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The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11 with joint-hosts Mexico playing South Africa at the Azteca Stadium — venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals — followed by South Korea against a playoff winner after the draw was made on Friday. South Africa are appearing for the first time since 2010, when they drew with Mexico in the opening match but failed to reach the knockout stage. Fellow hosts the United States and Canada will join the party the next day, against Paraguay and a playoff winner — possibly Italy — respectively in Los Angeles and Toronto. Defending champions Argentina were grouped with Algeria, Austria and Jordan, while five-times winners Brazil will play Morocco — semi-finalists in 2022 — Haiti and Scotland. The Scots are appearing in the finals for the first time since 1998, when they lost to Brazil in the opening game. France’s first game will be against Senegal in a repeat of one of the biggest tournament upsets, when the Africans stunned the then-holders in their first game of the 2002 tournament...

US President Donald Trump said he was not attending the draw for the 2026 World Cup to receive a prize, but he got one anyway. Trump, who has campaigned aggressively this year for a Nobel Peace Prize, was given FIFA’s inaugural peace prize for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in some of the world’s hotspots. Amid TV cameras and flashbulbs from the international press, Trump dominated the scene at Washington’s Kennedy Center on Friday, placing himself squarely at the center of one of the biggest events in the sporting world. The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the soccer tournament next year. The prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, were there, too, but it was all Trump’s show. “This will be unique, this will be stellar, this will be spectacular,” Gianni Infantino, the gregarious president of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, said at the opening of the ceremony, talking about next year’s games. But he could have been ...

World governments agreed on Saturday to a compromise climate deal at the COP30 conference in Brazil that would boost finance for poor nations coping with global warming but omit any mention of the fossil fuels driving it. In securing the accord, countries attempted to demonstrate global unity in addressing climate change impacts even after the world’s biggest historic emitter, the United States, declined to send an official delegation. “We should support it because at least it is going in the right direction,” the European Union’s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, told reporters before the deal was gaveled through. The Belem deal launches a voluntary initiative to speed up climate action to help nations meet their existing pledges to reduce emissions, and calls for rich nations to at least triple the amount of money they provide to help developing countries adapt to a warming world by 2035. Scientists have said existing national commitments to cut emissions have cut projected warming significantly, but ar...

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said her team’s breakthrough Women’s World Cup triumph on Sunday was “just the beginning” as they beat South Africa by 52 runs to win the tournament for the first time. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma starred with both bat and ball to propel India to the title in front of a jubilant home crowd at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. Hosts India posted 298-7 and then bowled South Africa out for 246 in 45.3 overs with spinner Sharma taking five wickets after earlier contributing a vital run-a-ball 58 in the middle order. Opener Verma top-scored with 87 as India posted a challenging total after they were put in to bat in a final delayed two hours by rain. South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt hit a valiant 101 but her departure off Sharma raised the noise at the 45,000-capacity stadium, which had turned into a sea of blue. Sharma took down Nadine de Klerk, for 18, for the final wicket as India celebrated with the thousands of supporters inside the ground and millions outside in the cricket-ma...

Jemimah Rodrigues hit an unbeaten 127 to make India pull off a record ODI chase of 339 against Australia in a thrilling second semi-final of the Women’s World Cup on Thursday. Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who hit 89, put on 167 runs for the third wicket as India won with nine balls and five wickets to spare in the outskirts of Mumbai at DY Patil Stadium. Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary to trigger wild celebrations in the Indian camp with smiles and tears of joy in the dug out. India will face South Africa in the final at the same venue on Sunday with the 50-over marquee tournament to get a new champion. The hosts made history to get past the previous best chase of 331 by Australia against India in the league stage of this edition. Seven-time champions Australia faltered in their title defence and suffered their first defeat in the ODI World Cup after 15 victories since 2017 when India beat them in the semi-final. India looked in trouble at 59-2 in the 10th over, but Rodrigues and Kaur rode th...

