FEATURES

It's so close we can almost taste it. The 2026 World Cup is now just days away, with the best players from around the globe descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for what promises to be a superb summer of football. While some teams will solely harbour dreams of getting out of the groups, others know that anything other than a trophy parade in late-July will go down as failure. We're set, then, for five-and-a-half weeks of drama, filled with joy and heartbreak in equal measure.

Brazil are in a bad way. We know this because Neymar's fitness has been a topic of national debate for the past few months. Believe it or not, there are a significant number of Brazilians that believe that the Selecao has no chance of winning this summer's World Cup without a 34-year-old forward who has neither been fit nor good enough to play for his country since 2023.

England are on the brink of having to navigate the play-off route in Women's World Cup qualifying after a 4-0 defeat to Spain, the Lionesses' worst result under Sarina Wiegman, put La Roja in pole position for the group's one automatic berth instead. England flew to Mallorca knowing that a draw would be enough to secure their spot at the tournament in Brazil next summer but goals from Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas and Claudia Pina saw them leapfrogged in the table by their hosts, with one game to go.

Dejan Joveljic is an excellent MLS striker, but in another life he might have been a competitive chess player.

GOAL takes a look at the big storylines and takeaways from the team's pre-Germany preparation in the latest installment of the USMNT notebook.

USWNT face Brazil in São Paulo as the Olympic rivals meet again in a key World Cup qualifying tuneup. GOAL breaks down the biggest storylines ahead of kickoff.

Excitement is building ahead of the start of the latest installment of the greatest show on earth - the World Cup. Throughout the showpiece tournament in North America, GOAL, in association with eToro, is tracking the value of 10 of the world's most sought-after talents. Will their price rise or plummet? Follow our unique player value tracker to find out...

For some football fans, the summer is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most - and that's not just because it's filled by a World Cup every four years! Rather, it's because the end of the season means only one thing: It's time for transfers! The 2026 window is likely to once again be bust, with some huge names set to make big-money moves before deadline day on September 1.

The MLS All Star initial XI has been revealed, and the big names have made it - along with a few well-deserved surprises. GOAL's writers break it all down in the latest Rondo.

Fresh off a win over Senegal, the USMNT face their toughest pre-World Cup test yet against Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Germany. GOAL breaks down five key storylines.

A quick scroll through the Spain squad to face England in a crucial Women's World Cup qualifier on Friday and there is one team represented more than any other: Barcelona. Eleven of the 25 names selected by Sonia Bermudez are based in Catalunya, with La Roja able to tap into that familiarity in a very impactful way over the years. But a lot is going to change at Barca this summer.

"Who else?!" Those were the words of Jude Bellingham as he careened away in celebration after his quite remarkable bicycle kick had drawn England level in the 95th minute of their Euro 2024 round-of-16 game against Slovakia. The Three Lions had been terrible up to that point, but Bellingham’s heroic moment had kept them alive, continuing a season where he had been the difference-maker for Real Madrid again and again.

The World Cup is now less than a week away, with teams currently making their final preparations for the tournament in North America. The stage is set for a whole host of players to make themselves national heroes, including some of the most exciting youngsters in the game today.

The 2026 World Cup is almost here. After years of build-up, dramatic qualifiers and numerous good - and bad - news stories surrounding FIFA's flagship finals, players and coaches from around the world are completing their last preparations while descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for the biggest international football tournament to ever have been staged.

Mexico recovered from an early scare in Toluca to overwhelm Serbia, with Alvaro Fidalgo and Brian Gutierrez among the standouts as El Tri wrapped up their World Cup preparations in style.

With Mexico’s World Cup opener against South Africa looming, El Tri’s friendly vs Serbia gives Javier Aguirre one last chance to settle his XI, sharpen the attack and answer key questions around Alvaro Fidalgo, Alexis Vega, Roberto Alvarado, and Guillermo Ochoa.

Rayan Cherki scored a memorable goal, but a much-changed France side couldn't hold onto the lead as they dropped their first World Cup warmup game to the Ivory Coast, 2-1. Manager Didier Deschamps made plenty of changes, yet still named a strong side. Despite some bright moments, Les Bleus weren't able to piece together a complete performance - and were made to pay.