FIFA announced plans for a final round of World Cup ticket sales on Wednesday. They said over one million tickets had been sold by the end of the previous release between December and February, and additional tickets would be put on general sale on April 1 to the end of the tournament, which runs till July 19.Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, declared in January that the demand for tickets was equal to "1,000 years of World Cups at once" and that all 104 matches at the most recent Cup would be sold out.FIFA has come under fire for their ticket price policy for the competition, which is co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States.In December, FIFA's general sale of tickets, which ranged from $140 for the cheapest group games to $8,680 for the final, was met with accusations of "monumental betrayal" from fans.Football Supporters, Europe announced on Tuesday that it had teamed up with consumer advocacy group Euroconsumers to file a formal price complaint with the European Commission.The remaining tickets will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, according to FIFA. Fans will be able to choose particular seats in the most recent phase, and those who have already purchased tickets will be able to view their assigned seats starting on April 1. Italy face Northern Ireland in cruch World Cup qualifier On Thursday, Italy will play Northern Ireland in the World Cup playoff semifinal in Bergamo in an attempt to shake the ghosts of previous setbacks.The Azzurri, who qualified for the playoffs after losing to Norway under Erling Haaland in their qualifying group, run the risk of missing the World Cup for the third time in a row. The four-time world champions were eliminated in the playoffs after failing to directly qualify for Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018.Italy will play the winner of the other semi-final between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31 away from home if they beat Northern Ireland. If they lose, they will have to play a friendly against the other defeated semi-finalist.(With AP Input)
26 March,2026 12:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentItaly are hoping to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup as one of the planet's most important footballing nations heads to the qualifying play-offs in the midst of another identity crisis. Northern Ireland come to Bergamo for what promises to be a tense semi-final on Thursday as Italy desperately try to not miss a third consecutive World Cup. Gennaro Gattuso led Italy to second in qualifying Group I and has obtained some stability for the Azzurri following the sacking of the volatile Luciano Spalletti. But two heavy defeats dished out by group winners Norway were a stark reminder of how far the national team has fallen since last winning the World Cup 20 years ago -- with Gattuso in midfield. Since then Italy haven't played a knockout match in a World Cup finals, dumped out in the group stage as defending champions in 2010 and four years later, before failing to even reach the last two editions in Russia and Qatar. Both of those qualification failures came via the play-offs and were deeply traumatic events to a footballing hotbed which has lost its self-esteem while rival nations like France and Spain have flourished. The poor performance of Italy's clubs in this season's Champions League has only exacerbated a feeling of being left behind, to the point that missing this year's finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico would be seen almost as a death knell. "I really hope with all my heart that we can reach this goal, this group of players deserves it," Gattuso told reporters on Monday. "We can't stress the lads, they're well aware of what the stakes are. There will obviously be a bit of tension but we have to make sure we trasmit positivity." Pressure and injuries Gattuso has to deal not just with the pressure of the occasion but also a clutch of injuries which threaten to leave him without several important players for what he hopes will be two matches. One of Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina await Italy in the final should they get past Northern Ireland as expected. Probably the key doubt is surrounding Sandro Tonali, who suffered a groin injury in Newcastle United's Champions League exit at Barcelona last week. Gattuso said on Monday that he hoped to have Tonali, an all-action midfielder, available for training in the lead-up to Thursday's match but the 25-year-old is by no means guaranteed to start. Federico Chiesa, who hasn't featured for Italy since their dismal European Championship title defence in 2024, was dropped from the squad on Monday when Italy's medical staff ruled him unfit to play after he was originally selected in Gattuso's 28-man squad. "I had to make a decision. He didn't feel up for it, so he decided to return home, and I had to accept it," said Gattuso, who picked Bologna's Nicolo Cambiaghi to replace Chiesa. "I didn't push. When someone wants to return home, it's right to let him do so." Meanwhile Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca and central defenders Alessandro Bastoni and Gianluca Mancini are all trying to recover in time from injuries, with Gattuso also saying that Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was feeling "discomfort" on his arrival at the Coverciano training centre. That leaves Gattuso hoping for a drama-free night on Thursday and his players all being ready for a date with destiny in the final. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 March,2026 08:45 AM IST | Milan | AFPMH Oranje FC beat Kandivli FC 1-0 in the U-8 final for the SFL Football League Mumbai title recently. Joshua Jesso netted the winner for MH Oranje FC in the summit clash at the Celebrations Sports Complex in Andheri.
