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FIFA World Cup

Iran announces withdrawal from FIFA World Cup 2026 in US

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Iran announces

Tehran: Iran has officially announced that it will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

According to media reports, Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali stated that under the current circumstances, it is impossible for Iran to compete in the tournament in the United States.

He cited the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader as a factor making participation in the U.S. unsafe and inappropriate.

Minister Donyamali emphasized that the safety of players and young athletes cannot be guaranteed, and given the prevailing situation, there is no justification for sending the national team to the World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will see teams from around the globe competing in North America, but Iran’s withdrawal marks a significant development ahead of the tournament.

500 million fans apply for FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets

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500 million fans

The upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 has shattered all ticket demand records, with football fans around the globe submitting over 500 million requests for match tickets.

The football World Cup is one of the few major global sporting events where attending a match is a dream for passionate fans. The excitement for the 2026 edition—co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada—has reached unprecedented levels. Ticket applications were received between Thursday, December 11, 2025, and Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

During the random selection draw phase, more than half a billion requests were submitted from fans across all 211 FIFA member associations, setting a new benchmark in ticket demand for sports events.

Fans will be informed via email by February 5 whether their ticket requests have been successful. The host countries—USA, Mexico, and Canada—are among the top applicants, with significant demand also coming from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia.

Over the 33-day application window, an average of 15 million ticket requests were submitted daily, highlighting the massive global interest in the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino thanked fans worldwide for this overwhelming response, noting that demand exceeded expectations.

Interestingly, the most popular match during this sales phase was scheduled for Saturday, June 27, in Miami, between Colombia and Portugal. Other top-requested games include Mexico vs. South Korea on Thursday, June 18, in Guadalajara, and the final on Sunday, July 19, in New York.

FIFA World Cup 2026 draw announced

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FIFA World Cup

The draw for the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026 has been finalized, with 48 teams divided into 12 groups for the mega event scheduled to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

The highly anticipated ceremony took place in the United States, where  US President Donald Trump also attended the event.

As per the official grouping:

Group A: Mexico (host), South Africa, South Korea, Playoff D winner

Group B: Canada (host), Qatar, Switzerland, UEFA Playoff A winner (Wales or Northern Ireland)

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti

Group D: United States (host), Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C winner

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curaçao

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Qualifier B winner

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Cape Verde

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff 2 winner

Group J: Argentina (defending champions), Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, FIFA Qualifier 1 winner

Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana

The expanded format will see intense competition as teams battle through the group stage for a place in the knockout rounds. Fans worldwide now eagerly await the kickoff of football’s biggest global tournament next year.

Iran to boycott FIFA World Cup draw in Washington over US visa denial

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Iran

TEHRAN: Iran has announced a boycott of the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026 draw scheduled to be held in Washington on December 5, after the United States refused to issue visas to key members of its delegation.

According to Iranian Football Federation spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi, the Iranian delegation will not attend the ceremony because the US issued visas to only four officials while denying entry to several others, including the team’s head coach and Federation President Mehdi Taj.

The spokesperson termed the US decision a violation of sporting principles. Reports indicate that the Iranian Football Federation has officially informed FIFA of its decision.

It is worth noting that Iran qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in March.

Portugal qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026 after crushing Armenia

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Portugal qualify

Portugal secured their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 9–1 victory over Armenia, despite the absence of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo. The emphatic win also ensured Portugal finished at the top of their qualifying Group F.

Bruno Fernandes and João Neves were the standout performers, each scoring a hat-trick to lead Portugal to direct qualification for the World Cup.

The triumph came just days after Portugal suffered a 0–2 defeat to Ireland on Thursday, a match in which captain Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card and subsequently suspended, ruling him out of the Armenia clash.

Reacting to the team’s qualification, Ronaldo celebrated the achievement on social media, writing: “We are in the World Cup! Vamos Portugal!”

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, featuring an expanded lineup of 48 teams.

With this qualification, Portugal have booked their place in the World Cup for the ninth time overall and the seventh consecutive edition.