With less than six months to go before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, organizers are bracing for what could be their most challenging opponent yet: extreme heat.

World Cup organisers on Tuesday announced a cheaper category of tickets after sustained criticism of the prices at the 2026 competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

FIFA received five million requests for World Cup 2026 tickets in the first 24 hours of the latest sales phase, soccer's world governing body said on Friday, despite an outcry from fan groups this week about high prices for the tournament.

Brazil and Scotland’s World Cup 2026 meeting will mark the fifth time they have met in the group phase, making it the joint most-played fixture at this stage.

“Our group is good, and facing Argentina greatly motivates us as they are the defending champions.”

The tournament will be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in 2022.

Holders Argentina will meet Algeria in Kansas City in their opening match in Group J on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Dallas.

Scotland's 28-year wait to return to football's biggest stage exploded into kilted chaos at a Glasgow pub, where one supporter dressed as Batman captured the national mood.

For the first time in history, the world’s biggest football event will be hosted by three North American countries -- the United States, Canada, and Mexico -- with 48 teams participating.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has taken a shape, following the final draw in Washington on Friday. Here are some key reactions from coaches of different participating teams:

Reigning champions Argentina will face Algeria, Austria and first-time qualifiers Jordan in their 2026 World Cup group, according to the draw made in Washington on Friday.

US President Donald Trump became the first ever recipient of FIFA's new peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw Friday -- a compensation gift for a leader whose dream of winning the Nobel remains unfulfilled.

The 2026 World Cup draw got under way on time on Friday and though the 42 nations assured of their slot will have to wait more than an hour to discover their opponents, they will have to wait another 24 to find out where and when they will be playing.

With the expanded 48-team tournament taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada next year, debate over ticketing has intensified, with fans expressing frustration over the model.

FIFA announced on Wednesday the lineup of current and former sports stars as well as entertainers in the event at the Kennedy Center.

The event will start at 11pm, Bangladesh Time, on Friday

Iran is to boycott next week's World Cup finals draw in Washington because the United States refused to grant visas to several members of the delegation, the Iranian football federation announced on Friday.