Argentina will face Mauritania and Zambia this month in ​World Cup warm-up matches, the South American nation’s ‌football body (AFA) said on Friday.

Argentina had been due to play Spain in the “Finalissima” in Qatar, but the game was cancelled due ​to the conflict in the Middle East.

“The national ​team will play a friendly against Mauritania as ⁠the squad begins its farewell to fans before ​departing to defend its World Cup title,” the AFA said ​in a statement.

In a separate statement, the AFA added that Argentina “will face Zambia in its second friendly match of the FIFA Date”.

The ​matches will be played at Boca Juniors’ La ​Bombonera stadium on March 27 and March 31, respectively.

Mauritania had been scheduled to ‌face ⁠Palestine in Morocco, but that game was also cancelled due to the conflict.

It will be Argentina’s third game in a row against an African team, after a ​2-0 victory in ​Angola in ⁠November.

Argentina had planned a friendly against Guatemala on March 31, but that match was cancelled ​after failing to receive FIFA approval because ​Guatemala ⁠were already scheduled to face Algeria in Italy

Argentina begin their World Cup title defence on June 16 against Algeria, ⁠before facing ​Austria and Jordan in Group ​J.

-Reuters

By Kunle Solaja.

FIFA has officially kicked off the musical build-up to the 2026 World Cup with the release of “Lighter,” the first single from the Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Album, uniting top musical talents from the tournament’s three host nations.

The track features Jelly Roll (United States) and Carín León (Mexico), with production by Cirkut, the 2026 Grammy Award winner for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical). Released via Def Jam Recordings, the song is now available across all major streaming platforms.

“Lighter” marks the opening chapter of what FIFA describes as a groundbreaking album for the most inclusive World Cup in history—the first to feature 48 teams and to be jointly hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The collaboration symbolises this tri-nation hosting model, blending Jelly Roll’s country influences with Carín León’s regional Mexican sound, underpinned by Cirkut’s contemporary global production style. The result is a genre-crossing anthem designed to reflect both North American cultural diversity and football’s universal appeal.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the project as more than just a musical initiative.

“The FIFA World Cup is one of the rare moments when the entire world moves to the same rhythm,” Infantino said.
“The Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album is not simply a musical accompaniment to the tournament; it’s a statement about where the global game is going.”

He added that “Lighter” represents “a powerful expression of resilience, energy and joy” that will resonate in stadiums, fan zones and communities worldwide throughout the tournament.

Artists Reflect on Global Collaboration

Jelly Roll highlighted the unique nature of the collaboration, noting the global reach of music:

“Music has a way of reaching people in places you’d never expect… getting to come together on this record has been really special.”

For Carín León, the project carries national and cultural significance:

“As a Mexican, I’m incredibly excited to be part of this project and to bring a piece of our music and culture to so many corners of the world.”

Producer Cirkut emphasised the intention behind the track’s sound:

“We wanted to create something that carries the sound and soul of the host countries, and connects with fans around the world.”

More to Come

FIFA confirmed that the album rollout will continue in phases, with additional songs and international collaborations expected ahead of the 2026 tournament.

Multimedia materials related to the release have been made available to media organisations via the FIFA Digital Hub for editorial use.

With “Lighter,” FIFA appears to be setting an early tone for a World Cup that aims not only to expand the game on the pitch but also to deepen its cultural and artistic footprint worldwide.

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Intelligence briefings reviewed by Reuters have warned of the potential for extremists and criminals to target the World Cup at a time when hundreds of millions of dollars of approved security funds have been delayed, causing U.S. preparations to fall behind.

The previously unreported ​briefings from U.S. federal and state officials and FIFA, the international federation overseeing the World Cup, outlined the risk of extremist attacks, including attacks on transportation infrastructure and civil unrest related to ‌President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The soccer World Cup, one of the globe’s biggest sporting events, will be held in June and July this year across three countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico.

While security at such events is always intense, U.S. law enforcement officials have been on especially heightened alert since the start of the war on Iran and have raised concerns over retaliatory threats.

