Iran is moving its World Cup training base from Tucson, Ariz., to Tijuana, the president of the country’s soccer federation said Saturday, removing one of the final hurdles to its participation in this summer’s tournament.
Iran is scheduled to open World Cup play at SoFi Stadium, facing New Zealand on June 15. It will play Belgium in Inglewood six days later before finishing the group stage against Egypt in Seattle. But there had been questions over the Iranian team’s security in the U.S. after American and Israeli attacks on the country began nearly four months ago.
This World Cup will be the first in which a qualifying team will play in a host country with which it was at war. In March, shortly after the war began, Iranian officials began to question whether they should travel to the U.S. for the tournament — doubts that increased after President Trump posted on social media to say he did not believe it was appropriate for Iran to come “for their own life and safety.”
Because the World Cup is being shared with Mexico and Canada, Iran requested permission to move its base across the border, a request Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said Saturday had been granted.
FIFA, the World Cup organizer, did not immediately confirm to move.
“All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved [by] FIFA,” Taj said in his statement obtained by the Associated Press. “Fortunately, following the requests we submitted and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, as well as the webinar meeting we had yesterday in Tehran with the respected FIFA secretary general, our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.”
Iran’s federation said moving the base camp will resolve potential visa issues since the team will enter the U.S. through Mexico. Taj that the team “may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights.”
Tijuana is about 50 minutes by air from LAX, about 55 minutes quicker than a flight from Tucson. Iranians have been banned by the U.S. government from receiving visas to enter the U.S., although exceptions are to be made for athletes, coaches, and support personnel involved in the World Cup.
Verdugo Hills, the fourth-place finisher in the Valley Mission League with a 10-18 record entering the City Section Division I playoffs, completed a remarkable turnaround on Saturday, winning its fourth consecutive playoff game to take home the Division I title with a 3-1 victory over Taft at Dodger Stadium.
No one was picking the Dons in this one. They had used their two best pitchers in a 10-inning semifinal win over top-seeded Sylmar. But coach Angel Espindola had a plan.
“I’ve got tricks up my sleeve,” he said.
Anthony Velasquez threw a complete-game one-hitter while relying on his defense to make the routine plays and deal with six walks and only one strikeout. At the plate, the hero was first baseman Cutlor Fannon. He had an RBI double in the first inning and an RBI single in the seventh.
But there was drama in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Toreadors’ Victor Jara represented the tying run at the plate with two outs. He hit probably the hardest ball of the day to deep left field.
Moises Rodriguez of Verdugo Hills caught the final out in left for 3-1 win at Dodger Stadium to win Di City title. pic.twitter.com/2UNU6Xrxs1
“The last one scared me,” Velasquez said as he watched left fielder Moises Rodriguez stick out his glove running to catch it and start a victory celebration.
Rodriguez said he “felt all my emotions running through me” as he chased down the fly ball.
“It was surreal,” he said.
Verdugo Hills pitcher Anthony Velasquez threw a complete game in 3-1 win over Taft at Dodger Stadium.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
Espindola’s best coaching moment came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Taft drew consecutive walks from Velasquez with one out. Espindola went to the mound for a pitcher conference.
“Relax,” is what he told Velasquez.
Then Taft hit into an inning-ending double play.
Verdugo Hills’ fielders more than handled the Dodger Stadium environment. Catcher Miguel Wong threw out a runner trying to steal second. Outfielders Rodriguez, Jack Iafrate and Jessie Olmos combined to catch seven fly balls. And third baseman D’Angelo Duran and shortstop Ethan Sanchez were flawless on ground balls.
As for what happened in the playoffs, Rodriguez said, “We changed our perspective to playing baseball instead of doing baseball. It was let’s have fun.”
There was already scrutiny over Steve Clarke’s decision to omit Oli McBurnie from Scotland’s World Cup squad.
After Saturday at Wembley, there might be much, much more.
McBurnie was Hull City’s match-winning… nay, promotion-winning, hero – their new Dean Windass, in less spectacular but arguably far more dramatic fashion.
The 29-year-old Scot pounced on a mistake by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn in the fifth minute of stoppage time to score the only goal of the Championship play-off final.
It sent the Tigers back to English football’s top flight after a 10-year absence.
