Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began on Oct. 12, 2023, when minor nations from the Asian confederation played their first round of matches. Myanmar's Lwin Moe Aung scored the very first goal in a 5-1 win over Macau.

There is complete buy-in for the Canadian men’s national team as it prepares to take on the world at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While several teams in Concacaf, including the U.S. and Mexico, have struggled to secure commitments from their top talents for summer friendlies and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup,

U.S. President Donald Trump often says the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are among the events he is most excited about in his second term.

Socceroos forward Brandon Borrello says there is "no chance" Australia will let their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification dream slip away in Saudi Arabia next week.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to bring millions of visitors to the region with sold out matches throughout the 40-day tournament, but this year's Club World Cup has not sold out a single match — including the final. Politicians have promoted the games as financial boons for the local economy.

Here’s everything you need to know for the tournament. The Canadian Shield is in Toronto, Canada, at BMO Field, the home of MLS club Toronto FC and will feature four games across two matchdays. Saturday, June 7: Canada vs. Ukraine—3:30 pm ET/12:30 p.m. PT Saturday, June 7: Ivory Coast vs. New Zealand—7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT

The Russian national team has been on the outside of competitive action for a number of years now as they remain banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions.