Global Pulse

分类： sports

  • Manav Suthar picks up 6-33 on debut as India enforces follow-on against Afghanistan

    Manav Suthar picks up 6-33 on debut as India enforces follow-on against Afghanistan

    On Monday, a historic debut performance from young Indian spinner Manav Suthar stole the spotlight in the one-off Test match between India and Afghanistan held in New Chandigarh, as the 22-year-old turned in a sensational 6 wickets for just 33 runs to bundle the Afghan side out for a total of 152 runs in their first innings.

    Suthar’s spell not only announced his arrival on the international Test stage but also carved his name into Indian cricket’s record books. His figures mark the second-best bowling performance by an Indian on Test debut, falling only behind Narendra Hirwani’s iconic 8 wickets for 61 runs against the West Indies back in 1988. He also became just the second Indian slow bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in his maiden Test innings, a feat last achieved by Amit Mishra, who took 5 for 71 against Australia in 2008.

    The day’s play built on India’s already dominant position in the match, after the home side declared their first innings at 564 for 8, earning a massive 412-run first innings lead that allowed them to enforce the follow-on on Afghanistan. When play resumed for the third day’s lunch break, Afghanistan had navigated four overs of their second innings without losing a wicket, reaching 18 for 0, with opening batter Sediqullah Atal not out on 16 and Abdul Malik yet to get off the mark, holding on at 2 not out.

    Monday’s first session had begun with Afghanistan resuming their first innings at 113 for 5, still five wickets away from being all out. Just five overs into the day, India seamer Prasidh Krishna broke the resistance, knocking over Azmatullah Omarzai’s stumps to claim his third wicket of the innings, finishing with final figures of 3 for 37.

    That wicket opened the door for Suthar’s match-winning spell. The young spinner picked up two key wickets across two consecutive overs: he had Sharafuddin Ashraf caught behind the wicket for 11, before clean bowling Rahmat Shah through the gap between bat and pads. Shah, who top-scored for Afghanistan, put up a valiant 60 runs from 135 deliveries, decorated with nine fours and one six.

    Suthar continued to dismantle the Afghan lower order, with the final five wickets of the innings falling for just 39 runs to wrap up the innings quickly. This one-off Test is just the second meeting between the two sides in the longest format of the game. Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match back in 2018 was also hosted by India in Bengaluru, where the home side secured a dominant innings and 262-run victory, setting the stage for India’s another commanding showing in this latest encounter.

  • ‘Fine to play’: Jason Ryles provides positive Mitch Moses update as Laurie Daley names his squad for Origin II

    ‘Fine to play’: Jason Ryles provides positive Mitch Moses update as Laurie Daley names his squad for Origin II

    As State of Origin II draws near at Melbourne’s MCG next week, uncertainty hangs over the New South Wales Blues’ starting lineup after coach Laurie Daley opted to release his 22-man squad in alphabetical order this Monday, leaving fans and analysts guessing over key positional selections. The biggest question mark surrounds star playmaker Mitchell Moses, who is in line to make his return to the Origin stage after a late hamstring injury forced him out of the series opener just 24 hours before kickoff in Sydney.

    Moses’ last-minute withdrawal came after a training incident 48 hours before game one, where the Blues pulled off one of the most memorable comebacks in Origin history: overturning a 20-point deficit to steal a win against the Queensland Maroons after Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga was sent off early in the second half. Stepping into Moses’ spot on debut, 20-year-old Ethan Strange delivered a breakout performance, crossing for a try and making several game-changing plays to anchor the Blues’ stunning comeback, and he retains his spot in Daley’s squad for game two.

    While the alphabetical team announcement leaves it unconfirmed whether Moses will start in the halves alongside game one man of the match Nathan Cleary – which would mark just the second time the pair have partnered at Origin level – positive updates have emerged from Moses’ NRL club Parramatta. Parramatta head coach Jason Ryles confirmed the playmaker sat out the Eels’ tense loss to Canterbury Bulldogs on Monday to manage his recovery, but insists he is on track to take the field next week.

