Mexico and Canada have backed extending the USMCA trade agreement for another 16 years as negotiations over its future continue. The proposal comes amid an ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
Published On 3 Jun 20263 Jun 2026
Share
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has proposed a new 25 percent tariff on imports from Brazil amid allegations of unfair trading practices.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the new punitive tariffs late on Monday, stemming from issues including digital trade and illegal deforestation.
list of 4 itemsend of list
The new tariffs would be imposed under Section 301 of US trade policy — a statute that gives the US government broad authority to impose trade sanctions based on violations of trade agreements, as well as what it deems “unfair” trade practices under the Trade Act of 1974.
Greer said there has been an investigation that began in July. The practices under investigation were related to issues such as illegal deforestation, ethanol market access, and anticorruption enforcement, among other key issues, according to the summary released by the US Department of Commerce on Tuesday.
In the 107-page document, the US government said that trade practices between the two nations “are unreasonable and burden or restrict US commerce”, and pointed to agreements that Brazil has with Mexico and India.
“Brazil’s trade arrangements with Mexico and India also create incentives to offshore US production by creating a financial advantage to exporting to Brazil from these countries, as opposed to exporting from the United States,” the document says.
There is a comment period for the general public to weigh in on the proposed tariffs, which begins on Thursday. The written comment period ends on July 1, and there will be a public hearing in Washington on July 6.
Beef, coffee, rare earths, other metals, energy, and aircraft parts are among the products that would be exempt from the tariffs.
On CNBC, Greer said that it would release more findings on unfair trade practices in the next several weeks in order to address what Greer called a “giant” trade deficit.
However, the data shows that the US maintains a trade surplus with Brazil. In March, Brazil bought more goods, worth $3.3bn, from the US than it exported at $2.9bn, representing a $420m trade surplus.
Other countries under investigation include China and Vietnam.
The new tariff would partially replace a tariff of 50 percent on many Brazilian goods imposed last year by Trump, with 40 percent serving as a punishment for Brazil’s prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.
The White House also recently dropped tariffs on select aluminium, copper, and steel imports, which include agricultural equipment such as harvesters. Those tariffs will drop from 25 percent to 15 percent. The tariffs expire in December 2027.
The new tariffs come after the Supreme Court, in February, struck down the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which the White House used to impose its sweeping global tariffs.
“They are the first of many new tariffs to replace the IEPPA national security tariffs. The period of public comment will allow for potential modest tweaks and exemptions. Ultimately, it will add to some inflation pressure compared to the last few months but not compared to a year earlier,” Rachel Ziemba, a senior adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Al Jazeera.
The changes come despite President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s visit to Washington last month, as relations have deteriorated in recent months.
The US State Department has also designated two of Brazil’s criminal gangs as “terrorist organisations”, a move that supported Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s position, Lula’s main rival in October’s election, and over the objections of Brazilian officials.
“I expressly asked President Trump not to tariff our companies,” Bolsonaro wrote on X on Tuesday. “Tariffs are not the solution.”
The White House did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has entered the single-figure mark, with the tournament getting under way in nine days in Mexico City.
The biggest edition of the World Cup, with 48 nations and 104 games, will be hosted by three countries for the first time, as the United States and Canada share the honours with Mexico.
list of 3 itemsend of list
All 48 teams heading to the tournament have released their final 26-man squads, marking possible final appearances for greats like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Young stars looking to dethrone the icons, including Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Brazil’s Endrick, will look to make their mark in their first appearance at the global event.
Here are all 48 World Cup squads for the FIFA World Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot, Melvin Masstil, Luca Zidane
Defenders: Achraf Abada, Rayan Ait Nouri, Zinedine Belaid, Rafik Belghali, Ramy Bensebaini, Samir Chergui, Jaouen Hadjam, Aissa Mandi, Mohamed Amine Tougai
Midfielders: Houssem Aouar, Nabil Bentaleb, Hicham Boudaoui, Fares Chaibi, Ibrahim Maza, Yassine Titraoui, Ramiz Zerrouki
Forwards: Mohamed Amine Amoura, Nadir Benbouali, Adil Boulbina, Fares Ghedjemis, Amine Gouiri, Riyad Mahrez, Anis Hadj Moussa
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso
Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez
Forwards: Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Nicolas Gonzalez, Thiago Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nicolas Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez
Goalkeepers: Patrick Beach, Paul Izzo, Mathew Ryan
Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Jacob Italiano, Harry Souttar, Kai Trewin
Midfielders: Cameron Devlin, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler
Forwards: Nestory Irankunda, Mathew Leckie, Awer Mabil, Mohamed Toure, Nishan Velupillay, Cristian Volpato, Tete Yengi
Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz, Alexander Schlager, Florian Wiegele
Defenders: David Affengruber, David Alaba, Kevin Danso, Marco Friedl, Philipp Lienhart, Phillipp Mwene, Stefan Posch, Alexander Prass, Michael Svoboda
Midfielders: Christoph Baumgartner, Carney Chukwuemeka, Florian Grillitsch, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Romano Schmid, Alessandro Schopf, Nicolas Seiwald, Paul Wanner, Patrick Wimmer
Forwards: Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch, Sasa Kalajdzic
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Senne Lammens, Mike Penders
Defenders: Timothy Castagne, Zeno Debast, Maxim De Cuyper, Koni De Winter, Brandon Mechele, Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Joaquin Seys, Arthur Theate
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, Amadou Onana, Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel
Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira, Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Trossard
Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj, Martin Zlomislic, Osman Hadzikic
Defenders: Sead Kolasinac, Amar Dedic, Nihad Mujakic, Nikola Katic, Tarik Muharemovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Nidal Celik
Midfielders: Amir Hadziahmetovic, Ivan Sunjic, Ivan Basic, Dzenis Burnic, Ermin Mahmic, Benjamin Tahirovic, Amar Memic, Armin Gigovic, Kerim Alajbegovic, Esmir Bajraktarevic
Forwards: Ermedin Demirovic, Jovo Lukic, Samed Bazdar, Haris Tabakovic, Edin Dzeko
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton
Defenders: Alex Sandro, Bremer, Danilo, Douglas Santos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ibanez, Leo Pereira, Marquinhos, Wesley
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Danilo Santos, Fabinho, Lucas Paqueta
Forwards: Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Neymar Jr, Raphinha, Rayan, Vinicius Jr
Goalkeepers: Dayne St Clair, Maxime Crepeau, Owen Goodman
Defenders: Alistair Johnston, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea, Niko Sigur, Joel Waterman, Luc de Fougerolles, Moise Bombito, Alphonso Davies, Alfie Jones
Midfielders: Stephen Eustaquio, Ismael Kone, Tajon Buchanan, Mathieu Choiniere, Ali Ahmed, Nathan Saliba, Liam Millar, Jacob Shaffelburg, Jonathan Osorio
Attackers: Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, Tani Oluwaseyi, Promise David
Goalkeepers: CJ dos Santos, Marcio Rosa, Vozinha
Defenders: Sidny Cabral, Diney Borges, Logan Costa, Roberto “Pico” Lopes, Steven Moreira, Wagner Pina, Kelvin Pires, Joao Paulo Fernandes, Ianique “Stopira” Tavares
