The 2026 FIFA World Cup is drawing to a close ― and HuffPost continues to live-blog every twist and turn as the final looms at New York/New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.
Even before a ball was kicked, the 23rd edition of the tournament was engulfed in controversy: from Iran’s tough journey to the competition amid Donald Trump’s war, to the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino. That’s not to mention Trump’s travel bans keeping some fans and officials out and the fury over soaring ticket prices.
Once the soccer actually began, much of the concern was eased — at least for a short while.
The sport’s biggest stars came out to play, and the Cape Verde’s Cinderella story captured the imagination. Off the field, Norway’s “Viking row” went viral and Boston was a sea of tartan as Scotland’s fans took over.
But the introduction of hydration breaks, seen as a vehicle for TV advertising, prompted booing from fans and questions about the fundamentals of the game being undermined. And Trump’s intervention in an effort to get a red card reversed for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, which was fruitless, as the Americans were soundly defeated by Belgium, will likely leave a stain on this World Cup.
Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.
Follow along with our coverage below:
MLS Team Reveals Christian Pulisic Dream Despite AC Milan Reality
New York City FC would like to acquire Christian Pulisic to play in Major League Soccer, but admits AC Milan is not interested in selling the top American player.
“If you ask any of my 29 counterparts across the league if they would be interested in having Christian Pulisic on their team, I’m pretty sure you’d get 29 yesses,” NYCFC president Brad Sims said Thursday at a Major League Soccer event to promote the resumption of the league’s season.
“Would MLS from a league standpoint love to have Christian Pulisic here? I think the answer to that would be yes,” Sims added. “If AC Milan doesn’t want to give him up, then it’s dead in the water. And so I think ultimately we’re believers that Christian wants to play in MLS, wants to be back home and at whatever the point in time that is, we would think and hope that New York City FC would be very high on his list of teams that he would want to play for..”
An attacking midfielder from Hershey, Pennsylvania, Pulisic turns 28 in September. He is entering the fourth season of a five-year deal with AC Milan after playing for Borussia Dortmund from 2016-19 and Chelsea from 2019-23.
Pulisic has 33 goals in 90 international appearances but is coming off a disappointing World Cup in which he failed to score and had one assist. Because of injuries, he missed one of the five U.S. games and came out of two others early. Pulisic left last week’s round of 16 loss to Belgium after fracturing his right leg.
“I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high,” he said after the game. “It’s disappointing I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to get over this next step of beating a really good team.”
Pulisic scored 10 goals in his first 15 appearances for AC Milan last season, but ended his club season in career-worst scoreless streak, failing to get a goal in 19 games after Dec. 28.
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World Cup Winners To Get Championship Rings For First Time
The winners of Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will be presented with championship rings for first time in the tournament’s 96-year history in the event’s latest break from soccer tradition.
The tournament’s organizer, FIFA, called the move a “momentous first” and said it is “bringing one of the most recognizable American sporting traditions to the global game.”
The game’s overseer has already faced backlash for “Americanizing” the World Cup by introducing hydration breaks — effectively creating games broken down into quarters rather than traditional halves — and a halftime show at Sunday’s final.
Some 30 customized rings will be made available to the winners of Sunday’s game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and a further 1,996 rings will go on sale to fans.
“In addition to the iconic trophy and prestigious gold medals, a new symbol of triumph will be awarded to the winning team,” FIFA said on its website of the rings.
The White House has confirmed President Donald Trump is to attend the last game of the 2026 tournament, which has been jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Last month, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Trump would present the trophy.
FIFA Picks Referee For Argentina-Spain Final After World Cup Officiating Row
The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday will be refereed by Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia, two years after he was in charge of a Champions League final.
FIFA announced the pick late Thursday. It’s the second straight World Cup final where Argentina, now the defending champion, will have a European referee to face a European opponent.
FIFA has faced criticism during the current World Cup for Argentina seeming to get the benefit of some refereeing decisions — including when soccer great Lionel Messi escaped a red card for a rough challenge on an Algeria opponent — with the coaches of Egypt and South Africa claiming inconsistencies.
After Egypt formally alleged bias in decisions during its 3-2 loss to Argentina, FIFA director of referees Pierluigi Collina said: “Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials.”
In his three games so far at the 2026 World Cup, Vinčić has shown seven yellow cards and one red card, and awarded no penalty kicks.
In the most recent of his games, in the round of 32 more than two weeks ago, Vinčić sent off Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie after a video review for covering his mouth in a confrontation with a Mexico opponent.
Vinčić also worked two group-stage games, when Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 and Algeria beat Jordan 2-1.
