December 11 – If anyone still clings to the fantasy that the 2026 World Cup will be a festival for the everyday fan, hotel prices are rising faster than an Apollo rocket on the launch pad.
December 11 – Egypt and Iran want FIFA to step in and shut down the LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations planned around their group-stage match in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
December 10 – Match ticket prices for the World Cup took off like a rocket the moment the draw and schedule dropped, thanks to FIFA’s newest gift to world football, namely, dynamic pricing.
December 10 – Seattle’s local organisers for the 2026 World Cup are facing an unexpected complication after the tournament draw placed Egypt and Iran into the city’s designated ‘Pride Match’ – an event scheduled long before team assignments and entirely independent of FIFA branding.
December 9 – FIFA will include three-minute hydration breaks in each half of every World Cup match next summer regardless of the weather, in a move which essentially splits matches into four quarters akin to NBA and NFL games.
December 8 – Mexico will open the 2026 World Cup on June 11 in Mexico City against South Africa. The following day the USA will play Paraguay in Los Angeles and Canada will play Toronto in against the qualifiers from the European play-off between Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The groups and matches for the biggest ever 48-team World Cup were set at the group draw in the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on Friday and the unveiling of the match schedule in a made-for-TV show the following day.
December 7 – Philadelphia World Cup organisers have said all fans will be welcome to attend matches in the city with Haiti – a country on US president Donald Trump’s travel ban list – playing Brazil in the World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. However, they did admit that the federal level is beyond their control.
December 8 – The 2026 World Cup final will have a National Football League Super Bowl–style halftime show. The announcement was made during the final draw in Washington, D.C., and taps directly into a uniquely American tradition of a halftime as spectacle.
December 7 – Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has repeated that Neymar will be included in Brazil’s final squad for the World Cup if the Santos player returns to form.
December 5 – Former Arsenal manager and FIFA global development officer Arsene Wenger has said that a 48-team World Cup won’t affect the tournament’s quality. He added that FIFA will protect players from the heat.
Speaking on the eve of the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Frenchman defended the 48-team expansion – up from 32 – calling it “a natural evolution.”
December 5 – Fanatics, the global sports merchandising platform, has been chosen by FIFA as the official on-site retail licensee for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Becoming officially licensed by FIFA means Fanatics can deliver official branded gear, real-time product drops, and a unified retail experience.
December 5 – The local organizing committee, KC2026 has rolled out ConnectKC26, the region’s transportation plan for the FIFA World Cup 2026, pitching it as a system built to help visitors and locals move around without stress.
December 5 – When you need a TV pundit with instant credibility, look no further than French World and European Championship winner Thierry Henry. And now he’s bringing that pedigree to FOX Sports ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
December 3 – The world’s football federations are gathering in Washington DC for the 2026 World Cup finals group draw this Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
December 4 – LEGO Group are building a new licensing partnership with FIFA with a series of LEGO Editions based around the World Cup and starting with the World Cup trophy made entirely of LEGO bricks.