Switzerland's Granit Xhaka is calmness personified when talk turns to the FIFA World Cup 2026. It will be his fourth edition of the global showpiece, after Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. The midfielder has featured in 12 World Cup matches -- a Swiss record -- and has worn the captain's armband since the end of 2019, something he does not take for granted.

Iran's World Cup squad is expected to arrive in Mexico early Sunday (Sunday evening, as per Bangladesh Time) under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row between Tehran and Washington, after the United States refused to issue visas for some team support staff.

Cristian Volpato said he could feel in his heart it was "time to come home" after the former Italy under-21 international made his Australia debut on Saturday following his shock switch on the eve of the World Cup.

A visit to the 16th-century Basilica of Bom Jesus was among the highlights of the trip.

When Curacao line up to face Germany in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on 14 June in Houston, it will be a special moment for all the players from the Caribbean side.

India head coach Crispin Chettri showered praise on the 22-year-old winger after his side defeated Bangladesh 3-1 in the final to reclaim the SAFF Women's Championship title after a six-year wait.

The busy day of friendlies saw some of the biggest stars on display, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Vini Jr and Mohamed Salah playing, but three-time champion Argentina opted to rest Lionel Messi against Honduras.

Bangladesh football team are returning from Europe today with a historic 2-1 victory against San Marino -- their first-ever win over European opposition and on European soil.

Iraq's World Cup striker, Aymen Hussein, was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago's O'Hare airport after arriving with the squad early on Saturday, an Iraqi sporting official said.

Bangladesh may have missed out on a third successive SAFF Women's Championship title after a 3-1 defeat to India in the final at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Friday night, but coach Peter Butler insisted the scoreline failed to reflect the true nature of the contest.

Balerdi was named in Argentina's 26-man squad last week after consistent performances with Olympique de Marseille, with whom he made 36 appearances across all competitions.

Bangladesh produced a much better performance than previous matches yet fell short of defending their SAFF Women’s Championship title, suffering a 3-1 defeat to hosts India in the final at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Saturday.

India took the lead in the 42nd minute through Pyari Xaxa, but Ritu Porna restored parity in first-half stoppage time to ensure Bangladesh headed into halftime with the score locked at 1-1.

His inclusion in the squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 represents a victory in a race against time, which began in August 2023 when he suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle during pre-season with Alaves in Spain.

The final between defending champions Bangladesh and five-time winners India is scheduled to kick off at 7:00pm (Bangladesh time) at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, India.

"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy added.

France drew 35% of the vote in the May 11-June 5 poll to add a third star to their badge, edging out Spain on 31% - broadly in line with betting platforms like Polymarket - a result that would return Europe to the pinnacle of international football.

In three-time World Cup winner Argentina, soccer fever is unusually tempered less than two weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in North America.

There is a particular silence that settles over the defeated.

"Lenny tore a muscle bundle today in the final training season and is ruled out because of this injury. Have a good recovery, we're thinking of you," the DFB said on Instagram.