Latest news with #Mundial
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2026 World Cup, one year out: The 10 biggest storylines, from Lionel Messi to Donald Trump
The 2026 World Cup, a North American party decades in the making, arrives at an arbitrary yet significant milestone Wednesday: It is one year away. One year from showtime. One year from captivating the world, whether or not its co-hosts — Mexico, Canada and the United States — are ready. On the field, its contenders are assembling. World Cup qualifying is underway or complete on all six continents. Eleven nations have secured their place at the expanded 48-team tournament, which organizers say will be the grandest sporting event in human history. Advertisement Off the field, though, those organizers have work to do — and minefields to navigate. As the one-year-out milestone neared, for example, U.S. authorities were violently quashing protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles — which, 366 days from now, is set to host the U.S. national team's World Cup opener, the curtain raiser for what is supposed to be an 'inclusive,' 'global,' multicultural celebration of soccer and humanity. U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban also clouds FIFA's promise that all fans are 'welcome.' FIFA, nonetheless, has aligned itself with Trump, who will surely be front and center as the World Cup kicks off next June, no matter how internationally unpopular he gets. That, too, will be a part of the 2026 story, as will unforeseen sagas. 'There are gonna be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now,' said Meg Kane, the CEO of Philadelphia's World Cup host committee, 'that are gonna affect the tournament.' But we'll begin our rundown of 10 storylines on the field — with the GOATs, their successors, and a co-host bleeding hope. Fans of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi might witness the end of the global icons' storied careers at the 2026 World Cup. (Photo by) (Yasser Bakhsh via Getty Images) Swan songs for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Before, during and after the 2022 World Cup, Lionel Messi said, 'seguramente,' surely, that the Mundial in Qatar would be his last. Then he won it. That cathartic triumph helped revitalize him, and turned the Argentine national team into his happy place. Eighteen months later, he won a second straight Copa América. Now, although he hasn't explicitly said it, all indications are that Messi is probable for a sixth World Cup next summer, during which he will turn 39 years old. Advertisement Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, will be 41. When he exited the 2022 World Cup in tears, having been benched and then ousted in the quarterfinals by Morocco, he assumed that his 'dream' of lifting sport's most coveted trophy had 'ended.' But two-and-a-half years later, he is once again starting and scoring — and winning trophies — for Portugal. So, it seems that both generational stars will come to North America next summer for their sixth World Cups — and this time, surely, their swan songs. The more compelling question: Will they be any good? Will they continue to inspire their respective countries? Or will their aging legs and all-consuming presence bog down their teams and impede evolution? Lamine Yamal and the next generation Messi and Ronaldo remain the two most famous names in the sport — and perhaps the world — but they're no longer the planet's best players. And by next summer, that title could belong to a kid less than half their age, a teenager who's taken Europe by storm: Lamine Yamal. Advertisement The 17-year-old has already helped lead Spain and FC Barcelona to titles. He has dazzled in the Champions League and wowed the world. In 2026, at his first World Cup, he could confirm his superstardom, and sprint down the same path that Messi set all those years ago. There are others, though, who could also burst onto the scene. There's French forward Désiré Doué, and Norway's Erling Haaland — who, at 25, could grace his first major tournament. There are also a few Spanish teammates of Yamal who could steal the show: Pedri and Nico Williams. Who are the 2026 World Cup favorites? Spain, the reigning European champs, deserve their status as the betting favorite to win the 2026 World Cup. But a year out, the field of challengers is deep. Argentina still seems formidable. France still has loads of talent. Brazil now has a revered coach, Carlo Ancelotti, and a year to work through its troubles. Portugal, England and Germany should be in the mix. Uruguay and Colombia could be equally potent — and they have more familiarity with American stadiums. Advertisement Generally, the balance of power in men's soccer looks much like it did in 2022. And in 2022, it gave us a World Cup for the ages. Three years later, there are once again a dozen teams lurking below the elite — including Norway, Japan, Morocco (again) and Ecuador — who could make noise in the knockout rounds. And there are two co-hosts, Canada and Mexico, who look capable of riding a wave of public support to a stage they've never reached before. Mauricio Pochettino's U.S. men's national team seems to be regressing ahead of co-hosting the World Cup next summer. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images) (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF via Getty Images) A flailing USMNT The other co-host, the U.S., left Qatar 2022 'on our way,' as midfielder Weston McKennie said, to 'be[ing] giants eventually.' The Americans were rising, above their region, apparently toward the upper echelons of the sport. 'If we continue to develop in the way that we have,' then-head coach Gregg Berhalter said in 2023, 'the sky's the limit.' Advertisement Sadly, though, they did not continue to develop. They plateaued; fired Berhalter; spent $6 million per year on a renowned replacement, Mauricio Pochettino … and continued to regress. Now, they have lost four straight games for the first time in 18 years. On Tuesday night, they dipped to a new low. Rather than rehearsing for next summer, Christian Pulisic and others are skipping this summer's Gold Cup. Former players have called them out. Pulisic's dad has clapped back. Some fans are fuming; others are booing; others have simply checked out. It is difficult to imagine a national team generating less public excitement one year out from a home World Cup. The impacts of World Cup expansion Although the top half of the 2026 field will look familiar, the bottom half will feature new faces. Uzbekistan and Jordan qualified last week. The likes of Iraq, Cape Verde, Venezuela and Gabon could realistically join them. Advertisement That, in part, is because the World Cup has grown from 32 to 48 teams; there are 16 new seats at the table. Caribbean minnows and tiny emirates now stand a chance. They'll give the World Cup fresh flavors. The big unknown is whether they'll make it better. Will they spice up the early stages? Or will they just get hammered? If there are blowouts — especially with most third-place teams now advancing to a Round of 32 in FIFA's flawed 48-team format — the group stage could be dull. But if there are upsets, it could be gloriously chaotic. Are foreign fans welcome? Off the field, in theory, this World Cup will be a monthlong festival of football, a 48-nation, continent-wide fiesta unlike anything the United States has ever seen. Back in 2022, upon naming the 16 host cities, FIFA president Gianni Infantino predicted that North America would be 'invaded by a big wave of joy and happiness." The 6 million foreigners expected to visit, per FIFA, will help bring the World Cup to life. Advertisement But only if they can get visas. And only if they aren't deterred by detentions and deportations, toxic xenophobia, tariff-fueled tensions, and all the other reasons that fewer people have been traveling to the U.S. in recent months. There are 'growing concerns about America's welcomeness,' as U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman recently wrote. And there are growing concerns that all of this will affect the World Cup. Organizers and even the Trump administration have insisted that all are welcome. But fans from Iran — one of 11 counties that have qualified, and one of 12 countries subject to Trump's full travel ban — apparently aren't. Immigration experts are also certain that thousands of fans will be denied visas — or will be stuck in monthslong lines, unable to get an interview, when the tournament kicks off. The most expensive World Cup ever Others will be deterred by cost. The U.S. is already one of the world's most expensive countries to visit. A World Cup trip — especially one that follows a team to multiple cities — will require thousands and thousands of dollars for airfare and lodging and food, money that most people simply don't have. Advertisement Oh, and hundreds or thousands of dollars for tickets. When those go on sale this fall, insiders expect them to be obnoxiously expensive. FIFA's initial prices for the 2025 Club World Cup, a start-up tournament, were 'alarming' and worrisome to diehard supporters. The 2026 prices — which will reportedly be subject to dynamic pricing — will be among the highest in soccer history. And so, as Bailey Brown, president of the Independent Supporters Council, a group representing