Midfielders: Telmo Arcanjo, Deroy Duarte, Laros Duarte, Jamiro Monteiro, Kevin Pina, Yannick Semedo
Forwards: Gilson Benchimol, Jovane Cabral, Dailon Livramento, Ryan Mendes, Nuno da Costa, Garry Rodrigues, Willy Semedo, Helio Varela
Goalkeepers: Camilo Vargas, Alvaro Montero, David Ospina
Defenders: Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi, Yerry Mina, Willer Ditta, Daniel Munoz, Santiago Arias, Johan Mojica, Deiver Machado
Midfielders: Richard Rios, Jefferson Lerma, Kevin Castano, Juan Camilo Portilla, Gustavo Puerta, Jhon Arias, Jorge Carrascal, Juan Fernando Quintero, James Rodriguez, Jaminton Campaz
Forwards: Juan Camilo Hernandez, Luis Diaz, Luis Suarez, Carlos Gomez, Jhon Cordoba
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Dominik Kotarski, Ivor Pandur
Defenders: Josko Gvardiol, Duje Caleta-Car, Josip Sutalo, Josip Stanisic, Marin Pongracic, Martin Erlic, Luka Vuskovic
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Luka Sucic, Martin Baturina, Kristijan Jakic, Petar Sucic, Nikola Moro, Toni Fruk
Forwards: Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Marco Pasalic, Petar Musa, Igor Matanovic
(Standby: Lovro Majer, Franjo Ivanovic, Dion Drena Beljo, Ivan Smolcic, Karlo Letica, Adrian Segecic, Luka Stojkovic)
Goalkeepers: Tyrick Bodack, Trevor Doornbusch, Eloy Room
Defenders: Riechedly Bazoer, Joshua Brenet, Roshon van Eijma, Sherel Floranus, Deveron Fonville, Jurien Gaari, Armando Obispo, Shurandy Sambo
Midfielders: Juninho Bacuna, Leandro Bacuna, Livano Comenencia, Kevin Felida, Ar’jany Martha, Tyrese Noslin, Godfried Roemeratoe
Forwards: Jeremy Antonisse, Tahith Chong, Kenji Gorre, Sontje Hansen, Gervane Kastaneer, Brandley Kuwas, Jurgen Locadia, Jearl Margaritha
Goalkeepers: Lukas Hornicek, Matej Kovar, Jindrich Stanek
Defenders: Vladimir Coufal, David Doudera, Tomas Holes, Robin Hranac, Stepan Chaloupek, David Jurasek, Ladislav Krejci, Jaroslav Zeleny, David Zima
Midfielders: Lukas Cerv, Vladimir Darida, Lukas Provod, Michal Sadilek, Hugo Sochurek, Alexandr Sojka, Tomas Soucek, Pavel Sulc, Denis Visinsky
Forwards: Adam Hlozek, Tomas Chory, Mojmir Chytil, Jan Kuchta, Patrik Schick
Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo, Timothy Fayulu, Lionel Mpasi
Defenders: Dylan Batubinsika, Gedeon Kalulu, Steve Kapuadi, Joris Kayembe, Arthur Masuaku, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Midfielders: Brian Cipenga, Meshack Elia, Gael Kakuta, Edo Kayembe, Nathanael Mbuku, Samuel Moutoussamy, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Charles Pickel, Noah Sadiki, Aaron Tshibola
Forwards: Cedric Bakambu, Simon Banza, Fiston Mayele, Yoane Wissa, Theo Bongonda
Goalkeepers: Hernan Galindez, Moises Ramirez, Gonzalo Valle
Defenders: Piero Hincapie, Willian Pacho, Pervis Estupinan, Felix Torres, Joel Ordonez, Jackson Porozo, Angelo Preciado, Yaimar Medina
Midfielders: Moises Caicedo, Alan Franco, Kendry Paez, Gonzalo Plata, Pedro Vite, Jordy Alcivar, Denil Castillo, John Yeboah, Nilson Angulo, Alan Minda
Forwards: Enner Valencia, Kevin Rodriguez, Jordy Caicedo, Anthony Valencia, Jeremy Arevalo
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El Mahdy Soliman, Mohamed Alaa
Defenders: Mohamed Abdelmonem, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Ahmed Fattouh, Tarek Alaa, Rami Rabia, Karim Hafez
Midfielders: Marwan Attia, Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”, Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, Emam Ashour, Mostafa Abdel Raouf, Mohannad Lasheen, Haitham Hassan, Mahmoud Saber, Ibrahim Adel, Nabil Emad, Hamdi Fathi
Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Hamza Abdel Karim
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford
Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Nico O’Reilly, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze
Forwards: Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano
Midfielders: N’Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marcus Thuram
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nuebel;
Defenders: Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum, Nathaniel Brown, Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton, Joshua Kimmich, Malick Thiaw, Antonio Rudiger
Midfielders: Pascal Gross, Leon Goretzka, Felix Nmecha, Jamal Musiala, Nadiem Amiri, Jamie Leweling, Lennart Karl, Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sane, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Angelo Stiller
Forwards: Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, Deniz Undav, Maximilian Beier
Goalkeepers: Joseph Anang, Benjamin Asare, Lawrence Ati-Zigi
Defenders: Jonas Adjetey, Derrick Luckassen, Gideon Mensah, Abdul Mumin, Jerome Opoku, Kojo Oppong Preprah, Baba Abdul Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Marvin Senaya
Midfielders: Augustine Boakye, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Elisha Owusu, Thomas Partey, Kwasi Sibo, Kamal Deen Sulemana, Caleb Yirenkyi
Forwards: Prince Kwabena Adu, Jordan Ayew, Christopher Bonsu Baah, Ernest Nuamah, Antoine Semenyo, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Inaki Williams
Goalkeepers: Josue Duverger, Alexandre Pierre, Johny Placide
Defenders: Ricardo Ade, Carlens Arcus, Hannes Delcroix, Jean-Kevin Duverne, Martin Experience, Duke Lacroix, Wilguens Paugain, Keeto Thermoncy
Midfielders: Carl Fred Sainte, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Leverton Pierre, Danley Jean Jacques, Woodensky Pierre, Dominique Simon
Forwards: Josue Casimir, Louicius Deedson, Derrick Etienne Jr., Yassin Fortune, Wilson Isidor, Lenny Joseph, Duckens Nazon, Frantzdy Pierrot, Ruben Providence
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand
Defenders: Danial Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Ramin Rezaeian
Midfielders: Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mehdi Ghaedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, Aria Yousefi
Forwards: Ali Alipour, Dennis Dargahi, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Mehdi Taremi, Shahriar Moghanlou
Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Basil
Defenders: Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski, Ahmed Yahya, Zaid Ismail, Frans Putros, Mustafa Saadoon
Midfielders: Amir Al Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasim, Youssef Amyn, Marko Farji
Forwards: Ali Jassim, Ali Al Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali
Goalkeepers: Yahia Fofana, Mohamed Kone, Alban Lafont
Defenders: Emmanuel Agbadou, Christopher Operi, Ousmane Diomande, Guela Doue, Ghislain Konan, Odilon Kossounou, Wilfried Singo, Evan Ndicka
Midfielders: Seko Fofana, Parfait Guiagon, Christ Inao Oulai, Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Jean Michael Seri
Forwards: Simon Adingra, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Amad Diallo, Oumar Diakite, Yan Diomande, Evann Guessand, Nicolas Pepe, Bazoumana Toure, Elye Wahi
(Reserves: Christopher Operi, Malick Yalcouye, Martial Godo, Sebastien Haller)
Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki
Defenders: Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Midfielders: Ritsu Doan, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Ao Tanaka
Forwards: Keisuke Goto, Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Kento Shiogai, Yuito Suzuki, Ayase Ueda
Goalkeepers: Yazid Abulaila, Noor Bani Attiah, Abdallah Al Fakhouri
Defenders: Mohammad Abu Hashish, Abdullah Nasib, Hussam Abu Dhahab, Yazan Al Arab, Mohammad Abu Alnadi, Salem Obaid, Saed Al Rosan, Ehsan Haddad, Anas Badawi
Midfielders: Amer Jamous, Noor Al Rawabdeh, Rajaei Ayed, Ibrahim Sadeh, Mohannad Abu Taha, Nizar Al Rashdan, Mohammad Al Dawoud, Mahmoud Mardahi
Forwards: Mohammad Abu Zraiq, Ali Olwan, Mousa Al Tamari, Odeh Fakhoury, Ibrahim Sabra, Ali Azaizeh
Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel, Guillermo Ochoa, Carlos Acevedo
Defenders: Jorge Sanchez, Israel Reyes, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez, Jesus Gallardo, Mateo Chavez, Edson Alvarez
Midfielders: Erik Lira, Orbelin Pineda, Alvaro Fidalgo, Brian Gutierrez, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Gilberto Mora, Luis Chavez
Forwards: Roberto Alvarado, Cesar Huerta, Alexis Vega, Julian Quinones, Guillermo Martinez, Armando Gonzalez, Santiago Gimenez, Raul Jimenez
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou, Munir El Kajoui, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders: Noussair Mazraoui, Anas Salah-Eddine, Youssef Bellammari, Achraf Hakimi, Zakaria El Ouahdi, Nayef Aguerd, Chadi Riad, Redouane Halhal, Issa Diop
Midfielders: Samir El Mourabet, Ayoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui, Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss, Ismael Saibari
