Iran has tackled the United States, one of the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosts, for allegedly denying the country’s officials visa for the tournament.

Iran is set to participate in their seventh World Cup, but an ongoing conflict with the US has seen their impending participation take twists and turns.

The Persians previously threatened to boycott the mundial and requested its matches moved to Mexico, while FIFA moved to assure their participation.

However, the strained relations took another turn, with report that some officials of the team were denied entry documents.

This has evoked a strong response from the Iranian embassy in South Africa, as the consulate took to its X page to call out the US government. It argued that Iran is a guest of FIFA while labelling the US an
“incompetent host”.

“The incompetent @FIFAWorldCup host, USA, is failing to fulfill its responsibilities properly,” the post reads.

“We are guests of @FIFAcom, and it is FIFA’s responsibility
to ensure that visas for all members are issued.”

The incompetent @FIFAWorldCup host, USA, is failing to fulfill its responsibilities properly.
We are guests of @FIFAcom, and it is FIFA’s responsibility to ensure that visas for all members are issued.
US Denies Visas to Iran National Football Team Officials Ahead of World…

— Iran Embassy SA (@IraninSA) June 6, 2026

According to Reuters, the full contingent will continue to Mexico from where outstanding visa issues are expected to be resolved before entering the US.

Iran, in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, will play their group matches in the US.

Their final group match against Egypt is set for Washington.

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The Confederation of African Football, Confederation of African Football, says it has introduced new regulations following the controversy that overshadowed the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final in Morocco, with president Patrice Motsepe admitting that “deficiencies” in officiating and match management contributed to the chaotic ending.

The final, held in Rabat, saw Senegal initially declared champions after a 1–0 extra-time win over Morocco. However, the result was later overturned by a CAF appeal board, with the title awarded to Morocco following disciplinary rulings tied to Senegal’s protest walk-off after a late VAR penalty decision.

The match also drew widespread criticism due to security clashes inside the stadium and accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour, including incidents dubbed “towelgate,” where Senegal’s goalkeeper was reportedly interfered with by ball boys and opposing personnel.

Speaking to BBC Sport Africa on Wednesday, Motsepe said CAF had carried out an internal review of the incidents.

“We’ve done good work in terms of building the confidence and the trust amongst the football community of our referees and of our VAR.

“But there are still these challenges, and we’ve recognised what the deficiencies were that led to the unfortunate incidents we had in Morocco.

“We’ve introduced new laws, new regulations which will ensure that doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Motsepe added that CAF is still working to strengthen officiating standards and VAR consistency across the continent.

“We are continuing to improve the system, because African football must be judged by the highest standards of fairness and integrity,” he said.

The controversy has continued to generate debate across the football world, with critics arguing that the handling of the final damaged CAF’s credibility. Former footballer Nigel Reo-Coker said the situation had wider consequences for the continent’s image in global football.

“It gives other federations around the world an opportunity to laugh at CAF, to laugh at the Africa Cup of Nations, and laugh at Africa as a continent because of how this whole situation has been handled,” he said.

The Senegal Football Federation has described the decision to strip Senegal of the title as a “robbery” and has taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Court of Arbitration for Sport, where a final ruling is still pending.

Motsepe confirmed that CAF will respect the outcome of the legal process.

“We are waiting for the judgment of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and African football is continuing to grow and develop,” he said. “Whatever decision comes, we will respect and implement.”

CAF says the newly introduced measures are aimed at improving VAR governance, strengthening security coordination, and ensuring clearer disciplinary procedures to prevent a repeat of the incidents that marred the final.

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President Bola Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s proposed bid to host the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony.

According to a statement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Tinubu also endorsed Nigeria’s proposal to host the CAF’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly later this year.

Tinubu announced the approvals at the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, following a meeting with Patrice Motsepe, CAF president.

Other dignitaries at the meeting include Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the foreign minister; Samson Adamu, the acting CAF general secretary; Ibrahim Gusau, the NFF president; and Amaju Pinnick, the special adviser to the CAF president.

The CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled for October and brings together leading figures in African football, including presidents
of the confederation’s 54 member associations, representatives from the six
zonal unions, and senior football officials from across the continent.

The CAF Awards is an annual showpiece event that rewards the continent’s best footballers and stakeholders.

Nigeria last hosted the award gala on January 6, 2017, when Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez won the men’s best player award, and Asisat Oshoala won the women’s prize.

CAF is expected to make a final decision on the host city for both events soon.

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Barcelona coach Hansi Flick’s father has died ahead of the Clasico, the Catalan club said in a statement released on Sunday.

“Barcelona and the entire Blaugrana family wish to convey our affection to Hansi Flick over the passing of his father,” said Barcelona.

“We share his pain and stand with him during this very difficult time for him and his family.”

Flick, 61, is on the verge of securing back-to-back La Liga titles with Barcelona.

The German coach’s team lead Real Madrid by 11 points with four matches remaining and can secure the trophy if they avoid defeat by Los Blancos at Camp Nou on Sunday.

If Barcelona win their last four league games this season, starting with the battle against Alvaro Arbeloa’s fracturing Madrid in Catalonia, they will match the all-time league record of 100 points.

Should Barca beat Madrid and then Real Betis the following weekend, they will become the first team to win all their home matches in a 38-game La Liga season.

The tension around Madrid after a season in which they will finish without a trophy for just the fifth time this century burst to the surface in extraordinary fashion this week.

AFP

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Nigerian Afrobeats sensation, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has been named among an all-star lineup of global music stars set to headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

Joining him on stage at the Los Angeles Stadium are South African star Tyla, American rapper Future, pop icon Katy Perry, Brazilian singer Anitta and BLACKPINK member LISA.

FIFA disclosed this in a statement posted on its official handle on Saturday.

According to the football governing body, three opening ceremonies will be held separately across the three host countries, with the United States’ celebration scheduled for Friday, June 12, 2026.

The ceremonies will also hold on June 11 in Mexico City and on June 12 in Toronto, Canada.

FIFA said the celebration would combine football, music and entertainment in what it described as a “historic summer” across the North American countries.

“For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, a new benchmark will be set as three spectacular opening ceremonies unfold across Mexico City (11 June), Toronto and Los Angeles (12 June), as Canada, Mexico and the United States come together to launch the greatest show on earth,” the statement read.

It added, “Global superstars Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla will headline the celebrations in Los Angeles, with additional world-renowned artists still to be announced.

“Together, they will bring the sound of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to life for a global audience, delivering a high-energy spectacle that reflects the scale, ambition and cultural power of the tournament itself,” it added.

The organisation also stated that the Los Angeles ceremony would begin 90 minutes before kick-off, with fans encouraged to arrive early for pre-match entertainment and activities.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the lineup reflected the cultural diversity of the United States and the unifying power of music.

“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become.

“The lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation’s rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture, while showcasing the power of music to bring people together across the country,” Infantino said.

FIFA also announced that the ceremony would be produced in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio and would feature large-scale visuals, immersive storytelling and live performances centred around the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature a record 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The tournament will begin on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City and end with the final on July 19, 2026, at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

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Nigeria has set a new African record in the mixed 4×100 meters relay race.

The quartet of Favour Ashe, Jennifer Obi, Chidera Ezeakor, and Maria Omokwe blitzed to the record time of 40.24 seconds on Saturday in one of the event’s heats at the World Athletics Relays in Gabrone, Botswana.

Nigeria finished fourth in the race but reached the relay final after securing one of the two non-automatic qualification spots. As a result, the athletes booked the country’s place in the mixed 4×100 relay at the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.

The final of the mixed 4x100m will be held on Sunday at 4:05 pm Nigerian time.

However, Nigeria failed to make the final in the five other events.

The team finished fifth in the men’s 4x100m, while the women did not finish after a baton exchange howler. The women’s team was depleted by
the late withdrawal of Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessings Ogundiran and Anita Enaruna.

