Manchester City will host their FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United at their smaller Joie Stadium after turning down an offer to switch it to Old Trafford.
City were drawn at home for the game but are unable to use the main pitch, with Pep Guardiola’s first team still having three home Premier League games to play.
While there is an 11-day gap between their match against Crystal Palace and the last game of the campaign against Aston Villa, club officials argue playing the final in that space will rob them of essential time to complete construction work on the North Stand, which is planned to open for Villa’s visit.
The club also have a test event booked for Sunday, 10 May. They feel they are entitled not to agree to a switch as they are the confirmed home team.
United, who last won the trophy in 2022 – when more than 60,000 were at Old Trafford to watch a team including Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho beat Nottingham Forest – told City they were prepared to host the game.
City said no, so the game will be played at the 7,000-capacity ground, which is used by the club’s Premier League 2 and women’s teams.
The club have used the stadium to host Youth Cup finals previously but since 2000, every other host club has played the game at their main stadium.
Two years ago a crowd of 20,000 watched City beat Leeds United in the final at Etihad Stadium.
It is a repeat of the 1986 final, hosted over two legs at Old Trafford and Maine Road and won by City.
United sources feel it is a mistake and will cost the majority of the players involved an experience in what could turn out to be the biggest game of their lives.
City are yet to confirm a date for the game but it is likely to take place on Thursday, 14 May.
Tickets for the cohosts’ opening game in Los Angeles are available for prices ranging between $1,120 and $6,050.
Published On 3 May 20263 May 2026
With under 40 days to go until the World Cup, tournament organisers continue to struggle with ticket sales as seats remain available for most group-stage games, albeit at exorbitant prices.
Home fans can find tickets for tournament cohost United States’ (USA) opener against Paraguay, with prices starting at $1,120 and going as high as $4,105, with many tickets priced around $2,000 for the June 12 match in Los Angeles. Seats in the hospitality package groupings go as high as $6,050 per seat.
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Tickets are still available on FIFA’s official website through its “last-minute sales” section.
Football fans are already outraged by exorbitant match prices — the most expensive ticket for the final costs nearly $11,000 — since the first phase of ticket sales in December. Late last month, FIFA announced yet another “last-minute ticket phase” with tickets for all 104 matches available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The stagnant sales contradict FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s assertion in January that demand for tickets for this year’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico would be the equivalent of “1,000 years of World Cups at once”.
Experts attribute dynamic pricing and greed as key factors, with fans saying they have been “priced out” by FIFA.
While many in the US are accustomed to the pricing model commonly adopted at the Super Bowl, fans from around the world are not used to dynamic pricing and legal profiting from ticket resales, sports executive Peter Moore told Al Jazeera in a recent interview.
“FIFA taking a 30 percent cut of dynamic pricing is outrageous,” the former Liverpool chief executive said.
“FIFA is taking advantage of the unique commercial opportunities in the US, dynamic pricing and the secondary market being legal here, to make money. Infantino has said [he expects] FIFA revenues from the World Cup to exceed] $11bn. Why not make it more reasonable and accessible and make, maybe, $8bn?”
Last month, four seats for the World Cup final were listed at just under $2m each on FIFA’s official resale site.
A total of seven group-stage games still have general sale tickets available for $380, including Austria vs Jordan, New Zealand vs Egypt, Jordan vs Algeria, Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, Algeria vs Austria, Congo DR vs Uzbekistan and Curacao vs Ivory Coast.
The USA vs Paraguay opener is the most expensive group game, followed by Argentina vs Austria ($2,925), Ecuador vs Germany ($2,550), Uruguay vs Spain ($2,520) and England vs Croatia ($2,505).
According to FIFA’s website, a total of 17 group-stage games are sold out, including the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11.
Seven games staged in Mexico are sold out, including the cohosts’ two other matches against South Korea in Guadalajara and the Czech Republic in Mexico City.
Turkiye vs USA in Los Angeles, Brazil vs Morocco in New York/New Jersey and Scotland vs Brazil in Miami are among other sold-out games.
Who actually gets to go to the World Cup? With US President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies, some fans may never make it past the American border. Because while teams qualify on merit, passports don’t. Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson explains.
Our two England fans fly out of Heathrow on Monday, 15 June with return flights to JFK in New York costing just over £500 each – which is good value.
With the Three Lions’ final group game taking place in New Jersey, it is the most cost-effective way to travel to the US and back, with the first stop being Dallas.
After landing in the States, they pick up a flight to Dallas the same night – this costs £283 per person.
Four nights at the Hampton Inn & Suites Dallas Market Center cost £624 (£156 a night) for a twin.
Double rooms, which are more available in all cities, come in cheaper at the Hilton Dallas Medical District at £560 (£140 a night).
Both properties have breakfast included, meaning Dallas – which also has free shuttle buses from stations to the stadium in Arlington – is an affordable start to the trip.
The England supporters fly to Boston on Friday, 19 June with the fare £378 each.
Boston is at the other end of the scale as one of the more expensive host cities for accommodation.
Our couple stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Boston Crosstown Center, costing £1,650 (£330 a night), including breakfast, for five nights.
The cheapest twin-bed option in the city itself is £2,041 (£408 a night) without breakfast at the Courtyard Boston Downtown/North Station.
It is possible to book a hotel near the airport £500 cheaper but with five days in the city, it may not be worth the saving.
With England’s third game being in New Jersey, there is no need to take a flight. The supporters can hop on the Amtrak train to New York on Wednesday, 24 June with tickets £42 each.