Forwards: Abdesamad Ezzalzouli, Chemsdine Talbi, Soufiane Rahimi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Brahim Diaz, Yassine Gessim, Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab
Goalkeepers: Mark Flekken, Robin Roefs, Bart Verbruggen
Defenders: Nathan Ake, Virgil van Dijk, Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Jurrien Timber, Jorrel Hato, Micky van de Ven
Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners, Tijjani Reijnders, Marten de Roon, Guus Til, Quinten Timber, Mats Wieffer
Forwards: Brian Brobbey, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo, Noa Lang, Donyell Malen, Crysencio Summerville, Wout Weghorst, Justin Kluivert
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Woud
Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman
Midfielders: Lachlan Bayliss, Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Eli Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Marko Stamenic, Sarpreet Singh, Ryan Thomas
Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Jesse Randall, Ben Waine, Chris Wood
Goalkeepers: Orjan Haskjold Nyland, Egil Selvik, Sander Tangvik
Defenders: Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer, Fredrik Bjorkan, Henrik Falchener, Sondre Langas, Torbjorn Heggem, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, Julian Ryerson, David Moller Wolfe, Leo Ostigard
Midfielders: Thelonious Aasgaard, Fredrik Aursnes, Patrick Berg, Sander Berge, Oscar Bobb, Jens Petter Hauge, Antonio Nusa, Andreas Schjelderup, Morten Thorsby, Kristian Thorstvedt, Martin Odegaard
Forwards: Erling Haaland, Alexander Sorloth, Jorgen Strand Larsen
Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Luis Mejia, Cesar Samudio
Defenders: Cesar Blackman, Jorge Gutierrez, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Andres Andrade, Edgardo Farina, Jose Cordoba, Eric Davis, Jiovany Ramos, Roderick Miller
Midfielders: Anibal Godoy, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Carlos Harvey, Cristian Martinez, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Cesar Yanis, Yoel Barcenas, Alberto Quintero, Azarias Londono
Forwards: Ismael Diaz, Cecilio Waterman, Jose Fajardo, Tomas Rodriguez
Goalkeepers: Orlando Gill, Roberto Fernandez, Gaston Olveira
Defenders: Juan Caceres, Gustavo Velazquez, Gustavo Gomez, Junior Alonso, Jose Canale, Omar Alderete, Alexandro Maidana, Fabian Balbuena
Midfielders: Diego Gomez, Mauricio Magalhaes, Damian Bobadilla, Braian Ojeda, Andres Cubas, Matias Galarza, Alejandro Gamarra
Forwards: Gustavo Caballero, Ramon Sosa, Alex Arce, Isidro Pitta, Gabriel Avalos, Miguel Almiron, Julio Enciso, Antonio Sanabria
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Silva
Defenders: Tomas Araujo, Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Ruben Dias, Goncalo Inacio, Nuno Mendes, Matheus Nunes, Nelson Semedo, Renato Veiga
Midfielders: Samuel Costa, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha
Forwards: Francisco Conceicao, Joao Felix, Goncalo Guedes, Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, Goncalo Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Francisco Trincao
Goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria, Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada
Defenders: Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Sultan Al Brake, Al Hashmi Al Hussain, Ayoub Al Alawi, Issa Laye, Lucas Mendes, Homam Al Amin
Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi, Jassim Gaber, Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem, Karim Boudiaf, Mohammed Mannai
Forwards: Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Tahsin Mohammed, Edmilson Junior, Ahmed Al-Janehi, Ahmed Alaa, Hassan Al Haydos, Mohammed Muntari, Yusuf Abdurisag
Goalkeepers: Nawaf Al Aqidi, Mohamed Al Owais, Ahmed Alkassar
Defenders: Saud Abdulhamid, Jehad Thakri, Abdulelah Al Amri, Hassan Tambakti, Ali Lajami, Hassan Kadesh, Moteb Al Harbi, Nawaf Boushal, Ali Majrashi, Mohammed Abu Alshamat
Midfielders: Ziyad Al Johani, Nasser Al Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Alaa Al Hejji, Musab Al Juwayr, Sultan Mandash, Ayman Yahya, Khalid Al Ghannam
Forwards: Salem Al Dawsari, Abdullah Al Hamdan, Feras Al Brikan, Saleh Al Shehri
Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn, Liam Kelly
Defenders: Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Aaron Hickey, Dom Hyam, Scott McKenna, Nathan Patterson, Anthony Ralston, Andy Robertson, John Souttar, Kieran Tierney
Midfielders: Ryan Christie, Findlay Curtis, Lewis Ferguson, Tyler Fletcher, Ben Gannon-Doak, John McGinn, Kenny McLean, Scott McTominay
Forwards: Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst, Lawrence Shankland, Ross Stewart
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Mory Diaw, Yehvann Diouf
Defenders: Krepin Diatta, Antoine Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mamadou Sarr, Moussa Niakhate, Abdoulaye Seck, Ismail Jakobs
Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye, Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra, Pathe Ciss, Pape Matar Sarr, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye
Forwards: Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Assane Diao, Ibrahim Mbaye, Nicolas Jackson, Bamba Dieng, Cherif Ndiaye
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine
Defenders: Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, Khulumani Ndamane, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Bradley Cross, Samukele Kabini, Olwethu Makhanya, Thabang Matuludi, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon
Midfielders: Oswin Appollis, Thalente Mbatha, Relebohile Mofokeng, Jayden Adams, Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane, Sphephelo Sithole
Forwards: Evidence Makgopa, Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster, Thapelo Maseko, Iqraam Rayners
Goalkeepers: Song Bumkeun, Jo Hyeonwoo, Kim Seung-gyu
Defenders: Jens Castrop, Lee Hanbeom, Park Jinseob, Lee Kihyuk, Kim Minjae, Kim Moonhwan, Kim Taehyeon, Lee Taeseok, Seol Youngwoo, Cho Wije
Midfielders: Lee Donggyeong, Hwang Heechan, Yang Hyunjun, Hwang Inbeom, Lee Jaesung, Kim Jingyu, Eom Jisung, Bae Junho, Lee Kangin, Paik Seungho
Forwards: Cho Guesung, Son Heungmin, Oh Hyeongyu
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia
Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Alejandro Grimaldo, Pedro Porro, Eric Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill
Midfielders: Gavi, Rodri, Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Alex Baena, Mikel Merino
Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Yeremy Pino, Borja Iglesias, Victor Munoz
Goalkeepers: Viktor Johansson, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Jacob Zetterstrom
Defenders: Hjalmar Ekdal, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Isak Hien, Victor Lindelof, Eric Smith, Carl Starfelt, Daniel Svensson
Midfielders: Yasin Ayari, Lucas Bergvall, Jesper Karlstrom, Benjamin Nygren, Ken Sema, Elliot Stroud, Mattias Svanberg, Besfort Zeneli
Forwards: Taha Ali, Alexander Bernhardsson, Anthony Elanga, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Gustaf Nilsson
Goalkeepers: Marvin Keller, Gregor Kobel, Yvon Mvogo
Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Aurele Amenda, Eray Comert, Nico Elvedi, Luca Jaquez, Miro Muheim, Ricardo Rodriguez, Silvan Widmer
Midfielders: Michel Aebischer, Christian Fassnacht, Remo Freuler, Ardon Jashari, Fabian Rieder, Djibril Sow, Cedric Itten, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria
Forwards: Ruben Vargas, Zeki Amdouni, Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye, Noah Okafor, Johan Manzambi
Goalkeepers: Sabri Ben Hessen, Abdelmouhib Chamakh, Aymen Dahman
Defenders: Ali Abdi, Adem Arous, Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Dylan Bronn, Raed Chikhaoui, Moutaz Neffati, Omar Rekik, Montassar Talbi, Yan Valery
Midfielders: Mortadha Ben Ouanes, Anis Ben Slimane, Ismael Gharbi, Rani Khedira, Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud, Hannibal Mejbri, Ellyes Skhiri
Forwards: Elias Achouri, Khalil Ayari, Firas Chaouat, Rayan Elloumi, Hazem Mastouri, Elias Saad, Sebastian Tounekti
Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir, Mert Gunok, Ugurcan Cakir
Defenders: Abdulkerim Bardakci, Caglar Soyuncu, Eren Elmali, Ferdi Kadioglu, Merih Demiral, Mert Muldur, Ozan Kabak, Samet Akaydin, Zeki Celik
Midfielders: Hakan Calhanoglu, Ismail Yuksek, Kaan Ayhan, Orkun Kokcu, Salih Ozcan
Forwards: Arda Guler, Baris Alper Yilmaz, Can Uzun, Deniz Gul, Irfan Can Kahveci, Kenan Yildiz, Kerem Akturkoglu, Oguz Aydin, Yunus Akgun
Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet, Fernando Muslera, Santiago Mele
Defenders: Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, Santiago Bueno, Sebastian Caceres, Mathias Olivera, Joaquin Piquerez, Matias Vina
Midfielders: Maximiliano Araujo, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Rodrigo Bentancur, Agustin Canobbio, Nicolas de la Cruz, Emiliano Martinez, Facundo Pellistri, Brian Rodriguez, Juan Manuel Sanabria, Manuel Ugarte, Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Zalazar
Forwards: Rodrigo Aguirre, Federico Vinas, Darwin Nunez
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Matt Turner
Defenders: Max Arfsten, Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty
Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Cristian Roldan, Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah, Alejandro Zendejas
Forwards: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright
Goalkeepers: Botirali Ergashev, Abduvohid Nematov, Utkir Yusupov
Defenders: Abdukodir Khusanov, Khojiakbar Alijonov, Rustamjon Ashurmatov, Farrukh Sayfiev, Sherzod Nasrullaev, Umarbek Eshmuradov, Avazbek Ulmasaliev, Jakhongir Urozov, Bekhruz Karimov, Abdulla Abdullaev
Midfielders: Akmal Mozgovoy, Otabek Shukurov, Jamshid Iskanderov, Odiljon Hamrobekov, Jaloliddin Masharipov, Azizbek Ganiev, Sherzod Esanov, Abbosbek Fayzullaev
Forwards: Azizbek Amonov, Eldor Shomurodov, Igor Sergeev, Oston Urunov, Dostonbek Hamdamov
The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11. You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary, and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.
Teachers marched in Mexico City demanding better pay and pensions, warning of further protests ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Al Jazeera’s Julia Galiano reports police fired tear gas after some demonstrators pushed through barricades near a FIFA fan zone.
Published On 2 Jun 20262 Jun 2026
Share
Less than two hours after polling stations closed on Sunday, it was clear that Colombia’s presidential race would be settled in a run-off between two finalists: hard-right political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda.
Though the overall result surprised few, de la Espriella’s strong showing upended pollsters’ predictions.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Cepeda, President Gustavo Petro’s chosen successor, had been expected to win the most votes, based on public opinion surveys.
But instead, de la Espriella came in first place, winning 43.74 percent of the vote. Cepeda trailed with 40.90 percent.
Supporters of de la Espriella, a criminal defence lawyer, held rapturous celebrations in the coastal city of Barranquilla, where the candidate has an office.
“Colombia won, and with more than 10 million votes, democracy won,” said Elsa Suarez, a de la Espriella voter living in Bogota.
The far-right candidate has modelled himself after politicians like Donald Trump in the United States and Javier Milei in Argentina, flamboyant media personalities who won the presidency despite having little to no political experience.
Like them, de la Espriella has pledged a return to “law and order”, as well as a pared-back national government and policies to support traditional family values.
Notably, he promises to use an “iron fist” to stamp out crime and build megaprisons to jail criminals, mimicking the policies of Salvadoran strongman Nayib Bukele.
Analysts say de la Espriella’s populist messaging resonated with voters in Colombia’s interior, where urban crime is a growing concern.
Electoral maps show de la Espriella besting Cepeda in 16 of the country’s 32 departments, primarily in the heart of Colombia and along the border with Venezuela.
“In more central areas and closer to the capitals, people prioritise security,” explained Laura Bonilla, the deputy director at the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation (PARES), a Bogota-based research nonprofit.
By contrast, de la Espriella’s security messaging failed to sway voters along the coast and in border areas afflicted by rebel violence.
Bonilla argues that people in these regions instead place greater value on the socioeconomic issues that Cepeda represents, as the continuity candidate for Petro’s Historic Pact party.
“Over the past four years, they have received constant attention from the government,” said Bonilla, citing state development projects under the Petro administration.
De la Espriella’s success also highlights growing anti-establishment sentiment in Colombia, according to experts.
The lawyer, who has never run for public office before, comfortably beat his main rival on the right, Senator Paloma Valencia, who was backed by former President Alvaro Uribe, the figurehead of Colombian conservatism.
Initially, Sunday’s election was predicted to be a close race between Valencia and de la Espriella, both of whom lagged behind Cepeda in the polls.
But as Sunday’s ballots were tallied, Valencia flopped with less than 7 percent of the vote.
Miguel Silva, a Colombian political consultant, credited some of de la Espriella’s success to his campaign messaging.
De la Espriella, he explained, used his campaign to draw a distinction between the haves and the have-nots, those who have benefitted from the government and those who feel ignored.
“He [succeeded] by portraying himself and the people he represents as ‘Los Nunca’ and by portraying Paloma and her followers as ‘Los Siempre’,” Silva said, using the Spanish words for “The Nevers” and “The Always”.
Pollsters predicted the right would be divided in the first round, paving the way for Cepeda to win the most votes, but de la Espriella captured millions of votes from traditional conservatives, marking a shift in Colombia’s political landscape.
In Bogota, the only province in the country’s interior to vote for Cepeda, the left-wing candidate’s supporters were shocked by Sunday’s results.
“Everyone is a little surprised,” said Juan Camilo Rodriguez, who voted for Cepeda. “These results don’t match the polls.”
Petro himself had hammered his base to flood the polls, warning that the left’s chances of success could be hampered by electoral fraud.
The outgoing president rejected last night’s results, which were based on the “pre-conteo”, or preliminary count, a non-legally binding process.
Instead, Petro called on the public to wait for the official, scrutinised count, which will be released in the coming days.
Cepeda echoed the president’s scepticism in a speech on Sunday night. “Only once the vote-counting committees have fully, clearly, and thoroughly clarified this matter, will we comment on tonight’s results,” he told supporters.
But the candidate appeared to mellow his stance this morning, acknowledging that there was no evidence of irregularities in the vote. He trailed de la Espriella by more than 670,000 votes.
Experts warn that Cepeda is losing precious time by focusing on fraud allegations and should instead concentrate on swaying moderate voters.
“By crying fraud so early, it’s hard to bring more voters to the table,” said Silva.
A second round of voting, between Cepeda and de la Espriella, is scheduled for June 21.
Up for grabs are more than a million votes for centrist candidate Sergio Fajardo and 1.6 million for Paloma Valencia. While Valencia endorsed de la Espriella, her running mate, moderate politician Juan Daniel Oviedo, did not.
Miguel Jaramillo Lujan, a Colombian political strategist, said the final two candidates must tread carefully in the next three weeks to prevail.
“As the saying goes, whoever makes fewer mistakes will be the winner.”
Far-right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella will face left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda in the run-off for Colombia’s presidential election next month. Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo explains what this means for Colombians.
Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026
Share
Colombia’s election heads to a June 21 runoff after a tight first round between Abelardo de la Espriella and Ivan Cepeda. The night was marked by mutual accusations, with Cepeda calling for verification of results and De la Espriella celebrating his lead.
Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026
Share
Netflix’s latest worldwide wager is a menu of programming designed to feed the building fútbol frenzy that will explode in mid-June, when the FIFA World Cup begins. They might even win some Stateside converts ahead of the platform’s presentation of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League finals in 2027 and 2029.
