{"id":198264,"date":"2026-01-27T00:30:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/all-the-latest-world-cup-2026-updates-from-the-second-week-of-january-the-athletic-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T00:30:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:30:06","slug":"all-the-latest-world-cup-2026-updates-from-the-second-week-of-january-the-athletic-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/all-the-latest-world-cup-2026-updates-from-the-second-week-of-january-the-athletic-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"All the latest World Cup 2026 updates from the second week of January – The Athletic – The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Cup
On Wednesday, a report by Fox News revealed that the Trump administration would suspend processing for immigrant visa applications from 75 countries. This was subsequently confirmed by a State Department spokesperson.
The already-qualified World Cup nations on the State Department list are: Algeria, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, and Uruguay.
Nations on the list who remain in play-off contention are as follows: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Jamaica, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Iraq, and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
However, the viral claims of World Cup visitors being impacted were not accurate. That is because the pause is related solely to processing immigrant visas \u2014 for those who wish to live permanently in the United States. Fans seeking to visit the U.S. for the World Cup would instead be applying for non-immigrant visas, likely on tourist or business visas, and the policy announced this week does not impact those applications.
The FIFA World Cup is now only five months away and one of the leading off-field storylines relating to the competition remains the highly stringent approach adopted by President Donald Trump\u2019s administration towards access for foreigners into the United States.
Since Trump returned to power last January, the U.S. has imposed a string of travel bans on nationals from designated countries, including four countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti) that have qualified for the 48-team competition.
This week, alarm bells sounded once more at FIFA after the Trump administration announced a pause on visa processing for immigrants from 75 countries, including highly prominent World Cup nations such as Brazil, Colombia and Egypt.
GO FURTHER
Trump, travel bans and World Cup visas \u2013 the state of play
The big, round number \u2014 \u201ca new benchmark for demand in the history of world sport,\u201d FIFA said \u2014 suggests that stadiums will be full and demand is sufficient across the board.
But it\u2019s also entirely possible that a vast majority of the 500 million requests are for, say, the 30 most attractive games, while others are undersubscribed. The Athletic has asked FIFA for match-by-match numbers; the global soccer governing body hasn\u2019t provided them.
So, it\u2019s plausible that there are 50 million requests for Colombia-Portugal alone, because, well, if you can afford to invest $265 (the Category 3 price) in that game, why wouldn\u2019t you apply \u2014 knowing that, even if you can\u2019t attend, you could almost certainly resell your ticket for well over $1,000?
And while you\u2019re at it, why wouldn\u2019t you apply for all 43 games whose get-in price (cheapest ticket) on the secondary market right now is over $600, per TicketData.com.
America\u2019s unregulated resale market \u2014 and FIFA\u2019s choice to lean into it rather than restrict it \u2014 has undoubtedly inflated these overarching ticket request numbers. Scalpers are surely among the 500 million. (How numerous? We\u2019ll never know.)
FIFA\u2019s boasts of 500 million World Cup ticket requests for the upcoming 2026 World Cup makes for a nice headline with a round figure \u2014 but it has left many questions unanswered.
It lacks specific numbers \u2014 namely, a breakdown of how those 500 million requests are distributed across the World Cup\u2019s 104 matches.
How much interest is there in a match like Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia compared to the headline clashes between other nations? We will have to wait and see.
Based on the figures provided by FIFA, it sounds the Mexican fans are desperate to see their team on home soil this summer.
This is the third time that Mexico has been involved in hosting a World Cup, but the first time it has had to share. Just 16 years separated the two tournament hosted in that part of the world, as the world's best teams travelled over there in 1970 and 1986.
It was at both of those World Cups where Mexico had its best finishes, reaching the quarter-finals twice on home soil. Both times they were beaten the eventual losing finalists; Italy in 1970 and West Germany 16 years later.
This year, they will be confident of making the knockouts having been drawn alongside South Africa, South Korea and one of the European play-off winners but it will be a tall order for them to make the quarter-finals again.