Unlike in Boston, there are still lots of hotel options in New York with a five-night stay before the flight home on 29 June.
A double at the Truss Hotel Times Square costs £1,184 (£237 a night) while a twin at the AMTD Idea Tribeca Hotel is £1,275 (£255 a night).
This time, however, you will need to head out for breakfast.
But the last two games come with a sting – train tickets to the stadiums cost £59 per person from Boston and £114 from New York.
Just to get to the States and travel around, the estimated costs for two friends are £6,273 and for a couple £5,855.
And what of the family? It is going to cost £9,008 to get to the States, get around and put your heads down.
Costs are helped by some hotels offering free stays for children.
In Dallas, the Comfort Inn Dallas Medical-Market Center costs £627 (£156 a night).
The same Hampton Inn is used in Boston with a higher cost of £1,763 (£353 a night).
Over in New York, the Holiday Inn in Times Square costs £1,589 (£318 a night).
Normally his public persona is somebody who does not give much away but during the quarter-final win against Zebre in Italy, you saw a rare public image of him leading the celebrations.
“The huddle is a personal thing and it was great it was captured on screen, I was so proud of the players,” said Tiatia.
Former Wales fly-half James Hook played with Tiatia at Ospreys. Hook described him as “an animal on the field and your nan’s favourite off it”.
“You don’t see everything of me, maybe you see some of the little bits,” said Tiatia.
“What I give you is what I give you. When I’m watching the game I’m not overly emotional but people who know me, know the true me.”
Tiatia is in his first full season as head coach and believes getting to know the players has been a key component of any turnaround.
“One of the biggest things is around care for one another,” said Tiatia.
“Players and staff understanding each other on a deeper level, not just surface level, actually bone-deep.
“Understanding it’s people first and then understanding the player. That’s been a big shift, not just trying to get the best out of them but also having players take responsibility.”
Tiatia was asked what he meant by bone-deep. His answer was illuminating.
“Surface level is knowing people by face and respectfully saying hello,” said Tiatia.
“On a deeper level, I will introduce myself to you and tell you where I’m from.
“I’m from Wellington. I’m Samoan. My first language is English, it was Samoan, I speak Japanese. I speak a little Italian.
“I’m a learner, I’m an introvert, I’m a trained extrovert. When I’m stressed I’ll be quiet.
“When I will be quiet, I’m thinking about my family first and foremost.
“I was taught from my parents very early on that gratitude is one of the biggest strengths. You understand what you have and you’re grateful for it.
“Those are things I would share at a bone-deep level. We then have a deeper understanding about each other, about our morals and values.
“Also the mistakes I’ve made as a young person is something I can now relate to with the group.
“I don’t want the players to make the same mistakes and they’re becoming the best version of themselves. So it’s not just coaching. It’s holistic growth.”
Isaac Martinez has been as a cook at SoFi Stadium for four years. He’s worked dozens of NFL games, a Super Bowl, Taylor Swift concerts, Wrestlemania and the college football national championship game, among dozens of other events.
And he’s never been afraid to come to work. Until now.
He’s not alone. With the World Cup kicking off at the Inglewood venue next month, Martinez says he and many of the people who work in food services and other jobs at the stadium won’t feel safe if federal immigration agents are present during the tournament.
“Most of the workers are afraid. They fear for their safety,” Martinez said in Spanish. “This is also about the fans. People come from everywhere, even from Iran. So we’re concerned about their safety.”
Workers and activists begin their march from MacArthur Park to downtown Los Angeles on Friday in recognition of May Day. The group stopped at the FIFA local organizing offices to protest ICE’s presence at World Cup matches.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
So concerned, Unite Here Local 11, the hospitality union that represents Martinez and about 2,000 others who are working at SoFi without a contract, said it may strike ahead of the World Cup if ICE agents aren’t kept away from the stadium.
Last month Unite Here Local 11 filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board charging Legends Hospitality, which operates the premium food, beverage and retail services at SoFi; Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, owner of the stadium; and FIFA, organizer of the World Cup, with creating an unsafe work environment by refusing to restrict the presence of ICE officials at the eight World Cup games to be played in Inglewood.
“We are concerned about the safety of guests and workers,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11. “ICE has become more and more out of control and violent. We saw what happened in the killings in Minnesota. So I don’t think anyone is safe when ICE is around.”
A spokesperson for FIFA, organizer of the World Cup, declined to comment on the record about the union’s complaint and Legends Hospitality, did not immediately respond to repeated requests for comment. The union, meanwhile, joined Friday with faith and labor leaders and members of the Fair Games Coalition to press their point at a May Day rally outside the FIFA host committee offices in downtown Los Angeles.
It’s unclear what role, if any, federal authorities will play at the World Cup but Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, has said his agency will have a “key part” in security at tournament venues. And that ambiguous statement has raised alarms not just with workers but also with human rights groups such as Amnesty International, which issued a World Cup travel advisory for visitors planning on attending the tournament.
Petersen said the union, along with more than 100 human rights groups, has asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to make a direct request to President Trump for a moratorium on ICE raids in U.S. — especially at World Cup venues — during the 38-day tournament.
“FIFA could tell the Trump administration ‘keep ICE out of the games. We don’t need them to run a soccer tournament,’” Petersen said. “So that is the demand that we’re continuing to insist on. And if we don’t get that, then we’re prepared to do everything up to a strike heading into the World Cup.”
