FIFA World Cup Archives

Iraq football coach calls for World Cup playoff to be re-scheduled

Iraq football coach Graham Arnold pleaded with FIFA on Monday to postpone his team’s intercontinental playoff for the World Cup because many of his players and backroom staff are stranded by the growing Iran war.

The Iraqis are due to face either Suriname or Bolivia on March 31 in the Mexican city of Monterrey for a place in the World Cup finals, but with Iraqi airspace closed until April 1, Arnold’s squad is unable to gather or travel.

“If the game goes ahead in Mexico, we have the difficulties of getting out of Baghdad,” Arnold, an Australian, told CNN.

“About 60% of my players play in Iraq, all my backroom staff live in Iraq, all my medical staff live in Qatar, and we’re having trouble getting Mexican visas at this moment,” he added.

Arnold said he had already been forced to cancel a training camp in the United States.

“That has all been scrapped now, because we can’t get out of Baghdad,” he said. “FIFA need to obviously make a quick decision on this because it is a bit unfair at this moment, with what we would have to go through.”

He suggested that Suriname and Bolivia could go ahead with their playoff in Monterrey on March 26, and the winner of that game could play Iraq in the United States just before the World Cup, which kicks off on June 11.

“Suriname could always play Bolivia if we can’t get there, and we could always play the winner just before the World Cup, and that lets us prepare properly and do everything required to be successful,” Arnold said.

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“Bolivia and Suriname can play in March, they’ve got no complications with flights or anything, they can get there straight away, and we could play the winner

“The winner stays and plays the World Cup, and the loser goes home.”

Graham Arnold said the Iraqi football authorities were in close contact with FIFA, but he admitted the situation was taking its toll.

“It’s one step at a time, it’s stressful, (I’ve had) a lot of sleepless nights worrying about getting that planning right,” he said.

An Iraqi source told AFP the national federation had asked for the change.

“Iraq’s request came due to the inability of the delegation to travel from the capital, Baghdad,” they said.

“As a result of the closure of airspace and the security risks currently affecting the region,” they added.

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FIFA announces major increase in 2026 World Cup prize money

The winners of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million in prize money as part of a record financial contribution for the tournament from FIFA, world football’s governing body, announced on Wednesday.

The total World Cup prize fund of $655 million (558.5 million euros) represents an increase of almost 50 percent from the $440 million distributed to teams taking part in the last tournament in Qatar in 2022.

However, next year’s World Cup — to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 — will be the first to feature 48 teams, a 50 percent increase from the 32 teams last time.

The Argentine Football Association received $42 million in prize money after Lionel Messi inspired them to glory three years ago, when they won on penalties in the final against France.

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France received $30 million for their run to the final. This time, the beaten finalists will pocket $33 million, with the third-place finishers collecting $29 million and the other defeated semi-finalists getting $27 million.

Teams eliminated in the group phase will receive $9 million, while all 48 participating nations will get an additional $1.5 million to cover “preparation costs.”

Earlier, World Cup organisers also unveiled a new cut-price ticket category after a backlash by fans over pricing for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Football’s global governing body FIFA said in a statement that it had created a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” fixed at $60 for all 104 matches, including the final.

It said the plan was “designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the tournament”.

FIFA said that the $60 (51 euro) tickets would be reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up 10 percent of each national federation’s allotment.

For the unversed, the draw for tickets of all prices in the first round of sales will take place on Tuesday, January 13.

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Italy to face Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup playoffs

Four-time World Cup winners Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European playoffs for the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Ukraine will face star-studded Sweden.

Italy will take on Northern Ireland on March 26 next year at an Italian venue that is yet to be confirmed, after to the draw made in Zurich on Thursday.

Five days later the winner will travel to face the winner of Wales’s semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Despite another error-strewn qualification campaign, Italy still have a chance of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since the 2014 tournament in Brazil, having failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.

Facing the Azzurri will be a daunting challenge for Northern Ireland, who have only beaten the Italians once in 11 meetings, and that was in 1958.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said: “Let’s concentrate on the first match. Northen Ireland are a team that we can beat.