His Wembley winner came just four days after the 19-goal forward was omitted from Clarke’s squad for this summer’s global extravanganza in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
So while he may not be going to the World Cup with Scotland, McBurnie is going to the Premier League with Hull.
“I am quite pleased he is not going to the World Cup because now he can rest, ” Tigers boss Sergej Jakirovic told BBC Sport.
“He had a conversation with the head coach (Clarke) and it was explained to him what the situation was.
“He scores goals – but this [selection] is the job of an international coach and I respect that.”
After naming his squad, Clarke intimated the player maybe did not fit into the type of character he wanted in his squad.
“You got the sense McBurnie could have scored a hat-trick in every game in the last two months of the season and Clarke would have been unmoved,” wrote BBC chief sports reporter Tom English.
“Maybe he doesn’t fancy him as a footballer, maybe he doesn’t fancy him as a human being. Whatever.”
Jakirovic, however, believes McBurnie is a positive influence in the Hull dressing room.
“He is a leader – he is different and has so much experience in the Championship and creates fear in opponents,” the Croatian said of his former Swansea and Sheffield United forward.
Iran were expected to fly from Turkiye to Arizona to continue World Cup 2026 preparations but will switch to Mexico.
Published On 23 May 202623 May 2026
Iran will base their squad in the Mexican border city of Tijuana during this year’s World Cup after football’s world governing body FIFA approved a request to move their training camp from Arizona, the head of Iran’s football federation said on Saturday.
“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” Iran’s Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said in a video posted on its Telegram social media account.
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Taj added that the switch would help avoid visa-related complications following the US-Israel war on Iran, and that the squad would be able to fly directly to Mexico with Iran Air.
Iran will play their first two Group G matches in Los Angeles, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
“The total distance between us and the venue of our games in Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight,” Taj said, adding that Tijuana was closer to their match venues than the team’s previously planned camp in Arizona.
Iran has faced uncertainty for months over travel and security arrangements for the World Cup, which will be cohosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and had asked for their games to be moved from the US.
Iranian officials said this month that their players and staff had yet to receive US visas, less than a month before the start of the tournament. They began visa applications during their stay in Turkiye for pre-tournament training.
It was a familiar sight: Caitlin Clark stepped to her left, paused and lofted a right-handed layup.
But looming tall, Cameron Brink smacked it out of bounds, caught on camera yelling a couple of curse words before chest-bumping teammate Erica Wheeler so hard she tumbled backward.
That’s the Brink that the Sparks were hoping for this season, and the version of the third-year center they fully expect to shine.
“That was quite the highlight,” coach Lynne Roberts said last week. “That’s what we see in practice, she’s been like that. I was just smiling. … I’m so proud of her.”
After the first game of the season, a 105-78 loss to Las Vegas, Roberts was asked about Brink playing only eight minutes, when she was a minus-19.
“We need Cam to produce,” Roberts said. “We need Cam to bring that defensive energy. We have so much confidence and belief in her. She’s got to get out on the floor with some confidence and do what she’s capable of doing.”
After the next game, when Brink contributed 11 points with five rebounds in that 87-78 loss to Indiana, Roberts wanted to end “the narrative” that the 24-year-old was off to a slow start. Then she netted 10 points in 16 minutes during a defeat of the Toronto Tempo.
The Sparks are in win-now mode but are yet to prove this version of the team can do that. Brink would be a cornerstone player for almost any team in the league, yet she’s coming off the bench with high expectations for her to be one of the team’s most important players.
“My teammates aren’t gonna trust me if I don’t believe in myself,” said Brink, who is averaging 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. “Coaches, same thing. So, you know, I’ve had a slow start, but I’m putting in the work with the coaches. They work with me every day. We watch film, shoot a little extra.”
The Sparks need Brink this season. In her first two seasons, she had moments. With Dearica Hamby starting and the addition of Nneka Ogwumike, she is coming off the bench again after doing so last year for the first time since her freshman season at Stanford.
Roberts has said she wants at least two of them on the court at all times. Through the first four games, Brink has played 16.2 minutes per game and the Sparks are minus-29 points when she is on the court.
“Coming into the league, it’s interesting because a lot of times people feel like they have to do something different or more,” Ogwumike said. “But I think one thing that she’s done is she’s really leaned into who she is, and that that level of self assurance is something that I think really plays out when she’s on the court as well.”
