The much-awaited Ballon d'Or 2021 ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday, November 29. Coverage for the mega event will begin on Tuesday, November 30, in India.
Lionel Messi, the current holder and a record six-time winner, is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or award for the seventh time after his exploits handed Argentina the Copa America title - their first international silverware since 1993.
Robert Lewandowski, who was denied the chance to win the Ballon d'Or in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will be a stiff competitor for Messi.
The Poland star scored 25 goals and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions this term. Perhaps, what could aid Lewandowski's chances of a win is him breaking Gerd Müller's 49-year-old record of most goals in a single Bundesliga campaign (40) after he netted his 41st goal on the final match-day of the 2020-21 campaign.
Next three top list- Ballon d'Or 2021
The next contender in the top three list looks like Chelsea's Jorginho, who could become the first Italian footballer since Fabio Cannavaro (2006) to take home the golden ball. The midfielder played a crucial role for both club and country, as he won the UEFA Champions League & UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea in 2020-21 while anchoring Italy to the Euro 2020 title - the Azzurri's first since 1968.
The Ballon d'Or Feminin award ceremony will follow the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Barcelona Femeni captain Alexia Putellas is among the five players from her club in the 20-player shortlist for the trophy and is the favourite to claim it after leading Barcelona to the treble (Primera División, Copa de la Reina and Women's Champions League) last season.
Australian star Sam Kerr is Alexia's competition for the Ballon d'Or Feminin trophy. The Chelsea forward is the only female football player to have won the Golden Boot in three different leagues – W-League in Australia (2017–18, 2018–19), the NWSL in the USA (2017, 2018, 2019) and the FAWSL in England (2020–21) – after she led the Blues to a record fourth league title.
Till now, along with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, ten other teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. For the first time, 48 teams will participate in the World Cup.
Australia celebrate qualifying for their sixth straight FIFA World Cup 2026.
The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.
In 2022, the FIFA World Cupprovided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. LionelMessi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.
The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32,
The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.
Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats
Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.
Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs,South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.
Teams That Have Qualified
With qualifications still ongoing, the only nations that have qualified are the host nations, namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then, teams will be struggling to qualify.
1. The USA
Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.
The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.
Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.
Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.
Teams from the Qualifier Rounds
4. Japan
Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.
New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.
Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.
For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.
6. Iran
(Image Credit | AFP)
Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.
Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the Group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.
Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌 Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷 This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa
— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025
Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.
In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.
7. Argentina
(Image Credit | EPA)
The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26.
La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the required seven points at this point.
8. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the 8th team to qualify till now. They have qualified in virtue of finishing in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.
This is the first time they have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Not only that, they are the first Central Asia country to qualify for the grandest stage of football.
South Korea qualified for their 11th straight FIFA World Cup after finishing in the top two of the AFC third round qualifiers. Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in all will be ready to star for South Korea in the upcoming World Cup.
Ali Olwan scored a hat-trick against Oman to take Jordan to their maiden FIFA World Cup
While South Korea sealed their spot at the FIFA World Cup with that 2-0 victory over Iraq, their win also ensured that Jordan will be playing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup next year.
Ali Olwan's hat-trick has given them a big 3-0 win over Oman, and after South Korea's win, they will now create history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In Group B of the AFC Third round qualifiers, Jordan lost only one match and finished in the top two of the group, below South Korea.
Socceroos confirmed their place at a sixth successive FIFA World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia by 2-1 in Saudi Arabia. Connor Metcalfe (42), Mitch Duke (48) scored for the Aussies to help them win after falling behind by a 19-minute goal from Abdulrahman Al-Aboud.
Australia have now confirmed the top spot in Group C in the AFC Third round qualifiers. Japan are leading Group C, which have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Brazil continued their run at the FIFA World Cup after ensuring qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are the only team to qualify for every FIFA World Cup.
The Selecao defeated Paraguay by 1-0 as Vinicius Jr. handed a special gift to new Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti for his 66th birthday.
VINIIII JR.!!!!
TINHAA QUE SER ELE!! BELO PRESENTÃO DE ANIVERSÁRIO PARA O MISTER 🇧🇷🇧🇷
US President Donald Trump has made a claim that the FIFA 2026 World Cup could help end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and shut down the war. The Russian national football team has been banned from international competition by FIFA and UEFA since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump, during his 2024 campaign, vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war on the first day back in. But his efforts to broker a deal between the countries have so far stuttered.
