“All safety guarantees are in place,” Sheinbaum told reporters during a recent media availability, via BluRadio Colombia. “There is no risk for the visitors [during the World Cup].”

Sheinbaum’s statement comes right in sync after Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal broke its silence with statement on Mexico’s situation ahead of a friendly before the 2026 World Cup. Across the globe, soccer fans are wondering if Mexico’s status as host country is at stake amid the turmoil, but Sheinbaum made sure to clear up doubts.

Jalisco governor makes something clear about World Cup

“FIFA has absolutely no intentions of removing any of Mexico’s venues for the World Cup,” Jalisco governor Pablo Lemus boldly stated, as reported by Victor Wario from El Occidental.

Lemus’ comment is aligned with that of President Sheinbaum. Both authorities reminded media and fans all across the globe that Mexico’s status is not at stake and that every precaution and safety measure is in place to guarantee soccer’s biggest tournament to date takes place in the Land of the Sun.

The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11, when Mexico takes on South Africa at Estadio Banorte/Estadio Azteca, which will be dubbed Mexico City Stadium for the duration of the tournament. There are just over 100 days left before the start of the World Cup, and Mexico is confident it can be back on its feet by the time the 48 best teams in the world arrive to compete for eternal glory.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni and his coaching staff received troubling news from Spain on Sunday morning. Villarreal confirmed that defender Juan Foyth suffered a rupture of his left Achilles tendon after undergoing medical tests, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Foyth was forced to leave Saturday’s match against Real Madrid in the 24th minute. Initial evaluations by Villarreal’s medical staff already pointed to a serious injury, and further examinations confirmed the severity of the setback for both club and country.

Achilles tendon ruptures typically require between four and six months of rehabilitation. Under that timeline, Foyth is unlikely to return in time to be fully fit ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to kick off on June 11.

Foyth’s numbers with Argentina

Foyth was part of Argentina’s squad during the 2022 World Cup and also featured in the Finalissima against Italy at Wembley. However, recurring injuries and extended periods of inactivity caused him to lose ground among Argentina’s defensive options, and he was not included in the Copa América 2024 roster.

He gradually returned to consideration in 2025 and started Argentina’s most recent friendly against Angola, a clear sign of the trust Scaloni still has in him. The former Estudiantes defender offers valuable versatility, as he can play both as a center back and a right back. In total, he has recorded 22 appearances and 1,307 minutes with Argentina.

Who could replace Foyth?

Foyth featured in Argentina’s most recent match against Angola, where Scaloni experimented with a back three alongside Cristian Romero and natural left back Nicolás Tagliafico. In a traditional back four, Scaloni’s preferred system, Romero and Nicolás Otamendi remain the first-choice pairing that has helped Argentina sit atop the 2026 World Cup qualifying standings.

Meanwhile, Lisandro Martínez is gradually returning to form at Manchester United after recovering from an ACL injury, leaving Argentina with limited alternatives at center back. As things stand, the remaining roster spots are expected to be contested by Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi, Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, and River Plate’s Lautaro Rivero as Argentina continue shaping their squad for 2026.

Nevertheless, the draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina was enough for Austria to secure direct qualification to next year’s World Cup. Bosnia, who held the lead until the 79th minute when Austria equalized, will now face the UEFA playoffs in March alongside 15 other teams as they seek to clinch a World Cup berth.

In an electrifying start to the matchup, Bosnia took the lead just 12 minutes into the game with a clinical finish from Haris Tabakovic, sending shockwaves through the stadium in Vienna. As the first half neared its conclusion, Konrad Laimer appeared to have brought Austria level, only for the goal to be overturned following a foul spotted by the VAR system.

In the second half, Bosnia adopted a defensive stance, absorbing Austria’s relentless attacks. Their persistence paid off in the 79th minute when Michael Gregoritsch scored, officially securing Austria’s place in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, after their last appearance in the 1998 World Cup held in France.

Austria’s World Cup history

Austria’s absence from the World Cup stage since 1998 has left fans yearning for a return. In that tournament, Austria competed in Group B alongside Italy, Chile, and Cameroon, managing to secure two draws but ultimately succumbing to Italy in their final match, which led to their group stage exit.

Historically, Austria demonstrated their prowess on the global soccer stage prior to World War II, qualifying for the World Cup in 1934 and 1938 and achieving impressive finishes of fourth and third place, respectively, with standout performances.