“We say our goal is to entertain the world; in order to [do that], we need to entertain every single country” where Netflix has a presence, says Francisco Ramos, the streamer’s vice president of original content, Latin America. “Our superpower is that we’re so deeply rooted into local storytelling, then that becomes global.
“Netflix is uniquely qualified at building global audiences” for international sports content, he says. “We are very conscious and deliberate about it.”
Not that original sports content is anything new for the streamer; its first-ever original international series, “Club de Cuervos,” was a Mexican dramedy about a soccer club. But this salvo is precision-guided to hit as about 5 billion viewers get hyped for the global tournament.
“Four years ago, during the World Cup, we launched [an Argentine] documentary called ‘Sean eternos: Campeones de América’ [‘Captains of the World’], and it was massive, and then Argentina ended up winning a few months later,” says Ramos. “Right now, as the World Cup arrives, it’s very passionate.”
It’s not just Latin America that’s being targeted with new programming: There’s a trio of documentaries about Jamie Vardy, Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League-winning team and footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones under the “Untold UK” banner; “Poldi,” on German superstar Lukas Podolski; and “The Bus: A French Football Mutiny,” about the national team’s rocky 2010 World Cup journey.
A scene from “USA ’94: Brazil’s Return to Glory.”
(Netflix)
For fans, the slate offers documentaries on landmark moments in Cup history (“USA ’94: Brazil’s Return to Glory”), superstar players (“Emi Martínez: The Kid Who Stops Time” and “James”) and even up-and-comers in a prestigious amateur tournament in Brazil (“The Root of the Game”).
But for the uninitiated, apart from the streamer’s FIFA soccer simulation game coming this summer, the gateway drug may be “Ronaldinho: The One and Only.” The doc spotlights one of the most improvisational and dynamic players ever, soccer’s Magic Johnson. The legendary attacking midfielder was a wizard on the pitch and a charisma machine off it.
“Ronaldinho retired from soccer [in 2018], and he’s still in the mainstream. He has 80 million followers on Instagram,” says Luis Ara, director of “Ronaldinho” and “USA ‘94.” “You have [superstars Lionel] Messi and Neymar [da Silva Santos Júnior] talking about him like he’s God.
“He was always so cool … for him, it was not only about winning a game; it was also about entertaining the people.”
Scripted offerings include the feature “Mexico ’86,” starring a wildly hustling Diego Luna. It’s a nasty comedy about the wheeling and dealing (and outright bribery) that landed Mexico the right to host its second World Cup. Non-soccer fans might enjoy the snarky dialogue and bare-knuckled machinations — it plays like a Spanish-language, soccer-themed “Succession” or “Marty Supreme.”
“Brazil ’70: The Third Star” is a miniseries about that country’s campaign to win a third World Cup, led by a name even non-fans know: Pelé. Rodrigo Santoro stars as Coach João Saldanha.
“Brazil was in the midst of the dictatorship; they had to somehow generate some sort of national pride,” says Ramos. “The only thing that unites Brazilians 100% is their team. It becomes this compelling thing about how society is so intertwined with sports, and how sports are so intertwined with politics in Latin America.”
Soccer superstar Ronaldinho Gaúcho is interviewed in the new Netflix documentary “Ronaldinho.”
(Netflix)
When soccer is the No. 1 sport in so many nations, why isn’t it bigger here?
It might have to do with the U.S. not having been a major player on the world stage, at least on the men’s side. The men’s team’s highest World Cup finish in the modern era is the quarterfinals in 2002, while U.S. women’s teams have won a record four World Cups. But the men have qualified for the tournament this year — which will be played partially in the States — and analysts say the team has improved, though they’re no one’s favorites to win it all.
Ramos says if American audiences stop seeing it as a competition between football and fútbol, they might come to appreciate soccer’s nuances.
“Take a look at the last 20 minutes of the World Cup four years ago, between France and Argentina. It’s the most extraordinary, beautiful art of people moving, and moving in extraordinary coordination. It’s like, the most-watched online thing ever.”
Beyond Netflix’s big bet on the World Cup slate, it’s not hard to get Ramos and Ara to make further wagers on this year’s tournament.
“Four teams have huge chances to win: Spain, France, Argentina and Brazil,” says Ara. “My heart is with Uruguay, but I don’t know if we’re gonna have a chance. Because of my bond with Brazil nowadays, I wish they could win again. A player once said to me, ‘Brazil is the second national team for any fútbol supporter.’ ”
“Oh my God, I will get in trouble,” says Ramos. “I’m Mexican, and it takes place in Mexico [and the U.S. and Canada], but … I’m gonna go with Argentina. My No. 2 would be Brazil.”
Colombia’s presidential election is headed to a runoff on June 21. Far-right outsider, Abelardo de la Espriella, will face leftist senator, Ivan Cepeda. Professor Jorge Restrepo describes de la Espriella’s rise in the polls as a punishment vote against Colombia’s long-established political class.
Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026
Share
Cuba has begun distributing donated powdered milk from Mexico and Uruguay as the island faces severe shortages and a deepening economic crisis. Officials say young children, pregnant women and paediatric facilities will be prioritised.
Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026
Share
Far-right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella will face left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda in the run-off for Colombia’s presidential election next month.
After polls closed on Sunday, the two candidates quickly surged ahead in the vote tally, extinguishing the hopes of right-wing Senator Paloma Valencia, a former frontrunner.
list of 3 itemsend of list
As of Sunday afternoon, with 99 percent of the votes tallied, de la Espriella took the lead, with 43 percent of the ballots cast in his favour.
Cepeda trailed him by more than 600,000 votes, earning 40 percent support.
Neither candidate breached the 50-percent threshold needed to avoid a head-to-head match-up on June 21. But the results are likely to buoy de la Espriella’s campaign going into the final round.
Cepeda had consistently topped public opinion polls in the final weeks before the vote. A May 24 poll from the National Consulting Centre (CNC) showed him with more than 33 percent support, ahead of de la Espriella’s 30.9 percent.
Questions about security were at the forefront of voters’ concerns going into Sunday’s election.
De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who has never held elected office, leaned heavily into fears of crime as he launched an outsider campaign, similar to the dark-horse bid of Argentinian President Javier Milei.
By contrast, Cepeda is a well-known quantity in Colombian politics. His father was a senator, too, before he was assassinated in 1994, in what was widely considered to be an act of political violence.
Cepeda himself has served as a senator since 2014. Before that, he served in the Chamber of Deputies, representing the capital, Bogota.
During his political career, he became embroiled in a long-running legal dispute with former right-wing President Alvaro Uribe, whom he accused of complicity with right-wing paramilitaries.
Uribe initially sued Cepeda for defamation, but in a dramatic twist, Colombia’s Supreme Court dismissed the charge and instead investigated Uribe for witness tampering.
While Uribe was initially found guilty and sentenced to 12 years of house arrest, an appeals court ultimately struck down the verdict, citing procedural errors, including insufficient evidence.
Central to the rift in Colombia’s politics is the country’s six-decade-long internal conflict.
Since 1964, criminal networks, government forces, left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries have all jockeyed against one another for power and territory.
Cepeda has been critical of right-wing efforts to solve the conflict through military might alone.
Instead, he has allied himself with Colombia’s outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, the first left-wing figure ever elected to the country’s highest office.
A former rebel fighter, Petro has championed a policy he calls “Total Peace”, which actively seeks negotiated solutions to the fighting.
While critics have questioned the efficacy of “Total Peace”, pointing to a recent uptick in violence, Cepeda has nevertheless pledged to carry it forward. He represents Petro’s left-wing Historic Pact party in this year’s election.
In an interview this month with CNN, Cepeda acknowledged the policy’s “immense challenges”, saying: “We cannot continue to develop conversations that do not yield clear results.”
But he rejected overly militaristic solutions, as well as the prospect of intervention by the United States. The US-led “war on drugs”, Cepeda said, has “failed spectacularly”.
