The World Cup

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FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura talks to media during a news conference at the St. Petersburg Stadium, Russia, Friday, June 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

FIFA targets gay slurs by Chile, Mexico fans in Russia

By GRAHAM DUNBAR - Associated Press

In this Wednesday, May 17, 2017 photo Russian police officers guard as fans arrive for a soccer match at Otkrytie Arena, stadium of Spartak Moscow soccer club, where Confederations Cup matches will be played, in Moscow, Russia. Terrorists, hooligans and anti-corruption protesters are among the main concerns for the Russian security forces during the Confederations Cup soccer tournament running from Saturday June 17 until Sunday July 2. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russia readies tough security measures for Confed Cup

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH - Associated Press

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 filer, Russia's Artyom Dzyuba, front, fights for the ball with Portugal's Gonsalo Guedes, right, and Cedric Soares during an international friendly soccer match between Russia and Portugal in Krasnodar, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexandr Mysyakin, File)

The 8 teams contesting the Confederations Cup in Russia

By The Associated Press - Associated Press

Japan's Hotaru Yamaguchi, left, and Syria's Khaled Almbayed vie for the ball during their Kirin Challenge Cup international friendly soccer match against Japan in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 7, 2017.(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Iran targets World Cup spot; China and Qatar target survival

By JOHN DUERDEN - Associated Press

FILE- In this Saturday, April 7, 2012 file photo, the new high-rise buildings of downtown Doha, photographed in the background as Qatari women and a man walk by the sea in Doha, Qatar. Qatar, now facing a diplomatic crisis with other Arab nations, is a small country with a big history of turmoil and coups as it became one of the world's top suppliers of natural gas and now plans to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Qatar’s unifying World Cup vision erodes as nations cut ties

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

United States orward Clint Dempsey (8) controls the ball as Venezuela's José Manuel Velázquez, left, and Pablo Camacho (17) defend in the first half during an international friendly match Saturday, June 3, 2017, in Sandy, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Trinidad & Tobago has attention of US in World Cup qualifier

By PAT GRAHAM - Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2016 file photo, Brazil's Neymar celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Argentina during a 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Brazil’s national soccer team is the first to qualify for next year’s World Cup. Despite the success, the sporting scene at home is littered with bribes and corruption linked to the World Cup and last year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

As soccer soars, court docs detail graft in Brazilian sports

By STEPHEN WADE - Associated Press

Russia worried by slow ticket sales for Confederations Cup

Associated Press

Argentina's Lucas Pratto sits on the pitch during a 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer soccer match against Bolivia in La Paz, Bolivia, on Tuesday, March 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Brazil 1st to qualify for World Cup, Argentina in danger

By MAURICIO SAVARESE - Associated Press

Brazil's Neymar, right, and Marcelo, attend a training session in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, March 25, 2017. Brazil will face Paraguay in a 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match on March 28. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Argentina feels World Cup pressure; Brazil set to party

By MAURICIO SAVARESE - Associated Press

Italian national soccer team goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon, left, and Gianluigi Donnarumma warm up during a training session in Coverciano, near Florence, Italy, Wednesday, March 22, 2017. Italy will face Albania for a World Cup Group G qualifying soccer match in Palermo on Friday, March 24. (Maurizio Degl'Innocenti/ANSA via AP)

Italy goalkeeper Buffon to play his 1,000th match

Associated Press

Brazil to play Germany next year for 1st time since 7-1 loss

Associated Press

FILE - In this July 16, 2015 file photo, Bayern's Philipp Lahm poses during an official photo shooting in Munich, Germany. After overcoming an injury scare Monday, Philipp Lahm is all set to make his 500th appearance for Bayern Munich when the side plays Schalke at home in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Alarm bells where ringing when Lahm limped off after getting a knock to his knee in Monday's training session, but the club's relief when he was given the all-clear shortly afterward indicates the importance the 33-year-old still holds. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader,file)

Bayern captain Philipp Lahm on verge of 500th appearance

By CIARAN FAHEY - Associated Press

Hattiesburg family has a passion for soccer

By JACOB KEMP - Associated Press

FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2016 file photo FIFA President Gianni Infantino stand between TV cameras as he attends a press conference after the FIFA Council meeting at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA will expand the World Cup to 48 teams, adding 16 extra nations to the 2026 tournament which is likely to be held in North America. President Gianni Infantino's favored plan — for 16 three-team groups with the top two advancing to a round of 32 — was unanimously approved Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 by the FIFA Council. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)

FIFA risks quality of World Cup to bring more teams to party

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

Benefits and pitfalls of a 48-team World Cup

By GRAHAM DUNBAR - Associated Press

In this July 13, 2014, file photo Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger holds up the World Cup trophy as the team celebrates their 1-0 victor over Argentina after the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. FIFA is about to make the World Cup a bigger and, it hopes, richer event even at the cost of lower quality soccer. FIFA President Gianni Infantino hopes his ruling Council will agree Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 nations, playing in 16 groups of three teams. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, file)

FIFA to expand World Cup to 48 teams in 2026

By Graham Dunbar - Associated Press

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Espanyol at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

FIFA’s 5 options for a 2026 World Cup of 48, 40 or 32 teams

By GRAHAM DUNBAR - Associated Press

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a news briefing ahead of the draw for the soccer Confederations Cup 2017, in Kazan, Russia, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. The tournament will be played June 17 through July 2, 2017 in four Russian cities. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

48-team World Cup proposal gets thumbs up at FIFA meeting

Associated Press

Katie Uhlaender returns to US World Cup skeleton team

By TIM REYNOLDS - Associated Press