Unbeatable football stars, historic goals and legendary goalkeepers: The FIFA World Cup has begun in the US, Mexico and Canada, but the frantic search for tickets remains. Many fraudsters are trying to scam football fans online.

In May, the US domestic intelligence service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned against scams and said it was issuing a public service announcement “to warn the public that cyber threat actors are conducting spoofing attacks against the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) website in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

It went on to explain that “a spoofed website is designed to pose as a legitimate website, with branding, product listings, etc., and malicious actors use them to further illegal activity like personal information theft and facilitating monetary scams.”

It also listed dozens of suspicious domains that had already been identified but said that “the public should be aware that new websites will continue to appear.”

DW Fact Check has put together some tips on how to spot scams.

How do I recognize a fake site?

URLs: Fake websites often have URLS that resemble those of the original sites with minor differences. For example, the official domain fifa.com might be altered to filfa.org, fifa-online.com, fifa-2026.xyz, fifaworldcup26.sale or fifa-com.services.

Legal notice: In Germany, Austria and Switzerland and various other countries, websites with commercial or editorial content must display a legally compliant imprint. Therefore, if a website does not have one, it suggests it is not a legitimate site.

Fakeshop-Finder: In Germany, you can use this online tool provided by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBZ) to find out whether a site is legit or not. You just need to put in the URL.

Look up a domain: You can check when a site was registered at www.whois.com

FIFA tickets at exorbitant prices

According to TicketData, a US platform that tracks major sports events, FIFA currently has thousands of official tickets left.

But they are expensive and that is probably the biggest hurdle for many fans who would like to attend a game. The cheapest tickets for the June 12 match between the US and Paraguay was going for $2,000 on June 10, and tickets for Sunday’s match between the Netherlands and Japan cost $900.

Verified ticket resale sites such as Seatgeek, StubHub, Vivid and Gametime often offer FIFA tickets at lower prices.

Though FIFA and consumer protection agencies still advise consumers to only purchase through official FIFA channels to avoid being scammed, these sites are established ticket marketplaces that offer refund guarantees. Purchases are legally valid.

The GoalPass app allows users to compare ticket prices on the various platforms, both the official FIFA site as well as those of unofficial resale sites.

On June 11, a ticket for the Germany versus Ivory Coast game on June 20 was going for $932 on Seatgeek, while it cost $3,398 and upwards on the FIFA site.

Experts see no contradiction in the fact that FIFA allows tickets to be sold at significantly lower prices on other platforms. “The last thing it wants is loads of unoccupied seats – not just for the optics but also because any empty seat means a value of $0,” wrote BBC football correspondent Dale Johnson.

“The figures show that fans are not prepared to pay the high prices for tickets for the less desirable games,” he added. “This suggests Fifa cannot get the high face value on its own site, leading to the speculation it is trying to sell the tickets elsewhere – without reducing the prices itself.”

This article was originally written in German.

France captain Kylian Mbappe enjoyed a record-breaking evening as Les Bleus opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in New York.

Mbappe scored in the 64th minute and again in stoppage time as Didier Deschamps’ side overcame a spirited Senegal team that had created several opportunities and troubled the 2018 champions for long periods.

His first goal drew him level with Olivier Giroud on 57 goals as France’s joint-highest scorer, while his second saw him move clear on 58 goals.

Senegal threaten in first half

Senegal made the brighter start and created the better openings in the opening 45 minutes.

Nicolas Jackson came closest in the 23rd minute after winning possession high up the pitch and striking the base of the post. The Lions of Teranga had another chance to take the lead in first-half stoppage time when Sadio Mane cut the ball back for Ismaila Sarr, who lifted his effort over the crossbar.

Mbappe draws level with Giroud

France returned after the interval with greater purpose and eventually found the breakthrough in the 64th minute.

Michael Olise threaded a pass into the right channel and Mbappe controlled the ball before sliding his finish beyond Edouard Mendy.

The strike gave France a 1-0 lead and took the Real Madrid forward to 57 international goals, drawing him level with Olivier Giroud as Les Bleus’ joint-highest scorer.

