When I planned my 27th birthday trip to Kerala, I had a very clear vision in mind. There would be beaches. There would be the backwaters. There would be long boat rides, cute cafs and perhaps a fancy dinner overlooking the water. What I did not anticipate was celebrating my birthday with Lionel Messi.
Kolkata's iconic 'FIFA Gully' has transformed a small neighbourhood lane into a colourful World Cup attraction, with murals and giant cut-outs of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and other football stars celebrating the city's enduring love for the beautiful game.
Spain and Portugal are set to clash in the World Cup Round of 16 in Texas, a rematch of last year's Nations League final. The match features a generational battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal, with Spain entering unbeaten in 34 matches and Portugal looking to overcome recent struggles.
Lionel Messi experienced an emotional rollercoaster in Argentina's World Cup last-16 tie against Egypt, missing a penalty but ultimately scoring a vital late equaliser to save his team's World Cup dream after being two goals down.
Moved by Lionel Messi's record-breaking form at the World Cup, Argentines have taken to the streets and social media to sing "Happy Birthday" to their favourite footballer who turned 39 on Wednesday.
Argentina produced a stunning comeback after falling two goals behind, scoring twice in four minutes through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi to beat Egypt 3-2 in their last 16 clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Atlanta on Tuesday.
A new study projects that by 2100, only 38% of the world's population will reside in large cities, a significant reduction from previous estimates. This revised projection is based on a newly discovered urban life cycle, where the growth rate of large cities slows down as countries become more urbanised, contrasting with the rapid growth seen in less urbanised regions. The research highlights the importance of understanding these dynamics for future infrastructure and climate adaptation planning.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
Argentine football legend Lionel Messi has stated his intention to continue playing as long as he remains physically fit and can contribute to his team. He remained non-committal about his participation in the 2030 FIFA World Cup, stating it's too far off to consider. Messi also celebrated his 39th birthday amidst Argentina's strong performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026, where he became the all-time leading goal-scorer.
Lionel Messi made history by scoring in his seventh consecutive World Cup match, leading a second-string Argentina to a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their Group J clash in Dallas. Goals from Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez also contributed to Argentina's win, setting them up for the round of 32.
World Cup music isn't random; FIFA's 'Stadium Entertainment Team' curates over 750 songs, mixing global classics with country-specific favourites, with each team having signature, warm-up, and goal-scoring tracks.
Former football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic has lauded Lionel Messi for breaking the all-time FIFA World Cup goal record, stating that the Argentinian ace is in a 'category of his own', surpassing even legends like Pele, Diego Maradona, and Johan Cruyff due to his numbers, longevity, and trophies.
Tunisia have sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi and replaced him with fellow Frenchman Herve Renard in the wake of the 5-1 defeat by Sweden in their World Cup opener in Monterrey on Sunday, the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) said.
Ousmane Dembele delivered a sensational first-half hat-trick for France against Norway in their final Group I match, overshadowing the anticipated clash between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Watching the World Cup and hearing the music in the stadium may have left you wondering - how is that chosen? Is it just coincidence that "Wonderwall" plays after England matches? Are "Freed from Desire" or "Livin' on a Prayer" always played? And why?
Brazil have lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over the disallowing of a Vinicius Jr goal during their 3-0 FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage victory over Scotland, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) also requesting that Mexican referee Cesar Ramos no longer officiate the team's matches.
India's campaign at the World Table Tennis Team Championships concluded with the women's team losing to the USA and the men's team losing to Austria.
The top 32 teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026 are now confirmed after a dramatic and exhausting group stage that came to a close on Saturday.
Indian golfer Saptak Talwar carded a 3-under 66 in the third round of the Interwetten Open, moving to T-17 with a total of 8-under par. He aims for a second Top-10 finish this year, while Filip Mruzek and Julian Perico share the lead.
Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France made sure of top spot in World Cup Group I with a ruthless 4-1 win on Friday over a second-string Norway who like the French had already qualified for the next round of the tournament.
FIFA's new hydration breaks at the 2026 World Cup have sparked controversy, with coaches including Marcelo Bielsa and Gustavo Alfaro claiming they disrupt football's rhythm and serve commercial interests more than player welfare.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to a dominant 3-0 victory over Iceland in a FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up friendly, scoring a penalty and contributing to another goal after recovering from muscle fatigue.
Indian golfer Yuvraj Sandhu is the sole representative from India at the KLM Open this week, facing a challenging debut season on the DP World Tour despite his positive outlook.
Sabri Lamouchi's dismissal as Tunisia coach after a single game at the World Cup places him on an ignominious list that includes one of the most successful coaches in tournament history.
Argentina start their bid for back-to-back World Cups on Tuesday with a side full of familiar faces from Qatar 2022, facing an Algerian team buoyed by warm-up wins and featuring a 20-year-old rising star nicknamed after Diego Maradona.
But when it comes to e2W, China is the dominant player and had grabbed over 76 per cent share of total e2W imports in 2025 with brands like Yadea, NIU and Sunra dominating the market.
Kylian Mbappe scored two goals, equalling Miroslav Klose's World Cup record, as France defeated Iraq 3-0 to advance to the last 32. The match was significantly delayed by thunderstorms, but France maintained control with Ousmane Dembele also scoring. Iraq's chances of progressing now depend on their final group match and other results.
Young Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri finished as runner-up at the Austrian Open International Series, losing to Canada's Rachel Chan in the women's singles final. In mixed doubles, the Indian pair of Sathish Karunakaran and Zenith Abbigail also finished as runners-up.
With a dazzling hat-trick against Algeria, Lionel Messi once again defied age, expectations and logic at the World Cup, prompting coach Lionel Scaloni to call his performances "inexplicable" and admit he is simply no longer surprised by the Argentine legend's brilliance.
Lionel Messi earned a spot in the World Cup history books with a hat-trick that saw Argentina begin the defence of their title with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium, Missouri, on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi will lead defending champions Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after coach Lionel Scaloni named a 26-man squad featuring 17 players from the 2022 title-winning team.
Amritsar police have successfully dismantled a cross-border illegal arms and drug smuggling module, arresting two individuals and recovering over 2 kg of heroin and six sophisticated pistols. The arrested accused were reportedly receiving consignments via drones from across the border for distribution within Punjab.
Amritsar police have successfully dismantled a cross-border illegal arms and drug smuggling module, arresting two individuals and recovering over 2 kg of heroin and six sophisticated pistols. The arrested accused were reportedly receiving consignments via drones from across the border for distribution within Punjab.
Indian golfer Karandeep Kochhar finished the first day of the USD 500,000 IGPL Bharath Classic in tied second place with a round of 6-under 66, just one shot behind leader Runchanapong Youprayong. Other Indian golfers like Aryan Roopa Anand also performed well, while Kochhar expressed satisfaction with his improved putting and readiness for upcoming rounds.
Yuvraj Sandhu of India had a tough start at the Austrian Alpine Open, carding 1-over 71 and placing T-100. Yanhan Zhou of China leads with 8-under 62.
Amritsar Police arrested four individuals linked to a cross-border arms smuggling module, recovering seven sophisticated pistols. The investigation revealed connections to Pakistan-based smugglers using drones for delivery.
Punjab Police have arrested a suspect linked to an alleged firearms and narcotics trafficking module, recovering seven sophisticated pistols and 2.1 kg of heroin.
Anna Kalinskaya reached her maiden French Open quarterfinal with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7) win over 28th seed Anastasia Potapova on Monday, marking only the second time the Russian has entered that stage of a Grand Slam.
Seventh seed Taylor Fritz was stunned by fellow American Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the French Open on Sunday.