soccer fans across the U.S. and Canada, told Yahoo Sports in an email this past winter: 'Many of the most passionate fans will be priced out of enjoying the sport because of it.' President Donald Trump could have a prominent presence at the 2026 World Cup due to his close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) President Trump's starring role Another potential deterrent for some, but an attraction for others, will be the spotlight that FIFA gifts to Trump. Infantino has built a tight, often fawning relationship with the U.S. president. Trump has given Infantino seats onstage at his inauguration, and at high-level meetings. He has given Infantino a platform in the Oval Office to sell the Club World Cup. The assumption is that Infantino will reciprocate with whatever Trump wants in 2026. Advertisement That could merely be a seat in luxury suites. Or, it could be a stage for state propaganda and 'sportswashing,' à la the one that Infantino gave Vladimir Putin in 2018. It could be a forgettable footnote; or, for some soccer fans it could corrupt the viewing experience. Is the U.S. ready? Operationally, the two main questions hounding U.S. organizers concern security and transportation. The former became an acute worry when last summer's Copa América final descended into 'inhumane' chaos; but most stakeholders say FIFA is more prepared. It's the latter — the challenge of moving millions of fans across America, to stadiums and fan festivals — that worries those who know the ins and outs of major soccer tournaments. Only three of 11 U.S. stadiums are accessible by subway or mass rapid transit. Many are surrounded by parking lots, but those will be swallowed up by extended outer security perimeters. Most if not all cities are devising temporary solutions to shuttle fans to and fro, but will they work? And will FIFA's in-development 2026 World Cup app, which will feature transport guidance, actually be helpful? Advertisement Much of that remains to be determined. Will the World Cup leave a lasting legacy? The last men's World Cup in North America, USA 1994, led to the launch of Major League Soccer and transformative growth. What impact will this one have? Everyone, from the host cities to MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation, is trying — and struggling — to answer that question. They all want to build new fields and fund new programs, especially in underserved communities. But, as Chris Canetti, the president of Houston's World Cup host committee, said, 'these plans and these initiatives all cost money.' And while the city host committees have been trying to raise money, FIFA has clamped down on their ability to sell sponsorships. FIFA will monopolize the World Cup's revenues (some $13 billion). It has taken total control of the tournament, and will take its money back to global soccer. U.S. Soccer isn't involved like it was in 1994, when the World Cup's profits birthed a thriving charitable foundation. This time around, the legacy will be indirect and piecemeal. It won't dismantle the pay-to-play system that plagues American soccer. MLS and the USSF, therefore, will have to get bold and creative to maximize what everyone agrees is a 'unique opportunity' for 'transformational change.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
⚽ Pumas players called up for the under-20 national team
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. The Mexican team is about to compete in the "Maurice Revello Tournament" and the U20 coach has announced the players who will travel to France to compete in the championship. 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐨 vestirá la camiseta tricolor con @miseleccionsubs 🇲🇽. Viajará a Francia 🇫🇷 para disputar el 'Torneo Maurice Revello' que servirá como preparación para el Mundial #Sub20. 🏆⚽️ 🆚 Dinamarca 🇩🇰 - 4 de junio🆚 Japón 🇯🇵 - 7 de junio🆚 Congo 🇨🇬 - 10 de junio… — PUMAS (@PumasMX) May 23, 2025 𝐏𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐚 será el encargado de defender el arco de @miseleccionsubs #Sub20 🇲🇽 en el 'Torneo Maurice Revello' que se llevará a cabo en Toulon, Francia 🇫🇷🏆🆚 Dinamarca 🇩🇰 - 4 de junio🆚 Japón 🇯🇵 - 7 de junio🆚 Congo 🇨🇬 - 10 de junio#DePumasSoy #OhUniversidad — PUMAS (@PumasMX) May 23, 2025 The presence of Ángel Rico and Pablo Lara stands out, players who have gained experience with the Pumas and who want to shine with the national team. Without a doubt, this is excellent news for Efraín Juárez and all the university students. 📸 Simon Barber - 2024 Getty Images
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
With the 2026 World Cup near, Nations League finals kick off a series of 2025 'tests' in U.S.