    “Our medical team have advised that if he is selected and completes all his hamstring rehabilitation protocols, he will be fully fit to play,” Ryles told reporters. “He didn’t play today, but if we had a match this weekend, I’m confident he’d be out there with us. And when you get the chance to represent your state at Origin, you never turn that down.”

    Daley has made three other key changes to the squad following the game one win. Star front-rower Payne Haas returns straight to the lineup after missing the opener through his own injury, pushing Knights prop Jacob Saifiti out of the matchday squad – Saifiti did not get any game time in Sydney. A broken arm to incumbent hooker Blayke Brailey has opened the door for Wests Tigers rake Api Koroisau to earn his first Origin selection since 2023, edging out New Zealand Warriors hooker Wayde Egan for the reserve spot. Dolphins young gun halfback Isaiya Katoa has also been called into the squad as a backup halves option, providing Daley with a contingency plan if Moses suffers a late setback in his recovery.

    The full 22-man NSW Blues squad for Origin II, released via the team’s official social media channels on June 8, 2026, is: Mitchell Barnett, Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton, Addin Fonua-Blake, Payne Haas, Isaiya Katoa, Api Koroisau, Tolu Koula, Dylan Lucas, Casey McLean, Mitchell Moses, Cameron Murray, Haumole Olakau’atu, Victor Radley, Reece Robson, Kotoni Staggs, Ethan Strange, James Tedesco, Brian To’o, Isaah Yeo, Hudson Young.

  • Denmark’s Eriksen collapses during Ukraine friendly

    Denmark’s Eriksen collapses during Ukraine friendly

    Five years after a life-threatening cardiac arrest at the European Championships, Danish international football star Christian Eriksen has suffered another on-pitch medical incident, collapsing during a friendly match against Ukraine on Sunday.

    The 34-year-old midfielder has relied on an implanted cardiac pacemaker to regulate his heart rhythm since his 2021 Euro 2020 emergency, when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a group stage fixture against Finland. That incident forced Eriksen to step away from professional football for more than six months while he recovered and adjusted to life with the medical device.

    Sunday’s incident unfolded in the 64th minute of the friendly, hosted in the Danish city of Odense, when Eriksen fell to the turf with Denmark holding a 2-1 lead over Ukraine. Match officials immediately halted play, and emergency medical staff sprinted onto the pitch to provide urgent care. Roughly 15 minutes after Eriksen collapsed, the referee made the decision to call off the remainder of the match.

    Contrary to early widespread concern, Danish Football Association confirmed via social media that Eriksen remained conscious and is in stable condition given the circumstances. Morten Boesen, the Danish national team’s lead doctor, clarified that Eriksen was able to exit the pitch under his own power before being transported to a local Odense hospital for further observation and testing.

    Boesen told reporters that the incident aligns with expected device function, noting “As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.” He added that Eriksen experienced only a brief loss of consciousness, regaining awareness almost immediately, with medical staff able to establish communication with him right away. Teams of specialists are now conducting a full suite of diagnostic tests to identify the exact trigger for Sunday’s collapse, ahead of determining next steps for Eriksen’s treatment and career.

  • Iran fans dismayed by team’s World Cup visa quarrel

    Iran fans dismayed by team’s World Cup visa quarrel

    As the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada approaches, Iran’s national men’s football team, commonly known as Team Melli, has touched down in Tijuana, Mexico — their pre-tournament training base ahead of three group-stage matches to be held across the U.S. While a small but passionate group of Iranian supporters gathered at the crack of dawn Sunday to welcome the squad, the joyful occasion was overshadowed by a contentious visa controversy that has left the Iranian football community frustrated and disappointed.

    Among the cheering crowd at Tijuana’s airport was Sadegh Galavi, a 30-something mechanic and long-time Tijuana resident who lives just a short distance from the U.S. border. Galavi rose before sunrise to greet the team when their flight landed at 5 a.m., wearing the iconic Iranian national team white jersey trimmed with green and red. For him, showing up to welcome the squad was a non-negotiable gesture of national pride. “My national team is coming to my city, and being here is a small thing I can do just to welcome them,” he told AFP. His excitement quickly shifted to criticism, however, over the visa denials that have disrupted the team’s delegation.

