Lionel Messi's Argentina squad is set to play friendlies against Mauritania on March 27 and Zambia on March 31, both matches kicking off at 23:15 GMT/BST.
Albania has never previously finished higher than third in their qualification group, but finishing as runners-up to England has earned them a play-off opportunity.
Poland's national team, under Jan Urban, has a challenging road ahead as they aim to qualify for the World Cup 2026, facing Albania in the play-offs. The team finished second in their qualifying group, behind the Netherlands, and will need to navigate tough matches against potential opponents like Japan and Tunisia if they advance.
Eric Garcia's omission from the Spain squad is surprising given his excellent season with Barcelona, raising concerns about his future in the national team ahead of the World Cup.
The Republic of Ireland earned a spot in their UEFA play-off path by finishing second in qualifying Group F. Troy Parrott's sensational hat-trick in Budapest ensured that the Boys in Green clinched second ahead of Hungary.
The classic trefoil logo is back with Adidas' much-loved three-pronged emblem now set to appear on shirts at a World Cup for the first time in 36 years, since the likes of France, Argentina and champions Germany all wore it with a flourish.
The differently colored stripes symbolise 'Colours Beyond the Horizon', with the stripe graphic featuring 12 colours: 11 colours representing each player, while the central red stripe symbolises the Japanese football family, which is a really nice added touch.
The Argentina World Cup 2026 away kit is an artistic masterpiece, showcasing a unique design inspired by the nation's traditional motifs with intricate floral swirls and climbing plants.
The away kit takes a minimal tone of off-white with a darker red, something which is entirely different to their almost illuminous number they sported during their Euro 2024 success in Germany.
We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup. Iran's football federation said this week it had opened talks with Fifa about potentially relocating the team's matches from the US to Mexico, though the global governing body has maintained that the tournament's schedule remains unchanged.
Nike have drawn inspiration from arguably the USA's greatest-ever shirt, the glorious denim stars shirt from the World Cup in 1994. The refreshed imagining looks very different but the clues are all there. The USA hosted World Cup 1994 and stole the show with a denim-effect beauty of a kit that celebrated the 'stars' part of the Stars & Stripes.
Nike have scratched a big kit enthusiast itch with their home kit for Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT, drawing more than a little inspiration from a popular design worn the last time World Cup finals matches were played in the USA.
We don't want to just show up for the game, we want to be able to compete, but we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best. Mount Pleasant sporting director Paul Christie expressed frustration about the visa denials limiting the team's competitive capability for their Champions Cup debut.
FIFA will allow broadcasters to go to commercial breaks during hydration breaks, the Athletic reported last week. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the changes to Fortune. While more frequent ad breaks are not likely to surprise many viewers based in the U.S., it's a significant departure from how commercials have traditionally featured in soccer elsewhere.
Saturday marks 100 days from what should be the start of Iran's World Cup, a Group G fixture against New Zealand in Inglewood, near Los Angeles. As the United States bombs Iran and Iran bombs a range of countries, including three that have also qualified it seems all but impossible that they can take part in the tournament.
The team needs a fresh face, a different energy, and a new perspective with a new coach. I think the team needs a new lease of life before the World Cup, a new vision to continue progressing. My decision to leave is part of this team's evolution.
It's obviously an extremely tragic situation for Marc; it would have been his turn now. That something so dramatic would come from such a simple action as a normal pass. Looking at his history with the national team, it would have been his turn now.
Having undergone surgery on his right ankle on December 18th after a month of conservative therapy with no results, Gimenez is determined to use the final two months of the season to achieve some things. As Calciomercato.com report, he wants to carve out a valuable role for himself at Milan - also with an eye to his future - to regain top form, and to secure a spot in the Mexican national team's squad for the World Cup on home soil, kicking off in mid-June.
I don't have anything established in my future, I have an open mind. Why not manage another La Liga side? I'm open to listening to offers. I'm looking for an exciting project and I have the ambition to win titles. That's my goal. I want my players to have fun, perform an attractive football style for their fans and finally to win trophies.
A lot of us have been under the assumption, and I think fairly so, that this was a short-term hire. There wasn't a [four-year World Cup] cycle involved, [it was] a year and a half, two years, at the most here. [He] didn't have to go through a qualifying process because we are hosting.
FIFA on Wednesday finalized a one-time switch to Canada from Mexico for winger Marcelo Flores, thereby making the 22-year-old eligible to be selected by coach Jesse Marsch for this summer's World Cup. Revealed on FIFA's Change of Association Platform, the switch for the now former Mexico international cements a recent effort by Canada to include Flores following an unofficial call-up as a training player last November.
