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.
We are now just hours away from the start of the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with all 48 teams having made their way to North America with dreams of glory driving them. All of the pre-qualifying favourites made it safely through, including Spain, Brazil, England, France and defending champions Argentina.
Cristiano Ronaldo endured a frustrating evening in Leiria as Portugal concluded their 2026 World Cup preparations with a slender 2-1 victory over Nigeria. Despite the win, the 41-year-old veteran lacked his usual clinical edge, spurning several golden opportunities to extend his legendary international goal tally.
Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to lead Portugal into a record-breaking sixth World Cup, but questions are already being asked about whether his time on home soil is coming to an end. National team boss Roberto Martinez has addressed whether a pre-tournament friendly against Nigeria serves as a final farewell for the legendary forward.
Victor Osimhen is once again at the centre of a global transfer scramble following a major admission from the Nigerian national team camp. After a prolific spell in Turkey with Galatasaray, the former Napoli superstar appears ready to make his next career move, with the Premier League and Serie A clubs on high alert.
Alex Iwobi has explained what makes Nigeria international team-mate Victor Osimhen special, with the Galatasaray striker so determined to be a world-class operator that he is “cheating just to win” in training. Speaking on the Beast Mode On Podcast, Fulham playmaker Iwobi has also revealed what it is like having legendary ex-Paris Saint-Germain, Bolton and Super Eagles star Jay-Jay Okocha as an uncle.
Abebayo Akinfenwa is joined by Alex Iwobi on the Beast Mode On Podcast as the Fulham winger discusses his journey from the Arsenal academy to becoming a regular in the Premier League and making his mark on the international stage with Nigeria. The 29-year-old also talks about his duels with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as well as a host of other compelling topics.
Doubts surround the Iranian national team ahead of the World Cup. As the final whistle approaches for football’s showpiece event, observers in Tehran and beyond sense a palpable unease about the team’s readiness. Concerns range from the squad’s defensive fragility to the lingering effects of domestic political pressures that have shadowed its preparations. Analysts point out that the side has struggled to find consistency in high-profile friendlies, and the coaching staff’s public silence only amplifies the uncertainty. Fans, who have seen their team qualify for a record sixth consecutive tournament, now wonder whether the squad can silence the sceptics when the first match kicks off.
The Nigerian Football Federation has successfully secured the international commitment of Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo following a formal change of allegiance from England. The 24-year-old Londoner is now eligible to represent the Super Eagles at senior level after previously being capped by the Three Lions as a teenager.
There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes and a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations. However, even by the tournament's extraordinary standards, the final of the 2025 edition was like nothing we've ever seen before - albeit not in a good way. In the 93rd minute of a tense but largely uneventful encounter in Rabat, Senegal had a goal from Ismaila Sarr very harshly disallowed for a perceived foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi beforehand. Just moments later, Morocco were awarded a penalty after an invention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), who had spotted a minor tug on Brahim Diaz's shirt by El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy is shouldering the responsibility of championing African culture and heritage by launching a landmark new campaign ahead of Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco. The initiative comprises music, fashion, sport, film and storytelling, aiming to assert ownership of African narratives. To mark the occasion, Burna Boy has dropped a new music video featuring a host of influential figures from the football world.
There was heartache for Mohamed Salah who missed his shootout penalty as Egypt finished fourth at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday. The Egyptian icon’s spot kick was saved after his side drew 0-0 draw in the third-place play-off against Nigeria, which the Super Eagles won 4-2 on penalties. Salah was one of two Egyptian players to miss his penalty alongside Omar Marmoush.
Back in the summer of 2023, Victor Osimhen was the most in-demand striker in world football. He'd just spearheaded Napoli's run to their first Scudetto in 33 years, netting 26 goals in 32 games to become the first African player ever to finish as Serie A top scorer, and had pretty much every elite club in Europe knocking on his door. For a 24-year-old with talent and drive, it seemed like the start of something truly special.
You will struggle to come across anyone in football more obsessed with Chelsea than their former midfielder and cult hero, John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian played 372 times for the club over an 11-year stint, helping them win 10 trophies, including their first ever Champions League in 2012. Though he retired in 2022, Mikel is still a prominent voice in the Chelsea sphere, regularly discussing their exploits on 'The Obi One Podcast'. Mikel sat down with GOAL to chat about the modern-day Blues, how they compare to his generation, new head coach Liam Rosenior, the club's BlueCo owners, his failed move to Manchester United and his recent transfer to Google Pixel.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has formally opened disciplinary proceedings following a series of ugly incidents that marred the quarter-final stages of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Officials have confirmed that investigations are underway regarding "unacceptable behaviour" from players and staff during the high-profile clashes involving the hosts, Cameroon, Algeria and Nigeria.
Zinedine Zidane's son Luca was involved in a brawl at full-time after his Algeria side were defeated in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday. The 27-year-old Granada goalkeeper clashed with Nigeria ace Fisayo Dele-Bashiru following a 2-0 victory for the Super Eagles, who will meet hosts Morocco in the last four. But the incident after the full-time whistle saw a sour end to proceedings as Zidane's side were eliminated.
Nigeria
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60){kind=spacer}
