FIFA World Cup 2026

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FIFA World Cup turns New York's Times Square into global fan hub​

AFP
June 27, 2026

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World Cup fans have swarmed on Times Square in New York. —AFP

Surrounded by dozens of dazzling screens and crowds of tourists, World Cup fans have turned New York’s Times Square into a daily meeting spot for supporters from around the globe.

“I’m impressed. It’s amazing to see so many people gathered,” said Christoph Altmeks, a German, as he stood in the middle of a sea of his country’s fans wearing white shirts.

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Some supporters have taken to playing soccer in Times Square. —AFP
The 53-year-old had complained that, given New York’s huge population, “when you walk around through the city, there are not a lot of football fans.”

So when he heard on social media that Germans were congregating in Times Square, Altmeks readily pulled on a jersey of his hero Rudi Voller — plus a wig mimicking the famed striker’s blond curls.

Off to the side, two Ecuadorans watched the German jubilation with some unease.

“I thought there would be more Ecuadorans here … but I’m waiting for them!” said Juan Alvarez, 30, who is finishing his studies in New York.
 
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‘Icon of city life’​

Amid a scent of beer and marijuana, many street vendors have descended on Times Square to sell flags, caps, vuvuzelas, fruit slices and churros.

Elsewhere, AFP saw one man begging and another with a sign reading “Stop World War III!” A woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty was offering to be photographed, and someone else posed in a panda costume.

Such is the eclectic and chaotic scene that awaits World Cup fans coming to Times Square.

The area is already a major tourist attraction, as well as a giant advertising platform with its bright screens, and is traditionally the setting for celebrations, including New Year’s Eve.

So it’s only natural that fans have chosen it as a World Cup stage, according to Lynne Sagalyn, a professor of real estate at Columbia University.

“Times Square is an icon of city life. It has a worldwide reputation as a place that must be seen and experienced,” she told AFP.

“It is hard to think of any other US urban place that would instantly command such worldwide attention.”
 

World Cup vibe​

Alan Bonfield, a 33-year-old American who regularly spends time around Times Square, said the soccer tournament has transformed the landmark.

“Even though in Times Square you’re never going to find it empty — you can come here in the middle of the night — the World Cup surely changes the demographic and the way it vibes,” said Bonfield, wearing an Argentina jersey.

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Some supporters have taken to playing soccer in Times Square. —AFP
New York police are a visible and constant presence. At one point, they told off a tipsy fan for climbing on a bench.

But the gatherings have led to few incidents so far, aside from a few scuffles shared on social media.

Shots fired by an unknown individual also caused a brief moment of panic among supporters last week, without injuring anyone.
 

Iran fans on emotional rollercoaster after FIFA World Cup draw with Egypt​

AFP
June 27, 2026

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Iranians react as they watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G football match between Egypt and Iran in Tehran on June 27, 2026. — AFP

Iranians woke early on Saturday to watch the men’s national football team face Egypt, riding an emotional rollercoaster as Iran fought back to draw but missed the chance to directly qualify for the World Cup’s last 32.

But all is not lost for Team Melli after the 1-1 draw.

Depending on the results in other groups, the Iranians could still reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

Iran had a troubled buildup to the World Cup due to the war in the Middle East, which broke out in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.

The team has also faced the strain of considerable visa and travel restrictions in the United States, which is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada.

“It was a good game, even though they were unable to prepare properly,” said Iranian football fan Amin.

“I wish they’d played the whole game like the last five minutes,” when Iran was on the attack, the 33-year-old car dealer told AFP.
 
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Iran wait on FIFA World Cup progress after late goal disallowed in Egypt draw​

Iran are third on three points and must wait for confirmation that they will go through as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

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Belgium into FIFA World Cup last 32 with New Zealand rout​

A double strike from Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers carried the Red Devils into the last 32 in first place.

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From qualifying without conceding a single goal to total collapse: Tunisia's FIFA World Cup nightmare​

The man who oversaw qualifying, Sami Trabelsi, was dismissed in January after a disappointing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
 
F-22Raptor said:
This is the best World Cup in history. Top in attendance, average attendance, stadiums, parties, vibes and on and on. The US could easily host another 2-3 World Cups simultaneously with this one if it chose. Multiple new state of the art stadiums will be complete by 2038.

BTW, the only rubes here are the likes of you and the other cretins in that echo chamber you call an Iran thread. Truly pathetic you lot
Click to expand...
No its not the best

Your racist government not letting logistic, recovery staff for Iranian team, not allowing supporters of African teams like Senegal to attend, not allowing FIFA referees to attend has tared the game, infact made it an unfair tournament.

FIFA 1994 was much better and it was not the best tournament either.
 

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Salah still the centrepiece of Egypt attack​


REUTERS
The striker had a quiet game in Friday's 1-1 draw
 

Cape Verde extend World Cup 'dream'​

They secured a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia to advance into the last 32

AFP
June 27, 2026

cape verde players celebrate in houston photo afp


Cape Verde players celebrate in Houston. Photo: AFP

HOUSTON: World Cup debutants Cape Verde will face reigning champions Argentina in the knockout rounds after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday to extend their fairytale journey.

The stalemate in Houston and Spain's 1-0 win over Uruguay meant the team ranked 67 finished runners-up behind Spain in Group H.

Having drawn all three group matches, the archipelago nation of just over 500,000 will play Lionel Messi's Argentina in Miami on July 3 in another chapter to their remarkable story.

The players of Cape Verde -- the third-smallest team in World Cup history by population -- were in tears afterwards, as were some of their fans.

The squad waited an agonising minute or two before news of the Spain win filtered through on a mobile phone, then erupted in celebration.
 
Croatia, Algeria and DR Congo are the teams who could overtake Iran, condemning them to one of the bottom four spots in the third-place table and elimination.

For that to happen:
🇭🇷 Croatia need to draw against Ghana
🇩🇿Algeria must get a point versus Austria
🇨🇩DR Congo have to beat Uzbekistan
 

Why are World Cup underdogs doing so well?​


Image of Vozinha raising the Cape Verde flag after their draw against Spain


Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was named man of the match in the goalless draw with Spain
Umir Irfan
BBC Football tactics correspondent
26 June 2026

This 48-team World Cup has produced some intriguing match-ups and several impressive performances by lower-ranked sides against the world's top teams.

Cape Verde, Curacao, Ghana and South Africa - ranked 64th, 81st, 65th and 54th respectively - have taken points from Spain (3rd), Ecuador (29th), England (4th) and South Korea (28th) so far.

Are these early tournament surprises a matter of luck, or clever planning and execution?

A deeper delve into what happened in the games that produced those unexpected results reveals a number of common patterns.
 
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