26 March,2026 08:38 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentWhere there’s a will, there’s a way. This aptly sums up the story of Mumbai-based football club MYJ-GMSC’s team owner Joe Miranda, who has somehow negotiated tight finances to ensure his team is the only outfit from Maharashtra in I-League 2 this year. MYJ-GMSC will play their opening fixture against SC Bengaluru at the Cooperage on Friday. I-League 2 represents the third tier of the Indian football league system, behind the Indian Super League and the Indian Football League. Malad-based Miranda, 54, who is a director in funding company Andromeda, runs the team purely out of his own purse due to the sorry state of football sponsorship. “The biggest challenge is finances. Most Indian football clubs are bleeding as there aren’t many sponsors. I’m funding the team out of my own pocket, spending Rs 2 crore [Rs 50 lakh for player contracts plus travel costs for away matches],” Miranda tells mid-day. MYJ-GMSC owner Joe Miranda “You have to sign players from across the country because this is not a Mumbai league, where you can simply bring in 20 boys from across the city. You need to have professional contracts alongside amateur ones. You need to provide accommodation to players, then there’s also insurance. It’s tough and nothing short of a miracle that we have managed to survive.” MYJ-GMSC was formed in 2023–24 and made an immediate impact, winning the Mumbai Premier League title in their debut season. They thus qualified for the 2023–24 I-League 3, where they finished third in the playoffs, eventually earning a promotion to I-League 2 for the 2025–26 season. When asked how his team has done so well in such a short time, Joe put it down to their disciplined training regime. “We do five days of training at the Wings Sports Centre in Bandra. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, our head coach Vijit Shetty does his football training and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, trainer Ronak Hooda works on the physical part,” Miranda explained. Whatever the results in the long run, Miranda is just happy to see Mumbai retain its place on the football map. “After work, whatever time I get, I try to devote it to football because it’s my passion. This project is not commercially driven. Besides Mumbai City FC, who are right up there in the ISL, there’s no other Mumbai team in Indian football. I’m happy we’re here and hope we can progress,” he signed off.
26 March,2026 08:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan ShankarBrazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has promised that his team will play 'carnival style' football, fitting the traditions of Brazil at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Brazil are the most successful side in FIFA World Cup history, winning the trophy five times. However, they are yet to win the World Cup since their triumph in 2002. Since then, Brazil have reached the quarter-final four times and finished fourth, once in 2014.During an interview on SBT, as quoted by Goal.com, Ancelotti talked about giving his players freedom to express themselves and playing with 'energy, joy, art, talent'. The Brazil coach wants to bring the fans' energy on the pitch."Very important is the DNA of the national team. The DNA of Brazil is talent, energy, and joy. I want to compare Brazilian football with carnival. Carnival was new to me, I understood that it has a lot of energy, joy, art, talent. And a lot of organisation. Organising all the floats, with the correct timing, all of this we have to put into the national team. Joy, energy, talent, and organisation," Ancelotti said. Ancelotti wants to play attacking football for Brazil at the FIFA World Cup Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he wants to play attacking football for Brazil at the FIFA World Cup. The manager wants to play four players up front with a tactical set-up behind them. However, the inclusion of Neymar is still in doubt after the star player was dropped from the recent Brazil squad.Ancelotti said that he is almost sure of his squad for the World Cup but needs to fill a few spots before the start of the marquee event."There are four or five spots and in that sense we have many doubts. That is why I called up players I do not know very well. I want one defender, two for the midfield, and two more for the attack. The competition is very high. The luck of the national team is that the players have a lot of talent," Ancelotti said.Brazil is in Group C during the tournament alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, and will start against Morocco at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on June 13.(With ANI Input)
25 March,2026 11:02 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMohamed Salah will leave Premier League champions Liverpool at the end of the season, the Egypt forward announced on Tuesday as he started a farewell to what the club said were nine "illustrious" years at Anfield. The 33-year-old arrived from Roma in 2017 and has made 435 appearances for Liverpool to date, scoring 255 goals to be third on the club's all-time goalscorers chart behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. Salah has won four Premier League Golden Boots and starred for Liverpool in both their 2019/20 and 2024/25 title triumphs as well as lifting the 2019 Champions League trophy. His Liverpool honours also include a Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups. Salah has scored just five Premier League goals this season, compared with 29 in last term's title-winning campaign. His Anfield future became the subject of intense speculation after a dramatic bust-up with Liverpool manager Arne Slot in December. He accused Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus" after he was benched for three games in a row and said he had no relationship with the Dutch boss. 