Amnesty International’s concerns are far broader than those of Petersen’s union. The group said it is worried about “the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States” and “the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government” to address that.
Amy Fischer, director for refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA, warned that “there is a real risk for people traveling to these games because of the aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that we’ve seen from this administration.”
“I think there is a high likelihood of some chaos. Because that is what this administration thrives off of and it’s what they love to create,” she added. “At Amnesty we are really hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.”
The travel advisory the group issued claims visitors may be arbitrarily denied entry to the country, detained in “inhumane” conditions or subjected to invasive phone and social media searches. It also cites aggressive immigration surges in cities including Los Angeles that led to accusations of racial profiling and the violent suppression of protests.
“We know at the games there will be immigrant fans, there will be immigrant workers,” Fischer said. “Nobody is safe in that environment with this lawless agency that is consistently violating the law and violating people’s human rights. It could make any game turn into a disaster.”
Anxiety is high among stadium workers, who are concerned about the threat of ICE detainment, regardless of their immigration status.
“We are asking FIFA to take care of this and now allow ICE to be present in the stadium,” Martinez said. “We’ve seen the violence isn’t limited to one particular group. The violence is widespread. People have been killed in Minneapolis, in Chicago even here in Los Angeles.
“We’ve seen everything that’s happened with ICE and that’s where the fear comes from for all of us.”
Palestine and Israel representatives had been lined up close together at the FIFA Congress in Canada.
Published On 30 Apr 202630 Apr 2026
Palestinian football federation president Jibril Rajoub refused to stand alongside Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman in a heated moment at the 76th FIFA Congress.
Both men were called to the stand by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the event on Thursday, but Rajoub declined to be brought closer to Suliman, a Palestinian citizen of Israel.
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Infantino put his hand on Rajoub’s arm and invited him with a gesture to come closer to Suliman, but in vain.
Asked what Rajoub said when he refused, Palestinian FA Vice President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, told Reuters: “I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering.”
Israel has denied committing genocide in Gaza.
Infantino then took the stand and said: “We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino with Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestine Football association during the congress [Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]
Speaking to the Reuters news agency after the congress ended, Shalabi said Infantino’s attempt to have Suliman and Rajoub shake hands showed little consideration for the Palestinian FA chief’s speech, in which he made yet another plea for Israeli clubs not to base teams in the West Bank settlements.
“To be put in a position where to have a handshake after everything that was said, this negates the whole purpose of the speech that the general [Rajoub] was giving,” she said.
“He spent like 15 minutes trying to explain to everyone how the rules matter, how this could easily become a precedent where the rights of member associations are violated with impudence, and then we’ll just wrap this under the carpet. It was absurd.”
Last week, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA’s decision not to sanction Israel over clubs based in West Bank settlements.
The PFA has long argued that clubs based in settlements in the West Bank – territory Palestinians seek as part of a future state – should not compete in leagues run by the Israel Football Association (IFA).
FIFA said last month it would take no action against the IFA or Israeli clubs, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law.
Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, said IRGC members are “prohibited from coming” when asked about the issue earlier on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters he said he was unable to comment on the specifics of individual cases under the country’s privacy laws, but noted the IRGC has been listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada for several years.
“There are multiple hurdles in order to get into the country and I think the important thing is that those hurdles are effective,” added Carney.
The Iranian football federation has not yet commented on its absence.
Foreign affairs minister Anand added: “My understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate.
“I’ll say that on our position on Iran, it is clear from a diplomatic standpoint, we have no diplomatic relationships with Iran. We have not had diplomatic relationships with Iran for over 10 years.”
The World Cup begins on 11 June with Iran due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, and then Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
US President Donald Trump has previously said Iran would be welcome at the World Cup, but added they should not be involved “for their own life and safety”.
He was asked about Iran’s participation again following Infantino’s comments on Thursday and said: “Well, if Gianni said it, I’m OK. I think let ’em play.”
Iran had petitioned for their games to be played in Mexico, but Infantino has always maintained the country would take part in the tournament as scheduled.
Ticket prices are just the start of the soaring expenses many fans will face while trying to watch World Cup games this summer.
NJ Transit is charging $150 for round-trip tickets from Manhattan to the Meadowlands (the regular price is $12.60) for the World Cup final, while host committee shuttle buses will cost $80.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is demanding $80 to ride one of the 14 express trains on the 30-mile trip from downtown Boston to Foxborough for games at Gillette Stadium. That’s more than three times the normal price.
Parking in Kansas City, meanwhile, will set you back by as much as $900, depending on the game and lot.
In Southern California, however, it will cost $1.75 to get to SoFi Stadium on a combination of buses or trains from as far away as Claremont and Simi Valley. That’s also what it costs to get to the Inglewood venue on any other day of the year; only two of the 11 World Cup cities in the U.S. are offering less expensive public transportation.
“We’re trying to make things convenient,” said Conan Cheung, the chief operations officer for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or LA Metro, the second-largest transit agency in the country, servicing more than 305 million riders in 2025.
That’s a marked departure from the experience fans have reported ahead of this summer’s World Cup, which was marked by complaints over difficulty getting access to buy tickets, high ticket prices, shifts in seat locations after they were purchased, high fees and expensive game-day transportation.
“There’s no standardized fare set across the board,” Cheung said of World Cup transportation. “We’ve made a commitment to keep our system accessible. The way we’re planning the entire program is to ensure that we support people from the minute they decide to come to L.A. for the World Cup.
Workers are getting SoFi Stadium ready to host World Cup matches this summer.
