World Cup
World Cup 2026
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway in Mexico City this afternoon, and you can follow the latest tournament news and analysis right here.
We will be live every minute of every day for the next six weeks. Get involved by chatting with us here or by emailing live@theathletic.com.
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How to follow the 2026 men’s World Cup with The Athletic
I can confirm, watching from the United Kingdom, that ITV didn’t play adverts during the hydration break. Maybe the game is not gone?
I’m watching the opening match of the World Cup from Ocmulgee Brewpub in Macon, Ga., about an hour south of Atlanta. Two fans of Mexico are here, cheering on their team, and they were ready to go with their flags for the start of the match. And they certainly enjoyed the first goal of this year's tournament. Not a bad way to start the day.
This morning, FIFA unveiled the new World Cup trophies for the Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Golden Ball.
The awards are given out for the highest goalscorer, best player and best goalkeeper of the tournament respectively.
In 2022, Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot, Lionel Messi the Golden Ball, and Emiliano Martínez the Golden Glove.
FIFA have unveiled the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, and Golden Glove awards for the World Cup 🏅 pic.twitter.com/EwgXmAIbE5
Happy Matchday -1 training from the USMNT, who are starting their day with goalkeeping and outfield passing drills.
The outfield players are enjoying some laughs.
That big orange ball watching over it all is the Great Park Balloon, a staple of this complex that's gotten a bit of a facelift to welcome its new guests.
After all the build-up, the World Cup 2026 is officially underway in Mexico City, with the host country taking on South Africa.
Be sure to follow along with our live coverage from the game here, where our team will be bringing you all the action from the Mexico City Stadium.
Richard Feely has emailed us at live@theathletic.com to share where he's watching today's game from. He's added:
✉️ Watching from a brewery in Merano, Italy – but backing Germany!
Italy didn’t qualify but loyalties are always mixed in the South Tyrol region. Beaming in here from the Forst Brewery in Merano!
A big blow for Japan as captain Wataru Endo is ruled out for the tournament after failing to recover from an ankle injury. Central midfield is one area where Japan are light — but head coach Hajime Moriyasu has instead opted to call up a FIFTH striker in his place. There has been major surprise in Japan that Sporting CP midfielder Hidemasa Morita has been overlooked once again, having missed out on the initial squad.
Japan have already been extremely unlucky with injuries this World Cup, with Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma and Monaco midfielder Takumi Minamino both absent with issues — both, at times, have been talismans for this side. They face the Netherlands in Dallas on Sunday.
A stellar punditry line-up on Fox Sports, plenty of international pedigree. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry… and I guess Alexi Lalas is there too.
Ever the firebrand, Lalas — who won 96 caps for the USMNT — has already somewhat riled up Ibrahimovic by saying he would take Norway striker Erling Haaland instead of Zlatan himself.
That could be a fun trio to keep an eye on.
Marcos Senesi, who will move to Tottenham from Bournemouth this summer, is joining up with the Argentina World Cup squad.
Argentina did not confirm on social media who he would be replacing, but fellow centre back Leonardo Balerdi was ruled out of the tournament through injury last weekend.
The Marseille defender suffered a right soleus injury during training.
As they got ready for their final public training session before their World Cup opener, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino and captain Tim Ream walked slowly onto the pitch together in deep conversation.
Eventually, Pochettino gave Ream a back slap to end the discussion before Ream addressed his teammates in a brief huddle.
England midfielder Declan Rice admitted he is struggling somewhat in the heat of the U.S. summer, looking visibly reddened in the national team photoshoot.
“When the sunburn comes!” he said when asked about knowing when you have done too much in the heat.
“I think everyone has seen those photos, I was bright red in that photoshoot. My mum was killing me!”
Well, as a fellow pale Brit, I feel you, Declan. It's hot out there and the sun is high in this picture taken mid-morning LA time.
I hope players are putting on proper sunscreen — and also that when they start running around, it doesn't get in their eyes painfully, as always seems to happen to The Athletic.
It might sound silly but hopefully the England staff are on top of preventing that eventuality.
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Sunburnt and ‘bright red’, Declan Rice says heat in the U.S. takes some ‘getting used to’
Tyler Adams is blunt when asked about Chris Richards’ importance to the USMNT as the defender appears set to return from an angle injury tomorrow against Paraguay.
“We need him.”
He’s a little less forthcoming when asked about his own fitness, repeating that his absence from two USMNT trainings in the past few weeks is “precautionary” after looking over his shoulder. “Good enough to jump on couches,” Adams chuckles, referring back to his celebration of the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals Game 4 comeback last night.
Both Adams and Richards were both seen jumping around, hugging and dogpiling teammates in the celebration. It’s also worth nothing that Adams, unlike Richards, started both USMNT warm-up friendlies against Senegal and Germany and played roughly as much as the rest of the starters in both matches.
Imagine the loudest stadium on earth suddenly falling quiet.
That’s what happens when you score against Mexico at the legendary Estadio Azteca, known rightfully as the cathedral of world football.
And I know, because I’ve done it.
The stadium has been the site of some of the most iconic World Cup moments. Today, the renovated venue will come alive once more for another World Cup — making it the only stadium to host the tournament three times when Mexico opens the 2026 tournament vs. South Africa.
My historic moment there came in 2009, when I scored one of the most memorable goals of my U.S. career during a World Cup qualifier. I remember the moment as if it happened five minutes ago. The scenes. The smell. The sounds. The actual run of play.
GO FURTHER
What’s it like to score at Mexico’s famous Estadio Azteca as the opponent? I can tell you
Shakira and Burna Boy have come and gone, and just like that the opening ceremony is over. After the delayed start that seemed to fly by…
Now we are less than an hour away from the action starting!
Be sure to check out our live blog for the game, where they have just broken down the team news
Wappinger, New York native Tyler Adams went viral last night as part of the USMNT's wild celebrations after New York Knicks basketball star OG Anunoby had the game-winning tip-in to seal a 29-point Knicks comeback that is now the largest in NBA Finals history.
Asked by my colleague Henry Bushnell to break down the moment as though it were a a piece of game film, Adams — who has dealt with sever major injuries in recent years and has missed a couple of USMNT training sessions already due to "load management" — was videoed repeatedly jumping onto and over a couch in the team hotel as teammates dogpiled in celebration. He said he “blacked out” after Anunoby's tip went in.
Adams admitted that he (like a non-insignificant amount of Knicks fans, I'm guessing) briefly turned the game off after the first half, but also told his teammates that "anything can happen" if the Knicks got within 10 points as New York began its comeback.
The first of the three official World Cup opening ceremonies is officially underway in the Estadio Azteca.
“We are a nation of diversity heritage and pride,” the announcer reads to the crowd as dancers flank a giant replica World Cup trophy.
“Football carries the same heartbeat – uniting nations.”
Love that showmanship from Charles Leclerc.
Imagine Monaco at a World Cup!
The goals came thick and fast… for most of our drivers! ⚽️#F1 #BarcelonaGP pic.twitter.com/CKhgUujeID
Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend in Barcelona-Catalunya, the World Cup party is getting started.
Franco Colapinto turned up wearing an Argentina shirt, and they've had a tiny net and a ball for drivers to try and score a goal into in the paddock for their arrivals.
And speaking of which…
Hello from Hamburg, where some World Cup spirit is starting to stir.
Many Germans are cautious with their patriotism, but they do like these car flags – I've seen a dozen of them already today and they'll multiply ahead of the country's first game on Sunday.
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