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FIFA to examine 64-team World Cup expansion before 2030 tournament - Gianni Infantino

The competition has been expanded to a 48-team format for the current 2026 finals, with FIFA now considering adding a further 16 nations.

Colin Millar Comments count 405

Do England or Argentina have enough to challenge in final? Re-ranking the World Cup teams with four games left

Tim Spiers, Eduardo Tansley and more Comments count 1315

The most effective attacking run at this World Cup and why it works so well

Thom Harris Comments count 9

World Cup semi-finals bracket predictions: Picking the winners and key players for final four

Adam Crafton, Oliver Kay and more Comments count 426

World Cup top scorer: How will Messi, Mbappe, Kane Golden Boot race be decided?

Jessica Hopkins and Nnamdi Onyeagwara Comments count 8

Jul 13, 2026

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Norway and England face extreme heat in Miami World Cup game, this is what happens to a player

Extreme temperatures do not simply affect performance – they can pose a serious risk to a player's health

Sarah Shephard Comments count 44

World Cup weather: Extreme heat forecast for Norway v England quarterfinal in Miami

All you need to know about the weather for today's World Cup quarterfinals

Aaron Mentkowski Comments count 18

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Argentina and England gear up for huge semi-final: Ranking every match at the 2026 World Cup

There will be 104 games at this World Cup - and The Athletic is ranking them all as we go along...

Anantaajith Raghuraman Comments count 227

Is Yamal right to be confident about knocking France out of the World Cup? Day 30 recap

All you need to know about today's World Cup games and the key talking points from day 30

Oliver Kay Comments count 35

World Cup predictions, quarter-finals: Norway vs England, and Argentina vs Switzerland

Who knows more about soccer? Us ‘experts’, you the subscribers, a child, a dog or an algorithm? Come join us to predict each World Cup game

The Athletic Soccer Experts Comments count 5

World Cup player of the match awards: How are they decided? Is it a popularity contest?

Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are among the stars who have won multiple awards so far at the tournament.

Leon Imber Comments count 7

World Cup weather: France vs. Morocco will be warm

All you need to know about the World Cup weather today

Aaron Mentkowski Comments count 3

World Cup mailbag: Questions answered on bigger tournament, A/C fairness, 'stutter' penalties

We asked you what you wanted to know about the World Cup. Here are the answers to your questions...

Eduardo Tansley, Graham Scott and more Comments count 17

Ranking the top 50 players at the 2026 World Cup: Who were the winners and losers from the last 16?

There are new names and re-entries aplenty in our rankings as the World Cup reaches the quarter-final stage

Liam Twomey Comments count 93

The BookKeeper — Exploring FIFA's finances: Where the money comes from and where it goes

FIFA has never been richer. The World Cup has never been bigger. But at what cost? The Athletic investigates...

Chris Weatherspoon Comments count 64

World Cup predictions, quarter-finals: Spain vs Belgium

Who knows more about soccer? Us ‘experts’, you the subscribers, a child, a dog or an algorithm? Come join us to predict each World Cup game

The Athletic Soccer Experts Comments count 5

The Athletic's guide to the World Cup's 13 red cards. From Balogun to Quansah, we analyse them all

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott looks back at every dismissal in the competition to see if the right calls were made

Graham Scott Comments count 38

Justin Bieber to join Madonna, Shakira and BTS for World Cup final halftime show

FIFA says the performance during the July 19 showpiece game at MetLife Stadium will be 11 minutes long.

Ben Burrows Comments count 83

Why are centre-halves taking, and missing, so many penalties at the World Cup?

Statistics suggest defenders score fewer spot-kicks than players in others positions and that trend has continued this summer

Tim Spiers and Geir Jordet Comments count 15

World Cup 2026: Why are there no games today? What other sports are on?

For the first time in 27 days, there are no men's World Cup matches to watch on Wednesday.

Jessica Hopkins Comments count 62

Europe is dominating another World Cup. That does not look like changing anytime soon

With six of the eight quarter-finalists coming from Europe, the continent's grip on the world game has tightened

Michael Cox Comments count 204

Is the World Cup about to get even better? What did Messi's emotions reveal? Day 27 recap

Messi's emotions came after an extraordinary win for Argentina, before the Swiss won on penalties to take the final place in the last eight.

Michael Cox Comments count 234

World Cup quarterfinals bracket predictions: Best games, players and who makes the semifinals

How the World Cup quarterfinals bracket looks and what we're predicting will happen next

Stuart James, Phil Hay and more Comments count 541

The 64-year-old story of the last World Cup dismissal that didn't lead to a ban

Balogun’s case is the first time a player has been sent off at a World Cup and then not been suspended for at least the next game since 1962

Nick Miller Comments count 19

World Cup predictions last 16: Argentina vs Egypt and Switzerland vs Colombia

Who knows more about soccer? Us ‘experts’, you the subscribers, a child, a dog or an algorithm? Come join us to predict each World Cup game

The Athletic Soccer Experts Comments count 6

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FIFA to examine 64-team World Cup expansion before 2030 tournament - Gianni Infantino

More Stories

Norway and England face extreme heat in Miami World Cup game, this is what happens to a player

World Cup weather: Extreme heat forecast for Norway v England quarterfinal in Miami

Australia Collectibles

Argentina and England gear up for huge semi-final: Ranking every match at the 2026 World Cup

Is Yamal right to be confident about knocking France out of the World Cup? Day 30 recap

World Cup predictions, quarter-finals: Norway vs England, and Argentina vs Switzerland

World Cup player of the match awards: How are they decided? Is it a popularity contest?

World Cup weather: France vs. Morocco will be warm

World Cup mailbag: Questions answered on bigger tournament, A/C fairness, 'stutter' penalties

Ranking the top 50 players at the 2026 World Cup: Who were the winners and losers from the last 16?

The BookKeeper — Exploring FIFA's finances: Where the money comes from and where it goes

World Cup predictions, quarter-finals: Spain vs Belgium

The Athletic's guide to the World Cup's 13 red cards. From Balogun to Quansah, we analyse them all

Justin Bieber to join Madonna, Shakira and BTS for World Cup final halftime show

Why are centre-halves taking, and missing, so many penalties at the World Cup?

World Cup 2026: Why are there no games today? What other sports are on?

Europe is dominating another World Cup. That does not look like changing anytime soon

Is the World Cup about to get even better? What did Messi's emotions reveal? Day 27 recap

World Cup quarterfinals bracket predictions: Best games, players and who makes the semifinals

The 64-year-old story of the last World Cup dismissal that didn't lead to a ban

World Cup predictions last 16: Argentina vs Egypt and Switzerland vs Colombia

Soccer Links