FIFA WORLD CUP

Iran Football Federation chief Mehdi Taj has said no visas have yet been issued for Iran’s national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. According to Iranian state media, Taj said the federation would hold a decisive meeting with FIFA within days over unresolved visa concerns. “Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must give us guarantees because the visa issue has still not been resolved,” Taj said. “We have not received any account from the other side regarding who has been granted visas. No visas have been issued yet,” he added. Taj explained that Iranian players are expected to travel to Ankara for fingerprinting as part of the visa process, although efforts are underway to have the process moved to Antalya t...

FIFA has unveiled an expanded anti-doping programme for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, introducing new partnerships and stricter testing measures across the tournament’s three host nations. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to FIFA, the initiative will rank among the most extensive anti-doping operations ever carried out in the history of the tournament, covering both pre-competition and in-tournament activities. In a statement released on Wednesday, May 13, FIFA confirmed it would maintain its partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency while also entering formal collaborations with Sport Integrity Canada and MEX-NADO. FIFA explained that the partnerships are designed to guarantee uniform testing standards across all venue...

FIFA are preparing a major compensation package for football clubs whose players will represent their countries at the 2026 World Cup. According to Melchor Ruiz of El Partidazo de COPE, clubs are expected to receive more than €9,000 per player per day throughout the tournament. The payments will apply not only to clubs that own the players’ contracts, but also to teams where footballers are currently playing on loan. The 2026 World Cup will be staged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, running for 38 days from June 11 to July 19. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, clubs are expected to lose players for longer periods than in previous editions, increasing concerns over player workload and fixture congestion. The co...

Transport prices for World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium have been reduced after fans criticised the original costs. Train fares have dropped from $150 (£111) to $98 (£73), while shuttle bus tickets were cut from $80 (£59) to $20 (£15) following the backlash from supporters planning to attend the tournament. Thomas Concannon, leader of the Football Supporters' Association England fan group, previously criticised "astronomical" event pricing, which he described as "completely out of the norm". MetLife Stadium, which will be known as New York/New Jersey Stadium during the World Cup as part of Fifa's policy on corporate-sponsored names, will host eight matches, including the final and one of England's Group L games. Rail journeys from Penn Station in Manhattan to the venue, which...

The BBC will broadcast Scotland's first men's World Cup match since 1998, when they take on Haiti on 14 June, as well as their final group match against Brazil. England's second group match - against Ghana on 23 June - will also be shown on BBC, as well as their knockout fixtures in the last 32, last 16, and semi-final provided they reach those stages. England's other Group L matches - against Croatia and Panama - and Scotland's meeting with Morocco will be shown on ITV. The BBC will have three of the top four picks in the round of 16 and three of the top five picks in the round of 32. Both broadcasters will show the final. Defending champions Argentina will have their group meetings with Austria and Jordan shown live on the BBC. The BBC will also show two group matches a...

Former Ghana national team coach, Otto Addo, has been selected by FIFA as part of an elite 11-member Technical Study Group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, months after leaving his role with the Black Stars. Naija News reports that Addo was relieved of his duties on March 31 following a disappointing spell that included friendly defeats against Germany and Austria. During his tenure, Ghana also failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite having top talents like Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo in the squad. Despite the setback, Addo emerged as the only African coach named in FIFA’s newly constituted Technical Study Group for the 2026 World Cup. The former Black Stars manager will collaborate with a team of highly respected football experts responsible for a...

The World football governing body, FIFA, has unveiled the Technical Study Group (TSG) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026, which will provide cutting-edge analysis of all matches at the competition while increasing and developing the understanding of the game across the world. Guided by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, the TSG consists of Otto Addo (Ghana), Tobin Heath (USA), Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), Jayne Ludlow (Wales), Michael O’Neill (Northern Ireland), Gilberto Silva (Brazil), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark), Paulo Wanchope (Costa Rica), Aron Winter (Netherlands) and Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina). The panel will be led by FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbühler and Lead of Football Performance Insights (FPI) Tom Gardner, and supported by a team ...

FIFA has announced an 11-member Technical Study Group for the 2026 World Cup, with former players and coaches set to analyse matches and decide the winners of major individual awards during the tournament. The panel was unveiled on Monday during a virtual media briefing monitored by The Nation ahead of the competition, which begins next month at Estadio Azteca. The group will be led by FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbühler and includes former Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta, ex-Germany striker and coach Jürgen Klinsmann, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, former Ghana coach Otto Addo, Costa Rica legend Paulo Wanchope and Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva. Others on the panel are Tobin Heath, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Jayne Ludlow and Aron Winter. FIFA s...

Iran has reportedly issued a list of demands to FIFA and the United States government before agreeing to participate in the 2026 World Cup amid mounting political tensions surrounding the tournament. The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) said the national side would take part 'without any retreat from our beliefs, culture and convictions'. It also warned that tournament organisers and host nations 'must take our concerns into account'. The statement comes after federation president Mehdi Taj was refused entry into Canada ahead of last month’s FIFA Congress, in a move that has intensified fears over how Iranian officials and players could be treated during the competition. Taj later disclosed that Iran had submitted 10 separate conditions to FIFA ahead of the expanded tourname...

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Nigeria women's national under-20 football team, popularly known as the Falconets, have secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. The Nigerian side booked their place at the global tournament after an impressive qualifying campaign, extending the country’s strong presence in women’s football on the international stage. The Falconets will now join some of the world’s best young talents at the tournament scheduled to take place in Poland in 2026. The qualification has sparked excitement among football fans and stakeholders, with many expressing confidence in the team’s ability to make a strong impact at the competition. Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most successful teams in the history of the FIFA U-20 Wo...