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 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Chinese football fans appear largely unconcerned about the possibility of missing out on watching this summer’s World Cup, with Fifa and state broadcaster CCTV yet to reach a deal on television rights. With less than five weeks until the tournament starts, there has been almost no promotional content on the mainland, standing in stark contrast to the previous two editions when CCTV secured rights early and began airing adverts and sponsor content weeks in advance. A combination of early morning... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352483/china-fans-why-pay-watch-world-cup-were-not-and-can-get-free-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352483/china-fans-why-pay-watch-world-cup-were-not-and-can-get-free-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:30:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Millions of football fans in the world’s two most populous nations may not be able to watch the World Cup, which starts next month, because of a deadlock over broadcast rights in India and no official decision in China. In India, a Reliance-Disney joint venture has offered US$20 million for 2026 World Cup broadcast rights, a fraction of Fifa’s ask, which was not acceptable to football’s global governing body, two sources said on Monday. Sony ‌held talks but also decided not to make an offer for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352400/fifa-faces-world-cup-broadcast-crisis-after-india-makes-low-rights-offer-no-china-decision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352400/fifa-faces-world-cup-broadcast-crisis-after-india-makes-low-rights-offer-no-china-decision?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:12 +0000 dpa,Reuters dpa,Reuters Toto Wolff warned Kimi Antonelli not to get carried away by the fervour of the Italian public as he put his young driver alongside tennis superstar Jannik Sinner. Antonelli’s victory at the Miami Grand Prix was his third in a row, becoming the first Italian to achieve that since Alberto Ascari in 1952. The Mercedes driver held off the challenge of reigning champion Lando Norris on Sunday. The 19-year-old will head to Montreal in three weeks’ time 20 points clear of Mercedes teammate George... https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3352347/formula-1-mercedes-boss-hopes-italian-public-are-fair-superstars-antonelli-sinner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3352347/formula-1-mercedes-boss-hopes-italian-public-are-fair-superstars-antonelli-sinner?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press A Dutch court on ⁠Monday dismissed a ⁠legal challenge by NAC Breda seeking ⁠to force a replay of their league match against Go Ahead Eagles, a ruling that averted a potential logistical crisis for the Eredivisie. NAC were contesting a 6-0 defeat on March 15, arguing that Go Ahead ‌Eagles defender Dean James should not have been allowed to play because the defender had lost his Dutch nationality after taking Indonesian citizenship to represent the Asian country in World Cup qualifiers, rendering... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352389/dutch-football-league-avoids-chaos-court-dismisses-lawsuit-over-players-nationality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352389/dutch-football-league-avoids-chaos-court-dismisses-lawsuit-over-players-nationality?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 12:00:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Fifa President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled as football’s power-brokers met in Vancouver on Thursday. Iran’s participation at this year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel. Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352111/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-confirms-iran-will-play-world-cup-games-usa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352111/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-confirms-iran-will-play-world-cup-games-usa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 05:30:11 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The searing USA summer 32 years ago contributed to Stefan Effenberg getting so hot under the collar that he was sent home from the World Cup finals. Regardless of his own mixed memories from that tournament, however, the Champions League-winning former Germany midfielder believes the US, along with Mexico and Canada, will provide a fine stage for this year’s expanded 48-team competition. Substituted as Germany toiled during a 3-2 victory over South Korea back in 1994, Effenberg responded to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351463/world-cup-usa-gets-backing-germany-legend-despite-mixed-memories-1994-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351463/world-cup-usa-gets-backing-germany-legend-despite-mixed-memories-1994-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fifa’s resale site has four tickets on sale for the World Cup final for just under US$2.3 million each. The $2,299,998.85 seats for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, are located behind a goal in the lower deck in block 124, row 45, seats 33-36. Fifa does not control the asking prices on its Resale/Exchange Marketplace but takes a 15 per cent purchase fee from the buyer of each ticket and a 15 per cent resale fee from the seller. An aisle seat 33 in block 146,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351367/4-tickets-world-cup-final-are-listed-fifas-resale-site-more-us2-million-each?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351367/4-tickets-world-cup-final-are-listed-fifas-resale-site-more-us2-million-each?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:00:19 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Italian football legend Christian Vieri has said that a country with his pedigree should always qualify for the World Cup, after enduring yet another disappointment last month when the Azzurri missed out on their third consecutive finals. Following their loss on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a European play-off, Italy have now failed to qualify for the three consecutive World Cups in Russia, Qatar and the coming one in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They had also failed to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351296/italy-are-too-big-football-country-keep-missing-world-cups-says-ex-striker-vieri?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351296/italy-are-too-big-football-country-keep-missing-world-cups-says-ex-striker-vieri?