World Cup
World Cup 2026
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, and you can follow the latest tournament news and analysis right here.
We will be live every minute of every day for the next six weeks. Get involved by chatting with us here or by emailing live@theathletic.com.
Germany against Curacao is now just 15 minutes away.
Here’s a crazy statistic, as per Philipp Lahm, via The Athletic: Germany’s most recent World Cup knockout game was when they won the 2014 final.
I’m sure plenty of folks here at the Dutch march are going to the game. But everyone I’ve talked to so far is just going to watch from the fan zone and came to hang out with fellow fans. =
Logan and Ellart tried to get tickets through the lottery system but fell short. “After that, it was just outrageously expensive,” Logan said. “But, I mean, we're still here for this. Just happy to be here with the crowd and the unity.”
They drove up from Longview, Texas, for the party here, and will watch the game from the fan zone. The couple is easy to spot and popular with photographers, waving their flags and dancing around each other. Also, his crown is so big!
The vibes around the Spanish national team are light and confident and so is the possibility that superstar teenager Lamine Yamal starts tomorrow versus Cape Verde.
Spain midfielder Alex Baena was asked today how he feels seeing Yamal in training. “How would you feel if you had Lamine Yamal on your team,” Baena responded, adding that he expects the Barcelona winger to be available against the African side.
Yamal was all smiles and moving swiftly without any visible signs of an injury as Spanish players broke into rondos under the scorching Atlanta sun. Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino said that Yamal has been training “with energy” and with “the same quality as always.”
“He's cheerful as ever,” Merino said. “With his jokes and his antics and an energy that always brings a lot of optimism to the whole team.”
Yamal’s Barcelona teammate Ferran Torres agreed.
“I don't think you need to hold him back,” Torres said. “He's an 18-year-old kid who really wants to keep proving what he's capable of. There are people who decide whether it's time to play him or not, and I think they're the ones who have to rein him in or not.”
Asked if Yamal is 100 percent fit and if he has looked as good in training as he does with Barcelona, Torres answered confidently. “He looks even better.”
Portugal defender Ruben Dias cuts a very relaxed figure on the beach as he enjoys the scorching conditions.
Roberto Martinez’s squad are based out in Palm Beach, Florida, and begin their World Cup campaign on June 17 when they play DR Congo in Houston.
Since joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024, Michael Olise has emerged as one of Europe’s most frightening and productive attackers.
Last season, Bayern’s chief creator recorded 25 goals and 28 assists in all competitions. This World Cup gives Olise another opportunity to show everyone his ridiculous talent.
Alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue, France manager Didier Deschamps has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal.
The 2018 winners are stationed at Bentley University near Boston, where Olise has been pictured training, and will open their World Cup campaign on June 16 when they face Senegal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Lamine Yamal is currently one of the best players in the world and has the privilege of wearing the mythical No.10 shirt for Barcelona.
However, on the international stage for Spain this summer, he will be the No.19.
Pol Ballús explains the nation's system for giving out shirt numbers.
GO FURTHER
Why is Lamine Yamal not wearing the No 10 for Spain?
The party is on among the Dutch fans outside Choctaw stadium. Tons of fans. And plenty of locals just here to check it out. Adrian and Alejandro, of Denton, Texas, are huge soccer fans and threw on Texas Longhorns shirts to blend in and soak it in. “You have to,” Alejandro told me. “It's a dream come true to have the World Cup here.”
Young fans carry cutouts of Argentina's Lionel Messi (R), Brazil's Neymar (C) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (L) as they walk past graffiti painted on a wall in the Indian city of Kolkata.
All three legends are present at this tournament with their nations, but could this be their last World Cup?
Germany and Curacao fans are beginning to gather in their numbers outside Houston Stadium.
For the 2014 winners, this tournament is all about redemption. Meanwhile, whatever the result, Curacao will make history today by playing their first World Cup match in the country’s history.
Our live coverage of the World Cup Group E match between Germany and Curacao in Houston is up and running.
Germany has performed miserably at the two previous World Cups, failing to progress out of the group stage in both tournaments, while Curacao are making their debut in the competition.
Could we witness one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history?
Last night's Australia win over Turkey means the U.S. can win Group D with a game to spare IF, on Friday:
Because the first tiebreaker is head-to-head points, the Americans would have the tiebreaker over both Australia and Paraguay if they beat Australia.
