WASHINGTON: Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain and England were all handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony on Friday, which saw US President Donald Trump receive FIFA&#39;s new peace prize. The event in Washington started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with much-fancied France among those receiving a harder task. Lionel Messi&#39;s Argentina will begin their defense of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 against Algeria, and will also face Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J. Heavily-fancied Spain, the European champions, will kick off against first-time qualfiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H. Thomas Tuchel&#39;s England will meet Croatia, Ghana and Panama in a kind-looking Group L. Two-time winners France, meanwhile, face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland&#39;s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by an intercontinental play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname. The 2026 tournament will be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in Qatar in 2022. That means a total of 104 matches, compared to 64 games last time. While the US will host the majority of matches including the final at the MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico and two in Canada. &quot;We&#39;ve worked closely with those two countries, and the coordination and friendship and relationship has been outstanding,&quot; Trump said at the Kennedy Center after receiving his prize from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. &quot;It is truly one of the great honors of my life. It is such an honor to be with Gianni. He has done such an incredible job,&quot; he added. &quot;The world is a safer place now. The United States a year ago was not going too well but now it is the hottest country&nbsp;anywhere in the world.&quot; Brazil face MoroccoTrump seized the limelight, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were also in attendance. While snow fell outside amid freezing temperatures in the US capital, some of the biggest stars in the American sport and entertainment world appeared on stage inside. The event was co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and featured performances by the Village People, Robbie Williams and Andrea Bocelli. NFL legend Tom Brady, ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky and former NBA superstar Shaquille O&#39;Neal were among the stars helping to conduct the draw. Elsewhere in the draw, co-hosts Mexico will take on South Africa in Group A in the opening game of the tournament at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco came out together in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti. Germany&#39;s opponents in Group E will be Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal will face Uzbekistan, Colombia and a play-off winner. &#39;Greatest event in humanity&#39;&nbsp;Co-hosts the United States got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia and a European play-off winner in Group D. &quot;It will be the greatest World Cup ever, the greatest event that humanity has ever seen. We have three beautiful countries, 16 wonderful host cities, 48 excellent teams who will compete in 104 matches to become the one and only world champion,&quot; Infantino said. &quot;This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month -- this is the magnitude of what we are organizing,&quot; he added of the tournament. Six finals berths are still to be decided in playoffs to take place in March. Because of the complexity, teams will only learn the full details of their match venues and kick-off times on Saturday, a day after the draw.

Football

Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain and England were all handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony

2026 World Cup Draw: Who’s playing who

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday won FIFA&#39;s new peace prize, which is to &quot;recognize the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations.&quot; The award was presented at the ceremony in Washington for the draw for 2026 World Cup tournament, which the United States will co-host with Mexico and Canada.

Americas

US President Donald Trump received FIFA’s newly introduced peace prize in Washington during the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony, honoring efforts to promote unity and hope. The tournament will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada

Trump wins FIFA's new peace prize

LISBON: Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can play in the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup after global football governing body FIFA gave him a partially &quot;suspended&quot; ban on Tuesday following a red card.&nbsp;The 40-year-old was sent off as Portugal lost 2-0 in Dublin earlier in November when he elbowed Dara O&#39;Shea in the back, for his first dismissal in 226 international appearances.&nbsp;FIFA banned Ronaldo for three matches, two of which will be suspended and the other has already been served, when Portugal sealed their qualification for next summer&#39;s tournament against Armenia.&nbsp;&quot;In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period,&quot; said FIFA in a statement given to AFP.&nbsp;&quot;If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official (Portugal) matches.&quot;&nbsp;Ronaldo, the men&#39;s all-time top goalscorer in international football with 143 goals, is aiming to play at a sixth World Cup next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada.&nbsp;The former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker, currently at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, has not yet lifted the trophy but did win Euro 2016 with Portugal.&nbsp;Ronaldo attended a dinner in the White House last week where he met US President Donald Trump, who said his son Barron &quot;is a big fan&quot; of the forward.&nbsp;The World Cup group stage draw takes place on December 5.

Cristiano Ronaldo can play Portugal’s 2026 World Cup opener after FIFA suspended two of his three-match bans. Having already served one match, he remains eligible unless he commits a similar offence during a one-year probation period.

Ronaldo cleared for 2026 World Cup opener after FIFA suspends ban

ZURICH: Spain still topped the FIFA men&rsquo;s world rankings published Friday that show Germany back on track to be a top-seeded team in the World Cup finals tournament draw on December 5 involving US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Germany rose two places to No. 10 after back-to-back wins in a World Cup qualifying group against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland. Germany had lost its opening qualifier last month against Slovakia.&nbsp;Croatia, runner-up at the 2018 World Cup and a semifinalist in the 2022 edition, fell to No. 11 after drawing one of its games at the Czech Republic last week.&nbsp;The 12 top-seeded nations in the 48-team draw will be the three co-hosts, the United States, Canada and Mexico plus the nine highest-ranked direct qualifiers in the updated FIFA rankings for November.&nbsp;Current No. 9 Italy is likely heading to European playoffs in March as runner-up in a qualifying group led by Norway, meaning the No. 10-ranked team should be assured of avoiding other top-seeded nations in the draw for the June 11-July 19 tournament.&nbsp;Spain leads from World Cup title holder Argentina, followed by No. 3 France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil and Belgium in eighth.&nbsp;The World Cup draw seedings will follow the FIFA rankings through pots 2 and 3, with pot 4 including the six lowest-ranked direct qualifiers plus six placeholders awaiting the winners of playoffs in March.&nbsp;Four European teams will advance through playoffs, and two more places are on offer in a global bracket of six non-European teams that will include Bolivia and New Caledonia.

