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2026 World Cup

FIFA names team of tournament for 2026 World Cup

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FIFA

ZURICH: FIFA has announced its official Team of the Tournament following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with newly crowned champions Spain contributing the most players to the Best XI.

The 4-3-3 lineup features players from seven countries who delivered standout performances during the tournament, which was co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Spain leads the selections with defenders Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro, along with midfielder Rodri, all of whom played key roles in the country’s World Cup triumph.

Runners-up Argentina are represented by captain Lionel Messi in the forward line and defender Lisandro Martínez. France has three players in the team Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Dayot Upamecano—while England’s Jude Bellingham earned a place in midfield.

The lineup is completed by Erling Haaland of Norway as the central striker and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, whose impressive performances earned him a place in FIFA’s Team of the Tournament.

Messi leads 2026 World Cup scoring chart with nine goals

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Messi leads

Lionel Messi has emerged as the leading scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with nine goals in the tournament so far.

According to tournament statistics, 280 goals have been scored across the first 96 matches of the competition, with Argentina leading all teams with 14 goals.

Messi tops the tournament’s scoring chart with nine goals, while France’s Kylian Mbappe is second with eight. Norway’s Erling Haaland ranks third with seven goals, followed by England captain Harry Kane with six.

Including his goals at this year’s tournament, Messi has now scored a total of 21 goals across all FIFA World Cup appearances during his career.

Tournament statistics also show that referees have issued 259 yellow cards and 14 red cards in the 2026 World Cup so far.

FIFA-selected referee denied entry to US ahead of 2026 World Cup

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FIFA-selected

MIAMI: A Somali referee selected by FIFA for the upcoming Football World Cup was denied entry into the United States upon arrival at Miami International Airport and was sent back on a return flight, according to media reports.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was named Africa’s Best Referee of 2025, was reportedly refused entry by U.S. immigration authorities after arriving in Miami. Officials subsequently placed him on a flight back to Türkiye.

Reports said the Somali Embassy had provided Artan with a diplomatic passport before his trip to the United States.

Neither FIFA nor U.S. authorities immediately provided details regarding the reasons for the denial of entry.

The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 12 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The expanded tournament will feature 48 teams for the first time in World Cup history. The participating nations have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each, with a total of 104 matches set to be played during the competition.

FIFA introduces new yellow card rules for 2026 World Cup

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FIFA introduces

ZURICH: FIFA has announced significant changes to yellow card regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026, aiming to ensure greater player availability during crucial knockout matches.

Under the revised rules, players’ disciplinary records will be reset twice in the tournament to reduce the risk of suspensions.

According to FIFA, all single yellow cards accumulated during the group stage will be cleared at its conclusion, allowing players to enter the knockout rounds without the burden of prior cautions.

A second amnesty will be granted after the quarter-finals, meaning players who reach the semi-finals will no longer face suspension due to earlier yellow cards.

Previously, yellow cards were only wiped after the quarter-finals to prevent players from missing the final due to bookings in the semi-final.

 However, with the expanded 48-team format and additional knockout rounds in the 2026 edition, the governing body has introduced further flexibility.

FIFA also announced an increase in financial incentives, raising the total prize fund for all 48 participating teams by 15 percent to $871 million.