Playing soccer in extreme heat and humidity poses serious health risks to athletes, as highlighted by the recent incidents involving an assistant referee and a Uruguay defender during a Copa America match. These conditions can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke, especially in a sport like soccer that lacks built-in breaks for
FIFA World Cup
Japan, a four-time Asian champion, has been drawn into a challenging group for the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team will face Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, and Indonesia in the upcoming matches. This draw brings back memories of previous encounters with Saudi Arabia and Australia in the
Major League Soccer (MLS) is facing a significant challenge in the upcoming 2026 season due to the World Cup. In order to avoid incomplete rosters and navigate the calendar effectively, the league has announced plans to take a break during the tournament. This decision will have a substantial impact on the scheduling and operation of
In a significant move to combat online abuse, FIFA announced that its social media tools designed to protect players will now be accessible to all 211 member associations and their teams. This initiative, developed in collaboration with the players’ union FIFPRO, aims to safeguard players from hate speech and harmful content on various social media
FIFPRO, the global players’ union, has taken a bold step by filing a legal claim against FIFA, the governing body of world football. This move comes after FIFA’s refusal to reconsider the rescheduling of the 32-team Club World Cup, despite threats from FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA) to take legal action. The legal
FIFA recently announced the game schedule for the 2026 World Cup, allowing hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States to anticipate where their games could potentially be after the group stage. The hosts already know their group stage destinations, with Canada opening in Toronto, Mexico in Mexico City, and the U.S. in Los Angeles. The
After an intriguing seven-month period, the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to a close on Tuesday. With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, Asia will now have at least eight representatives at the tournament in two years’ time. The increase in competing nations has also seen a
The European Nations qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has seen a hurdle due to Russia’s suspension because of the invasion of Ukraine. This suspension has left 54 nations competing instead of the usual 55. The format includes 12 groups with four or five teams in each group playing home and away matches. The
The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Palestine’s men’s national football team cannot be understated. The team, after securing a place in the final rounds of World Cup qualification, are facing the prospect of not being able to play in their home nation due to security concerns. The last time they played at home was
Amnesty International has called for FIFA and countries bidding to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups to agree to binding commitments and legal reforms to prevent human rights violations connected to the tournament. The human rights organization emphasized the importance of rigorous and transparent bidding processes, stakeholder participation, independent human rights risk assessments, and