Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni lauded his team's ability to perform under pressure, stating they 'play its best football when it's under pressure' after their dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against England secured a spot in the World Cup final.
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.
Japan's Yuto Nagatomo made history by becoming the first Asian player to feature in five FIFA World Cups during Japan's 1-1 draw against Sweden. This achievement places him among an elite group of players globally. The draw secured both Japan and Sweden's advancement to the Round of 32 in the 2026 tournament.
Ichhapur tea-seller Shib Shankar Patra is one of two diehard fans handpicked for a special meet-and-greet with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
The FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina garnered nearly 63 million viewers in the United States, setting new viewership records and highlighting football's increasing popularity in the country.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to kick off a friendly football match to be attended by legend Lionel Messi during his visit to Hyderabad on December 13.
The 2026 Hockey World Cup saw Argentina break the Netherlands' dominance in women's hockey, while Germany successfully defended their men's title. The tournament, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium, featured simultaneous men's and women's events, highlighting shifting hierarchies and India's mixed performance with promising women's results and disappointing men's outcomes.
Messi's return to Barca not realistic, says club president Laporta
Following a dominant group stage performance, Argentina is now preparing to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
Multi-champions Brazil, Argentina and Germany all won their preparatory games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, although by small margins, with former champion England and hopeful Portugal also securing victories.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on Saturday virtually unveiled his towering 70-foot statue at Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata.
The minister had earlier insisted that the Messi-led Argentina side would visit the state as announced by the government, and that the sponsor had already paid the match fee for the event.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has strongly condemned the post-match clashes that marred the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, calling the behaviour of Argentina's players 'unacceptable' after his side lifted the trophy with a dramatic extra-time victory.
Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty in the 70th minute to give France a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup last 16, setting up a quarter-final clash with Morocco. The goal also brought Mbappe level with Lionel Messi as the tournament's top scorer.
Portugal and their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo were left frustrated after being held to a 1-1 draw by Group K rivals Democratic Republic of Congo in their World Cup clash in a sodden Houston.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the highest-scoring edition in the tournament's history, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals set in Qatar 2022. The record was broken during the United States vs. Turkey match, with Auston Trusty's goal marking the 173rd, and the total quickly rising to 175 goals by the 59th match. This achievement is attributed to FIFA's expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, leading to 104 matches compared to 64 in 2022.
Egypt's national football coach, Hossam Hassan, has vehemently blamed 'unfair' refereeing decisions and 'external factors' for his team's dramatic World Cup elimination by Argentina, stating he will no longer watch the tournament.
The West Bengal government plans to remove the football-themed sculpture outside Salt Lake Stadium, designed by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and upgrade the venue's infrastructure.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has sent his signed 2022 World Cup victorious jersey to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 75th birthday.
Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has questioned some refereeing decisions involving Argentina ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, saying aggressive play should not go unpunished.
Argentina's national football team anticipates a challenging last-16 World Cup match against Egypt, following a hard-fought victory over Cape Verde. Players Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina emphasised the increasing competitiveness of international football, highlighting that no easy games remain in the tournament, as they prepare for a stern test from the highly motivated Egyptian side.
Lionel Messi's programme in Hyderabad was in stark contrast to the mayhem in Kolkata as the second leg of the GOAT India Tour ended on a positive note thanks to thorough preparations, sound planning, and discipline.
The police in Kolkata have arrested the organiser of the event surrounding Argentine footballer Lionel Messi's visit to the Salt Lake Stadium after chaos broke out when the superstar stayed only for a few minutes and was not visible to most fans in attendance.
'...we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion, but we will definitely return to visit India.'
Argentina's national team unveiled a revamped 31-man squad on Monday, led by Lionel Messi, for the South American qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador for the 2026 World Cup.
Matthew Hayden cautions young cricketers against blindly copying Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fearless batting style, backs Shubman Gill's consistency, and raises concerns over the future of bilateral ODI cricket amid the franchise boom.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died on Monday aged 88.
Lionel Messi has been suspended for one game after sitting out the MLS All-Star Game without prior approval, the league said on Friday.
Guillermo Ochoa said he has entered his final Mexico training camp as the veteran goalkeeper closes in on a historic sixth FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni discussed his team's hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup last-32, emphasising the unexpected difficulty of the match despite being heavy favourites. He praised his players' resilience and character, acknowledging the physical toll and the need for improvement, while also highlighting the unique "suffering" inherent in being Argentine in football.
'They don't allow me to be on the field anymore.'
France head coach Didier Deschamps made World Cup history by becoming the most successful manager in terms of victories after France's dominant 3-0 win over Sweden, with Kylian Mbapp starring once again to send Les Bleus into the Round of 16.
Spain's teenage winger Lamine Yamal says he has plenty of improvement left in his fledgling career with fans not yet having seen the best.
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.
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia says FIFA's expanded 48-team World Cup format significantly improves India's chances of qualification while creating new opportunities for emerging football nations across Asia and beyond.
Football icon Lionel Messi arrived in Mumbai around noon on Sunday under "World Cup level" security measures, marking the second day of his four-city 'GOAT India Tour 2025'.
The match ball from Argentina's 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England - made famous by Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal - is set to go up for auction with a $2.5-million opening bid, Heritage Auctions said.
Rodri, Spain's midfield maestro, completed his collection of major football prizes by winning the World Cup, less than two years after a significant knee injury. Named the tournament's best player, he joins an elite group of footballers. Rodri highlighted the importance of overcoming adversity and praised his team's collective effort in their hard-fought victory against Argentina.
Football icon Lionel Messi was in the stands at the Miami Open, watching Novak Djokovic cruise past Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals on Saturday.
