Unofficially, it also could be a nod to the most well-known MLS club side outfitted by Adidas, the same manufacturer of referee uniforms at this year's tournament.

Cape Verde announced themselves on the World Cup stage with a stunning 0-0 draw against Spain on Monday, frustrating the European champions who dominated possession and had 27 goal attempts but could find no way past 40-year-old keeper Vozinha.

England's opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday will be refereed by Frenchman Clement Turpin, who was once labelled "Grade E" by Thomas Tuchel who is now England coach.

Tunisia fired head coach Sabri Lamouchi on Monday after a 5-1 loss against Sweden in their first World Cup Group F match in Guadalupe, Mexico, on Monday.

Despite the heavy off-field distractions, veteran winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh insists the squad remains united by a singular, powerful mission: to shut out the external noise and let their performance do the lecturing.

"(I am) very proud because we are the smallest island, smallest country and we scored against Germany! We are very happy and very, very proud!" fan Otmar Cornelia told Reuters.

The FIFA World Cup has always been more than just a football tournament; it is a global cultural spectacle that draws the attention of the world far beyond the boundaries of sport.

Japan is a power to reckon with, rather than a mere contender for glory, and having a development model and team that is built for that.

Barcelona superstar Yamal has not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 22.

The 24-year-old winger is one of the key elements of the Belgium side who open their World Cup campaign against Egypt in Seattle on Tuesday, and plans for him to leave the United States and return home for the birth of his child are being put in place, Belgian media reported.

Los Blancos are set to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate at the end of his contract at Anfield and have been linked with Bernardo Silva and Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries.

The joint statement by the 13 teams said all nations participating at the World Cup "deserve respect."

Spain begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign tonight in Group H against debutants Cape Verde in Atlanta, arriving as heavy favourites.

Yasin Ayari opened the scoring early in the Mexican city of Guadalupe with a thunderbolt from distance and Alexander Isak doubled Sweden's lead in the 30th minute.

Romanticism, Samba nostalgia, and the weight of a record five World Cup titles -- all of it met a sobering dose of reality as Brazil began their Hexa campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

As has become widely associated with Japanese football culture, fans collected trash in large plastic bags, carefully restoring their seating areas long after the final whistle.

Iran have arrived at the tournament under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row, after the United States -- in military conflict with Iran for months -- refused to issue visas for some team support staff.

Brazil now sit second on 238, while Argentina are a distant third with 152.

The Ivorians will meet Germany in their next Group E match on June 20. Germany thrashed debutants Curacao 7-1 earlier in the day.

A match that had bubbled away in the first period sparked into life in the second half.