Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, is going to the 2026 World Cup -- the culmination of an 18-month period of painstaking work by coach Sebastien Migne who is yet to even visit the country.

With 42 teams punching their tickets after the final wave of direct qualifiers, the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has boiled down to six last spots -- four in Europe and two across the rest of the world. The continent playoffs now stand between 22 hopeful nations and football’s grandest stage, setting up a tense March window in Europe and an intriguing intercontinental showdown involving teams from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.

The tiny island nation, a self-governing part of the Netherlands with a population of little more than 150,000, is the smallest country to qualify for football's premier showcase.

UEFA has given Barcelona the go-ahead to play Champions League matches at their partially rebuilt Camp Nou stadium, the La Liga giants said on Wednesday.

Fresh off Bangladesh’s historic 1-0 victory over India, midfielder Shamit Shome chose a quieter, more personal celebration.

On the eve of Bangladesh’s Asian Cup Qualifier against India, the national team followed their usual tradition: coaches, key players and team officials delivering motivational speeches after the final training session.

Bangladesh’s long-suffering football fans finally found reason to celebrate on Tuesday as the national team clinched a landmark victory over India -- their first win against their neighbours in 22 years.

Estevao, who also scored on Saturday against Senegal, stepped up to net his fifth international goal.

Scotland's late show in Glasgow means Steve Clarke's side have qualified for the global footballing showpiece for the first time since 1998.

A nerve-shredding finale to the CONCACAF qualifying campaign saw Curacao -- with a population of just 156,000 -- squeeze into next year's final.

Asked to place the latest victory alongside his English FA Cup win with Leicester City, he replied that the significance was incomparable.

From jerseys to flags and food, Bangladesh's international football fixtures have become a thriving ecosystem for small businesses, showing how national pride can ripple through local communities.

As Bangladesh players celebrated the win, it felt as though two eras quietly touched hands.

Bangladesh’s recent performances against India and other stronger teams, combined with the influx of overseas-based footballers over the past year, have raised public expectations despite the team’s modest global ranking.

Sheikh Morsalin ended Bangladesh’s long wait for a victory against India with an 11th-minute strike, as the hosts secured their first win of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign with a 1-0 triumph at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Bangladesh will take the field against India today with notable changes in the midfield, as Shamit Shome has been included alongside Sheikh Morsalin while Jamal Bhuyan and Sohel Rana Jr sit out.

Keisuke Honda, one of Japan's biggest football stars in the first two decades of the millennium, said on Tuesday his country has the potential to win the World Cup next year.

With both sides already eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, hosts Bangladesh and India are set to meet in what has become a battle of pride rather than a dead-rubber at the National Stadium in Dhaka today. The match kicks off at 8:00 pm.

The main question remains: Can Bangladesh finally end their long winless run against their nearest neighbours?

In Malta, Poland were given a scare on the way to a victory which ultimately did not lift them out of second place.