What unfolded on that green carpet that day may, in the record books, be reduced to a few numbers. But for those who witnessed it, it remains etched in a far deeper dimension. Like a line from a poem that suddenly lodges in your throat, or a familiar tune that brings back the scent of a long-lost afternoon -- just like that.

Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino.

Soaring ticket prices and transport costs at this year's FIFA World Cup will expose fans to cyber fraud and scams as supporters are attracted by fakes in the mistaken belief they have bagged a bargain, an industry expert has warned.

The 2002 FIFA World Cup is remembered as a tournament of shocks and surprises. Traditional powerhouses like France and Argentina crashed out in the group stage, while emerging sides such as South Korea and Turkey defied expectations to reach the semifinals.

Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane is a doubt for the World Cup after suffering a jaw and chin fracture while playing for his club Granada in Spain's second tier.

Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Eder Militao is set to miss the World Cup after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury on Tuesday.

Luka Modric has undergone successful surgery after fracturing his left cheekbone, the Croatian Football Federation said on Monday, weeks before the 40-year-old AC Milan midfielder is due to participate in his fifth World Cup.

FIFA is in discussions with national associations to increase prize money for all 48 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, soccer's global governing body said on Sunday.

Fear has its own scent. A suffocating mix of gunpowder smoke, congealed blood, and the sudden crunch of boots in the dead of night seemed to choke an entire country. Even shadows whispered, afraid to reveal their existence. Mothers sat beside the empty beds of their disappeared loved ones, their tears dried into stone. And from that black hole of despair, a magical moment was suddenly born. A strange white cascade descended from the sky, washing -- if only briefly -- the exhaustion and terror off the streets.

For any footballer, playing a World Cup final for their country is a lifelong dream. Even reaching the final twice -- let alone in consecutive tournaments -- for a single nation is an extraordinary feat. Yet football history witnessed something even rarer, truly unparalleled. Midfielder Luis Monti played in back-to-back World Cup finals -- but for two completely different countries!

Brazilian winger Estevao is out for the rest of the English season, with his participation in the World Cup in doubt, Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said on Friday.

Iran's footballers will be welcome at this year's World Cup, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday, distancing the US government from a proposal that Italy could take their place in the tournament.

An eerie silence had fallen across the field. As if some invisible force had swallowed the roar of thousands in a single breath. Under the blazing lights of that vast green stage stood one man.

Italy has played down suggestions that its national team could replace Iran at the World Cup, following reports that an envoy to US President Donald Trump had asked FIFA to consider the move.

Spain's Lamine Yamal has picked up a hamstring injury, but is expected to be fit for the upcoming World Cup, his club Barcelona announced Thursday.

The early 1990s. The skies over the Balkans were no longer blue, but choked with black smoke from relentless airstrikes. Sirens would halt games mid-play, and footballers’ boots were replaced by the heavy gear of soldiers. Croatia was no longer just a defined line on a map -- it had become the name of a blood-soaked struggle.

There was once a team that, when they stepped onto the pitch, did not seem to be there to just play football -- they seemed to be there to paint on an invisible canvas.

A new batch of World Cup tickets to all 104 matches will go on sale this Wednesday, just 50 days before the tournament kicks off, FIFA said Tuesday.

What may appear amusing or irrational to the casual observer often serves as a talisman of success for players and devoted fans alike. Superstition, in that sense, has become an inseparable thread in football’s aesthetic fabric.

June 21, 1970. The galleries of the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City roared like a sea of yellow and blue. Brazil, having torn apart Italy’s resolute defense, could already smell victory. The scoreboard read 3-1 in favor of the Selecao. There were still 20 minutes left on the clock in the final.