https://www.scmp.com/rss/516921/feed The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities, making it the first to be hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994. A total of 32 teams will compete to take the trophy, with the games planned for as-yet-unscheduled dates in the summer months. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Fifa raised its top ticket price for the World Cup final to US$10,990 during the glitch-hampered reopening of sales on Wednesday after the 48-team field for this year’s tournament was finalised. The price had been US$8,680 when Fifa sold tickets after the tournament draw in December. Fifa’s category two tickets for the July 19 game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, were US$7,380, up from US$5,575, and category three cost US$5,785, an increase from US$4,185. Tickets were listed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348781/fifa-raises-top-ticket-price-world-cup-final-us8680-us10990-sales-reopen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348781/fifa-raises-top-ticket-price-world-cup-final-us8680-us10990-sales-reopen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:25:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Coach Graham Arnold has challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental play-off in Mexico. Meanwhile, Japan, who were the first nation to qualify for the finals in North America, made their own slice of history with a statement 1-0 win over England that showed they could go deep at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348703/world-cups-last-qualifier-iraq-plot-shock-while-japan-confident-making-more-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348703/world-cups-last-qualifier-iraq-plot-shock-while-japan-confident-making-more-history?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Agencies Agencies Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup as a play-off defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday meant the Azzurri will not go to this year’s tournament in North America, while Turkey, the Czech Republic and Sweden all secured their places at the finals. In the intercontinental play-offs, the Democratic Republic of Congo qualified for the first time since 1974 and Iraq claimed the final World Cup place. Italy have won the World Cup four times, but they failed to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348620/world-cup-italy-fail-qualify-third-straight-time-while-sweden-turkey-secure-places?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348620/world-cup-italy-fail-qualify-third-straight-time-while-sweden-turkey-secure-places?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:18:50 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The Fifa World Cup trophy will be on display in Hong Kong for the first time when the Fifa Museum opens in the city in two months. Located on the fourth floor of Times Square in Causeway Bay and taking up 6,000 sq ft, the Fifa Museum will run for six months from its May 28 grand opening, which is expected to be attended by several football legends, including former world champions from Brazil, France and Spain. Asia Partners IFBD Corporation, the global sports investment company that owns the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348526/world-cup-trophies-take-pride-place-when-fifa-museum-opens-hong-kong-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348526/world-cup-trophies-take-pride-place-when-fifa-museum-opens-hong-kong-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:55:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters China’s football team received a reality check on Tuesday when they conceded two early goals to lose 2-0 to Cameroon in a Fifa Series match at AAMI Park in Melbourne. The defeat against the physically strong African side came four days after Shao Jiayi’s team had beaten World Cup-bound Curacao by the same score last Friday. Both China and Cameroon failed to qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico starting in June. Cameroon, who are ranked inside the world top 50, took... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348564/china-football-team-sucker-punched-early-goals-wake-call-against-cameroon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348564/china-football-team-sucker-punched-early-goals-wake-call-against-cameroon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Earlier this month, Iraq coach Graham Arnold was stranded in Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, because of the Middle East war. He wondered if his national team would even be able to compete for one last chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. After travelling a long and winding road to reach Mexico, Arnold and Iraq will seek to return to a World Cup after an absence of 40 years when they face Bolivia in the final of their intercontinental play-off in Monterrey in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348511/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-harrowing-travel-ordeal-iraq-hope-secure-asia-its-9th-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348511/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-harrowing-travel-ordeal-iraq-hope-secure-asia-its-9th-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Italy have one more obstacle standing between them and a return to the World Cup in the shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who host the Azzurri on Tuesday in what promises to be a tense qualification play-off final in Zenica. Meanwhile, Kosovo are on the verge of winning a spot in the finals for the first time – a potentially momentous sporting turnaround for Europe’s youngest nation. For Italian fans, a battling win over Northern Ireland in last week’s semi-final did little to ease their fears... