Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their World Cup title defense against Algeria, while the U.S. was drawn Friday to open against Paraguay as soccer's quadrennial championship returns to North America for the first time since 1994. Three-time champion Argentina also will play Austria and Jordan in Group J of the expanded 48-nation, 104-game festival,
President Donald Trump has been awarded the newly created FIFA Peace Prize. The world football governing body announced last month it would be introducing the award as an new annual accolade given to someone who FIFA believes has taken “exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world”. FIFA president
A record 64 nations will be in Friday's World Cup draw, more than 30% of FIFA's members, as soccer's leaders insist a bigger tournament is better. FIFA expanded the field from 32 teams to 48, and just 42 spots have been determined going into the convoluted ceremony in which balls representing nations are plucked from bowls and assigned to groups per
