Sports
Football world braces for 2026 World Cup draw with Trump presiding | The Express Tribune
Top seeds include defending champions Argentina, host nations USA, Mexico and Canada
WASHINGTON:
The draw for the 2026 World Cup — the biggest edition of football’s global showpiece ever held — takes place in Washington on Friday with US President Donald Trump expected to feature prominently in proceedings.
The expanded 48-team tournament — up from the 32-nation field that competed at the 2022 Qatar World Cup – will be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 next year.
Trump’s attendance at the Kennedy Center ceremony underscores his rapport with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, who has made several visits to the White House and even joined Trump at international summits in the years since the joint North American bid was awarded the tournament in 2018.
Infantino’s close relationship with Trump is widely expected to see the US leader be named as the first recipient of a new FIFA Peace Prize, which will be awarded at the draw
Trump has made the World Cup a centerpiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.
But he has not hesitated to bring domestic politics into the event, threatening to move World Cup matches from Democratic-run cities if he deems conditions to be “unsafe”.
In a sign of the global tensions surrounding a World Cup which will have 11 of its 16 venues in the United States, Iran said it will boycott the draw because US authorities refused to grant visas to several members of its delegation.
The president of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, said: “We have told the head of FIFA… that it is purely a political position and that FIFA must tell (Washington) to desist from this behaviour.”
First-time qualifiers
The pretenders to the title which a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina won for the third time in 2022 in Qatar will be drawn into 12 groups.
The top seeds are Argentina, the host nations USA, Mexico and Canada, record five-time winners Brazil, two-time champions France, four-time winners Germany as well as Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium.
The evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be 41 when the tournament kicks off, has said his sixth World Cup finals with Portugal will be his last and he would relish crowning his long career with a first global title for his country.
The enlarged cast list also means an opportunity for a handful of first-time qualifiers, including Cape Verde, Jordan and the tiny Caribbean nation of Curacao.
With six of the field still to be decided in playoffs, the favourites will want to avoid Italy, who won the World Cup as recently as 2006 but have not qualified since 2014.
Despite an error-strewn qualification campaign, the Italians can still reach the finals by winning two sudden-death games.
The opening match will be held at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which also hosted the 1970 and 1986 finals, before the tournament unfolds over nearly six weeks, culminating in the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Because of the complexity, teams will only learn the full details of their match venues and kickoff times on Saturday, a day after the draw.
Supporters’ groups have warned fans could face eye-watering sums for tickets for the most attractive games due to FIFA’s decision to use dynamic ticket pricing.
Prices on popular secondary market websites in the United States such as Stubhub and Seatgeek have already skyrocketed, with prices for the July 19 World Cup final in New Jersey starting at around $7,000.
Hyderabad Kingsmen fast bowler Mohammad Ali has been fined 10% of his match fee after pleading guilty to a Level 1 breach of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Code of Conduct during Friday night’s Eliminator 2 against Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Ali was found to have violated Article 2.21 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “conduct that brings the game into disrepute”.
According to officials, the incident took place in the 16th over of Islamabad United’s innings when Faheem Ashraf walked in to bat after the dismissal of Haider Ali.
The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Shahid Saikat, while match referee Roshan Mahanama imposed the sanction.
The Kingsmen went on to beat Islamabad United by two runs to book their place in the PSL 11 final against table-toppers Peshawar Zalmi at the same venue on Sunday, ending United’s campaign in the tournament.
Chasing 187, Islamabad lost Sameer Minhas for six and Mohsin Riaz for five inside the first three overs with 15 runs on the board. Devon Conway and Shadab Khan then added 42 before Saim Ayub dismissed Conway for 30 off 25 balls in the eighth over.
Shadab made 22 off 24 deliveries before falling to Hassan Khan at the start of the 11th over, while Mark Chapman kept Islamabad in the hunt with 43 off 26 balls. Chapman added 64 runs with Haider Ali, who scored 31 off 16 before falling to Mohammad Ali in the 16th over.
Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green then smashed 22 runs off Ali in the penultimate over to leave Islamabad needing six from the last over, but Hunain Shah conceded only three to seal a two-run win. Ali and Hunain took two wickets each, while Akif Javed, Hassan Khan and Saim Ayub picked up one apiece.
Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted 186/5 after being put in to bat, driven by a 101-run fifth-wicket stand between Usman Khan and Kusal Perera.
Usman remained unbeaten on 61 off 30 balls, while Perera made 37 from 21 deliveries. Saim Ayub scored 38 and captain Marnus Labuschagne added 40, while Imad Wasim was Islamabad’s standout bowler with 2 for 16 in two overs.
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Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands or even stand beside Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman during a tense exchange at the FIFA Congress Thursday.