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348436/fifa-world-cup-italy-hoping-scale-bosnian-everest-tiny-kosovo-verge-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348436/fifa-world-cup-italy-hoping-scale-bosnian-everest-tiny-kosovo-verge-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse,dpa Agence France-Presse,dpa Amnesty International has warned that this summer’s football World Cup, spread across three North American countries, risks becoming a “stage for repression” in a report published on Monday. The London-based human rights organisation’s report “Humanity Must Win” details what the organisation calls “significant risks” to and which will impact on fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities in all three host countries. Fifa has promised a tournament where everyone “feels safe,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348390/fifa-world-cup-risks-being-stage-repression-amnesty-international-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348390/fifa-world-cup-risks-being-stage-repression-amnesty-international-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A physical China beat World Cup-bound Curacao 2-0 on Friday in the Caribbean island nation’s first match under new Dutch coach Fred Rutten after the abrupt departure of veteran Dick Advocaat. Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning scored either side of the break at Sydney’s Stadium Australia in a wake-up call for the tiny country ahead of their debut appearance at the global showpiece in North America in June-July. Curacao, with a population of just 156,000, are the smallest nation ever to make a World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348143/lower-ranked-china-give-world-cup-bound-curacao-wake-call-fifa-series-match?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348143/lower-ranked-china-give-world-cup-bound-curacao-wake-call-fifa-series-match?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Italy will face Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place at the 2026 World Cup after beating Northern Ireland 2-0 on Thursday, as Wales and the Republic of Ireland suffered agonising penalty shoot-out defeats in their qualifying play-off semi-finals. Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean struck second-half goals in Bergamo to keep four-time World Cup winners Italy on track to end a 12-year absence from the tournament. Italy missed the past two editions in Russia and Qatar but Tonali’s powerful drive and an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348073/world-cup-play-offs-italy-stay-track-wales-ireland-suffer-penalty-shoot-out-heartbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348073/world-cup-play-offs-italy-stay-track-wales-ireland-suffer-penalty-shoot-out-heartbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:00:16 +0000 dpa,Agence France-Presse dpa,Agence France-Presse The remaining six places at this summer’s Fifa World Cup are set to be decided over the next week. As well as 16 European nations battling it out in the play-offs to secure one of four places available, Fifa is also holding a new six-team intercontinental event in Mexico that will determine the other two qualifiers. Here is a look at how the two formats work. What are the European play-offs all about? With the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, expanded... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347997/fifa-world-cup-play-offs-italy-coach-set-biggest-match-iraq-bid-second-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347997/fifa-world-cup-play-offs-italy-coach-set-biggest-match-iraq-bid-second-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The fourth and final ticket sales phase for the 2026 World Cup will open on April 1, Fifa announced on Wednesday, without specifying how many tickets will be made available. The “last-minute” sales phase will then remain open through the end of the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, global football’s governing body said in a statement. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and be “released for sale on a rolling basis, including, on occasion, for matches taking... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347942/final-phase-2026-world-cup-ticket-sales-be-sold-first-come-first-served-basis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347942/final-phase-2026-world-cup-ticket-sales-be-sold-first-come-first-served-basis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:20:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters New Zealand’s national footballers have said they would be willing to play against Iran outside the United States in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup, as uncertainty persists over the fixture amid geopolitical tensions. Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the US-Israeli conflict with the ‌Islamic Republic broke out at the end of February. Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their opening-round group... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347838/fifa-world-cup-new-zealand-players-willing-face-iran-their-opening-match-outside-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347838/fifa-world-cup-new-zealand-players-willing-face-iran-their-opening-match-outside-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the European Commission against football’s world governing body Fifa over “excessive ticket prices” for this year’s World Cup finals. “Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against Fifa, alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347746/supporters-group-files-lawsuit-against-excessive-fifa-2026-world-cup-ticket-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347746/supporters-group-files-lawsuit-against-excessive-fifa-2026-world-cup-ticket-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Italy is coming off a record performance at the Winter Olympics. Kimi Antonelli just became the second youngest driver at 19 to win a Formula 1 race and is considered The Next Big Thing in auto racing. The Azzurri rugby squad beat England for the first time in the Six Nations. Also, Jannik Sinner is back to winning ways on the tennis court. Italy’s men and women are the world champions in volleyball. Even the country’s unheralded baseball and cricket teams have broken barriers recently. Yet... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347342/football-still-no-1-italy-azzurri-face-world-cup-play-amid-other-sports-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347342/football-still-no-1-italy-azzurri-face-world-cup-play-amid-other-sports-success?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:45:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fifa president Gianni Infantino received a 33 per cent increase in his annual bonus last year as part of a US$6 million pay package detailed on Thursday by football’s world body. Infantino’s basic annual salary was unchanged at 2.6 million Swiss francs (US$3.3 million) and his bonus rose by 550,000 Swiss francs to 2.2 million Swiss francs in 2025, when Fifa organised its first month-long men’s Club World Cup in the United States. In each of the prior two years, Infantino’s annual bonus had been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347291/fifa-boss-received-33-bonus-increase-after-club-world-cup-us6-million-pay-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347291/fifa-boss-received-33-bonus-increase-after-club-world-cup-us6-million-pay-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters Iran will “boycott the United States” but “not the World Cup”, Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video released by the Iranian press agency Fars. Iran is currently scheduled to play its group matches in the US in this year’s tournament. “We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup,” Taj said in the video released on Wednesday. Iran’s football federation, FFIRI, said it had opened talks with Fifa about potentially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347185/iran-boycotting-united-states-not-world-cup-football-federation-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347185/iran-boycotting-united-states-not-world-cup-football-federation-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain’s King Felipe VI has been invited to the 2026 World Cup in Mexico by President Claudia Sheinbaum, the royal palace said on Wednesday, signalling a thaw in relations between the two countries. Diplomatic relations have been strained since 2019, when the Mexican government demanded that the Spanish crown apologise for the abuses committed during the conquest and subsequent colonisation of the Americas in the 16th century. Sheinbaum excluded the king from her inauguration in October 2024... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347089/mexico-invites-spains-king-world-cup-sign-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347089/mexico-invites-spains-king-world-cup-sign-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:34:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s football federation is negotiating with Fifa to relocate the country’s first-round matches at the World Cup to Mexico from the United States, citing the conflict in the Middle East, Iran’s embassy in Mexico said on Monday. The country’s participation at this summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been thrown into doubt since the war began late last month. Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj said in remarks posted on the embassy’s X account that because US President... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346833/iran-negotiating-fifa-over-moving-world-cup-games-mexico-embassy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346833/iran-negotiating-fifa-over-moving-world-cup-games-mexico-embassy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:06:51 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Wales boss Craig Bellamy has backed England to win the World Cup, saying the only thing that could stop Thomas Tuchel’s side is the summer heat in the United States. Despite that prediction, Bellamy still hopes to persuade Tottenham’s English defender Ashley Phillips to switch sides, even if he admitted on Friday to being “very disappointed” that talks around the move had been leaked to the media. The clearly annoyed Welshman, in Hong Kong to attend the draw for May’s HKFC Standard Chartered... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346473/wales-boss-craig-bellamy-really-disappointed-phillips-switch-talks-made-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346473/wales-boss-craig-bellamy-really-disappointed-phillips-switch-talks-made-public?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:51:19 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Iran’s sports minister said on Wednesday his nation will not take part in this summer’s Fifa World Cup because the United States killed the country’s leader and continues to wage war on the oil-rich nation – and now the question becomes who might replace them. The US and Israel bombing campaign, which began two weeks ago, has triggered a region-wide conflict and killed more than 1,300 Iranians, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Considering that this corrupt regime has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346289/iraq-italy-who-could-replace-iran-world-cup-rules-say-fifa-can-do-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346289/iraq-italy-who-could-replace-iran-world-cup-rules-say-fifa-can-do-what-it-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:41:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran cannot take part in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched air strikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday. The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran almost two weeks ago, killing the Islamic Republic’s ‌supreme leader, leading to a region-wide conflict in the Gulf. “Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346272/iran-cannot-take-part-united-states-hosted-2026-world-cup-sports-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346272/iran-cannot-take-part-united-states-hosted-2026-world-cup-sports-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:52:36 +0000 dpa dpa Iran’s football federation president Mehdi Taj has given a bleak outlook regarding the World Cup in summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada the day after the US and Israel started air attacks against his country. “What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 on Sunday. “The US regime has attacked our homeland and this is an incident that will not go unanswered.” Iran has been drawn into Group... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345056/iran-football-federation-chief-speaks-about-world-cup-after-attacks-sport-affected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345056/iran-football-federation-chief-speaks-about-world-cup-after-attacks-sport-affected?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:06:51 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse The International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved on Saturday a package of measures aimed at speeding up the pace of matches and cracking down on time wasting, with the changes set to come into force at the 2026 World Cup and across ‌all other competitions. The changes were agreed at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting in Hensol, Wales. The extension of the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks is one of the most significant new rules. If the referee considers that a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344996/var-expanded-new-football-rules-curb-time-wasting-approved-time-2026-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344996/var-expanded-new-football-rules-curb-time-wasting-approved-time-2026-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Fifa boss Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday he was “very reassured” about Mexico’s hosting of games in the football World Cup, in his first comments on the violence triggered by the killing of a drug cartel leader. Mexico is one of the three host countries for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, along with the United States and Canada. “Very reassured, everything’s good. It’s going to be spectacular,” Infantino said in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, two days after cartel members went on a rampage... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344598/fifa-boss-gianni-infantino-very-reassured-about-world-cup-mexico-despite-violence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3344598/fifa-boss-gianni-infantino-very-reassured-about-world-cup-mexico-despite-violence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:15 +0000 dpa dpa Fifa president Gianni Infantino has apologised over remarks he made about British fans and defended the decision to award a peace prize to US President Donald Trump. Infantino said at last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos that the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 had been special because “for the first time in history no Brit was arrested”. His comments were described as a “cheap” joke at the expense of fans by the Football Supporters’ Association, while the UK’s football policing lead Chief... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3342154/fifa-boss-sorry-offending-british-football-fans-defends-trump-peace-prize?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3342154/fifa-boss-sorry-offending-british-football-fans-defends-trump-peace-prize?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:34:26 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun With less than five months to go before the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a wave of World Cup-driven orders is already rippling through China’s manufacturing heartlands. In Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city long known as the world’s largest hub for small commodities, exporters of fan merchandise and sporting accessories are reporting an early surge in overseas orders. World Cup fan merchandise maker and exporter Miji, who declined to give his full... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341497/world-cup-boosts-merch-demand-chinas-small-goods-capital-yiwu-stays-wary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341497/world-cup-boosts-merch-demand-chinas-small-goods-capital-yiwu-stays-wary?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:08 +0000 dpa dpa Fifa President Gianni Infantino made a joke about British football fans’ behaviour and defended ticket prices for this summer’s World Cup in North America during a speech to world leaders on Thursday. Infantino addressed concerns around the staging of this summer’s finals in the United States amid rising domestic tensions there in an address at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, citing how there had been “a lot of critics” in the build-up to the Qatar finals in 2022. “When the ball started... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3340931/fifa-president-jokes-about-british-football-fans-defends-ticket-prices-2026-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3340931/fifa-president-jokes-about-british-football-fans-defends-ticket-prices-2026-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:04:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters Fifa president Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket prices for next year’s World Cup ‌in the United States, Canada and Mexico, citing heavy demand for them and ‍the revenue generated for the sport around the world. This month fan groups criticised the cost of tickets, which were several times more expensive than those for similar matches at the 2022 tournament. In response, the game’s world governing body then launched a US$60 ticket tier to make ⁠the games more affordable for fans of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338072/fifa-boss-infantino-hails-2026-world-cup-demand-after-150-million-tickets-requested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338072/fifa-boss-infantino-hails-2026-world-cup-demand-after-150-million-tickets-requested?