In 38 career games, she is already 10th all-time in blocks in Sparks history. Brink dealt with a 13-month layoff after tearing her ACL and meniscus just 15 games into her rookie season, and was slowly re-integrated last season in 19 games.
Sparks forward Cameron Brink tries to power her way past a Tempo defender during agame May 15.
(Jeff Lewis / Asociated Press)
What could really separate the Sparks from the rest of the league, though, would be if Brink plays to her full potential as a sixth player. There are few players in that role who can take over a game the way she can.
“I definitely feel like I have an understanding for just the speed of the game, the nuances and what we’re doing,” Brink said. “The playbook this year is much easier because it was the same as last year.”
The Sparks rebuild started last season with the addition of Kelsey Plum, where they gave up the No. 2 pick to Seattle that would become Dominique Malonga. Then, this offseason they added Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins and Wheeler while trading away their other young star, Rickea Jackson.
The Sparks still gave up 90-plus points in three of their first four games. Brink has the second worst plus-minus rating on the team, but has also made some of their important defensive plays and has 1.8 blocks per game.
“She erases a lot of mistakes out there,” Ogwumike said. “Being able to be out there and know that she has my back, and we’re looking for each other to be in good spots to do well, yeah, I’m just, I’m just happy that we’re rebuilding our chemistry early and fast.”
Brink was a star at Stanford but became known for her fouling habits. As a pro, getting one extra foul to work with, has helped considerably. She’s averaged seven fouls per 36 minutes in her first two seasons.
But the new officiating mandate to allow more freedom of movement is another hurdle. The path to being an elite pro has not been easy for one of the most dynamic college players of the past half-decade, but this season seems essential for Brink and the Sparks to find themselves, together.
Moments like that block of Clark‘s shot are signs the player they need is in there.
“It’s one of those things where you’re in awe,” Ogwumike said. “But also, you know she can do that. I always tell her, go out there and release everything and be yourself. That was very much a Cam Brink play.”
CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.
Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.
Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens such as bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.
Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.
However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.
Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.
“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics,” Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”
Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver’s health — but most don’t want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.
“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ … So you try to power through it the best you can.”
Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.
All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.
Morocco jailed 17 Senegal fans following fan disturbances at the Africa Cup of Nations final in January.
Published On 23 May 202623 May 2026
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has pardoned the Senegalese football supporters jailed after violence at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Rabat for “humanitarian reasons”, a royal court statement has confirmed.
It said that in view “of the age-old fraternal ties” between the two countries “and on the occasion of the advent of Eid al-Adha”, the king has “granted, on humanitarian grounds, his royal pardon to the Senegalese supporters”.
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The Muslim holiday will be celebrated on Wednesday in Morocco.
The 18 fans were jailed following a pitch invasion that followed the awarding of a penalty to Morocco in injury time of the final on January 18.
The game was stopped for 14 minutes while the Senegal players and staff left the field in protest at the decision. When play resumed, Morocco missed the penalty before Senegal sealed a 1-0 win in injury time.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent’s governing body for football, overturned the decision on March 17, awarding the game as a 3-0 win to Morocco, which saw the North Africans crowned champions.
CAF upheld the appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, saying Senegal had infringed tournament regulations by walking off.
Senegal have lodged their own appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, a ruling from the Switzerland-based body could take up to a year.
New Zealand will be a team in transition at the end of this summer’s T20 World Cup, when they will be defending their title, and veteran Devine showed exactly how big a gap she will leave in their batting line-up with one of her greatest knocks.
Their disastrous start saw Izzy Gaze bowled by Lauren Bell in the first over, before left-arm spinner Smith had Plimmer caught and bowled and Kerr missed a sweep to be pinned lbw.
Brooke Halliday was caught at long-off for three and England were in complete control at the end of the six-over powerplay, having their opponents 29-4.
But Devine used all of her experience to put the pressure back on England. She clubbed Charlie Dean for back-to-back sixes to hit England’s captain out of the attack – she bowled just the one over which went for 14.
That meant all-rounders Kemp and Gibson had to bowl their full allocation, both conceding 34 from four wicketless overs, while Issy Wong bowled went for 24 from her three.