Both officials were invited to the stage by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but the Palestinian representative resisted efforts to bring him closer to his Israeli counterpart.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino shakes hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman (left), vice president of the Israeli Football Association, as Jibril Rajoub (right), president of the Palestine Football Association, leaves the stage at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, April 30, 2026. (Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)
Infantino briefly placed a hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to step forward, but Rajoub did not comply.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 2026 Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
The Palestinian FA, led by Rajoub, has long pushed for Israel to be suspended from international soccer competition.
Rajoub defended his decision, saying he remains committed to formal processes but believes stronger action is needed.
“I still respect and follow the legal procedure, but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned. The double-standard policy should stop,” Rajoub said, according to The Times of Israel.
“I refused to shake hands. Sport is sport. … For me, that should be respected, but if the other side is representing a criminal like Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and speaking on behalf of Bibi as if Bibi is Mother Teresa, how can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man?
A fan displays a Palestinian flag during a Nations League group stage match between France and Israel Nov. 14, 2024. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
“I think Gianni has the right to try to bridge gaps and bring people together, but I think maybe he does not understand or does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people.”
After the exchange, Infantino addressed the room, urging cooperation.
“We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters,” Infantino said.
Speaking just before the incident, Suliman emphasized the unifying role of the sport.
“In football, there is no place for politics,” Suliman said. “Everyone has the right to play and compete. We are teaching children values like respect, equality and love for others, and we hope that by the next time we meet, the situation will be better. We extend a hand to the Palestinian FA in the spirit of those shared values.”
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Players from Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur line up before the UEFA Super Cup soccer match in Udine, Italy, on Aug. 13, 2025. (Denes Erdos/AP)
UEFA was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September, but the motion was put on pause.
Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3 after a historic peace proposal by President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.
However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.
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Hyderabad Kingsmen advanced to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 final after defeating Islamabad United by two runs in the thrilling second eliminator at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
The victory propelled the debutants into the final, where they will lock horns with table-toppers Peshawar Zalmi at the same venue on Sunday, while it drew curtains on the United’s campaign at the eight-team tournament.
The United got off to an unwanted start to the pursuit as they lost Sameer Minhas (six) and Mohsin Riaz (five) inside three overs with just 15 runs on the board.
Skipper Shadab Khan then joined Devon Conway in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously to put together 42 runs for the second wicket until Saim Ayub dismissed the left-handed opener in the eighth over, who made a 25-ball 30 with the help of three fours and a six.
Shadab was then involved in a brief 11-run partnership for the fourth wicket until eventually falling victim to Hassan Khan on the first delivery of the 11th over and walked back after a cautious 22 off 24 deliveries.
Following his dismissal, Chapman took the reins of United’s pursuit and raised a crucial 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Haider Ali, who contributed with a 16-ball 31 until falling victim to Mohammad Ali in the 16th over.
Chapman, on the other hand, followed suit 10 deliveries later, falling victim to Hunain Shah in the 18th over. He remained the top-scorer for the United with a quickfire 43 off 26 deliveries, studded with five fours and two sixes.
But his dismissal did not bother the three-time champions as the all-rounder duo of Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green put them into the commanding position by smashing Ali for 22 runs in the penultimate over, and brought the required equation down to six runs off the last over.
Bowling the final over, with just six runs to defend, Hunain delivered impeccable death bowling as he gave just three runs to secure a thrilling two-run victory for the Kingsmen.
For the Kingsmen, Ali and Hunain bagged two wickets each, while Akif Javed, Hassan Khan and Saim Ayub chipped in with one scalp apiece.
Hunain claimed the Player of the Match award for a brilliant six-run defence in the tense final over.
Put into bat first, the Kingsmen piled up 186/5 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a sensational fifth-wicket partnership between Usman and Kusal Perera.
The Kingsmen got off to a dismal start to their innings as Richard Gleeson dismissed left-handed opener Maaz Sadaqat for a four-ball duck in the first over, with just one run on the board.
Following the early stutter, Saim Ayub joined captain Marnus Labuschagne in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously to put together 70 runs for the second wicket.
Chris Green eventually broke the budding partnership in the 10th over by getting rid of Saim, who walked back after scoring 38 off 27 deliveries with the help of seven fours.
Labuschagne was then involved in a brief 13-run partnership for the third wicket with Glenn Maxwell (three) until both Australians fell victim to Imad Wasim in the pulsating 12th over, resulting in Kingsmen slipping to 85/4.
The Kingsmen captain remained a notable run-getter for the tournament debutants, scoring 40 off 32 deliveries, featuring four fours and a six.
Following the back-to-back blows, in-form wicketkeeper batter Usman and Perera forced an astounding turnaround as they bolstered the Kingsmen’s total past the 180-run mark with a 101-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Usman, who dominated the crucial stand, remained their top-scorer with an unbeaten 61 off 30 deliveries, studded with 10 boundaries, while Perera chipped in with a 21-ball 37, comprising four fours and two sixes.
Imad was the standout bowler for the United, taking two wickets for just 16 runs in his two overs, while Faheem Ashraf, Gleeson and Green made one scalp apiece.
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