Tunisia lost 5-1 to Sweden in their Group F opener, becoming the first Arab team defeated at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Tunisia became the first Arab team to lose at the 2026 World Cup after a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their Group F opener in Monterrey.

Yasin Ayari, who was born to parents of Tunisian and Moroccan descent, scored twice for Sweden, opening the scoring in the seventh minute and adding the fifth goal in stoppage time.

Alexander Isak made it 2-0 in the 30th minute before Omar Rekik pulled one back for Tunisia shortly before half-time.

Viktor Gyokeres restored Sweden’s two-goal lead in the 60th minute, and Mattias Svanberg added the fourth in the 86th minute.

The defeat left Tunisia bottom of Group F after the opening round of matches. Sweden moved to three points, while the Netherlands and Japan drew 2-2 earlier in the group.

They became the first Arab side to lose in this edition of the tournament. Qatar drew 1-1 with Switzerland, while Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in their opening matches.

Tunisia will next face Japan before ending the group stage against the Netherlands.

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Yasser Ibrahim said Egypt are ready for their opening match against Belgium, as the defender prepares for his first World Cup appearance.

Egypt defender Yasser Ibrahim said the national team fear no opponent and are ready to face Belgium in their opening Group G match at the FIFA World Cup.

Ibrahim said Egypt respect Belgium but will enter the match with confidence. He said the squad is focused on starting the tournament with a strong result.

The defender said playing at the World Cup had been a childhood dream and described his selection in the squad as an honour.

He credited head coach Hossam Hassan with keeping the squad focused. He said Hassan regularly speaks to the players about his own experience with Egypt at the 1990 World Cup.

The Pharaohs are in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Iran. The team will open against Belgium before facing New Zealand and then Iran.

The two sides are set to face each other on June 15 in Seattle. The match will kick off at 10 p.m. Cairo time.

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Kevin de Bruyne said he is looking forward to facing Mohamed Salah again and expects Egypt to be a difficult opponent.

Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne said he is looking forward to facing Mohamed Salah again when Belgium open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Egypt on Monday.

Kevin de Bruyne said he had played against Salah for around 10 years during their time on opposite sides of the Premier League rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool.

He said Salah was “a really nice guy” and added that it would be good to compete against him again.

The midfielder added that Belgium expect a difficult match against Egypt, describing the Pharaohs as a physical and well-organised side before the opener in Seattle.

Belgium enter the tournament with de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois still central to the squad, alongside younger players including Jeremy Doku, Amadou Onana and Charles De Ketelaere.

Egypt are making their fourth World Cup appearance and are still seeking their first win at the tournament. The Pharaohs beat Belgium 2-1 in the last meeting between the two teams, a friendly in November 2022.

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Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup opener, giving former Egypt manager Javier Aguirre a winning start on home soil.

Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca, giving head coach Javier Aguirre a victory in the tournament’s first match.

Julián Quiñones scored the first goal of the World Cup in the ninth minute. Raúl Jiménez added Mexico’s second in the 67th minute.

South Africa finished with nine men after Sphephelo Sithole was sent off early in the second half and Themba Zwane received a late red card.

The match opened the expanded 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. Mexico lead Group A after the win. The group also includes South Korea and Czechia.

Javier Aguirre’s brief tenure with Egypt came to an end in 2019 after losing to South Africa in the AFCON.

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Al Ahly said Barcelona activated the purchase option for Hamza Abdelkarim, turning the Egyptian forward’s loan into a permanent move.

Al Ahly announced that Barcelona have activated the purchase option for Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim, making his move to the Catalan club permanent.

Abdelkarim joined Barça Atlètic in February on loan until June 30, 2026. The deal included an option for Barcelona to buy him at the end of the season.

Barcelona are set to pay Al Ahly €3 million to complete the transfer. The final value could rise to €5 million with add-ons.

The decision follows the youngster’s progress with Barcelona’s youth sides. He scored a hat-trick for the U19 team, and later attracted first-team attention.

Abdelkarim also joined Egypt’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, becoming the youngest Egyptian and Arab player selected for the tournament.

Barcelona had announced his loan move from Al Ahly in February, becoming the first Egyptian player to join one of its football teams.

The 18-year-old came through Al Ahly’s youth system before moving to Spain. He is expected to continue his development within Barcelona’s setup, with Hansi Flick assessing him during preseason.

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Jeremy Doku left Belgium training early, but reports said his issue was minor before the World Cup opener against Egypt.

