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:World Cup Star Goes To U.S. Embassy For Urgent Visa After Travel DeniedSwitzerland forward Breel Embolo applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on Wednesday, one day after he was denied boarding the team’s flight to the World Cup because of a criminal conviction.The Swiss soccer federation at the team's training camp in San Diego confirmed why Embolo’s travel approval to the U.S. had been put under review Tuesday. He has a conviction that became binding this year.Embolo was charged after an altercation in Basel city center in 2018 and his guilty verdict was upheld at appeal last September. The verdict was finalized in April, just weeks before Embolo was due to travel to the U.S. for the third World Cup of his career.“The embassy’s inquiries focused specifically on whether any physical violence had been involved. This was not the case,” the Swiss soccer body said. “Breel and the team are now awaiting approval so that he can travel to San Diego and join the squad as soon as possible.”Switzerland starts its World Cup campaign on June 13 against Qatar at the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium in Santa Clara.The Swiss then play Bosnia-Herzegovina in Inglewood, California and finish Group B against tournament co-host Canada in Vancouver on June 24.The 29-year-old Embolo is set to be Switzerland’s first-choice striker and has scored 24 goals in 86 internationals.Latest Live UpdatesRights Groups Blare Alarm Over World Cup In Donald Trump's AmericaRights groups raised concerns over the safety of journalists and fans attending the World Cup in the United States on Wednesday, accusing FIFA of allowing a “distinctively dangerous climate of fear” amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.Read more here:FIFA's Brand New World Cup Ban Is Raising Concerns About Staying CoolAttendees of the World Cup will not be allowed to carry reusable water bottles into venues due to safety concerns, FIFA said on Thursday, following a last-minute change to its Stadium Code of Conduct.The governing body, which had earlier permitted empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles inside stadiums, said the updated code - effective from Tuesday - now prohibits them. Other items like bottles, cups, jars and cans are also banned to prevent the risk of injury if thrown."FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff," it told Reuters in a statement. "FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.""Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations and FIFA is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums."The move has raised concerns among supporters about coping with heat, with temperatures at a few venues expected to range between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius, as well as access to drinking water inside stadiums.FIFA said measures would be in place to deal with the conditions."FIFA works closely with each Host City Committee and local authorities on heat mitigation factors for fans traveling to the stadium, which can include resources such as misting stations, fans, hydration stations, cooling tents and more around the stadium footprint," the statement said."Inside the stadium footprint, pricing for water bottles for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will remain consistent with other events held at each stadium."The 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, will run from June 11 to July 19. The tournament will feature 104 matches, up from 64 previously, including an additional knockout round.Iran's World Cup Plans Survive Another HurdleDespite visa delays, the Iranian national team will travel to Mexico this weekend to prepare for the World Cup.Iran's participation in this summer's tournament in North America has been in some doubt since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against the nation in late February.Iran announced last month that it was moving its World Cup base camp from Tucson, Ariz., to Tijuana, Mexico.Iran football federation chief Mehdi Taj told Iranian TV that he expects the issues receiving visas for Mexico and the U.S. to be resolved "quickly," per USA Today.The Iranian team has been training in Turkey, where it will play a final tune-up friendly on Thursday against Mali.Iran is in Group G for the World Cup along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Its opening match will be against New Zealand on June 15 in Inglewood, Calif., before playing Belgium on June 21 (Inglewood) and Egypt on June 26 (Seattle).Roadblocks, Protests And Delays Plague World Cup Host City Before KickoffEight days before Mexico City kicks off the World Cup, mass protests by teachers and retired judges, road closures and last-minute construction work caused chaos in the capital on Wednesday for millions of residents who face long delays and complex rerouting of their daily commutes.On June 11, Mexico City will host the inaugural World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa at Azteca stadium in the capital.With Mexico in the global spotlight, teachers and other groups have staged marches and blocked major avenues. They have said their protests, which are unrelated to the tournament, could intensify unless President Claudia Sheinbaum's government addresses their demands.The CNTE, a dissident wing of the national teachers' union, has threatened mass demonstrations at the opening of the World Cup in official statements shared on social media.The union is demanding the government fulfill a campaign pledge to repeal a 2007 law that overhauled the pension and social security system for public-sector workers, as well as salary increases."The current government made a campaign commitment — both the government of (former President) Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and President Sheinbaum's — they said they had that commitment to teachers to strike down that reform ... but it never happened," Rodrigo Arias, a schoolteacher from the southern state of Oaxaca with 40 years of classroom experience, said."There is neglect. There is a policy of managing timelines, of making commitments that are never truly kept. We will keep mobilizing until we are heard — even with the World Cup on the horizon," added Arias, outside the Interior Ministry, where the CNTE was holding a protest while its leaders met with authorities in hope of reaching agreements.The protests are concentrated on Insurgentes and Paseo de la Reforma, two of the capital's busiest and most emblematic boulevards. Elsewhere in the capital, teachers were also blocking roads, generating traffic gridlock and frustrating commuters.On Tuesday, protesters toppled towering statues of football players on Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma.Arias said those responsible were not members of the union and that the CNTE was not seeking to destroy property or provoke confrontation. Nevertheless, several businesses along the avenue had by Wednesday erected metal and wooden barriers to protect themselves.Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference that she would not be baited into provocations or order a crackdown on the demonstrations.In downtown Mexico City, retired judges and magistrates were also protesting, demanding severance pay and pensions following a sweeping 2024 judicial reform that restructured the country's justice system."The traffic is really affecting us; we're losing too much time," lamented Armando Escobedo, a delivery driver, as he took a detour around street closures. "You have to be empathetic with the teachers, but they do hurt us at work," he added.Mexico will host 13 World Cup matches: five in the capital, and four each in the cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey. Mexico City has undergone several infrastructure projects ahead of the world's biggest sporting event.However, renovations at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, the country's largest and busiest airport, and repairs to the capital's metro system and main avenues have yet to be completed. On Tuesday, a metal structure from a pedestrian bridge at the airport collapsed, injuring a motorist.U.S. Faces Nervous Wait Over Fitness Of Key World Cup StarterU.S. men's national team center back Chris Richards worked out on his own Wednesday for the first time since arriving at the team's pre-World Cup camp last week.Multiple reporters shared video of Richards going through individual training in Fayetteville, Ga., as he recovers from torn ankle ligaments suffered while playing for Crystal Palace on May 17. The 26-year-old was included on the 26-player roster submitted by USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, who said last week that it was too soon to know Richards' status for the World Cup.Teams have until 24 hours before their first match to replace a player on their roster due to serious injury or illness. Any changes are subject to FIFA approval.Richards is a certain starter when healthy, but he is in a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the USMNT's June 12 World Cup opener against Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif. The team also faces Australia in Seattle on June 19 and Turkey back in Inglewood on June 26.Richards joined the team on Friday after arriving from Europe."We need to see," Pochettino said of Richards' status over the weekend. "The next few days are going to be key, to see the possibility to be ready or not on the World Cup."The U.S. is co-hosting the 48-team tournament with Canada and Mexico. The Americans beat Senegal 3-2 in a friendly on Sunday, and they will have one more tune-up this Saturday against Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago.Experts Sound Alarm Over Fake World Cup TicketsTicket brokers are warning soccer fans to be on their guard against scams — particularly on social media — as demand for entrance to 2026 FIFA World Cup games soars.“Customers are going to feel that urgency to buy tickets,” Event Tickets Center's Nick Gardner told CBS Miami. “That urgency can lead to some vulnerabilities in looking in unconventional ways to get tickets and leaving them open to get scammed.”Read more on CBS Miami here:New Poll Reveals An Awkward Truth About The World Cup In AmericaMost Americans are unlikely to follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.Just 28% of respondents said they are likely to follow the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and begins on June 11.Among those planning to keep an eye on the action, however, Spain emerged as the favorite to lift the trophy and secure what would be its second World Cup title, following its triumph in 2010.Some 9% of respondents picked Spain as the most likely winner.Defending champions Argentina and five-time winners Brazil were close behind with 8%, while France and the United States each received 7%.Tim Ream’s World Cup Dream Comes TrueHuffPost spoke with Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream about representing Team USA on soccer’s biggest stage, the World Cup.Rare Piece Of World Cup History Heads To Auction With Eye-Watering Price TagA jersey worn by Brazilian icon Pele at the 1958 World Cup is expected to fetch more than $6 million at auction.A 17-year-old Pele donned the blue, short-sleeved shirt during Brazil's 5-2 win in the final against host Sweden at Rasunda Stadium near Stockholm.Sotheby's announced Tuesday that the match-worn, No. 10 jersey will be featured in an online auction from June 29 to July 16."This is not merely a shirt -- it is the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history on the night his reign began," Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby's modern collectibles, said in a statement.With an estimated value of more than $6 million, The Athletic reported it would become the most valuable piece of memorabilia belonging to the only man to win the World Cup trophy three times (1958, 1962 and 1970).The current record for the highest price paid for a soccer jersey was the $9.28 million spent on a Diego Maradona jersey in 2022.Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored two goals against Sweden in his first World Cup final. He remains the youngest player to score in a World Cup championship match. The 1958 win was also the first of a record five World Cup titles for Brazil.Pele, who passed away in 2022 at age 82, gave the 1958 jersey to his roommate and teammate, Dida, following the final. After decades with Dida's family, it was in a Brazilian museum before being acquired by an anonymous owner in 2004.Every Player Heading To The 2026 World Cup: Full Squads RevealedSome stars made the cut. Others were left heartbreakingly short of soccer's biggest stage.See the full squad lists for the 2026 FIFA World Cup here:See All Updates