Senegal continued to pose problems and nearly equalised in the 79th minute, but Jackson guided Habib Diouf’s inviting cross over the bar.

Two minutes later, substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s advantage.

Mbappe moves clear of Giroud

Senegal briefly revived hopes of a comeback when substitute Mbaye curled a fine effort into the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

But Mbappe had the final word. The France captain struck his second goal of the evening a minute later to restore the two-goal cushion and secure a 3-1 victory.

The goal took him to 58 for his country, moving him past Giroud to become France’s outright leading scorer.

Most international goals for France:

Messi record also falls

Mbappe’s stoppage-time strike also brought another milestone.

It was his 14th goal at the FIFA World Cup, taking him past Lionel Messi’s tally of 13 goals in the tournament.

The 27-year-old now sits among the leading scorers in World Cup history, adding another achievement to a night that saw him guide France to victory and write his name deeper into the record books.

Top goal scorers in FIFA World Cup history:

France begin their quest to reach another World Cup final with a tough opening test against Senegal on Tuesday in Group I of the 2026 tournament.

Les Bleus arrive with a strong recent record on the global stage, having finished runners-up to Argentina in Qatar 2022 and winning the tournament in 2018. Didier Deschamps’ side are now aiming to become only the third nation in history to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, after West Germany and Brazil.

France have also been remarkably consistent, reaching four of the last seven World Cup finals (1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022), more than any other country during that period. They are now making their 17th World Cup appearance and their eighth in a row, the longest streak in their history.

At the heart of their attack remains Kylian Mbappé, who has been the standout star of France’s recent World Cup campaigns. The Real Madrid forward has scored 12 goals across the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, equalling Pelé and sitting just four behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time record. His hat-trick in the 2022 final further underlined his status as one of the greatest big-game performers in World Cup history.

France’s experience is also unmatched. Deschamps, who captained France to World Cup glory in 1998, is now one of only three people to win the tournament as both player and coach. Tuesday’s match will be his 20th World Cup game in charge of Les Bleus, with only Helmut Schön managing more for a single nation.

However, Senegal arrive with confidence and belief, and history suggests they are more than capable of causing problems.

The West African side famously stunned France 1-0 in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, in what remains one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. That result marked Senegal’s debut on the world stage and set the tone for a remarkable run to the quarter-finals.

Now, more than two decades later, Senegal return for their fourth World Cup appearance and third in a row, matching the longest active streak by any African nation alongside Morocco and Tunisia.

Although their only World Cup clean sheet still comes from that famous 2002 victory over France, they will take confidence from a strong qualifying campaign in which they went unbeaten and finished top of their group ahead of DR Congo.

Sadio Mané remains their biggest attacking threat, leading the team in qualifying with five goals. The 34-year-old forward, Senegal’s all-time top scorer, is appearing at his second World Cup after playing every match in 2018.

Coach Pape Thiaw, who was part of the Senegal squad that defeated France in 2002, now leads the team into his first World Cup as a manager. His side will look to repeat history, even against one of the tournament favourites.

Despite Senegal’s pedigree for surprises, France still enter the match as strong favourites. Ranked third in the world, Les Bleus are expected to dominate possession and chances, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 65.6% chance of victory. Senegal’s chances stand at 14.9%, with a draw rated at 19.5%.

France are also tipped to win Group I and remain among the top contenders for the trophy, while Senegal are seen as strong candidates to reach the knockout stage.

Tuesday’s clash, however, carries more than statistics. It is a meeting between a modern powerhouse and a nation with a proven history of upsetting the elite. France may have the stars, but Senegal have already shown they are not intimidated by reputation.

For Deschamps’ side, it is about starting strongly and avoiding another early shock. For Senegal, it is about history repeating itself.

The No. 1 linebacker in the 2027 recruiting class has announced the date of when he will announce his commitment between Texas A&M, LSU and Notre Dame.