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 15:59:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Football’s World Cup, featuring the top men’s national teams, is one of the most-watched international sporting events, with six billion people expected to view broadcasts of the action next summer. However, the ticket prices for those attending games in the United States, Canada and Mexico have sparked a global backlash. Fans groups have called them extortionate, astronomical and a betrayal. The ticket prices are much higher than for the last World Cup in Qatar, with prices for the final set at... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3337717/pricing-out-most-fans-harmful-world-cups-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3337717/pricing-out-most-fans-harmful-world-cups-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 23:15:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bigger does not always mean better but try telling that to those who govern the world’s most popular sport as they reflect on a jam-packed year and begin the countdown to a supersized World Cup that will dwarf previous tournaments. World football’s governing body, Fifa – not to mention continental confederations, national leagues and broadcasters – will argue that the appetite for the “beautiful game” is insatiable and will point to the past 12 months as evidence. Fifa described its expanded... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337740/year-football-expansion-mismatches-point-direction-fifa-will-take-beautiful-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337740/year-football-expansion-mismatches-point-direction-fifa-will-take-beautiful-game?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Following widespread global backlash over ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, Fifa unveiled a new cut-price ticket category on Tuesday. Football’s global governing body said in a statement that it had created a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets fixed at US$60 for all 104 matches, including the final, for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It said the plan was “designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336729/fifa-unveils-limited-number-us60-world-cup-tickets-after-global-fan-backlash-over-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336729/fifa-unveils-limited-number-us60-world-cup-tickets-after-global-fan-backlash-over-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:18:06 +0000 Agencies Agencies A vice-president of Germany’s parliament has hit out at Fifa over a “disgusting” World Cup draw ceremony where US President Donald Trump played a big role and “completely insane” ticket prices for the tournament. Omid Nouripour from the Green Party, one of the vice-presidents of the lower house Bundestag, said on Sunday that “Fifa is not doing itself a favour in the long run. The neutrality is broken in quite a bad way.” Trump was honoured with a new Fifa peace prize at the December 5 draw in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336498/fifas-neutrality-broken-after-donald-trump-role-world-cup-draw-german-politician?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336498/fifas-neutrality-broken-after-donald-trump-role-world-cup-draw-german-politician?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters Angry spectators broke down barricades and stormed the pitch at a stadium in India after football star Lionel Messi, who is on a three-day tour of the country, abruptly left the arena. As part of a so-called GOAT Tour, the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar touched down in the eastern state of West Bengal early on Saturday, greeted by a chorus of exuberant fans chanting his name. Hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys and waving the Argentine flag packed into Salt Lake... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336330/fans-vandalise-india-stadium-throw-objects-field-after-lionel-messis-abrupt-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336330/fans-vandalise-india-stadium-throw-objects-field-after-lionel-messis-abrupt-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:51:52 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Brazil and Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva believes Fifa is moving with the times by expanding the World Cup and introducing a quadrennial 32-team club equivalent. A sprawling World Cup finals next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico will feature 48 teams, up from the 32 that contested the past seven editions. Silva, a former defensive midfielder, was ever-present for Brazil when they won the most recent of their five World Cups in 2002. Speaking at an event in Hong Kong organised by CSTS... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336309/arsenal-legend-silva-defends-world-cup-expansion-fears-brazil-arent-good-enough-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336309/arsenal-legend-silva-defends-world-cup-expansion-fears-brazil-arent-good-enough-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 04:11:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump met with the leaders of Mexico and Canada to discuss trade issues on Friday after the leaders hosted the 2026 World Cup draw at Washington’s storied Kennedy Centre. The White House said Trump held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after the star-studded event, but gave no details on their discussions. Canadian media said the meeting lasted for 45 minutes and the leaders spoke on their own, with no staff present. Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335433/trump-talks-trade-canada-mexico-leaders-world-cup-draw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335433/trump-talks-trade-canada-mexico-leaders-world-cup-draw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 23:44:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Argentina and Lionel Messi will play Algeria to open their World Cup title defence as part of a group that also includes Austria. The United States were drawn on Friday to start against Paraguay at Inglewood, California, on June 12, a day after Mexico host the opener against South Africa. The US reached the semi-finals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and have got as far as the quarter-finals only one other time, in 2002. US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335426/fifa-2026-argentina-open-world-cup-against-algeria-us-starts-against-paraguay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335426/fifa-2026-argentina-open-world-cup-against-algeria-us-starts-against-paraguay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 19:28:33 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump was awarded the new Fifa peace prize on Friday at the 2026 World Cup draw – giving the soccer spectacle to set matchups for the quadrennial tournament even more of a Trumpian flair. Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, had been heavily favoured to win the newly created Fifa prize. He and Fifa president Gianni Infantino are close allies, and Infantino had made it clear that he thought Trump should have won the Nobel for his efforts to broker a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335424/fifa-gives-trump-its-new-peace-prize-world-cup-draw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335424/fifa-gives-trump-its-new-peace-prize-world-cup-draw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:48:32 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will hold a short in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump this week in Washington, as they continue to negotiate over US tariffs on her nation’s goods. Their first face-to-face encounter will take place on Friday, Sheinbaum confirmed during her daily press briefing on Thursday. Sheinbaum will also meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Washington, where the leaders are set to attend the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup hosted by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335252/trump-and-sheinbaum-meet-first-time-fifa-world-cup-draw-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335252/trump-and-sheinbaum-meet-first-time-fifa-world-cup-draw-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 17:33:10 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan China’s National Games marked a historic milestone this year: for the first time since the event’s inception in 1959, competitions were held throughout the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area – a clear sign of the region’s increasing connectivity and spirit of cooperation. Hong Kong achieved its highest medal tally, with nine golds, two silvers and eight bronzes, fostering pride in a city discovering a new level of confidence through sport. Behind every medal lies a personal story of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334268/national-games-underscored-ties-bind-hongkongers-rest-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334268/national-games-underscored-ties-bind-hongkongers-rest-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 21:30:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea captain Son Heung-min is set to break his country’s record for most appearances for the men’s national team when they host Brazil on Friday. The Los Angeles FC striker is poised to win his 137th cap in the glamour friendly in Seoul, which acts as a build-up towards the World Cup in North America next year. South Korea and Brazil have both qualified for the 2026 finals, for what will be the 33-year-old Son’s fourth World Cup. Former Tottenham skipper Son, who moved to Major League... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328318/son-heung-min-set-make-south-korean-history-glamour-brazil-friendly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328318/son-heung-min-set-make-south-korean-history-glamour-brazil-friendly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 05:41:10 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Oman striker Muhsen Al-Ghassani has backed former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz to lead the Gulf state to their first-ever World Cup as the country prepares for the next phase of Asia’s preliminaries for the 2026 finals. The Omanis take on Qatar in Group A of the fourth round of the continent’s qualifiers in Doha on Wednesday before facing off against the United Arab Emirates three days later in the battle for one of Asia’s two remaining World Cup slots. The group winners will join Japan,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328139/world-cup-asian-qualifiers-big-coach-carlos-queiroz-backed-lead-oman-first-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328139/world-cup-asian-qualifiers-big-coach-carlos-queiroz-backed-lead-oman-first-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Almost 90 years after their first and only appearance at the World Cup, Indonesia are just two victories away from returning to the tournament. It would mark a major turnaround in fortunes in just over three years since 135 spectators died at the Kanjuruhan stadium disaster in East Java as tear gas fired by security forces caused a stampede for the exits on October 1, 2022, in a domestic match. If Indonesia can beat Saudi Arabia and Iraq on October 8 and 11, respectively, in the fourth round of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3327906/world-cup-asian-zone-3-years-after-stadium-disaster-indonesia-2-wins-making-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3327906/world-cup-asian-zone-3-years-after-stadium-disaster-indonesia-2-wins-making-return?