The FIFA World Cup is set to undergo its first expansion since the current format of 32 teams was employed at the 1998 World Cup in France. The 2026 World Cup, as unanimously approved by members of the FIFA Council on Tuesday, will feature 48 teams.

The 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will stick to the 32-team format, meaning that the expanded tournament will likely make its debut in the CONCACAF region come 2026.

FIFA’s plan to expand the World Cup to 48 teams will be given the green light on Tuesday according to reports. The plan, long expounded by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, could yet encounter resistance as qualifying places for the tournament have yet to be explained. Also, nations like Germany directly oppose the plan.

Bruce Arena's first USMNT squad probably won't tell us much. The Europe-based players are unavailable because it isn't an international break, and the USA-based players aren't in shape because the MLS doesn't start for a while. Also, the games won't be anywhere near competitive international matches.

That said, it is his first squad and therefore people will wildly speculate on what his team selection means. Maybe we'll learn something about the type of player Arena is looking for. More likely we won't.

Cameroon is very mad at Liverpool because Joel Matip doesn't want to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Matip is a senior-capped Cameroon international, has had disagreements with the country's sport governing body before, when he was playing for Schalke, and has evidently decided he just doesn't want to play for them anymore.

Naturally, the Cameroon FA decided that of course Joel Matip wants to play for Cameroon, who wouldn't, and it's all Liverpool's fault he's not going to the African Cup of Nations.

Catalonia, the autonomous community located in the eastern extremity of Spain with Barcelona serving as the capital and largest city, has advocated for its independence since the Spanish Civil War. With some political and cultural autonomy, as well as prevalent use of the Catalan language, it's followed suite that the region has its own national football team.

However, Catalonia is not affiliated with either FIFA or UEFA, disqualifying them from participating in the World Cup or European Championship. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has made it known that he wants to change the World Cup format to allow more teams to compete in the event. As opposed to the current 32 teams, he would like to expand the competition to 48 countries.

The 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations, the biennial tournament contested by the women’s national teams of Africa to decide the continent’s champion, ended on December 3 — the date of the final in Yaounde, Cameroon.

The tournament was won by Nigeria for a record-setting 10th time. The Super Falcons finished the tournament undefeated, scoring 13 goals and only conceding one in five matches. Players like Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozie and Osinachi Ohale were national heroes, and they’d accomplished this all without having ever been paid.

It’s been more than 10 years since that infamous night in Berlin, where, in the 110th minute of Zinedine Zidane’s final professional match, the French captain was sent off for battering Marco Materazzi with his bald head.

Celtic’s Karamoko Dembele, the 13-year-old prodigy who made headlines when making his debut for Celtic’s U-20 side, has triggered an international arms race between England and Scotland as both countries look to secure his services at the youth level. 

The biennial CONCACAF Gold Cup returns in 2017, and the continental governing body for the region has announced that the tournament, which runs from July 7-26, will be played out in 13 cities across the United States.

The 14th edition of the tournament will be contested by 12 teams, beginning with the group stage in early July. Of the three groups, we now know that Group B will be headlined by the United States and Group C will have Mexico.