For generations, Brazil have entered World Cups as favourites. This time, however, there is an unusual sense of vulnerability surrounding the five-time champions.

On the night Argentina defeated France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, parts of Dhaka barely slept. Blue-and-white flags hung like tapestries from rooftops and balconies. Fireworks shattered the midnight, and dense crowds erupted in celebrations that perfectly mirrored the euphoric scenes at the Plaza de la Republica in Buenos Aires.

In the inaugural tournament in 1930, Brazil arrived with great expectations, but political tensions within their own federation meant their squad was composed mostly of Rio de Janeiro-based players.

“It’s a new experience for me,” Ancelotti said at his pre-match press conference. “It carries a lot of responsibility. It’s an honour to represent the country of football and the most decorated national team in the world.”

The incident began early in the second half during a physical duel between veteran U.S. defender Tim Ream and Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron. Referee Danny Makkelie judged Ream to have committed a heavy foul and immediately issued a yellow card. Play continued without interruption, and Paraguay restarted quickly with a free kick, believing the decision had been fully settled.

"This is the most important time in my life and in my career," the 25-year-old Real Madrid star said on Friday.

"They've been very unfair to him," the Paris Saint-Germain winger said. "They go a bit overboard with the criticism of Kylian because he's an incredible player. A great person off the field. I've known him for a long time."

He netted twice on his World Cup debut but US striker Folarin Balogun is not about to celebrate wildly, telling reporters Friday he plans to finish his epic night by curling up in front of Netflix.

England's World Cup preparations have been hit by the theft of equipment ahead of the squad's arrival at their Kansas City training base on Saturday.

The World Cup arrived in the United States on Friday in a blizzard of celebrity and glamour, with Los Angeles pulling out all the stops for the opening game between Team USA and Paraguay.

The United States launched their home World Cup in emphatic fashion Friday, thrashing Paraguay 4-1 with a perfectly scripted opening performance to delight a star-studded home crowd in Los Angeles.

Former national forward-turned-coach Alfaz Ahmed believes Brazil’s opening match serves as the spark for that nationwide excitement, even though this Selecao side is less familiar to supporters than the squads of recent editions.

The World Cup arrived in the United States on Friday with a Hollywood-style opening ceremony before the tournament's third co-hosts kick off their opener in Los Angeles against Paraguay.

Norway face Iraq in opening game.

Before dawn had even broken over Mexico City, two processions had already taken to the streets. One was driven by celebration, the other by anger. Both carried banners. On one were the names of football teams; on the other, the faces of sons and daughters who had disappeared without a trace.

The co-hosts play Friday against Paraguay in Los Angeles but it is an opening match that many Americans -- including Donald Trump -- will likely snub.

Above the Rose Bowl, the Californian sun burned like fire. Flags trembled in the scorching wind. The emerald grass shimmered beneath the unforgiving light. Nearly one hundred thousand voices roared with such force it felt as though the sky itself might split apart.

Football fans across Bangladesh reported widespread disruptions on platforms streaming the opening matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup on June 12, raising questions about whether major over-the-top services were prepared for the surge in demand.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now officially on the horizon, the ultimate battle for bragging rights has returned.

While more than 80,000 squeezed into the Azteca stadium to watch the opener, the optics of unoccupied rows at the 46,000-seat stadium in Guadalajara have intensified criticism of FIFA's commercial strategy for the first 48-team World Cup.