Tag: 2026 FIFA World Cup

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FIFA accused of “monumental betrayal” over latest World Cup ticket prices

Soccer fans have accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” after latest prices for World Cup tickets began to circulate on Thursday.

The governing body allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for games involving their team to sell to the most loyal fans.

And a list published by the German soccer federation revealed prices ranged from $180-$700 for varying group stage games. The lowest price for the final was $4,185 and the highest was $8,680.

Those group-stage prices are very different from FIFA’s claims of $60 tickets being available, while the target from United States soccer officials when bidding for the tournament seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands of $21 seats across the opening phase of games.

Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the current prices as “extortionate.”

“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” it said in a statement.

The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday evening, which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost just over $7,000.

FIFA said in September that tickets released through its website would initially range from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final. But those prices are subject to change as it adopts dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup.

FIFA tickets are available in four categories, with the best seats in Category 1.

In the price list published by the German federation, there were only three categories.

The lowest priced ticket was $180 for Germany’s opening group game against Curacao in Houston. The lowest price for the semifinal was $920 rising to $1,125.

The FSE called on FIFA to immediately halt ticket sales via national associations “until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.”

The Associated Press approached FIFA for comment.

FIFA launched its third phase of widespread ticket sales Thursday, with fans now able to apply for specific matches for the first time through its “Random Selection Draw.”

Following last week’s draw for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, an updated schedule has been published.

That means fans know when and where the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina will play. Previous ticket ballots were blind as the qualification period had not even been completed and the draw was yet to take place.

Now participating nations have been placed in groups, with their paths through the tournament determined. For instance, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could go on to meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City if both Argentina and Portugal top their respective groups.

Not that fans are guaranteed to get tickets to the games they apply for.

The draw opened Dec 11 at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT) and closes Jan 13, 2026.

FIFA says ticket applications can be made at any point during this window and the timing of entry will not impact the chances of success. Fans can apply via FIFA’s website for a maximum of four tickets per household per match and a maximum of 40 tickets throughout the tournament.

Fans will need a FIFA ID to apply for tickets and can pick which matches and which pricing category they want to apply for.

Successful applicants will be notified by email in February and charged automatically.

The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994 prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022 prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced.

Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 are already going for in excess of $11,000 on secondary resale sites.

For this tournament FIFA has also set up its own resale platform where it charges a 15% fee based on the total resale price.

FIFA said that closer to the tournament any remaining tickets will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis.

It did not reveal a time frame for the release of those remaining tickets. (JapanToday)

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Iran to play at least one World Cup game in U.S.

Iran will play at least one of its World Cup matches in the United States though the tournament draw on Friday avoided a group-stage clash between the geopolitical rivals.

The Iranian team, representing a country targeted by U.S. airstrikes in June and whose citizens are subject to a travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration, will open its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Seattle or Inglewood, California, on June 15.

Iran’s next two games could be played across the Canadian border in Vancouver or in Inglewood and Seattle. FIFA will confirm the detailed game schedule Saturday.

The United States was drawn to play Australia, Paraguay and a third team to be determined in the European playoffs in March.

Iran’s participation in the tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has already presented diplomatic challenges.

Last week Iran said it would boycott the draw after several officials including soccer federation president Mehdi Taj and general secretary Hedayat Momebeni were denied U.S. travel visas. The federation later modified its stance saying Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei would attend the event at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Ghalenoei was present at Friday’s draw.

Iran was among 12 countries subject to a travel ban ordered by Trump’s administration on June 5. A second World Cup nation, Haiti, also is on it.

Exemptions were promised for teams and support staff traveling for the World Cup, but not for fans.

The Trump administration called Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” and barred visitors except for those already holding visas or coming special visas issued for minorities facing persecution.

Later in June, Trump ordered a bombardment of Iran by so-called “bunker buster” bombs and cruise missiles targeting underground uranium enrichment plants. Within days he declared a ceasefire in a 12-day war between U.S. ally Israel and Iran.