'The day has come' Salah, in a video on social media featuring highlights of his time with Liverpool, said: "Hello everyone. Unfortunately, the day has come. "This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. "I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life. Liverpool is not just a football club. "It's a passion, it's a history, it's a spirit. I can't explain in words to anyone not of this club." Salah, who in common with many Liverpool players and staff was deeply affected by the death of team-mate Diogo Jota in a car crash in July, added: "We celebrated victory, we won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life. "I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the teammates past and present. "And to the fans, I don't have enough words. The support you showed me through the best time of my career, and you stood by me in the toughest times. It's something I will never forget and something I will take with me always. "Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will be always one of you. This club will always be my home, to me and to my family. "Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone," insisted Salah in a reference to the Liverpool fans' anthem. 'Perfect send-off' Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, posted on X: "We do not know where Mohamed will play next season. This also means that no one else knows." Liverpool said on their website: "Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season. "The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Anfield." Salah was forced off at Anfield last week after scoring in Liverpool's 4-0 victory against Galatasaray, which sealed their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. Injury meant he missed fifth-placed Liverpool's 2-1 loss at Brighton last weekend. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, in a column for the Daily Telegraph, said Salah would aim to leave in style with victory in the Champions League final. "Knowing Salah's mindset and competitive spirit, he will be setting his sights on the greatest of all possible goodbyes, inspiring his team to victory in the Champions League final in Budapest," said Carragher. "Do not bet against the perfect send-off." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 March,2026 09:03 AM IST | London | AFPAustralian-born forward Ryan Williams could make his much-anticipated India debut after being named in head coach Khalid Jamil's 23-member squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier against Hong Kong on March 31 in Kochi. Williams was included in the squad after FIFA cleared his change of association, paving the way for the 31-year-old winger to represent India at the senior international level. He had earlier been part of India's preparatory camp for the Bangladesh qualifier but missed out on the lineup due to pending documentation. With all formalities now complete, he is in line to make his debut against Hong Kong. Already ruled out of qualification for the Asian Cup, India will look to sign off their campaign on a positive note with a blend of experience and youth in the squad. Williams, whose mother hails from an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai, will thus become only the second foreign-born footballer of Indian origin to play for the country after Japan-born Arata Izumi, who represented India between 2013 and 2014. A versatile attacker currently playing for Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC, Williams relinquished his Australian passport last year to play for India. Born in Perth in 1993, Williams began his professional journey in England after joining Portsmouth's academy in 2010. He broke into the senior side a year later, making his debut against Middlesbrough, before going on to have stints with clubs such as Fulham and Barnsley. On the international stage, Williams represented Australia at the youth level, featuring in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship and the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. His only senior appearance for Australia came in a 2019 friendly against South Korea, a non-competitive fixture that allowed him to switch national allegiance under FIFA rules. The Blue Tigers began their camp in Kochi on Tuesday where 20 players along with the staff, have assembled. Defender Anwar Ali, midfielder Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, and forward Edmund Lalrindika, who played their last ISL match against Mohammedan Sporting Club on Monday will join the squad later on Tuesday. "This is a good opportunity for us to build for the future," India head coach Jamil stated in a release. "We have a lot of promising players coming through, who are currently with the U20 and U23 national teams, playing in the SAFF U20 Championship in Maldives, and the U23 Tri-Nation in Arunachal Pradesh. "Our assistant coach Mahesh is himself leading the U20s, which will help us familiarise them with the system we have in place here with the senior team." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 March,2026 08:46 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIFormer Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has dismissed suggestions that he could take over as Real Madrid coach next season. Klopp hasn’t coached since his departure from Liverpool in 2024. He’s currently the Red Bull group’s head of global football, overseeing clubs like Leipzig, Salzburg and the New York Red Bulls. “It’s all just nonsense. They haven’t even called once. My agent is here, you can ask him too, they haven’t called us,” Klopp said about speculation linking him to Real Madrid. Alvaro Arbeloa is the current Los Blancos coach. He took over from Xabi Alonso, who was sacked on January 12 after an underwhelming start to the season. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 March,2026 08:39 AM IST | Ismaning (Germany) | AgenciesFrench superstar Kylian Mbappe says the knee injury that kept him sidelined for almost two months is "behind him" and there had never been a concern he would miss this year's World Cup. The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker admitted he had not been at his best mentally during the 54-day absence -- the longest of his career. "There was a lot of frustration, anger and anxiety," the French captain said. Mbappe, who along with the French squad flies to the United States on Tuesday for friendlies against Brazil on Thursday and then Colombia Sunday, came on as a substitute for a few minutes in last week's Champions League last-16 match at Manchester City. He also played over 25 minutes for Real -- for whom he is top scorer this campaign with 38 goals in 34 appearances -- in the 3-2 derby win over Atletico on Sunday. "It is behind me," he said of the injury. "I put myself under a regime where I wanted to return gently but with a hunger to play. "I hope I am going to be able to play during the international break and make a difference." The France captain -- a World Cup winner in 2018 and runner-up in 2022 -- said he had been annoyed by the rumour mill suggesting his injury was more serious than it actually was. He had avoided undergoing surgery after scans he had in Paris at the beginning of March revealed he would not require an intervention. "Lots of people gave their own diagnosis, I heard many false things," said Mbappe, who was appearing at an event of an insurance company he invested in in Paris on Monday. 