Senegal have "big dreams" to "achieve great things" at the 2026 World Cup, coach Pape Thiaw said Thursday as he unveiled an expanded 28-man squad for next month's tournament.

Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was handed a surprise recall to Germany's 26-man World Cup squad on Thursday, coming out of international retirement to play in the tournament for a fifth time.

The lights hadn't faded yet. In the stands, there were thousands of faces, a wave of flags, flashes of cameras, screams, and the colors of celebration -- everything was there. But in the midst of all that brilliance, one man suddenly seemed utterly alone.

Canada is expected to spend just over C$1 billion ($727 million) to host the World Cup this summer, according to a report from the federal budget watchdog published on Wednesday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo national football team have cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp at home after the country was hit by an Ebola outbreak, a team official told AFP Wednesday.

The true beauty of the World Cup lies in its unpredictability, where the astonishing rise of an underdog leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of football romantics.

Veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka will take part in his seventh successive major international tournament after he was named in Switzerland's World Cup squad on Wednesday.

Veteran Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo will lead his country into the 2026 World Cup this summer after coach Roberto Martinez named the 41-year-old in his squad on Tuesday.

Only his back was visible. Just the back, with the Number 10 emblazoned on it. And a football resting at his feet.

The Dutch, who have finished runners-up three times at the tournament, play Japan in their opening Group F game before facing Sweden and Tunisia.

After decades of coming up short against European opposition in the latter stages of the World Cup, Brazil have turned to one of European football’s greatest ever coaches to end the 24-year wait for a sixth star upon the famous yellow jersey.

It will be Neymar’s fourth World Cup appearance, though few expected the journey back to end this way.

Brazil superstar Neymar was handed a dramatic recall to the country's World Cup squad on Monday, returning to the national team after a near three-year absence.

Football history remembers certain matches for breathtaking goals, dramatic comebacks, or unforgettable spectacle. Yet there are also games that survive in memory for an entirely different reason — as stains upon the sport itself.

Haiti's record goalscorer Duckens Nazon was already strapped into his seat, the aircraft on the tarmac at Tehran airport ready to take off, when his phone lit up with a message from a friend playing in Israel.

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic announced Monday a preliminary 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup, to be led by veteran Luka Modric, the key architect of the country's historic success in recent years.

Iran's football team arrived in Turkey on Monday for a training camp and to complete visa applications ahead of the 2026 World Cup, AFP correspondents said.

The son of former Argentine international Pablo Paz has opted to play for the world champions despite being born and raised in Spain.

Ghalenoei did not explain the reason for omitting Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 internationals, but Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that the former Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma striker was left out due to injury.

When Giorgio Chiellini pulled down his jersey collar to show the referee his neck, the scene looked like a child complaining to a school teacher. This colossal Italian defender -- a man who, metaphorically, spent his entire career holding a knife to the throats of forwards -- was himself a silent victim that day. And the tooth marks of that predator were stamped on his shoulder.