The United States were preparing to contest a tense Round of 16 match against Belgium at the World Cup on Monday without their in-form starting striker Folarin Balogun, until suddenly he was made available.

What started with 48 nations has been whittled down to 16 teams as the 2026 FIFA World Cup moves to the knockout rounds. Three weeks and 32 games will produce a champion, runner-up and third- and fourth-place. The other 28 nations will go home early.

Playing at altitude with the passionate backing of 80,824 fans at Estadio Azteca, and with a man advantage for most of the second half, Mexico scored twice but could never equalize and lost 3-2.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on Thursday (Friday in India), with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening fixture. A total of 104 matches will be played in the 48-team tournament, which is being held across three countries - the USA,

The World Cup begins on Thursday Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images FIFA is charging $79 (£59) for fans to have their name on the big screen at World Cup venues before matches this summer. Through its “Super Shoutout” program, world football’s ...

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