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 beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32 and will face Belgium in Round of 16 on July 6.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.Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.Follow along with our coverage below:‘Dead Tired’ Star Gives Norway Fresh World Cup WorryAs Norway prepares to face Brazil in the last 16 of the World Cup this Sunday - an opponent they have never lost to - managing player fatigue has become a central focus.Star striker Erling Haaland scored Norway's 86th-minute winner in the 2-1 win against Ivory Coast on Tuesday, but said afterward that he was "dead tired" and could not have faced extra time.Both Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard, who like many players have long and intense domestic seasons behind them, had been rested for Norway's final group match against France earlier, which ended in a 4-1 defeat.But head coach Stale Solbakken said Haaland was "on his last legs" early in the second half, giving Norway supporters cause for concern ahead of their clash with Brazil."Can you undo the chronic stress that has accumulated over the course of the tournament, or the last season or two? No," said Dom Rae, a graduate in sports and exercise medicine who is working with Al Nasr in the UAE Pro League."These guys, especially the key players, have played a lot of matches," Rae said. "They are chronically fatigued. You're not going to undo that in five days. But you can certainly freshen up to a significant level by kick-off."Brazil and Norway have at least faced similar challenges from their travel schedule and the climate in the host cities. Brazil have a six-day turnaround before their next match, and Norway five."What we generally see in sports performance is that the peak fatigue marker is around 48 hours," Rae said. "For some, it can trickle into 72 hours. But by 96 hours, into day five, everyone is pretty much back to normal."I'd actually rather have Norway's turnaround here than Brazil's," he said."When you only have three or four days, it's simple: rest, recover, prepare, play. But when you have five or six days, it gets tricky. You can't train too hard because you're too close to the game, but it's too long to do nothing."After their group match against Iraq, Norway let their squad sightsee and travel around New York during their days off. Rae said that has its benefits."Walking around New York is tiring, but the brain controls stress, hormones, and sleep. If you are psychologically happy, that emotional lift is just as important as pure physical rest. It was a calculated, necessary trade-off by the coach."He has no time for those who grumble about the hydration breaks taking place in each half, even where the temperature hardly requires it. "Players are losing fluids, electrolytes, and sugars, and glycogen utilisation is going up because temperatures are higher and the games are getting harder," Rae said. "The teams that look at hydration breaks and say 'They're not going anywhere, so we need to use them as a performance answer' put themselves in a better position."Latest Live UpdatesSoccer Interest Isn't Exactly At Fever Pitch In U.S., World Cup Poll SaysThis World Cup has given U.S. soccer fans plenty to cheer about — even if a new survey shows most Americans are still on the sidelines. Read more below.U.S. World Cup Fans Taunt Trump Over Folarin Balogun's Birthright CitizenshipPresident Donald Trump and his MAGA loyalists got kicked where it hurts by fans noting that U.S. World Cup hero Folarin Balogun is a birthright citizen. Read more below.Balogun Red Card Draws Comparisons To Unpunished Messi PlayFolarin Balogun's controversial red card in the United States' 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night sent sportsworld into a meltdown, and leaves the U.S. men's national team without its leading goalscorer for the round of 16 clash against Belgium on Monday.After putting the Americans ahead in the 45th minute, Balogun was sent off in the 64th after stepping on an ankle of Bosnian player Tarik Muharemovic. With the ball heading his way, Balogun tried to get his body in position and landed on the back of Muharemovic's leg.There appeared to be little intent, with the forward landing awkwardly as much as anything else. But when the incident was sent to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for review, and the coming together was shown in slow-motion, it appeared more dangerous. As a result, the play was deemed a “serious foul” warranting a dismissal.Balogun's teammates did little to disguise their anger at the decision.“Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” midfielder Weston McKennie said after the match. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”One play in particular was swiftly seized on by soccer fans: Lionel Messi’s studs-up tackle on Algeria captain Aissa Mandi during the group stage of the tournament.The Argentinian superstar escaped both a red and cautionary yellow card. The main difference between the two plays is that Messi's tackle avoided being subjected to a slow-motion replay, as it was not sent to VAR for consideration. Writing in The Athletic, former English Premier League referee Graham Scott said he believes Balogun's actions were “all part of the normal rough and tumble” of soccer, and the contact with Muharemovic was “accidental.” But he argues the Monaco striker is “a victim” of the modern VAR trend, because the slow-motion replay makes for “grim viewing.”