Sports
FIFA alters WC draw so top sides won’t meet early
The 2026 World Cup draw on Dec. 5 will reward the four highest-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — which will be placed in separate sections of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.
FIFA said Tuesday the top four teams in the latest men’s rankings will, if they finish top of their respective round-robin groups, avoid each other until the semifinals of the June 11-July 19 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Defending champion Argentina with Lionel Messi and top-ranked European champion Spain with Lamine Yamal therefore can ensure they do not meet until the final at MetLife Stadium near New York.
At previous World Cups, the path for teams into and through the knockout phase was decided by which group they were drawn into.
The draw, to be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will see 48 teams placed into four pots from which they will be drawn into 12 groups of four teams. An updated match schedule, assigning each match to a stadium with its respective kickoff time, will be released on Saturday, Dec. 6. The draw is scheduled to take about 45 minutes during a show lasting about an hour and a half, FIFA said.
The three host countries have been placed into Pot 1 along with the nine highest-ranked countries based on FIFA’s rankings. These include Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The 42 teams that already qualified include Iran and Haiti, which FIFA expects will play exactly where they are drawn regardless of complicated politics those countries have with the U.S. The 16 host venues for the 104 games include 11 cities with NFL stadiums in the U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada.
The other six entries will be decided in March when European and global playoffs brackets are scheduled, and those teams all will come out of the draw pot of lowest-ranked teams.
That means four-time champion Italy could be a dangerous option in the draw on Friday of next week that will set the match schedule by placing teams in 12 round-robin groups of four teams each.
For Pot 1, Canada, Mexico and the United States, as the host countries, will be identified by different colored balls and, when drawn, will be assigned to position A1 for Mexico (green ball), B1 for Canada (red ball) and D1 for the USA (blue ball).
The remaining nine top-ranked teams in Pot 1 will be identified by nine balls of the same color and automatically allocated to Position 1 of the group into which they are drawn.
The next 12 highest-ranked teams will go into Pot 2.
These include Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
The next 12 highest teams will go into Pot 3, and will be comprised of Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
The remaining teams will go in Pot 4 along with the six winners of the intercontinental playoffs. This pot includes Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti and New Zealand.
The four intercontinental playoff winners will include four teams from UEFA and two teams from elsewhere.
The draw will take place in a manner by which teams from the same confederation cannot be placed in the same group. The exception to this is Europe due to the fact that there are more European teams (16) than there are groups (12).
This will result in four groups having two European teams with the remainder having one team from Europe.
To ensure competitive balance, top-ranked Spain and second-ranked Argentina will be randomly drawn and placed in groups in opposite pathways. The same will apply to the third- and fourth-highest-ranked teams (France and England). This ensures that should they each win their group, the two highest ranked teams cannot meet before the final.
The U.S., which had previously been placed in Group D, will face a team from Pot 3 in its opening game on June 12 in Inglewood, Calif. That will be followed by a match against a team from Pot 2 on June 19 at Lumen field in Seattle, with its group stage finale taking place against a team from Pot 4 back in Inglewood. For the USMNT, the most difficult game will likely be the second match with a team from Pot 2.
Along similar lines, Mexico, which has been placed in Group A, will open the tournament on June 11 against a team from Pot 3 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, followed by matches against a team from Pot 2 on June 18 at the Estadio Akron outside Guadalajara, and their final group stage match six days later against team from Pot 4 back in Mexico City
Canada will have a slightly different schedule. It will open the tournament on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto against a team from Pot 4. Its second match will be in Vancouver six days later against a team from Pot 3, with the group stage finale against a team from Pot 2 also in Vancouver.
World Cup draw pots
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Playoff A, B, C and D, FIFA Playoff Tournament 1 and 2
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Play at the India Open badminton tournament was halted twice on Thursday after bird droppings were spotted on Court 1 during Indian HS Prannoy’s match against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, Indian media reported.
The incident kept the spotlight on conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for a third straight day and added to questions over the venue’s preparedness for the World Championships in August.
Play was first stopped in the opening game when officials rushed in with tissues to clean the floor, and was halted again in the third after fresh droppings were spotted.
“I think it was bird poop,” Prannoy said after the match.
The disruption followed other incidents reported at the venue in recent days, including birds flying around on the practice courts and a monkey being seen in the stands.