In that case, the only scenario where they wouldn't top the group is if Turkey beats Paraguay and then beats the U.S. on Matchday 3. (In which case Turkey would top the group with both teams on 6 points.)
Here's the main man, Pat Beach; Turkey’s nemesis.
I love going to a football match and being introduced to a player I've never heard of because of his absolute brilliance. That happened last night in Vancouver, where it was all topped off with Australians belting out Down Under by Men at Work at the final whistle.
What a moment. Marvelous.
GO FURTHER
Never underestimate true Australian grit, or a man named Pat Beach
As per Aaron Mentkowski, The Athletic’s Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, Ivory Coast against Ecuador, which is due to start later today at 7pm ET in Philadelphia, could be disrupted by extreme weather conditions.
“The weather for this match will need to be monitored closely. The day will start off sunny and warm up quickly with a 12pm temperature of 88F (31C). Clouds will increase with showers and storms developing later today.
“The timing of the storms could certainly impact the match; especially the second half with computer models currently predicting them to strike around 9pm. These storms could be severe with damaging winds the main storm threat, heavy rain and frequent lightning also possible.”
Read Aaron’s weather breakdown for all four fixtures today via the link below.
GO FURTHER
World Cup weather: Storm threat to Ivory Coast v Ecuador in Philadelphia, full day four forecast
Woke up in Boston seriously wondering whether last night was a dream. But the videos and pictures on my phone tell me it was all very real.
Going to my first ever World Cup match and it being Scotland vs Haiti is not something I'll ever forget. Both fans brought the best energy.
And I'm still feeling tearful about that rendition of Flower of Scotland.
Christoph Kramer, who started the 2014 World Cup final and is working for ZDF during the World Cup, has made some good points about half-time interviews.
Kramer was asked what he thought of them, from a players’ perspective, during last night’s Morocco vs Brazil game.
“They’re disastrous! I really don’t think it’s right! You’re already under intense scrutiny. And you’re taking three minutes off every player, you have to go to some slot. You’re taking three minutes off Marquinhos before a really important half. And nothing good comes of it. What are you saying?”
For context, while these half time flash interviews have become more common in football, the Bundesliga is yet to introduce them, meaning that for Kramer — and Per Mertesacker, who was sat alongside him and equally damning — they’re new and affronting.
He has a point, though. It is time taken away from players and coaches at an important moment and with very little value to the viewer in return.
With Lennart Karl ruled out of the World Cup due to injury, even more eyes and attacking responsibility will be on Germany’s Florian Wirtz.
The playmaker moved to Liverpool for a mammoth fee of over £100million last summer, but has struggled to make a consistent impact in his debut Premier League season.
However, Wirtz is still widely regarded as one of Germany’s best and most important assets by his country and the national team, who will be hoping he can rediscover the magical form he displayed at Bayer Leverkusen.
The 23-year-old is set for a huge role at this year’s tournament and is expected to start today in Germany’s opener against Curacao.
Gregg Evans writes about Wirtz’s struggles at Liverpool and how the World Cup has arrived at the perfect time for him.
GO FURTHER
Florian Wirtz struggled at Liverpool – he can rediscover his mojo at the World Cup
How did Curacao, an island in the Caribbean Sea with a population of just 155,000, make it to the World Cup?
And what do the supporters, expected to turn out in impressive numbers, make of this unprecedented achievement?
Tom Burrows spoke to a group of fans who simply cannot believe their luck. Read all about it here.
Not only is the gap between the teams in terms of quality likely to be a big one later, there is also the largest age gap between managers at the World Cup.
The legendary Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, at 78, is the oldest manager in the history of the competition. In the opposite dugout will sit Julian Nagelsmann, the youngest boss at this World Cup and, at 38, younger than some of the players at the tournament.
The younger man was full of admiration for the elder statesman, saying:
"Dick is a really cool coach who has done a brilliant job. I can always learn from people like him. Before the game I will say hello. We will fight during the game and afterwards we can be friends."
One intriguing aspect of the World Cup so far has been the officially recorded attendances not seeming to match what we can see on our television screens in a manner that seems positively Orwellian.
Why the disparity? We got Charlotte Harpur and Jacob Whitehead to dig deep and come up with some answers.
Found out what they discovered by clicking here.