World Cup
World Cup 2026 teams to be based in ‘clusters’
Teams at the expanded 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be based in regional clusters during the early rounds to ease travel, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said.
Speaking in Los Angeles to unveil the official logo and branding for the tournament, Infantino said the move was prompted by the scale of the 2026 finals.
For the first time the next World Cup will include 48 teams — up from 32 — and will be co-hosted by three countries, another first.
“The challenges will be the whole logistics around it,” Infantino said. “It’s a continent -– three countries and not three small countries either — three big countries.
“The distances, the time zones, the climatic differences too — altitude in Mexico, sea level in other parts.
“So for us it’s important to create the right environment for the teams and the fans to be put in the best possible conditions.
“Meaning not having to travel too much, especially at the beginning. So we will create some clusters where teams will be based depending on the draw and then they will play their games in that particular cluster.”
Infantino said travel, and the move towards basing teams in regions, had been discussed at a meeting in Doha last week of the 32 coaches involved in last year’s World Cup.
“This was one of the advantages of the World Cup in Qatar, where a player, one hour after the game, was in his bed,” he said.
“(In 2026) there will be some travel involved but we will coordinate that and make sure that it will be the best possible conditions for the teams.”
Infantino meanwhile hopes the tournament can build on the success of the 1994 finals in the United States, which helped establish Major League Soccer in North America.
Asked what he wanted the legacy of 2026 to be, Infantino told AFP: “That soccer will be the number one sport in North America.”
Infantino’s remarks came as FIFA rolled out a “green carpet” for celebrities and former players at the Griffith Observatory overlooking Los Angeles.
The gala event was held to unveil the official branding for the 2026 tournament.
Among the guests was former US international Alexi Lalas, one of the stars of 1994.
Lalas backed Infantino’s pledge to base teams in regions.
“At the risk of ‘grumpy old-manning it’, it’s not like these guys are sitting in the middle seat in economy on a budget airline or anything,” Lalas told AFP. “They’re on charter aircraft all over the place.
“But having said that, we’re obviously talking about six-hour trips, time-zone changes. For a lot of players around the world that fundamentally changes the competition, so a regional type of situation makes sense.”
-AFP
FIFA has expressed disappointment over the inability of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan to participate in the FIFA World Cup after United States immigration authorities denied him entry into the country.
The world football governing body confirmed on Monday that Artan, who had been selected among the match officials for the tournament, would be unable to join the World Cup refereeing team after efforts to resolve his immigration status proved unsuccessful.
“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
The decision means Artan, who was poised to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup match, will miss the competition that kicks off on Thursday in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Sources familiar with the situation said FIFA had been in contact with relevant authorities after learning of the referee’s predicament but was ultimately informed that the decision would stand.
Artan arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was denied entry after undergoing additional inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In a statement, CBP said a Somali national was deemed inadmissible because of vetting concerns, though it did not disclose specific details.
The incident has left FIFA without one of Africa’s most respected referees. Artan’s stock has risen significantly in recent years, culminating in his recognition as the Confederation of African Football’s Best Male Referee for 2025.
Last month, he took charge of the second leg of the CAF Champions League final in Morocco, one of the continent’s most prestigious club fixtures.
Despite the setback, Artan struck a positive note in a statement released after the decision.
“I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support, and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” he said.
“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best of luck during the World Cup, and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
The episode has drawn attention to immigration issues surrounding major international sporting events hosted by the United States. The Trump administration’s travel restrictions on citizens from several countries, including Somalia, had already prompted concerns among some stakeholders ahead of the tournament.
FIFA, however, reiterated that immigration matters remain the responsibility of national authorities and emphasized that it has no role in determining the admissibility of individuals entering host countries.
With the tournament set to begin this week, FIFA is expected to proceed with its officiating roster without Artan, while the Somali official turns his attention to future international assignments.
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England defender Djed Spence is set to take a page from Victor Osimhen’s playbook at the FIFA World Cup, revealing that he will wear a protective face mask throughout the tournament after suffering a broken jaw in the closing weeks of the Premier League season.