In anticipation of that secondary-market demand, some of the more than 500 million requests have likely come from scalpers \u2014 people who will purchase tickets and then resell them at a profit.
It\u2019s unclear how thoroughly, if at all, FIFA has attempted to block those scalpers from the ticket lottery. In September, FIFA officials said they would undertake a \u201cdata cleansing\u201d or \u201cdata scrubbing\u201d process to weed out bots and prevent advanced scalping operations from gaming the system. Its Wednesday release said that \u201ceach application [was] validated by unique credit card data,\u201d but some applications could still be discarded for violating household limits or other application requirements.
It\u2019s also unclear if FIFA will award all of its remaining tickets to the millions of people who applied over the past month, or if it will withhold some tickets for one last sales phase in the spring.
FIFA will begin notifying fans of the random draw\u2019s results on or after February 5. Applications can be successful (all tickets granted), partially successful (some tickets granted) or unsuccessful.
The 500-plus million 2026 World Cup ticket requests \u2014 which likely represent demand for more than 1 billion tickets, with each request being for 1-4 tickets \u2014 suggest the World Cup as a whole is oversubscribed, though a match-by-match breakdown might tell a slightly different story.
FIFA said on Wednesday that the most requested matches were, in order:
FIFA has not, however, said how many requests there were for each of those matches or others, and a spokesman declined to provide more specific data.
Industry experts always expected huge demand for latter-round games and those involving teams like Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Portugal; but they\u2019ve been skeptical that less prestigious matches, such as Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, will attract tens of thousands of ticket requests at FIFA\u2019s prices ($140-$450 for those lower-tier games).
FIFA says it received more than 500 million requests for 2026 World Cup tickets in the month-long application window that closed on Tuesday.
The window opened shortly after December\u2019s World Cup draw and schedule release, and allowed fans to apply for tickets to specific matches, in specific categories, at specific prices. FIFA will now conduct random draws for each of the World Cup\u2019s 104 matches and award tickets to the selected applicants in February.
FIFA already sold around 2 million tickets in October and November before the schedule was set. It has around 4 or 5 million tickets remaining across the tournament.
In anticipation of that secondary-market demand, some of the more than 500 million requests have likely come from scalpers \u2014 people who will purchase tickets and then resell them at a profit.
It\u2019s unclear how thoroughly, if at all, FIFA has attempted to block those scalpers from the ticket lottery. In September, FIFA officials said they would undertake a \u201cdata cleansing\u201d or \u201cdata scrubbing\u201d process to weed out bots and prevent advanced scalping operations from gaming the system. Its Wednesday release said that \u201ceach application [was] validated by unique credit card data,\u201d but some applications could still be discarded for violating household limits or other application requirements.
GO FURTHER
FIFA says it received record 500 million ticket requests for 2026 World Cup
It was a busy day over in Morocco yesterday as both AFCON semi-finals were decided.
First, in the game billed as the big match-up between Liverpool legends Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, the latter came out on top. Mane scored the only goal of the game for Senegal as they squeezed past a particularly timid Egypt side.
Goals were at a premium all day as the second semi-final had to be decided on a penalty shootout after a goalless draw between Morocco and Nigeria. It was the hosts who prevailed from the spot, with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saving two penalties in a 4-2 win.
It had been a game dominated by Morocco but Nigeria \u2014 who had Calvin Bassey to thank for hanging on in normal time \u2014 had the advantage in the shootout after Stanley Nwabali's early save. However poor penalties from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi ceded that advantage and the home nation booked their final place.
Morocco will face Senegal in Sunday's final in Rabat at 7pm GMT (2pm ET) \u2014 which we will be covering live here on The Athletic<\/em>.
As of today, Wednesday January 14, there are less than 150 days until the summer tournament.
148, to be exact.
Even ahead of the 100-day countdown, excitement and anticipation is on the rise for what will be literally the biggest tournament ever after the expansion from 32 teams to 48 for the first time.