Since those early years, Austria have made five subsequent World Cup appearances, including the 1998 tournament in France. Their highest achievement came in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, where they finished seventh after facing strong opposition from Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy in the second round.

Venezuela and Bolivia found themselves tussling for the last available spot in the World Cup qualifiers. One match remained to determine who would advance to the playoff stage, offering both nations a chance to keep their World Cup dream alive, and in the end, Bolivia made it.

Argentina stand alone atop the standings, carrying the hopes of making a substantial impact at the World Cup. Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Paraguay have also secured their positions in the tournament, echoing the rising competitive spirit in South America.

Tuesday night held a critical chapter in this story, primarily concerning final positions in the standings. While Argentina have clinched the first place, the rest of the hierarchy was decided with the results on Tuesday.

Final standings on matchday 18 at CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers

As Matchday 18 unfolded, the standings painted a promising picture. With Argentina firmly at the top, the remaining slots were subject to change as results rolled in. These are the final standings:

1. Argentina – 38 points
2. Ecuador – 29 points
3. Colombia – 28 points
4. Uruguay – 28 points
5. Brazil – 28 points
6. Paraguay – 28 points
7. Bolivia – 20 points
8. Venezuela – 18 points
9. Peru – 12 points
10. Chile – 11 points

The results of the final fixture of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers

After the last matchday in the World Cup Qualifiers in CONMEBOL, the results let Bolivia the opportunity to play in the intercontinental playoffs, as they won his last game against Brazil.

These were the results on Tuesday’s matches:

• Ecuador vs Argentina 1-0
• Venezuela vs Colombia 3-6
• Bolivia vs Brazil 1-0
• Chile vs Uruguay 0-0
• Peru vs Paraguay 0-1

16 venues across three countries will play host to the matches with most of the tournament being played in the United States, recently FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been touring US stadiums in what is being reported as a scouting mission to determine the venue for the FIFA 2026 World Cup final.

On Joe Pompliano’s podcast, The Joe Pop Show, he reported that FIFA is considering three major cities for the final, Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas.

Details of host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final

Los Angeles has a lot of pros, but its major con is that it was the host city of the 1994 World Cup final, where Brazil lifted their fourth title at the Rose Bowl. In L.A. the stadium would be SoFi Stadium.

New York seems like an adequate host for the final, as Joe Pompliano points out, the city has three major airports, but MetLife Stadium is an outdoor venue and the final could run the risk of delay due to a summer thunderstorm, which in the recent years have been long enough to postpone sporting events.

There is also the current situation of the City of New York, which is overrun with a rat infestation and while crime stats are down as of July 2023, there are concerns as well for the safety of tourists.

Dallas is the biggest curve ball, AT&T Stadium would be the host for the final and has all the perks of a major stadium, from VIP lounges, a retractable roof, and has already hosted the Super Bowl, College Football National Championship, and Men’s NCAA Final Four.

There is no timeline as to when FIFA will announce the venue for the final but some reports are stating it could come as early as end of the year.

The 2026 World Cup will be different from all others, it will be held in three countries at the same time, and 48 national teams will compete. In the first instance, 49 possible stadiums had been established to host the World Cup, months later the list was reduced to 43 and finally in the last few years, the list was set at 22 stadiums.

“The host cities will be absolutely key to ensuring the success of the competition. We look forward to working with them to deliver what will undoubtedly be the biggest FIFA World Cup in history”,said Colin Smith, FIFA’s Director of Tournaments and Events. Today, Thursday, June 16, FIFA has revealed which cities will host the 2026 World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup venues

It will be the first time Canadawill host a World Cup, while Mexico will become the first country to have hosted three. The venues will be divided into three regions. As expected, the United States will be the country with the largest number of cities hosting the World Cup.

The cities in the Western region that will host the World Cup will be Vancouver (Canada), Seattle (USA), San Francisco (USA), Los Angeles (USA), and Guadalajara (Mexico).

The cities in the Central region that will host the 2026 World Cup will be Kansas City (USA), Dallas (USA), Atlanta (USA), Houston (USA), Monterrey (Mexico), and Mexico City.

The cities in the Eastern region that will host the 2026 World Cup will be Toronto (Canada), Boston (USA), Philadelphia (USA), Miami (USA), and New York;New Jersey (USA).