The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in June — and HuffPost will be live-blogging every twist, turn and controversy from the buildup through the final of what’s widely shaping up to be the most political soccer tournament of all time.From the action on the pitch to the potential chaos off it, the storylines are already piling up: Iran’s possible non-participation amid Donald Trump’s war, the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino, and simmering tensions between the U.S. and fellow host nations Mexico and Canada fueled by Trump’s tariffs and divisive rhetoric.Trump’s travel bans could keep some fans out, there’s been fury over soaring ticket prices, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be present at games as the Trump administration continues its anti-immigration crackdown.Not to mention extreme heat concerns that scorched all those involved the last time the U.S. hosted the tournament some 32 years ago, in 1994.And that’s all before a ball has been kicked.U.S. President Donald Trump received the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino in December.Andrew Harnik via Getty ImagesOn the field, the men’s national teams from 48 countries will compete in a record 104 matches across the three host nations in what will be the biggest World Cup in history.Mexico will take on South Africa at the iconic Mexico City Stadium in the opening game on June 11. The U.S. will play Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12, Australia in Seattle on June 19 and Turkey back in Los Angeles on June 25, in the group games, before potentially competing in the later knockout rounds.The final will be held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which is being temporarily rebranded as the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the competition.Current European champions Spain are favorites to lift the trophy. Defending champions Argentina, of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi fame, along with France, England and Brazil, are also expected to be in the mix.Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.Follow along with our coverage below:U.S. World Cup Hopes Get Unwelcome Injury TwistUnited States forward Christian Pulisic missed AC Milan’s Serie A match against Atalanta on Sunday with a lower back injury in another blow for the top American player, already struggling with poor form and a record goalscoring drought.Pulisic felt a problem in Friday’s training session and it was determined on Sunday that it was too serious to even have him on the bench. Italian media reported Pulisic will undergo medical tests on Monday.The 27-year-old is a doubt for Milan’s penultimate match at Genoa next weekend but could be back for the final game of the season, at home to Cagliari, the following week.Pulisic hasn’t scored in a career-high 17 league matches since Dec. 28. He has also gone scoreless in eight games for the U.S.Milan lost 3-2 at home to Atalanta on Sunday — and was 3-0 down until the 88th minute — to leave it at risk of not qualifying for next season’s Champions League.The Rossoneri are fourth, the final Champions League qualifying berth, level on points with fifth-place Roma and just two above Como.Pulisic is not thought to be a doubt for the World Cup.The U.S. has friendlies against Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6, then starts Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans play Australia a week later at Seattle and conclude the group stage on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium against Turkey.See All UpdatesClose