Several records on the cusp of being broken across the stadiums of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The squad lineup featured few surprises, except for the inclusion of rising striker Hamza Abdel Karim. The 18-year-old is on loan from Egyptian giants Al Ahly to Barcelona Atletic, the reserve side of the La Liga champions.

Even silent terror has a colour. Perhaps it is pale. Perhaps it resembles an evening when every breath feels trapped in the chest.

Harry Kane is the ultimate specialist in Thomas Tuchel's England squad of World Cup "specialists" -- a man who has taken the art of goalscoring to rarefied heights.

Three Mexican airlines announced restrictions Friday for travelers from Central African countries due to the region's deadly Ebola outbreak, as Mexico prepares to welcome fans and athletes for the World Cup in less than two weeks.

Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David were the star names in Canada's World Cup squad as coach Jesse Marsch unveiled the co-host's 26-man roster on Friday.

Spain are the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup, ahead of France, Argentina and Brazil, according to a Goldman Sachs model published on Friday that uses teams' historical performance and ranking data.

The glass lens no longer seemed like an ordinary piece of equipment. It felt like the frozen gaze of the entire world -- and staring directly into it was a fallen god reciting the mantra of his own resurrection.

After a remarkable 14-year spell in charge capped by one World Cup triumph and another run to the final, Didier Deschamps is hoping to go out on a high as he gets ready to step down as France coach following the upcoming tournament in North America.

Former Italy under-20 international Cristian Volpato has decided to represent Australia and will join the Socceroos' training camp in Los Angeles ahead of the World Cup, Football Australia said on Friday.

Lionel Messi will turn 39 during the upcoming World Cup and could have been forgiven for quitting international football after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, but he remains his country's talisman as they aim to retain the trophy in North America.

The 31-year-old issued an impassioned proclamation of his patriotism last week, triggering Monday's appeal from Vice President Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh.

"It's not a bad thing to cancel your wedding for – it only happens every four years," the 27-year-old keeper told New Zealand media.

The tournament expanding to 48 teams from 32 helped propel Jordan, a country of 12 million people with a creaking football infrastructure, to their maiden finals.

Since stepping into professional football in 2002, Cristiano Ronaldo has dazzled audiences from Lisbon to Manchester, Madrid, and now Saudi Arabia. He has conquered Europe with both club and country, and in his glittering career, he is steadily moving toward the unbelievable milestone of 1,000 goals.

Marcelo Bielsa is widely revered as a pioneer of coaching but his unconventional methods risk ruining Uruguay's World Cup chances before the tournament has even begun.

They are unbeaten in 11 games stretching back to September 2024 and aiming to go beyond the last 16 for the first time.

The Dutch have never won a World Cup, losing in the final in 1974, 1978 and 2010.

The US states of New York and New Jersey announced a probe Wednesday into whether FIFA has exploited football fans with "impossibly high" World Cup ticket prices.

The Netherlands' top scorer Memphis Depay and Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber were both included on Wednesday in the country's squad for next month's World Cup despite concerns over their fitness.