Curaçao stuns Germany with historic goal
Germany 1, Curaçao 1, 21st minute
Tiny but mighty Curaçao is not afraid of the World Cup stage.
Curaçao took Germany’s first punch and boldly responded.
The ball was deflected twice near the top of the box and Livano Comenencia fired the rebound to the left side of the extended box, delivering the first goal in his country’s history.
Curaçao had another run at goal with a potential penalty kick call ignored by the referee before a hydration break.
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Germany pounces, takes lead in first six minutes
Germany 1, Curaçao 0, sixth minute
Germany was a massive favorite and hasn’t taken this matchup lightly,
Curaçao failed to clear the ball and Felix Nmecha took a shot from the top of the box that gave the Germans a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. It was the team’s fastest goal scored since a quarterfinal in 2010.
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Germany and Curaçao kick off
Germany fans cheer during the World Cup Group E soccer match between Germany and Curacao in Houston on Sunday.
(Eric Smith / Ap Photo/eric Smith)
Germany 0, Curaçao 0, 1st minute
The World Cup cation resumed in Houston, Texas, with one of global soccer’s powerhouses taking on the smallest country in the tournament.
This match may have a little more attention in the U.S. thanks to a German super fan named Freddy, whose earnest posts about the wonders he has discovered while traveling in the South have gone viral on social media.
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Most dangerous World Cup ever? Climate change poses growing risks for players
Wydad AC players Cassius Mailula, left, and Mohamed Moufid try to cool off during the Club World Cup in June 2025.
(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)
A few hours after Lionel Messi and the Argentine World Cup team checked into their training base in Kansas City, a series of thunderstorms pounded the area, knocking out power, felling trees and bringing flood and tornado warnings.
Hardly ideal conditions for the world’s biggest soccer tournament. Yet that’s likely just the opening salvo of a disruptive weather system that could affect the 38-day competition, which kicks off next week with games in Mexico, Canada and the U.S.
“It’s pretty safe to say climate change is going to have a mark on this World Cup,” said Kaitlyn Trudeau, a senior research associate of climate science for Sacramento-based Climate Central. “With climate change we know it’s not just going to be hotter, but it’s also going to increase the humidity as well.”
L.A. museum highlights Jewish roots that shaped world’s most popular soccer styles
A painting made by an artist in a concentration camp depicts prisoners playing soccer. The image is one of items on display in a new Holocaust Museum LA exhibit.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Béla Guttmann may be the most consequential soccer coach you’ve never heard of. But if it weren’t for Guttmann, you may never have heard of Pelé.
And Brazil may never have become the greatest soccer-playing country on Earth.
World Cup referee Omar Artan will receive full fee from FIFA despite being denied entry to the US
Referee Omar Artan looks on during the AFCON match between Gabon and Ivory Coast at Marrakech Stadium in Morocco on Dec. 31.
(NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
ATLANTA — The Somali referee who was denied entry to the United States for the World Cup will still be paid his full tournament fee.
A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Omar Artan will still be entitled to payment despite not officiating any games at the near six-week long event. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
They said the fee would be determined after the tournament concludes next month.
Artan is one of soccer’s top officials and was named Africa’s best male referee in 2025. But the Somali national was denied entry after arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Artan was “inadmissible due to vetting concerns”.
He had originally been issued a visa to travel to the U.S., according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya, which processed it, and was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami.
FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and that the host government ultimately determines who is granted entry. As a result it said Artan would not be able to train and officiate at the World Cup.
The 34-year-old Artan was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to Somalia earlier this week and vowed to attend the next edition of the World Cup — mainly staged in Morocco, Portugal and Spain – in 2030. He was also appointed to officiate one of European soccer’s showcase games, the UEFA Super Cup in August.
“Football is made to connect people and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills,” UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said in a statement.
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How the U.S., Mexico and Canada won a spirited fight to host the 2026 World Cup
Representatives from the U.S., Mexico and Canada collaborated to win the right to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
(Davide Barco / For The Times)
Hours before the 2018 World Cup kicked off in Russia, delegates representing more than 200 FIFA member states filed into a massive conference center rising above the left bank of the Moscow River.
There they would be voting to pick a host for the 2026 tournament and the ballot held just two candidates: Morocco, bidding for the World Cup for the fifth time, and a joint bid from the U.S., Mexico and Canada, marking the first time three countries offered to share host duties.
U.S. players see their electric win over Paraguay as the start of a push to win over fans
U.S. forward Christian Pulisic controls the ball against Paraguay during the World Cup on Friday at SoFi Stadium.
(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)
The U.S. men’s soccer team isn’t only trying to win games in this World Cup. It is trying to win hearts and minds as well.
“We want the game to grow,” star midfielder Christian Pulisic said. “We want to get Americans excited to watch this game, to watch our team. That’s obviously a big goal of ours. And being successful would give that the best boost.”