Iran is an established force in soccer, ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and second only to Japan among Asian national teams.

Team Melli, as the squad is popularly known, is preparing to play at its seventh World Cup. Its best known player is forward Mehdi Taremi, who has played for Inter Milan, Porto and now Olympiakos.

Iran’s most problematic diplomatic relations among its future World Cup opponents are with Egypt.

Their diplomatic ties were severed in 1979 after Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and remained strained until recent years.

New Zealand’s government condemned the death in September 2022 of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police.

Amini’s death just a few weeks before the last World Cup played in nearby Qatar brought domestic politics into the stadiums where Iran played.

The team refused to sign Iran’s national anthem before its opening game in Doha against England, and there were clashes between fans and pro-government supporters at its second game against Wales.

Many fans displayed the “Woman, Life, Freedom” slogan to protest the government before Iran’s World Cup campaign ended with a 1-0 loss to the U.S. (JapanToday)

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2026 World Cup: All 12 groups revealed

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026, was conducted in Washington on Friday, producing 12 groups for the expanded tournament.

In Group A, Mexico will face South Africa, South Korea and a qualifier. Group B pairs Canada with a qualifier, Qatar and Switzerland. Brazil take their place in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, while hosts United States lead Group D with Paraguay, Australia and a qualifier.

Germany heads Group E with Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador. The Netherlands will compete in Group F with Japan, Tunisia and a qualifier. Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand make up Group G. Group H features Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

France are placed in Group I with Senegal, Norway and a qualifier. Argentina will contest Group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Group K includes Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia and a qualifier. England lead Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. (Guardian)

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President Trump wins inaugural Fifa Peace Prize

United States President Donald Trump received the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize before the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

The award has been introduced this year by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, designated for a person who has “taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace” and “united people across the world”.

It was widely expected that Trump, who arrived at the ceremony with Infantino and has made several public appearances with him in recent months, would be the winner.

That was confirmed at the ceremony in Washington DC on Friday.

As well as receiving a large golden trophy, Trump was also given a medal and certificate by Infantino before making a speech.

Trump stated he had saved “tens of millions of lives” through diplomatic interventions and had “stopped wars happening just before they started”.

“This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” Trump said, before claiming that the 2026 World Cup has set a new record for ticket sales.

“Gianni has done an incredible job. It is a nice tribute to you and the game of football, or as we call it soccer. It is beyond the numbers we thought were possible,” Trump said.

“The world is a safer place now. The USA was not doing well a year ago; now we are the hottest country in the world right now.”

The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and will take place between June 11 and July 19.

Trump later returned to the stage alongside Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney to perform the ceremonial opening to the draw.

The three leaders drew the balls of their respective nations, which had already been assigned their groups. Afterwards, the trio posed for a selfie taken by Infantino.

Mexico are in Group A – and will play in the tournament’s opening match – while Canada are in Group B and USA feature in Group D.

Trump, after repeating his comments about ticket sales, joked about the name clash between American football and what Americans generally call soccer.

“We have to find another name for the NFL,” Trump said. “This is football, we call it soccer here in the USA but it is really football. It doesn’t make sense that we call it soccer.” (BBC)

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Curaçao makes history with World Cup qualification; Suriname sent to play-offs

Curaçao will be playing in the World Cup for the first time. Coach Dick Advocaat’s team drew against Jamaica, securing their historic spot. Suriname was relegated to the play-offs after a defeat against Guatemala.

Curaçao knew that it only needed to draw against Jamaica to secure a historic World Cup spot and miraculously achieved this feat in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, NU.nl reports. Jamaica hit the post and crossbar no fewer than three times after halftime. In stoppage time, the home team was awarded a penalty. But after VAR intervention, the referee overturned the decision, and Curaçao secured a draw.

The Curaçao players, staff, and fans went wild when the final whistle blew. With a population of only 150,000, Curaçao will be the smallest ever participant in the World Cup next year. And at 78, Advocaat will become the oldest national coach ever at a World Cup.

Over a hundred Curaçaoans in the Netherlands followed the early morning match at an event at De Mansion in Dordrecht. “It was a close call, and we didn’t want to celebrate too soon, but we are incredibly happy to be going to the World Cup,” fan Edson Rafael told ANP.

Suriname did not have the fairy tale ending it was hoping for, but its World Cup dream is still alive. Coach Stanely Menzo’s team has been relegated to the play-offs after losing 3-1 to Guatemala.

Menzo’s team got through the first half pretty well. But Suriname fell almost immediately after the break as Guatemala scored its second and third goals. At this point, Suriname was also in danger of missing its spot in the play-offs based on goal difference. But in the 93rd minute, Suriname came to 3-1 thanks to an own Goal by a Guatemala defender.

That goal secured Suriname’s place in the play-offs, miraculously keeping their World Cup dream alive.  (NLTimes)

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Nigeria thrash Gabon 4-1 to boost World Cup hopes

Victor Osimhen scored twice as the Super Eagles sealed an emphatic 4-1 victory over the Panthers of Gabon in extra time to advance to the next playoff stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Thursday at Stade Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco.

After a goalless first half, Akor Adams broke the deadlock early in the second half, capitalising on a player’s error to put Nigeria ahead.

Gabon, however, equalised four minutes before the end of the match, forcing the game into extra time.

Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s lead with a composed finish before Osimhen extended the advantage, netting twice to put the result beyond doubt.

The Super Eagles’ solid defensive display, led by Benjamin Frederick and Calvin Bassey, ensured Gabon’s late efforts came to nothing.

The win moves Nigeria closer to securing a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the final playoff round set to determine their qualification status.

Nigeria secured a spot among the top runners-up in the African qualifiers, buoyed by a dominant 4-0 win over the Benin Republic that saw Victor Osimhen net a remarkable hat-trick.

Gabon, meanwhile, finished second in Group F behind the Ivory Coast to earn their own playoff place.

Nigeria will go on to face either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 16, with the victor of that tie advancing to the inter-continental playoff for a chance at a World Cup berth. (Punch)

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Super Eagles set for Gabon clash in World Cup play-offs

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will square off against Gabon in the semi-finals of the African zone play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the conclusion of the group stage on Tuesday.

The three-time African champions stormed into the play-offs with an emphatic 4–0 thrashing of Benin Republic, sealing second place in their qualifying group. Gabon also booked their spot after a 2–0 win over Burundi, aided by Ivory Coast’s victory against Kenya, which left the Panthers in second place in Group F.

Elsewhere, DR Congo edged Sudan 1–0 to finish runners-up to Senegal in Group B, while Cameroon clinched second place in Group D behind Cape Verde, rounding out the four best runners-up heading to the play-offs.

The mini-tournament will be held in Morocco from November 13 to 16, featuring Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo. The format will see the two semi-final winners face off in a single-leg final for a ticket to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026, where one African team will have a final shot at qualifying for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

According to the seeding arrangement, Nigeria—projected to remain Africa’s highest-ranked team among the four when FIFA releases its updated rankings on October 23—will face Gabon, the lowest-ranked side of the quartet. Cameroon and DR Congo will meet in the other semi-final.

Both semi-finals are scheduled for November 13, with the final taking place three days later. All matches will be single-leg encounters, with extra time and penalties to decide the outcome if necessary.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to confirm the host cities and venues in the coming days.

While Africa’s nine group winners have already secured direct qualification for next year’s expanded 48-team World Cup, the play-offs offer the continent one more pathway to add an extra representative via the inter-continental route. (Vanguard)

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FIFA appoints Chadian referee for Lesotho, Nigeria clash

World football governing body FIFA has selected Chadian official Alhadi Mahamat as the referee for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho next week.

The matchday nine encounter is scheduled for the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, on Friday, October 10, 2025 and will kick off at 6pm South Africa time, which is 5pm Nigeria time.

Allaou, who was also in charge of Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Rwanda in Uyo on September 6 during matchday seven, will work with compatriots Bogola Issa as first assistant referee, Moussa Hafiz as second assistant referee, and Abdelkerim Ousmane as fourth official.

FIFA also appointed Kenyan official Alice Kimani as referee assessor, while William Shongwe from eSwatini will serve as match commissioner.

Nigeria, currently three points behind first-placed Benin Republic and second-placed South Africa, need an outright victory to enhance their chances of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, which will be jointly hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico next summer.

The Super Eagles face a crucial double-header, with the Lesotho clash followed by a decisive home encounter against Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on October 14.

FIFA has confirmed that Egyptian referee Omar Amin Mohamed Amin Mohamed will officiate the Benin match, assisted by compatriots Mahmoud Aboulergal and Ali Teleb.

Nigeria’s qualification hopes received a boost after FIFA sanctioned South Africa for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their 2-0 win over Lesotho in March, awarding a 3-0 victory to Lesotho instead.

The decision reshaped the group standings, with Benin and South Africa now tied on 14 points at the top after eight matches, while Nigeria and Rwanda sit just behind with 11 points apiece.

A maximum of six points from their remaining fixtures could take Nigeria to 17 points, potentially enough to secure top spot depending on other results. (Punch)

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Trump invites global fans to World Cup and Olympics as U.S. tightens visa policies

U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes “countless people from all over the globe” will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the U.S., making no mention of his migration crackdown that has deterred some visitors.

Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound visitors would finally surpass the pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million.

In a wide-ranging speech, Trump said next year the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. “We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics,” he said.

“It’s going to be very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from all over the globe will take part.”

More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries were received by FIFA for the World Cup within 24 hours of the presale draw, the governing body of world soccer said earlier this month. The 48-team tournament will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.

But a U.S. trip may be expensive and complicated for many. Visitors from non-visa waiver countries face a $250 “visa integrity fee,” on top of the existing fee, with travelers already navigating long average visa wait times. Such visitors face an average 169 days for a B-1/B-2 tourism or business visa interview, according to data from the U.S. State Department.

That will hit fans from countries that traditionally send a large contingent to the World Cup, including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.

Global ticket demand for the tournament came primarily from the three host countries, followed by Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, according to FIFA.

Tourists from visa-waiver countries – mostly in Europe – will not need to pay the new fee, but industry experts say some are being put off U.S. vacations by fears of being stopped at the border after a number of widely publicized cases.

The White House is also looking to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued in August.

The 2028 Summer Olympics is set to be held in Los Angeles, California, in July 2028. (JapanToday)

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Spain reclaims FIFA top ranking, knocks Argentina off No. 1 spot

Spain has returned to the summit of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in over a decade, dislodging Argentina after a strong run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The updated rankings, released on FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, mark Spain’s first time at the top since 2014. Argentina, which had led the standings since April 2023, dropped to third place, with France moving up to second.

Portugal, Croatia, and Italy recorded slight gains, now occupying fifth, ninth, and tenth positions respectively.

Brazil slipped to sixth following a poor run of form, while Germany fell to 12th after a shock defeat to Slovakia in their qualifiers—pushing them outside the top 10 for the first time since October 2024.

Slovakia proved the biggest movers, climbing 10 places to 42nd after consecutive qualifying wins, including their upset victory against Germany.

Morocco remained just outside the top 10 after securing eight wins in their last nine matches, while other notable risers include The Gambia, Madagascar, Paraguay, Uganda, Libya, Suriname, and the Faroe Islands, each improving by at least five places.

Co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Canada, moved up two spots to 26th, while Kosovo achieved a historic milestone by climbing four places to 91st.

The latest rankings highlight the shifting balance of power in world football as nations gear up for upcoming qualifiers and tournaments. (Punch)