Several records on the cusp of being broken across the stadiums of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Three Mexican airlines announced restrictions Friday for travelers from Central African countries due to the region's deadly Ebola outbreak, as Mexico prepares to welcome fans and athletes for the World Cup in less than two weeks.

Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David were the star names in Canada's World Cup squad as coach Jesse Marsch unveiled the co-host's 26-man roster on Friday.

Spain are the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup, ahead of France, Argentina and Brazil, according to a Goldman Sachs model published on Friday that uses teams' historical performance and ranking data.

The 31-year-old issued an impassioned proclamation of his patriotism last week, triggering Monday's appeal from Vice President Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh.

Barcelona reached an agreement with Newcastle on Wednesday for the transfer of England international Anthony Gordon, the La Liga champions told AFP, confirming reports in the Spanish press.

The US states of New York and New Jersey announced a probe Wednesday into whether FIFA has exploited football fans with "impossibly high" World Cup ticket prices.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohamed Kudus will miss next month's World Cup due to injury after being ruled out of Ghana's preliminary 28-man squad named by Carlos Queiroz on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi remained at the heart of an injury scare only weeks before the World Cup after medical tests diagnosed him with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring, Inter Miami announced on Monday.

Defending champions Argentina and England will have their World Cup teams based in Kansas City under a list of training sites announced by FIFA on Monday.

Iran's national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the U.S. on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.

An Iranian vice president called Monday for striker Sardar Azmoun, who faced allegations of treason from Iran's state media, to be reinstated to the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Lamine Yamal is the star name in Spain's squad for the 2026 World Cup named by coach Luis de la Fuente on Monday, which also included Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino after his recent return from injury.

Inside the stadium, tens of thousands of people were crying, yet there was almost no sound. That silence hurt more than any scream ever could. Supporters in yellow jerseys sat with their faces buried in their hands. Some stared blankly at the pitch, unable to process what had just unfolded before their eyes. Just six minutes. In the span of six devastating minutes, a nation’s dream, a generation’s wait, an entire country’s footballing identity turned to dust.

Canada is expected to spend just over C$1 billion ($727 million) to host the World Cup this summer, according to a report from the federal budget watchdog published on Wednesday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo national football team have cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp at home after the country was hit by an Ebola outbreak, a team official told AFP Wednesday.

Brazil superstar Neymar was handed a dramatic recall to the country's World Cup squad on Monday, returning to the national team after a near three-year absence.

Haiti's record goalscorer Duckens Nazon was already strapped into his seat, the aircraft on the tarmac at Tehran airport ready to take off, when his phone lit up with a message from a friend playing in Israel.

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic announced Monday a preliminary 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup, to be led by veteran Luka Modric, the key architect of the country's historic success in recent years.

On the day before the announcement of the Brazilian squad for the World Cup, the oft-injured 34-year-old was receiving treatment in the 65th minute on the far side of the field from the team benches.