Christian Pulisic carries the World Cup hopes of a nation with his legacy at stake
(Tavo Montañez / For The Times)
NEW YORK — Christian Pulisic looked exhausted as he stepped from a yellow cab on the edge of Manhattan’s financial district for a promotional event arranged by his shoe sponsor.
A day earlier, he had been booed off the field after going scoreless in his final 17 games with AC Milan. And as Pulisic’s private jet made its way from Italy to New York, the club’s coach, sporting director and two other top executives were sacked.
A day later Pulisic walked across a stage overlooking the East River to cheers during a sparsely attended rally in which the U.S. roster for this summer’s World Cup was announced.
2026 World Cup guide: Full TV schedule, game previews, results and standings
Netherlands standout Virgil van Dijk takes part in a training session Wednesday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
The first three days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are done, with the U.S. and Mexico each winning their group stage openers. However, most of the World Cup field is still looking to hit the competitive pitch for the first time.
Here’s everything you need to know about matches being played on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in the 48-team tournament across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
From Norway to Jordan, World Cup newbies eager to surprise on soccer’s biggest stage
Julian Ryerson of Norway takes part in an international friendly match against Switzerland on March 31.
(Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)
Julian Ryerson hadn’t learned to walk the last time Norway played in the World Cup. He was just 7 months old then, and if he had known his country was going to go 0 for the 21st century when it came to World Cup qualifying, he might have considered pursuing a sport other than soccer.
But that drought will finally end next week when Norway plays in the World Cup for the first time in nearly three decades.
“It’s been a long wait, especially for the Norwegian people,” he said. “They’ve been waiting as long as I am old. So yeah, I think everybody’s ready.”
U.S. captain urges World Cup teammates to enjoy the experience
Captain Tim Ream leads the United States team onto the field for practice on Thursday in Irvine.
(Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
Tim Ream is the only player on the American World Cup team who was alive the last time the tournament was played in the U.S. But he was only 6, so the memories are kind of sketchy.
“I remember bits and pieces of 1994,” he said.
Still, it’s fallen on Ream, as both the captain and the oldest man on the roster, to prepare the team for what they’re about to experience when the U.S. opens play Friday at SoFi Stadium.
Here are five SoCal designers adding flare to fútbol fits this World Cup
(Photo Illustration by Diana Ramirez Santacruz/De Los; Photos By Sarahi Apaez / For De Los, Alyson Aliano / For De Los, Nico Avina.)
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off in Los Angeles on June 12, fashion designers across the Southern California region are putting a spin on traditional sports jerseys.
Whether it be screen printing powerful messages on a traditional tee, or upcycling large shirts into more flattering silhouettes, creatives are finding innovative ways to show off their pride.
Want to experience the World Cup for $10? Head to the FIFA Fan Festival
Nia Pintor-Portillo, 6, of Glendora, kicks a goal while playing a soccer game at the UGREEN Charging Station booth during a media exclusive preview of the FIFA Fan Festival at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The World Cup has officially landed in Los Angeles, and for fans without match tickets, attending the FIFA Fan Festival could be the next best thing.
Taking place Thursday through Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the family-friendly event will feature live match broadcasts on jumbo screens, cultural programming, interactive experiences, an official World Cup merchandise store, food vendors serving global cuisine and live music performances from headlining artists like Steve Aoki, Capital Cities and Normani.
Amid travel bans, ICE fears and political turmoil, wary fans try to find World Cup joy
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In many ways, the most ambitious World Cup in history — which kicked off Thursday in Mexico City — has inspired more angst than anticipation, more fear than fervor.
The competition, returning to North America for the first time in more than three decades, has expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, to be played over 39 days in 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The complex planning was eight years in the making.
Yet even before the competition opened with Mexico facing South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca, it has been marred by a number of controversies that threaten to overshadow the soccer and cloud the tournament’s legacy.
Swanson: U.S. soccer makes stirring first impression, delivers big unifying World Cup win
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino jumps into the arms of his players after their World Cup win over Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The U.S. men’s soccer team chose an incredible day to have an incredible day.
Crucially, the United States aced its only chance to make a first impression, kicking off this colossal World Cup it’s co-hosting with Mexico and Canada with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
Consider it a save for the tournament, three points for soccer in America and maybe even a win for uniting the States.
World Cup standings and results through first three days
Australia’s Jacob Italiano, left, and Turkey’s Ferdi Kadioglu fight for control of the ball during their World Cup Group D match Saturday.
(Emma Peterson / Associated Press)
Here’s where things stand in each of the groups following Saturday’s four matches:
Full World Cup TV schedule
By Los Angeles Times staff
Here’s a look at the complete World Cup television schedule through the end of group play:
Looking back at the first three days of the World Cup
By Los Angeles Times staff
The first three days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered plenty of memorable moments.
Check out The Times’ daily recaps ahead of Sunday’s four-game slate: