FIFA World Cup 2026

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In two previous appearances at the World Cup -- the 1986 finals in Mexico and the 2022 tournament in Qatar -- Canada have a perfect record of six defeats in six matches.

But the Canadians surprised many by reaching the semi-finals of the Copa America in 2024, where they only narrowly lost on penalties to Uruguay in the third-place playoff.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Dayne St Clair (Inter Miami/USA), Maxime Crepeau (Orlando City/USA), Owen Goodman (Crystal Palace/ENG)

Defenders: Alistair Johnston (Celtic/SCO), Derek Cornelius (Marseille/FRA), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC/CAN), Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split/CRO), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire/USA), Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham/ENG), Moise Bombito (Nice/FRA), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich/GER), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough/ENG)

Midfielders: Stephen Eustaquio (Porto/POR), Ismael Kone (Sassuolo/ITA), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal/ESP), Mathieu Choiniere (Los Angeles FC/USA), Ali Ahmed (Norwich City/ENG), Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht/BEL), Liam Millar (Hull City/ENG), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL/MEX), Jacob Shaffelburg (Toronto FC/CAN), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC/CAN)

Attackers: Jonathan David (Juventus/ITA), Cyle Larin (Southampton/ENG), Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal/ESP), Promise David (Union SG/BEL)

 

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In related news, and no, I will not post the links, demands for "escort services" remain high with a number of workers reporting being well booked for the duration of the tournament in the Newark area.

 

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Mexican goalkeeper Ochoa set for historic sixth World Cup​

AFP

The 40-year-old plays for Cypriot outfit AEL Limassol

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Cape Verde dreaming big ahead of World Cup​

AFP

This is their maiden World Cup appearance

 

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French star ready to attack World Cup​

The 23-year-old was part of the Chelsea team which won the Europa Conference League

AFP
June 02, 2026

France's Chelsea right-back MaloGusto said that making a World Cup squad has been the fulfillment of a childhood dream. Photo: AFP

LONDON: Malo Gusto's proven big match-winning temperament will stand him in good stead as he looks to challenge Jules Kounde for the starting berth as France's right back at the World Cup.

The 23-year-old was part of the Chelsea team which won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last season and despite the Londoners' subsequent poor campaign -- in which they finished a dismal 10th in the Premier League -- Gusto has done enough to convince France coach Didier Deschamps to take him to the World Cup.

Gusto told AFP that it has been the fulfilment of a childhood dream and has made him "hugely proud".

His inclusion in the 26-man squad speaks volumes of Deschamps's view of Gusto, not least since midfielder Eduardo Camavinga missed out following Real Madrid's mediocre campaign.

 

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FIFA unveils Netflix World Cup game timed for 2026 tournament kickoff​

Players will be able to choose from all 48 teams competing in World Cup

Reuters
June 05, 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the World Cup trophy. PHOTO: REUTERS

FIFA will release a new football video game, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, on Netflix Games on June 11, timed to coincide with the start of ‌the 2026 World Cup, the soccer governing body said on Thursday.

The title will be available exclusively to Netflix subscribers at no additional cost, as world soccer's governing body looks to broaden fan engagement through its revamped digital strategy.

Developed ⁠in partnership with Netflix Games and Delphi Interactive, the game is designed as an accessible football simulation, allowing players to take part in the tournament experience.

Players will be able to choose from all 48 teams competing in the World Cup and play matches across the tournament's 16 stadiums, with more than 1,200 players included in the game.

The format uses smartphones as ‌controllers, ⁠enabling users to connect to a television by scanning a QR code, according to FIFA.

 

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Fifa regrets free ticket error but demands fans pay​

Toronto is one of 16 World Cup host cities

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport journalist

Fifa has admitted an error on its website allowed 60 fans to purchase World Cup tickets for free.

Football's world governing body has cancelled the tickets with incorrect prices, and given the affected fans the opportunity to re-purchase the tickets at full price.

"Fifa can confirm that approximately 60 fans received a communication on Wednesday, 3 June regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process," it said, adding that it "regrets any inconvenience caused".

 

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Huge flags and pyrotechnics with World Cup anthems​

The opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa will be the debut of the new ceremony for national anthems
Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Fifa has unveiled what it describes as a new "unique, immersive experience" pre-match ceremony for all matches at the 2026 World Cup.

All available players in a team's squad will gather around the centre circle for the national anthems, with extra-large country flag banners on the pitch behind them.

In previous World Cups, the starting XIs would be positioned in a line facing one of the stands with mascots in front of them.

Fifa has been eager to find a new way of introducing the players which involves the whole stadium.

For the 2025 Club World Cup, every starting player had an individual walk-on introduction. This proved unpopular because it added extra time to the pre-match formalities, and a number of games kicked off late.