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:World Cup Fans Caught Up In Uber Shooting On Way To Argentina MatchAn Uber driver taking fans of Argentina’s soccer team to a World Cup match was among four people injured in a series of shootings in Kansas City, Missouri, that also left one man dead, police said.A 22-year-old male suspect, described as armed and dangerous, remained at large Thursday.The five shootings occurred Tuesday between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m, in a 5-mile stretch of Kansas City, three of them on Interstates 70 and 670 as they cut through downtown. All of the shootings were at least 4 miles away from Arrowhead Stadium, where Argentina won its first match against Algeria.Two American fans of Argentina's team, arriving for Tuesday's match, told Argentine outlet La Nación that someone in a car came alongside and fired two shots at the Uber they were riding in, hitting the driver in the leg. They said they first thought the sound was a car tire popping until they saw the driver had been hit.They had to go to the police station to provide statements about what happened. Officers then took them to the stadium in patrol cars, they said. The driver's injuries were not life-threatening, police Capt. Jacob Becchina said.That shooting and two others on the interstates occurred while cars were traveling east, one of them from neighboring Kansas, police said. The others occurred further east on Truman Road, a major thoroughfare through the city.Police said three adults and a minor, a teenager, were injured, and all were hospitalized, though only one adult had life-threatening injuries, Becchina said.About 6:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a vehicle crashing into a pole along Truman Road, east of the other shootings. The driver was taken to a hospital, and workers there discovered what appeared to be a gunshot wound while treating him. He died of his injuries.“Victims all indicated they were driving down the highway or roadway when one or more shots were fired into their vehicles,” Becchina said in an email.Becchina said detectives believe the non-fatal shootings occurred “in close succession,” from west to east, connected by the one suspect.Police later tracked the suspect to a home in the suburb of Independence, about 2 miles further east of where the fatal shooting victim was found, and a standoff ensued. But when police entered the home about 8 a.m. Wednesday, the suspect was not there.Officials across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, also have a warrant out for the suspect over a June 11 incident involving an illegal discharge of a firearm, Nancy Chartrand, the spokesperson for its police department said.Latest Live UpdatesWorld Cup Ticket Buyers Stranded As Resale Purchases Fall ThroughBina Ramroop broke down in tears when she realized she wasn’t going to get the World Cup tickets she had bought for her grandson’s 13th birthday.As thousands poured into Atlanta Stadium on Monday to see Spain face Cape Verde in what turned out to be a remarkable scoreless draw, Ramroop stood outside, increasingly stressed as she went back and forth for hours between StubHub representatives on the phone and FIFA representatives in the ticket booth. Each blamed the other.Read more here:Iran To File FIFA Complaint Over U.S. World Cup Travel RestrictionsIran plans to lodge a complaint with football's world governing body FIFA over travel restrictions its team is facing in the U.S. at the World Cup.Due to uncertainty over visas and the conflict with the U.S., the Iranian team are commuting from their tournament base in co-host Mexico for their three group games in the U.S.U.S. authorities require them to enter within 24 hours of a match and leave the same day, leading team coach Amir Ghalenoei to say Iran were the "most oppressed" team in the tournament."The Football Federation of Iran believes these restrictions are inconsistent with the principles of providing equal conditions for participating teams and may affect their technical preparation," the federation said in a statement on Friday announcing its protest to FIFA.Neither FIFA nor the U.S. Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to Reuters requests for comment.Ghalenoei said the disruption had prejudiced Iran in Monday's 2‑2 draw with New Zealand."Under the coaching staff's plan, the national team needed to travel to the host city two days before each match in order to achieve optimal technical and physical condition, and then return to their base the day after the match," the federation said."However, for the opening match against New Zealand, this request was not approved."Iran face Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles and will conclude their Group G fixtures against Egypt on June 27 in Seattle.Scotland World Cup Fans Strike It Rich With Boston Red Sox Raffle WinFootball fans are paying thousands of dollars for tickets to World Cup games this year but four Scotland supporters have been given a big help with their expenses after they won more than $10,000 in a raffle at a baseball game in Boston.The four - two father-and-son