Walk through the halls of Congress, or the streets of any bustling U.S. city, and you'll likely encounter a 2026 World Cup quirk without knowing it. That tournament, the Mundial, the most mega of mega events, is coming to North America next summer. But the people organizing it sometimes get dispiriting, semi-alarming reactions when they mention the World Cup to random Americans or acquaintances. Some will ask: Where is it? Or: When? Or even: When's the bid? Whereas most World Cups have inundated and energized their hosts, Americans — with endless options for entertainment, and daily concerns about their democracy or livelihoods, and a relative indifference toward soccer — 'don't seem to have an accurate understanding' of the celebration that's coming to their shores, as one person close to the planning effort said. And that, throughout 2025, with a steady stream of smaller soccer events, is one thing the hosts hope to change. Nine of the 11 U.S. stadiums slated to stage the 2026 World Cup will also serve as hosts for regional tournaments or the Club World Cup this spring and summer. Officials in those cities see the 2025 competitions as both 'tests' of their readiness and 'opportunities.' They know they need to inject their respective regions with the type of awareness and excitement that would come more naturally in other countries. In Philadelphia, for example, the Club World Cup is an 'opportunity to drive interest and enthusiasm and momentum toward '26,' Meg Kane, the CEO of Philly's World Cup host committee, told Yahoo Sports. And, it's more than that. 'We're lucky, to some extent, because the Club World Cup gives us an opportunity to think about how we might want to do things, and … to see where we can improve things,' Kane said. She mentioned assessing security plans and the 'resiliency' of Philadelphia's public transportation system, under the stress of an influx of international soccer fans. Other host committee heads see an opportunity to disprove concerns that the U.S. is, in fact, not ready for the millions of visitors. They all know, of course, that the 2026 World Cup will be a different beast. Although FIFA has been telling local organizers and U.S. government officials that the Club World Cup will be 'as big as the last [men's] World Cup,' according to multiple people who've heard FIFA's pitch, they know that the 2026 tournament will require resources and processes unlike any they've ever put in place. Still, though, they're approaching 2025 as a series of dress rehearsals — beginning with the CONCACAF Nations League finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, this week. SoFi will host that showdown of the top four men's national teams in North and Central America. It will then host CONCACAF Gold Cup games in June, with an April friendly pitting the U.S. women's national team vs. Brazil sandwiched in between. 'So,' said Adolfo Romero, SoFi Stadium's VP of events, 'we have [three] opportunities to test out everything we want to do in preparation for the World Cup.' Most of the 11 venues, although primarily NFL stadiums, have extensive experience with elite soccer. Together, they've also hosted nine Super Bowls, seven College Football Playoff title games and a few dozen nights of Taylor Swift. But none has ever hosted anything akin to what's coming in 2026. Key differences include the global nature of the World Cup and its cadence. Each stadium will stage six-plus games over a span of multiple weeks. Each city will also put on fan festivals. FIFA expects activations on matchdays and non-matchdays alike. This, specifically, is why executives at SoFi and its surrounding campus, Hollywood Park, saw the Nations League finals as an opportunity. They begin with two semifinals — U.S. vs. Panama, Mexico vs. Canada — on Thursday. They conclude with Sunday's third-place match and final, with two off days in between. The schedule, Romero said, is the "same style to a World Cup'; so he and colleagues saw it as a chance for something of a dry run. They'll host a concert at Hollywood Park's theatre on Friday, a 'community day' Saturday, and a 'fan zone' with food trucks and other activities throughout the event. 