Three teams are chasing the last vacant spot in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final after South Africa, Australia and England booked their place during the knockout stage and finished top three in the league’s standings. India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are chasing the coveted spot with four points each; Bangladesh and Pakistan are out of contention and at the bottom of the standings with two points each, with the latter crashing out of contention after a crushing defeat by South Africa on Tuesday. How India can qualify (currently in fourth position; +0.526 NRR) India have two remaining matches against New Zealand on Thursday and Bangladesh on Sunday. If they win both, they progress to the semi-finals. Even if they win against New Zealand but not Bangladesh — which gives them six points and a total of three victories, they can still qualify for the semis. If India lose to New Zealand but defeat Bangladesh, they will be relying on England defeating the White Ferns on Sunday in order to make the semis. Losing ...

Pakistan were already staring at defeat before the relentless rains, stop-start in manner, in Colombo sealed their fate. Fatima Sana’s side crashed out of the ICC Women’s World Cup on Tuesday after a crushing 150-run defeat (DLS method) to South Africa in their penultimate match of the league stage at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Pakistan needed a victory to have any chance of staying alive in the last-four race and already-qualified South Africa, but chasing a target that was revised with every downpour, they stood little chance after the Proteas amassed 312-9 in 40 overs. Speaking after the match, skipper Fatima said: “I think today is the day bowlers didn’t perform well. We have to accept it. They played very well, but we needed to be calmer in those situations. “I think after the second over, and after the rain, it was a different situation because the conditions and the ball were wet.” The pacer added that the bowlers tried to find rhythm, but it was very difficult to bowl in those conditions. The first sho...

Four-time champions England booked their ticket to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup after pulling off a nail-biting four-run win over hosts India in Indore on Sunday. England had posted a competitive 288-8 thanks to Heather Knight’s century and held their nerve in the field to defend it, despite their bowling, usually their strong suit, being a touch off colour. India looked to be cruising towards victory, needing just 62 runs off the last 10 overs with seven wickets in hand. But the dismissal of Smriti Mandhana turned the tide, as scoreboard pressure crept in and dot balls piled up. Soon after, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma departed in quick succession, leaving the tail high and dry. Reckless batting cost India dear. Mandhana’s downfall opened the floodgates when she danced down the track to left-arm spinner Linsey Smith but failed to clear long-off. Then, after reaching her half-century, Deepti Sharma perished trying to take on Sophie Ecclestone, a slog sweep that found deep mid-wicket to perfec...

Pakistan’s hopes of of a first victory at the Women’s World Cup were hit by rain on Wednesday with their crucial fixture against England being abandoned after a second downpour at the R. Pramedasa Stadium in Colombo. Chasing a revised target of 113 to win after earlier rains had reduced the match to 31 overs per side, Pakistan were 34-0 in 6.4 overs when rains returned to end any chance of the match being completed. Fatima Sana shone with the ball earlier as England could only make 133-9 after being put into bat. The Pakistan skipper ended with figures of 4-27 that included three of the English top-order batters including their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. England’s innings was interupted in the 25th over when rains first arrived in the Sri Lankan capital before the game resumed several hours later. Having lost their first three matches at the tournament, Pakistan needed a win to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals and they looked a team on a mission. Just in the second over of the first innings, Dia...

South Africa’s lower order once again came to the rescue after a top order collapse, edging out Bangladesh by three wickets in a nail-biting finish in the Women’s World Cup in Visakhapatnam on Monday. Chasing 233, the Proteas were on the ropes at 78-5, but their tail refused to throw in the towel, showing the same grit that saw them turn the tables on India in their previous outing. A gutsy 85-run stand for the sixth wicket between Marizanne Kapp, who made 56, and Chloe Tryon, 62, steadied the ship and gave the chase a fresh lease of life. Both batters brought up their half-centuries, but their dismissals reopened the door for Bangladesh, who sniffed an upset. Then, Nadine de Klerk, South Africa’s player for a crisis, walked in and saw her side over the line. Her unbeaten 37 off 29 deliveries guided her side home with three balls to spare. “I am lost for words, actually. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I’m happy we pulled this off,” said Tryon, who was named player-of-the-match. “We just wanted to stay calm ...

Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to pass 50 international goals in record time as Norway cruised to a 5-0 thrashing of Israel on Saturday, edging closer to qualifying for a first World Cup finals since 1998. Before the match in Oslo, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration, chanting “Free Palestine” to protest against Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, AFP journalists reported. Norwegian police dispersed a gathering of pro-Palestinian activists with tear gas and made several arrests. Inside the Ullevaal Stadium, several dozen Israeli fans waved their country’s flag and a banner reading “Let the Ball Talk!”. Norway now lead Group I with 18 points, six more than second-placed Italy, who beat Estonia 3-1 in Tallinn to stay on track for qualification. The comfortable win in Oslo leaves Norway firmly in control of the group as they seek a place at next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. After a meek performance, Israel take on Italy in Udine on Tuesday knowing they must win to ke...

Italy are struggling to qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup finals and the pressure on the team is exacerbated by the tension surrounding next Tuesday’s qualifier with Israel in Udine. Italy was the scene of some of Europe’s biggest pro-Palestinian protests last weekend, as Israeli forces continue their offensive in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered across Italy in anger at Israel’s actions, and calls for the country to be barred from international sport have grown louder. The protests were in response to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which was sparked by the attack by Hamas fighters on October 7, 2023, on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. During Friday’s massive strike action in support of the Palestinians, demonstrators went to the Italian national team’s training centre in Florence to demand the match against Israel be called off. As of Tuesday only around 4,000 tickets had been sold for the game in Udine, a small city in Italy’s far north-east, which was picked speci...

A superb century from Beth Mooney dragged defending champions Australia back from the brink of disaster before they completed a crushing 107-run win over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup clash in Colombo on Wednesday. The Aussies were staring down the barrel at 76-7 and then 115-8 after being asked to bat first with the Pakistan bowlers causing mayhem, left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu finishing with 3-37 from her 10 overs. But a record ninth-wicket stand between Mooney, who was dismissed off the final ball of the innings for 109, and Alana King, who made 51 not out, turned the tide. The pair dragged their side from the doldrums to a competitive 221-9 and that proved plenty as Pakistan’s brittle batting folded meekly for 114 all out in 36.3 overs. A superb century from Beth Mooney dragged defending champions Australia back from the brink of disaster before they completed a crushing 107-run win over Pakistan in a Women’s World Cup clash in Colombo on Wednesday. The Aussies were staring down the barrel at 76-...

Still searching for a sense of direction in the ICC Women’s World Cup, Pakistan will take on a rampant Australian side at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, hoping to spark a turnaround against the tournament’s most complete outfit. Fatima Sana’s charges have endured a tough start to their campaign, slumping to heavy defeats against Bangladesh and India. Their batting has wavered, their bowling has lacked consistency, and their fielding has been short of international standard — a combination that has left them bottom of the eight-team table with little margin for error. But ahead of their clash with the defending champions, Pakistan’s senior batter Sidra Amin struck a note of quiet defiance. “I think tomorrow is a big game for us as a team,” she said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “We are a good batting side, but as batters, we have to spend more time on the wicket so that we can execute our plans and assess the conditions really well.” Sidra, one of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s othe...

Abyan Amir was reporting live from R. Premadasa Stadium. India eventually finished the match with a comfortable win but at the halfway mark it could have been anyone’s game. The hosts were bowled for a below par 247 but in the end that turned out to be too much for the Pakistani batters who folded for 159. There were plenty of stops in between due to bugs, fumigation and the humidity causing frequent drink breaks. Diana Baig ended up with four wickets and cleaned up India’s tail as well but it was captain Fatima Sana who shifted the momentum after a good start for India in the power play. Pakistan go into the next encounter with Australia on the 8th with losses next to their name. Fatima Sana’s players need some introspection to their batting approach if they are to compete to go into the next stage of the World Cup. India’s players celebrate their victory at the end of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 one-day international (ODI) match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa International Cricket...

