FIFA Page 5 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Texas AG launches probe into FIFA's ticket practices
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into FIFA over alleged deceptive ticketing practices for World Cup matches in his state.,Paxton announced his probe into international soccer's governing body Tuesday, claiming that FIFA misled fans about the location and quality of sea...

Iran: World Cup ticket allotment rescinded
Iranian soccer fans planning to attend the World Cup in the United States have been denied tickets to the country's matches, Iran's football federation said Tuesday.,In a statement, the federation said it had reserved tickets to sell to fans, who already have their travel plans set, only to learn th...

World Cup: Disposable water bottles no longer banned
FIFA made a ruckus when it announced a ban on outside water containers at World Cup events this summer, but the organization walked at least part of the prohibition back on Friday, saying fans are allowed to bring sealed disposable water bottles into stadiums.,Hard-sided, resealable water containers...

FIFA cancels dozens of World Cup tickets issued for free by mistake
FIFA canceled World Cup tickets for about 60 fans who mistakenly received them for free because of a website error.,The governing body's acknowledgment of the glitch adds to the ongoing controversy surrounding the ticketing program for the tournament in North America, which begins next week.,The tic...

FIFA to update player power rankings after every World Cup match
Players competing in the 2026 World Cup will have their individual performances measured by a new FIFA Power Rankings system announced on Thursday.,The data-driven system will produce a list of the top 100 performers and will be updated after every match at the 48-team tournament that begins next we...

Andrew Giuliani: U.S. preparing for 'unprecedented' World Cup security challenge
Keeping World Cup players, fans and venues safe is an "unprecedented" task being handled by both federal and local authorities from coast to coast, the executive director of the White House FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force told ESPN.,That's Andrew Guiliani, who watched his father, Rudy, deal with mass...

FIFA bans water bottles in stadiums in late reversal
FIFA officials have changed their minds about allowing fans to take reusable water bottles into World Cup stadiums, issuing a ban.,Just three weeks ago, FIFA updated its code of conduct policy for the North American stadiums that said "empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles, up to (1 liter in)...

Guillermo Ochoa makes Mexico's roster for record sixth World Cup
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will represent Mexico in a record sixth World Cup appearance after being named to the country's 26-man roster on Monday by manager Javier Aguirre.,Ochoa, who turns 41 on July 13, will have a chance to establish the record along with Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's...

FIFA subpoenaed by New York, New Jersey in World Cup ticket investigation
FIFA faces a subpoena from the states of New York and New Jersey as part of an investigation into details surrounding pricing and accuracy of seat locations for the 2026 World Cup. ,In a joint release, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said pr...

Dutch World Cup squad loaded with Premier League talent
Captain Virgil van Dijk leads a World Cup roster for the Netherlands that includes 15 players from the Premier League.,Head coach Ronald Koeman named his 26-man roster on Wednesday for a Dutch squad currently ranked No. 7 in the world.,The 34-year-old van Dijk is a center-back and captain at Liverpo...

U.S. says Congo team must isolate before arriving for World Cup
Due to an Ebola outbreak in their country, members of Congo's national soccer team must isolate before entering the U.S. for the World Cup.,Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed to ESPN on Friday that the Congolese delegation must maintain a b...

Spain's Fermin Lopez (foot) confirms he'll miss World Cup
Fermin Lopez of Spain is out of the World Cup following surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot, he announced Wednesday on social media.,The surgery took place on Monday. The midfielder is expected to be sidelined for three months.,"Life -- and football -- can be cruel precisely when you leas...

Report: FIFA, Iran hold talks ahead of World Cup
FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom described his Saturday meeting with the head of Iran's Football Federation (FFIRI) as "constructive" as concerns about the nation's participation in next month's World Cup have not abated.,Grafstrom met with FFIRI President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul and told Reut...

Chris Wood set to captain New Zealand's World Cup squad
New Zealand announced the 26-man squad for its third World Cup appearance in history on Thursday.,Notably, Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood and Braintree Town's Tommy Smith will become the first players in New Zealand history to make multiple World Cup squads. Both were also on the 2010 squad, w...

FIFA extends Argentina player's ban to 2 World Cup matches
Argentina forward Gianluca Prestianni could miss the first two matches of this summer's World Cup after FIFA agreed to extend his ban for verbally abusing Brazil's Vinicius Junior.,UEFA suspended Prestianni, 20, for six matches for an incident on Feb. 17. Playing for Portugal's Benfica in a Champion...

Iran officials aim to meet with FIFA, discuss World Cup issues
Soccer officials from Iran are intent on meeting with FIFA's leadership about its upcoming World Cup matches in the United States.,Mehdi Taj, president of Iran's soccer administration, informed Iranian media Friday that the country's soccer leadership has issues it wants to discuss with the internat...

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirms he will seek re-election
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA since 2016, confirmed Thursday he will seek one more term in the office.,Infantino's current four-year term expires next year, and FIFA plans to hold its presidential election for the 2027-31 term at the 77th FIFA Congress on a TBD date in 2027.,The electoral ...

FIFA boss: No changes to Iran's World Cup schedule
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will play its originally scheduled World Cup matches this summer in the United States.,Infantino made the announcement during his opening remarks Thursday at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, B.C., one day after members of Iran's delegation to the co...

Iran absent from FIFA Vancouver meetings due to visa issues
Iran's soccer federation was absent from a meeting of soccer leaders in Vancouver on Tuesday, leaving the country's participation in the upcoming World Cup still in question.,That topic wasn't covered at the convening of Asia's top soccer leaders today with FIFA president Gianni Infantino presiding,...

Vancouver police denied motorcade request for FIFA's Gianni Infantino
Vancouver's police department denied a request for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to utilize a motorcade escort for his trip to the city this week for the annual FIFA Congress.,Per a report from Global News, the request was for a full motorcade escort, which would have allowed Infantino to travel t...