World Cup
Ronaldo cleared to play opening matches at World Cup
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be able to play his side’s opening matches at next year’s World Cup after FIFA suspended the final two games of a three-match ban on Tuesday.
Ronaldo was sent off in Portugal’s penultimate qualifying match against Ireland in Dublin earlier this month for an elbow into the back of Dara O’Shea during a 2-0 defeat.
The red card meant Ronaldo missed Portugal’s final group game, a 9-1 win over Armenia which secured qualification, and FIFA confirmed that the 40-year-old had been given a three-match ban, but barring a repeat incident, he will not serve any further punishment.
“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,” a FIFA statement said.
“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 match(es) of the Portuguese representative team.”
Article 27 allows FIFA’s judicial body “to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure”.
Beyond citing article 27, FIFA did not say in its statement why the ban had been suspended. Reuters has contacted FIFA for an explanation.
The red card, which was upgraded from an initial yellow card after a VAR check, was Ronaldo’s first in 226 international appearances for Portugal.
Ronaldo, who extended his contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr until 2027 in June, will be playing at his sixth World Cup finals and targeting the one major trophy missing from his list of honours.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward was part of Portugal’s Euro 2016-winning team, and has also won two Nations League titles and is the record scorer in international football with 143 goals.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup, which takes place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, will be held on December 5 in Washington.
-REUTERS
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Spain cannot meet Argentina and France will not face England before the World Cup final — provided they win their groups — after FIFA on Tuesday announced the draw procedure.
The rule aims to maintain competitive balance in the expanded 48-team format, ensuring the top-ranked team (Spain) and number two (world champions Argentina) are in opposite halves of the bracket, with the same applying to number three (France) and number four (England).
The top four seeded countries will not be able to meet until the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history if those teams win their groups.
The 2026 World Cup draw takes place on December 5 in Washington, with the updated match schedule, including stadiums and kick-off times, to be released on December 6.
Hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are in Pot 1 which includes Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Pot 2 has Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
Pot 3 will include Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Pot 4 will be Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, and the winners from the European play-off A, B, C and D, and the FIFA Play-Off tournament 1 and 2.
Confederation constraints will apply, with no group having more than one team from the same region except UEFA, which has 16 representatives and can place up to two teams in a group.
The tournament in the U.S., Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11, with the final on July 19 in New Jersey.
-Reuters
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has been handed a favourable draw that will see the African country playing just a match in the Intercontinental Play-Off or the 2026 World Cup qualification.
The team that edged Nigeria out can seize their moment after Thursday’s inter-confederation playoff draw placed them one win away from a historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As one of the two seeded teams in the six-nation tournament, DR Congo advanced directly to the final of Pathway 1, where they will face either New Caledonia or Jamaica in March in Guadalajara or Monterrey, Mexico.
For Congolese fans still celebrating their dramatic victory over Nigeria in the African qualifying playoffs, the draw represents a realistic route to their first-ever World Cup appearance.
DR Congo defeated continental giants Nigeria 4–3 on penalties after a tense 1–1 draw, keeping alive their long-held ambition of reaching football’s biggest stage.
A Pathway Full of Possibilities
In Pathway 1, New Caledonia will face Jamaica in the semi-final, with the winner taking on DR Congo in the final. Jamaica, who failed to secure direct qualification after dropping crucial points against Curaçao, have been plunged into uncertainty following the resignation of head coach Steve McClaren. New Caledonia will be seeking a rare global breakthrough.
Observers say either opponent presents challenges, but Congo’s recent form and rising confidence give them an edge.
Momentum on Congo’s Side
Congo’s strong defensive organisation and ability to hold their nerve under pressure were on display during their playoff triumph over Nigeria. The squad also carries the motivation of a nation longing to return to global football relevance.
A DR Congo victory in March would mark an extraordinary milestone, ending decades of near-misses and disappointment in African World Cup qualifying history.
The Bigger Picture
The inter-confederation playoff tournament features six teams from CAF, AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and OFC. Seeded alongside DR Congo, Iraq progressed directly to the final of Pathway 2, where they will face the winner between Bolivia and Suriname. Iraq are attempting to qualify for their first World Cup since their 1986 debut.
A separate UEFA playoff draw was also conducted, with 16 European teams battling for four remaining spots.