duos - bought the winning numbers on Sunday at the Boston Red Sox stadium which was packed with members of the Tartan Army, a day after Scotland marked their first match at the World Cup in 28 years with a 1-0 win over Haiti, the BBC reported."We checked in the ninth inning. We had to do a double take," one of the sons, Paul Innes, said after receiving the prize of $10,677. "The numbers matched. I think we checked three or four times. It's just surreal. It's not really sunk in."Scotland are due to play Morocco at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, near Boston, on Friday when they will be roared on again by tens of thousands of their fans.World Cup Sensation Goes Incognito On New York Sightseeing Trip And Nobody NoticesAfter scoring the goals in Boston that caused seismic shocks in his native country, Norway striker Erling Haaland went incognito to check out the sights of New York with his partner during a well-earned break from the World Cup on Thursday.Wearing a light-coloured baseball cap and dark sunglasses, the 25-year-old posted pictures of himself and Isabel Haugseng Johansen in Times Square and outside famous eatery Katz's Deli on social media, with New Yorkers seemingly unaware that one of the world's most famous soccer players was in their midst."It helps to hide the hair, to be honest," Haaland wrote on Snapchat, referring to his famous flowing blond locks that are usually tied in a knot when he plays.Haaland scored twice in Norway's dominant 4-1 win over Iraq -- their first World Cup game in 28 years -- and his side's reward was a couple of days off ahead of their meeting with Senegal, who opened their Group I campaign with a 3-1 defeat by France.Norway and Senegal meet at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on June 22, and Norwegian coach Stale Solbakken said he was more than happy to let his charges loose for a few days' rest and relaxation with friends and family."Everyone needs a little break. The guys benefit from clearing their minds a little, and getting away from me and others," Solbakken said.Brazil Star Ruled Out Of Haiti World Cup ClashBrazil forward Neymar has been ruled out for Friday's World Cup match against Haiti in Philadelphia.The Brazil federation confirmed Thursday that Neymar will not travel with the team and will remain at the base camp in Morristown, N.J., where he returned to the practice field Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a calf injury on May 17.Neymar, 34, is Brazil's all-time leader with 79 goals but has not competed in an international match since October 2023. He missed the team's Group C opener on Saturday, a 1-1 draw with Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J.Brazil's media corps has reported that the team medical staff is hoping to have Neymar back for the knockout round.Scotland are currently atop Group C through one round of matches behind their 1-0 defeat of Haiti.U.S. Sweats On Pulisic Fitness Ahead Of Australia World Cup ShowdownChristian Pulisic's availability for the United States' crucial Group D clash with Australia in Seattle on Friday remains uncertain, coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Thursday.The forward was instrumental in the opening 4-1 rout of Paraguay in the World Cup last week before leaving at halftime with a calf injury.He has been training individually this week, and Pochettino said he could make a decision after consulting medical officials on Thursday evening."If he's not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game. He's doing a massive effort," the Argentine told reporters."Christian is strong and with a great mentality and is doing a fantastic effort to try to be ready as soon as possible."The U.S. and Australia come into Friday's match tied at the top of Group D, after the Socceroos' 2-0 upset of Turkey, and a win for either will make them firm favourites to secure a better path in the knockout stage.The U.S.'s dismantling of Paraguay has stoked excitement among fans, but Pochettino was wary of the threat posed by Australia."They are a very strong team, really believing in what they are doing," Pochettino said, adding that the U.S. need to match that focus to compete with them.Turkey and Paraguay face off at 8 p.m. local time on Friday in San Francisco.World Cup Weather Watch: USA vs. AustraliaHere's what fans can expect in Seattle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between the U.S. and Australia on Friday, 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: Turkey vs. ParaguayHere's what fans can expect in the San Francisco Bay Area for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Turkey and Paraguay on Friday, 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: Brazil vs. HaitiHere's what fans can expect in Philadelphia for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Brazil and Haiti on Friday, 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: Scotland vs. MoroccoHere's what fans can expect in Boston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Scotland and Morocco on Friday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2See All Updates