The footballing world remains in a state of mourning following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and the void can be felt deeply within the Portugal national team dressing room. AC Milan superstar Rafael Leao has now spoken candidly about the "devastating" impact the loss has had on the squad as they prepare for life without the forward. Jota, who had recently secured the Premier League title with Liverpool, passed away in a car accident in Zamora, Spain, alongside his brother, after a tyre blowout caused their vehicle to veer off the road.
NFL icon Tom Brady has delivered a glowing assessment of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, crediting the administrator's "tremendous leadership" for the evolving landscape of global football. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the seven-time Super Bowl champion has become an increasingly prominent figure in the soccer world. Having taken a minority stake in Birmingham City and recently visited AC Milan to link up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Brady is now lending his significant cultural weight to the build-up for the first-ever 48-team tournament.
The anticipation surrounding Neymar’s return to the Brazil setup has reached a fever pitch following Santos' recent exit from the Campeonato Paulista. Despite the heavy scrutiny on the No. 10’s performance during the disappointing loss to Novorizontino, it appears that the result has not altered the long-term blueprint held by the national team’s coaching staff. Carlo Ancelotti is looking towards the future, and for now, that future does not involve a rushed recall for the country's all-time leading goalscorer.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed it's reassessing plans for its upcoming trip to Mexico after recent security alerts issued across multiple regions of the country. Portugal are scheduled to face the Mexico on March 28 as part of the reopening festivities for Estadio Banorte, formerly Estadio Azteca.
FIFA is monitoring the security situation in Mexico after incidents reported across multiple states in recent hours, according to ESPN. The governing body of world football asked for internal reports detailing the developments, particularly in Guadalajara, Jalisco — one of the host cities for the World Cup and a venue set to stage matches in the intercontinental playoff tournament.
Mic'd Up: The lead commentator for Fox Sports has backed the U.S. to make it to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup - and insists that anything else would be a slight disappointment on home soil.
Neymar has fans concerned that he will be in no fit state to form part of Brazil’s squad at the 2026 World Cup, with a viral clip of the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar in action for Santos leading to accusations of the 34-year-old playmaker being “done”. Neymar is still clinging to the dream of representing his country at another major international tournament this summer.
This is Legacy, GOAL’s podcast and feature series tracking the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we revisit a moment when two clubs became one nation. In 2010, Spain ruled the world, and its crown was built in both Barcelona and Madrid. The style of one, the strength of the other, blended into the perfect mix. Sixteen years on, and as a new generation rises in Catalunya, can Barcelona now become the sole heart of La Roja?
Anthony Gordon's 2025-26 Champions League campaign is the greatest by any English scorer for an English club in the competition's history. That's a fact. With his four-goal haul for Newcastle in last week's 6-1 hammering of Qarabag, he broke the record for most goals scored by an Englishman for a Premier League side in a single Champions League season, taking his tally to 10 from nine games. Not even Alan Shearer managed such a number in those famous black-and-white stripes.
Roberto Martinez maintains that Cristiano Ronaldo should be considered football’s GOAT regardless of whether he leads Portugal to World Cup glory or not. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to get his hands on the most prestigious of international prizes, but will get another shot at that title in 2026. Martinez sees the evergreen frontman being under no pressure to deliver.
Neymar has endured a so-called “disaster” with Santos that could leave his World Cup dreams with Brazil hanging by a thread. The Samba superstar has returned to action in his homeland, having recovered from a knee operation, but failed to sparkle early in 2026. He needs to convince Selecao boss Carlo Ancelotti that he is deserving of an international recall.
Dick Advocaat has resigned from his role as head coach of Curacao with immediate effect. The 78-year-old veteran had led the Caribbean nation to a fairytale qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but he will not be in the dugout when the tournament kicks off in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. The legendary Dutch tactician has made the difficult decision to step away from the game to focus on his family during a challenging period.
Mexican football has been plunged into a state of uncertainty following the news that several high-profile fixtures have been postponed due to a major security crisis. The decision to call off the matches came swiftly after the Mexican army killed the leader of one of the country's most powerful drug cartels in a town situated just two hours from Guadalajara, a key host city for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. The death of the high-ranking figure has sparked immediate concerns over public safety across multiple states.
Raheem Sterling has made his first competitive appearance in nine months, having left Chelsea and completed a shock move to Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord. The 31-year-old forward is pleased to be back on the pitch and will take things slowly for the remainder of the season. That means no thought has been given to a potential England recall in this World Cup year.