    In total, roughly 15 accompanying Iranian delegation members were denied U.S. visas required to enter the country for the tournament. That list includes the head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, who previously held a role in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — an organization Washington has designated as a terrorist group. While all 26 players successfully received the necessary visas to compete in their group matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt scheduled for Los Angeles and Seattle, the denial of entry for top officials has deepened anger over the entanglement of politics and sports at the world’s biggest football event. “It makes no sense to me. Sport is supposed to be a symbol of peace, so when you mix politics and sports, it doesn’t work,” Galavi said.

    This visa row is only the latest in a string of off-field disruptions that have plagued Iran’s World Cup preparation. The unprecedented situation stems from the ongoing open conflict between Iran and the United States, which began with joint Israeli-American strikes on Iran in late February. Never before has a World Cup participant been actively at war with one of the tournament’s host nations, leaving Iran’s participation in doubt for months amid global diplomatic uncertainty. It was only after repeated insistence from FIFA that Iran ultimately confirmed its team would compete, with the governing body prioritizing the right of athletes to participate on sport’s biggest stage.

    Even after confirmation of participation, further changes came two weeks ago, when rising geopolitical tensions forced the Iranian Football Federation to scrap its original plan to base the team in Tucson, Arizona. Instead, the squad relocated its training base to Tijuana, a decision that fans and officials say offers greater safety and stability for the players ahead of the tournament. Tight security arrangements have already been put in place to protect the team: a large convoy of heavily armed Mexican police and military escorted the squad from the airport, and increased security measures have been deployed around the team’s hotel and Estadio Caliente, the venue where Iran will hold its public training sessions.

    For Iranian supporters, the string of setbacks has done little to dim their enthusiasm for Team Melli, which is still chasing its first ever berth in the World Cup knockout stage. Sina Moghadam, an Iranian-American retired self-described patriot who traveled from San Diego, California just across the border to welcome the team, said off-field adversity would only strengthen the squad’s resolve. “Iran’s history goes back thousands of years. Things like this only make us stronger; they won’t destabilize the team,” he said, holding an enormous Iranian flag. Moghadam even said he hopes Iran advances far enough to face the U.S. in the knockout stage, calling for his national team to pull off an iconic victory against the host nation. “I hope they’re going to kick the US team’s ass,” he laughed as the players’ bus pulled away from the airport.

    The new base in Tijuana has offered some comfort to fans concerned for the team’s safety. Hossein Nikyar, a 40-something engineer who drove overnight from Los Angeles with his son to welcome the team, noted that the relocation to Mexico removes the risk of disruption from anti-government Iranian opposition groups concentrated in Southern California. “It’s safer for them to be here than in Los Angeles anyway, because many Iranians in LA are royalists who want to take down the government,” he explained. Nikyar already holds tickets to Iran’s matches in Los Angeles, but he echoed the widespread frustration over the visa dispute, calling out FIFA’s long-held stance that sports should remain separate from politics. “FIFA claims that there’s no politics in the World Cup, and it’s all about the football fair play. But in fact, we see that it’s not true,” he sighed.

    As Team Melli settles into its new training base in Tijuana, all eyes will be on whether the squad can overcome weeks of off-field chaos and political interference to deliver the breakthrough performance that Iranian football has waited decades to achieve.

  • World Cup by the numbers: 104 matches, 48 teams and 3 countries make this the largest ever

    World Cup by the numbers: 104 matches, 48 teams and 3 countries make this the largest ever

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off across North America, is poised to make history as the largest and most expansive edition of men’s soccer’s flagship tournament ever staged. Marking the first major format shift since 1998, this iteration has expanded the participating field from the long-standing 32 teams to 48, spread across three co-host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico. Over a 39-day competition window, a record 104 matches will take place across 16 purpose-selected stadiums, redefining the scale of the global sporting event.

    This historic expansion has reshaped the tournament’s structure: the group stage now includes four additional groups, and a new 32-team knockout round has been added to the competition schedule. The 1998 World Cup marked the last expansion, which grew the field from 24 to 32 teams – a format that remained in place for seven consecutive tournaments. This 2026 edition is also only the second time the World Cup has been hosted by multiple countries, following the co-hosting arrangement between Japan and South Korea in 2002.

