Real Madrid star Guler will be given licence to roam and Juventus forward Yildiz will dart inside from the left flank. Inter playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu will add class and control in midfield. The knock-out stages should be the minimum target.

FIFA has significantly increased the World Cup prize pool for the expanded 48-team tournament, with total financial distribution and guaranteed payments reaching record levels.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be just the beginning for a generation of talented American players, with the 2026 tournament potentially representing a peak moment in the United States men's national team program.

For players and fans, even whole countries, winning the World Cup is a secular rapture. One team and nation will experience that euphoria at the climax of this year’s competition, which begins on June 11th.

Now they have finally qualified for a World Cup on merit – although there was grumbling about that. They were controversially handed home advantage for the final three-team group, which was originally intended to be held at neutral venues.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest tournament in the competition's history. Hosted jointly for the first time by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the tournament will span 16 cities, feature 48 national teams,