De la Espriella, meanwhile, has embraced the kind of hardline security platform commonly associated with El Salvador’s leader, Nayib Bukele.
His platform includes a pledge to crack down on crime and build 10 megaprisons in Colombia.
Nicknamed “The Tiger”, he founded the Defenders of the Homeland political party and is known to rally with the slogan, “Stand firm for the nation”.
“The only peace process I believe in is one imposed by the force of arms and the laws of the republic,” de la Espriella told The Associated Press news agency this month.
Like US President Donald Trump, de la Espriella has also threatened to launch a bombing campaign to disrupt drug-trafficking, killing suspects by downing planes and shooting boats.
But such campaigns have been widely denounced as a form of extrajudicial killing, effectively denying suspects the chance of defending themselves in a court of law.
More than 23.6 million Colombians voted in Sunday’s election, though there was a high number of blank or nullified ballots.
Early estimates, with 99 percent of ballots tallied, indicate that 245,342 voting sheets were null, and another 406,830 were left blank.
The second round is likely to be an uphill battle for Cepeda. Colombia’s right-wing is expected to consolidate behind de la Espriella in the second round.
In Sunday’s vote count, more than 10.3 million ballots were cast for de la Espriella, compared with roughly 9.7 million for Cepeda.
A victory for the right would continue a regional trend in Latin America. Last year alone, left-wing governments in Chile, Honduras and Bolivia were all replaced by right-wing presidential contenders.
De la Espriella signalled his optimism about the second round in a social media post as the results rolled in.
“We are going to defeat tyranny and absolutism,” de la Espriella wrote. “We have advanced to the run-off thanks to the more than 10 million Colombians who answered the roar. In 21 days, we will make history!”
Colombians headed to the polls to choose a new president in a high-stakes election that will determine whether the country continues the left-wing agenda launched by Gustavo Petro or shifts back to the political right.
Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026
Share
Ten years after Colombia’s landmark peace agreement, former president Juan Manuel Santos assesses its legacy. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate discusses renewed violence, political divisions and what Colombia’s experience can teach a world facing growing conflict.
Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026
Share
In 2025, Brazil’s deadliest police raid killed 120 people and exposed a pattern of mishandled evidence and impunity.
On October 28, 2025, more than 2,500 police officers launched a massive raid on two favelas in Rio de Janeiro. They were targeting leaders of Red Command, one of Brazil’s largest drug trafficking groups. By the end of the day, more than 120 people were dead, making it Brazil’s bloodiest police operation.
In the aftermath, police withdrew without securing the scene. Bodies were left behind, and forensic teams never arrived. Residents recovered the dead themselves, which erased critical evidence of what happened.
Through exclusive reporting, Fault Lines reconstructs the case of Douglas de Almeida da Silva, a father and small business owner shot by police that night. Officers say he fired first, but forensic analysis and witness footage raise serious questions about their account.
The raid reflects a broader pattern in Rio, where police routinely fail to preserve crime scenes, undermining investigations and shielding officers from accountability.
Despite repeated deadly raids, gangs continue to control the favelas, raising questions about whether these operations curb the violence or simply add to it.
Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026
Share
On Sunday, voters in the South American country of Colombia are facing a choice.
Four years ago, they elected the first left-wing president in the country’s modern history, Gustavo Petro. Now, they must decide whether to continue with Petro’s leftist push — or restore the political right to power.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Fourteen candidates will be on the ballot for the first round of voting in Colombia’s presidential election. The packed field includes contenders from the left, right and centre, who are slated to face off over issues like security and the cost of living.
But Petro will not be among them: Presidents in Colombia are limited to a single four-year term.
The right wing is expected to have the advantage, particularly if the race proceeds to a second round. Petro is struggling with low poll numbers, and voters have expressed frustration with crime and violence, driven in part by the country’s six-decade-long internal conflict.
But leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda has surprised observers, consistently placing at the top of the polls ahead of the first round.
When is the election, who are the candidates, and which issues are top of mind for voters? We look at those questions and more in this brief explainer.
The first round of voting is set to take place on May 31, 2026.
A candidate would need to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round to avoid a run-off.
If no single candidate meets that threshold, a run-off will be held between the top two finishers on June 21.
In recent years, across Latin America, long-entrenched left-wing governments have met defeat at the ballot box.
Last year alone, right-wing candidates have been elected to replace left-wing presidents in Bolivia, Chile and Honduras.
But Colombia does not have a long history of left-wing presidents. Petro was the first. That makes this race one to watch, according to Gimena Sanchez, a Colombia expert at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a human rights nonprofit.
“This is the first election to be held after the first-ever leftist administration in Colombia’s 200-year history,” Sanchez explained.
Colombia now stands at a fork in the road. One of the dominant issues in the election is how to resolve the country’s internal conflict, which forced more than 235,619 individuals from their homes in 2025.
Another 87,069 people were caught up in mass displacement events due to the fighting, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Petro has embraced negotiation as a tool to end the conflict, which has seen government forces, criminal networks, left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries all battling one another.
But the political right has advocated a return to the more militarised approach backed by the United States, according to Sanchez.
“The leading candidates fall into two camps: continuity with the leftist government of Petro and an approach to security that focuses on negotiations with armed groups, and right-wing candidates who very much want to go back to a hardline security model that Colombia had in the past,” Sanchez said.
“You have polar opposite visions for the country.”
Senator Ivan Cepeda has emerged as the primary candidate of the political left, running as the head of the governing coalition, known as Historic Pact.
Cepeda has largely pledged continuity with Petro’s platform, including social and economic policies meant to reduce inequality.
He has also embraced Petro’s “Total Peace” approach, which aims to resolve the country’s internal fighting by negotiating with armed groups and criminal networks, as opposed to solely relying on military force.
Confronting state-backed violence has become a hallmark of Cepeda’s life and career.
His father, who was also a senator, is believed to have been assassinated by a government-backed paramilitary. For years, Cepeda was also embroiled in a legal battle for accusing former President Alvaro Uribe of connections to right-wing paramilitaries.
While Cepeda has become the standard-bearer for the left, the political right has had to contend with a more fractured field of candidates.
Running on the far right is Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer for the Defenders of the Homeland Party who has generated comparisons with Salvadoran President Salvador Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei.
Like those leaders, de la Espriella has offered a hardline vision for his country’s security. If elected, he says he would end negotiations with armed groups, bomb rebel camps, and resume the aerial fumigation of coca crops, which produce the raw material for cocaine.
Senator Paloma Valencia, a candidate with the Democratic Centre Party, is running as a more moderate alternative to de la Espriella. She too has promised a stricter approach to crime. Her platform involves expanding the police and armed forces, while cutting taxes and promoting pro-business policies in the economic realm.
Their election-season competition has become a source of acrimony for Valencia and de la Espriella, who have accused each other of paving the way for a leftist election victory.
“There is a more familiar, establishment right, represented by Valencia, and a far right in the form of de la Espriella, who pitches himself as an outsider,” said Sanchez.
Valencia, for her part, has criticised de la Espriella as two-faced, defending criminals in his legal practice but advocating for tighter security on the campaign trail.
De la Espriella, meanwhile, has dismissed Valencia as a member of the country’s political establishment and chided her in a social media post, stating that the presidential election is “not for little games”.
Polls generally show Cepeda ahead of his rivals, with de la Espriella in second place and Valencia in third.
A May 24 poll from the National Consulting Centre (CNC) and the publication Cambio suggested that Cepeda had drawn 33.4 percent of voter support, the most of any candidate.
But de la Espriella was on the upswing with 30.9 percent. Valencia, meanwhile, trailed with 12.6 percent.
The same surveys, however, suggest that Cepeda would struggle to win a run-off against either of the two right-wing candidates, with de la Espriella eking out about three points in a head-to-head contest, and Valencia coming within a percentage point of victory.
Undecided voters could play a key role in deciding the outcome, though. An analysis cited by the Spanish paper El Pais estimates that undecided voters could account for as much as 28 percent of the electorate.
Concerns over crime, security and economic issues like unemployment and affordability have dominated the election.
In a poll from the firm Invamer, the highest proportion of voters — 37 percent — identified security as the top issue facing the country.