    The distribution of matches across the three North American nations reflects the host countries’ varying sizes and infrastructure. The United States will host the vast majority of fixtures, with 78 matches across 11 different host cities. The U.S. campaign opens on June 12 in the Los Angeles area, where the American men’s national team will face Paraguay. All knockout fixtures from the quarterfinals onward will take place on U.S. soil, with the World Cup final scheduled to be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Both Mexico and Canada will each host 13 matches, including three knockout round fixtures apiece. Mexico’s tournament gets underway on June 11 in Mexico City, with the host nation facing South Africa in the competition’s opening match, while Canada kicks off its campaign on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

    Beyond the tournament structure, a wealth of new historic milestones and record-breaking stats will define this 2026 edition. Overall, 1,248 players from 48 national rosters will take the pitch, drawn from 449 domestic clubs across 71 nations. Of that group, just 357 have prior World Cup experience, meaning 891 players will make their World Cup debuts this year. When sorted by club league, England’s Premier League leads all competitions with 200 of its players featuring on national rosters, followed by Germany’s Bundesliga with 109, and Ligue 1 (France) and La Liga (Spain) tied at 86 apiece. Major League Soccer (MLS) will set a new participation record, with 44 active MLS players set to compete, while 103 total rostered players have prior experience in the North American league. At the club level, England’s Manchester City tops the rankings, sending a record 19 players to the tournament, followed by Bayern Munich (18), Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal (16 each), and Barcelona (15).

    Several of the sport’s biggest global legends are set to add to their already historic World Cup legacies. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo enters the tournament with 226 international caps – more than any other men’s player in history – and will join Argentina’s Lionel Messi as only the second player to compete in six different World Cups. Ronaldo already holds the unique record of scoring in five separate World Cup tournaments, with eight career goals across 22 matches. Messi holds the record for the most career World Cup appearances (26), and needs just two more caps to join the elite club of men’s players with 200 or more international appearances, a group that already includes Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa. Mexico’s iconic goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will also be named to a sixth World Cup roster, though he did not feature in matches during the 2006 and 2010 tournaments.

    The all-time World Cup goal scoring record, held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose at 16 career goals, is under threat this year. Messi enters the 2026 tournament with 13 career World Cup goals, trailing only Klose, Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Müller (14). France’s star forward Kylian Mbappé is also well within striking distance, having already notched 12 goals across the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

    Looking at historical team context, only eight nations in the 96-year history of the World Cup have ever lifted the trophy, and just six of those have won multiple titles. Brazil leads all countries with five championships, and the only first-time winners in the last 11 editions have been France (1998) and Spain (2010). Only two nations have ever successfully defended their World Cup title: Brazil won back-to-back trophies in 1958 and 1962, and Italy repeated as champions in 1934 and 1938. Three other defending champions have reached the final, most recently France in 2022, which fell to Argentina. Six defending champions have failed to advance out of the group stage, including three of the last four tournaments. France, which won in 2018 and reached the final in 2022, will attempt to become just the third nation in history to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, a feat only previously achieved by West Germany (1982, 1986, 1990) and Brazil (1994, 1998, 2002).

    Brazil also holds another unbroken record: it is the only nation to have qualified for every World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1930, spanning 23 editions total. The Brazilians also lead all competitors in total World Cup wins (76), total goals scored (237), and overall goal differential (+129). Germany ranks second in all three categories, with 21 appearances, 232 goals and a +102 goal differential, counting 10 tournament appearances as West Germany prior to reunification. This year, four nations will make their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Their participation pushes the all-time total of nations that have competed in the World Cup to 84.

    In terms of historical struggling, Egypt enters the 2026 tournament having played seven World Cup matches without ever recording a win, holding a 0-5-2 all-time record. The North African side will get a chance to break that drought when they face Belgium on June 15. The only nation with more winless World Cup matches is Honduras, which failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament.

    For overall goal scoring, the 22 prior World Cups have combined for 2,720 goals across 964 matches. With 40 additional matches added in this expanded format, the single-tournament goal record of 172, set at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, is almost certain to be broken. However, the 1954 tournament’s record of 5.38 combined goals per game is expected to remain intact. The 2026 tournament also boasts the largest age gap between its oldest and youngest player in history, spanning more than 25 years. Scotland’s goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be 43 years and 162 days old on tournament opening day, while Mexico’s teen prospect Gilbert Mora will be just 17 years and 240 days old.