Trump was questioned about the possible participation of Russia at next year's World Cup. Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the meeting, Trump admitted he was unaware that Russia are banned from the 2026 World Cup.
During the meeting at the White House, a reporter asked the president for his stance on the ban, which was part of global sporting sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump said, "I didn't know that, is that right? You want to explain that?"
"That is right," replied Infantino. "They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted."
Trump on Russia-Ukraine war
The United States are hosting the World Cup next year along with Canada and Mexico but Russia are currently banned by both FIFA and UEFA from participating in international competitions due to their invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has now said that reinstating Russia for the tournament could help end the war in Ukraine, feeling that it ‘could be a good incentive’ for Putin.
"That's possible. Hey, could be a good incentive, right?" Trump replied to Infantino.
"We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. 5,000 people a week are being killed -- it's not even believable. We're going to get that war stopped."
Russia haven't played a competitive fixture since a 2022 World Cup qualifying defeat to Croatia in November 2021. They have played 16 friendlies since then, winning 11 of them.
Club Leon gaffer slams FIFA and Gianni Infantino over Club World Cup exclusion
Club Leon head coach Eduardo Berizzo has slammed FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the organization over the club's controversial exclusion from the 2025 Club World Cup.
Club Leon head coach Eduardo Berizzo (Image Credit | Getty images)
Club Leon boss Eduardo Berizzo has come out and slammed FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino over his team being omitted from the 2025 Club World Cup due to rules regarding multiple-club ownership.
“La FIFA ya prepara reemplazantes en vez de esperar a la decisión del TAS”
In March, FIFA decided that Leon were not qualified to play in the first 32-team competition after they failed to match FIFA's multi-club ownership requirements, and Infantino has since donated their place in a playoff game between Club America and Los Angeles FC.
But the Mexican club has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and, at a news conference, Berizzo had some strong words against the decision.
Club Leon's head coach, Eduardo Berizzo, discussed how the decision has affected the team's performance after the club lost to Cruz Azul. He stated:
The FIFA President cannot comment on a supposed replacement without waiting for the ruling. I think his words carry significant weight and he shouldn’t have commented; he should have remained neutral until the CAS ruling.
The rules of competition of the 2025 Club World Cup declared that clubs owned by the same legal entity cannot compete. FIFA decided that Leon and the other Mexican clubs competing in the tournament belonged to the same ownership structure, but Berizzo has criticized FIFA for the lack of transparency. He said:
If the world were the way I wanted it to be, people like that wouldn’t lead organisations like this. FIFA must demonstrate that it is an organisation of integrity, and it isn’t. In the past, it hasn’t been."
Not only with our elimination, but with all this, which involves a fix, a hidden interest to see which team goes, who doesn’t , why teams go, why others leave or why you get eliminated. As long as there’s no clarity or transparency about that, they’ll always remain suspects."
We live in a football world, in organisations and institutions that, instead of representing transparency and setting an example for all citizens, increasingly make us suspicious and make us feel small in the face of what’s happening."
In a football world where everyone should feel supported, a part of, and proud to be a part of, sometimes you feel like running away.
(Image Source | X)
The Leon boss also targeted his country's national association, the Mexican Football Federation. Berizzo claimed:
You feel treated unfairly; you feel part of a football system governed by individuals who work for subterranean interests that make decisions. It's very striking that the Mexican Football Federation hasn't said a word about this issue.
AFC and CONCACAF Chiefs express concerns over 64-team World Cup expansion
AFC president, Shaikh Salman, and Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, have raised their voices against the proposal of expansion to a 64-team World Cup.
The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.
Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆
Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".
AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."
AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion
Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez. (Image Source | X)
In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.
Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.
🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆
Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.
Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:
We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President. (Image Source | X)
With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:
At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”
I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.
AFC president Sheikh Salman and FIFA president Gianni Infantino in 2022. (Image Source | X)
Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:
If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"
But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.
Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:
It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well,"
I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."
Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.
The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.
FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.
The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.
FIFA considering play-off game to replace Club Leon at the Club World Cup 2025
FIFA is reportedly considering arranging a one-game play-off between LAFC and Club America to replace Club Leon, who were controversially removed from the tournament.