(Eduard Cauich / Los Angeles Times )
“We also want to make sure that your excitement and your experience for the World Cup starts and ends on Metro.”
LA Metro has been able to hold costs down in part because it received $9.6 million in funding from the $100 million Congress gave the Federal Transit Administration to support transportation to and from World Cup stadiums. LA Metro is adding about 300 buses to its regular fleet to handle the additional demand, with shuttles servicing nine direct routes to SoFi and various fan zones.
Roughly 200 of those buses will lent to LA Metro from 11 regional transit agencies. Additional security officers also will be added.
“I feel prepared,” Cheung said, “but you never know what’s going to happen. We’ve done enough major special events to know that you can do all the planning in the world, but you need to make sure that you have contingencies in place and you’re prepared to pivot at a moment’s notice.”
A case in point: when Game 3 of last fall’s World Series went into extra innings, LA Metro immediately extended the operating hours for Metro buses and trains, ensuring people had rides home when the game ended just shy of midnight.
“Part of our preparedness is going through tabletop exercises,” he said. “The point is to ensure that the flow from the parking, from the transit connection and walking up made sense and was intuitive and easy to follow.”
Since Metro trains don’t run directly to SoFi, Cheung has added shuttle buses to take fans from the stations to the stadium. Portable restrooms and hydration stations will be available. And nine park-and-ride sites will be set up around L.A. and Orange counties. Reserve and pay for a parking space and everyone in your car can ride to the stadium for free. (Be sure to bring a lot of friends since the parking fees range from $59 to $102 for the June 12 opening match.)
A pair of visitors from Japan rush to catch a Metro bus in March.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Cheung said LA Metro has been preparing for the World Cup almost as long as some of the players. When Taylor Swift brought her Eras tour to SoFi in the summer of 2023, LA Metro used that as something of a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, expanding late service and adding free shuttles from nearby train stations.
That increased ridership by 25%, which meant less traffic on the roads and freeways leading to the stadium. A repeat of that could be crucial during the World Cup since five of the eight games played at SoFi are scheduled to start at noon local time.
And just as the Taylor Swift concerts prepared LA Metro for the World Cup, now the World Cup will help inform preparations for the 2028 Olympics.
“A lot of the strategies that we’re doing now — the process for working with not only local jurisdictions, state and federal agencies, as well as the other transit agencies in the regions — we’re setting up ways that are going to help not only for the Olympics and Paralympics, but anytime we need to pull together to support our communities for special events [or] natural disasters.”
⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.
WE ARE just six weeks away from the start of the World Cup and the UK’s capital is getting THREE fan attractions for watching the matches.
Launching across three London venues, Kick Off Club will open three new World Cup fanzones.
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Kick Off Club will have three fanzones across LondonCredit: Kick off club
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One will be at the Outernet on Tottenham Court Road, another will be at Electric Brixton in South London and the third will be at Colour Factory in Hackney Wick.
Each fanzone won’t have food for sale, but you will be able to get drinks, including drinks packages.
Outernet fanzone
At the Outernet fanzone, fans will find London’s largest indoor screen.
Gaelic Warrior raced clear to claim the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.
With Paul Townend on board, the 5-6 favourite powered home ahead of stablemates Fact To File (13-8) and Grangeclare West (28-1). All three are trained by Willie Mullins.
It was eight-year-old Gaelic Warrior who got the better of his rival this time after Fact To File’s win in the Irish Gold Cup came following defeat in the John Durkan.
It was another excellent race with Gaelic Warrior making his move in the penultimate jump and storming home with 26 lengths to spare.
“It was a huge performance,” Mullins told RTE Sport.
“My heart was in my mouth when Paul joined him (Fact To File) between the fourth-last and the third-last. I was thinking ‘would they knock one another’ or what would they do? They were going some lick.
“Both jockeys just let fly. Over that trip Gaelic Warrior seemed to have the measure of Fact To File. Over a shorter trip it might be different. It was a hell of a horse race.”
With Nolimit (14-1) came through to win the Grade One Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race.
Trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Josh Halford, the five-year-old got the better of pre-race favourite The Mourne Rambler (11-8) with Boycetown (5-1) third.
In the Novice Hurdle, Le Frimeur (18-1) maintained his unbeaten record to see off Zanoosh (11-4f) and I Started A Joke (11-1).
The decades-old football book craze will comprise 980 unique stickers, including 68 ‘special’ ones in a 112-page album.
Published On 29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026
For generations of football fans, no World Cup would be complete without the thrill of opening a packet of Panini stickers and discovering Zico, Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi staring back.
Since Italian company Panini’s first sticker collection at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, trying, and usually failing, to complete the set has been an obsession for young fans around the globe, with playground swapping mandatory.
This year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will present the biggest challenge yet, though, and will require a considerable amount of pocket money.
With 48 nations heading for the tournament in June and July – the largest edition ever – 980 unique stickers, including 68 “special” ones, will be required to fill the 112-page album that will be available from Thursday.
Individual packets of seven stickers retail at 1.25 pounds ($1.69) in the United Kingdom, meaning that even with impossibly perfect luck and no duplicates, 140 packets would be required, costing 175 pounds.
Statistically, however, more than 1,000 packets may be required to acquire every player in the album, meaning an outlay in the region of 1,000 pounds ($1,351).
Panini’s biggest-ever collection was launched at a special event at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, with former England players David James, John Barnes and Gary Cahill reliving their sticker-hunting days.
