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World Cup

World Cup Overview

What are the most expensive tickets for the 2026 World Cup?

The current World Cup ticket market has seen prices soar, with some premium seats reaching as high as $30,000.

Lamine Yamal’s home targeted by burglars after Spain reach World Cup final

Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal faced a frightening incident when burglars attempted to break into his Barcelona residence early Wednesday morning. The break-in occurred just hours after Yamal's stellar performance helped Spain secure a 2-0 victory over France, sealing their place in the World Cup final.

Cherki snaps at Digne question after France’s semi-final defeat

Rayan Cherki could not hide his irritation following France’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup semi-finals. The Manchester City midfielder reacted sharply to journalists’ questions regarding the performance of his teammate Lucas Digne, who endured a difficult night in Dallas.

'You can't stop him!' - Messi’s ex-teammate warns England before semi-final

England have been cautioned that stopping Lionel Messi will be an “impossible” task ahead of their highly anticipated World Cup semi-final clash with Argentina. The Inter Miami superstar is preparing to face the Three Lions for the first time in his illustrious career, with a place in the final at stake.

‘Not really worked’ – Madueke and fellow wingers struggle to impress Owen

Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, and Noni Madueke were expected to make a major impact for England at the 2026 World Cup, but Michael Owen admitted to GOAL that the group has “not really worked” as planned. Manager Thomas Tuchel is yet to identify his preferred pairing on the wings, as none of the quartet have firmly established themselves despite multiple opportunities.

Hurst hails Kane as England’s greatest striker

England legend Sir Geoff Hurst has declared Harry Kane as the greatest striker in the nation’s history as the Three Lions prepare for their crucial World Cup semi-final clash against Argentina. The 1966 hat-trick hero believes Kane has eclipsed all his predecessors, including those from England’s only World Cup-winning squad.

World Cup fixtures and results

Frequently asked questions

Brazil have lifted the World Cup trophy five times, more than any other nation. Their first triumph came in 1958, followed by a successful title defence in 1962. They claimed their third title in 1970, and added two more in 1994 and 2002, solidifying their status as football’s most successful team.

The most recent World Cup, held in Qatar in 2022, featured 32 teams. However, the 2026 edition will expand to include 48 teams competing for the ultimate glory in world football. The number of participants has grown significantly since the inaugural tournament in 1930, which featured only 13 teams.

Argentine icon Lionel Messi holds the record for the most World Cup appearances, having represented his country 26 times across five tournaments.

Germany’s Miroslav Klose leads the all-time World Cup scoring chart with 16 goals from 24 appearances across four consecutive tournaments between 2002 and 2014.

Egyptian veteran Essam El Hadary remains the oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup match. The goalkeeper was 45 years and 161 days old when he featured in Egypt’s 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia during the 2018 tournament.

Former Manchester United player Norman Whiteside holds the record as the youngest player to appear in a World Cup game. He was only 17 years and 41 days old when he represented Northern Ireland against Yugoslavia in the 1982 World Cup.

Football legends such as Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Gerd Muller, Roberto Baggio, Ronaldo, Romario, Eusebio, Johan Cruyff, David Villa, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the greatest players to have graced the World Cup stage.

Renowned managers including Didier Deschamps, Franz Beckenbauer, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Vicente del Bosque, Vittorio Pozzo, Louis van Gaal, Sven-Goran Eriksson, and Ivica Osim stand out as some of the most accomplished figures to have led teams at the World Cup finals.