The setting was the iconic San Siro in Milan, where two fierce rivals -- West Germany and the Netherlands -- met in a high-stakes round of 16 clash. Laden with the weight of history and footballing supremacy, the encounter carried an air of simmering hostility long before kickoff.

Iran's government will only decide on the national team's participation in the World Cup once they receive a response from FIFA over the relocation of their matches, the country's Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali said.

Stepping onto the stage of the FIFA World Cup is a lifelong dream; to arrive for the first time and leave the world astonished is nothing short of heroic.

Gelsenkirchen, Germany. June 16, 2006.

Although 22 editions of the World Cup have taken place, 21 finals have been held. There was no final match in the 1950 edition

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho said the Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi remains the best player in the world even at the age of 38.

That night, the sky over the Italian city of Turin was cloudless. Yet, upon the green carpet of the Stadio delle Alpi, an eerie, invisible rain of sorrow seemed to descend. July 4, 1990 -- a nerve-shredding World Cup semifinal. The deafening roars cascading from the stands, beads of sweat trickling down the players’ faces, and an explosive tension hanging in every particle of air -- it was a suffocating spectacle.

The new pricing marks a steep rise from the 2022 World Cup final, where top tickets were around $1,600 (about Tk 1,96,500).

Portugal will complete their World Cup preparations with a friendly against Nigeria on June 10, the Portuguese Football Federation said.

Despite their storied past, the footballing world remains in shock as the Azzurri face a third consecutive absence from the finals, having failed to qualify since 2014.

More than three million of these tickets have already been sold during the first three sales phases.

Distance has always been a sanctuary for goalkeepers.

With all 48 teams confirmed, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off in Mexico on June 12, with the hosts taking on South Africa in the opening Group A match, while the final will be held in New York City on July 20.

Music, fireworks and the occasional round of gunfire erupted across Iraq's capital Baghdad early Wednesday after the national team qualified for the World Cup for the first time in decades.

Football is often called the beautiful game. But what unfolded on that night in 2006 at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg, (now the Max-Morlock-Stadion) could hardly be described as beautiful.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso was emotional and apologetic after his side suffered a playoff penalty shootout loss in Bosnia on Tuesday, to miss out on their third successive World Cup, but he refused to talk about his future.

Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, defeating Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico to seal their first appearance at the finals in 40 years.

Michal Sadilek's penalty sent the Czech Republic to the World Cup as they beat Denmark in a shootout in Prague on Tuesday following a 2-2 draw after extra time.

Italy will miss out on a third straight World Cup after falling to Bosnia and Hercegovina in Tuesday's breathless qualification playoff final, the Azzurri blowing their chance to reach this summer's tournament in North America with a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat.

Turkiye ended a 24-year wait to qualify for the World Cup by beating Kosovo 1-0 in their playoff final on Tuesday, sealing a return to football’s biggest stage for the first time since 2002.