“As someone who grew up collecting Panini stickers, swapping with friends in the playground and trying to complete the album every tournament, the album has always marked the real start of a World Cup for me!” former Chelsea defender Cahill said.
“Seeing myself in the collection during my playing days was a surreal and proud moment, and a reminder of how these stickers become part of the story of every World Cup.”
Panini say they will be hosting a live “swap shop” in May around the UK, giving collectors the chance to find their must-have players while a “Sticker Box” will travel up and down the country, giving away sticker packets and albums.
When the dust has settled on the World Cup, it might also be prudent to store duplicates in the loft as there is a burgeoning market in vintage stickers.
In 2021, a 1979 Panini sticker of Maradona, then aged 19, sold for 470,000 pounds (about $556,000 at the time) at auction.
It is unclear whether football officials from Iran were issued Canadian visas to attend AFC and FIFA congresses.
Published On 29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026
Representatives from Iran’s football federation were not present at the largest formal meeting of Asia’s football leaders before the World Cup.
In the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, there was no discussion at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress about Iran’s participation in the tournament or whether the team’s games should be moved out of the United States because of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Concerns were raised that visa issues could affect the Iranian delegation’s ability to travel to both the confederation meeting in Vancouver and the overall FIFA Congress on Thursday, as well as the World Cup starting on June 11.
The 48-team tournament is being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
It was not clear if visa issues prevented Iranian representatives from attending the AFC Congress. However, as the nine AFC teams that qualified for the World Cup were presented with commemorative gifts, it was announced that Iran would receive their token “once they arrive”.
An Iranian government spokesperson said last week that the national team was preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the United States.
FIFA, football’s international governing body, has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup game schedule decided last December, before the US and Israel launched military attacks on Iran on February 28, and has refused to entertain suggestions that the team’s games be moved to Mexico.
“Now even more, now that the world is going through a very, very delicate, difficult, dangerous time with many conflicts, and many of you are directly affected and involved in these conflicts,” Infantino told the AFC leaders.
“Now even more, we need to find ways to build these famous bridges, or maybe to build football fields instead. And to build competitions where people can join and come together.”
Iran are placed in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt.
Team Melli’s planned training camp would be in Tucson, Arizona, and they are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign on June 15 against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles.
Iran will play Belgium in Inglewood on June 21 before facing Egypt in the final group match in Seattle on June 26.
Uncapped left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman has been included in England’s squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup this summer.
The 18-year-old impressed in England’s intra-squad matches in South Africa this year.
She is one of three left-arm spinners in England’s squad alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith, while off-spinner Charlie Dean is named as vice-captain to Nat Sciver-Brunt.
There is no place for 19-year-old Davina Perrin, who scored a century in last year’s Hundred Eliminator, while veteran batter Tammy Beaumont also misses out.
Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn, a recent mainstay of England’s T20 squads, was not considered for selection as she is recovering from a broken finger and has not played this season.
England start their T20 World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on 12 June at Edgbaston.
Dungannon began their defence of the Irish Cup with a routine 3-0 victory over Championship side Ards at Stangmore Park, courtesy of first-half goals from Sean McAllister, Junior and Tiernan Kelly.
Rodney McAree’s side then came from behind in the sixth round to beat Portadown 2-1 with McAllister on the scoresheet again and Andrew Mitchell netting the winner.
Steven Scott, Cahal McGinty and Kobei Moore scored to help the Swifts see off H&W Welders 3-0 to reach the last four.
In a repeat of the 2025 decider, Dungannon beat Cliftonville 4-1 on penalties to reach the final again, with goalkeeper Declan Dunne saving two spot kicks in the shootout.
Coleraine began their Irish Cup campaign with a thumping 4-0 win over 10-man Crusaders at the Showgrounds in January.
After Brendan Hamilton was sent off for the Crues, Mark Connolly, Will Patching, James Akitunde and Joel Cooper all netted to secure a comfortable passage to the sixth round.
Ruaidhri Higgins’ men then required extra time to see off Carrick Rangers 4-1 at Taylors Avenue, with Matthew Shevlin coming off the bench to score a hat-trick to help them through.
Cooper and Shevlin were on target in a 2-0 quarter-final victory over Championship Limavady and the duo both also scored in the extra time 2-1 win against Larne in the last four at Windsor Park.
Boston World Cup host committee says fans will be allowed to tailgate for all seven matches at the Gillette Stadium.
Published On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026
In a reversal of an earlier decision, FIFA will allow tailgating at World Cup games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Boston World Cup host committee announced.
The committee said on Monday that the shift conforms with local policies that allow tailgating “like any other event hosted at the stadium as there are no venue restrictions or local public safety restrictions in place that would prohibit it”.
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FIFA originally stated that tailgating would not be allowed at any of the 104 matches, of which the United States is hosting 78, causing an uproar among football fans in the country.
The US is cohosting the 2026 tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The Gillette Stadium – rebranded as the Boston Stadium during the World Cup to comply with FIFA’s policy prohibiting corporate-sponsored names for tournament venues – will host five group-stage matches, one round-of-32 match and a quarterfinal match at the home of the National Football League’s (NFL) New England Patriots.
The Gillette Stadium will host seven World Cup games [File: Steven Senne/AP]
Patriots games, New England Revolution games and concerts allow tailgating at the stadium.
Space will be severely reduced from what is normally available. There are about 20,000 parking spots available for Patriots games, but only about 5,000 will be available for public use during the World Cup.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has set train prices at $80 for a round trip from Boston to Foxborough for tournament games, four times what it charges for NFL and MLS games. There is also an express bus option that will depart from various Boston-area locations, which will cost $95 for a round trip.