How are you feeling about it all?
Remember, you can always let us know your thoughts by emailing us at: live@theathletic.com<\/a> <\/strong>and we may well feature some of what we receive in our live coverage.
Look forward to hearing from you.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature as many as 48 national teams, but that doesn\u2019t mean some big-name players won\u2019t be missing out.
For several of the game\u2019s great and good, their World Cup dreams were crushed at the qualifying stage. Take Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Georgia, and two Slovenians: Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak and new Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko.
A below-par qualification campaign for Nigeria and Cameroon meant Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray) and Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United) were both left to battle it out in the CAF play-offs, with both ultimately knocked out by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Italians like Gianluigi Donnarumma, above, and Sweden's Alexander Isak face the March play-offs, along with Turkey and Real Madrid's Arda Guler.
Neymar may not be selected for Brazil, while there are nagging fitness doubts over Trent Alexander-Arnold, French midfielders N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, USMNT's Gio Reyna and injury-hit Spaniards Rodri and Gavi.
They will all be desperate to feature next summer.
It's semifinals day at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Egypt face Senegal at 12pm ET, before tournament hosts Morocco play Nigeria at 3pm ET.
Egypt and Senegal have already qualified, but Nigeria were knocked out of their qualifying playoff by DR Congo on penalties.
It was a seismic shock that a nation with their storied World Cup history, which saw them make their tournament debut in 1994 in the U.S., will not be at the top global soccer event.
They will hope to get over that frustration by reaching the final today against Morocco, who will be in the Americas next summer after reaching the semifinals of the last edition.
They will be one of the main co-hosts of the following World Cup in 2030 too, hence their heavy investment in new stadia and its accompanying infrastructure which can be seen at this AFCON.
To locals, it is known as the Peninsula of Power: a secluded and exclusive neighborhood in the Buenos Aires province of Villa Rosa. Some of the capital\u2019s most affluent families reside in the mansion-filled locale.
It was here that a scandal involving the Argentina Football Association<\/strong> (AFA) took an ostentatious turn.
In December, a federal probe into AFA\u2019s finances led to a corruption case that implicated the federation\u2019s president, Claudio Tapia<\/strong>, and his chief advisor and treasurer, Pablo Toviggino.
The investigation thrust AFA into a month-long saga that not only dominated the court of public opinion in Argentina, but also linked the country\u2019s most popular sport with its increasingly volatile political environment.
The inquiry is focused on millions of allegedly misappropriated funds tied to AFA\u2019s revenue dating back to 2023. Aside from Tapia, the most high-profile figure named in the investigation, there are other protagonists whose entanglement has sensationalized the story.
The probe has implicated not only one of CONMEBOL\u2019s most visible federations, but also a well-known theater producer and technology entrepreneur, a mother and son realty team, and a scorned football promoter.
The case continues to simmer as Argentina, the current world champion, prepares for this summer\u2019s 2026 World Cup. The uproar is unlikely to affect Lionel Messi<\/strong> and his nation\u2019s quest to win a second straight World Cup.
It will, however, follow Tapia for the remainder of his term as AFA president.
GO FURTHER
Argentina\u2019s federation turmoil casts a shadow over World Cup title defense
For those who like the complete picture, these are the UEFA play-off ties that will decide the final four European places at the World Cup in March \u2026
European play-off semi-final draw:<\/strong>
Path A
Path B
Path C
Path D
You will find the whole play-off picture explained further in the piece below.
GO FURTHER
World Cup 2026 play-off draw: Italy vs Northern Ireland, Jamaica learn path to finals
As for those play-offs in March, they are split into two:
Below is how that inter-confederation play-off draw looks\u2026
It already feels like a fair while ago since December\u2019s World Cup draw, but it\u2019s worth a reminder of the 12 groups that await us come this summer\u2019s tournament \u2014 or at least, as far as we know. We still have a few spots to be decided, and those play-offs will come in March.
