1+ hour, 14+ min ago  (1085+ words) On a Sunday in early June, Iran's footballers landed in Tijuana, Mexico, a few hundred metres from a border they were not permitted to cross except to play." The squad had been forced to abandon its planned base in Arizona;…...

8+ hour, 1+ min ago  (159+ words) Middle East Eye Iran set for World Cup opener hours after US-Iran peace deal Iran will begin its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against New Zealand just hours after Tehran and Washington announced an agreement to end more than 100 days of…...

11+ hour, 19+ min ago  (1040+ words) Before Algeria had even kicked a ball at the 2026 World Cup, the team had already won over one US city. In Lawrence, Kansas, a college town better known for the University of Kansas Jayhawks than for international football, the Algerian…...

11+ hour, 39+ min ago  (1066+ words) But there is also an unmistakable despondency in the air." The stark inequities surrounding the tournament - from travel restrictions to exclusionary ticket prices -"have dulled enthusiasm and prompted even avowed football fans within the community to ask tough questions about…...

20+ hour, 8+ min ago  (1253+ words) On a sunny winter afternoon at Lusail Stadium in 2022, Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in football history." Down a goal at half-time, the"Green Falcons struck twice early in the second half to take a 2-1 lead…...

1+ day, 38+ min ago  (1161+ words) Iran's World Cup history has long mirrored the country's upheavals, but the 2026 tournament is on a different level. Team Melli's opener against New Zealand comes just a day after US President Donald Trump said he had'reached a deal with the…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago  (1472+ words) Consistency breeds success, or so the saying goes. Since 1998, Tunisia has appeared in twice as many World Cup finals as its neighbours." In continental competition, Tunisia holds the record for 17 consecutive Africa Cup of Nations qualifications stretching back to 1994, an…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago  (146+ words) The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, has been denied a visa to enter the US, in the latest case of a senior official being barred from attending the2026 Fifa World Cup. While the Palestiniannational team did not qualify…...

3+ day, 13+ hour ago  (192+ words) The Republic of Ireland will play its upcoming Nations League match against Israel at a neutral venue behind closed doors, after players, fans and public figures pushed for a boycott over Israel's genocide in Gaza. The Football Association of Ireland…...

4+ day, 15+ hour ago  (1365+ words) The World Cup is coming to Central America's doorstep. On Thursday, Mexico, alongside the US and Canada, will kick-off the largest tournament in football history, drawing millions of fans and generating an estimated $11bn in revenue for Fifa. Just south of…...