World Cup news

France have received a double boost ahead of their final World Cup warm-up fixture against Northern Ireland, with William Saliba's fitness clear and Ousmane Dembele set for a return. Manager Didier Deschamps has moved to calm fears over his star defender while confirming a tactical shift for his attacking line.

The 2026 World Cup has been plunged into fresh diplomatic controversy after it was revealed that Iran's national team will be forced to follow strict same-day entry and exit rules for their matches in the United States. Following a series of security claims and heightened geopolitical tensions, the squad has been told they can only step onto American soil on the actual days they are scheduled to play.

Brazil's final World Cup preparations have been rocked by a significant injury scare involving Roma full-back Wesley. The defender was forced off early during the Selecao's 2-1 friendly victory over Egypt, leaving the pitch in visible distress as the tournament approaches. The situation has left manager Carlo Ancelotti concerned about Wesley's condition.

Endrick shone brightly in Brazil's last friendly before the World Cup, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Egypt. The young striker took advantage of the euphoria to send a strong message to Carlo Ancelotti, reaffirming his commitment to the Brazilian National Team.

Germany have been dealt a massive blow ahead of the 2026 World Cup with the news that Bayern Munich starlet Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the tournament. The 18-year-old’s dreams were crushed during the final training session before Germany's friendly against the USA, leaving Julian Nagelsmann to find an emergency replacement. Team-mate Deniz Undav later detailed the awful setback.

Bernardo Silva has finally addressed the intense speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona as he prepares for life after Manchester City. The veteran playmaker is one of the most high-profile free agents on the market this summer, and while he played down talks of a 'dream' agreement with Blaugrana, he remains open to all possibilities for his next destination.

Thomas Tuchel has hit out at England’s tactical discipline during their final preparations for the 2026 World Cup, labelling their first-half performance against New Zealand as "freestyle" football. Despite securing a 1-0 victory in Tampa, the German coach was far from satisfied with how his players deviated from his specific instructions on the pitch.

How to watch the World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland, as well as kick-off time and team news

Chelsea starlet Estevao Willian has opened up on the devastating emotional toll of the injury that cost him a place in Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad. The 19-year-old was a certain inclusion for Carlo Ancelotti's side before a serious muscular issue ended his hopes of representing the Selecao on the world stage.

It's so close we can almost taste it. The 2026 World Cup is now just days away, with the best players from around the globe descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for what promises to be a superb summer of football. While some teams will solely harbour dreams of getting out of the groups, others know that anything other than a trophy parade in late-July will go down as failure. We're set, then, for five-and-a-half weeks of drama, filled with joy and heartbreak in equal measure.

We're now less than a week away from the start of the 2026 World Cup, with teams currently making their final preparations ahead of the big kick-off in the United States, Mexico and Canada on Thursday. This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams having qualified, meaning there are a whole host of players making their first appearance on the global stage.

It's strange that there isn't more hype around Kylian Mbappe as the days tick down to the 2026 World Cup getting underway, but you can probably put that down to what was a largely forgettable club season with Real Madrid. He will be mightily relieved to be away from the cauldron that is the Bernabeu having become persona non grata during the run-in, shifting his focus to making history with France in North America.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Netherlands vs Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Australia vs Turkiye at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

England have another warm-up game before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17, but Harry Kane should clearly play no part at all in Wednesday's friendly against Costa Rice. The Three Lions captain is simply too important to Thomas Tuchel's team, as he underlined for the umpteenth time by scoring the only goal in Saturday's dreadfully dull 1-0 win over New Zealand.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes showed why he's Portugal's most important player going into this summer's World Cup in North America by starring in a 2-1 friendly win over Chile in Lisbon on Saturday evening that featured a stupid red card for winger Rafael Leao and a worryingly ineffective display from Seleccao skipper Cristiano Ronaldo.

Here’s how you can see Lionel Messi and Argentina in World Cup 2026 action