'Not at my best' Mbappe said there had never been a doubt about the injury preventing him from playing at what will be his third World Cup finals in June. "No, that was never a topic of discussion," he said. "At worst I could have had a partial rupture (of the ligament) which would have ruled me out till April. "There was never a debate about the World Cup or the climax to the season with Real Madrid." In spite of the sprain and the resulting pain the former PSG star played part of January and February, admitting he and Real "had tried to manage it as best as possible". "One has to look at the positive, today, I have no pain and we are still in the hunt for trophies, that is what is most important," he said. "We will have time afterwards to assess how it was handled. "I am not going to go into the details, I will say I was not at my best in handling this period, I was not the happiest of players but I am delighted that is behind me now. "All (the pain) is gone." Mbappe said he was looking forward to pitting his wits against the Brazilians, who are managed by Carlo Ancelotti, who coached the Frenchman in his first season at Real. "It might be a friendly but when you play Brazil, the greatest footballing nation with five World Cup wins, it is unbelievable to play against them," he said. "It is a team who could win the World Cup, it is good to compare how we are at the moment with them. "Even if we cannot take a lot of learnings out of this get together, we can nevertheless take some. "One thing is for sure we are not going there for a holiday, we are going there as a step in our preparations for the World Cup." 54No. of days Kylian Mbappe was out with a knee injury; the longest injury-enforced absence of his career This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 March,2026 08:37 AM IST | Paris | AFPItaly coach Gennaro Gattuso has admitted that "someone without blood running through their veins" wouldn't feel nervous as the Azzuri prepare for the big World Cup qualifier. Italy have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups and is aiming to avoid another embarrassing failure to reach the finals of the marquee event in the USA.Before Thursday's playoff, Gattuso confirmed that Liverpool winger has returned to England from Italy's training camp due to an injury. The Italian coach said that Chiesa could be sidelined for a considerable amount of time and will miss Italy's playoff match against Northern Ireland."It's undeniable that there's nervousness. Only someone without blood running through their veins wouldn't feel it. But we need to do a good job of transmitting a lot of positivity." Gattuso said.Italy's two losses to Norway in the qualifying stage has but the 2006 World Cup winners on the brink. The Azzurri need to beat Northern Ireland at home in Bergamo and then Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away next week."It's useless to think if we could have done better. The only thing we should be thinking about is Thursday's game. Forget that we've won four World Cups, two Euros and an Olympic title. For us, the only game is Thursday's." Gattuso said.Italy will look to avoid failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third straight time after the Azzurri were eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in the last two playoffs. Italy hit with an injury crisis Chiesa was sent back to Liverpool upon briefly rejoining the national team for the first time after an almost two-year absence. The Italian star winger has suffered injury problems during his spell at Anfield and hasn't featured much in recent matches. Chiesa's ambition to take Italy to the World Cup was cut short due to yet another niggle."He had some minor (physical) issues, and we decided that it was useless for him to stay," Gattuso said.Italy will also miss other key players like Sandro Tonali, Gianluca Scamacca and Alessandro Bastoni due to injury. Bologna winger Nicolo Cambiaghi has replaced Chiesa in the Italian squad (With AP input)
24 March,2026 12:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFrench and Atletico Madrid footballer Antoine Griezmann is reportedly likely to sign with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Orlando City, eyeing a move to US this summer, reported Goal.com. As per a report by The Athletic, as quoted by Goal.com, Griezmann, a 2018 FIFA World Cup winner with France, has been officially permitted to travel to the US to seal the deal after being linked to the club for the past few weeks. Reports had earlier emerged that Griezmann would consider leaving the Spanish club for a move to the US at the end of February, but their qualification for the Copa Del Ray final delayed his switch. The final against Real Sociedad is scheduled for April 19, and the veteran wants to leave the club with some silverware to his name. Griezmann wants to seal the deal despite the primary transfer window of MLS being closed officially. He would move to North America at the end of the European football season if everything goes right. The 35-year-old has openly made it clear that he intends to play in MLS, as he is a massive fan of American sports. He has often been pictured attending NBA basketball matches and been linked with other MLS clubs in the past, including LAFC, Chicago Fire, and, briefly, Inter Miami. Griezmann being present would immediately make him amongst the best players as the French captain has scored 44 goals for the national side, won the 2018 World Cup and ended as runners-up in 2022. He is Atletico's all-time top-scorer and made it to La Liga's 'Team of the Season' four times. However, this year, he is facing a form slump, with six goals in La Liga so far and five in the Copa Del Ray this season. But despite that, his experience still remains vital for the club. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 March,2026 09:07 AM IST | Paris | ANIADVERTISEMENT
-1774506295622_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "FIFA World Cup trophy (Pic: AFP)")