Bayern-Madrid epic
In the last European club season, Vinčić’s biggest match was Bayern Munich’s 4-3 win over Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Vinčić showed yellow cards to five Madrid players, and second yellows to Eduardo Camavinga for timewasting and Arda Guler for dissent to send them off late in the game.
Those were among just three red cards that Vinčić showed in nine Champions League games and he awarded just two penalties.
The 46-year-old Slovenian refereed Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final.
The Slovenia link
FIFA’s pick of Vinčić surprised some observers given ongoing tensions between its president Gianni Infantino and UEFA, led by Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Ceferin, who should attend the final at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
UEFA claimed FIFA “crossed a red line” in suspending a mandatory one-game ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun to let him face Belgium in the round of 16, and called the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
On day four of the World Cup, some soccer federations published a letter during a FIFA-hosted conference in Miami criticizing Ceferin personally for a reported comment made days before the tournament in Slovenia about the expanded 48-team competition format.
Vinčić follows Szymon Marciniak of Poland in being chosen to officiate the biggest match in world soccer. Marciniak awarded a penalty to each team in the thrilling 3-3 draw in the World Cup final between Argentina and France in Qatar in December 2022. Argentina then won the penalty shootout in which Marciniak showed a yellow card to goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for unsporting conduct in trying to distract French players.
The pick of Vinčić continues a pattern for 10 straight World Cups since 1990: European referees are chosen for finals played outside Europe, and referees from other continents are picked for finals played in Europe. Those include Italian Collina, the premier referee of his generation, who worked Brazil’s 2-0 win over Germany in the 2002 final in Japan.
Messi Once Cradled A Baby Yamal. Now They'll Meet In The World Cup Final.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Spain’s Lamine Yamal go way back.
As Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final between their countries approaches, photos of a 20-year-old Messi bathing baby Yamal during a 2007 UNICEF photo shoot have gone viral on social media once again.
The now-iconic images feature Messi, then an emerging Barcelona star, cradling Yamal, who was then just a few months old. They were taken after Yamal’s parents won a UNICEF charity raffle to have their son take part in the shoot.
Read the full backstory on the BBC:
Spain’s Trump-Slamming Prime Minister To Attend World Cup Final
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will attend Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will also be at the game, alongside their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía.
Donald Trump is expected to attend too, while Argentina’s President Javier Milei will stay away for superstitious reasons.
The match could produce an awkward encounter between Sánchez and Trump.
The Spanish leader has repeatedly criticized the U.S. president over issues including tariffs and international trade, foreign policy, the war with Iran and Trump’s attacks on Spain’s defense spending.
Trump is no fan of Spain’s government, either.
Argentina's Trump-Allied President Reveals Why He Won't Attend World Cup Final
Argentina’s Trump-allied President Javier Milei said he won’t attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday between Argentina and Spain.
Milei put his decision down to superstition.
He said he’s watched his country’s previous seven tournament victories from the presidential residence. He also revealed he’ll wear the same heavy jacket he first donned during Argentina’s 3-1 quarterfinal win over Switzerland.
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the game.
Read more from The Associated Press:
Lionel Messi Sends Blunt Message To Argentina's World Cup Detractors
Lionel Messi has a message for Argentina’s detractors: “Nothing was handed to us.”
The Argentina superstar responded to critics who have been bashing the reigning World Cup champions over perceptions of beneficial officiating and favoritism by the soccer establishment. He said the team’s ability to overturn late-game deficits, most recently the semifinal victory over England, is the result of championship pedigree and nothing more.
After trailing 1-0 going into the 85th minute, Argentina rallied for a 2-1 win over England on Wednesday to reach the World Cup final.
The victory led tens of thousands to flood the streets of Buenos Aires in ecstatic celebrations, and marked another remarkable comeback that showed the perseverance of a team that is now one win from a back-to-back titles. Argentina faces Spain in Sunday’s final.
Argentina earlier survived by beating Cape Verde and Switzerland in extra time, and rallied for an improbable 3-2 victory over Egypt after coming back from being down 2-0 with 11 minutes of regulation time to play. But both the Swiss and Egyptian coaches criticized the refereeing. Egypt’s Hossam Hassan went as far as to say that his team was the victim of a soccer establishment that favored Messi and Argentina.
The comments fueled criticism sparked by fans who argue that the FIFA bracket favored La Albiceleste, and unfounded allegations on social media claiming that the soccer governing body wants Argentina to once again become World Cup champion.
“We’ve been the best over these past four years, either you like it or not, and no matter what anyone says,” Messi said after the win over England. “Once again, we’ve established ourselves among the top two teams in the world. That proves that everything we’ve done is no fluke and that nothing was handed to us.”
The game against Switzerland swung on a call that riled up those who believe Argentina has been favored by World Cup officials. The Swiss had just tied the game at 1-1 on Dan Ndoye’s goal in the 67th minute when Leandro Paredes was shown a yellow card for a tackle on Breel Embolo. But video showed the Swiss player falling before the Argentina midfielder made contact with him, and since Embolo received a yellow card earlier in the match, he was sent off and Switzerland was left to defend with 10 players.
“We were punished because of a rule that in my opinion is completely unacceptable,” Swiss coach Murat Yakin said after the game. “It’s very painful that we were eliminated that way. I don’t think we deserve that today, and in my opinion, my boys are the real heroes.”
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association had said it “cannot remain silent” after what it believed was unfair and biased officiating in Egypt’s loss against Argentina.
Argentina’s team had not acknowledged the complaints on officiating and FIFA. In previous press conferences, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni had even advised journalists asking about the matter “not to consume so much social media.”
But after the victory over England, the reigning champions fought back.
“Reaching two consecutive World Cup finals is something very few achieve, and this group did it,” Messi said. “If we had lost to England, there would have been people coming out to spout some nonsense, but we didn’t give them the chance.”
Wednesday’s semifinal was the latest chapter in a long-running feud that has transcended the field to encompass British control over the disputed Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas and claims as its sovereign territory.
The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team after players celebrating their victory over England posed with a banner handed over by fans, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Enzo Fernandez acknowledged that his goal celebration, which leveled the score at 1-1, was aimed at Argentina’s critics. The Chelsea midfielder first cupped his hands to his ears, a gesture interpreted in soccer as a challenge to critics. Then, he opened and closed his fingers, as if inviting them to keep talking.
“There was a lot of talk; it was a mix of euphoria and frustration,” Fernandez said.
Scaloni, for his part, stated in the post-semifinal press conference that “this talk of ‘help’ will always exist; it doesn’t bother me.”
“With VAR today, it’s very difficult to get help; it would have to be glaringly obvious. We knew there was no help.”
Argentina Fans Snap Up $5,000 Flights Within Hours Of World Cup Final Berth
Argentina fans snapped up flights to the United States within hours after the national carrier put on special services for Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain in New Jersey, underscoring the country’s readiness to pay almost any price to follow the defending champions.
State-run Aerolineas Argentinas said two special Buenos Aires-New York flights released late on Wednesday sold out by Thursday morning, filling 540 seats. The flights were priced at about $5,000 in economy and $10,000 in business class, far above typical fares.
The rush came after Argentina beat England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday to reach the July 19 final, while Spain advanced with a 2-0 win over France on Tuesday. The title match will be played at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.
Aerolineas’ website showed no seats available on its New York services through July 21, while the carrier’s flights to Miami were also sold out, the spokesperson said, with South Florida serving as a stop-over for fans hoping to reach the final.
Seats were still being marketed on Thursday by other airlines, though mostly via connections rather than special non-stop fan charters. American Airlines AAL.O was advertising Buenos Aires-New York fares for July travel on its website, while Copa and LATAM were also listing Buenos Aires-New York or Buenos Aires-Miami options.
Travel company Despegar said searches for flights to New York jumped 6,000% in the hours after the final whistle, a sign of the extraordinary demand unleashed by Argentina’s bid to retain the title.
For Argentines, whose passion for the national team has repeatedly translated into big-spending pilgrimages, the chance to see Lionel Messi’s side face Spain for the World Cup appears to have outweighed the soaring cost of getting there.
English Media And Former Players Slam Coach After Latest World Cup Letdown
England hired a German coach to end 60 years of hurt but saw its World Cup hopes come crashing down in the most English of ways. Another defeat in the semifinals. Another defeat from a winning position.
The English media was predictably critical of coach Thomas Tuchel after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Argentina. “Same old story” read one headline. Another declared that “Tuchel just shrank.”
Tuchel, a serial trophy-winning coach with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, was hired to put a second star on England’s jersey and end the decades-long wait for a first trophy since the World Cup in 1966.
Former England captain Gary Lineker raised the question about Tuchel’s future, saying he was “brought in specifically to take us over the line.”
“Is he the right man to take us forward?” Lineker said on his Netflix show ‘The Rest is Football.’ “He just got it so wrong in the big moment.”
Tuchel’s predecessor, Gareth Southgate, was credited with making England fans fall back in love with the men’s national team after years of underachievement. He reached back-to-back European Championship finals but ultimately fell short, with his supposed cautious approach said to have cost England in clutch matches.
Southgate’s substitutions were criticized as well as his tactics when England relinquished leads against Croatia in the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and Italy in the final of the Euros three years later.
