Kylian Mbappe and his France team-mates showed why they are top of our rankings Charly Triballeau/AFP via Both of the finalists from Qatar 2022, holders Argentina and runners-up France, got their tournaments underway on Tuesday and looked the most convincing contenders yet.

Follow live updates and the latest coverage of the 2026 World Cup as England faces Croatia in Thomas Tuchel’s debut and Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against DR Congo.

CBC Sports' daily newsletter gets you up to speed on some World Cup stories, including the latest on injured Canadian captain Alphonso Davies.

The 2026 World Cup is the largest ever, and USA TODAY is going all in with reporters on the ground in all 16 host cities across three countries to cover 48 teams vying for the trophy. Get our World Cup: Extra Time newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Neymar is not expected to play for Brazil in the World Cup group stage as he continues to recover from a calf injury, according to ESPN.

Superstar attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic was not a full participant in Monday’s training session for the USMNT.

Christian Pulisic was subbed off to start the second half of USA's first 2026 World Cup match against Paraguay on Friday, June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Sebastian Berhalter replaced the winger.

Injuries have kept Neymar away from the Brazilian national team since Oct. 2023. That ended on Monday. Brazilian coach Carlo Ancelotti announced his squad for June's World Cup in North America, with Neymar a notable addition.

Erling Haaland has scored twice on his World Cup debut as Norway lead Iraq in Group I. The Manchester City striker got his first goal in the 29th minute, latching onto a pinpoint low cross. His second was a little more fortuitous as he closed down Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan whose attempted clearance cannoned off Haaland and into the net.