New York City announced on Monday that a fan fest for each of the city’s five boroughs will be held in conjunction with World Cup matches at the MetLife Stadium – to be known as New York New Jersey Stadium – in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
[Al Jazeera]
What is tailgating in the US?
In the context of US sports, tailgating is a pre-game social event that sees fans of a team park their cars outside the stadium hosting the game. The supporters then gather around these parked cars to socialise by drinking, eating, and often cooking on site while they soak in the match-day atmosphere despite not being inside the venue.
It can often begin several hours before the start of the action inside the stadium. The culture is most common during NFL matches and is especially popular among fans of US football.
Which other US stadiums are hosting the World Cup?
The USA will open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at the SoFi Stadium, to be renamed the Los Angeles Stadium, in Inglewood, California.
The MetLife Stadium will host the final on July 19.
Fifa is poised to change the rules around suspensions for accumulated yellow cards at this summer’s World Cup.
BBC Sport understands world football’s governing body is planning to add a second amnesty stage, wiping all yellow cards at the end of the group stage as well as after the quarter-finals.
Under current rules a team would play five matches to reach the quarter-finals, and any two bookings in those games would lead to a suspension.
The revamped World Cup, with 48 teams instead of 32, includes an extra round and it is felt the jeopardy for a ban is too high.
Without a change to the regulations, Fifa fears that many more players would be walking a suspension tightrope by playing six fixtures through to the last eight – and potentially miss a semi-final.
The topic is on the agenda for discussion when the Fifa Council meets in Vancouver, Canada on Tuesday.
Two bookings will remain the suspension threshold, but the rule change will mean there are only two small pockets of games for players to pick up a ban.
It would require cautions in two of the three group games, or in two of the last 32, last 16 and the quarter-finals, to miss a match.
Ulster have received a boost with the news that Tom O’Toole, Nick Timoney and Jude Postlethwaite will be available after injury for Saturday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against Exeter Chiefs at Affidea Stadium (17:30 BST).
Timoney returns after recovering from a hip injury, while O’Toole and Postlethwaite are at head coach Richie Murphy’s disposal after overcoming hand problems.
A squad update issued by Ulster Rugby on Monday confirmed that the trio have “all reintegrated fully into team training and are available for selection”.
Meanwhile, decisions on whether Angus Bell (foot), James Hume (neck) and Bryn Ward (shoulder) will be fit enough for selection for the encounter with the English Premiership side will be made later in the week.
All three have resumed elements of team training.
Callum Reid and Ben Carson will be unavailable for the last-four game as a result of foot and calf injuries respectively.
Both players sustained their injuries during Saturday’s 41-14 United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat by Munster in Limerick.
Eric O’Sullivan suffered a back injury during the match and will have his fitness monitored during the week.
Ulster are aiming to secure their first silverware for 20 years and the winner of their semi-final will face the winner of Sunday’s second semi-final between Montpellier and the Dragons in the final in Bilbao on 22 May.
US authorities said on Sunday that the gunman accused of trying to storm the dinner was targeting Trump and members of his administration.
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The suspect — who was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives — rushed a US Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel and managed to shoot a law enforcement officer, although the suspect himself was not struck by gunfire.
The incident is seen as a major breach of security by football fans around the globe, millions of whom will follow their teams at the World Cup tournament, which the US will cohost June 11-19 with Canada and Mexico.
Here’s what fans and experts are saying about the incident and how it could affect their safety at the World Cup:
Will the Trump shooting impact World Cup security?
With the US hosting the majority – 78 of 104 – fixtures, it is expected to see an influx of five to 10 million football fans from around the world, many of whom have expressed concerns for their teams’, as well as their own, safety following the targeting of Trump.
“Their [US] own security service allowed a single person with a shotgun into the most secure building in the world, and missed every shot at him. How are the players going to be safe?” a fan wrote in a social media post.
Others questioned how fans and other members of the public will be safe during the tournament if the country’s president has come under attack.
This is not the first time Trump has been involved in an attempted assassination; he was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024, and in September 2025, a suspect was convicted of plotting to kill Trump while he was playing golf in Florida a year earlier.
However, security analyst Massimiliano Montanari believes the shooting in the US capital will have “no impact” on security preparations for the World Cup.
“It’s undeniable that this shooting creates additional concerns, but with or without this shooting, the US Secret Service is keeping the highest level of attention on the president,” Montanari told Al Jazeera.
“The world is in a moment of immense pressure; several international turmoils are happening at this time, and the shooting will not change the perception of fans coming to the US,” he added.
“The US has very strong security and counterterrorism experience; I’m sure all necessary measures are in place.”
FIFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on World Cup security in the aftermath of the shooting in Washington.
How will Trump’s presence affect security and fan experience at the World Cup?
Fans critical of the US and its lax gun laws, which lead to hundreds of mass shootings across the country each year, say the latest security breach highlights the country’s failure to control gun violence.
Comments on social media ranged from fans questioning the US as a host to calling for the matches in the country to be cancelled altogether due to security risks.
Mass shootings are a common occurrence in the US. In 2026, the country has seen more than 126 incidents which have resulted in more than 3,100 deaths and 5,300 injuries so far, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit research group.
Some critics also wondered if Trump’s likely presence at World Cup games will endanger fans and negatively impact their experience at the tournament.