“They’re a team that have their own style, they’re very physical… they’ll give us a good game but we can do it.

“We know about Wales and Bosnia, and playing in Cardiff is difficult for anybody, but for now let’s concentrate on the semi-final.”

War-torn Ukraine will play a Sweden team that could feature Liverpool’s £125 million ($164 million) forward Alexander Isak and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedes, though, were woeful in qualifying, finishing bottom of their group, and only got into the playoffs thanks to their performance in the Nations League.

Newly appointed English coach Graham Potter, formerly in charge of Brighton and Chelsea, faces a tough task to steer the Swedes to the finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

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Potter said Sweden had a “fantastic opportunity”.

“We need to make sure we’re in a good place in March. We need to use our time until then wisely,” he said.

Whoever triumphs in the Ukraine v Sweden match will face the winner of Poland’s meeting with Albania — the Albanians are bidding to reach football’s showpiece for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs after a dramatic late goal from Troy Parrott earned a 3-2 win in Hungary on Sunday, face a tough trip to the Czech Republic.

The winner of that match will host the winner of the semi-final between Denmark and North Macedonia.

Turkey will play Romania, who were surprise quarter-finalists the last time the tournament was played in the United States in 1994.

The winner will face either Slovakia or Kosovo, who are also trying to reach a World Cup for the first time in their history.

All the European semi-finals will take place on March 26, with the finals on March 31.

In the inter-continental playoffs, New Caledonia — another nation bidding to make a first appearance at a World Cup finals — will play against Jamaica for the right to face the seeded Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bolivia will play Suriname — yet another country seeking a first ever appearance — with the victor going on to a winner-takes-all game against Iraq.

Those games will be played in March next year.

The expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams from 32 teams in 2022 has led to a clutch of first-time qualifiers, including Curacao and Uzbekistan.

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Last-gasp penalty snatches Iraq World Cup play-off berth

Iraq scored a penalty in the 17th minute of injury time to beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2-1 in the second leg of their 2026 World Cup qualifying tie on Tuesday and secure a place in the inter-confederation play-offs.

Substitute Mohanad Ali, who plays in the UAE for Dibba, and Amir Al-Ammari scored in Basra as Graham Arnold’s men came from behind to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.

Iraq, whose only appearance at a World Cup was a group-stage exit in Mexico in 1986, progressed to the six-team play-offs where the last two tickets to the finals will be decided.

The UAE broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, as Yahia Nader slipped the ball through for Brazilian-born forward Caio Lucas to fire the ball past Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hachim.

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But Iraq hit back midway through the second half when Mohanad Ali headed home Al-Ammari’s free-kick.

The home side piled on the pressure late on, with Mohanad Ali missing two good chances to score a winner.

But VAR awarded Iraq the latest of penalties for a handball, and Al-Ammari stepped up to net the spot-kick and keep alive his nation’s hopes of ending their 40-year wait to play in a World Cup.

Bolivia, New Caledonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also booked their places at the inter-confederation play-offs.

The other two play-off spots will be decided by the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers later Tuesday, with Jamaica and Panama currently in position to qualify for the mini-tournament.

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Australia beat France in penalty thriller to reach Women’s World Cup semi-finals

Co-hosts Australia beat France 7-6 in a thrilling penalty shoot-out to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history on a night of drama in Brisbane on Saturday.

Australia now go to Sydney on Wednesday to face the winners of the final last-eight tie between England and Colombia.

Cortnee Vine scored the winning penalty to end a remarkable shoot-out that saw both teams take 10 spot-kicks, the third Women’s World Cup quarter-final having ended 0-0 after 120 nerve-shredding minutes.

Vine held her nerve to send the crowd into raptures and keep the Matildas’ dream of winning the World Cup on home soil alive.

Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold had missed a chance to win the shoot-out when her kick hit the post but then saved twice from Kenza Dali after the VAR spotted she had both feet off her line the first time.

Vicki Becho missed France’s 10th penalty, and it was left to Vine to take Australia through by beating France’s substitute goalkeeper Solene Durand, who had been sent on, especially for the shoot-out.

