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Competing for the first time, Curaçao is brimming with joy. Most of the Caribbean nation's team was born and raised in the Netherlands, but residents say the players represent them.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared a "gridlock alert" day every day that a match is scheduled at MetLife Stadium.

After years of dampened enthusiasm about the World Cup, Brazilians are excited about their national team again -- and they're showing it by painting the streets.

Facing President Trump's threats, many Canadians have taken a defensive stance to their neighbor. But now Canada is playing co-host with the United States and Mexico, and welcoming the world.

The opening game in Mexico City took place amid weeks of protests from groups including teachers' unions complaining about pay and pensions.

The referee, Omar Artan, was turned away by immigration officials in Miami, but the governing body for soccer in Europe said he would officiate a high-profile club match in September.

Mexico and Canada have faced significant recent tension in their relations with the United States. But in their historic World Cup bid, the three countries promoted teamwork.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who is widely admired in his home country, would have been the first Somali to referee a World Cup game.

World Cup sticker albums have captivated children and adults in Argentina, in a collecting fever that seems immune to the digital revolution.

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, has unabashedly courted the president's favor. Soccer officials privately ask, who really benefits?