The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

Spain’s starting 11 for its match against Cape Verde does not include teen star Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old Barcelona forward hasn’t played since sustaining a left hamstring injury in April, but Spain coach Luis de la Fuente declared him fit for the tournament opener. Yamal is available off the bench.

12:01 p.m.

Today’s World Cup action has kicked off in Atlanta, where powerhouse Spain is facing Cape Verde. Spain won its only World Cup title in 2010, but took home its unprecedented fourth European championship in 2024. Cape Verde, an island archipelago off of Africa’s northwest coast with a population just under 525,000, is competing at the World Cup for the first time.

11:52 a.m.

Vancouver’s transit system recorded its busiest day for a BC Place event since the 2010 Olympics as the city hosted its first FIFA World Cup 2026 match Saturday, a 2-0 Australia win over Turkey. TransLink, the regional transit authority, says it recorded more than one million boardings and about 648,200 trips, nearly 18 per cent above a typical Saturday. Stations serving BC Place saw their highest Saturday event-day ridership since the Olympics, with SkyTrain boardings up 25 per cent and SeaBus ridership up more than 37 per cent.

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10:40 a.m.

Tunisia is set to sack manager Sabri Lamouchi a few hours after the team’s first World Cup game, according to multiple media reports. Sweden throttled Tunisia 5-1 in its group-stage opener last night in Guadalupe, Mexico. The 54-year-old Lamouchi has won just one of five games since taking charge of the team five months ago. That includes a 0-0 draw in a friendly against Canada on March 31.

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9:24 a.m.

One Canada fan near BC Place in Vancouver got an unexpected close-up with Canadian star Alphonso Davies on Saturday — and didn’t seem to realize it. Davies posted a Snapchat video to social media showing himself approaching a supporter wearing his Canada jersey, only to be met with a puzzled look rather than recognition. Davies, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, has yet to play at the World Cup but appears to be enjoying life around the tournament.

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8:42 a.m.

FIFA’s anti-discrimination monitor is calling for Australian video review official Shaun Evans to be removed from the World Cup after he appeared to make a hand gesture that resembles a symbol associated with white supremacist groups during a pre-game broadcast Sunday. FIFA has not yet commented on the incident, which occurred before Germany’s opening match against Curaçao. The gesture has also been used as part of the “gotcha” game or “circle game,” and it remains unclear whether Evans intended any political meaning.

8:30 a.m.

Canada is back on the training pitch today after a day of rest in Vancouver. The Canadians opened the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday in Toronto and are part of a four-way tie in Group B, with all four teams sitting on one point after the opening round of matches. Canada’s training home during the World Cup is the Whitecaps FC National Soccer Development Centre at the University of British Columbia. The team’s next test comes Thursday against Qatar at BC Place.

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8:30 a.m.

Day 5 of the FIFA World Cup features four matches, beginning with Spain against World Cup debutant Cape Verde at noon. Belgium meets Egypt at 3 p.m. in a matchup showcasing veteran stars Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah. Salah is celebrating his 34th birthday today. Saudi Arabia faces Uruguay at 6 p.m., looking to channel the magic of its famous 2022 upset of Argentina. The day’s final match is at 9 p.m., when Iran opens against New Zealand after navigating a difficult buildup that included visa issues and a last-minute training-camp relocation.

With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

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