World Cup news

England could avoid facing France until the World Cup final and any of the top-four ranked teams until the semi-final stage, after it was confirmed that FIFA are set to implement a Wimbledon-style seeding system to the 2026 World Cup draw. Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions will find out their opponents in the group stage on December 5, and the new draw system aims to give the best possible opportunity for a heavyweight clash in the final of the tournament next summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to receive only a one-match ban for his red card against the Republic of Ireland in Portugal's penultimate World Cup qualifier. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was sent off after elbowing Dara O'Shea off the ball and was set for a three-match ban for 'violent conduct'. However, FIFA's disciplinary committee has decided to let the 40-year-old off easy.

England manager Thomas Tuchel was in attendance at Old Trafford on Monday night for the Premier League meeting between Manchester United and Everton. After the Toffees claimed a first win at the stadium in 12 years, the German was seen in the tunnel speaking with Jack Grealish, setting speculation in motion that an international recall ahead of the World Cup is coming.

The high-tech ball uniting Canada, Mexico and USA in every kick

Harvey Barnes has poured cold water on the chance of switching international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle winger is able to make the change as he has Scottish grandparents, even after making an appearance for the Three Lions. Barnes' sole Three Lions cap came in a friendly, meaning he is still able to turn out for the Tartan Army.

Harvey Barnes is open to switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle United winger was capped for the Three Lions in 2020, however, he remains eligible for Steve Clarke's World Cup qualifiers through his Scottish grandparents. Barnes sole England appearance came in a friendly against Wales, meaning he can represent the Tartan Army under FIFA rules.

Andreas Schjelderup has avoided prison time after sharing an explicit video, meaning that he will come into contention for selection by Norway in their 2026 World Cup squad. Schjelderup was, after appearing in court, handed a 14-day suspended sentence. Prosecutors in the case had been calling for an international colleague of Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard to face at least 20 days behind bars without parole.

Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.

Mauricio Pochettino was left fuming after being quizzed on his apparent penchant for rotating the USMNT, with the angry Argentine suggesting that said press conference should be restarted as he is “not the janitor” in North America and stands by every decision that he makes. The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain coach was stunned by the line of questioning after a statement win over Uruguay.

Italy block the qualification path for Wales and Northern Ireland when it comes to reaching the 2026 World Cup, while the Republic of Ireland will face Czechia in the play-off semi-finals. There are four more places at FIFA’s flagship event up for grabs in the UEFA section, with routes to the United States, Canada and Mexico being mapped out for all of the hopefuls.

There are a few surprises in the mix for the European play-offs, with a total of 16 teams set to battle it out for just four spots.

FIFA Play-Off Tournament — how it works, who qualifies, seeding, format, schedule and other key points you should know.

Arsenal star Eberechi Eze has revealed that Marcus Rashford was the one player who stood out most to him during his first England training session. Speaking exclusively with Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the Beast Mode On Podcast, Eze praised the way the versatile forward strikes and runs with the ball and explained how Thomas Tuchel has England set up to "achieve something incredible" at the World Cup.

Curacao have become the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica in their final qualifying game. Curacao finished the third round qualifying stage at the top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one more than Jamaica. Ex-England boss Steve McClaren resigned from his post with Jamaica immediately after the final whistle. The other teams that sealed direct qualification from CONCACAF are Haiti and Panama.

We are now less than seven months out from the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the group-stage draw set to take place in Washington DC on December 5. Forty-two participating nations are locked in, with four teams from the UEFA play-offs and two intercontinental winners set to complete the line up in March. All of the so-called elite countries will be there, from holders Argentina and arch-rivals Brazil, to Euro 2024 winners Spain and France.

GOAL breaks down all the confirmed qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, plus the teams who could soon be on their way.

Scotland are heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean all scored incredible goals to inspire the Tartan Army to a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Tuesday's do-or-die qualifier. The hosts needed all three points, whereas the Danes would have qualified with a draw. And in a frantic see-saw battle until stoppage time, Scotlan emerged triumphant.