Belgium winger Jeremy Doku is being monitored before the team’s 2026 World Cup opener against Egypt after leaving training early.

Doku stopped training after around an hour because of discomfort. He left the pitch as a precaution and went inside for treatment.

Initial reports said the injury was not considered serious. Doku could return to group training quickly, possibly before Belgium’s first match.

Doku had started Belgium’s final World Cup warm-up match against Tunisia, which Rudi Garcia’s side won 5-0.

The Manchester City winger is one of Belgium’s main attacking options. His availability would be important for Garcia before a group opener that Egypt coach Hossam Hassan called the toughest match in the group.

Belgium will face Egypt on June 15 in Seattle in their opening Group G match.

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Iran had its World Cup ticket allocation for supporters was withdrawn days before the tournament, adding to visa and access disputes.

Iran’s football federation said its allocation of World Cup tickets for supporters has been revoked days before the start of the tournament.

The federation said the decision left it unable to distribute tickets to Iranian fans through official channels for the team’s group-stage matches.

The move, according to Iranian officials, affected its standard ticket quota for the World Cup. Under FIFA procedures, participating federations usually receive an allocation for their supporters at each match.

The federation criticised the decision and described it as discriminatory. It also said the measure conflicted with the principles of neutrality and equal treatment in international football.

FIFA has not publicly commented on the claim. The United States, one of the three World Cup co-hosts, has also not publicly addressed the issue.

The ticket dispute follows visa problems involving Team Melli’s delegation. Iranian players received U.S. visas before the tournament, but several officials and staff members still faced entry issues.

Iran moved its World Cup base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after earlier visa uncertainty and security concerns.

Iran will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before facing Egypt in Seattle in their final Group G match.

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Omar Marmoush is among several Manchester City players whose futures are uncertain as the club prepares for a summer squad reshuffle.

Omar Marmoush is among the Manchester City players who could leave the club this summer as City prepare for changes to their squad ahead of next season, according to reports.

Manchester City would consider offers for Marmoush if a suitable bid arrives, although the club would seek to recover most or all of the fee paid to sign him, according to reports.

Marmoush made 21 Premier League appearances last season, including eight starts. He finished the campaign with three goals and three assists.

The uncertainty comes as Manchester City enter a period of transition after Pep Guardiola’s departure. Enzo Maresca is expected to take over, while director of football Hugo Viana will oversee recruitment and sales.

Nico Gonzalez, Rico Lewis, Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic, James Trafford and Nathan Ake have also been listed among players who could leave this summer.

Marmoush signed a four-and-a-half-year contract when he arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt. City paid about £59 million, plus add-ons, for the forward, who can play centrally or in wide positions.

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Amin Omar will lead an Egyptian refereeing team for South Korea’s World Cup match against Czechia in the opening round of Group A.

An Egyptian refereeing team will officiate South Korea’s 2026 World Cup match against Czechia, FIFA’s Referees Committee has confirmed.

Amin Omar will serve as the main referee for the Group A match. Mahmoud Abouelregal and Ahmed Hossam Taha will officiate as assistant referees.

Mahmoud Ashour will serve as video assistant referee. Costa Rican official Juan Calderon will be the fourth official, with Juan Carlos Mora as reserve assistant referee.

American official Joe Dickerson and Italian referee Marco Di Bello will work as assistant video assistant referees.

South Korea will face Czechia on Friday, June 12, in the opening round of the group stage. The match will kick off at 5 a.m. Cairo time.

The match is part of Group A, which also includes Mexico and South Africa.

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Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will miss his World Cup debut after U.S. authorities denied him entry despite a valid visa.

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after U.S. authorities denied him entry at Miami International Airport.

Artan had travelled from Istanbul and held a valid U.S. visa. However, Customs and Border Protection found him inadmissible after additional inspection. U.S. officials cited vetting concerns and did not give further details.

FIFA said Artan will not take part in the tournament after discussions with U.S. authorities. The governing body said immigration decisions remain outside its control.

Artan had been selected for the World Cup match officials list and was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the tournament. He was also the only Somali official among the selected referees.

The decision came days before the World Cup opens in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Artan had recently won the Confederation of African Football’s Best Male Referee award for 2025.

The case adds to a series of visa and entry disputes before the tournament. Iran’s players received U.S. visas last week, but several staff members had not been granted entry. Iran’s federation later said it would take the issue to FIFA.

Somalia is among the countries affected by U.S. travel restrictions under the Trump administration. The refusal has raised further questions over access for officials, staff and supporters from countries facing tighter U.S. immigration controls.

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