Devine masterfully shuffled around her crease throughout, often ending up in a heap on the ground, but it was effective in throwing the seamers off their lengths.
The pair rotated the strike throughout, forcing England’s fielders to fumble and misfield often, and Bouchier dropped a simple catch off Devine at long-off in the final over which saw another nine runs added afterwards.
England impressed all-round at Derby in the first game but this was a timely warning from one of the world’s best in some of the quality they will encounter on home soil next month.
Losses by 6-0. 15-2. 10-1. How do you want to spin the Angels now, GM Perry Minasian? Are things still grand in Arteville?
Humiliations galore!
Jim Fredrick Manhattan Beach
Really? The Angels cannot hit, cannot pitch and certainly cannot field. Their hitting coach, pitching coach and manager Kurt Suzuki‘s terrible management are much higher on the list of what’s wrong with this miserable team this year. So sad.
Michael Reuben Anaheim Hills
The recent emergence of shirt-waving fans at Angel Stadium urging ownership to “sell the team” is an opportunity for reflection. With the long ago departure of the controversial former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, is Arte Moreno now truly the worst owner in sports? Sterling was truly detestable in his time, but at least he fielded a highly competitive and exciting Lob City squad led by legendary coach Doc Rivers. For the 2026 Angels, the dog days have already begun — before Memorial Day weekend.
Rob Fleishman Placentia
Going into Memorial Day weekend, the Dodgers are in first place and the Angels are in last place. Plus the Angels’ shirtless fans in the stands are screaming at owner Arte Moreno to “Sell The Team!” The more things change, the more they stay the same. Ho hum.
Baseball players like to feel comfortable wearing their hats but also look good when taking them off. That’s where sophomore JV baseball player Noah Nolasco from Birmingham High comes into play.
He’s been cutting hair for players in the East Valley, from Birmingham to Poly to Sylmar to Bishop Alemany. He’s been busy because the playoffs are taking place, and players are apparently following the philosophy “look good, feel good, play good.”
One of his customers is Birmingham sophomore pitcher Carlos Acuna, who’s 11-0 and plays in Saturday’s City Section Open Division championship game against El Camino Real at Dodger Stadium.
Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs. He normally charges $25.
World Cup cohosts United States have warned the Democratic Republic of the Congo team to isolate due to Ebola fears.
Published On 23 May 202623 May 2026
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have no plans to change their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, despite a warning from the United States that the team must isolate for 21 days before arriving in the country, a team official has said.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed on Friday that the Congolese delegation needed to maintain a bubble where they are training in Belgium and isolate for 21 days or risk being denied entry after a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus in the central African country.
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The Congolese team are to be based in Houston at the tournament and will play an opening Group K fixture against Portugal on June 17, followed by matches against Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta.
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani told ESPN on Saturday.
“We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well that they need to maintain that bubble, or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.”
But a team spokesperson said that at this stage there was no change to their schedule, which includes a friendly against Denmark in Liege, Belgium, on June 3 and another against Chile in Cadiz, Spain, six days later.
“We have kept our training programme. No player in the squad has come from DR Congo,” the official said.
The entire squad of players are based outside the DRC, mostly in Europe, including coach Sebastien Desabre. A few team officials arrived at the training camp in Belgium from the DRC earlier this week.
The team had planned a three-day trip to Kinshasa next week as a celebratory send-off before they head to their first World Cup in 52 years, but that trip has been cancelled.
The World Health Organization on Friday raised to “very high” the risk of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the DRC and has declared the outbreak there and in neighbouring Uganda an emergency of international concern.
Nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths have been recorded following the outbreak in DRC.
It comes to something when your long-time nemesis says it is time to move on and you actually feel a little bit sad about it.
It feels like a chapter of English football is truly closing.
I actually grew to quite like Guardiola – a feeling made easier by Liverpool refusing to be any competition to his team this season.
Between his compassionate politics and his increasingly funny news conferences, the man who became the bane of our existence has started to cut a much more likeable figure.
The respect element was always there.
Yes, there are caveats to City’s success, but there are very few doubts about Guardiola’s greatness as a manager.
After Jurgen Klopp left Anfield in 2024, it seemed only natural that the man he went toe to toe with for so many years would move on fairly soon after.