While the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has defended the conditions and arrangements so far, Indian media said Thursday’s episode adds to a growing list of embarrassments for organisers and points of review for the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which is monitoring the venue.
Players have also raised concerns over the city’s pollution and weather conditions, with Loh adding to the issues flagged during the tournament.
Earlier this week, Danish player Blichfeldt raised concerns about what she described as “dirty and unhealthy” conditions, calling on the BWF to intervene, a significant allegation given the same venue will host the World Championships scheduled to be held in August, with India set to host the global showpiece for the first time in 16 years.
Last year’s India Open was held at the smaller KD Jadhav Arena before being moved this season to the larger Indira Gandhi Stadium, while training sessions continue to take place at the KD Jadhav Stadium located around 250-300 metres from the main arena.
Blichfeldt had reiterated her concerns this week, specifically referring to the warm-up halls, saying players were forced to wear multiple layers due to cold conditions and describing the environment as unfit for elite preparation.
She also raised health concerns after claiming to have seen birds inside the warm-up area, including instances of droppings on court surfaces.
“That’s clearly unhealthy and not normal,” she said, adding that falling sick or getting injured due to such conditions would be unfair to players.
While acknowledging organisers’ efforts, she maintained improvements were still needed and urged tournament authorities and the BWF to ensure professional standards are met.
Sports
State Department lists major sporting events in addition to World Cup, Olympics exempt from Trump’s visa ban
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The Trump administration has revealed various “major sporting events” in addition to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban on nearly 40 countries, allowing them to travel to the U.S. to compete.
In a cable sent Wednesday to all U.S. embassies and consulates, the State Department said athletes, coaches and support staff for the World Cup, the Olympics and events endorsed or run by a lengthy list of collegiate and professional sporting leagues and associations would be excluded from the full and partial travel bans subject to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority.
But foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors who wish to attend the events would still be impacted by the ban unless they qualify for another exemption.
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The Trump administration has revealed the “major sporting events” in addition to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
“Only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics, and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” the message said.
The federal government has issued several immigration and travel bans as well as other visa restrictions as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb immigration, although the administration still wants athletes, coaches and fans to be able to attend major sporting events in the U.S.
Trump’s proclamation last month banning the issuance of visas to the 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority had included an exception for athletes and staff competing in some sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, and a decision on the other sporting events that would be covered would be made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors who wish to attend the events would still be impacted by the ban unless they qualify for another exemption. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The events covered, according to the cable, include all competitions and qualifying events for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games and Parapan American Games; events hosted, sanctioned or recognized by a U.S. National Governing Body; all competitions and qualifying events for the Special Olympics; and official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by FIFA or its confederations.
Official events and competitions hosted by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association as well as those hosted or endorsed by U.S. professional sports leagues such as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Little League, National Hockey League, Professional Women’s Hockey League, NASCAR, Formula 1, the Professional Golf Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association, LIV Golf, Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship and All Elite Wrestling are also covered under the exemption.
Other events and leagues could be added to the list in the future, the cable said.
Other events and leagues could be added to the list in the future. (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)
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Under the new visa restrictions, a full travel ban covers citizens of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and individuals holding Palestinian Authority–issued passports.
A partial ban applies to citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Former Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros star outfielder Kyle Tucker has agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per multiple reports.
Tucker’s $60 million average annual value would be the second-highest in baseball history, not factoring discounting, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2033.
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Kyle Tucker #30 of the Houston Astros runs to third base during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 28, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
When healthy, Tucker is among the best all-around players in the majors. But the outfielder has played in just 214 regular-season games over the past two years.
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Jeremy Pena #3, Kyle Tucker #30, and Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros celebrate after Tucker hit a home run in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 28, 2022, in Houston, Texas. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
He batted .266 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs with the Chicago Cubs last season. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Houston in December 2024 that moved slugging prospect Cam Smith to the Astros.
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Kyle Tucker #30 of the Chicago Cubs swings the bat in the third inning during game five of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 11, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Brandon Sloter/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
Tucker was slowed by a pair of injuries in his lone season with the Cubs. He sustained a small fracture in his right hand on an awkward slide against Cincinnati on June 1. He also strained his left calf against Atlanta on Sept. 2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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