Hundreds of protesters returned to an area near Mexico City's Azteca Stadium on Wednesday night, hours before the opening ceremony of the World Cup was due to take place.

The first ceremony will take place at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City at 11:30 pm Bangladesh time on June 11. The second will be held at BMO Field in Toronto at 11:30 pm on June 12, while the third will unfold at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles at 5:30 am Bangladesh time on June 13.

Between them, Reza Mansoor and Mostafa Pourmand have attended 11 World Cups to cheer on their beloved Iran, and even a war between their team and host nation the United States is not going to stop them this time.

Bangladesh made Australia enter the record books for the wrong reasons on Thursday morning in Mirpur, as they lost three frontline batters without scoring a run for the first time in ODIs.

Bowlers laid the foundation and the batters held their nerve as Bangladesh scripted history, beating Australia by five wickets via DLS method in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday to seal their first-ever ODI series win over the Aussies.

Bangladesh will head into the second ODI of the three-match series against Australia on Thursday with a chance to script history against the world champions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino brushed off criticism over World Cup visa issues and sky-high ticket prices on Wednesday in a defiant eve-of-tournament press conference.

Portugal beat Nigeria 2–1 in a World Cup warm-up on Wednesday, with goals from Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao making up for an off night for Cristiano Ronaldo.

As always, though, the World Cup’s enduring appeal extends beyond the favourites, residing in the stories surrounding the underdogs and newcomers.

Haiti have been forced to change their kit design just days before their World Cup opener against Scotland after FIFA banned a depiction of a war scene on the shirts.

As the curtain rises on the 2026 FIFA World Cup tonight, the United States appears to be competing for an altogether different title -- one of the most inhospitable hosts in the tournament's history.

The entire Brazil squad, with the exception of the injured Neymar, welcomed the smiling Ancelotti out onto the pitch at the team's base, the New York Red Bulls training facility in suburban New Jersey.

Rana is a sensation unlike any before in Bangladesh cricket.

The countdown is over. Football’s grandest spectacle begins tonight as the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off across Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Two banks of flat fours with two centre-forwards leading the line. What is there to not get? Simple, isn’t it?

Fans chose sides, debates raged across generations, and every goal, trophy, and record became another chapter in a contest that reshaped the sport.

The first thing that stands out about Lamine Yamal is not flair, nor is it raw skill or a penchant for trying the unobvious. It is the calm -- an eerie, composed serenity that completely belies his age.

Will the average fan stay up all night to catch Brazil’s opening match at 4:00 am? Or will they go to bed early and rub the sleep from their eyes to wake up long before dawn?

Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim and Taijul Islam, along with Nepal all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, have been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for May 2026 following a string of impressive performances.

Iran threatened to halt its matches at the World Cup if unauthorised flags are displayed or slogans targeting the national team are chanted at stadiums, Iranian media reported, citing Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, following criticism of the team’s presence at the tournament.