The truth is, the standards those two managers set would warp our perception of what a normal title-winning points total looks like.
Arsenal have pipped Guardiola to the Premier League this season, but they have done so with a maximum of 85 points – a climbdown from the days of Liverpool and City pushing each other to 90-plus totals.
Liverpool have fallen away this season, but Guardiola moving on means the barrier to entry for a title race is likely to not be as high.
Therefore, Liverpool supporters should be reassured that a return to the top is not too far away, especially with such a talented group of players.
We might not see those 2018-2022 levels again for a little while, though, and for that we will always – at least partly – have Guardiola to thank.
Hotel rooms in Los Angeles and other FIFA World Cup host cities could sit empty, despite high expectations that the global sporting event would be a boon to the city.
The soccer tournament, which has sold more than 5 million tickets so far, has historically triggered a surge of international and domestic tourism and infused host cities with an economic boost.
This year, however, 80% of hotels surveyed by the American Hotel and Lodging Assn. said bookings are lagging behind initial forecasts. The hotel association partly blames FIFA for the slowdown, saying the organization overbooked blocks of hotel rooms that did not reflect true demand.
Travel also is being hampered by higher airfares and gas prices due to the conflict in Iran. Visa barriers and broader geopolitical concerns are suppressing international travel demand, the report said.
“With just two months until kickoff, indicators suggest the anticipated economic lift may fall short of expectations,” the report said. The number of tickets sold for the tournament “has not yet translated into strong hotel bookings.”
In L.A., where World Cup games will be played next month at SoFi stadium, more than 65% of hotel respondents said room bookings were below estimated demand.
Many respondents said bookings were even lagging behind that of a typical summer.
Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings. According to the report, FIFA booked thousands of rooms in downtown Los Angeles that it canceled.
Ahead of all World Cup tournaments, FIFA places large blocks of rooms on hold across various properties for FIFA staff, mediaand other stakeholders. As the tournament draws closer, FIFA will adjust its plans based on demand.
“All room releases were conducted in line with contractually agreed timelines with hotel partners, a standard practice for an event of this scale,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement. “Throughout the planning process, FIFA’s Accommodations team maintained consistent discussions with hotel stakeholders.”
The spokesperson added that global demand for the 2026 World Cup is unprecedented.
“FIFA room block over-commitment created an artificial early demand signal that has since unraveled,” the hotel association report said. “Many hotels indicate that early booking signals overstated true demand.”
About half of hotel respondents reported cancellations or releases of previously booked blocks of rooms, the report said.
The staggering price of World Cup tickets this year could also be keeping away fans, said journalist and author Simon Kuper, who writes about soccer economics. Face values for tickets have climbed as high as $7,875.
“All the ticket prices in this World Cup are inconceivable for previous World Cups,” Kuper said. “It’s very much a new phenomenon.”
FIFA is projecting revenue between $11 billion and $13 billion for the four-year World Cup cycle, which ends when the tournament does.
Nonetheless, L.A. is expecting a major jump in tourism for the World Cup in June and the 2028 Olympic Games.
That would be welcome for an industry that is coming off some tough times.
Last year, tourist spending in L.A. fell for the first time since the pandemic began as wildfires, raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and trade tensions discouraged people from visiting, including tourists from Canada who traditionally flock to Palm Springs and other cities in Southern California during the winter months.
International air arrivals to L.A. County fell more than 30% from August to November of 2025. In Los Angeles, current international arrivals are fewer than in previous months, though the state saw an overall 3% increase last year.
The L.A. market “faces several challenges that are tempering hotel performance expectations,” said Ralph Posner, chief communications officer for the American Hotel and Lodging Assn.
“L.A.’s purported hotel underperformance is compounded by a unique combination of early FIFA block over-commitment creating artificial demand, concerns about visa barriers and operating costs,” he said. “The market was positioned as a flagship host city but is now absorbing a gap between expectation and reality.”
Surging hotel room costs in host cities are also a deterrent. For example, the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, within walking distance of Lumen Field, is renting a King guest room for less than $300 the weekend before the World Cup. For the weekend of the U.S. game there, the rate is more than $1,000 for the same room.
