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The World Cup is almost here! Time for the football to do the talking

All of the pretournament noise will be drowned out by events on the pitch when the 2026 World Cup finally -- finally! -- kicks off on Thursday.

5hMark Ogden
Mario VAZQUEZ / AFP via Getty Images

TOP HEADLINES

AROUND THE TOURNAMENT

World Cup Rank: The 50 best players in the 2026 tournament

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature the world's best talent. Let's rank the top 50 players who will be there!

8hRyan O'Hanlon
ESPN Illustration

The World Cup record that will be broken three times in first week

While the World Cup is always a chance to see bright new talents, 2026 also provides a chance to celebrate longevity both on the pitch and on the bench.

10hPaul Watson

22 World Cup items, 22 stories

It has been a long journey, but here we can tell the story of the previous 22 World Cups through 22 items of memorabilia.

1dConnor O'Halloran

MONACO GP

'An incredibly difficult pill to swallow': Monaco's impact on Russell title hopes

A series of errors in Monaco has seemingly derailed Russell's season. He and Mercedes remain optimistic.

21hLaurence Edmonson
Jayce Illman/Getty Images

Wolff on Monaco GP podium: 'Mixed feelings'

8hLaurence Edmondson

Ferrari's Leclerc left fuming after Monaco crash

23hNate Saunders

Hamilton full of praise for Monaco winner Antonelli

1dNate Saunders

Cadillac stripped of 1st F1 point, Alonso up to 10th

23hNate Saunders

Gasly 'heartbroken' over 'unfair' penalty in Monaco

23hNate Saunders

Russell on Monaco penalties: 'Punishment doesn't fit the crime'

23h
0:52

Antonelli not 'worrying' about the championship after Monaco win

23h
0:56

ALL THINGS ENGLAND

England World Cup kit rankings: When have Three Lions looked at their best?

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, ESPN ranks the best shirts England players and fans have worn over the years.

1dShubi Arun
Getty

It's Coming Home: How 'Three Lions' became England's unofficial tournament song

The origin story of 'It's coming home' and how the phrase became so closely linked with the England team.

5hShubi Arun

THE LATEST IN TENNIS

Serena Williams is returning to tennis -- what does it mean?

Here's everything we know -- and don't know -- about Serena Williams' return to the sport at Queen's Club next week.

1dD'Arcy Maine
EPA/JASON SZENES

How Alexander Zverev finally won a major title

Facing a wide-open field, Zverev captured his first Grand Slam title -- something he might have doubted would ever happen.

21hSimon Cambers

Destiny fulfilled: How prodigy Mirra Andreeva won the French Open

On Saturday, Mirra Andreeva became the youngest French Open winner since 1992. And she did it in dominant fashion, knowing the pressure was on.

2dSimon Cambers
NBA Finals - Game 3NY leads series 2-0

'I never thought he'd grow up to be the player he is today': Why Jalen Brunson ... might be built for this

Brunson's appeal in New York centers around one fundamental idea: People might appreciate glitz and glamour -- but they respect guts and guile even more.

7hRamona Shelburne
Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire

The Knicks solved their minutes puzzle just in time for a Finals run

Here's how New York embraced its bench and overcame one of its biggest obstacles to a title.

1dVincent Goodwill

    TRANSFER TALK

    Transfer rumors, news: Barcelona target Darwin Núñez eyes Liverpool return

    Former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez wants to return to Anfield, but he's also being targeted by Barcelona. Transfer Talk has the latest.

    10hESPN
    Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

    16 players who could use World Cup to get a big transfer in Europe

    The World Cup is the biggest stage in sports, so which players can use it to get their next big transfer?

    2dSam Tighe

    Top Headlines

    • Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

    • ESPN's World Cup page

      ESPN's World Cup page is here. All the latest news, features, guides and more on the summer's big extravaganza

    • Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

    • World Cup kick off times, how to watch guide UK

      The World Cup is right around the corner - here's everything you need to know about who is playing when, and how you can watch them in the UK.

    • Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images

    • ESPN's World Cup predictor

      ESPN's World Cup predictor is here. Simulate your road to the final.

    • Simon Bruty/Augusta National/Getty Images

    • 2026 calendar of sport:

      ESPN breaks 2026 all down and lists exactly what's on the calendar for a big year in sport.

    • Clive Rose/Getty Images

    • 2026 F1 grid: Meet the stars set to light up 2026

      It's a new season with two new teams but all familiar faces as we detail the driver line-ups for 2026.

    • Pedro Salado/Getty Images

    • Disney+ to show primetime LaLiga games in UK and Ireland

      Disney+ will be the home of LaLiga's primetime weekend matches after securing a three-year deal to exclusively show the division's Saturday night kick-off.

    • Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

    • Disney+ becomes new home of Women's Champions League in Europe

      Disney+ will be the home of the UEFA Women's Champions League in Europe from next season after securing rights to the competition for the next five years.

    • Apinya Rittipo/Getty Images

    • League tables

      Updated tables from the Premier League, Champions League, LaLiga, English Football League and more.

    • Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images

    • Upcoming fixtures

      Keep track of all the important upcoming fixtures for all the clubs and countries in world football here.

    • Harry Langer/picture alliance via Getty Images

    • Latest scores

      Results and scores from the Premier League, Champions League, LaLiga, English Football League and more.

    Boxing fight schedule

    • Photo by Chris Unger/TKO Worldwide LLC via Getty Images

    • Boxing schedule

      Want to know what fights are on the horizon? Check out the boxing schedule.

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