In the 4x400m races, Nigeria finished third in the mixed category, and the men’s and women’s teams finished sixth in their respective heats.

Nigeria will have another opportunity to try for tickets to the World Athletics Championships in the repechages on Sunday.

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Brazil forward Endrick has revealed that he does not want his child to follow his footsteps by playing football because he wants them to have a ‘peaceful life.’

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian UK, the Lyon forward, who is currently on loan from Real Madrid, highlighted the intense pressure and toxic nature of professional football, stating it is “not a nice place.”

He further expressed a preference for his future child to pursue careers in medicine or law.

The 19-year-old is expecting a child with his wife Gabriely at the end of the year, and even with the couple unaware of the baby’s sex, the player has insisted he doesn’t want them to follow in his footsteps in football.

“I hope he or she becomes a great person, a great human being. And that he sees me off the pitch as a normal person, not as Endrick the footballer. Football isn’t a nice place. It’s a very tough environment. I hope he or she becomes a lawyer, a doctor or anything else, and can be happy in his own world,” he said.

Furthermore, he also cited handling social media, criticism, and injuries as reasons for his remark, reflecting on the harsh conditions attached to professional football.

“I had a complicated injury and lost a lot of time. It kept me away from many matches, training and work. I couldn’t compete. When you get injured, you lose everything. You lose the chance to fight for a place. These are things beyond my control.”

“I was really afraid. I cried several times. That’s something you do in private. I didn’t know how to deal with my injury, what to expect. You don’t know if you’ll have a relapse, if you’ll keep your strength, if you’ll come back weaker. That affects you a lot. You get scared of the future. But I knew I had to keep going. If I’d had another injury, I’d have gone through the whole process again. I knew that when I came back, I’d have to give it my best,” he added.

Endrick also thanked Jude Bellingham for making him feel welcome and supporting him during his initial struggles at Real Madrid.

“Bellingham was really important to me. He made me feel welcome at the club. I didn’t speak English very well, but he spoke to me, tried to speak a bit of Spanish, was by my side and gave me advice.

“His friendship was important to me in my beginning at Real Madrid. That really had an impact on me. I had a certain impression of him before I arrived, but he was completely different. He’s an incredible player and an incredible person too, especially when it comes to friendship. That’s what impressed me the most about him,” he said.

After stalling at Real Madrid, where he played only three times in six months, Endrick has found form on loan at Lyon and is desperate to make Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad.

He added, “My first desire is to play the World Cup. I need to be there. That’s my first thought. Before thinking about the title, I need to do my job well at Lyon. I’m focused here. I need to play well in these remaining games to secure my place. My dream is to play the World Cup and help my country. I’ll do my best to help Brazil.”

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FIFA is considering a significant change to its disciplinary rules ahead of the expanded FIFA World Cup, aiming to reduce the number of players suspended for accumulated yellow cards

As reported by BBC Sport on Monday, the proposal would introduce a second amnesty point in the tournament, wiping all yellow cards at the end of the group stage as well as after the quarter-finals.

Under current regulations, players are suspended after receiving two yellow cards across a sequence of matches, a system that can see key players miss crucial knockout fixtures.

With the World Cup set to grow from 32 to 48 teams, the number of matches required to reach the latter stages will increase. Teams will need to play an additional round, meaning players could feature in up to six matches before the semi-finals. FIFA believes this raises the risk of suspensions for relatively minor offences, with more players potentially missing high-stakes games.

Rather than increasing the suspension threshold to three yellow cards, FIFA officials feel introducing two cut-off points is a fairer solution. Under the proposed system, players would need to receive two bookings within a shorter span of matches—either during the group stage or across the knockout rounds up to the quarter-finals—to trigger a ban.

The change is designed to preserve discipline while ensuring that major matches are less likely to be decided by the absence of top players due to accumulated cautions.

The proposal is expected to be discussed at an upcoming FIFA Council meeting, where a final decision on the rule adjustment could be made.

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