“I would prefer tackles like this to produce cautions at worst,” he argues. “Messi was let off completely, and there is nothing reckless about Balogun’s actions either.“Ex-NFL Quarterback Cooks Up Wild World Cup Conspiracy Theory About Red Card On U.S. TeamRobert Griffin III, the former NFL quarterback who’s now a Fox Sports analyst, joined other sports celebrities in slamming the red card that U.S. World Cup star Folarin Balogun received on Wednesday.But Griffin did it memorably and hilariously. Read more below.Italy Soccer Star Investigated Over Alleged Underage ProstitutionAlessandro Bastoni, who plays for Inter Milan and the Italy men's national team, is under investigation over alleged underage prostitution, Italian prosecutors said this week.The investigation centers on an events company that reportedly organized VIP nights for wealthy clients.Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.Read more on The Guardian:World Cup Weather Watch: Spain vs. AustriaHere's what fans can expect in Los Angeles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Spain and Austria on Thursday, 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 Social Media Abuse Surges To Shocking New High, FIFA SaysFIFA's digital watchdogs uncovered 89,000 abusive posts on social media during the group stage of the World Cup, marking a 13-fold increase from the 2022 edition in Qatar, world soccer[s governing body said on Wednesday.The alarming spike was recorded after FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) scanned over six million posts and comments -- a 33% jump from 2022 -- with racial abuse accounting for 11% of all detected offensive messages.The share of racially motivated attacks represents a 3% rise compared to the group stage in Qatar, with FIFA saying it marked a "significant increase in the objectively worst, most offensive material" on social media platforms."Available to all teams, players, coaches and match officials participating at FIFA tournaments, SMPS protects them and their followers from experiencing discriminatory and offensive content," FIFA said in a statement.The SMPS uses a mix of technology and human moderation to detect, filter and block racist, discriminatory or threatening messages, while also protecting players' followers from exposure to abusive content.FIFA said 225,000 posts were identified for human review, of which moderators verified 89,000 posts as abusive and took action, with approximately 1,000 accounts escalated for further investigation.The expanded tournament format with 48 teams compared to 32 in Qatar has also played a role in the increased volume of content analysed, FIFA added.The service's automated moderation tools also hid approximately 181,000 hateful comments from team accounts.Meanwhile, over two million comments were moderated during the group stage, including spam and content from bots or fake accounts -- a four-fold increase from 2022."As part of the evolution of SMPS, the service also collates evidence for law enforcement," FIFA said."Over 100 examples have been identified which pass the legal thresholds for preparing legal case files against them."Netherlands players Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville suffered racist abuse online after missing penalty kicks in the shootout defeat by Morocco in the last 32.Severe Heat Warning Issued For World Cup ClashFans heading to watch Portugal play Croatia in the World Cup round of 32 in Toronto on Thursday are being warned to keep hydrated and limit their alcohol intake after a heat warning issued by Environment Canada."Don't wait till you're thirsty, keep drinking water through the day, try to moderate your alcohol intake, you know, certainly alcohol can be more dehydrating," the City of Toronto's medical officer of health Michelle Murti said.The temperature in Toronto might feel like 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday because of the humidity, Murti told Reuters on Tuesday. Health officials were also preparing for a possible thunderstorm, which could lead to some viewing parties being cancelled.Environment Canada warned that temperatures were set to climb above 35 degrees Celsius, with the possibility of thunderstorms.Toronto Stadium, the tournament's smallest venue, is hosting its last World Cup match on Thursday and the city has been hosting watch parties and organising public fan zones for all the games.From flooding to extreme heat, Canadians from the west to east of the country have been grappling with wild weather ahead of Wednesday's Canada Day holiday.On Tuesday, fans around Toronto's landmark Nathan Phillips Square cooled themselves under misting stations installed by the city."I'm here to watch the game. It's so hot outside and I can't even imagine how the players are feeling right now. But I think I'm going to have to leave early because it's a little too hot out here," said Megan Rennie from Toronto.Laura Albarez, visiting from Colombia, said she just wanted to go to her hotel and relax. "Thank God there's like drinking water... maybe I will come outside