You can scan all the groups in the piece below, while the graphic here shows which groups are already set to be the strongest.
A lot can happen in 149 days, but there won\u2019t be too much change to these calculations from here. Unless the warm-ups go truly awry on the eve of the finals.
GO FURTHER
Analyzing team strength at the 2026 World Cup: Is England in a \u2018Group of Death\u2019?
Olympique de Marseille and USMNT winger Timothy Weah has said he is \u201cdisappointed\u201d at the steep prices already seen for this summer\u2019s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, describing the tournament as out of reach for regular soccer fans.
The final window for the men\u2019s World Cup ticketing draw nears its close this week, and FIFA\u2019s pricing for the competition has been largely criticized by soccer fans, particularly in Europe.
\u201cIt is too expensive,\u201d Weah, 25, told French outlet Le Dauphin\u00e9<\/a>. \u201cFootball should still be enjoyed by everyone. It is the most popular sport. This World Cup will be good, but it will be more of a show.
\u201cI am just a bit disappointed by the ticket prices. Lots of real fans will miss matches.\u201d
GO FURTHER
USMNT winger Tim Weah \u2018disappointed\u2019 by high cost of World Cup tickets
Time flies when you're having fun… or something.
The 2026 World Cup is now just 150 days away! The tournament begins on Thursday, June 11 and it starts with a pair of big games.
The first of them involves one of the co-hosts as Mexico host South Africa in Group A at the world-famous Estadio Azteca, the seventh-biggest football stadium on the planet in terms of capacity (87,523).
The other two teams in that group meet later in the day as South Korea host one of the successful play-off teams in Zapopan \u2014 that team will be one of Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland.
There are less than five months until the 2026 World Cup where 48 nations will play across Canada, Mexico and the United States.<\/strong>
42 teams have booked their places at this summer's tournament \u2014 which begins on Thursday, June 11 \u2014 and the final six spots will be given to the winners of the play-off matches in March.
Stay across all things 2026 World Cup<\/a> here on The Athletic<\/strong><\/em>.
U.S. Soccer will reserve most of its 2026 World Cup ticket allotment for paying \u201cInsiders\u201d and other stakeholders, but will allocate all of FIFA\u2019s scarce $60 tickets<\/a> to members of three independent supporters groups, including the American Outlaws.
After months of uncertainty, the U.S. federation informed fans this week that it will run multiple random draws for tickets to the U.S. men\u2019s national team\u2019s World Cup games. It controls 8% of the tickets for each USMNT match, and is allowed to distribute those tickets via distinct processes separate from FIFA\u2019s broader lotteries, which are open to the general public<\/a>. Most, though not all, of the 8% allotment will be sold to fans.
Prices are set by FIFA<\/a> \u2014 and have been roundly criticized by supporters<\/a>.
U.S. Soccer\u2019s lotteries, however, add additional layers of fees and financial burden.
A majority of the U.S. Soccer tickets made available to fans \u2014 likely around 80% of those available in lotteries \u2014 will go to fans who pay between $45 and $10,000 per year for an \u201cInsiders\u201d membership. The $45 members get one entry into a random draw. An $85 member gets two entries; a $185 member gets three entries; a $500 member gets four entries; a $1,000 member gets five entries; and a $2,500 member gets six entries. (Those who pay $5,000 or $10,000 annually \u201chave the right to purchase tickets and don\u2019t need to enter the lottery,\u201d a U.S. Soccer spokeswoman told The Athletic<\/em>.)
GO FURTHER
How U.S. Soccer is allocating World Cup tickets \u2013 to USA supporters, but mostly paying members<\/p>\n

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World CupOn Wednesday, a report by Fox News revealed that the Trump administration would suspend processing for immigrant visa applications from 75 countries. This was subsequently confirmed by a State Department spokesperson.The already-qualified World Cup nations on the State Department list are: Algeria, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":198265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-198264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}