Officials working to prepare for the World Cup in the United States have increasingly sounded alarms in recent weeks over a stalled $625 million in federal security grants for the ​event that were part of a Republican-backed spending bill passed in July 2025.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, tasked with distributing the money, said in November that it was expecting to allocate the funds no later ​than January 30.

Following inquiries by Reuters this month after officials and organizers complained that they had still received nothing, FEMA announced on Wednesday that it had awarded the grants, ⁠saying the money would “bolster security preparations.”

With the first matches kicking off in Mexico on June 11 and then the U.S. and Canada the next day, states and cities hosting the events are deep into planning, including how to safeguard ​from possible attacks. The delayed funding and threat warnings have compounded an already complex process, multiple officials involved told Reuters.

The grant money distribution process normally takes months, and efforts to buy technology and equipment can take even longer, according to ​Mike Sena, president of the National Fusion Center Association, which represents a network of 80 information centers across the U.S. that facilitate federal, state and local intelligence sharing.

“It will be extremely tight,” he said.

A December 2025 intelligence report from New Jersey looking at potential threats to matches in the state – which will include the final – flagged recent domestic attacks, disrupted terror plots and a proliferation of extremist propaganda. The report also noted the possibility of spontaneous gatherings related to tensions between countries.

Another intelligence report, dated September 2025, described an online post ​appearing to encourage attacks on railroad infrastructure during the World Cup that said there were “plenty of opportunities for us to knock it off the tracks” and highlighted matches on the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada. The documents ​were obtained through open records requests by the transparency nonprofit Property of the People.

DELAYED FUNDING, WORRIES ABOUT ICE

Democrats have blamed outgoing U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for delaying the release of the money. Under Noem’s leadership, DHS also withheld, opens new tab hundreds of ‌millions of dollars ⁠in homeland security funds last year from a dozen Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., while pressing them to increase immigration enforcement.

In response to a request for comment, White House spokesman Davis Ingle faulted Democrats for the delayed funding, citing disagreements over immigration enforcement tactics.

“The president is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history,” Ingle said in a statement. “The Democrats need to stop playing games.”

Trump’s immigration crackdown has already cast a pall over the event and raised concerns about the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Since Trump took office in January 2025, masked immigration agents have rounded up suspected immigration offenders in U.S. cities and ​detained some tourists at airports.

That has coincided with a Trump-era ​dropoff in overall international visitors, according to U.S. Commerce ⁠Department data. Early signs have however indicated still strong appetite for flight bookings and ticket sales for the tournament.

In a FIFA weekly intelligence briefing dated January 28, analysts warned that anti-ICE activism in U.S. cities in response to immigration enforcement could lower the barriers “to hostile actions by lone actors or extremist elements.”

Trump has also placed full or partial travel bans on ​nationals of more than three dozen countries, including Iran, which is in talks with FIFA to move its matches to Mexico due to its current conflict with the United States. ​Three other countries whose fans face ⁠Trump travel bans – Haiti, Ivory Coast and Senegal – have also qualified for the tournament.

SECURITY CONCERNS EXTEND TO FAN EVENTS

Several World Cup and state officials have said “FIFA Fan Festival” events are a particular concern. The events allow large numbers of people to watch matches together on open-air screens.

A Fan Festival event that had been planned in Liberty State Park in Jersey City for the duration of the tournament was canceled unexpectedly last month and replaced with smaller gatherings.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said at the ⁠time that many ​smaller events would allow more people in the area to enjoy the experience. Security concerns also factored in the decision, a person familiar ​with the planning said.

U.S. Representative Nellie Pou, a Democrat representing a district in New Jersey that includes MetLife Stadium, one of the sites where games will be played, said that each of the World Cup’s 104 matches would be equivalent to a Super Bowl.

“Local government, local law enforcement, will ​certainly have their hands full,” Pou said. “They need every single dollar that they are eligible to receive, and they need it now.”

-Reuters

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