Fifa

The Liverpool icon has little left to prove but will be key for his country as they look to end a near-century wait for a victory in a World Cup match

World Cup has also been used by Argentina as an opportunity to stop bad parents having fun

Steve Clarke’s team top Group C after unconvincing display at Boston Stadium

Boualem Khoukhi’s header in stoppage time at Levi’s Stadium secures a draw for Qatar

Donald Trump stays away from Fifa World Cup game in Inglewood, California, where irresistible hosts show off a free-spirited approach

In some luckier parallel universe, the Republic of Ireland were lining out in Zapopan

Minister’s Olympics excuse sounds like scraping the barrel for pretexts to justify inaction

Substitute claws goal back for co-hosts after Jovo Lukic opener

Michel Platini among former players to accuse captain of creating distraction as Didier Deschamps defends captain’s right to speak

The bottom line is authorities don’t want to pay the price for a principled stand

With the tournament at risk of being overshadowed by politics and pricing, American players have tried to shift the focus to their football in advance of their game against Paraguay

American flag met with chorus of boos during opening ceremony at the Azteca

Hoops’ skipper born and raised in Crumlin where local send-off on Monday ‘one to remember’

Uefa said it wanted to show its respect to Omar after he was removed from the referee roster for the World Cup

Group stage tables, the route to the final and the race for the golden boot

Algeria and Austria likely to battle it out for progress

Luis Díaz leads the line for hopeful Colombia as Uzbekistan make debut

Luka Modric’s laidback style could see Croatia excel in the heat

Teachers’ strikes highlight the chasm between ordinary workers’ wages and the premium price of match tickets

Almost 200,000 tickets are still available for group stage games as the World Cup opens in Mexico

There is a host of football-themed programming airing at sensible times, just to get you in the mood

If infrastructure is unable to manage the task, chaos could ensue at match venues and early app user reviews are not encouraging

Fifa chief addressed Iran, ticket prices and visa problems at event in Mexico City, but didn’t hit the dramatic heights of Qatar 2022

America 2026 with Kevin Kilbane and Paul Howard

Iran will have plenty to contend with on their visits to the US

Shamrock Rovers defender Pico looks to keep dream going with Cape Verde

Iraq face a near-impossible task

Artan was named top referee in Africa in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football

Minnows Curaçao look to make an impact in tough group with serious contenders Ecuador

Talented Turkish squad will fancy their chances on return to the big stage

Japan, Sweden and Tunisia arrive with tournament pedigree and hopes of qualification

More and more sports broadcast rights are moving to subscription services and that is likely to continue

Parents of most youngsters taking up soccer in the US are well placed to afford the high sums it takes to put them in competitive arenas

Scotland branded ‘unprofessional’ and ‘weak’ but stand by their decision to not play in game

The latest attempt to do digital justice to the GAA is Gaelic Football Laochra by Belfast developer Buck Eejit Games

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland and Qatar also eye qualification from group

South Africa, Czech Republic and South Korea comprise the other three competing nations in group

Scotland have what it takes to make history

We all have our favourite World Cup memories, and in most cases, they involve sitting on a couch in a livingroom, staring at the screen

Fifa president has focused on increasing World Cup revenue to the detriment of the game’s greatest showpiece