  • ‘A World Cup for them not us’: Fans’ anger at US travel bans and visa restrictions

    ‘A World Cup for them not us’: Fans’ anger at US travel bans and visa restrictions

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first iteration of the expanded 48-team tournament, is just weeks away, with 78 of its 104 matches including the final hosted across U.S. cities. But for thousands of passionate fans from qualified nations across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, the dream of cheering on their national teams inside a World Cup stadium remains out of reach, blocked by a web of restrictive U.S. visa policies, security-related service suspensions, and systemic barriers that have sparked widespread accusations of discrimination.

    Iraqi football supporter Abdulla Adnan embodied this heartbreak long before the first kickoff. When Iraq secured only its second World Cup qualification in history in March 2026, the first since 1986, Adnan jumped at the once-in-a-generation opportunity. He immediately purchased tickets for Iraq’s group stage matches against Norway in Boston and France in Philadelphia, already imagining the roar of the crowd and the rush of seeing his national team compete on soccer’s biggest stage. “To go to a match, a stadium, a crowd, cheering, and see my team – that is worth the world to me,” Adnan said. “It’s a feeling that no other feeling can compare to.”

    But what seemed like a done deal quickly unraveled when it came to securing a U.S. travel visa. Unexpectedly, Iraq is not included in the Trump administration’s current travel ban list, so Adnan’s barrier came from another source: in the wake of heightened regional tensions following the outbreak of the US-Israel conflict with Iran, the U.S. suspended routine consular visa services across Iraq over security concerns. Since all tourist visa applicants are required to complete an in-person interview, there is no way for Iraqi fans to apply for a visa within their own country.

    Adnan’s solution? He spent hundreds of dollars traveling to neighboring Jordan to apply at the U.S. embassy in Amman. When he arrived for his scheduled appointment, however, consular staff turned him away immediately, informing him that non-Jordanian citizens could not process visa applications at that post. He considered traveling to Turkey to apply, but learned the wait for an interview could stretch to two weeks, a timeline he could not accommodate due to work and family commitments. In total, Adnan spent roughly $1,800 on match tickets and travel to Jordan, all for a visa application he never got to submit. He has since abandoned his dream of attending the tournament.

    Adnan is far from alone in his struggle. A new analysis of travel and visa data from BBC World Service has found that fans from more than a quarter of the 48 qualified World Cup nations face outright travel bans, sharply tightened entry restrictions, or disproportionately high visa rejection rates that have put attendance out of reach for most supporters.

    For fans from four qualified nations – Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and Ivory Coast – barriers stem directly from the Trump administration’s entry bans and enhanced visa restrictions, which bar citizens of these countries from accessing the B1/B2 visitor visas U.S. authorities recommend for World Cup fans. Strict immigration controls and a crackdown on undocumented migration were a central plank of Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, and administration officials defend the rigorous system as a necessary measure to manage cross-border population flows and national security risks.

    But fans and fan association leaders say the rules amount to open racial and geographic segregation. Julien Kouadio Adonis, a leader of Ivory Coast’s official fan association the National Committee for the Support of the Elephants, says his group scrapped all plans to send a delegation of supporters to the tournament this year after reviewing the visa rules. “It’s a form of segregation that doesn’t dare speak its name, but the proof is there,” Adonis said. “No European country has faced this kind of restriction. Why Africa?”

    Adonis added that a host nation that refuses to welcome supporters from all qualified teams does not deserve to host the world’s biggest sporting event. “Football is a spectacle and a spectacle needs people watching,” he noted.

    Systemic inequities are baked into the U.S. visa waiver program, which grants pre-approved, visa-free entry to citizens of 42 mostly wealthy nations, none of which are located in Africa. For fans from visa-required countries, the recommended B1/B2 tourist visa costs $185 per applicant, requires an in-person interview, and demands that applicants prove they will depart the U.S. after the tournament and can cover all travel costs.

