Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Dozens of protesters clashed with police Thursday outside the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City as South Africa and Mexico played the first match of the World Cup before 80,000 fans.
Wall Street stocks rallied and oil prices tumbled Thursday after President Donald Trump pulled back from renewed US strikes on Iran while European equities edged higher after the ECB raised interest rates.
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Sports
United States star Christian Pulisic said the World Cup co-hosts are "ready to battle" on soccer's biggest stage as they prepare for a potentially bruising opener against Paraguay on Friday.
June 11, 2026
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Thousands of football fans attempted to shove their way into Mexico City's official World Cup fan zone on Thursday, creating chaotic scenes shortly before kick-off in the opening game.
June 11, 2026
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US President Donald Trump said he was calling off strikes on Iran that he had planned for Thursday, and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran after top-level talks.
June 11, 2026
Ivory Coast and Senegal home-based fans have been denied visas to the United States, dashing their hopes of following their teams at the World Cup.
June 11, 2026
Tom Willis is adamant he has "no regrets" over rejoining Bordeaux-Begles, even though a return to France means his England career is on hold.
June 11, 2026
Politics
Iran warned Washington on Thursday that it risked wading into an "endless quagmire" of war and soaring energy prices, after US President Donald Trump vowed to launch a new round of airstrikes and to seize an island oil terminal.
June 11, 2026
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Spain stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams took part in training on Thursday, allaying fears over their fitness ahead of La Roja's World Cup opener against Cape Verde.
Police arrested 16 people during a second night of disorder in Northern Ireland sparked by a brutal Belfast stabbing, a senior minister said Thursday, condemning rioters for "racist thuggery".
The phenomenon El Nino has arrived, the US weather agency said Thursday, and scientists expect the pattern synonymous with droughts, floods and soaring temperatures will intensify into the end of the year, potentially to historic strength.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday the return of El Nino: the warm phase of a natural climate cycle linked to higher global temperatures and wild weather.
June 11, 2026
Economy
European and US stocks rose Thursday while oil prices wavered following the latest flare-up in the Middle East war, with investors also assessing the outlook for US and European interest rates as inflation rises.
June 11, 2026
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Visma's Wout Van Aert won a fiercely contested bunch sprint on stage five of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes on Thursday ahead of an inconsolable Hugo Hofstetter, with Bahrain's Phil Bauhaus in third.
The World Bank on Thursday lowered its global growth forecast to its lowest level since the pandemic, warning of the expanding economic impacts of the war in the Middle East on countries around the globe.
Towhid Hridoy hit an unbeaten 40 as Bangladesh won the second one-day international by five wickets on Thursday to clinch their first-ever series win against Australia in the 50-over format.
A leather bag made from Tyrannosaurus rex cells will be auctioned off on Thursday by Paris auction house Giquello, estimating the "one-of-a-kind" piece could sell for more than $500,000.
June 11, 2026
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