Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic broke out at the end of February.

With the spectre of failed 2018 and 2022 qualification campaigns looming over the squad, Gattuso knows his players must overcome the mental weakness that has plagued Italy's World Cup ambitions.

In that fleeting second, he became the Icarus of myth -- the man who dared to touch the sun with wings of wax.

No country has been more successful on the world stage than Brazil. From 1958 to 2002, the Selecao authored an epic of five world titles, with each chapter standing as a unique testament to footballing greatness.

Football is a cruel poet. It can reduce an entire epic to a single line.

YouTube has reached a new agreement with FIFA that will allow rights-holding broadcasters to stream parts of World Cup matches on the platform, in a move aimed at expanding the tournament’s reach among younger and more digitally engaged audiences.

In the early 1950s, across Europe’s green carpets, Hungary were not merely a football team. They were devoted practitioners of the art of football. The eleven men on the field seemed to move according to the sheet music of an invisible orchestra. The world knew them as the “Magic Magyars.” When the ball was at their feet, it felt as though a master poet was arranging his finest verses.

Those two simple pieces of paper marked the beginning of a new era in football. The remarkably simple invention proved to be a magical solution.

Few stories in football history are this dramatic, this human, this poetic.

With both well-known and lesser-known statistics, this feature takes a closer look at the fascinating world of World Cup hattricks. Let us explore some intriguing questions about these remarkable feats.

The Iraqis are due to face either Suriname or Bolivia on March 31 in the Mexican city of Monterrey for a place in the World Cup finals, but with Iraqi airspace closed until April 1, Arnold's squad is unable to gather or travel.

The Iraqis are scheduled to play the winners of an earlier tie between Bolivia and Suriname in Monterrey on March 31 for a spot at the World Cup finals but are concerned they might not be able to get everyone to Mexico.

From Austria’s ‘Wunderteam’ in 1934 to Hungary’s ‘Magical Magyars’ in 1954, or Brazil’s artistic 1982 side, the World Cup stage has repeatedly turned into a graveyard for pre-tournament favourites.

World football's governing body is remaining cautious regarding the possibility of Iran pulling out of the World Cup.

The win marked Italy’s first-ever victory in T20 World Cups, having made their debut in this edition of the tournament.

Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland, the Football Association announced on Thursday.

Weeks after FIFA President Gianni Infantino warned that tickets made available on resale sites were likely to come with an exorbitant price tag, those fears have come to pass on world football's own platform.

The four-legged robots are designed to enter dangerous areas and broadcast live video back to security forces, who can watch before taking action during the football tournament.

"Political disputes should be settled at the political level, and sport should be left to be sport."

Brazil formally has told FIFA it wants to host the 2029 Club World Cup, according to a report by ESPN Brazil.