Simon Kuper

While supporters argue the bracket rewards strong group stage performances, critics believe Lionel Messi and the defending champions have been handed a significantly easier road to the final

In the nearly centurylong history of soccer’s greatest spectacle, the World Cup has survived dictators, juntas, and a menagerie of autocrats who sought to exploit the tournament for their own glorification

One week before matches begin in 16 North American venues, including SoFi Stadium that will be referred to during the tournament as Los Angeles Stadium, FIFA reversed its policy that allowed refillable plastic bottles when temperatures were high enough to justify it

New data shared with Newsweek from travel platforms Airbnb and Booking.com shows a sharp rise in accommodation searches and bookings tied to match dates