Messi, who said he was thoroughly enjoying the ride at his sixth World Cup and giving no thought to retirement, was looking forward to locking horns with 2010 champions Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.
Kylian Mbappe scored two goals, leading France to a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup Round of 32. This win maintains France's perfect record and sets up a last-16 clash with Paraguay, with Mbappe continuing his impressive World Cup scoring streak.
Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil shares his predictions for the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, expressing a personal preference for Lionel Messi's Argentina while acknowledging Spain's strong form and tactical advantages. He anticipates a tough and equal match.
Spain, led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, defeated France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, securing their place in the final. Yamal, who played a crucial role in the victory, has already expressed his team's readiness for the title clash in New York. This marks Spain's first World Cup final appearance since their 2010 triumph.
Almost five decades after Pele ignited Kolkata's romance with Brazilian football, the iconic yellow jersey is set to return to the City of Joy, with the record five-time World Cup champions Brazil scheduled to face India in a landmark international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 3.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday accused the Samajwadi Party of allowing the ancestral house of eminent hockey player KD Singh 'Babu' in Barabanki to go on sale, asserting that his government intervened to prevent it.
Merlin, the pet duck in a mini Mexico shirt who has become a viral sensation and an unofficial mascot of the World Cup, met Mexico's president on Monday.
"With the leverage available, I believe the scheme remains reasonably attractive," said P D Singh, India and South Asia Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, regarding the Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) or FCNR (B) deposits.
LeBron James has announced his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers for the final chapter of his NBA career, foregoing larger salaries for one more shot at a championship with a franchise that has not won a title in 43 years.
Merlin, a domesticated duck dressed in a miniature Mexico shirt and custom socks, has become an unexpected unofficial mascot for Mexico's World Cup team. After going viral during street celebrations, Merlin's popularity soared, with fans embracing the feathered supporter and his owner, Karla Gomez, expressing delight at his newfound fame.
Colombia defeated Ghana 1-0 in a crucial World Cup Round-of-32 match, with Jhon Arias scoring the decisive goal in the 14th minute. This victory propels Colombia into the last 16, where they will face Switzerland.
Ecuador's World Cup nightmare turned into a dream, as La Tri's once seemingly doomed campaign was resurrected against Germany in a remarkable conclusion to Group E on Thursday.
Pant, looking super fit after a three-month injury layoff, took the field for India A against South Africa A at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
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.
Brazil's World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Japan on Monday comes with the chance for revenge for Carlo Ancelotti's squad and a test of how far he has taken his team since a Tokyo collapse early in his tenure.
Immigrants' contribution to the US economy is disproportionate to their share of the population, meaning that losing them would shrink the economy even more than losing a random group of Americans, points out Sree Sreenivasan.
Amid the sea of green that washed over Mexico City after the country's World Cup victory over Ecuador on Tuesday, one shop defiantly hoisted the Ecuadorian flag and welcomed all the downtrodden fans of Mexico's opponents to a place of refuge. Welcome to the Losers Cafe, a coffee shop in the cosmopolitan neighbourhood of Condesa that is comforting fans of the losing teams.
Ahead of Bosnia's World Cup Round of 32 match against the United States, a Bosnian restaurant in Northern California has become a gathering place for passionate fans. For many, the event is more than football-it's a celebration of their culture, resilience, and journey to a new home.
Mexico counts more than 135,000 missing people, a figure that has surged since 2006 when then-President Felipe Calderon launched a war against the country's drug cartels.
Global pop stars Shakira, Madonna and Korean sensation BTS will headline the first-ever halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with proceeds going towards a global education initiative.
Following a dominant group stage performance, Argentina is now preparing to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
With Mariachi costumes, trumpets, and a sea of dark green support, Mexico City has opened the World Cup on Thursday, as fans packed the famous Azteca stadium ahead of the opening game between Mexico and South Africa, amid a backdrop of protests around the capital.
Rudi Garcia's comments about Senegal's tactical structure, along with other pundit remarks, have reignited scrutiny over racially coded language in World Cup commentary, drawing criticism from scholars and anti-racism advocates who argue such language perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Black players and African teams.
Brazil secured their spot in the World Cup knockout stages with a dominant 3-0 victory over Scotland. Vinicius Jr scored twice, continuing his impressive form, while Neymar made his much-anticipated return to the national team after nearly three years. The win saw Brazil top Group C, with Matheus Cunha also contributing a goal. Scotland's hopes now rest on qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams.
The ICC board has formed a committee to assess the impact of the growing franchise cricket leagues on the international cricket calendar, aiming to strike a balance and prevent disruption.
A 43-year-old security manager of the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai has been arrested for allegedly stealing 261 Indian Premier League jerseys.
'As Mayor, I will use my platform to reject any efforts by the Trump administration to curtail immigration.'
Several Indian-American and South Asian candidates are running for key positions in the US elections, including mayoral and gubernatorial races.
South African batter Rassie van der Dussen, 37, has announced his retirement from international cricket after being left out of the centrally-contracted list. He will continue to play domestic cricket for the Lions.
Many fans hadn't even bothered to change their Team India jerseys with which they watched the match. A few wanted to carry on the stadium atmosphere into the train singing songs like Chak De India and Vande Mataram. They played them so loudly and ensured no one got a wink of sleep. Of course, the main topic of discussion was Sanju Samson.
Beyond the three host nations, the highest number of applications came from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.
Abhishek Sharma's recent struggles in the T20 World Cup have raised concerns, but experts believe his confidence remains intact and a strong comeback is imminent.
President Droupadi Murmu met the World Cup-winning Indian women's cricket team at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, where skipper Harmanpreet Kaur presented her a team jersey signed by all the players.
Football giants Italy begin cricket World Cup's maiden campaign against Scotland
West Indies coach Daren Sammy says no team can win the T20 World Cup without beating hosts India, calling them favourites and the biggest hurdle to the title.
'That journey across India has changed me forever.'
USA vice-captain Jasdeep Singh says the team is no longer an underdog and is ready to face India in the T20 World Cup.
Well-known inmates of the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, New York.
Spain cannot meet Argentina and France will not face England before the World Cup final - provided they win their groups - after FIFA on Tuesday announced the draw procedure.