    In a partial concession to fan outcry, the U.S. announced in May that it would drop the requirement for cash deposits of up to $15,000 for fans from five qualifying African nations – Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia – so long as they hold valid match tickets. Even with that change, however, fans face overwhelming odds of rejection.

    Senegalese fan Aliou Ngom, who attended the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar, has already decided not to even apply for a visa. For Ngom, one of the greatest strengths of the World Cup is its ability to bring global cultures together inside stadiums, but he sees little point in wasting time and money on an application he expects to be rejected, following a pattern of visa denials that led to the cancellation of a U.S. training camp for Senegal’s women’s national basketball team last year.

    BBC analysis of U.S. State Department data from October 2024 to September 2025 found that citizens of 11 qualified nations face an overall B1/B2 visa rejection rate higher than 40% – well above the global average of 34% for all visitor visa applicants. The 11 countries include Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan, Iran, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, and Senegal.

    These high rejection rates put fans in an impossible position: buy tickets in advance for hundreds or thousands of dollars, risking total loss if their visa is denied, or wait for visa approval and risk missing out on tickets altogether. FIFA does allow ticket holders to resell unused tickets on its official platform for a small fee, and launched the FIFA Pass system to prioritize ticket holders for earlier visa interview slots. Immigration attorney Celine Atallah, who runs a practice near Boston, called FIFA Pass a positive step to streamline scheduling, but noted it does nothing to improve the odds of a visa being approved.

    “The visa system is the invisible gatekeeper of the World Cup,” Atallah said. “Fifa can sell a ticket, but the US government decides who gets a visa, and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] decides who actually enters.” Even with an approved visa, border officials retain the authority to deny entry to any traveler on arrival.

    For Jordan, which qualified for its first ever World Cup in June 2025 after beating Oman in qualifying, 57% of all U.S. visa applications were rejected in the 12 months ending September 2025 – one of the highest rejection rates of any qualifying nation. Abu Kass, head of Jordan’s national football fan association, says he has yet to hear of a single Jordan-based fan who has successfully obtained a U.S. visa for the tournament. Kass himself brought more than 42 supporting documents to his visa interview in Amman, only to have his application rejected without explanation – U.S. authorities do not typically provide reasons for visa refusals.

    “This World Cup is not ours,” Kass said. “It’s not for Arabs this World Cup, it’s for them. If the head of the fan association was refused, who will be accepted?”

    In a statement to the BBC, a State Department spokesman said the administration was “prepared to welcome visitors from around the globe for the largest and greatest Fifa World Cup in history.” The spokesman noted that most overseas fans already do not need visas to enter the U.S., either because they are from visa-waiver countries, Canadian citizens, or already hold valid U.S. visas. “We will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States,” the statement said, adding that all applications are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis after rigorous security vetting.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials have emphasized ongoing concerns over visa overstays, pointing to more than 538,000 overstay events between October 2023 and September 2024. Prior to the Trump administration’s expanded crackdown on undocumented migration, Pew Research Center estimated there were roughly 14 million undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. in 2023.

    While the U.S. hosts the vast majority of 2026 World Cup matches, co-hosts Canada and Mexico face their own barriers for traveling fans. Canada has not enacted country-wide travel bans, but recently introduced entry restrictions for nations affected by the 2026 African Ebola outbreak, which includes qualified nation the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Canada also requires biometric scanning for all visa applicants, but has no in-country scanning facilities for two qualified nations: Iran and Cape Verde. Canada’s overall visa refusal rate hit 54% in 2025, and does not publish disaggregated data by country or visa type.

    Mexico, which does not publish official visa refusal data, requires all visa applicants to complete an in-person interview at an embassy or consulate. For eight qualified nations – Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, and Iraq – Mexico has no diplomatic mission, leaving fans with no domestic path to apply for a visa, mirroring the issues Iraqi fans face with U.S. consular services.

    For millions of passionate football fans who waited decades to see their nations qualify for the World Cup, the systemic barriers across the three host nations mean a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been lost before the tournament even begins.