According to On3 Sports recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett, Kaden Henderson said he will announce on Thursday, June 18. The 6-foot, 225-pounder from Tampa, Florida, will decide between the Aggies, Tigers, or Fighting Irish, all of which have made massive pushes to reel in one of the top players in the 2027 cycle.

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The No. 26 player in America pushed his commitment announcement up 13 days earlier than expected. Per Rivals director of recruiting Chad Simmons, Henderson felt like he knew where he wanted to be, which could be in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Terence Crawford has been accused of rejecting the chance to take part in a two-fight deal that would have been worth 200 million dollars.

Crawford called time on his professional career last year after his monumental victory over Canelo Alvarez, becoming the undisputed super-middleweight world champion in the process.

That victory saw ‘Bud’ become a three-weight undisputed champion, along with a five-division world champion in total, making it clear why he is viewed as one of the greatest boxers in recent history.

Despite all of that success, it has now been claimed that Crawford turned down the opportunity to be involved in a mammoth two-fight deal that was extremely financially viable.

The man making the accusation is UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who revealed on The Ariel Helwani Show that ‘Bud’ wasn’t interested in a proposal from Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh, that would have seen a deal covering both a boxing and an MMA bout.

“I got on the phone, ‘What’s the craic, Terence? It’s the Mac Daddy. I got [Turki] here. We’ve got a big deal for you. It’s hundreds of millions, $200 million to be exact. Mixed martial arts against me and a boxing one against you.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to be kicked by you. No way.’ Whatever, that’s fine… I don’t know how as a man, or as a combatant, you couldn’t want to test yourself.”

Conor McGregor reveals there were discussions for a two-fight deal with Terence Crawford worth $200 million involving Turki Alalshikh, but says Crawford ultimately declined:

“I got on the phone, ‘What’s the craic, Terence? It’s the Mac Daddy. I got [Turki] here. We’ve got a big… pic.twitter.com/NpkkCblSG3

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— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 16, 2026

It perhaps comes as no surprise that Crawford wasn’t interested in stepping into the Octagon, having revealed that he has turned down various offers over the past year after deciding it was time to retire, including a lucrative rematch with Canelo.

Crossover bouts have been in fashion as of late, such as the recent battles between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, along with Francis Ngannou facing both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

It even dates back to McGregor’s own venture into boxing in 2017 when he was stopped by Floyd Mayweather, but if ‘Bud’ was to ever return, fight fans would likely prefer to see him competing in his own sport against the elite names, rather than in a crossover contest.

Curt Cignetti has orchestrated the best coaching turnaround in college football history over the last two seasons.

One college football pundit doesn’t think that makes him the best coach in the sport.

Today’s episode of Locked On College Football is a crossover with ‘Locked On Irish’ host Tyler Wojciak.

Where does Marcus Freeman rank among college football coaches currently?

Lane Kiffin brings a lot of hype and attention to LSU this year, is he a top 10 coach in college football? Where should Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer fit into this discussion? 

00:00 Ranking the top 10 college coaches
03:36 Kirby Smart’s early Georgia challenges
08:30 Ryan Day’s coaching challenges
11:01 Freeman’s impressive coaching season
15:34 Ranking Mario Cristobal’s success
19:19 Cristobal’s unpredictable losses
20:59 Discussing Big Ten football coaches
24:14 Mike Elko’s impact at Texas A&M
30:03 Discussing Kalani Sitake’s coaching career
34:48 Coaching evaluations and team dynamics
37:04 Turning Miami’s team around

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

GM Nolan Teasley has been hard at work. Any leader needs a good ecosystem of support. Minnesota’s top executive has therefore been working to fortify his helpers.

Check out the update from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune for what’s taking place in Minnesota’s front office. The update: “The #Vikings are hiring former Bears GM Ryan Pace as a football advisor for new GM Nolan Teasley, and they’re adding Seahawks scout Azzaam Kapadia as assistant director of pro scouting.”

GM Nolan Teasley Brings More Talent to Twin Cities

Plenty of chatter is circulating online about the news. After all, Pace used to be the GM for the Bears, so people are noticing.

Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network offered his two cents: “The #Vikings will get valuable experience from Ryan Pace, the former #Bears GM. And Kapadia was another key cog in the #Seahawks machine, having most recently served as a pro scout in 2025.”

— READ MORE: Vikings O-Lineman Gaining Ground for Job Opening —
— READ MORE: Is that Vikings Rumor Finally Going to Turn into a Deal? —

With Kapadia, Thor Nystrom passes along some good insight. Minnesota hired a worker: “He’s a film junky — described as curious, and no-stone-left-unturned thorough. Clearly respected by Teasley/Kirchner, the Nos. 2/3 in Seattle’s FO during his brief tenure.”

Scouting is a grind of a profession. Nobody will find success in this area of football unless there’s a willingness to spend a ton of time chewing up game film. Kapadia has found a way to stand out among a group of people known for their dedication.

On Pace, there are at least a few things to know.

For starters, he failed as the Chicago Bears’ GM. His overall record on the job finished off at 48-65. Twice did Pace’s Bears venture into the playoffs; twice did Pace’s Bears get bounced in the Wild Card Round. Chicago only surpassed .500 a single time when Pace was in charge.

Don’t be surprised if Bears fans in your friend group don’t have kind things to say about Pace. Quite possibly, he’s best known for drafting Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Patrick Mahomes went at No. 10. Missing on Christian McCaffrey, chosen at No. 8 in the same draft, also stings.

Under GM Nolan Teasley, the Vikings have been making moves in the front office. Several people have been shown the door and still others have been hired. Before too long, the leadership group will be in place, allowed to move forward into the 2026 regular season.

Training camp gets going soon enough.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

IRVINE, Calif. — Sebastian Berhalter has been on site for the past two World Cups.

“Four years ago I was in the stands waiting for my pops to come up,” he said Tuesday, “and now they’re waiting for me.”

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In 2022, Berhalter was a spectator in Qatar, in the crowd with his mother and siblings cheering on the U.S. and supporting his father, Gregg, the head coach.

At the time, Sebastian was a 21-year-old midfielder finding his place in Major League Soccer. He had yet to have enjoyed a breakthrough moment as a pro and hadn’t been invited to any youth national team camps.

The thought of being anywhere other than the stands for a World Cup — or even a U.S. friendly, for that matter — was a distant thought.

World Cup hub | Viewer’s guide | Power rankings | Predictions | Players to watch

Fast forward to Friday at SoFi Stadium. It’s halftime of the 4-1 U.S. romp over Paraguay. Christian Pulisic had been brilliant during a picture-perfect first half, but because a kick to the left calf aggravated an ailment suffered a few days earlier, coach Mauricio Pochettino turned to Berhalter to help see out the Group D opener.

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“Just proud, and going up to see my family [afterward], and then seeing how happy they were for me … it’s pretty special,” he said. “To have that moment with them was amazing.”

From World Cup spectator to USMNT sub

Since the last World Cup, Berhalter has established himself as one of MLS’ top midfielders for a Vancouver Whitecaps side that advanced to the final last year and leads the Western Conference at the summer break.

His father is in his second season guiding the Chicago Fire, which is third in the Eastern Conference and on pace for a second playoff berth after the organization missed out seven straight years.

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But while Gregg has forged a long coaching history, Sebastian has busted through as a player in rapid fashion.

“He sees where he wants to go, what his ambitions are, and how he wants to improve,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “He was obviously more of a fan at the last World Cup, and it’s amazing to see his rise over the past few years. What he set out to do and achieve, he’s been able to do that, but that’s through his discipline. When you see how he shows up every single day for training, it’s no surprise.”

Since debuting with the national team last summer, Berhalter was invited to almost every camp leading to the World Cup and, through a fabulous start to the MLS campaign, all but secured his place on the U.S. roster last month.

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Pochettino’s group chat video to his 26 selections brought a rush of emotions.

