Ikhtisar Volga Ulyanovsk

The 2026 World Cup is underway and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. There's a long road ahead as 48 nations battle for the top prize, but which star will take home the illustrious award? Here are GOAL's predicted candidates for the prize as we keep track of the tournament's most prolific stars

Belgium’s World Cup preparations have been hit by a significant setback as star winger Jeremy Doku has been ruled out of the upcoming group stage fixture against Iran. The Manchester City attacker is struggling with a recurring respiratory infection that has forced him out of training in Los Angeles.

Iran have lodged a formal complaint with FIFA after being subjected to strict U.S. travel restrictions during the 2026 World Cup. The Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) argues the rules are harming the team's preparation and recovery, while American authorities insist the conditions were agreed in advance.

The first round of 2026 World Cup group-stage fixtures is in the books, and the tournament has gotten off to a flyer. Despite a lack of eye-catching fixtures on paper in the new, expanded format, there have been thrills and spills aplenty, with all the big names showing up for their respective countries on football's biggest stage. Well, almost all of them.