The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off last week — and HuffPost is live-blogging every twist, turn and controversy 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 tough journey to the competition 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 have kept some fans and officials 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 everyone involved the last time the U.S. hosted the tournament, some 32 years ago, in 1994.President Donald Trump, left, received the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, in December.Andrew Harnik via Getty ImagesOn the field, the men’s national teams from 48 countries are competing in a record 104 matches across the three host nations in what will be the biggest World Cup in history.The U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles on June 12 and will play 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:Spanish Soccer Player Sentenced To 8 And A Half Years In Jail For Sexual AssaultSpanish footballer Rafa Mir has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of committing sexual assault and assault causing injury, a court in the eastern Valencia region ruled on Monday.Women's rights have become a highly sensitive national topic in Spain, especially in the sports world after scandals including former soccer chief Luis Rubiales' unwanted kissing of a national team player or ex-Barcelona star Dani Alves' rape conviction, which was later overturned.Mir was arrested in September 2024 after a woman filed a sexual assault complaint. His lawyer said at the time that the intercourse was consensual and that Mir categorically denied the accusations.According to the ruling, Mir and another soccer player met two young women at a nightclub in Valencia and later went to Mir's home to continue the party. At the house, Mir sexually assaulted one of the women in the pool and a bathroom, the court said.The court highlighted the victim's consistent and credible testimony, supported by witness accounts and forensic reports. The victim was awarded compensation of €64,000 ($74,300). The decision is not final and can be appealed, the court added.Mir, who currently plays for LaLiga club Elche, on loan from Sevilla, was under contract at six-time league champions Valencia at the time of the incident in 2024.Sevilla, in a statement, said it respected the jury's decision, adding there was no place for violence or abuse in society."The club, in light of the judgment issued by Section Four of the Provincial Court of Valencia in which footballer Rafa Mir - currently on loan at Elche CF until June 30 - is sentenced to eight and a half years, states its utmost respect for judicial proceedings and expresses our firm and unequivocal condemnation of any type of violence, abuse, or sexual assault," Sevilla said."Such conduct has no place in our society or in the values promoted by sport."The 28-year-old striker has also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as Spain's national men's team in the Tokyo Olympics.Elche did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Latest Live UpdatesTraining Injury Blow Rocks England Ahead Of World Cup OpenerNewcastle United defender Tino Livramento is doubtful for England's World Cup campaign after he picked up a calf injury in training, according to British media. The 23-year-old is expected to be replaced by Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.World governing body FIFA allows teams to make changes to their final 26-man squads up to 24 hours before their first group match in cases of significant injury. England debut against Croatia in Group L on Wednesday.Livramento's place had already been uncertain after he missed the final five weeks of the domestic season with a thigh problem in an injury-filled campaign. He made only 17 Premier League appearances for Newcastle, suffering two knee injuries that ruled him out for two months before a January hamstring injury sidelined him for 15 matches.Livramento made his England debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2024 and has been capped five times under Thomas Tuchel, starting twice. He came on at half-time in a 1-0 warm-up win over New Zealand but did not feature in the subsequent friendly against Costa Rica.Right-back is already a concern for England, with Reece James also battling fitness issues after an injury-hit campaign. The 26-year-old missed nine games for Chelsea late in the season with a hamstring problem.Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa are also options. Spence, who can play on either side, has made six appearances under Tuchel, while Konsa, who is primarily a centre-back, has 11 caps, including nine starts. Chalobah, meanwhile, has not played for England since featuring in a friendly against Senegal in June 2025, though he was named on the bench for several World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel.An injured player must be replaced by someone from the "provisional release list" of up to 55 players that was named prior to the tournament. England's Football Association did not immediately reply to a request for comment.Iran World Cup Player’s U.S. Visa ExpiresIranian state media reported on Tuesday that World Cup player Mehdi Torabi’s U.S. visa has expired.Torabi was issued a single-entry visa, which lapsed after Iran’s team was forced to return to Mexico following its 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday.Iran's other players reportedly have multi-entry visas.Iran’s Football Federation "has taken steps to obtain a new visa for Torabi, so that he can accompany the national team in its upcoming matches," state media reported.World Cup Weather Watch: Austria vs. JordanHere's what fans can expect in the San Francisco Bay Area for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Austria and Jordan on Tuesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.World Cup Weather Watch: France vs. SenegalHere's what fans can expect in New Jersey for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between France and Senegal on Tuesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2World Cup Weather Watch: Argentina vs. AlgeriaHere's what fans can expect in Kansas City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between reigning champions Argentina and Algeria on Tuesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2World Cup Weather Watch: Iraq vs. NorwayHere's what fans can expect in Boston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Iraq and Norway on Tuesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2Trump Is Expected To Break 1 Tradition At World Cup Final, Report SaysAccording to a British report that should surprise nobody, President Donald Trump has been given the option to break tradition and give the World Cup trophy to the eventual champion while remaining to celebrate. Read more below.Trump-Allied FIFA Boss Is Using A Private Jet To Watch 2 World Cup Games Every DayGianni Infantino, the Donald Trump-allied FIFA president, is using a private jet provided by World Cup sponsor Qatar Airways to travel between two matches a day during the tournament.Read more on The Guardian:German Leader Gifts Trump A Soccer Jersey Ahead Of G7 MeetingGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday gifted Donald Trump a jersey of Germany's national soccer team bearing the number "47" and the U.S. president's last name.Trump seemed to enjoy the gesture, holding up the jersey while the cameras were still in the room.Australia Has Blunt Comments About U.S. World Cup Trash TalkAustralia's players are mature enough to handle the hype ahead of their high-profile World Cup match against co-hosts the United States and do not need staff to tell them to get off social media, assistant coach Hayden Foxe has said.The Socceroos meet the U.S. in Seattle on Friday, with both sides pumped up by home media and football pundits after winning their Group D openers against Turkey and Paraguay respectively.Several U.S. commentators have written off Australia as a problem for the co-hosts, including former centre back Alexi Lalas who judged them an "average team by any measure" in his pre-tournament rankings of the 48 participating nations.Foxe said there was no need to shield Australia's players from the outside noise."We can't baby them. They're their own selves, we want them to be their own selves," the former Socceroos centre back told reporters on Monday."Social media's out there, they're aware of media and the comments and what's being said."But we're concentrated on us. They're old enough and mature enough to understand what gets said and what doesn't get said."Australia, who have never got past the round of 16, enjoyed a dream start in upsetting Turkey 2-0 with classy goals by livewire attacker Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.Irankunda said Australia's players were fired up by Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu describing his team as more talented than the Socceroos."It did piss off a few boys, but at the end of the day, these guys can talk all the shit ... we don’t really care,” he told reporters.Metcalfe said Tony Popovic-coached Australia would go into the U.S. match "full of energy, full of confidence".Foxe warned his players not to get too carried away, though, reminding how everyone got excited at Qatar 2022 when Saudi Arabia upset eventual champions Argentina only to crash out of the group."Fantastic win against Turkey. Memorable, great. Enjoy that moment," he said."Now that's gone. Now we move on to the U.S."See All Updates