“My mom started crying right away, and my sister started crying, and then I started crying,” Berhalter said. “I was just telling them I love them and thank you so much for all the sacrifices over the years, especially my mom. I was just crying for probably 45 seconds and then I was like, ‘All right, I’ve got to go because I train in like 20 minutes’” with the Whitecaps.

‘Sometimes people need to call you crazy’

Berhalter now finds himself in the same inner circle as players he admired.

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He called Adams “my role model my whole life.”

Midfielder Weston McKennie was “one of my role models, my idols growing up,” he said. “To see what he’s doing with Juventus is inspiring, especially someone in MLS, to know guys can do it over there.”

Though the three are close in age, Berhalter was never on the same fast track as Adams and McKennie, who, as teenagers, debuted with the U.S. and signed with clubs in Germany.

Once the awestruck phase faded, Berhalter became one of the gang. He has brought levels of ambition and intensity to central midfield, not to mention the technical ability to drop a set piece onto a teammate’s head or foot in dangerous spots.

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It’s been a long road.

“Sometimes people need to call you crazy,” he said. “That’s been my whole life. I was 16 years old, I’m going pro [with the Columbus Crew], I’m probably 5-10, 110 pounds, and everyone else was already a lot bigger than me. People kind of laughed at me.”

Living with the Berhalter name

Berhalter’s journey began in London, his birthplace while his father was a Crystal Palace defender. In 2006, when Gregg was on the World Cup squad, five-year-old Sebastian was part of the crowd in Germany.

He remembers “running around the hotel and collecting the Panini stickers. I didn’t really understand what was going on, but I could feel the magnitude and understood how important it was to my family and everyone there.”

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His father’s influence played out stateside, too. With Gregg coaching Columbus, Sebastian excelled in the youth academy. Though his father moved on to the national team, Sebastian couldn’t escape people grumbling about favoritism.

“I know if I got a call from my dad [to play for a team he was coaching], I would have had to earn it double as any other player,” he said. “Whatever anyone wanted to say, it didn’t matter to me, because I know the type of person he is, and he would never just call me in just to call me in. That’s something that I had to earn.”

Aside from showing the ability to play on the international level, Sebastian went through mental preparations of breaking into the national team.

In Qatar, “literally every game, I’m just envisioning being in those games and being the biggest fan in the stands, cheering for the team, and feeling so nervous for every game,” he said. “Just seeing what it takes at that level and telling myself after we got eliminated that in four years’ time, I want to be there and this is what I’m going to work towards the next four years.”

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Berhalter’s breakthrough came early last year in leading the Whitecaps to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in the spring, followed by stellar play in MLS. Berhalter called him up for the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer. After that, his MLS form held up as he finished with four goals and 12 assists in the regular season and an MLS Best XI honor.

Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna move past family drama

His return to the national team in November reunited him with midfielder Gio Reyna, a boyhood friend whose rift with Sebastian’s father at the 2022 World Cup spilled into the public following the tournament and involved Reyna’s parents. The families had been close for decades, but the escalating conflict became deeply personal.

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Sebastian and Gio have shown no signs of the family drama affecting their U.S. camaraderie. (Had it, Pochettino, who placed high importance on creating a family atmosphere within the team, wouldn’t have selected both of them.)

Asked about the potentially awkward dynamic, Berhalter has spoken highly of Reyna’s professionalism and skill set. They might not be best friends, but they seem to be good teammates.

“It’s not a story between me and him,” Berhalter said. “We’re on the same team, and, for us, it’s just about winning games.”

Reflecting on the 2022 turmoil, Reyna said, “It’s a little bit tiring [being asked about it]. Everyone is so far removed from that.”

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Commenting on Sebastian, Reyna said, “It’s great to see his progression. He had some difficult moments in his earlier MLS career, but the way he’s really developed over the last two years has been great to see. … He demands a lot out of everybody and he’s a good part of the group.”

Both were on the field down the stretch against Paraguay, when Reyna scored the final goal. Berhalter was the second teammate to hug him.

“An incredible goal,” Berhalter said.

And for Berhalter, a World Cup debut that, a few years ago, simply wasn’t fathomable.