“I’m so freaking proud about this team. The bravery that they showed tonight, unbelievable,” said Australia coach Tony Gustavsson.

“I think we’ll have maybe tonight to celebrate it and then tomorrow we’ll review it and move on to the next game,” added Arnold, the player of the match.

It was an agonising way for France to go out of the Women’s World Cup after a tense encounter watched by a sell-out crowd of 49,461.

Les Bleues had been hoping to get to the semi-finals for just the second time, following their defeat in the last four in 2011, but instead go home.

“We had a whole stadium and a nation against us. We produced an exceptional performance, but that’s football. It was destiny,” French coach Herve Renard told broadcaster France 2.

“Good luck to Australia. I think we deserved more but that’s how it is.”

Australia’s victory was achieved despite Sam Kerr again being left on the bench at kick-off, with the talismanic Matildas captain, now fit after a calf injury, coming on early in the second half and going on to convert her penalty in the shoot-out.

Gustavsson stuck with the same team that started against Denmark in the last 16, while France brought the fit-again Maelle Lakrar back into their defence.

Lakrar really should have given France an early lead to silence the hostile crowd, but the 23-year-old somehow succeeded in diverting a Eugenie Le Sommer shot over the bar with the goal gaping.

That was a let-off for the hosts, who were then grateful to Arnold for tipping a Le Sommer effort behind and for stopping a stinging Lakrar attempt following a corner.

It looked like the occasion was getting to Australia, but they began to threaten in the final minutes of the first half.

They were desperately unlucky not to go ahead in the 41st minute when French defensive hesitancy allowed Emily van Egmond to tee up Mary Fowler for what seemed like a certain goal, but Elisa De Almeida raced in to produce a miraculous block.

French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin then had to come out to clear in front of Fowler, as it somehow remained goalless at the interval.

Kerr emerged 10 minutes into the second half, replacing Van Egmond to the delight of the crowd, and her introduction provided such a lift that Australia very nearly went ahead moments later.

Hayley Raso tried her luck with a rasping drive from outside the box, but Peyraud-Magnin saved and the Juventus goalkeeper topped that with a brilliant block to deny Fowler from point-blank range on the hour mark.

That appeared to pierce some of Australia’s momentum, and the tension increased as the clock ticked down, making extra time almost an inevitability.

France thought they had the breakthrough 10 minutes into the extra period when Ellie Carpenter turned the ball into her own net, but Australia were rescued when the Chilean referee blew for a foul.

Arnold saved superbly from Becho, before France replaced Peyraud-Magnin with Durand as penalties loomed.

Durand is their penalty-saving specialist and denied both Steph Catley and Clare Hunt in the shoot-out, but it was not enough for France.

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Pakistan to face Cambodia in preliminary round of FIFA Asia WC Qualifiers

Pakistan men’s football team will face Cambodia in the Preliminary Round One of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Asia Qualifiers.

The game’s apex body on Thursday, unveiled the draws for the first and second rounds of the qualifiers.

The first-round matches will be played on the basis of one home and one away match on October 12 and 17, with the 10 winners advancing to the second round.

🤩 The first step on Asia's road to #WeAre26!

These 20 sides will face off for a place in the second round group stage of 2026 AFC #WCQ.#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Vif9J5BbxH

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 27, 2023

Those 10 nations will then join the remaining 26 teams, already slotted in the second round on the basis of FIFA Rankings, which will feature nine groups of four nations, with the winners and runners-up then progressing through to the third round.|

The race is on! 🤩

Asia is ready to begin the run for the finish line in Canada, Mexico and USA. 🙌 #WCQ | #WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/hLGIqZ1xu9

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 27, 2023

A total of 18 nations that reach the third round will be divided into three groups of six, via a draw conducted at a later date, with the top two nations in each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.

The remaining six teams that finished third and fourth in the third round will then be divided into two groups of three teams for the fourth round, with the victor of each group earning a direct entry ticket to the FIFA World Cup.

Finally, in the fifth round, Asia’s representative in the FIFA play-off competition will be decided by a two-legged, home-and-away match between the two runners-up from the fourth round.

