Colombia beats Uzbekistan at World Cup, taking full advantage of Portugal slip-up
Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app. Colombia’s old guard led…
A magical Lionel Messi hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria — but should he have been sent off?
This is Lionel Messi’s world and we are all still living in it. At the age of 38,…
Pre-revolutionary flags spotted, anthem booed at Iran’s World Cup opener
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Dozens of pre-revolutionary flags were brought into SoFi Stadium for Iran’s World Cup opener against…
Fans defy FIFA ban to bring pre-revolutionary Iran flags into World Cup game
World Cup fans at Levi’s Stadium managed to bring in pre-revolutionary Iran flags, despite FIFA banning their presence…
World Cup predictions: Brazil vs Morocco, Haiti vs Scotland and rest of matchday 3
Welcome to The Athletic’s daily World Cup Predictions. This article gives you the lowdown on all today’s games,…
Why a World Cup is the biggest event on planet Earth
The Athletic has live coverage of South Korea vs Czech Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s…
How Iran prepared for the World Cup: A 40-hour bus journey, visa issues and a switch to Mexico
When the first American bomb dropped on Iran on February 28, it looked unlikely the Iranian national team…
FIFA U-turns on World Cup water bottle policy, bans fans from bringing them into stadiums
FIFA has performed a last-minute U-turn on its stadium policy for the World Cup, no longer allowing supporters…
Is the World Cup vulnerable to fixers? Fears grow as ‘every sport in every continent’ faces corruption
For the last eight months, The Athletic has been investigating the threat of fixing to the integrity of…
Fox in ‘conversations’ with FIFA on World Cup hydration break use, to show half-time interviews
Zac Kenworthy, the vice-president of production at Fox Sports, has confirmed that his network intends to use half-time…
Phil Foden, Cole Palmer out of England World Cup squad, Ivan Toney and Kobbie Mainoo in
Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer have been left out of England’s World Cup squad. Ivan…
Lowe’s to sell 10-foot Lionel Messi inflatable yard decoration that vaguely looks like him
The real Lionel Messi tries to evade his giant inflatable doppelganger. Photo courtesy of Lowe’s May 14, 2026Updated…