To save costs, some fans are choosing to stay farther from the venues or opting for alternative lodgings such as Airbnbs. Airbnb’s chief financial officer said the World Cup is expected to be the largest event in the company’s history.
The hotel association said that even though initial indications are bad, things could still get better.
“We are hopeful that momentum will build over the next few weeks in the lead up to the games,” Posner said.
Times staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.
Parts of the Puebla stadium for high-profile warm-up for 2026 edition were closed to spectators due to FIFA sanctions.
Published On 23 May 202623 May 2026
Mexico have beaten Ghana 2-0 in Puebla in a World Cup warm-up that offered a glimpse of the excitement building less than three weeks before the country opens the tournament.
While Puebla is not among Mexico’s World Cup host cities, fans in green shirts at Cuauhtemoc Stadium created an electric atmosphere throughout the night on Friday.
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Repeated Mexican waves rolled around the stadium despite visible empty sections closed under FIFA sanctions linked to discriminatory chants at previous national team matches.
Brian Gutierrez set the tone immediately, curling home from the edge of the box after two minutes.
Teenage Liga MX sensation Gil Mora struck the post in the first half, and Alexis Vega had a header ruled out for offside before the break.
“He’s a different player, we’ve always said that,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said of Mora, who made his first appearance for Mexico since November after returning from injury.
“He’s brave, direct, vertical … he gives us great joy because he’s Mexican and because he’s back without pain.”
The teams were met by a lively atmosphere at Estadio Cuauhtemoc [Henry Romero/Reuters]
Ghana, with recently appointed coach Carlos Queiroz absent and assistants leading from the bench, threatened an equaliser early in the second half after forcing a pair of saves from the Mexican goalkeeper and hitting the crossbar.
But substitute Guillermo Martinez ended the visitors’ hopes in the 54th minute, finishing off a counterattack to double Mexico’s lead.
Coach Aguirre used the friendly to continue evaluating players ahead of naming Mexico’s final World Cup squad on June 1, with Europe-based players Luis Chavez, Edson Alvarez and Jorge Sanchez making second-half appearances after recently joining training camp.
The coach praised the effort shown by players battling for places in the final squad, saying: “The fact they tried and gave their best effort, for me, that’s already worthwhile.
“It’s not easy (to pick the team), it’s the most complex part of my job … It’s a bit about trying to see all the possible scenarios with my coaching staff.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has banned entry from non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
All DR Congo’s players are based outside the country and will not be affected by the restrictions now the training camp has been cancelled.
“If there are other people that are going to be coming in, they need to have a separate bubble from that team,” Giuliani said.
“If they end up coming, and any of those people end up symptomatic, they are risking the entire team being able to come and compete in this World Cup.”
On Friday the public health risk from the Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo was raised from “high” to “very high” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk in the wider region in Africa was “high” but that it remained “low” globally.
Dr Congo are due to play friendlies against Denmark on 3 June in Belgium and Chile on 9 June in Spain.
The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July, and DR Congo play Portugal in their opening game on 17 June.
The world’s best football players will travel to North America this summer for the most anticipated sporting event of the year: the FIFA World Cup 2026.
While the 48-team tournament will feature young prodigies and veterans alike, some stars will not be at the tournament, having missed out due to injuries or because their nations failed to qualify.
Al Jazeera takes a look at the top stars who will not be at the World Cup:
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia)
Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, PSG’s most creative player, will not be at the World Cup [File: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP]
One of the most feared wingers in European football, Kvaratskhelia will not be on the plane to North America as his country, Georgia, failed to qualify for the finals in June and July.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger, the standout player in the Champions League this season, is yet to play at a World Cup. His last major tournament with Georgia ended in a round-of-16 run at Euro 2024.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
The 2026 edition was probably Lewandowski’s last chance of featuring at another World Cup [File: Kacper Pempel/Reuters]
A teary-eyed Lewandowski left the pitch after Poland’s final World Cup qualifier on March 31 as the nation narrowly missed out on the 2026 edition. The 37-year-old Barcelona striker even hinted at international retirement after the failure to qualify but has yet to confirm the decision.
Lewandowski has played a record 165 games for Poland, beginning with a goal on his debut against San Marino in 2008 when he was 20. His 89 goals are nearly twice as many as any other Polish player, but he has played at the World Cup only twice with a last-16 finish in 2022 being the best result.
Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sandro Tonali (Italy)
Tonali, left, and Donnarumma are important players at their respective clubs, Newcastle United and Manchester City [File: Scott Heppell/Reuters]
Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time means the tournament will be devoid of some of the finest Azzurri talents, including star goalkeeper Donnarumma and midfielder Tonali.
After suffering a shock penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs, Italy became the first former champions to miss three World Cup finals in a row. The last time the Italians played at a World Cup was in 2014 when they crashed out in the group stage in Brazil.
“The World Cup curse”, as described by the Italian media, will keep Donnarumma – one of the best goalkeepers in the world – and Tonali away from playing at the world’s biggest football tournament.
Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Osimhen, left, and Lookman are the two brightest attackers in Nigeria’s squad [AFP]
After Italy, Nigeria are the biggest nation to miss out on a ticket to the World Cup 2026, thanks to an abysmal qualifying campaign. The Super Eagles had dreamed of soaring high in North America, but their wings were clipped after a shock penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the African playoffs.
Nigeria’s failure to make it to the World Cup means fans will miss out on watching Lookman, arguably their best player at AFCON 2025, and Osimhen, one of the most feared strikers in Africa.
The dynamic duo of Lookman and Osimhen has often brought joy to Nigerian fans, whose team is missing successive World Cup finals for the first time in 36 years.
Hugo Ekitike (France)
Ekitike had been dreaming of a maiden World Cup appearance [David Klein/Reuters]
France forward Ekitike’s dreams of making his World Cup debut were shattered when he ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for Liverpool against PSG in April.
The injury, which could sideline him until January 2027, saw the 23-year-old leave the pitch in tears on a stretcher during the second leg of a Champions League quarterfinal tie at Anfield.
At the start of the 2025-2026 season, Ekitike was far behind in the France pecking order, but an impressive season at Liverpool, which saw him score 17 goals in all competitions until his injury, had put him in the running to be picked by coach Didier Deschamps for the World Cup.
Estevao and Rodrygo (Brazil)
Winger Estevao is one of Brazil’s most promising young talents [File: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP]
One of the brightest talents in global football, winger Estevao was set for his much-awaited World Cup debut until a hamstring injury crushed his dream. The 19-year-old suffered a grade four hamstring injury while playing for his club, Chelsea, in April, which ultimately kept him out of Brazil’s World Cup squad.
Joining Chelsea from Palmeiras in May 2024, Estevao’s eight goals and four assists in his debut season in England caught everyone’s attention. The teenage sensation had also established himself as a regular member of Brazil’s squad under Carlo Ancelotti.
Alongside Estevao, Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who made five appearances for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup, will not be at this year’s edition after suffering a torn meniscus and ACL in his right knee.
The 25-year-old picked up the injury while playing for Madrid in March and is expected to be out until the end of 2026.
Xavi Simons (Netherlands)
An injury sustained while playing for Tottenham Hotspur will keep Xavi Simons out of the Dutch World Cup campaign [AFP]
Attacking midfielder Simons will not be with the Netherlands at the World Cup 2026 after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while playing for his club, Tottenham Hotspur, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League game.
Simons, 23, was expected to be a key figure in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad for what would have been his second World Cup after his debut in 2022.
He has earned 34 caps, most recently featuring in friendlies in March.
Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)
Cameroon’s failure to qualify for the World Cup came as a surprise as the Indomitable Lions hold the African record for the most appearances with eight overall.
After losing to DR Congo in the semifinals of the African playoffs, Cameroon’s World Cup dreams died and, with them, Mbeumo’s chances of playing in North America.
Mbeumo has had a decent season at Manchester United, scoring 10 goals and bagging three assists across all competitions.
Mbeumo is one of several African stars who will not be at the upcoming World Cup [Stu Forster/Getty Images]
Honourable mentions
A few other high-profile players will also miss the tournament.
Spain midfielder Fermin Lopez misses out after requiring surgery on a fracture in his right foot while Germany’s Serge Gnabry has been ruled out with a torn adductor muscle in his right thigh.
England have omittedCole Palmer and Phil Foden from their squad after both had disappointing seasons.