  • Billy Slater brings back Reece Walsh for pivotal MCG showdown as Maroons look to save the Origin series

    Billy Slater brings back Reece Walsh for pivotal MCG showdown as Maroons look to save the Origin series

    With just over a week remaining until the second State of Origin clash at Melbourne’s MCG, Queensland Maroons head coach Billy Slater has finalised his adjusted squad, making a high-stakes call on controversial Broncos fullback Reece Walsh that has reshaped the side’s lineup for the must-win matchup.

    Queensland enters the June 17 showdown facing a do-or-die scenario: a loss to the New South Wales Blues will see their opponents clinch the 2025 series outright, while a Maroons win will force a deciding decider on Queensland home soil. To pursue that outcome, Slater has shaken up his game one roster, with Walsh’s return standing as the most notable adjustment.

    Walsh, a Brisbane Broncos fullback, has earned a spot on the Maroons’ extended bench, ousting fellow Broncos teammate Ezra Mam, who has been dropped entirely from the squad. Mam’s exit comes off a tough weekend for the young playmaker, who was already demoted to the Broncos’ reserve bench before a late, poor decision in a clutch moment contributed to Brisbane’s narrow loss to the Gold Coast Titans. While Walsh has not delivered his dominant best form throughout the 2025 NRL season, he has still beaten out Mam for a recall to the Origin side, marking his first potential appearance in the series since 2024. Kalyn Ponga, who was sent off early in Queensland’s game one collapse in Sydney, will retain his starting fullback position despite the high-profile disciplinary incident.

    The squad also features a first-time Origin call-up: Dolphins forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki will make his Maroons debut from the bench, rewarded for a breakout, standout start to his 2025 NRL season. Injuries have forced two other key absences: starting forwards Pat Carrigan and Gehamat Shibasaki will both miss the clash, opening a bench spot for winger Murray Taulagi.

    Slater also made a small but strategic adjustment to his starting 13: Reuben Cotter will shift from an edge forward position to lock, which moves Briton Nikora into the starting back row, while Max Plath drops back to the extended bench.

    The revised full Maroons squad for game two is: Kalyn Ponga, Selwyn Cobbo, Robert Toia, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Jojo Fifita, Cameron Munster, Sam Walker, Thomas Flegler, Harry Grant, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Briton Nikora, Kurt Capewell, Reuben Cotter, Max Plath, Lindsay Collins, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Trent Loiero, Reece Walsh, Murray Taulagi, Heilum Luki.

    The Blues are set to announce their own game two squad at 7pm AEST, with the side eyeing a series-clinching win on Melbourne ground to wrap up the Origin trophy early.

  • Brazil right back Wesley is out of the World Cup with a thigh injury, and Éderson is replacing him

    Brazil right back Wesley is out of the World Cup with a thigh injury, and Éderson is replacing him

    MORRISTOWN, N.J. — With less than seven days remaining until Brazil kicks off its 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage campaign against Morocco, the South American powerhouse has been forced to implement a last-minute injury-induced adjustment to its 26-player squad. Veteran right back Wesley has been withdrawn from the roster, with 26-year-old midfielder Éderson tapped as his official replacement, the Brazilian Football Confederation announced Sunday.

    The injury occurred during Brazil’s pre-tournament friendly against Egypt held in Cleveland Saturday night. Wesley was forced to leave the pitch early in the contest after suffering a muscle strain in his left thigh. Follow-up diagnostic imaging confirmed the damage was severe enough to rule the defender out of the entire World Cup, ending his bid to compete for soccer’s most prestigious global prize before the tournament even officially began.

    In a public statement confirming the roster change, the confederation highlighted the popular defender’s standing within the national team setup: “Wesley is an athlete deeply loved by every member of this group, and he will always remain a part of this squad that is chasing Brazil’s sixth World Cup title.”

    Éderson is already en route to Brazil’s U.S.-based training camp to link up with his teammates ahead of the opening match. Brazil is scheduled to play its first group stage fixture this coming Saturday at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just a short distance from the announcement’s location in Morristown.

    This late roster change is not the only injury concern plaguing Brazil’s pre-tournament preparations. Star forward Neymar, the 34-year-old attacking talisman, remains sidelined with a nagging calf injury and did not travel with the rest of the squad for the Cleveland friendly against Egypt. The team has not yet released an update on whether Neymar will be fit enough to feature in the tournament opener against Morocco.

