The Azzurri host the Northern Irish in Bergamo on Thursday trying to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup finals after failing to qualify for the last two editions in Russia and Qatar.

"The reality of the World Cups -- every World Cup FIFA has put on -- there's always been geopolitical issues. Always," he told the Business of Soccer conference in Atlanta.

A decision in a fraction of a second, a flawless reaction, was made at the very edge of human capability.

Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic broke out at the end of February.

The 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden was never meant to belong to France. Talented though they were, they were not considered an unstoppable force on football’s grandest stage. Yet, by the end of that tournament, they had become one, and at the heart of it stood Just Fontaine.

Supporters' group file European Commission lawsuit against FIFA over World Cup ticket prices

With the spectre of failed 2018 and 2022 qualification campaigns looming over the squad, Gattuso knows his players must overcome the mental weakness that has plagued Italy's World Cup ambitions.

In that fleeting second, he became the Icarus of myth -- the man who dared to touch the sun with wings of wax.

Viewer figures of the T20 Cricket World Cup final smashed digital streaming records with 72.5  million peak users at the same time in India alone, the International Cricket Council said Monday.

Federico Chiesa has been dropped by Italy after being found not fit to play in the Azzurri's 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off with Northern Ireland, the country's football federation (FIGC) said on Monday.

Coach Nils Nielsen warned Monday that Japan need "different tools" to win next year's Women's World Cup after sweeping to the Asian title with a series of barnstorming performances.

Was the London sky a little grayer that day? Or did the grass at Wembley bend in mourning beneath the weight of a superhuman tragedy?

Only Brazil stand ahead of Germany in terms of FIFA World Cup titles but few nations can match the depth and drama of Germany’s journey to their four crowns.

The Japanese team stacked with English-based players were invincible in their run to the final, fluid across the park and defending well to steamroll everyone in front of them.

Argentina will face Mauritania this month in a World Cup warm-up match, the country's Football Association (AFA) said on Friday.

The 1990 FIFA World Cup during an Italian summer -- the pitch was ablaze with tactics, strategy, and fierce competition. Teams from Europe and South America were locked in their battle for dominance.

No country has been more successful on the world stage than Brazil. From 1958 to 2002, the Selecao authored an epic of five world titles, with each chapter standing as a unique testament to footballing greatness.

North Korea reached their first Women's World Cup since 2011 on Thursday with the Philippines also securing a spot at the global showpiece in Brazil next year.

The Philippines reached next year's World Cup in Brazil after scoring twice in five minutes to beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in the Women's Asian Cup playoffs on Thursday.

Football is a cruel poet. It can reduce an entire epic to a single line.