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.
Portugal and Croatia's World Cup last-32 clash on Thursday could be Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric's final game on soccer's biggest stage, and the massive moment will unfold at the tournament's smallest venue.
Former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman reflects on Lionel Messi's 2006 World Cup debut, stating he always believed the then 18-year-old would become one of the game's defining figures and that every minute on the pitch was crucial for his development.
With less than a month to go, football fans have all fingers -- and toes -- crossed, notes Kanika Datta.
Real Madrid great Jose Emilio Santamaria, a defender who won four European Cups with the club, has died at the age of 96, the Spanish side announced on Wednesday.
Packed with legendary players and remarkable milestones, these fascinating FIFA World Cup facts offer a glimpse into the tournament's rich history.
Cape Verde head into the biggest match in their football history full of belief, with coach Pedro Leitao Brito insisting his side will play "with courage" against defending champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
As PSG prepare for another showdown, against Arsenal at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, the Georgian has become one of the symbols of Luis Enrique's exhilarating side, adding improvisation and menace to a team already overflowing with attacking talent.
The 2026 World Cup has been marred by widespread controversy surrounding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, with coaches, players, and fans criticising its application, consistency, and impact on match outcomes, leading to a significant increase in interventions and red cards.
Lionel Messi, nearing 39, has broken the World Cup all-time goal-scoring record with 18 goals, surpassing Marta and Miroslav Klose. This latest achievement adds to his illustrious career, which includes numerous club and international titles, cementing his status as one of football's greatest players.
Japan v Tunisia marks 1,000th FIFA World Cup match
Investigators are looking at whether members of Maradona's medical team did not adequately treat the former soccer star, who played for teams around the world including Napoli, Barcelona and Boca Juniors.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received a signed Lionel Messi jersey and expressed his excitement on social media.
Judge Julieta Makintach stood down from the case after a video surfaced in recent days showing her apparently being interviewed by a camera crew as part of a documentary in the corridors of the Buenos Aires courthouse and in her office.
This is the first Golden Ball to go for auction and while the value is still to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions on June 6.
Maradona death trial stirs emotions, anger in Argentina
According to reports, there were instances of several robberies as people were robbed off their mobile phones in the melee outside the presidential palace.
A giant mural by artist Martin Ron depicts the late football legend Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
'It is over and I can clearly state without fear of being contradicted that Maradona has never been a tax evader.'
On Wednesday, tens of thousands of Argentines took to the streets to mourn him, leaving flowers and messages at his childhood home and former soccer club Boca Juniors.
Dominic Xavier pays homage to arguably the greatest footballer the world has seen.
Maradona's massive wake sparked some criticism on social media, especially as the government had limited the number of people who could attend wakes and funerals to contain the virus.
In total, he has scored 788 career goals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the passing away of the Argentine legend.
Satadru Dutta's rise was swift and ambitious. But that journey took a dramatic nosedive on Saturday.
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini celebrated the club's return to the Champions League after 20 years following a 2-1 win over Elche that secured a top-five finish in La Liga.
"Football and the world of sports has lost one of its greatest players today. Rest in Peace Diego Maradona! You shall be missed," Tendulkar tweeted.
Retired Brazilian soccer star Pele mourned the death of Argentine great Diego Maradona on Wednesday, following confirmation he had died of a heart attack earlier in the day.
The Maradonian religion has spread to several countries around the world and has more half a million followers.
Maradona wore Argentina's No. 10 shirt in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England in Mexico.
Diego Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020. He was 60 when he breathed his last.
Hundreds of blue and white Napoli scarves were tied to railings outside the stadium, and flowers, childrens' pictures, church candles and even a bottle of wine were laid out along the pavement in a rapidly expanding, makeshift shrine.
Pope Francis is a lifelong fan of the Buenos Aires San Lorenzo soccer team.
Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour began amid chaos and vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium, but for former India players Dipendu Biswas and Syed Rahim Nabi, it still turned into the moment of a lifetime in Kolkata on Saturday.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was among the first in the Indian sporting fraternity to take to Twitter to pay his tributes to Diego Maradona.
Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has reportedly been accused of assaulting his former girlfriend, who has video footage of an altercation in which the football icon allegedly hit her.
Maradona told friends during the coronavirus lockdown that when he died he wanted to be embalmed
The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his infamous "Hand of God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup is expected to sell for at least 4 million pounds ($5.23 million
Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona is in recovery after a "successful" surgery to treat a subdural hematoma, a blood clot on the brain, a source close to the former World Cup winner said late on Tuesday.