  • Denmark says soccer star Christian Eriksen ‘conscious’ after collapsing on field again in match

    Denmark says soccer star Christian Eriksen ‘conscious’ after collapsing on field again in match

    ODENSE, Denmark — A frightening echo of a 2021 medical emergency unfolded at Odense’s Nature Energy Park on Sunday, as Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen collapsed for the second time on an international pitch during a friendly fixture against Ukraine, leaving the global soccer community holding its breath. The 34-year-old midfielder, who already survived a life-threatening cardiac arrest at the 2020 European Championships, was seen clutching his chest with both hands during an off-the-ball play in the 65th minute of the match. Moments later, he fell to the turf, immediately surrounded by concerned teammates and opponents, with Ukraine’s coaching staff rushing to flag for medical support.

    The Danish Football Association confirmed in an update posted to X shortly after the incident that Eriksen remained conscious and was in stable condition given the circumstances. In a more detailed statement released 10 minutes after the initial alert, Denmark team physician Morten Boesen shared that the player had left the playing field on his own power, and that the pacemaker he has relied on since 2021 was functioning as intended. “He was briefly unconscious, but he regained consciousness very quickly, and we were able to establish contact with him right away,” Boesen explained. “He is now heading to hospital for extensive testing to identify what triggered this latest incident. We are maintaining constant communication with Christian and the hospital’s medical team, and he asked me to pass along a message to all his teammates: he is okay.”

    The referee officially abandoned the match in the 79th minute, when Denmark held a 2-1 lead, following consultations with both national team coaching staff and player groups. As Eriksen received on-site treatment, the stadium fell silent at first before a steady, loud chant of “Eriksen, Eriksen” rose from the stands to support the fan favorite. After the match was called off, players from both Denmark and Ukraine formed a collective circle around the two head coaches in one half of the pitch to discuss the situation, before both squads walked a lap of the field to acknowledge the crowd’s support, with several players visibly emotional.

    Sunday’s incident brings back traumatic memories of Eriksen’s first on-field collapse, which shocked global soccer during Denmark’s opening Euro 2021 group stage match against Finland in Copenhagen. At that time, Eriksen was clinically dead for five minutes before prompt emergency medical intervention saved his life. After being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, the midfielder made a remarkable return to professional soccer just 259 days later. He went on to play for English clubs Brentford and Manchester United before signing with German side VfL Wolfsburg in 2025, where he is under contract through the 2026-27 season. Neither Denmark nor Ukraine have secured qualification for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

  • Eriksen conscious after collapsing in Denmark game

    Eriksen conscious after collapsing in Denmark game

    In a shocking incident that has sent ripples through the global football community, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during a friendly international match against Ukraine, before quickly regaining consciousness and leaving the pitch under his own power, Denmark’s Football Association has confirmed.

    The 34-year-old experienced the medical event in the 65th minute of the contest, forcing officials to pause play before ultimately calling off the match entirely. This is not the first high-profile cardiac scare for Eriksen, who suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 group stage match against Finland in 2021. Following that incident, Eriksen was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a small pacemaker-like device designed to correct life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms.

    Speaking after the incident, Morten Boesen, the Danish national team’s chief doctor, reassured fans that Eriksen is in stable condition. “Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself,” Boesen stated. “As I see it, the pacemaker responded exactly as it was supposed to. He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly able to communicate with him. He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to identify what triggered this latest episode.”

    The ICD implantation allowed Eriksen to make a widely celebrated “miracle” return to professional football in 2022, eight months after his 2021 cardiac arrest. He signed with Brentford to restart his club career, before spending three seasons with Manchester United. Last summer, Eriksen made the move to German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, where he turned out 34 times for the club through the 2025-26 season. Wednesday’s incident came during what was supposed to be his 151st appearance for the Danish national team.

    Boesen added that team officials remain in constant contact with Eriksen and the hospital team overseeing his care, and that the midfielder has already reached out to reassure his teammates. “But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was OK,” Boesen said. Further updates on Eriksen’s condition are expected as more information from his hospital assessments becomes available.