Inter-Confederation Playoff Draw (From DR Congo’s Pathway)
PATHWAY 1
Semi-final: New Caledonia vs Jamaica
Final: DR Congo vs Winner of SF1
As March approaches, confidence is growing in Kinshasa and beyond. For DR Congo, the pathway is clear, the dream is alive — and history beckons.
On the eve of the third anniversary of the kick-off of Qatar 2022, 42 of the expanded 48-team World Cup for 2026 have been filled up. Expectedly all past six winners made the cut along with the three host countries.
There are four debutants. The debutants may still increase when the Inter-Continental Play-Off is played next March. Teams such as Suriname and News Caledonia may spring surprises.
The debutants are Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao. The latter, Curaco are not just debutants, thetiny island nation, a self-governing part of the Netherlands with a population of little more than 150,000, becomes the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup.
The 42 already qualified are:
.
1. UNITED STATES
Taking part as hosts
Best performance: Third place (1930)
- MEXICO:
Taking part as hosts
Best performance: Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)
- CANADA:
Taking part as hosts
Best performance: Group stage (1986, 2022)
- JAPAN
Qualified on: March 20
Best performance: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)
- NEW ZEALAND
Qualified on: March 24
Best performance: Group stage (1982, 2010)
- IRAN
Qualified on: March 25
Best performance: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022)
- ARGENTINA
Qualified on: March 25
Best performance: Winners (1978, 1986, 2022)
- UZBEKISTAN
Qualified on: June 5
Best performance: Never previously qualified
- SOUTH KOREA
Qualified on: June 5
Best performance: Fourth place (2002)
- JORDAN
Qualified on: June 5
Best performance: Never previously qualified
- AUSTRALIA
Qualified on: June 10
Best performance: Round of 16 (2006, 2022)
- BRAZIL
Qualified on: June 10
Best performance: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
- ECUADOR
Qualified on: June 10
Best performance: Round of 16 (2006)
- URUGUAY
Qualified on: September 4
Best performance: Winners (1930, 1950)
- COLOMBIA
Qualified on: September 4
Best performance: Quarter-finals (2014)
- PARAGUAY
Qualified on: September 4
Best performance: Quarter-finals (2010)
- MOROCCO
Qualified on: September 5
Best performance: Semi-finals (2022)
- TUNISIA
Qualified on: September 8
Best performance: Group Stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)
- EGYPT
Qualified on: October 8
Best performance: Round of 16 (1934)
- ALGERIA
Qualified on: October 9
Best performance: Round of 16 (2014)
- GHANA
Qualified on: October 12
Best performance: Quarter-finals (2010)
- CAPE VERDE
Qualified on: October 13
Best performance: Never previously qualified
- SOUTH AFRICA
Qualified on: October 14
Best performance: Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010)
- QATAR
Qualified on: October 14
Best performance: Group stage (2022)
- ENGLAND
Qualified on: October 14
Best performance: Winners (1966)
- SAUDI ARABIA
Qualified on: October 14
Best performance: Round of 16 (1994)
- COTE D’IVOIRE
Qualified on: October 14
Best performance: Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014)
- SENEGAL
Qualified on: October 14
Best performance: Quarter-finals (2002)
- FRANCE
Qualified on: November 13
Best performance: Winners (1998, 2018)
- CROATIA
Qualified on: November 14
Best performance: Runners-up (2018)
- PORTUGAL
Qualified on November 16
Best performance: Third place (1966)
- NORWAY
Qualified on November 16
Best performance: Round of 16 (1938, 1998)
- GERMANY
Qualified on November 17
Best performance: Winners (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
- NETHERLANDS
Qualified on November 17
Best performance: Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
- BELGIUM
Qualified on November 18
Best performance: Third place (2018)
- AUSTRIA
Qualified on November 18
Best performance: Third place (1954)
- SWITZERLAND
Qualified on November 18
Best performance: Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954)
- SPAIN
Qualified on November 18
Best performance: Winners (2010)
- SCOTLAND
Qualified on November 18
Best performance: Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998)
- PANAMA
Qualified on November 19
Best performance: Group stage (2018)
- HAITI
Qualified on November 19
Best performance: Group stage (1974)
- CURACAO
Qualified on November 19
Best performance: Never previously qualified
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