2026 World Cup - players.bio

Neymar suffers calf injury but expected to join Brazil camp ahead of World Cup

BRASILIA: Neymar has suffered a ‌minor calf injury but is expected to recover in time to join Brazil’s camp next week ahead of the World Cup starting on June 11 in the US, Canada and Mexico. The 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, was named in the squad on Monday, marking his return after a prolonged injury layoff that kept him out for much of the qualifying campaign, as Brazil chase a record-extending sixth title. Much ‌of the ‌build-up to the squad announcement centered ‌on ⁠coach Carlo Ancelotti’s ⁠decision over whether to include Neymar. The Italian, who took charge of Brazil last year, had not previously recalled the former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain attacker, who now plays for Santos and is set to feature at his fourth World Cup in ⁠pursuit of his first world title. “Neymar has ‌a minor calf injury, ‌an oedema,” Santos’ head of medical services Rodrigo Zogaib ‌told Brazil’s ge.globo on Wednesday.

UK sending three police officers to World Cup for ‘cultural’ help

LONDON: British police are sending just three officers to the US as “cultural interpreters” during the World Cup given the lack of any US funding, UK police said on Thursday. By contrast, 40 officers went to Germany for the 2024 European Championships, with financing by the hosts, said Mark Roberts, who leads football policing. “The States are not funding mobile travel delegations this time,” Roberts told reporters of next month’s tournament where England and Scotland will play their three opening group games in the US Both ‌nations have a ‌huge traveling fan base and the English have ‌a ⁠history of hooliganism, ⁠though the exorbitant cost may put many off this tournament which is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. “Our fans at World Cups are really well behaved ... I’m not anticipating problems, but clearly we’d rather have a presence there that can get involved if we are seeing issues develop,” Roberts added, stressing that he was not criticizing the US decision nor ⁠was there hostility to a UK deployment. The White House ‌Task Force for the FIFA World Cup ‌2026 did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Two additional British officers will ‌be working with US authorities at the Washington-based International Police Cooperation ‌Center. “Most of the other European countries just aren’t bothering” to send their own officers to the tournament, Roberts added.

Switzerland’s Rodriguez, Xhaka make fourth World Cup rosters

GENEVA: Defender Ricardo Rodriguez and ‌midfielder Granit Xhaka will each take part in their fourth World Cup after being named to Switzerland manager Murat Yakin’s 26-player roster. The pair have each equaled Xherdan Shaqiri’s Swiss record of 12 World Cup finals appearances. On the other end of the experience spectrum will be 20-year-old Freiburg midfielder ‌Johan Manzambi. Switzerland ‌have friendlies scheduled at ‌home ⁠against Jordan on ⁠May 31 and against Australia in San Diego on June 6. Their World Cup base camp will be in San Diego. Switzerland, who have been eliminated in the Round ⁠of 16 at three consecutive World ‌Cups, begin ‌Group B play against Qatar in Santa ‌Clara, California, on June 13 before ‌returning to Los Angeles to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 17.

Mexico City airport races to finish $500m renovation as the 2026 World Cup nears

MEXICO CITY: With the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than a month away, thousands of passengers arriving at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport are greeted by a chaotic construction site of buzzing drills, scattered pipes and unfinished flooring. The construction work coexists with hundreds of posters promoting the soccer tournament, as well as large-scale figures of soccer balls and trophies, which help passengers forget the inconveniences caused by renovations that have dragged on for a year. Seating beside one of the six cranes remaining at the Terminal 1 entrance, 28-year-old engineer Luis Ibarra says he isn’t bothered by the renovations. After all, he noted, the airport has suffered for years from flooding, leaky roofs and severe overcrowding. The countdown to complete one of the largest renovations at Mexico’s largest airport has more than 3,000 people working 20 hours a day, airport authorities told The Associated Press. It has not been an easy task. One year into the renovation — with the first phase over 90 percent complete — complications have been “more than we expected,” Juan José Padilla, general director of the Benito Juárez International Airport, told the AP.

Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix named to Portugal’s World Cup team

LISBON: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make a record sixth World Cup appearance after being included in Portugal’s squad for the tournament on Tuesday, and coach Roberto Martinez also included the late Diogo Jota as a “plus one forever” in a tribute to the player who died last year.

World Cup glory attracts superstar coaches into international battle

LONDON: The 2026 World Cup has bucked the trend of international football’s struggles to compete with the riches of the club game when it comes to securing some of the world’s best coaches.

Scotland include 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon in World Cup squad

GLASGOW: Scotland’s 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon is going to the World Cup alongside teammates who were not born when he made his national-team debut in 2004. Scotland coach Steve Clarke announced a 26-man squad Tuesday for the country’s first World Cup in 28 years, with Gordon among three goalkeepers who combined to play in just four league games for their clubs all season. Gordon would be the second-oldest player in the World Cup’s 96-year history if he gets on the field in North America. Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary was 45 when he played at the 2018 World Cup. Gordon played three times in January for Heart of Midlothian, the long-time Scottish Premiership leader that were edged for the title Saturday by Celtic, but has been dealing with shoulder injuries.

Neuer set for return to Germany World Cup squad: reports

BERLIN: Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set for a surprise return to Germany’s World Cup squad as the number one option two years after announcing his international retirement, German media reported on Tuesday. German tabloid Bild claimed coach Julian Nagelsmann had informed players, including prospective number one Oliver Baumann, that the 40-year-old would be included in the World Cup squad, which will be announced on Thursday. In an appearance on German TV on Saturday, Nagelsmann refused to address Sky Germany reports that the 2014 World Cup winner would return. The German football federation (DFB) also refused to comment when contacted by AFP sport subsidiary SID on Tuesday. Neuer retired from Germany duty after Euro 2024, having played 124 games at international level.

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2026 World Cup Sport News

Neymar suffers calf injury but expected to join Brazil camp ahead of World Cup

UK sending three police officers to World Cup for ‘cultural’ help

Switzerland’s Rodriguez, Xhaka make fourth World Cup rosters

Mexico City airport races to finish $500m renovation as the 2026 World Cup nears

Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix named to Portugal’s World Cup team

World Cup glory attracts superstar coaches into international battle

Scotland include 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon in World Cup squad

Neuer set for return to Germany World Cup squad: reports