'The hope,' Romero explained to Yahoo Sports, is that 'seeing these games come to life, and seeing the natural movement of people throughout our venues, and what spaces work, what spaces don't work,' will allow them and L.A.'s World Cup host committee to optimize those spaces next summer. Inside the stadium, engineers and agronomists will also evaluate a recently installed, highly specialized 'hybrid' grass field, which will serve as 'the model for the FIFA 2026 World Cup pitch,' as Otto Benedict, SoFi's SVP of facilities, told Yahoo Sports. And in locker rooms, national team coaches will evaluate their players — who are vying for a trophy but also jockeying for World Cup roster spots. But the utility of these games as preliminary exams extends well beyond the white lines — and well beyond Los Angeles. Organizers acknowledge that the Nations League and Club World Cup are bit-size samples. The 'big World Cup,' as one host committee leader dubbed it, will attract far more fans from a wider variety of nations. It will bring dignitaries and perhaps President Donald Trump. It will demand more buses, more signage, more brainpower and more policing. Security checkpoints and perimeters, for example, will be set much farther outside stadiums than American fans are used to. The Nations League perimeter, by comparison, will be 'totally different than what you would see for a World Cup,' Romero confirmed. The various competitions also differ organizationally. The Nations League and Gold Cup are run by CONCACAF, the governing body of soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean. The Club World Cup is run by FIFA, the global governing body, in partnership with the owners and operators of each respective stadium. The 'big World Cup,' on the other hand, is a city-wide affair. The stadiums and local governments have signed a series of contracts with FIFA. Each of the 11 localities has formed a 'host committee' to fulfill its obligations — and to fundraise to cover associated costs. Those host committees aren't technically involved in the Club World Cup. They see it, though, as 'a milestone moment to create a lot of energy,' as Miami host committee CEO Alina Hudak told Yahoo Sports. 'And we all know fundraising is tied to that.' They will 'utilize' it, as another host committee member said, 'not just to test our transportation and security methods, but also' to drum up interest among potential corporate sponsors. 'Nothing is on the scale and scope of the World Cup,' that host committee member clarified. But there will nonetheless be keen, hands-on observers in Miami and Philly, in Northern California and North Jersey, in Seattle and Atlanta, in Houston and Dallas and, beginning this week, in L.A. 'This,' Romero said of the Nations League finals, 'is a preview.'
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona President has two conditions for Neymar Junior return
Brazilian superstar Neymar Junior is reportedly keen on a return to Barcelona this year, as he prepares to get back into shape for the 2026 World Cup. Neymar recently left Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia – with a remarkable amount of money in his accounts – to rejoin boyhood club Santos on a six-month contract. On several occasions it has been reported that Neymar is keen to return to Barcelona, and in part his return to Santos will be used to get back into shape for both his national team and to sign for the Blaugrana again. Since the 2022 World Cup, Neymar has managed just 20 appearances at Paris Saint-Germain, Al-Hilal and for Brazil, following two serious injuries, and including a cruciate ligament issue. Neymar con la vista puesta en el Mundial de 2026 quiere ponerse en forma en Santos y regresar a Europa, más concretamente al Barça para redimirse por su salida al PSG de la que responsaliza en gran parte a su padre. — Dongcast (@JoanFontes) February 13, 2025 Joan Fontes has explained that Neymar continues to have a fluid relationship with Barcelona President Joan Laporta, and the Brazilian is even willing to sign a precontract with his former club. As was the case in the summer when his name was brought up, manager Hansi Flick is not convinced that his return will be a good idea. However he does have allies in the dressing rooom with in Raphinha, his international teammate, and Lamine Yamal, whose idol is Neymar. They could lobby for the move. Neymar's agent is also Pini Zahavi, who has a close relationship with Laporta, and the Blaugrana are looking for a star attraction to fill Camp Nou when they return to their stadium. Laporta has made it clear to Neymar that if he were to return to Barcelona, then it would have to be on a free, and he would also have to prove that he was physically capable of getting back to the required level to cope with European football. The 33-year-old now has four months to do so. Ronald Araújo is still not training with the group. @mundodeportivo — barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 14, 2025 Flick's doubts about the return of Neymar seem fairly justified, given his fitness issues and the frequent criticism of his lack of professionalism from those at PSG and Al-Hilal. It has been some time since he performed regularly, and there would be question marks over whether he fits into a hard-working Flick approach.