Basic needs and unemployment ranked second and third, with 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Eleven percent of voters, meanwhile, named corruption as a leading concern.
The threat of violence has lingered over the presidential campaign over the past year.
Two political staffers with de la Espriella’s campaign were killed by gunmen on motorbikes earlier this month. And in June 2025, presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot while leaving a campaign rally. The 39-year-old died two months later from his injuries.
Political violence is a serious concern in Colombia, and all of the frontrunners in the race travel with heavy security.
The president of Brazil, left-wing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has denounced a decision by the United States to designate two of the South American country’s criminal networks as “terrorists”, warning that the label could be a “setback” for local law enforcement efforts.
The condemnation came in a 435-word message posted to Lula’s social media platforms on Friday.
list of 3 itemsend of list
In it, Lula drew a line between criminal activities and international terrorism, which is often understood to use violence for political or social aims.
“The terror inflicted by these organisations upon communities seeks to generate profit through crime — specifically through drug and arms trafficking,” Lula wrote.
Those activities, however violent, “must not be conflated with the ideologically, politically, or religiously motivated actions characteristic of international terrorism”, he added.
Lula’s statements came in response to an announcement a day earlier from the administration of US President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that he had designated Brazil’s two largest criminal groups — the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Comando Vermelho (CV) — “specially designated global terrorists”.
He also outlined plans to add the two groups to the list of “foreign terrorist organisations”, effective June 5.
Rumours had swirled for months that the Trump administration would apply the “terrorist” label to the two groups. But Lula and his ministers had pushed back, calling on Trump to hold off.
“Terrorist” designations freeze all US-based assets connected to the targeted groups, but they can also be used to penalise anyone who offers “material support or resources” to them.
Experts warn that such restrictions could potentially affect financial institutions and even the victims of such groups, including businesses and individuals who might be forced to pay extortion.
Lula has also expressed concern that the “terrorist” label could pave the way for US military intervention, a fear he reiterated in Friday’s statement, though he never named Trump outright.
“We remain fully prepared to develop joint solutions that yield mutual benefits for all nations involved,” Lula wrote.
“However, we will not tolerate the imposition of arbitrary measures from abroad, nor will we accept their use as a pretext to undermine our sovereignty or our economy. Unilateral, non-negotiated measures can undermine the fight against criminals and trigger actions that endanger the lives of people who have absolutely no connection to crime.”
A prominent left-wing leader in Latin America, Lula is in the midst of a heated election season, as he seeks a fourth nonconsecutive term as Brazil’s president.
Previously, he served as president from 2003 to 2011, before being re-elected to a third term in 2022.
In that race, he defeated the right-wing incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, who would later be convicted of attempting to overturn the results of the race. Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence.
His eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is thought to have been instrumental in Trump’s decision to issue the “terrorist” designations. The senator is currently running against Lula in the 2026 presidential election, and the two have been locked in a tight race.
This week, as he visited the White House, Senator Bolsonaro confirmed to reporters that he intended to seek “terrorist” designations for both the Primeiro Comando da Capital and the Comando Vermelho.
Trump has close ties to the Bolsonaro family, and he has previously intervened in elections around the world on behalf of right-wing candidates.
In Friday’s post, Lula accused Senator Bolsonaro of leveraging his family connections to “petition foreign authorities” for favour.
“It is deplorable that, once again, members of the Bolsonaro family have travelled to the United States to advocate for foreign intervention in Brazil,” Lula wrote.
He pointed to alleged efforts to stop the criminal prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro. Currently, one of the ex-president’s sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, is facing obstruction charges related to efforts to lobby Trump to intervene in the case.
Trump ultimately did impose steep sanctions against Brazilian products in August 2025, citing the Bolsonaro trial as a reason.
Under Trump, the US has taken an increasingly expansionist view towards the Western Hemisphere, reviving the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which described the Americas as Washington’s sphere of influence.
Trump himself has used crime as justification for taking unilateral military action in the region. Since September, his administration has conducted 59 strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 196 people.
And on January 3, he launched an early-morning military operation against Venezuela, culminating in the abduction and imprisonment of then-President Nicolas Maduro on drug-trafficking charges.
While the Bolsonaro family has courted Trump in recent months, Lula has criticised those military-led actions as unjustified.
But security is expected to be a dominant issue in October’s presidential race. This week’s “terrorist” designations are likely to put Lula in an awkward position, forcing him to condemn the label without downplaying the extent of the violence.
Lula has attempted to brush off right-wing criticism that he has been lax on crime, pointing to his government’s recent $11bn investment in the “Brazil Against Organized Crime” programme.
That follows a separate $2bn programme in March to bolster the country’s prisons, improve homicide investigations and disrupt arms trafficking and other financial transactions carried out by criminal groups.
Still, Lula and Bolsonaro remain neck and neck in the lead-up to October’s election.
On May 16, the polling firm Datafolha found that both candidates would receive 45 percent of voter support in a one-on-one race, with 9 percent of voters indicating they would cast a null vote.
Another 1 percent identified as undecided.
Voters in Colombia will head to the polls on May 31 for a presidential election. Some of the main concerns for Colombians are healthcare, corruption, and security. Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports from Bogota.
Published On 29 May 202629 May 2026
Share
Marcelo Bielsa is widely revered as a pioneer of coaching, but his unconventional methods risk ruining Uruguay’s World Cup chances before the tournament has even begun, with rumours of dressing room unrest.
Nicknamed “El Loco”, which means madman, the 70-year-old’s bold, attacking approach has proved an inspiration to a younger generation of coaches, including Pep Guardiola and USA boss Mauricio Pochettino.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Yet, his famously demanding standards have often caused friction during a nomadic coaching career, and his stint in Uruguay has been no exception.
The Argentinian’s arrival initially generated huge excitement, which was fuelled by landmark victories over Brazil and Argentina in qualifying.
But they needed that flying start just to make it through after winning just three of their final 12 qualifiers.
The tipping point for many in the squad came at the Copa America in 2024.
Uruguay finished a creditable third, eliminating Brazil along the way, but Bielsa’s intensity during the monthlong tournament did not endear him to his players.
Luis Suarez hit out at Bielsa’s methods after retiring from international football months later, claiming he had reduced former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez to tears at half-time of a 2-0 win over Argentina, such was the force of his criticism.
Bielsa accepted that after the former Barcelona striker’s backlash, his “authority was affected” with the rest of the dressing room.
Results have also regressed, with Bielsa stating he was “ashamed” by a 5-1 friendly defeat by the USA in November.
Now, as his third World Cup with a third different nation approaches, the question is whether Bielsa can win back the faith of his players for a country so used to punching above its weight on the world stage.
And there are doubts as to how his high-energy style will fare in the gruelling conditions of Miami and Guadalajara, where Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Spain in Group F.
Bielsa made his name winning three league titles in Argentina with Newell’s Old Boys, where the stadium now bears his name, and Velez Sarsfield.
“For me, he’s a person I will always admire,” said Pochettino, whom Bielsa recruited for Newell’s as a 13-year-old.
“He’s a genius. A person with charisma and a personality very different from us, normal coaches, and that’s what makes him special.”
Bielsa’s sides in Bilbao with Athletic Club, where he reached the Europa League and Copa del Rey finals in 2011-12, and Marseille, where he led Ligue 1 at the halfway stage in 2014-15, were also admired but ended up empty-handed as their energy ran out.
In Leeds, murals still bear Bielsa’s face, four years on from his departure, after he led a sleeping giant of English football back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years in 2020.
His time there ended in familiar fashion with an exhausted squad that was relegated to the second tier the season after he departed.
Yet, the esteem with which he is held for his daring tactical approach endures.
“To be loved is this biggest title, bigger than the Champions League or Premier League or whatever,” said Guardiola, who went to visit Bielsa in Argentina before setting out as a coach at Barcelona.
“To be loved is the most important thing, and I think Marcelo has that more than any other manager in the world.”