“I presume Donald Trump will attend the World Cup at some point as the President of the host nation,” Kate Wilton, a social media user, noted in a post on X. “If he’s an assassination risk, surely him attending is a security risk to all those attending?”
US President Trump shares a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and was present at the World Cup draw on December 5, 2025.
Later that month, Trump’s attendance at the US Open men’s tennis final delayed the start of the match, as hordes of tennis fans struggled to get through security checkpoints.
[Al Jazeera]
What does ICE presence at World Cup mean for fans?
The White House shooting also invoked a broader conversation regarding national security in the US, which has seen immigration-related crackdowns across various states.
The Trump administration’s push for mass deportation, as well as its efforts to tighten legal immigration pathways, have spurred concerns about whether the World Cup’s international audience might be targeted by US immigration authorities.
In February, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting Director Todd Lyons confirmed to a committee in the House of Representatives that his agency would be on the ground for World Cup events. When questioned about visitor concerns, he declined to commit to pausing ICE operations at the matches.
“Fans should be treated as guests and clients of the event, not as a potential threat or as criminals,” Montanari, who heads the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), said of the border patrol agents’ presence.
He emphasised that any security officials on the ground must be deployed as discreetly as possible.
“Major global sporting events like the World Cup must remain sporting events and not security events,” he explained, adding that the elements of safety, security and service must work cohesively.
Montanari emphasised that at the previous World Cup in Qatar, where he is currently based, fans were not discriminated against for their nationalities or backgrounds, something that upcoming iterations of the event must emulate.
“I think at any World Cup, the key success factor will be the level of international or regional cooperation; no country can deliver a safe major sporting event without that.
“Securing an event is not just about securing venues, but protecting the overall community, and this involves strong partnership with the government, the business community, and civil society — a holistic effort everyone has to put together.
Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Amnesty International, along with more than 120 civil society groups, issued a “travel advisory” for foreigners attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US due to the “deteriorating human rights situation in the US and the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the US government”.
The US Senate has taken the first steps towards reopening the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – which has been partially shut down since mid-February after Democrats demanded immigration-enforcement policy changes following fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents. The Senate approved a budget framework that would fund immigration enforcement agencies, despite opposition from the Democrats.
Mohamed Salah has become the latest player to sustain an injury weeks ahead of the World Cup, adding to his team’s and supporters’ woes as Egypt return to the tournament after missing out on the previous edition.
Salah suffered a hamstring injury during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on Saturday, with a top Egyptian football official confirming the forward will miss the rest of his club’s season.
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The Egyptian talisman is not the only player to have suffered a blow ahead of the global tournament, and joins an increasing list of major players spending the rest of the club football season on the sidelines.
With the World Cup kicking off in less than two months in Canada, Mexico and the United States, several players find themselves in a race against time to overcome injuries and prove their fitness.
Title contenders and former champions Spain, Brazil and Germany will be among those hoping some of their key players recover in time for the tournament, which begins on June 11.
Here are some of the big names who have sustained injuries ahead of the World Cup:
Mohamed Salah: Egypt
The Egyptian and Liverpool forward was in pain as he limped off the field and held his hamstring after being substituted in the league game.
While his club manager Arne Slot refused to say whether Salah would miss the rest of Liverpool’s season, his national team’s director confirmed that the 33-year-old will be out for four weeks.
“We have to wait and see how his injury is and if he is able to return to play,” Slot told reporters after the match.
“What I do know about Mo is that throughout all of these years, he has taken such good care of his body that he will have the minimum time required to recover from an injury,” he added.
However, Egyptian football official Ibrahim Hassan confirmed that Salah’s club season was over.
“He has suffered a hamstring tear and will require four weeks of treatment,” Hassan told the Reuters news agency.
Hassan said Salah would be fit for the World Cup, where Egypt face Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in Group G.
Salah is no stranger to pre-World Cup blows, having injured his shoulder before the 2018 edition in the Champions League final. He missed the Pharaohs’ opening game, but recovered for the remaining two group matches and scored two goals in a campaign that ended at the group stage.
Egypt at World Cup 2026: Belgium (June 15), New Zealand (June 21), Iran (June 26)
Lamine Yamal: Spain
All eyes will be on the award-winning football prodigy, but his World Cup debut has been thrown into doubt after a hamstring injury in his left leg (biceps femoris muscle).
Barcelona announced that Lamine Yamal’s domestic season in Spain is over, but the international forward should be fit to represent Spain at this summer’s World Cup.
The 18-year-old’s participation is still doubtful since it could take four to six weeks to recover as he follows a “conservative treatment plan”.
Yamal was an integral part of the Spain side that lifted the Euro 2024 title with their 2-1 win against England. Then just 16 years of age, he showed speed and guile on the ball that marked him as one of the hottest properties in global football.
Spain at World Cup 2026: Cape Verde (June 15), Saudi Arabia (June 21), Uruguay (June 27)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Serge Gnabry: Germany
The 33-year-old first-choice goalkeeper for Germany has spent more time recovering than playing this year after a severe hamstring injury in February sent him into rehabilitation.
German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann told Marc-Andre ter Stegen in March that his chances of playing for the national side were “very slim” and that he had to speed up his recovery to be fit for the tournament in June.
The four-time champions could rely on Oliver Baumann in Stegen’s absence.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Serge Gnabry took to social media this week to announce he would be “supporting the boys from home”. The 30-year-old suffered a torn adductor muscle in his right thigh that also ruled him out of Bayern Munich’s remaining Bundesliga season.
