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Two days before the United States' first World Cup game, coach Mauricio Pochettino only took questions from one intrepid reporter -- and it was Sesame Street's Grover.

Pope Leo XIV arrived Wednesday at Barcelona's famed Sagrada Familia Basilica to bless its giant new tower and celebrate mass inside what is now the world's tallest church.

Serena Williams's long-awaited return to competitive tennis was left in the balance Wednesday after doubles partner Victoria Mboko was forced to retire in her opening singles match during the WTA tour event at Queen's Club.

FIFA has issued World Cup accreditation to French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, who has been detained in Algeria for a year, Reporters Without Borders told AFP on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to attend the World Cup, as the global football tournament prepares to kick off.

Lamine Yamal is desperate to return from injury to leave a mark on "his World Cup" said Spain's technical director Aitor Karanka said on Wednesday.

Brazil players gave coach Carlo Ancelotti a guard of honour for his birthday at a pre-World Cup training session Wednesday attended by Spike Lee.

Haiti's achievement in qualifying for the World Cup amid ongoing turmoil in the Caribbean nation is one of the most inspiring stories of this year's tournament, and the team are now hoping to make a real impact in the United States as they prepare for their opening game.

President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that he would renew US attacks on Iran, saying Tehran had taken too long to agree a deal to end the Middle East war and accusing its negotiators of "playing us for suckers."

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday said that he "never victimized anyone" as he faced questioning from US lawmakers over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Olympic chief Kirsty Coventry said on Wednesday she was confident for the successful hosting of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles despite what she described as "challenges" for the World Cup.

German industrial giant Bosch said Wednesday it will step up efforts in the field of humanoid robotics, as its traditional auto business comes under increasing pressure.

American champion Quinn Simmons of Lidl-Trek won stage four of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes on Wednesday when a breakaway group made it home just ahead of a charging peloton at the thermal spa resort village of Montrond-les-Bains.

Stock markets mostly fell on Wednesday as fresh strikes in the Middle East, a jump in US inflation and a tech sell-off weighed on sentiment.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning for questioning from US lawmakers over his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose network of wealthy and powerful associates has fueled years of scrutiny and conspiracy theories.

Amnesty International accused Israel on Wednesday of an "ethnic cleansing" campaign against Bedouin and herding communities in the occupied West Bank, saying the measures aimed to accelerate the annexation of the Palestinian territory.

Mollie O'Callaghan clocked the fourth fastest women's 200m freestyle in history Wednesday to narrowly miss the world record and Sam Short surged to the third quickest 800m freestyle of all time.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Iran has taken too long to negotiate a deal over the conflict in the Middle East and will now "have to pay the price."

US President Donald Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of taking too long to negotiate a peace deal and warned it would now "have to pay the price", a day after suggesting an agreement was in the offing.

Pakistan has renewed deadly airstrikes on neighbouring Afghanistan, officials in both countries said Wednesday, in the worst violence in weeks following a period of relative calm.

Stock markets fell on Wednesday as fresh strikes in the Middle East and a tech sell-off weighed on sentiment ahead of closely watched US inflation data.

Six-sevening crowds and joking about Bad Bunny, AI and football rivalries -- 70-year-old Pope Leo XIV has appealed to a younger crowd during his visit to Spain as part of his efforts to revive the Catholic Church.

Burnt-out cars and smashed windows littered Belfast streets on Wednesday as a Sudanese man appeared in court over a brutal knife attack that triggered "terrifying" violence against immigrants in Northern Ireland.

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano is hoping to bring a taste of his homeland to the Artemis III mission he will pilot near Earth in 2027 to test two lunar modules.

Japan coach Eddie Jones joked Wednesday that he was "looking for a laundry basket" to escape a four-match ban imposed by his own bosses for verbally abusing a referee.

In an era dominated by hyper-violent blockbusters and larger-than-life action spectacles, Indian filmmaker Imtiaz Ali believes young audiences are searching for something deeper -- love that lasts.

Toy charms shaped like a goat and decked out in Lionel Messi's Argentina number 10 shirt pepper a factory tabletop in China, where sellers are betting on the country's lucrative fan market for a big World Cup boost.

Lionel Messi scored moments after coming off the bench on Tuesday to dispel any injury doubts and help Argentina win their final warm-up game for a World Cup overshadowed by off-field distractions, as the Somali referee refused entry to the United States said his dream was over.

Paris will be the setting next weekend for one of Japan's oldest martial art forms, sumo wrestling, but an unheralded star of the major two-day tournament will be 100 percent French: the 200 kilogrammes of customised Guerande salt ordered by organisers.

Jordan Staal scored two goals, including the game winner, as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Tuesday to pull level in the Stanley Cup Final.

Lionel Messi scored within minutes of making his return from an injury scare as Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in their final World Cup warm-up in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday.

Robert "Madyar" Brovdi's underground command post features walls of blinking screens playing footage of Ukrainian drones attacking Russian troops, frontline maps, and scoreboards of destroyed targets.