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.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sparked fresh controversy by declaring that Russia’s ban from international football should "definitely" be lifted. In a wide-ranging interview, the Swiss official argued that the exclusion only created frustration. He also doubled down on his decision to award President Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Russia
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