New Zealand footballer Tim Payne's online fan club soared past four million on Tuesday, more than the All Blacks, after an influencer picked him out as the "least known" player at the World Cup.

Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo and former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey were included in Ghana's World Cup squad as coach Carlos Queiroz left it to the last minute to finalise his 26-man selection.

What the English saw as unpardonable theft, the Argentines saw as epic retribution.

The flight carried the number 1978 -- a tribute to Argentina's first World Cup triumph.

The Inter Miami forward, Uruguay's all-time leading scorer, retired from international football in September 2024, but recently indicated he would be willing to return if selected.

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is set to become the first Mexican player to feature at six World Cups after the 40-year-old was named in Javier Aguirre's squad for the tournament on Sunday.

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo and newly crowned Champions League winner Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain will spearhead Ecuador's challenge at the World Cup.

Just as Diego Maradona would single-handedly win the World Cup for Argentina in 1986, Garrincha had achieved that very feat for Brazil 24 years earlier.

The agreement comes just 10 days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Now at Manchester City, Semenyo is expected to play a key role for a Ghana side led by new coach Carlos Queiroz, after the Black Stars failed to qualify for the most recent Africa Cup of Nations.

Neymar's inclusion in Ancelotti's 26-man squad for the World Cup was something of a surprise as he had not been picked for the national team in almost three years due to a mixture of injuries and poor form.

Several records on the cusp of being broken across the stadiums of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The squad lineup featured few surprises, except for the inclusion of rising striker Hamza Abdel Karim. The 18-year-old is on loan from Egyptian giants Al Ahly to Barcelona Atletic, the reserve side of the La Liga champions.

Even silent terror has a colour. Perhaps it is pale. Perhaps it resembles an evening when every breath feels trapped in the chest.

Harry Kane is the ultimate specialist in Thomas Tuchel's England squad of World Cup "specialists" -- a man who has taken the art of goalscoring to rarefied heights.

Three Mexican airlines announced restrictions Friday for travelers from Central African countries due to the region's deadly Ebola outbreak, as Mexico prepares to welcome fans and athletes for the World Cup in less than two weeks.

Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David were the star names in Canada's World Cup squad as coach Jesse Marsch unveiled the co-host's 26-man roster on Friday.

Spain are the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup, ahead of France, Argentina and Brazil, according to a Goldman Sachs model published on Friday that uses teams' historical performance and ranking data.

The glass lens no longer seemed like an ordinary piece of equipment. It felt like the frozen gaze of the entire world -- and staring directly into it was a fallen god reciting the mantra of his own resurrection.

After a remarkable 14-year spell in charge capped by one World Cup triumph and another run to the final, Didier Deschamps is hoping to go out on a high as he gets ready to step down as France coach following the upcoming tournament in North America.