Bielsa, who oversaw Argentina’s group-stage elimination in 2002 and Chile’s round-of-16 loss to hosts Brazil in 2014, has already hinted that he may not remain as manager of Uruguay beyond July, saying his job with the team ends with the World Cup.
“Our job ends with the World Cup,” Bielsa said at an event organised by the Uruguayan Football Association last Friday.
Although he did not elaborate on his remarks, local media reported that the Argentinian will not continue once his current contract expires at the end of the June 11-July 19 tournament.
“It is a miracle in any professional’s sporting career to take part in the World Cup,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to Uruguay for allowing me to enjoy a competition like the World Cup.”
Bolivia’s president has warned protesters “time is running out” amid a weeks-long standoff over the country’s economic and political crisis. President Rodrigo Paz has secured powers to declare a State of Emergency, but protesters remain unmoved.
Published On 27 May 202627 May 2026
Share
Michele Spagnuolo allegedly used insider information to profit from bets on people on Google’s most-searched list.
Published On 28 May 202628 May 2026
A Google software engineer has been charged with fraud by US authorities after allegedly using insider information to win more than $1.2m in bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket.
Michele Spagnuolo, an Italian citizen residing in Switzerland, is accused of using confidential information to wager on the results of Google’s annual most-searched list, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Wednesday.
list of 3 itemsend of list
US prosecutors accuse Spagnuolo of using an account named “AlphaRaccoon” to make trades on various markets linked to the results of Google’s 2025 Year in Search.
The total sum of the bets was approximately $2.75m, according to the complaint, filed in federal court in New York.
Among the bets, Spagnuolo successfully predicted that indie pop musician d4vd would top the list for the most-searched for person last year, hours after accessing confidential data at Google, according to prosecutors.
Spagnuolo, 36, faces charges of commodities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
“Today’s charges reinforce a decades-old message: corporate insiders cannot use confidential business information to turn a profit in our markets,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement.
“Insider trading compromises the integrity of our markets, and the American people want this greed-driven conduct investigated and prosecuted,” Clayton added.
Google said in a statement that it is working with law enforcement and that using confidential information to place bets is a serious breach of company policy.
Spagnuolo has been placed on leave, according to a Google spokesperson.
A Polymarket spokesperson said the company had worked closely with the US Attorney’s Office on the investigation and that the firm “is the only prediction platform to date whose cooperation has led to insider trading charges in the United States”.
“We are committed to maintaining accurate, fair, and transparent markets as well as enforcing our rules and working with our regulators and law enforcement,” the spokesperson added.
Last month, a US soldier was charged with using classified military information to place bets on Polymarket regarding the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Prosecutors accuse Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, of cashing in on the US operation against Maduro, to the tune of more than $400,000.
Published On 27 May 202627 May 2026
Canada has announced plans to buy a fleet of early warning planes from Sweden’s Saab rather than a competing option from Boeing as it seeks to reduce its reliance on the United States.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that Canada would opt for Saab’s GlobalEye, which is based on Bombardier’s Global 6500 jet. Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail plane – which has suffered from delays and cost overruns – had also been in contention.
list of 4 itemsend of list
“With a suite of advanced sensors and mission systems, Saab’s GlobalEye will be a key resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic,” Carney told a defence conference in Ottawa.
The Prime Minister pledged in March that Canada would take full responsibility for protecting its vast Arctic territory, after relying for decades on a partnership with the US to monitor its more than 4.4 million square km (1.7 million square miles) of land and sea, a territory larger than India.
Carney’s Liberal government last year announced plans to ramp up defence spending. The US and other allies had complained for years that Canada was not meeting longstanding NATO targets on military expenditure; Carney announced in March that Canada hit that target of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defence last year.
In a statement, Saab said it planned to invest in research and development work in Canada as part of any deal.
Although Carney did not give details of the fleet size or the cost of a potential contract, military officials had earlier said they were looking to buy six early warning aircraft.
Philippe Lagasse, associate director of international affairs at Ottawa’s Carleton University, said Canada’s decision to buy the GlobalEye planes was “an important test case for the Carney government’s policy of pivoting away from American military capability”.
He said in a statement that the decision confirms Canada’s relationship with Sweden, a new NATO ally that has also been eager to strengthen its ties to the Canadian military.
Canada has previously said it wants to work more closely with the Nordic countries in the Arctic on defence and other issues, in a global environment in which the US has become a less reliable partner.
“GlobalEye is already creating jobs in Canada, and working with the Canadian supply chain. This decision ties our two nations even closer together,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a social media post.
Saab is also in the running to sell Canada some of its Gripen fighters.
Canada has a deal to buy 88 F-35 jets from Lockheed-Martin, but last year, after the US slapped tariffs on key Canadian imports, Carney asked the military to probe whether it could cut back the order and buy some planes from another manufacturer.
Carney later told reporters Ottawa would make a decision on the fighter fleet in due course and declined to comment when asked whether the military would be operating two jets.
Last week, a Pentagon official, speaking after Washington suspended planned biannual defence talks with Canada, said the delay in making a decision on the F-35s showed how Ottawa was prioritising politics over defence issues.
Still, Lagasse of Carleton University said he expected Canada would ultimately decide to stick with a fleet of F-35 jets rather than splitting the fleet by buying some Saab Gripens.
“If the government was determined to buy Gripens, I would have expected them to make the announcement alongside this [GlobalEye] decision,” he said.
The announcement came amid ongoing trade tensions between US and Canada after US President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Canada after taking office last year, alongside multiple comments threatening to annex the country and make it the 51st state of the US.
Historically, nearly 80 percent of Canada’s exports have been to the US. While the vast majority of those were protected under the USMCA, the trade agreement between the two countries that also includes Mexico, that is now due for a review, which starts on July 1, and Trump has said the US does not really need that deal.
While the US has announced bilateral talks with Mexico, there has been no mention of Canada.
Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman will lead bilateral talks in Mexico City on Thursday and Friday focused on “economic security and rules of origin for key industrial goods,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
USTR said the US and Mexico will hold a second round of negotiations in Washington on June 16-17, focused on agriculture and “a level playing field,” with a third set of talks in Mexico City scheduled for the week of July 20.
The first Trump administration held trilateral negotiating rounds with both Mexico and Canada to create the existing USMCA, which replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020.
But so far, there have been few discussions between US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and his Canadian counterpart, Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, since early March, and no formal launch of a US-Canada negotiating process.
Lionel Messi was injured in Inter Miami’s MLS game on Sunday, but Argentina are confident he will be fit for World Cup.
Published On 27 May 202627 May 2026
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the initial news regarding superstar Lionel Messi’s fitness “is not that bad” and hopes further examinations will confirm that diagnosis, with the World Cup just two weeks away.
Messi has been diagnosed with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring by his Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami after he made an abrupt exit from Miami’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia in the 73rd minute on Sunday.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Even at 38 and eyeing a sixth World Cup finals appearance, Messi remains the side’s talisman for the defence of the title they won in Qatar four years ago.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored 116 goals in 198 appearances for Argentina.
“Obviously, we would have preferred that nothing had happened,” Scaloni told Argentinian TV station DSports on Tuesday.
“Now one has to wait and see how it evolves and above all, the new tests they are going to conduct in order to see if it confirms their original diagnosis.”
Scaloni, who is due to name his squad next week, added he had watched the match on TV at the federation’s headquarters and been relieved that Messi had asked to come off.
Inter manager Guillermo Hoyos explained after the match that Messi was tired, the pitch was heavy and no one wanted to take a risk with his fitness.
Inter Miami issued a statement on Monday saying: “The timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress.”
That gave little indication about the status of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Argentina are set to begin their World Cup campaign on June 16, against Algeria in Kansas City.
They then play Austria on June 22 and round off their Group J campaign against Jordan on June 28.
Messi has managed his workload since joining Inter Miami in 2023, with team staff regularly excusing him from matches in congested fixture periods.
MLS has started a break in its season for the World Cup, which is cohosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Messi has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the finals. His highlight was the victory in the final against France at the 2022 edition.
His great Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo and potentially Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa would also be making a sixth appearance.
Argentina are set to play two pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras on June 6, and Iceland on June 9, both in the US.