Spain stayed atop FIFA men’s rankings as Germany rose to tenth, securing a likely top seed for the 2026 World Cup draw, while Croatia slipped and Italy faces playoffs.

Spain retains top FIFA spot, Germany climbs into top seeds

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has pledged to rebuild all football facilities in Gaza following last weekend&rsquo;s ceasefire, saying the sport must &ldquo;bring hope&rdquo; to the war-torn territory on Monday.&nbsp;Speaking at the Summit for Peace in Egypt, co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Infantino said that football&rsquo;s role is to support, to unite and give hope in the region.&nbsp;He added that FIFA will help rebuild all football facilities in Palestine, provide equipment, construct new pitches, bring in instructors, and assist in organizing local competitions.&nbsp;FIFA will launch a dedicated fund to rebuild football infrastructure in Palestine, adding that the organization had already contributed through its FIFA Arena programme and the construction of mini-pitches.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We will help to bring football back together with the Palestinian Football Association in every corner of the country&rdquo;, he added.&nbsp;Infantino stated that FIFA has contributed with mini-pitches, with the FIFA Arena programme, adding: &ldquo;We want the whole world to contribute, because football brings hope to children, it&rsquo;s very, very important.&rdquo;&nbsp;FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.&nbsp;The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.

Gianni Infantino pledged to help restore football infrastructure in Gaza, establish a reconstruction fund, and revive local tournaments, emphasizing that the sport should serve as a source of hope for the Palestinian people in the aftermath of the ceasefire and the peace summit held in Egypt.

FIFA vows to bring football back to Palestine after peace summit

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: nowrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">LAUSANNE,&nbsp;Switzerland: FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday football &quot;cannot solve geopolitical problems&quot;, as he comes under pressure to suspend Israel over the Palestinian conflict. The sport&#39;s world governing body said in a statement that at a meeting of the FIFA Council, Infantino &quot;stressed the importance of promoting peace and unity, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in Gaza&quot;. &ldquo;At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,&quot; Infantino said. &quot;Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.&quot; He added: &quot;FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.&quot; FIFA banned Russia in 2022, shortly after Russian forces invaded Ukraine -- despite the fact that Russia hosted the World Cup finals four years earlier.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino rejected calls to suspend Israel, saying football cannot solve geopolitical conflicts but should promote peace and unity. He emphasized FIFA’s role in harnessing football’s unifying, cultural, and humanitarian values amid global crises.

FIFA 'cannot solve geopolitical problems' like Gaza, says Infantino

GENEVA: European soccer body Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is moving toward a vote to suspend its member federation Israel over the war in Gaza, people familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Thursday. &nbsp;A majority of UEFA&rsquo;s 20-member executive committee is expected to support any vote in favor of suspending Israeli teams from international play, two sources told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.&nbsp;The move comes two weeks before the Israel men&rsquo;s team is due to resume its 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with away games against Norway and Italy.&nbsp;It is unclear whether world soccer body FIFA will support excluding Israel given the close relations between FIFA&rsquo;s leader, Gianni Infantino, and President Donald Trump.&nbsp;The Trump administration&rsquo;s support to secure the World Cup, and process visas for players, officials and potentially hundreds of thousands of visiting fans, is seen as key to FIFA delivering a successful tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico next year.&nbsp;FIFA&rsquo;s ruling council is scheduled to meet in Zurich next week. The 37-member council includes eight from UEFA.&nbsp;Calls to exclude Israel from soccer and other sports have increased in recent weeks amid an outcry over the humanitarian toll of its military campaign in Gaza.Last week Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez said Israel should be banned from international sports events just like Russia, which was sidelined after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.&nbsp;UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin signaled a tougher view on Israel last month when banners saying &ldquo;Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians&rdquo; were placed on the field in front of the Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham teams ahead of the Super Cup game in Udine, Italy.&nbsp;Israel&rsquo;s sports and culture minister, Miki Zohar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of Israel&rsquo;s soccer federation, Moshe Zuares, have been working &ldquo;intensively behind the scenes&rdquo; to block efforts to oust Israel from UEFA, Zohar&#39;s office said Thursday.&nbsp;&ldquo;The right step now is to act responsibly with the professionals and not to make statements, and this is how all the parties involved in the efforts are acting. We will address this later.&rdquo;&nbsp;Critics of Israel&#39;s response since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas provoked the war have consistently pointed to Russia being suspended by FIFA and UEFA within days of the full military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.&nbsp;Last week, Israel was accused of committing genocide in Gaza by an inquiry commission commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council.&nbsp;The Russia ban also was driven by a swath of UEFA member federations refusing to play scheduled games against Russian opponents, including Poland which had been due to go to Moscow for a 2022 World Cup qualifying playoff.&nbsp;FIFA and UEFA later argued when winning at a Russian appeal against the ban that they could not risk chaos in their own competitions, including the World Cup.&nbsp;The Norwegian soccer federation also pledged to give its profits from ticket sales for the October 11, game in Oslo to humanitarian work in Gaza by Doctors Without Borders.&nbsp;Both Italy&rsquo;s Gabriele Gravina and Lise Klaveness of Norway are elected members of the UEFA executive committee which could vote on suspending Israel. Zuares, the Israeli soccer federation president, is also on the panel.&nbsp;

UEFA is set to vote on suspending Israel from international soccer over the Gaza war, amid growing European calls. The move comes before Israel’s World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy scheduled next month.

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