More than one million World Cup tickets sold through Visa pre-sales
More than one million tickets for the 2026 World Cup have been sold following the conclusion of the Visa (V.N), opens new tab pre-sales phase, world football’s governing body FIFA said on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Fans from 212 countries and territories purchased tickets during the pre-sales period, which opened in mid-September, FIFA said in a statement.
Demand was led by residents of the three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — followed by England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France, according to Reuters.
Yamal among highest-paid players in 2025 in Forbes list topped by Ronaldo
Barcelona's 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal has gate-crashed football's financial elite, landing among Forbes' top 10 highest-paid players in 2025, topped by Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, Reuters reported.
Ronaldo tops Forbes' latest list, opens new tab with a staggering $280 million in earnings this year, maintaining his stranglehold on football's financial summit after the 40-year-old signed a two-year contract extensionwith Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese forward, who became the first footballer to reach billionaire status and had topped the world's highest-paid athletes list for three consecutive years in May, is inching closer to scoring 1,000 career goals, according to Reuters.
Relocating World Cup matches unlikely despite Trump rhetoric, current and former officials say
Senior figures behind the 2026 World Cup dismissed concerns that U.S. president Donald Trump could move matches from cities he does not deem "safe".
Republican president Trump said last month that he would consider moving games from Democrat-controlled San Francisco and Seattle if they did not cooperate with his immigration and crime initiatives, Reuters reported.
He raised the issue again this week, this time targeting Boston and its Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu, suggesting he could appeal directly to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans not allowed to attend Europa League match at Aston Villa
No away supporters will be allowed to attend Aston Villa's home Europa League clash with Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 6 after police raised public safety concerns about potential protests, the Premier League club said on Thursday, Reuters reported.
The move comes after there were protests at the Israel national team's World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy, with police using tear gas on protesters and pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Osloand Udine.
Villa said they were following instructions from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who are responsible for issuing safety certificates for games at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors, according to Reuters.
