing body handed responsibility to a committee, which ultimately decided the outcome away from the pitch, leaving both teams sharing third place in a chaotic conclusion.
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