Paraguayan senator, Spanish ex-PM spark racist commentary row over France
Paraguayan senator and Spanish ex-PM make racist and nationalist statements about France's World Cup team.
Event / Sports
2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup football tournament, featuring matches, results, and related developments from the competition.
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2026-08-17 to 2026-11-14 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 5 Jul, 22:53 UTC
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What happened
Scotland supporters increased Boston beer sales by over 50 percent
Tens of thousands of Scottish supporters transformed Boston into a sea of tartan during the tournament, helping drive local beer sales up by more than 50 percent.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Dias became tournament folk hero
Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar 'Vozinha' Évora Dias held Spain scoreless in the group stage and nearly eliminated Argentina in the round of 32, becoming a folk hero of the tournament.
2026 World Cup produced highest scoring rate since 1970
The tournament produced 2.94 goals per game through the quarterfinals, the highest scoring rate since Mexico 1970's 2.97 average. The 2026 field featured 11 comeback victories, breaking the previous record of 10 set at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Three players scored seven or more goals in 2026 World Cup
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland each scored at least seven goals in the 2026 World Cup, marking the first time in World Cup history that three players achieved this feat in the same edition.
Norway knocked out Brazil and advanced in 2026 World Cup
Norway emerged as a tournament surprise package by knocking out five-time World Cup champions Brazil, with Erling Haaland's goals and Viking-inspired goal celebrations becoming a social media sensation.
Argentina and Spain competed in 2026 World Cup final
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi seeking back-to-back World Cup titles, faced Spain, led by 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, in the World Cup final.
FIFA opened offices inside Trump Tower
FIFA opened offices inside Trump Tower, a decision that deepened concerns about the organization's closeness to the Trump administration.
Trump and Infantino presented World Cup trophy to final winner
President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino co-presented and handed the World Cup trophy to the winner of the Argentina-Spain final.
Iran and Haiti barred from 2026 World Cup under US travel restrictions
Iran and Haiti, both qualified for the 2026 World Cup, were barred from participating under the Trump administration's travel restrictions.
European politicians and human rights groups criticized FIFA's Peace Prize award to Trump
European politicians and human rights groups criticized FIFA's decision to award Trump its newly created Peace Prize, saying soccer's governing body had blurred the line between sport and political loyalty.
FIFA awarded Trump its newly created Peace Prize
FIFA president Gianni Infantino awarded President Donald Trump FIFA's newly created Peace Prize during the tournament draw at the Kennedy Center in December 2025.
Visa delays prevented relatives of World Cup participants from entering US
Visa delays kept relatives of players, coaches and officials from reaching the United States for the World Cup.
Germany's football federation declined to sign reelection letter for Infantino
Germany's football federation declined to sign a letter circulated by FIFA's European director backing FIFA president Gianni Infantino's reelection at the FIFA Congress in March, signaling unease from one of the sport's most influential federations.
Belgium and European officials criticized Balogun red card reversal
Following the reversal of Folarin Balogun's red card, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia compared the decision to an April Fool's joke, Belgium Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said the decision raised questions, and European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef called it the wrong decision, arguing sporting decisions belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.
World Cup winner receives $50 million prize, runner-up $33 million
The 2026 World Cup winner receives $50 million from the tournament prize pool, an increase of $8 million from Argentina's 2022 World Cup victory prize. The runner-up receives $33 million.
World Cup television viewership reached historic highs in the United States
Fox's English-language broadcasts averaged over 5 million viewers across Fox, FS1 and Tubi during group stage, while Telemundo averaged 4.6 million viewers, a 122 percent increase over 2022. The U.S. opener against Paraguay drew roughly 18 million viewers on Fox platforms and 9.5 million on Telemundo. Argentina's semifinal victory over England averaged over 15 million viewers on Fox, the largest World Cup semifinal audience in English-language U.S. television history.
2026 FIFA World Cup final held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final was played on Sunday, June 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a 3 p.m. ET kickoff time between Argentina and Spain.
FIFA reversed Folarin Balogun's red card suspension
On July 1, American forward Folarin Balogun received a red card during the U.S. match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. After Trump personally contacted FIFA president Infantino to request a review, FIFA overturned the red card on July 5, marking the first time a World Cup sending-off had been reversed since 1962.
2026 World Cup set new attendance records
The 2026 World Cup drew 6,527,410 spectators through its first 100 matches, exceeding the combined attendance of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and filled 99.7 percent of available seats. The tournament broke the 1994 World Cup attendance record during the group stage.
Donald Trump attended 2026 World Cup final
President Donald Trump attended the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on June 19, sitting behind a glass window. This was the first match Trump attended during the entire tournament.
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2 alternative perspectives
World Cup visa denials escalate with referee deportation, supporter exclusions
Multiple World Cup participants faced visa denials and deportations, including a Somali referee and hundreds of supporters from African nations.
Spain defeats France 2-0 to reach World Cup final
Spain beats France 2-0 in semifinal to reach World Cup final.
Trump receives FIFA Peace Prize as political influence reshapes tournament
Trump received FIFA Peace Prize and successfully intervened to overturn player suspension.
FIFA records 89,000 abusive social media comments during group stage
FIFA documented 89,000 abusive social media comments during group stage play.
Spain advances to World Cup final with dominant 2-0 semifinal victory over France
Spain beats France 2-0 in World Cup semifinal to reach the final for the first time since 2010.
Political figures ignite World Cup controversy with divisive statements
Politicians from Paraguay and Spain made inflammatory statements about France's World Cup team, fueling tournament controversy.
World Cup visa denials and deportations target athletes from multiple nations
Athletes, officials, and supporters from multiple nations denied entry or deported during 2026 World Cup.
Wildfire smoke triggers health crisis across northeastern U.S. cities
Wildfire smoke from Canada causes air quality emergencies across northeastern U.S. cities.
Argentina and Spain set for World Cup final on July 19
Argentina and Spain will contest the 2026 World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey.
USA's Round of 16 exit amid Trump-FIFA controversy
USMNT eliminated in Round of 16; Trump intervened with FIFA over suspension controversy.
Trump, Sánchez to attend World Cup final; Milei absent from Argentina clash
Trump and Spanish PM Sánchez attending World Cup final; Argentine President Milei skipping championship match.