DREAM QUARTER-FINAL: LIONEL MESSI VS. CRISTIANO RONALDO PATH REVEALED
The 2026 World Cup draw sets up a potential quarter-final clash between Lionel Messi (Group J) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Group K) as Argentina begins its title defence.
The 2026 World Cup draw happened on Friday in Washington, DC, and Argentina now knows they'll start their title defence playing against Algeria.
If Lionel Messi decides to play in his sixth World Cup with Argentina, which would be next summer when he's 39, he'll face Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in Group J.
The tournament, hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026, could be the last chance for 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to grab a World Cup title before he retires.
Like Messi, Ronaldo has played in five World Cups and is the all-time top scorer in men's international soccer with 143 goals. Ronaldo's Portugal is in Group K with the winner of Play-Off Tournament 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia), Uzbekistan, and Colombia—the team of his former Real Madrid teammate, James Rodríguez.
If Messi's Argentina and Ronaldo's Portugal both win their groups and their first two knockout matches, they'll meet in the quarterfinal.
Mexico will play South Africa at the Azteca Stadium to kick off the World Cup.
Javier Aguirre's team will also play the Republic of Korea and the winner of European Play-Off D (Czechia, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, and North Macedonia) in Group A.
Brazil, a five-time world champion, hasn't won the tournament since 2002. Their best finish since then was fourth place in 2014 when they hosted.
Brazil, now coached by former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, will have a tough start against Morocco in their Group C opener. Morocco made it to the 2022 World Cup semifinals after beating Ronaldo's Portugal. Brazil will also play Haiti and Scotland.
Two-time winners France will face tough matches against Senegal, Norway, and the winner of the FIFA playoff tournament 2 (Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname).
Norway is led by Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who scored two goals per game during qualifying, helping Norway reach its first World Cup in 28 years.
Euro 2024 champions Spain, who won the World Cup in 2010, are in Group H with Uruguay, the South American team coached by Marcelo Bielsa.
Also in the group are Cabo Verde, who are playing in the tournament for the first time, and Saudi Arabia, the only team to beat Argentina at the last World Cup.
Germany, the 2014 World Cup champions, are in Group E with Ecuador, Côte d'Ivoire, and Curacao, who are also first-timers.
The Netherlands is set to play Japan, Tunisia, and the winner of European playoff B (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, or Albania).
Next year's tournament will be the first time 48 national teams will participate, with the final taking place on July 19 in New Jersey.
The complete schedule, including the location and start time for each match, will be announced on Dec. 6 at noon ET (5 p.m. GMT).
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