England are blessed with right-back options heading towards the 2026 World Cup, with a history-making former Three Lions star that once filled that position telling GOAL who he would favour in a bid for global glory. Viv Anderson has also explained who he would “discard”, with Thomas Tuchel facing some tough selection decisions ahead of major tournament action.
Gio Reyna has been told how to justify his huge potential, with USMNT legend Tab Ramos telling GOAL that the United States thought they had “the next Zinedine Zidane” on their hands when seeing a talented playmaker burst onto the scene. Struggles for form and fitness have held a hot prospect back, but time is still on his side.
Mauricio Pochettino is being tipped to leave his role with the USMNT and return to Europe regardless of what happens at the 2026 World Cup. Tab Ramos has told GOAL that the Argentine tactician is destined to move on, while also sounding a warning to Christian Pulisic and Co when it comes to justifying a ‘Golden Generation’ tag in the United States.
Neymar has admitted that he could retire from professional football at the end of 2026, with the experienced Brazil international having endured more struggles on the injury front. He is desperate to represent his country at this summer’s World Cup, but is unable to speculate on what the long-term future will look like - with it possible that he will be forced to hang up his boots.
Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he intends to sign a new Brazil contract to keep him as manager of the Selecao beyond the 2026 World Cup finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The new deal would keep Ancelotti in the role until the 2030 World Cup and is expected to be signed in the coming weeks ahead of the build-up to this year's tournament, with the former Real Madrid boss relishing his new role in charge of the record five-time world champions.
World Cup chiefs have been given a four-week deadline to resolve a stadium funding row which could see both England and Scotland have matches moved if the matter is not resolved. The stadium in question is the Gillette Stadium just outside Boston, with local Foxborough authorities setting the deadline to receive a £6million ($8m) payment to cover manpower and infrastructure costs at the 66,000-capacity stadium.
New Jersey's planned World Cup fan fest in Jersey City has been cancelled as the state will instead focus on supporting more local, community-based events for fans during this summer's tournament. The decision comes just months before the World Cup kicks off and after tickets had already been sold to the planned Fan Fest.
Football fans across the United Kingdom have received a major boost ahead of the 2026 World Cup after the government confirmed a significant relaxation of licensing laws. Pubs in England and Wales will be permitted to extend their operating hours for knockout matches. This legislative victory ensures supporters can stay at their locals into the early hours as the tournament unfolds across North America.
There has been heated debate over who should play back-up to Harry Kane for England at the World Cup this summer, but in truth the answer is becoming increasingly obvious. There is only one striker who can hold a candle to the Three Lions captain this season, and it is one who is operating out of sight and out of mind in Saudi Arabia, where he has eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back in the summer of 2006, a few nights transformed Fabio Grosso from an outsider to an Italian national hero. From his decisive left-footed strike against Germany to his perfect penalty in Berlin, Grosso’s is an incredible story of humility, courage, and destiny that took him from the fields of Serie C2 to the World Cup final. This is ICONS - a GOAL podcast and feature series that revisits the last 10 World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament back to life.
Mexico have announced three additional friendlies against Australia, Ghana, and Serbia as part of their final preparations for the 2026 World Cup. El Tri will open the tournament on June 11 against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca. The matches are designed to limit travel and fine-tune the squad before the global showcase on home soil.
With fewer than four months until the 2026 World Cup kicks off, uncertainty surrounds matches scheduled for Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Town officials say they will not issue FIFA the required entertainment license until a dispute over roughly $7.8 million in public safety funding is resolved, ESPN reported.
Jude Bellingham has handed England a pre-World Cup selection headache, with it reported that the Real Madrid superstar’s hamstring injury is worse than first feared. It is being suggested that the 22-year-old midfielder will sit out the Three Lions’ final camp before Thomas Tuchel settles on his 26-man squad for a shot at global glory in North America this summer.
This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast series that counts down to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we travel through the most emotional legacy in football history: Argentina’s journey from wounds to glory. From the heartbreak of lost finals to the joy of Qatar, this is the story of a team that turned suffering into strength, and passion into destiny. A nation that doesn’t just play the World Cup - it feels it.
Pep Guardiola has told Phil Foden to just relax amid his latest slump in form, but that is easier said than done, given his place in the Manchester City line-up is less certain than ever while his status in the England squad also at risk. Foden appeared to have put last season's struggles behind him towards the end of 2025, but he now appears to be suffering another dip at the worst possible time.
With just weeks until Mexico face Portugal in a high-profile friendly, Portuguese media report growing concern over renovation delays at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, now renamed Estadio Banorte. While organizers insist the venue will be ready for March 28, uncertainty has sparked speculation about a potential change of site for the match - and even future World Cup fixtures.
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