Notably, in the 2019 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Pakistan took on the same opponent and received a 1-4 thrashing.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan men’s football team recently partook in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship last month.

The national team was drawn in Group A with hosts India, invitee Kuwait and Nepal.

Pakistan received a 0-4 thrashing each from India and Kuwait respectively before Nepal edged them 1-0 in the dead rubber Group A clash.

Thus, the green shirts concluded their SAFF Championship without a win.

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History makers Morocco to face Zambia in FIFA World Cup qualifiers

History-making 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco must win a group including Zambia to ensure qualification for the next edition in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Congo Brazzaville, Tanzania, Niger and Eritrea complete Group E after a draw made on Thursday in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, by former African stars.

Morocco became the first African or Arab country to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals last December in Qatar before losing to France and finishing fourth.

With Europe-based stars like Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat and Youssef en-Nesyri available, they look likely winners of the section with Zambia posing the greatest threat.

Morocco are the highest-placed African team in the latest FIFA rankings, ahead of Cup of Nations title-holders Senegal with Tunisia third.

Senegal are in Group B and the biggest danger to them is likely to come from the rapidly improving Democratic Republic of Congo, who played in the 1974 World Cup when known as Zaire.

Like Morocco, Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal are seeking a third consecutive appearance at the four-yearly global showpiece, with the next edition set for mid-2026.

Tunisia are in Group H with Equatorial Guinea, a rising force in Africa who beat the north Africans in a Cup of Nations qualifier last month.

Long-time rivals Nigeria and South Africa will clash in Group C, which includes Zimbabwe, whose FIFA ban for government interference in football was lifted two days ago.

Ghana, who made an early exit in Qatar, will fancy their chances of finishing first in Group I above Mali, the only first seeds who have not qualified for the World Cup.

Cameroon, who hold the African record for World Cup qualification with eight appearances, have been poor in recent Cup of Nations matches, offering hope to Cape Verde and Angola in Group D.

Algeria, who lost out to Cameroon for a place in Qatar, appear likely winners of Group G with unpredictable Guinea probably the main challengers.

Ivory Coast, hosts of the next Cup of Nations in January and February 2024, are another country who will be satisfied with the draw.

The biggest threat to the three-time World Cup qualifiers could come not from second seeds Gabon, but from shock 2021 Cup of Nations quarter-finalists Gambia.

Egypt have won the Cup of Nations a record seven times, but often struggle to qualify for the World Cup, reaching the final only three times.

They are in Group A, where Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau could trouble the Mohamed Salah-captained Pharaohs.

With the number of finalists expanding from 32 in Qatar to 48 in North and Central America, Africa are guaranteed a record nine places, and possibly 10.

Each group winner will qualify automatically and the best four runners-up enter play-offs with the winner going to inter-confederation play-offs, with two places up for grabs.

Apart from an African team, the confederation play-offs will include two teams from North/Central America and one each from Asia, South America and Oceania.

Matchdays one and two in Africa will be played this November, with a further two rounds next year and six in 2025.

The draw was scheduled for Wednesday this week, only to be delayed 24 hours at the last minute without an official explanation.

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Lionel Messi confirms triumphant 2022 World Cup was probably his last

Lionel Messi on Tuesday confirmed he “doesn’t think” he will play at another World Cup in an interview with Chinese media, after the 35-year-old led Argentina to victory at last year’s tournament in Qatar.

“I have said several times before that I don’t think so, that that (2022) was my last World Cup,” he said when asked by China’s Titan Sports in a video interview if he might feature at the 2026 tournament in North America.

“I will see how things go but in theory, I don’t think I will be around for the next World Cup,” he added in Spanish in the video published on the app Kuaishou.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is currently in Beijing where Argentina will play a friendly against Australia on Thursday.

His comments come after he said earlier this year to the Argentinian newspaper Ole that it would be “very difficult” to play at another World Cup.

He will turn 39 during the next tournament.

Argentina will play Thursday’s friendly against Australia at the 68,000-capacity Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.