Japan’s Takumi Minamino was left out after suffering an ACL tear while Kaoru Mitoma also misses out after suffering a hamstring injury.
Defender Eder Militao was dropped from Brazil’s squad after undergoing surgery for a hamstring injury while Ancelotti also dropped forwards Joao Pedro and Richarlison.
Slovenia goalkeeper and captain Jan Oblak will be absent after they failed to qualify, and central midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai faces a similar fate after Hungary missed out too.
The Yorba Linda native dominated in his Angels debut, hitting a first-pitch, three-run homer off Jacob deGrom in his first at-bat and making a sensational catch in foul territory, all in the first inning, to help his hometown team beat the Rangers 9-6 on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Meckler attended Esperanza High in Anaheim and grew up an Angels fan. After he was called up from Double-A Rocket City on Friday, Meckler finished with two hits in what was the Angels’ highest-scoring game since April 26, when they scored nine in extras against the Royals.
“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” Meckler said. “Just trying to make a play on defense. But getting your first homer up, it’s pretty hard to top that.”
In sending the 97-mph four-seam fastball from deGrom (3-4), a two-time Cy Young Award winner, 403 feet to right center, Meckler became the first Angels player to homer in his first at-bat with the team since Mike Napoli did against the Tigers in 2006.
Meckler was also the first player to hit a homer in their Angels debut since Randal Grichuk did in 2023 against the Braves.
“We know he plays the game hard,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “We’ve seen him play the game the way he does in spring training. So I think [Meckler’s] just a naturalist, good baseball player.”
Meckler hit .315 over 111 at-bats with the Angels in spring training, after being claimed off waivers by the franchise in January.
The 26-year-old shared pregame that he grew up rooting for classic Angels names such as Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter and Erick Aybar during the mid-to-late 2000s.
But there was another Angels player Meckler watched growing up: his new teammate, Mike Trout.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Meckler said. “You grew up watching a guy every day on TV for 10 years, and then all of a sudden, he’s a teammate. It’s pretty cool.”
Originally the Giants’ choice with the 256th pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Meckler has struggled to find his footing in the majors. However, his night couldn’t have gone much better.
Suzuki and the middling Angels, at least, would probably like Meckler to stay hot forever. After all, he earned a shot with the big-league club after hitting .343 with 34 hits and 13 RBI through 27 games with Rocket City.
“It feels good,” Meckler said. “It’s been a little bit. Spent a lot of the last couple years injured, grinding through injuries, and it feels good to be healthy and able to compete. I feel like I’m capable of competing. And obviously, it’s really cool to be in the big leagues for your childhood team as well.”
Despite entering on a three-game skid, the Angels came to play to open a three-game series against the Rangers.
Shortstop Zack Neto hit a pair of solo shots: one in the first and another in the eighth. The four-year MLB veteran is up to 12 career lead-off homers and has three in 2026.
“It was a lot of fun,” Neto said. “From one through nine, even the guys on the bench, coming in and doing their job … We had the big hit when we needed it.”
Right-handed starter Grayson Rodriguez also earned his first win of the year after tossing 5 2/3 innings of four-run ball.
In the seventh, Neto preserved the Angels’ 6-5 lead after throwing out Josh Jung at home. Neto caught a strong throw to the infield from Jo Adell after a Brandon Nimmo RBI double.
“I mean, defense wins games,” Neto said.
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe was banged up during Jung’s play at the plate. However, he shut down any concerns after the win.
“I’ll be at the doc one more time, but I’m fine, O’Hoppe said. “It’s the same feeling that all the headshots feel like. You feel out of it and a little slow, but usually a good night’s sleep takes care of it.”
After Angel Stadium stretched, second baseman Oswald Peraza hit his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot against lefty Jalen Beeks.
Neto hit his second homer of the night in the eighth against righty Chris Martin, and first baseman Nolan Schanuel capped the Angels’ scoring with an RBI single nine pitches later.
“I felt throughout, guys were getting good at-bats,” Suzuki said. “We were getting guys on; there was a couple times we didn’t get them in, but we’re constantly getting guys in position to score.”
The Angels still hold an MLB-worst 18-34 record, but beat the AL West’s second-placed team before an announced crowd of 34,288. Fans in the right-field pavilions continued to chant “sell the team.”
