The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kicked off — 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. won its group by beating Paraguay 4-1, Australia 2-0, but losing 3-2 to Turkey. Team USA will play Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 2.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:Video Shows Thousands Of Dutch Fans Flood Kansas City Ahead Of World Cup MatchVideo from ABC News showed thousands of Dutch fans flooding the streets of Kansas City on Thursday ahead of the country's match against Tunisia. Being led by a double-decker bus, the horde of fans made its way through downtown Kansas in a display known as the "March to the Match," a tradition in the Netherlands for international matches. The display must've worked, as the Netherlands bested Tunisia 3-1 for its second win of the tournament, likely securing its place in the round of 32. Watch the video from ABC News here: Massive crowds decked out in orange took over streets in Kansas City before the World Cup match between Tunisia and The Netherlands. Led by an orange double-decker bus, thousands of fans marched downtown for the March to the Match – a Dutch tradition before international games. pic.twitter.com/drj8tq7KoQ— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) June 25, 2026Latest Live UpdatesU.S. Coach Rates His Star Player's Return Against Turkey In World CupINGLEWOOD, Calif. — Christian Pulisic returned to the field for the United States on Thursday night just in time to warm up for the World Cup games that really matter starting next week. Read more below.France Bans Alcohol In Public Just Before National Team’s World Cup MatchHealth authorities across Europe were on high alert on Friday as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany.French authorities announced a ban on drinking alcohol in public on Friday.The ban could affect World Cup viewing parties across France on Friday evening, when the French men’s national soccer team is due to face Norway in Boston at 9 p.m. French time.Read more here:World Cup Weather Watch: Egypt vs. IranHere's what fans can expect in Seattle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Egypt and Iran 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: Cabo Verde vs. Saudi ArabiaHere's what fans can expect in Houston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia 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: Norway vs. FranceHere's what fans can expect in Boston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Norway and France on Friday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2Ed Norton And Brad Pitt Spotted Together At World Cup And The Memes Wrote ThemselvesThe cameras covering Team USA's 3-2 loss to Turkey at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday spotted movie stars Brad Pitt and Edward Norton standing together at Los Angeles Stadium.The reunion of the “Fight Club” co-stars went viral online.Fans flooded social media with iconic lines from the film and jokes referencing the cult classic's famous twist ending, which we won’t spoil here.One fan quipped: "First rule of watching USMNT."ESPN's SportsCenter joined in on the fun, posting: "Edward Norton talking to himself at the USA-Türkiye game."U.S. World Cup Coach Addresses Turkey DefeatThe United States conceded a stoppage-time goal to lose 3-2 to Turkey on Thursday but coach Mauricio Pochettino said there was little reason for concern after his side still finished top of their World Cup group.The U.S. will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara in the round of 32 on Wednesday, and Pochettino was frustrated that much of the post-match discussion centred on the defeat rather than the co-hosts achieving their main goal of winning Group D."At the moment no one congratulated us for finishing first in our group," Pochettino told reporters. "I congratulate the players, the staff and the fans to finish first in a very difficult group."Turkey had already been eliminated before kickoff but the Argentine said the mood after the match was as if his team were the ones going home."Our objective was to finish first, and we finished first," he said. "I'm so positive and I'm happy. Your questions are a little bit weird."Pochettino said the defeat had to be viewed in context, with the U.S. already through to the knockout stage and making wholesale changes to their starting line-up after victories over Paraguay and Australia."Whenever a team has already qualified and another team has already been knocked out, so many situations come into play," he added.Pochettino said the performance reinforced his belief in the depth of the squad, with several players making their World Cup debuts."We are a much better team now than before," he said. "We qualified as number one and we went to the next round. I need to remind you that we won the group."Scary World Cup Collision Has One Coach Calling For A Major ChangeParaguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said officials should reassess the placement of pitch-side advertising boards at the World Cup after attacker Julio Enciso crashed into one behind the Australia goal during their 0-0 draw on Thursday.Enciso came off second best as he fought for the ball with Australia defender Alessandro Circati in the second half at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.Enciso got to his feet gingerly after contact with the board but played out the remainder of the game."I think that maybe if there was more space that will be good because of course there's a lot of intensity when we are playing, and sometimes if a player gets destabilised, he could fall and get injured and these things can happen," Alfaro told the post-match press conference. "So, maybe we have to think about that and reassess."The result left Paraguay third behind Group D winners the United States and second-placed Australia, both of whom have reached the last 32. Paraguay must wait for other results in the group phase to know whether they will advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.Alfaro said he was very optimistic Paraguay would continue at the tournament and praised his players for how they had reacted after their 4-1 opening defeat by the United States. "Recovering from such a hard result was really hard for us, and in spite of that, our team has been very solid in the past two games."Ecuador President Declares National Holiday After Shock Win Over GermanyEcuador President Daniel Noboa declared Friday a national holiday after the country's soccer team reached the knockout phase of the World Cup with a shock 2-1 win over Germany."Thanks to the players and the coach who, despite the criticism, the insults, and the tough moments they went through, managed to recover and give this immense joy to the entire country. Tomorrow, a holiday!" Noboa said in a post on X.Ecuador needed victory in their final Group E match on Thursday following a defeat by Ivory Coast and a draw with Curacao.The South American side conceded early against the Germans but fought back to secure the win, sparking celebrations among fans at a sold-out New York/New Jersey stadium.Germany had already been assured of qualification as group winners. Ivory Coast finished second after their 2-0 win over Curacao.Ecuador qualified as one of the best eight third-placed teams, reaching the World Cup knockout stages for only the second time. They advanced to the round of 16 at the 2006 tournament in Germany.Canada World Cup Team Makes Heartfelt Plea To Fans Boycotting Trips To Trump's U.S.Canada are calling on their red-clad army of supporters to follow them to the United States and cross a border many of them have been deliberately avoiding, after losing the chance to play a World Cup knockout game on home soil."We're sorry we have to leave you. But you don't have to leave us," the team posted on social media on Thursday alongside a letter to fans a day after their 2-1 loss to Switzerland in Vancouver ended any hope of a fourth consecutive game in Canada.Instead, Canada are headed to Los Angeles for a round of 32 showdown against South Africa on Sunday and are hoping, for one weekend at least, that the pull of a World Cup knockout game will prove stronger than the politics.The request comes at a delicate moment. Relations between Canada and the United States have been strained since President Donald Trump began threatening to absorb Canada as the 51st U.S. state shortly after winning the 2024 election.Trump has since imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles, and repeatedly referred to Prime Minister Mark Carney as "governor". Many Canadians have responded by boycotting U.S. products and cancelling trips south of the border.PATRIOTISM OR POLITICSCanada needed only a draw against Switzerland on Wednesday to win Group B and keep their World Cup campaign on home soil for at least one more game. Now they are making their case to fans weighing patriotism against politics.In their letter, addressed "Dear Canada", the team acknowledged the electric atmosphere at their first three World Cup matches.Thousands of fans paraded to Toronto Stadium for Canada's 1-1 opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, turning the city's streets into a rolling wave of flags and chanting. Similar scenes followed in Vancouver, where Canada beat Qatar 6-0 before the loss to Switzerland ended their home run."Your belief has carried us through some of the biggest moments in our history," the letter said. "Thank you to the fans who have stood with us through every setback, every victory, and every step that brought us here."The team also made a direct appeal to both longtime supporters and new converts."And to our new fans — welcome, we're so glad you're here," they said. "As we head to Los Angeles, we're inviting Canadians to stay with us every step of the way ... this journey isn't over. In many ways, it's only just beginning."See All Updates