New Caledonia on the brink of history
In just a matter of weeks, New Caledonian football could experience one of its greatest ever moments. Johann Sidaner’s men stand only two matches away from a historic qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. To qualify, they must first defeat Jamaica and then DR Congo at the FIFA Play-off Tournament, staged in Mexico from […]
Striking similarities in Germany’s first two triumphs
When the German national team face Curaçao in their opening Group E match at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on 14 June, their shirts will feature four stars sparkling above the logo of the German Football Association. Each one represents a FIFA World Cup™ title, each with its own unique story behind it. The German teams of […]
Gustavsson: Sweden must allow ourselves to dream
Tony Gustavsson knows what it takes to shape a title-contending team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. At the 2015 and 2019 editions, he was assistant coach to USA boss Jill Ellis as the Stars and Stripes soared to back-to-back triumphs in Canada and France. By the 2023 tournament, he’d become Australia’s head coach and […]
Watch: The Hurricane storms Brazil to the final
Brazil v Uruguay Mexico 1970 | Semi-finals Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara Attendance: 51,261 Going into the game The Seleção were hellbent on revenge. The Celeste had made them the victims of a horror story in their only previous FIFA World Cup™ collision in 1950. Getting it wouldn’t be easy. “Uruguay are very, very strong,” warned Pele. […]
Test your knowledge of the World Cup play-offs with Play Zone’s Trivia game
Not played Trivia before? It’s a FIFA game where you can test your knowledge of major world football events, and couldn’t be easier to get to grips with. The better your performance, the more points you’ll earn in the Play Zone. In the lead-up to the World Cup, you can test what you know about […]
Predict Women’s World Cup Qualifiers and more with Fives!
Fives is an exciting game in the FIFA Play Zone, giving users the opportunity to win points and rise up leaderboards by guessing outcomes from five of the biggest fixtures around the world each week. This week, the spotlight is on Concacaf W Qualifiers, OFC Qualifiers and the UEFA Champions League! Three fixtures determining who […]
Pacific places on the line
Three years after they co-hosted a stunning ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, New Zealand get their qualification campaign for Brazil 2027 under way this week in the Solomon Islands. The Football Ferns are one of eight remaining Oceania nations tussling for the region’s lone direct berth to the global showpiece while another […]
The World Cup penalty shootout quiz
Every Wednesday, we’ll provide a ten-question quiz on a specific FIFA World Cup™ theme, as the 2026 instalment in North America comes into view. This week, we’re putting your penalty shootout knowledge to the test. Can you get top marks?
Palene: New Caledonia are a team of warriors
While New Caledonia’s men’s team prepare to compete in the FIFA Play-off Tournament in March, their female counterparts open their qualifying campaign for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ later this week. This is an exciting milestone for a highly ambitious squad, keen to build on the island nation’s recent success at international level […]
Panama at the FIFA World Cup: Team profile and history
Panama will be competing in their second FIFA World Cup™ as one of the automatic qualifiers from the Concacaf region for the 48-team global showpiece. Having only previously appeared at Russia 2018, Los Canaleros are back after establishing themselves as the top Central American team in recent years. They will be the lone representative from […]