The match is a repeat of the last-16 tie between the teams at the World Cup in Doha, which Argentina won 2-1.

With Chinese fans desperate to see the former Barcelona star in action, tickets have been rapidly snapped up despite being sold at prices rising to 4,800 Yuan ($671).

Earlier this month, Lionel Messi said he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.

The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club against Clermont Foot, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he spent the majority of his career.

MLS and Inter Miami confirmed the news on social media, although the American league noted “work remains to finalise a formal agreement”.

“I’ve taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don’t have (the deal) 100 percent sealed or maybe there’s something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there,” Messi told Spanish newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it’s time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.”

Lionel Messi is a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and is expected to earn the individual accolade once more after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December.

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‘Landmark year’ for women’s football as FIFA WC nears 1m ticket sales

Organisers of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – scheduled later this year in Australia and New Zealand – said they were close to selling one million tickets, reported BBC.

According to the report, around 850,000 tickets have already been sold for the event that takes place between July 20 and August 20, 2023.

“2023 is going to be a landmark moment for women’s football,” said Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura.

A FIFA spokesperson also informed the British broadcaster that over the next weeks, the one million ticket sale milestone will be crossed.

It is pertinent to mention here that the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament, featuring 32 teams.

As women’s sports are gathering more and more viewership across the globe, FIFA expects the football megaevent to surpass a record 1.5 million ticket sales and around 2 billion viewers on television.

The United States women’s football team will defend their title at the event which begins with a grand opening ceremony at Eden Park, Auckland before the first match between co-hosts New Zealand and former World champions Norway.

A total of 64 matches will be played across ten venues in nine different cities of the Australian continent.

The final will take place on 20 August at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Eight teams will feature in their first FIFA Women’s World Cup which includes Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam and Zambia.

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Asian federation foresees Saudi bid for 2030 or 2034 World Cup

BEIRUT: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, said the body wanted to host another World Cup, in 2030 or 2034, and that “Saudi Arabia is coming in force”.

Asia has staged the World Cup twice: in South Korea and Japan in 2002 and in 2022 in Qatar.

“I think Saudi Arabia is a country capable of organising a similar tournament,” Sheikh Salman, who is from Bahrain, told journalists in Beirut on Monday during a visit to Syria and Lebanon.

“But we have to choose the right time: 2030 or 2034? If our chance of hosting the tournament is better in 2034, we are looking into that, and if our conditions in 2030 are better, why not?”

In 2026, when the World Cup increases to 48 teams, it will split three ways for the first time with United States, Canada and Mexico as hosts.

There are two proposed multi-nation bids for 2030, one from Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and one by Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, which would return the centenary World Cup to the site of the first final, in Montevideo.

Last September, a spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Muhammad Fawzi, said his country was studying a joint bid with Saudi Arabia and Greece.

The Saudi Minister of Sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, told AFP in February that his country had not submitted a candidacy file, but added that “anything is possible.”

Sheikh Salman said he wanted to make sure the AFC was united behind any bid and had support from elsewhere.

“We are coordinating with the continental federations and FIFA on the basis that we will host the 2030 or 2034 World Cup in agreement with everyone, so that when the file is presented, we must ensure that it succeeds by at least 90 percent,” he said.

“We have 47 votes, while you need more than 110 votes to host the World Cup. We must have support from other continents. We are coordinating the appropriate time to host this championship.”

Emulating neighbours Qatar and United Emirates, Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in sport as part of the “Vision 2030” strategy to diversify an oil-dependent economy.

The kingdom will host the AFC’s Women’s Cup in 2026, its Asian Cup for the first time in 2027, the multisport Asian Games in 2034, and is scheduled to stage the 2029 Asian Winter Games on artificial snow in the planned giant futuristic city of Neom.

It already hosts a Formula One race in Jeddah, the annual Spanish Super Cup, golf tournaments and boxing title bouts.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi club Al Nassr in January and the country’s sovereign wealth fund finances the breakaway LIV golf tour and owns Newcastle United in the English Premier League, although these investments draw accusations that it is “sportswashing” its human rights record.

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