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Just a day before kick off in Russia, the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been confirmed. USA, Canada, and Mexico were awarded the rights to host the football competition after Qatar hosts it in 2022. The announcement was made after the three cities secured more votes than Morocco.
Before the venue was determined, the world was thrown into another frenzy after Spain sacked their national team coach Julen Lopetegui, just two days before they face Portugal. The piece of news shocked football enthusiasts, as it came a day after Real Madrid announced that Lopetegui will be the club's manager after the World Cup.
It was an unexpected move from the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Considering the 51-year-old's managerial record with the national team, the decision might have dampened Spain's hopes of winning the trophy.
Former Real Madrid captain Fernando Hierro, was eventually named the man to take charge of the team during the World Cup.
Regardless of what had happened with Sefutbol, the competition kicked off without a hitch. The host nation started the widely anticipated competition with a match against Saudi Arabia after the opening ceremony.
Besides the two countries, Egypt and Uruguay have been drawn into Group A, and both countries will face each other on Friday.
On Wednesday, Achilles the cat, had predicted a victory for the Russian football team. It is Russia's official FIFA World Cup soothsayer. Although deaf, it has led a veterinarian to believe that Achilles sees with his heart.
Fingers are crossed that the cat will be as accurate as Paul the octopus, who predicted the winners of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
It is still far too early to tell who will win the competition, but there are clearly some outright favorites in the competition such as Brazil, Germany, Spain, and France. The underdogs could pull off a surprise because it is still anybody's game to win.
Fans all around the world are definitely glued to their screens, rooting for the team they support. Here is how fans on Twitter celebrated the competition's opening.