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s footballers will be welcome at this year’s World Cup, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday, distancing the United States government from a proposal that Italy could take their place in the tournament. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Rubio denied that Washington had asked the Iranian team not to come to the World Cup, but warned that the US may yet bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation it judged to have ties to Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351276/us-says-iran-players-welcome-world-cup-distances-itself-envoys-italy-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351276/us-says-iran-players-welcome-world-cup-distances-itself-envoys-italy-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:00:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters The suggestion that Iran should be replaced by Italy at this year’s World Cup drew a mix of embarrassment and apathy from Azzurri fans on Thursday, with Italian media pointing out that the idea had a very familiar feel. Donald Trump’s US special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the Financial Times that he made the suggestion to the US President and Fifa head Gianni Infantino. “I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri ‌at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351204/fifa-world-cup-italy-underwhelmed-trump-envoys-suggestion-they-should-replace-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3351204/fifa-world-cup-italy-underwhelmed-trump-envoys-suggestion-they-should-replace-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters A top envoy to ⁠US President Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the coming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The plan is an effort to repair ‌ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (Fifa president ⁠Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351060/trump-envoy-seeks-replace-iran-italy-world-cup-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351060/trump-envoy-seeks-replace-iran-italy-world-cup-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:07:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Mexico’s government said it was bolstering security at tourist sites after a man opened fire on tourists at pyramids outside Mexico City less than two months before the Fifa World Cup. The Monday shooting, carried out by a lone gunman on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids – a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most frequented tourist attractions – killed one Canadian tourist and injured a dozen more. It also set off a flurry of questions the next morning by reporters to Mexican... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350975/world-cup-co-host-mexico-ramps-security-tourist-sites-after-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350975/world-cup-co-host-mexico-ramps-security-tourist-sites-after-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:06:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A top US lawmaker called on Fifa to pay for World Cup public transport costs on Tuesday following a report that local authorities in New Jersey are planning massive price rises during the tournament. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said on X that football’s world governing body – which stands to earn US$11 billion from the tournament – should foot the bill for transport costs to World Cup venues. Schumer was responding to a report in The Athletic on Tuesday which said New... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3350105/american-train-bosses-planning-fleece-world-cup-fans-heading-new-york-matches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3350105/american-train-bosses-planning-fleece-world-cup-fans-heading-new-york-matches?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:00:30 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Bayern Munich and Aston Villa will bring the curtain down on a week of football in Hong Kong this summer, which will also feature English giants Manchester City and Chelsea, and Italian pair Inter Milan and Juventus. In a statement on Friday, the Bundesliga and Premier League sides said they would clash at Kai Tak Stadium on August 7 in the Audi Football Summit. And while not officially confirmed, sources have told the South China Morning Post that as part of the second Hong Kong Football... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349600/joy-6-bayern-villa-clash-one-3-matches-set-hong-kong-festival-football?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349600/joy-6-bayern-villa-clash-one-3-matches-set-hong-kong-festival-football?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:01:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s government will decide whether the national team will play in the ⁠World Cup only once they ⁠receive a response from Fifa over ⁠the relocation of their matches, the country’s Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali has said. Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) has been pushing to move the team’s three World Cup group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico, citing American military involvement alongside Israel in strikes that sparked ‌an ongoing war in the region. Last month, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349281/iran-wait-fifa-response-venue-switch-making-decision-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349281/iran-wait-fifa-response-venue-switch-making-decision-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wins over England and Scotland ⁠underline Japan’s status as the Asian nation most likely to make a major impact at the World Cup during an international window of mixed fortunes for the continent’s qualifiers for this summer’s finals. Iraq’s emotional 2-1 victory over Bolivia during the intercontinental play-offs in Mexico took the Gulf state to the World Cup for the ‌first time in 40 years and ensured Asia would have a record nine qualifiers at the tournament. But while Graham Arnold and his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349027/japan-underline-status-asias-best-world-cup-hope-fellow-qualifiers-get-mixed-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349027/japan-underline-status-asias-best-world-cup-hope-fellow-qualifiers-get-mixed-results?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:52:18 +0000 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