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi The world football governing body Fifa has ignited public outrage in Malaysia after imposing a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (US$440,000) and a one-year ban on seven footballers for the alleged falsification of nationality documents, with pundits fuelling speculation of the involvement of regional rivals in making the complaint. The sanctions were levied against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) last Friday after Fifa claimed the association submitted doctored documents to field seven... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3327218/fifas-ban-malaysian-players-over-documents-ignites-outrage-and-conspiracy-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3327218/fifas-ban-malaysian-players-over-documents-ignites-outrage-and-conspiracy-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:02:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Uefa is moving towards a vote to suspend Israel from European football because of its continued war in Gaza, people familiar with the proposal said on Thursday. A majority of the governing body’s 20-member executive committee were expected to support any vote in favour of suspending Israeli teams, two sources said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. Such a step would prevent Israeli national and club teams from playing in international competitions, including... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3326940/european-football-body-uefa-moves-towards-vote-suspend-israel-over-war-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3326940/european-football-body-uefa-moves-towards-vote-suspend-israel-over-war-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 05:07:20 +0000 Associated Press,Reuters Associated Press,Reuters Ticket prices for next year’s World Cup will range initially from US$60 for group matches to US$6,730 for the final, but could change as football’s top event adopts dynamic pricing for the first time. The prices are up from a range of US$25 to US$475 for the 1994 tournament in the United States and for the US dollar equivalent of US$69 to US$1,607 when ticket details were announced for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Falk Eller, Fifa’s director of ticketing and hospitality, said there would be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3324262/fans-face-2026-world-cup-rip-fifa-says-ticket-sales-subject-dynamic-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3324262/fans-face-2026-world-cup-rip-fifa-says-ticket-sales-subject-dynamic-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:00:23 +0000 Agencies Agencies South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo on Monday called up former German youth international Jens Castrop for next month’s friendlies against World Cup co-hosts the United States and Mexico – the first time a foreign-born, mixed-heritage player has been included in the men’s national squad. Hong named the Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder in his 26-man squad as the Koreans begin preparations for next year’s World Cup. The 22-year-old Castrop, who was born to a German father and a South Korean mother,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3323095/south-korea-select-first-mens-player-mixed-heritage-pre-world-cup-friendlies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3323095/south-korea-select-first-mens-player-mixed-heritage-pre-world-cup-friendlies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 13:30:11 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The Chinese Football Association has finally confirmed what everyone already knew, that head coach Branko Ivankovic had been fired after his side’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. In a statement released on its website, the CFA thanked Ivankovic and said Dejan Djurdjevic, who led China to the quarter-finals of the Under-20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen in February, would take over on a caretaker basis for next month’s East Asian Championship in South Korea, which also includes Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3316192/ivankovic-out-chinese-football-bosses-finally-confirm-sacking-after-world-cup-failure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3316192/ivankovic-out-chinese-football-bosses-finally-confirm-sacking-after-world-cup-failure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 03:21:49 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer A top Chinese football boss has launched a scathing attack on the state of the game in the country, calling the national team a “fourth-rate” side. Song Kai’s damning verdict came after the men’s side lost 7-0 to Japan last September, but was only revealed by state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday, in the first episode of the series Dialogue with Chinese Football, titled Disparity. The Chinese Football Association president made the comments when meeting with youth team coaches following the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3314034/top-china-football-boss-says-mens-national-team-fourth-rate-and-we-never-learn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3314034/top-china-football-boss-says-mens-national-team-fourth-rate-and-we-never-learn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:00:07 +0000 dpa dpa Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly ended speculation about his club future, and said he would continue to play at Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr as he also probably sets his sights on next year’s World Cup. “Nothing is going to change. Playing at Al-Nassr? Yes,” he was quoted as saying early on Monday by several reports after captaining Portugal to the Nations League title in Munich. Ronaldo, 40, joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after falling out with coach Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. His current... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313740/cristiano-ronaldo-set-stay-saudi-club-al-nassr-another-world-cup-looms-closer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313740/cristiano-ronaldo-set-stay-saudi-club-al-nassr-another-world-cup-looms-closer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:00:10 +0000