MILWAUKEE (AP) — Home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor left the Tampa Bay Rays’ game with the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday after a foul tip hit him in the face mask.
The game was in the second inning when Tampa Bay’s Nick Fortes swung at a 100-mph fastball from Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and hit a ball that went backward and struck Bucknor.
Bucknor, 63, immediately turned around and went down on his knees as Brewers catcher William Contreras checked on him. After Brewers training staff came to the field and consulted with him, Bucknor left the field.
Chad Fairchild, who had been working as the first-base umpire, took over behind the plate after Bucknor’s departure as part of a transition to a three-man crew. The game was delayed for about 13 minutes.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Umpire CB Bucknor, center, looks on after being hit by a foul ball during the second inning of a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Milwaukee. Bucknor excited the game following the incident. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Major League Baseball umpire CB Bucknor, center, exits the game after being hit by a foul ball during the second inning of a baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The 48-team field for FIFA ’s biggest ever World Cup is complete after a qualifying process that spanned more than two and a half years.
Iraq edged Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff at Monterrey in northern Mexico on Tuesday to secure the 48th spot, hours after Bosnia and Herzegovina upset four-time champion Italy on penalties in European playoffs. The result meant Italy was knocked out in qualifying for a third successive World Cup.
Eight teams from Europe were competing for four places on the last day of qualifying. The new intercontinental tournament staged in Mexico determined the other two remaining places. The next-to-last nation to advance was Congo, which edged Jamaica 1-0 in extra time at Guadalajara, Mexico.
Sweden, Turkey and the Czech Republic each qualified in European playoff finals.
Sweden beat Poland 3-2; Turkey edged Kosovo 1-0; and the Czech Republic beat Denmark in a penalty shootout.
The World Cup kicks off June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will feature 12 groups of four teams.
With its big upset victory of Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified to join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.
Sweden will play in Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. Turkey will be in Group D with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
After reaching its first World Cup since 2006, the Czech team will play in Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
The World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 tournament started Sept. 7, 2023 with matches in South America.
Group A
Mexico, Czech Republic, South Africa, South Korea
Group B
Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland
Group C
Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Scotland
Group D
United States, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey
Group E
Curacao, Ecuador, German,y Ivory Coast
Group F
Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H
Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Uruguay
Group I
France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq
Group J
Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Jordan
Group K
Colombia, Congo, Portugal, Uzbekistan
Group L
Croatia, England, Ghana, Panama
This list has been corrected to show that Congo, not Jamaica, got the final spot in Group K.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
DR Congo's players and fans celebrate at the end of the World Cup playoff final soccer match between DR Congo and Jamaica in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Bosnia's Esmir Bajraktarevic celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Bosnia's Esmir Bajraktarevic celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Iraq's Aymen Hussein, left, is congratulated after scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq's Aymen Hussein celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