A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official has stated that there is “no assurance” that India and Pakistan players will shake hands when the two sides meet during the Women’s World Cup on Sunday, according to the BBC. The development comes days after tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad spilled over onto the cricketing field during the Sept 9-28 Men’s Asia Cup staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), when Indian cricketers refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during all three clashes in the tournament. The tensions had culminated in India not accepting the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief. The tournament had seen the first cricket matches between the two sides since the military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May after India had launched air strikes in Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan had denied involvement, and the crisis eased following US in...

Pakistan women lost by four wickets against South Africa in their second World Cup warm-up, after the Proteas overcame an early scare on Sunday. South Africa were reeling early in their chase of 229 when pacer Diana Baig took two early wickets, leaving them 27-3 inside six overs. Sune Luus and Anneke Bosch rebuilt the innings and added a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Chloe Tryon ensured there were no further hiccups for the Proteas Women after losing five wickets with 151 on board, guiding South Africa home with an unbeaten 45. sealing a comfortable win with almost ten overs to spare. Pakistan, batting first, were bowled out for 229 in 46 overs. Captain Fatima Sana top-scored with a terrific 64 laden with 8 boundaries and a six, Batters Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz also made useful contributions at the top, being involved in crucial partnerships. However, Pakistan struggled for momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. Ayabonga Khaka and Masabata Klass secured two wickets each for South Africa...

Seven-time champions Australia will once again be the team to beat in the Women’s World Cup as eight teams prepare to battle it out for the trophy in India and Sri Lanka. England have won four titles and New Zealand one, while Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka will be bidding for their maiden crown. Australia have a shot at cricket history when the Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on September 30. The tournament presents the defending champion Australians, who won three consecutive titles from 1978-1988, with the chance to become the first team in 36 years to win back-to-back women’s one-day World Cups. They have racked up 26 wins in 30 completed matches since their 2022 World Cup triumph, but captain Alyssa Healy said there would be no complacency. “I think there’s genuinely seven other teams that have a really red-hot opportunity of winning this World Cup,” Healy said at the Captains’ Day event in Bengaluru on Friday. “I’m not going to single anybody out. It’...

The Pakistan women’s team on Wednesday started training for the Women’s Cricket World Cup, in Sri Lanka’s Colombo, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The Women in Green arrived in the Sri Lankan capital late on Tuesday as the tournament is set to start on September 30 in India’s Guwahati. The eight-nation showpiece will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from Sept 30 to Nov 2. However, Pakistan — under an International Cricket Council (ICC) hybrid model decided by the ICC due to political strains between New Delhi and Islamabad — will play all their matches of the event in Colombo. “The team on Wednesday participated in its first training session at the Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium,” APP reported. The session focused on batting, bowling, and fielding under the guidance of head coach Muhammad Wasim, APP added. Before the World Cup begins, Pakistan will play two crucial warm-up matches. Their first encounter will be against Sri Lanka on September 25, followed by a match against South Africa on Septembe...

South Africa sailed their way to an easy victory over Pakistan after chasing down a target of 256 to win by eight wickets in the first one-day international (ODI) of their series in Lahore on Tuesday, in the lead-up to the Women’s World Cup. The World Cup, to be hosted later this month under a hybrid model across India and Sri Lanka, will see all of Pakistan’s fixtures staged in Colombo, with political tensions ruling out travel between the two neighbours. Earlier in the day, veteran batter Sidra Amin smashed a century as The Women in Green set the Proteas a target of 256 to win in the first ODI of the three-match series. South Africa’s reply was led by batters Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp after Sadia Iqbal struck early for the Green Shirts. They remained unbeaten on 101 and 121 respectively as the Proteas chased down a decent total with 10 balls to spare. Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana had won the toss and elected to bat first at the Gaddafi Stadium. Sidra was ably supported by Muneeba Ali as the duo put Pa...