Riyad Mahrez, the Algerian football star, has announced his retirement from international football following Algeria's elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 by Switzerland. Mahrez confirmed his decision after Algeria's 2-0 defeat, concluding a distinguished career with 119 appearances, 40 goals, and 45 assists, including a pivotal role in Algeria's 2019 Africa Cup of Nations victory.
Algeria's coach Vladimir Petkovic attributed his team's 2-0 defeat to Switzerland and subsequent World Cup exit to costly defensive errors. He acknowledged the higher level of competition at the tournament and praised his team's overall performance, considering their return to the World Cup after 12 years and reaching the group stage a success despite the elimination.
Austria and Algeria played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in their final World Cup Group J match, with two stoppage-time goals ensuring both teams progressed to the Round of 32, while eliminating Iran. Argentina topped the group, with Austria finishing second and Algeria advancing as a best third-placed side.
Switzerland secured a vital 2-0 victory over Algeria propelling them into the Round of 16.
Algeria rallied to eliminate debutants Jordan and keep their Round of 32 hopes alive at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
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.
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.
Israel has implemented new aviation security directives, barring pilots and cabin crew from countries without diplomatic ties, including Pakistan, from entering its airspace. This follows a hijacking attempt last month on a flight to Israel, where Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was injured while thwarting the plot. The restrictions affect over two dozen nationalities and have prompted airlines like Air France and United Airlines to adjust crew assignments.
Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra has secured a medal at the Badminton World Junior Championships in Cairo after winning his quarterfinal match on Thursday. He will now compete in the semi-finals on Friday.
World-record holder Alison dos Santos secured victory in the men's 400m hurdles, while Djamel Sedjati surprisingly won the men's 800m on the final day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Other winners included Jasmine Jones (women's 400m hurdles), Rumesh Pathirage (men's javelin), and Likina Amebaw (women's 5,000m) at the event in Budapest, which featured a record $10 million prize pot.
TasteAtlas has compiled its 50 top-rated deep-fried specialities from around the globe. Three Indian favourites earned places on the list.
Brazil football legend Neymar Jr has penned an emotional tribute to Argentina icon Lionel Messi as Messi prepares for his final international match against Benin. Neymar, a former teammate at Barcelona and PSG, expressed gratitude for Messi's contributions to football and wished him well for his farewell game. The article also recaps Messi's illustrious international career, including his World Cup and Copa America triumphs, and his records as Argentina's most-capped player and highest goal scorer.
Indian athlete Basant Kumar Meghwal clinched a silver medal in the men's high jump event at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA. Achieving a personal best of 2.21m, Meghwal contributed to India's growing medal tally, which also includes a silver from Ashish Yadav in javelin throw.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick likened his side's dramatic 3-3 World Cup draw with Algeria to an Alfred Hitchcock film, dismissing conspiracy theories and calling it the most incredible match of his coaching career.
Johan Manzambi continued his superb FIFA World Cup campaign by setting up Switzerland's opener in a 2-0 win over Algeria, ending the Swiss side's 88-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory and securing a place in the Round of 16.
A stampede occurred in central Amman during a crowded gathering of fans watching Jordan's World Cup match against Algeria, resulting in one death and eight injuries. The incident took place at Hashemite Square due to heavy congestion and crowd movement.
Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, said his grandfather had supported him in switching international allegiance to Algeria, after playing for France at junior level.
This is the fifth time that the Algerians will be at the World Cup
Lionel Messi equalled the men's World Cup all-time scoring record with a hat-trick in Argentina's Group J opener against Algeria on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men's FIFA World Cup history on Monday, netting his 17th tournament goal during Argentina's match against Austria.
Jorge Messi, father of football icon Lionel Messi and his long-time representative, has passed away at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina, after a prolonged illness. He was a crucial pillar of support throughout his son's career, from his early days at Barcelona to his current stint with Inter Miami.
An emotional Lionel Messi was wiping his tears with his shirt after scoring Argentina's first goal against Algeria in the World Cup, a strike that marked the beginning of a memorable performance where he netted thrice to secure a 3-0 win.
The complete schedule and all the results of FIFA World Cup 2026 in IST.
Argentina, having secured top spot in Group J, will face Jordan in their final group match with an eye on the knockout stage. Coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to rotate the squad, potentially resting Lionel Messi, while Jordan aims to conclude their debut World Cup campaign on a positive note despite early elimination.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated that banks must dispose of immovable assets acquired against bad loans within seven years through public auction, effective October 1, 2026, and has also barred their sale back to the original borrower or related parties.
Lionel Messi broke the FIFA World Cup scoring record, but his achievement was overshadowed by controversial refereeing decisions.
Young Indian cyclist Harshita Jakhar has made history by becoming the first Indian woman to participate in the Tour de France Femmes. The 19-year-old led a pack of international cyclists during a ceremonial start at Stage 2 of the prestigious race, an opportunity provided by the UCI World Cycling Talent programme. Jakhar, who aims for medals in future Asian Games, expressed her gratitude for the chance to ride in her dream event.
Lionel Messi's record-breaking night draws ultimate praise from former record-holder Miroslav Klose.
Swiss football fans expressed pride in their national team despite a 3-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals, marking the end of an 'exceptional campaign' that captivated the country.
Iran's bid for a first World Cup knockout stage appearance ended dramatically after Austria's late equaliser against Algeria denied them a spot. Despite remaining unbeaten, the team faced significant logistical challenges and travel restrictions due to their conflict with the U.S., which captain Mehdi Taremi described as a "disaster."
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, on the eve of his 39th birthday, demonstrated his unwavering commitment to Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign by engaging in an intense gym session. The football legend, who is already the FIFA World Cup's all-time top goalscorer, is leading Argentina into the Round of 16 and continues to break records with his exceptional performance.
Switzerland are preparing for a fiery contest on and off the pitch against Colombia as they gear up for what they expect to be their toughest test of the tournament in Tuesday's World Cup round-of-16 clash, midfielder Ardon Jashari said on Sunday.
A former FIFA referee has questioned the new VAR protocol after fresh controversy involving Argentina, warning that fan confidence in World Cup officiating has been "completely eroded."
Long jumper Shahnavaz Khan and high jumper Basant Kumar Meghwal, both recent World Athletics U20 Championships medalists, are now setting their sights on podium finishes at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve their personal bests.
Basant Kumar Meghwal and Shahnavaz Khan became the first Indians to win a medal each in high jump and long jump at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
Lionel Messi is poised to further cement his legendary status as Argentina faces Austria in a crucial FIFA World Cup Group J match. Following a record-breaking hat-trick against Algeria, Messi is on the verge of equalling or surpassing several all-time World Cup records, including consecutive goals, total goals, and match victories. The football world watches as he leads Argentina against a formidable Austrian side.
Following a dominant group stage performance, Argentina is now preparing to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that star player Lionel Messi will start on the bench for their final World Cup Group F match against Jordan.
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.
