After years of preparation, a supersized World Cup has finally arrived.

This year's tournament — which is hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico — was expanded to 48 teams that will play in 16 stadiums in a record 104 matches over the 39-day tournament.

A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States was received by a crowd of supporters and officials Wednesday as he arrived in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu, where he said he plans to be at the next World Cup and urged Somali youths to be proud of their country.

Omar Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA's final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa's top referees and was named the continent's best male referee in 2025.

Victor Wembanyama scored 32 points to spark the San Antonio Spurs over New York 115-111 in the NBA Finals on Monday, snapping the Knicks' 13-game win streak with President Donald Trump booed as he watched.

Iran's football federation on Tuesday said the United States has revoked its allocation of tickets for its World Cup group games, accusing the co-host of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row.

Matches for the 2026 World Cup are being held at 16 stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Many of the stadiums have been renamed by FIFA for the duration of the tournament because the companies that paid for the naming rights are not FIFA sponsors.

Arrowhead Stadium (called Kansas City Stadium by FIFA)

Iran's World Cup team arrived in Mexico wearing lapel pins highlighting the victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school at the start of the war in the Mideast.

The players wore gold-colored pins with the number "168" on their jackets when getting off their plane Sunday in Tijuana, Mexico. It referred to the people killed, most of them children, when a Feb. 28 strike, likely launched by the U.S., hit the school in Minab in southern Iran.

Legal disputes and acrimony have replaced the accolades and euphoria for Morocco's national soccer team ahead of this year's World Cup.

Morocco became embroiled in controversy after hosting the most recent edition of the Africa Cup of Nations — three years after the Atlas Lions made history by becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals.

Football fans will soon crisscross continents to see their beloved national teams compete on the sport's grandest stage, the World Cup. They'll pack bars and fan zones, singing chants and debating who is going to win it all.

This time, however, it's different for some superfans, who say organizers have made this summer's World Cup the least welcoming one they have experienced. Ticket prices, expensive cross-country travel and concerns about entering the U.S. have prompted some of them to stay home.

Injuries to some of soccer's star players, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, sparked concern ahead of the World Cup.

All three have been included in their national team squads for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but others have not been so fortunate.

Cristiano Ronaldo has finally won a major trophy with Al-Nassr.

The 41-year-old Portugal star scored twice in a 4-1 win over Damac to help Al-Nassr clinch the Saudi Pro League title Thursday. It's the team's first major trophy since Ronaldo joined more than three years ago.