The country is ready to blow away decades of dashed hopes and celebrate, with marching bands and all-night parties

Scotland is leaning into one of its most treasured traditions: embracing the hope and anxiety of a football World Cup, with a healthy dose of self-deprecating style.

There are brash new tartans, an Edinburgh bar offering free Irn-Bru-infused “fiery ginger” beers for patrons with red hair, a collaboration between Scottish whisky firms and a Brazilian distiller, and all-night parties in nightclubs repurposed as fanzones.

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© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

In the spring of 1994, the World Cup arrived, the Knicks were great and so were the Rangers. And in the middle of it all, an infamous White Bronco chase.

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Change in viewing habits offered by match times at 2026 tournament could mean using cheaper off-peak power

Watching late-night or early hours football could provide UK households with a practical opportunity to cut their energy bills, as even just doing the washing when cheaper electricity rates apply can net a decent saving.

At a time when energy costs are back at worrying highs, research by E.ON Next shows the potential to save money on a time-of-use tariff – in this case, its Next Smart Saver deal, which has three rates: peak, off-peak and super off-peak.

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© Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters

© Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters

© Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters

The USA will face off against Paraguay in its opening match later Friday

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Ousmane Dembele has defended Kylian Mbappe ahead of France’s first World Cup game

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The municipality of Santarém is set to receive a private investment of €450 million linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with plans to create 800 direct jobs and attract

The post Santarém looks forward to €450 million investment linked to 2030 World Cup appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Scott McTominay trained with the rest of the Scotland squad on Friday

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A Bosnian song first released 15 years ago has become a major hit as the World Cup has got underway

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Mexico opened the World Cup on Thursday with a dominant 2-0 win over South Africa in front of a boisterous home crowd at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium.

The World Cup will be weeks-long experiment in global mixing that creates a perfect environment for infectious diseases to spread

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Flag bans, travel headaches and a religious regime video among bumps in road, as team prepares to be first to play in country with which it is at war

Iran will present a major challenge to Fifa’s “football unites the world” slogan on Monday by becoming the first country in World Cup history to compete on the soil of a host nation with which it is at war.

The national team’s opening match against New Zealand in Los Angeles will kick off amid continuing hostilities between Iran and the US that have intensified in recent days, as a fragile ceasefire has failed to hold and attempts at reaching a negotiated settlement have sputtered.

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© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

Jibril Rajoub attended opening match in Mexico but becomes latest football official hit by US visa issues, he says

The head of the Palestinian Football Association has said he is unable to travel to the US with other federation heads attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup because he has not been issued a visa.

Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the US.

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© Photograph: Patrick B Kraemer/KEYSTONE/AP

© Photograph: Patrick B Kraemer/KEYSTONE/AP

© Photograph: Patrick B Kraemer/KEYSTONE/AP

Jibril Rajoub attended the first match of the World Cup in Mexico, but says he has not received his US visa yet

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With matches in 16 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada, players and fans face an array of weather-related challenges

With the 2026 World Cup now under way, all 48 teams face a common opposition: summer weather across North America. Matches will be played in 16 cities, from southern Mexico to Canada, with a range of weather risks possible at each venue.

Thunderstorms disrupted play before the tournament had even begun. England’s warm-up against Costa Rica in Orlando was delayed by about an hour after storms brought lightning and heavy rain that waterlogged the pitch. Safety regulations at US venues mean play is suspended when lightning is recorded within roughly 8 miles of a stadium, not resuming until 30 minutes after the last strike.

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© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Portugal is set to launch a major international tourism campaign tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, using football’s global appeal to promote the country to millions of potential visitors.

The post Portugal launches World Cup tourism campaign targeting key international markets appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Fue llegar el papa León XIV a Cataluña y se obró el milagro: Barcelona volvió a ser por un instante la de los Juegos Olímpicos de 1992. Es decir, aquella ciudad de la que toda España sacaba pecho con ilusión, donde el buenrollismo entre autoridades era más norma que excepción, con un jovencísimo príncipe Felipe portando la bandera española por el estadio olímpico de Montjuïc (hoy Lluís Companys). Esta vez, en cambio, fue la exhibición del nacionalismo catalán en su vertiente religiosa —con la canción del Virolai, la virgen de Montserrat (la Moreneta) y la obra de Antoni Gaudí— lo que impresionó, deslizando un retrato del tiempo político actual.

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Pulisic's US teammates recognize the extraordinary burden he is carrying

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The World Cup kicked off on Thursday as South Africa squared off against Mexico, one of this year's host countries. Several American cities hosting these opening matches will be sweltering this weekend, making stadiums feel more like a sauna than a playing field. Climate Central's Ben Tracy shows us how extreme heat is changing the game in our warming world. It's for our series, Tipping Point.

With a capacity crowd of 80,824 watching at the iconic Azteca Stadium, co-host Mexico started the largest World Cup tournament in history by getting goals in each half while three red cards were shown — two for South Africa and one for Mexico.

Wataru Endo has called time on his international career

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