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Sundowns, Pirates dominate South Africa World Cup squad

PRETORIA: Recent major trophy winners Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates dominated the South Africa 2026 World Cup squad named in Pretoria on Wednesday with eight players each. Sundowns won the CAF Champions League a second time last Sunday, defeating Moroccan rivals FAR Rabat 2-1 on aggregate in the final. A day earlier, Pirates were crowned South African Premiership champions for the first time since 2012, ending a run of eight consecutive league titles by Sundowns. A surprise omission was Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen, whose outstanding form helped his club finish third behind Pirates and Sundowns in the Premiership. He was set to be called up for World Cup warm-up matches against Panama two months ago, only to be sidelined by appendix surgery. Belgian coach Hugo Broos included 19 local players in his 26-man squad, five play in Europe and two in the United States. Among the 10 African qualifiers, Egypt are the only other nation that will rely largely on home-based stars. There were 18 in a preliminary squad of 27 chosen by coach Hossam Hassan. Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams will captain South Africa, who face co-hosts Mexico in the World Cup opener on June 11, then tackle the Czech Republic and South Korea. Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 32 in a tournament boasting a record 48 teams.

South Africa name two uncapped players in World Cup squad

May 27 : South Africa named uncapped defenders Olwethu Makhanya and Bradley Cross in their final squad for the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday, while there is also a place for 36-year-old playmaker Themba Zwane.

New York state, New Jersey probe FIFA World Cup ticketing practices

May 27 : The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday said they had issued a subpoena to FIFA over the soccer governing body's ticketing practices after media reports raised concerns about fans' seat locations for the upcoming World Cup.

New York, New Jersey announce probe into FIFA’s World Cup ticket sales

NEW YORK: The US states of New York and New Jersey announced a probe Wednesday into whether FIFA has exploited football fans with “impossibly high” World Cup ticket prices. Prosecutors in the two states said they would investigate ticket practices by the game’s governing body and organizer of the tournament starting June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. “FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices,” said Jennifer Davenport, attorney general for New Jersey, which will host the final on July 19. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation of FIFA’s conduct,” she said. The investigation will probe reports that fans were misled about seat locations and hurt by aggressive demand-based price-setting, where prices rise according to sales. “New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” said the state’s attorney general, Letitia James. “No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive.” Much of the controversy has focused on the cost of attending the eight games at the New York Giants and Jets NFL stadium just outside New York City in New Jersey. In addition to tickets, it will cost $100 to take the train from New York — instead of the typical $12.90 fare. In May, authorities in California also said they had contacted FIFA over possible legal violations in ticket sales. Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has branded the World Cup pricing structure as “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal,” citing ticket prices that

Germany urge players to avoid political statements at World Cup

BERLIN: Germany sporting director Rudi Voeller on Wednesday urged members of the World Cup squad to avoid making political statements during this summer’s tournament. Speaking from Germany’s pre-World Cup camp in northern Bavaria, Voeller said players were not under a gag order but encouraged them to keep sport and politics “somewhat separate” while at the finals. Voeller said there would be no specialist media training ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, unlike in the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “If someone wishes to do so, they are welcome to do it in the run-up to the tournament,” Voeller said of players making political statements. “However, if it hasn’t happened until this point, it generally shouldn’t start happening now.” The 66-year-old hoped Germany learned from their experience four years ago in Qatar, where the team’s build-up to the tournament was dominated by discussion about a ban on political symbols. In Qatar, the German players covered their mouths in their pre-match photo before their tournament opener against Japan and some commentators suggested it contributed to their poor showing at the tournament. “Every player is fully aware of the situation; after all, a significant number of the current squad members were also part of the team that went to Qatar,” said Voeller. “Naturally, we won’t see a repeat of what happened previously — namely, (players and officials) launching various campaigns or conducting interviews and reporting critically on certain issues immediately before a match.” Voeller said he would leave it up to the media to report on political issues. “You (the media) are free to do that.

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Sundowns, Pirates dominate South Africa World Cup squad

South Africa name two uncapped players in World Cup squad

New York state, New Jersey probe FIFA World Cup ticketing practices

New York, New Jersey announce probe into FIFA’s World Cup ticket sales

Germany urge players to avoid political statements at World Cup

Depay has to prove fitness before World Cup says Dutch coach

Question of injured Alphonso Davies's participation in World Cup a cloud over Canada's training camp

Germany's Nagelsmann banks on family feeling, team spirit ahead of World Cup