later because it's so warm," she said.Fourth Person Declared Dead During Mexico City World Cup CelebrationsFour people died, three of asphyxiation, during late night street celebrations in Mexico City after hundreds of thousands of fans gathered along the capital's main central avenue as Mexico beat Ecuador to win their first World Cup knockout match in 40 years.Mexico City's department of health said in the early hours of Wednesday that emergency teams had tended to three unconscious people at different locations around Paseo de la Reforma, the emblematic boulevard along which giant screens had been set up showing the match.A 19-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man received advanced resuscitation efforts but died of suffocation, the health authority said. A third person, a 48-year-old woman, later died in hospital also of asphyxiation.Authorities later reported a fourth fatality, a man in his 30s who was taken to hospital suffering from severe seizures and gastrointestinal bleeding. He died after a cardiac arrest.The tragedy occurred after crowds had continued to grow with each Mexican victory as the team progressed through the tournament the soccer-mad country is hosting for the first time since 1986, this year jointly with the U.S. and Canada.Mexico City had in recent weeks banned alcohol sales on Mexico match days as well as increased the number of screens, and the space between them, in an attempt to improve safety. On Tuesday, more than 2 kilometers of Paseo de la Reforma were closed to traffic and dotted with giant screens showing the match. The city government said around a million people had gathered in the capital.CROWD PANIC LED TO CRUSH, LOCAL MEDIA REPORTSLocal newspaper El Universal reported that the deadly crowd crush had been triggered by pyrotechnics which had caused panic, with people starting to run and some falling and being trampled.Patricia Garcia, a 54-year-old housewife, told Reuters amid the crowds in the early hours of Wednesday morning that she was delighted by the Mexican victory but that things were getting out of hand."I don't agree with excessive celebrations. You can't let it affect others. Freedom has its limits, and those limits are where another person's freedom begins," she said.Videos shared on social media showed chaotic scenes. One clip which appeared to be recorded near the iconic Angel monument on Paseo de la Reforma showed people trapped and unable to move as the momentum of a dense crowd pushed and swayed. Other clips showed groups of fans punching and kicking each other near the same site, slipping to the ground covered in cans, bottles, foam and spilled alcohol.President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Attorney General's office would investigate what went wrong and authorities would evaluate whether changes needed to be made ahead of Mexico's last-16 match against England on Sunday."People need to celebrate responsibly," she said during her regular morning press conference.U.S. World Cup Coach Addresses Star Goalscorer's Red CardUnited States coach Mauricio Pochettino praised his players' unity after they saw off Bosnia 2-0 with 10 men on Wednesday but railed against Balogun's dismissal for "accidental" contact in the round-of-32 clash.The win was the U.S.'s first in a World Cup knockout since 2002 and set up a last-16 showdown with Belgium. "It's difficult to describe our feeling, because I think they were amazing, and (there is) no easy game in the World Cup," he said. "I think the maturity of the team is amazing in the way that we are growing in the last five-six weeks."Balogun, who scored his third goal of the tournament near halftime, will miss the biggest match of his career, though, after getting a red card for planting his foot on Tarik Muharemovic's ankle.Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said the decision, confirmed after a VAR review, was fair but Pochettino saw it differently."Never was this a red card. Watching it on TV, never was there intention to step (on) the player," he told the post-match press conference."That was a normal action in football. That happened by accident and it's never intentional. That is why for me it was never a red card."Pochettino said Balogun was disappointed and sad in the dressing room."But he's also happy because we qualified... He needs to understand that this type of situation happens," he said."I hope that, for sure, he is going to be able to help us again. I hope that we go to the next round."Pochettino became the first U.S. men's coach to win three World Cup matches, and belted out "Country Roads" with fans in the terraces as he hugged players and staff after the final whistle.With Christian Pulisic starting, Pochettino reverted to the same 11 he deployed in the opening 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay but they were kept at bay by the stacked Bosnian defence until the cusp of halftime.It took a touch of fortune to break the deadlock, with Balogun swooping on a deflection to fire a low shot home.Malik Tillman then doubled the lead with a free kick after Balogun's red card to seal the win."It was amazing, Malik is an amazing player, full of talent," said Pochettino."We knew that he has that talent to do the free kick ... to do what he did. So happy for him."See All Updates