The United States opened their home World Cup with a statement. A 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on June 12 saw the USMNT score more goals in a single World Cup match than they ever have before, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice on the biggest stage of his career so far.
Every standout moment from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in one place. Goals, shocks, records, and the games that defined each matchday. This hub is updated daily throughout the tournament with links to every highlights article on Footy Alpha. Group Stage Highlights Watch Mexico vs South Africa Match Highlights (2:0) — How the tournament kicked
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, and it could not have started in more dramatic fashion. Co-host Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, in a match that produced two goals, three red cards, and a piece of World
A VPN is the single most useful tool any football fan can have during the 2026 World Cup. Whether you are traveling abroad during the tournament and cannot access your home country’s broadcast, or you are based in a country with limited free coverage and want to access a better broadcast for free, or you
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first tournament designed from the ground up for a streaming-first audience. With 104 matches across 39 days, no viewer can watch everything on traditional TV. The combination of multiple games starting simultaneously, matches played across three time zones, and a global audience that increasingly watches sport on phones
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is played across 16 stadiums in 16 cities spanning three countries. The venues range from the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the only stadium in the world to have hosted two World Cup finals to the ultra-modern SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which cost $5.5 billion to build. Together
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has 104 matches across 39 days. Whether you are watching from the United States, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Australia, India, or anywhere else on the planet, there is a broadcast option available in your country. Some are entirely free. Others require a subscription. Some countries have every single match available.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony is unlike anything football has seen before. For the first time in history, there are three separate opening ceremonies across three host nations. Mexico, Canada, and the United States each stage their own star-studded pre-match show, with globally recognised performers celebrating their nation’s culture, music, and identity before
Africa has been waiting for this moment for longer than most football fans can remember. The continent has been sending teams to the World Cup since 1934. It has produced some of the greatest individual players in the history of the sport. It has delivered moments of magic, upsets of staggering proportions, and stories that
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams from six different confederations. Europe sends 16. Africa sends 10. Asia sends 9. South America sends 6. North and Central America sends 6. Oceania sends 1. Every confederation on the planet has a representative in North America this summer and every one of them has at least
With 48 teams heading to the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the biggest World Cup in history, ranking every single nation from best to worst is a serious undertaking. These rankings are built from a combination of factors: FIFA world ranking, Elo rating, qualifying record, recent international form, squad depth, key player availability, group
Football without fans is nothing. You can have the best players in the world, the most dramatic finish in tournament history, and the most technically perfect goal ever scored, but if the stadium is empty and the streets outside are quiet, it means half as much. The fans are the soul of the World Cup.
Portugal are in Group K at the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia. This is Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup. Roberto Martinez’s side begin their campaign against DR Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 17. Group K is Portugal’s most achievable group assignment in years, with the most competitive
France are in Group I at the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Senegal, Iraq, and Norway. The world’s number one ranked team and tournament favourites open their campaign against Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16. All three group stage matches play out in the northeastern United States, setting up France with a familiar and
The United States are in Group D at the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. Mauricio Pochettino’s co-hosts play all three group games in American stadiums. The USMNT open their home World Cup against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12. This is the most important football occasion in
England are in Group L at the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Thomas Tuchel’s side open their campaign against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on June 17, a fixture with enormous historical significance given Croatia’s semi-final victory over England in 2018. All three group stage matches, their potential knockout
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