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World Cup

World Cup Overview

Lionel Messi Legacy GFX

LEGACY: Messi-mania - How Leo cracked America

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 dive into the rise of the Lionel Messi in the United States, the emotional connection that transformed Miami, his seismic impact on U.S. soccer, and the possibility that the upcoming World Cup might offer him the most fitting stage of his career - one built around comfort, belonging, and a crowd that treats him like their own hero.

LegacyL. Messi
World Cup Power Rankings GFX

WC26 Power Rankings: Spain stay No.1 as Brazil & U.S. climb

There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe as one country after another secured a spot at this summer's festival of football in North America. The final six participants were confirmed in March, with Sweden, Turkiye, Czechia and Bosnia & Herzegovina taking the four remaining slots in Europe, while Iraq and DR Congo came out of the inter-confederation play-offs.

Power rankingsEngland
England eligible stars GFX

Haaland & the World Cup's England-eligible stars

Thomas Tuchel has no shortage of world-class talent to choose from within England's squad for the 2026 World Cup. But while the presence of players such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice mean that the Tuchel's team are among the favourites, it's worth imagining a world where every England-eligible player at the tournament opted to represent the Three Lions.

AnalysisEngland
Mikel Oyarzabal - Spain vs Peru 2026

Six in a row! Oyarzabal fires World Cup favourites Spain past Peru

Tournament favourites Spain wrapped up their final preparations ahead of the World Cup with a convincing 3-1 friendly victory over Peru in Puebla. Real Sociedad attacker Mikel Oyarzabal continued his magnificent individual form by netting for the sixth successive international match, setting a confident tone for La Roja's upcoming campaign.

M. OyarzabalSpain
Michael Olise France 2026

Hat-trick hero Olise puts on a show in final France warm-up

Michael Olise scored three and France overcame a brief scare from Northern Ireland to wrap up their pre-World Cup friendlies with a comfortable 3-1 win. The Bayern Munich star was effective throughout and good value for his hat-trick as Les Bleus saw off the visitors without really getting out of second gear. It's hard to imagine a better result before France move to the U.S.

Player ratingsFrance
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Watch it Live

TV Schedule
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World Cup, fixtures & results

Wednesday 10 June
Mexico badge
Mexico
MEX
South Africa badge
South Africa
RSA
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South Korea badge
South Korea
KOR
Czechia badge
Czechia
CZE
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Thursday 11 June
Canada badge
Canada
CAN
Bosnia and Herzegovina badge
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BIH
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USA badge
USA
USA
Paraguay badge
Paraguay
PAR
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Friday 12 June
Qatar badge
Qatar
QAT
Switzerland badge
Switzerland
SUI
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Brazil badge
Brazil
BRA
Morocco badge
Morocco
MAR
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Standings

PosTeamPWDLFA+/-PTSForm
1Strasbourg crestStrasbourg6510115616
W
W
W
W
D
2Rakow Czestochowa crestRakow Czestochowa642092714
W
W
W
D
D
3AEK Athens crestAEK Athens6411147713
W
W
W
D
W
4Sparta Prague crestSparta Prague6411103713
W
W
W
D
L
5Rayo Vallecano crestRayo Vallecano6411137613
W
W
L
W
D
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Betting spotlight

World Cup 2026 Golden Ball Odds: Best player predictions
See more betting articles

Frequently asked questions

Supporters have a number of opportunities to purchase tickets for matches involving Iran, via the FIFA website, between now and the big kick-off in June. The various sales phases differ in terms of purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products.

To buy tickets, you must visit the official FIFA ticketing portal and register for an account. You can then log in to your FIFA account and check out ticket availability.

If you are looking for an official and secure way to resell/exchange your FIFA World Cup 26 tickets, the FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace is the official channel for doing so. The Marketplace opened in October and be accessed via FIFA.com/tickets.

FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets will also be available from secondary resellers, such as StubHub and Ticombo.

No, tickets will not be available for purchase at the stadiums during FIFA World Cup 2026. There will be no over-the-counter ticket sales. FIFA.com/tickets is the official portal for purchasing tickets.

Iran’s heavy 6-2 loss to England in their opener at the 2022 World Cup was a bitter pill to swallow, but Mehdi Taremi's consolation double strike meant that he became Iran’s top World Cup scorer of all-time. The Olympiacos striker will be hoping to add to his tally further in North America. In terms of World Cup appearances, Ehsan Hajsafi tops Iran's standings with 9 caps, after playing in all his side's matches at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.