The Tottenham Hotspur defender joins a growing list of players who have continued competing while masked, most notably Nigeria’s star striker Victor Osimhen, whose black protective mask has become one of football’s most recognisable accessories since a serious facial injury suffered during his time at Napoli.
Spence sustained the injury in a collision with Chelsea forward Liam Delap last month but remains determined to play a full part in England’s World Cup campaign.
“It’s a little bit uncomfortable, but it is what it is,” Spence told reporters on Monday.
“I’ve got a broken jaw, so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It’s something I will have to get used to. It’ll be three months until it’s fully healed, so it’s a long time.”
Like Osimhen, who returned to action wearing a mask after undergoing surgery for multiple facial fractures in 2021, Spence has shown little inclination to let the injury interrupt his football.
The defender even completed the match in which the injury occurred and later featured in Tottenham’s final league game against Everton while wearing the protective gear.
“It was painful, but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw. So I was all good,” Spence added.
Osimhen’s mask has become synonymous with resilience and determination. Since adopting it, the Nigerian international has gone on to establish himself among Europe’s most feared strikers, helping Napoli win the Serie A title and becoming a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Spence now hopes the mask will similarly prove no obstacle as England pursue World Cup glory in North America.
England begin their campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17 before facing Ghana and Panama in the remaining Group D fixtures.
While Spence’s protective gear may not yet be as iconic as Osimhen’s, the England defender will be hoping it brings the same good fortune that has accompanied the Nigerian striker’s remarkable rise over the past few years.
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Michael Olise once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of France’s most indispensable attacking players, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland in Lille as Les Bleus fine-tuned preparations for the FIFA World Cup.
The 24-year-old playmaker, who was eligible to represent Nigeria through his father before committing his international future to France, was the driving force behind virtually every dangerous French attack, underlining the magnitude of the talent the Super Eagles failed to secure.
With eight days remaining before France begin their World Cup campaign in the United States, Olise’s dazzling performance reinforced his growing status as the creative heartbeat of Didier Deschamps’ side.
France may boast world-class stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, but it was Olise who provided the cutting edge, vision and finishing touch that ultimately separated the teams.
Deschamps fielded what is expected to be his strongest starting lineup ahead of the Group I opener against Senegal on June 16, with Olise operating just behind the attacking trio of Mbappe, Dembele and Doue. The Bayern Munich midfielder repaid that faith with a match-winning display.
France initially struggled to penetrate Northern Ireland’s disciplined defensive block and created few clear opportunities in a frustrating first half. However, Olise’s influence steadily grew as he began dictating the tempo and linking effectively with France’s array of attacking talent.
The breakthrough came two minutes before halftime when Doue surged down the left flank and found Dembele inside the penalty area. The Paris Saint-Germain forward’s effort was deflected into Olise’s path, allowing him to calmly tap home from close range.
The French attack immediately sprang to life after the interval, with Olise once again at the centre of events. Four minutes into the second half, he reacted quickest to a poor clearance and unleashed a powerful half-volley into the net to double France’s advantage.
While France’s attack looked increasingly fluid, defensive vulnerabilities remained evident. Just as they had during the recent defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, Les Bleus were exposed on the counterattack, allowing Patrick Kelly to reduce the deficit after meeting Shea Charles’s cross with a clinical finish.
Yet any hopes of a Northern Ireland comeback were extinguished by Olise.
The former Crystal Palace star completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute with a superb curling effort into the far corner, capping a performance that highlighted both his creativity and finishing ability.
As France turn their attention to World Cup clashes against Senegal, Iraq and Norway, Olise’s emergence as the team’s chief playmaker offers encouragement for Deschamps. For Nigeria, however, each outstanding display serves as a reminder of a gifted player who could have been orchestrating attacks for the Super Eagles on football’s biggest stage.
On current form, Olise is not merely a supporting act in France’s star-studded attack—he is rapidly becoming the backbone of it.
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FIFA Expresses Regret Over Referee’s U.S. Entry Denial Ahead of World Cup
England’s Spence Follows Osimhen’s Masked Path to World Cup
Nigeria’s Loss, France’s Gain as Olise Underlines World Cup Importance with Hat-Trick
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