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Scotland coach Steve Clarke extends contract to 2030 World Cup

GLASGOW: Scotland coach Steve Clarke has signed a new contract before the World Cup that could extend his tenure to a record 11 years. Clarke’s new four-year deal was finalized on Thursday and runs through the 2030 World Cup and includes the 2028 European Championship that Scotland will co-host with England, Wales and Ireland. “I am truly honored to lead my squad into our first men’s World Cup in 28 years and I’m proud to continue as head coach,” Clarke said in a statement from the Scottish Football Association. The World Cup next month when Scotland will play in a group with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti was widely expected until recent weeks to be the 62-year-old Clarke’s farewell. Qualifying for the World Cup last November — sealed by a hugely emotional 4-2 win over Denmark in Glasgow — restored Clarke’s popularity with fans after the team underperformed at Euro 2024. The former Chelsea defender hired in 2019 is already Scotland’s most successful ever coach by qualifying for three major tournaments. Scotland’s longest-serving coach is currently Craig Brown whose eight years in the job until 2001 included taking the Tartan Army to the 1998 World Cup. In eight previous appearances at the World Cup, Scotland have never advanced from the group stage.

Iran expects FIFA to facilitate multi-entry visa to US for team

TEHRAN: Iran’s football federation expects FIFA to facilitate multiple-entry visas for the United States for the Iranian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, its president said in a video broadcast by Iranian media Thursday. “FIFA is expected to deliver a multiple-entry visa so that the players can enter (the United States) and return (to Mexico),” federation president Mehdi Taj said. Known as “Team Melli,” the Iranian squad had initially planned to base itself in Tucson in Arizona during the tournament, but later moved its training camp to Tijuana in Mexico, which will co-host the World Cup alongside the US and Canada. Taj previously said the move was intended to avoid complications related to US visas and to allow the squad to travel directly to Mexico aboard Iran Air flights. Iran are scheduled to play all three of their Group G matches in the United States. “It is certain now that we will go to Mexico.

Egypt eye World Cup breakthrough in Salah’s likely last World Cup

CAIRO: Mohamed Salah has unfinished business in what could be his final World Cup as Egypt’s superstar seeks to deliver a first win at the tournament for the Pharaohs. Powerhouses of African football with a record seven continental titles, Egypt have struggled to make a dent on the global stage in three previous attempts. Salah should have arrived at the 2018 World Cup in the form of his life. Fresh from scoring 44 goals in his debut season at Liverpool — which propelled him from promising talent into a worldwide phenomenon — Salah suffered a serious shoulder injury in the Champions League final after an infamous challenge by Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. A patched-up Salah did make it to Russia and scored twice in his two appearances, but failed to prevent a group stage exit after defeats to the hosts, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Now the 33-year-old comes into a World Cup at the other end of his Liverpool career. Salah broke down in tears several times as his nine-year spell at Anfield ended on Sunday after amassing 257 goals, two Premier League titles and Champions League glory. “We put this club back where it belongs,” he said in his parting message on Merseyside. His Premier League exploits meant that his influence stretched far beyond the field of play. Salah was named in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2019, described as an “iconic figure for Egyptians, Scousers and Muslims the world over.” He has used that profile to call for greater gender equality in the Arab world and to appeal for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza following Israeli air strikes in October 2023.

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.

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.

Dutch delight for Depay and Timber

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands’ top scorer Memphis ‌Depay and Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber were both included on Wednesday in the country’s squad for next month’s World Cup despite concerns over their fitness. The 32-year-old Depay, whose 55 goals are the most for the Dutch, has been struggling with thigh and calf injuries and made only two substitute appearances for his Brazilian club Corinthians in the past two months. The Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman, who is to give a press conference later on Wednesday, also picked Timber, who returned to training at his club this week ahead of Saturday’s Champions ‌League final. The 24-year-old ‌was forced off in the win over ‌Everton ⁠in mid-March and ⁠subsequently missed Arsenal’s last 14 games in all competitions with a groin problem. Justin Kluivert has also been given a vote of confidence despite knee surgery in January and only two substitute appearances for Bournemouth since completing his rehabilitation. Kluivert was among the first players to report for training at the Dutch camp in Zeist on Monday, along with ⁠Noa Lang who has recovered from a bizarre ‌finger injury suffered playing in the ‌Champions League for Galatasaray against Liverpool in March and was also picked. West ‌Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville and Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs are both ‌uncapped while there was a surprise return for midfielder Marten de Roon, who won the last of his 42 caps two years ago. But there was no place for veteran center back Stefan de Vrij, after a ‌thigh injury suffered in Inter Milan’s last game of the Serie A season at Bologna on Saturday, ⁠or Liverpool ⁠full back Jeremie Frimpong. The Dutch play World Cup warm-up games against Algeria in Rotterdam on June 3 and

World Cup transit sticker shock hits fans with tickets to matches in some US host cities

NEW YORK: Dubbed the “Sommermärchen,” or “Summer Fairy Tale,” the 2006 World Cup in Germany was a widely praised showcase for a modern, unified nation that was welcoming to fans from around the globe. Part of that success was the “KombiTicket,” which gave fans free access to local public transportation on match days. Since then, World Cup host countries have invested heavily in getting fans to and from matches, especially in Russia in 2018, where even long-distance trains between host cities were free, and Qatar in 2022, where free metro access helped turn stadium-hopping into part of the tournament experience. Then came the United States. Already reeling from astronomical ticket prices, expensive flights and exorbitant hotel costs, fans have been outraged to discover that getting to some stadiums via rail will come with another hefty bill: $98 round-trip train fares in New Jersey and $80 in Massachusetts — trips that normally cost NFL fans $12.90 and $20, respectively. Officials insist they aren’t trying to rip off fans, but are instead just trying to cover the costs of security and expanded train service without being a drain on taxpayers. Yet fans see it as just another way that tournament organizers are burdening fans who are already paying huge sums to visit the US, a huge, car-centric country where public transit has long been an afterthought in many locales. Unlike past hosts, some state and local officials have been less willing to swallow the costs, arguing they should be covered by FIFA, the international soccer body that stands to rake in billions of dollars from the event. Finding a solution from overseas “Planning for this World Cup has been a nightmare from start to finish,” said Scotland-born Rory

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2026 World Cup Sport News

Scotland coach Steve Clarke extends contract to 2030 World Cup

Iran expects FIFA to facilitate multi-entry visa to US for team

Egypt eye World Cup breakthrough in Salah’s likely last World Cup

Sundowns, Pirates dominate South Africa World Cup squad

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

Germany urge players to avoid political statements at World Cup

Dutch delight for Depay and Timber

World Cup transit sticker shock hits fans with tickets to matches in some US host cities