Germany at World Cup 2026: Curacao (June 14), Ivory Coast (June 20), Ecuador (June 25)
[Al Jazeera]
Estevao, Rodrygo and Eder Militao: Brazil
Brazil and Chelsea forward Estevao has also been ruled out of the remaining Premier League season after suffering a hamstring injury that left the teen in tears as he was taken off the pitch.
Chelsea’s interim coach Calum McFarlane expressed his hope for the 19-year-old to make it to the Brazilian squad, though he cautioned there was no guarantee yet.
Estevao joined Chelsea from Palmeiras last year and has scored eight goals this season. He was expected to be part of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the World Cup after scoring five times in his last six international appearances.
Unlike Estevao, Brazil forward Rodrygo has been decisively ruled out of the World Cup squad due to a torn meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
“One of the worst days of my life, how much I always feared this injury,” the 25-year-old wrote in a social media post after the setback in March.
Rodrygo made five appearances for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Yet another blow to Brazil comes from a hamstring injury sustained by Eder Militao during Real Madrid’s 2–1 win over Deportivo Alaves.
The 28-year-old defender is set to undergo surgery, and according to reports, will not be available for Brazil’s World Cup campaign as previously expected.
Brazil at World Cup 2026: Morocco (June 13), Haiti (June 19), Scotland (June 24)
Hugo Ekitike: France
France striker Hugo Ekitike has also been ruled out of the World Cup entirely after tearing his Achilles tendon in April during the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
He recently underwent surgery, which Liverpool manager Arne Slot said went well, although recovery and a return to the pitch for the 23-year-old could take as long as 2027.
France at World Cup 2026: Senegal (June 16), Iraq (June 22), Norway (June 26)
Wataru Endo and Takumi Minamino: Japan
A question mark lingers over the participation of Japan captain and Liverpool defender Wataru Endo, who has not played since sustaining an ankle injury at Sunderland in February. Liverpool manager Slot recently provided an update, saying the 33-year-old midfielder may return just in time for the end of the season.
Teammate Takumi Minamino is also in the same situation after rupturing his ACL in December.
Japan at World Cup 2026: Netherlands (June 14), Tunisia (June 20), Sweden (June 25)
Amnesty International and dozens of U.S. civil and human rights groups issued a “ World Cup travel advisory” Thursday, warning tournament visitors of “rising authoritarianism and increasing violence” in the United States during President Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
The groups said the advisory was necessary “in light of the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States and in the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government.”
The advisory says visitors may be arbitrarily denied entry to the country, detained in “inhumane” conditions or subjected to invasive phone and social media searches. It points to the aggressive immigration surges in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis that led to accusations of racial profiling and the violent suppression of protests.
The message was condemned by tourism officials, who said the groups were threatening the livelihoods of service industry workers in an attempt to achieve their political goals.
Geoff Freeman, president & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said there are legitimate concerns about U.S. entry policies but they’re being blown out of proportion. There were 67 million international travelers to the United States last year, he said in a statement.
“The notion that visiting America poses a meaningful safety risk is not a good-faith warning, it’s a political tactic designed to cause economic harm,” Freeman said.
A FIFA spokesperson pointed to several statements and policies, including the federation’s governing documents, which say, “FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.”
The U.S. has seen a decline in international travelers since Trump returned to the White House last year and offended U.S. allies with talk of making Canada a U.S. state, taking control of Greenland and questioning the value of NATO. The tourism industry is counting on a major boost from World Cup visitors, even as Trump’s travel ban for citizens of 19 countries has injected further uncertainty.
The administration is betting that its push to expedite visa processing for visitors and excitement about the tournament will outweigh concerns that Trump’s immigration messaging undercuts the theme of global unity that the World Cup is meant to represent.
The tournament kicks off June 11 with games spread across North America, including 11 stadiums in the U.S. along with two in Canada and three in Mexico.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US has not told the Iranian national team that it cannot play.
Published On 24 Apr 202624 Apr 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington has no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he added the players will not be allowed to bring people with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with them.
Since the United States-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, Iran’s participation in this summer’s edition of FIFA’s global showpiece has been in doubt because all of the country’s group-stage matches are scheduled to be played in the United States.
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“Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters.
“The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in, but not the athletes themselves,” Rubio said.
“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio added.
Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organisation”.
US President Donald Trump, speaking alongside Rubio, added that his administration “would not want to affect the athletes”.
The World Cup is set to begin on June 11 across the US, Mexico and Canada.
Speculation about Iran’s participation has been rife, with officials from both Iran and the US weighing in.
In a statement on Wednesday, however, Iran’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said all necessary arrangements for the team’s participation in the tournament have been ensured by the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
An envoy for Trump, though, has been quoted as suggesting that Italy, who failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third straight edition, should replace Iran at this year’s World Cup.
Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American who is a US envoy for global relations, told The Financial Times that he made the suggestion to both Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,” Zampolli, who has no official connection with the World Cup or Italian football, said earlier this week.
Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has rebuked the idea, saying “it is not appropriate … You qualify on the pitch,” while Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti described the concept as “shameful”.
Iran qualified for a fourth successive World Cup last year but, after the start of the war, requested that FIFA move the team’s three group matches from the US to Mexico – a suggestion that was rejected.
“We are preparing and making arrangements for the World Cup, but we are obedient to the decisions of the authorities,” Iranian football federation President Mehdi Taj told reporters at a pro-government rally in Tehran on Wednesday.