FIFA is reportedly considering the possibility of arranging a one-game play-off between Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC and Liga MX giants Club America to decide which team will represent the expelled Club Leon at the 2025 Club World Cup.
🤯🇲🇽 BREAKING: FIFA has drawn up plans to hold a one-game playoff between Club America and LAFC to determine a replacement team for Club Leon at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. 🇺🇸🏆
A FIFA spokesperson disclosed on Sunday that the organization is actively weighing the feasibility of this play-off match, whereas the winner of this playoff would also receive $9.55 million in prize money given by FIFA to teams qualified from the Concacaf zone.
However, FIFA's consideration does not include the Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense after the club lodged a complaint in 2024, which led to Leon's subsequent removal from the tournament.
Costa Rican outfit Alajuelense’s complaint regarding the multi-ownership issue initiated the investigation by the FIFA Appeal Committee back in November 2024, which eventually led to Club Leon’s exclusion.
FIFA announced the decision to expel the Mexican side Club Leon from the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup 2025 last week due to the club's shared ownership with Pachuca, another team that competes in Mexico's top division, Liga MX.
Pachuca also qualified for the Club World Cup after winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, while Club Leon earned its qualification after clinching the 2023 edition of the same tournament. However, Grupo Pachuca owns both the teams and holds stakes in Spanish side Real Oviedo and some other clubs as well.
This joint ownership violated the multi-club ownership requirements defined under Article 10, paragraph 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations outlined by FIFA.
FIFA is considering a play-off game to replace Leon
Olivier Giroud, LAFC striker (on the left) and Brian Rodríguez, Club America winger (on the right).
According to different sources, FIFA is considering an unconventional approach to organize a single play-off game to determine which team would replace Club Leon in the competition.
Renowned football journalist Ben Jacobs has indicated a showdown between Club America and Los Angeles FC is on the cards, with the winner securing the coveted last place in the Group D, consisting of Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance.
The FIFA spokesperson stated the following on Sunday:
LAFC would participate as runner-up to Club Léon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League through which Club Léon had qualified, Club América would participate as the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking through which qualification is also determined.
The winner of the play-off would qualify unless legal proceedings rule otherwise.
The plans to commence the process of arranging a play-off will begin if Club Leon loses their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be reinstated to the Club World Cup.
CAS has called for a hearing on April 23 in Madrid, Spain, where Leon and Deportiva Alajuelense both will be presented the opportunity to put forward their arguments. Alajuelense had previously filed the complaint at CAS, asserting that León's inclusion was against FIFA regulations as they have also claimed a spot in the tournament instead.
Both clubs must submit their legal documents by April 2, prior to the hearing on the 23rd. Any announcements concerning a possible substitute will likely not be made until the legal issues are settled.
"I think it's a grave injustice": James Rodriguez expressed his disappointment
James Rodriguez. (Image Source | Fanzword)
The exclusion of Club Leon has heavily affected the Mexican side's talisman player, the Colombian starJames Rodriguez. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder did not hesitate to express his disappointment regarding this decision. He said:
I think it's a grave injustice. We all believe that. We won on the pitch. The club and the players are hurt by this. If we're out, it's not fair. The team that would replace us would be stained, and football would be stained.
So many fans have planned to travel to the tournament; how do you tell them that they can't go? I have a lot of questions about all this. It's odd. I think FIFA has to get their things together. Football is stained by this.
Andre Jardine. (Image Credit | GOAL)
ESPN revealed that when asked about qualifying for the tournament, Club América head coach Andre Jardine assured his team's eagerness to earn the spot by battling on the field. According to him:
León should go to the Club World Cup. I'm sad for the institution, and I'd like them to find a solution so they can go,
"If it doesn't happen, then América has been doing things well for a long time. It's true that they haven't yet won the Concacaf Champions Cup, which is a dream of ours and a very clear objective.
"We're leading most of the Mexican tournaments and the Concacaf ranking, which is one of the criteria. If you ask me if I want to go to the Club World Cup, of course it's true, but I'd like to go to the Club World Cup by achieving it on the field. That's what we're working towards.
However, nothing has been finalized yet, and FIFA will also have to wait until the CAS hearing is able to curve out any solutionary measure.
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