There was criticism of the English soccer federation’s decision to turn to a German, but Tuchel, a Champions League winner, was supposed to be difference maker in those key moments.
Leading 1-0 going into the 85th minute and in a defensive shell, England saw its hopes shattered on Argentina goals from Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez.
“It’s a real panic. You can’t go a goal up and then surrender the ball and surrender any opportunity of trying to get the second goal,” former England captain Wayne Rooney told the BBC. ”I just think the decisions Thomas Tuchel made, and I think we have to be honest on this, have cost us tonight.”
Lineker said Tuchel’s tactics and substitutions after going 1-0 up “made zero sense to me.”
Tuchel, who signed a two-year contract extension ahead of the World Cup, stood by his decisions.
“As soon as you lose, you get criticized. It’s just what it is,” Tuchel said. “No one knows what would have happened if I had made different decisions so it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head.
“I’m responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism. That’s just the way it is.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said shortly after the loss that it is “heartbreaking to be so close.”
“The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament,” he said in a statement. “I would like to thank them all — and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home. We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further.”
England will face France in the third-place game on Saturday in Miami.
Defeat to defending champion Argentina continued a pattern for the England men at the World Cup.
It has not beaten one of the traditional major nations at soccer’s biggest tournament since the 1-0 win over Argentina in the group stage in 2002. Before that, England beat France in the group stage in 1982.
Knockout eliminations have come at the hands of Argentina and Germany on three occasions each, Brazil, Portugal and France. There was also the 2018 semifinals defeat to Croatia, a team that has never won a major trophy.
Tuchel, however, does not buy into the narrative that repeated failure is a specifically English problem.
“I love to see these things in a football matter and through football glasses. So first of all I always think it’s solvable on the football field,” he said. “I don’t believe so much in an English thing or in a curse or whatever or history repeating itself.”
Britain and Ireland are co-hosting Euro 2028.
“I have a contract until the home Euros, and I’m looking forward to that, even if right now it is difficult to look that far ahead,” Tuchel said.
More Than 700 Drones Seized Around World Cup Venues, FBI Says
U.S. agencies have seized over 700 drones near FIFA World Cup venues and fan zones since the start of the tournament on June 11, the FBI said on Thursday.
On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of three nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet (914 meters) above ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by air traffic controllers. The FBI said drones have been seized from restricted airspace across all 11 U.S. host cities and there have been several arrests.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed dozens of temporary flight restrictions to bar drones around World Cup sites. At fan gatherings, drones are barred within a one-nautical-mile radius and up to 1,000 feet above ground level.
Operators whose drones enter restricted airspace without approval can face fines of up to $100,000, along with criminal charges and confiscation of their drone, the FBI said. The FBI has teams stationed around World Cup stadiums to detect and disable unauthorized drones.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in an interview the seizures demonstrate the government “can actually identify the users and identify people who are in airspace where they’re not supposed to be.”
The FAA has proposed to allow operators of critical infrastructure to petition to restrict drone operations over sites for safety and security reasons. Bedford said, “We’re going to start looking at all of the sensitive locations, power plants, utility plants, infrastructure.”
The FAA has said it gets more than 100 reports of drones near airports each month.
There have been numerous drone incidents in prior years over major U.S. sporting events.
In 2025, a man pleaded guilty after he was charged with violating defense airspace by flying a drone over a National Football League playoff game in Baltimore.
Soccer's Biggest Prize Gets The Five-Star Treatment Before World Cup Final
The World Cup trophy will be transported to the New York-New Jersey stadium in a bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk, with the French luxury fashion house once again entrusted with designing the carry case for the most coveted prize in soccer.
The trunk features a golden V for “Victory” - and “Vuitton” - across the front, with the brand’s recognisable monogram pattern and gold-plated brass corner protectors. The interior is lined with beige leather and features a patch commemorating the partnership between Louis Vuitton and FIFA.
It is the fifth successive occasion in which the French company has designed a trunk for the trophy, following those used at the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
“For over a decade, Louis Vuitton and FIFA have shared an unwavering commitment to excellence, bound by a shared belief in sport’s power to inspire and bring people together,” Louis Vuitton CEO and Chairman Pietro Beccari said in a statement.
Luxury brands have long staked out their territory in professional sport, with Tiffany & Co. crafting the prize awarded to the Super Bowl champion -- now known as the Vince Lombardi Trophy -- since the first edition in 1967.
Louis Vuitton also crafts bespoke luxury trophy trunks for major Grand Prix circuits under a 10-year deal with Formula 1. But there is only one trophy for the quadrennial global showpiece - the prize typically resides at the FIFA Museum in Zurich - making the chance to design its bespoke luggage a particular honour.
Source: HuffPost
