Argentina midfielder Rodrigo de Paul highlights Lionel Messi's contentment and record-breaking performance as a significant morale booster for the team, who are 'one step away' from another World Cup final and preparing to face England.
Lionel Messi's Argentina celebrate after their come-from-behind win over England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
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.
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.
Argentina and England are set to clash in a World Cup semi-final, marking their first such encounter, a match deeply rooted in decades of historical and footballing rivalry, including infamous incidents involving Antonio Rattin, Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal, and the Falklands War.
Alexis MacAllister has puts Argentina ahead in the10th minute.
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.
Cape Verde pulled off a stunning 2-2 draw against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.
A 70-foot statue of football legend Lionel Messi was removed from Kolkata's Lake Town area on Monday after concerns were raised about its safety.
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 sparked injury concerns after he left the field in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami CF's 6-4 victory over Philadelphia Union
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
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.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received a signed Lionel Messi jersey and expressed his excitement on social media.
Messi has been accompanied throughout the tour by Luis Surez and Rodrigo De Paul. During his Mumbai visit, the football icon met Parth Jindal, owner of Bengaluru FC and co-owner of Delhi Capitals.
Sports event organiser Satadru Dutta alleges that political interference, security failures, and administrative lapses led to the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata last December, claiming he was made a scapegoat.
Lionel Messi's final stop on his G.O.A.T India Tour produced a memorable crossover moment between football and cricket in New Delhi on Monday.
The Wankhede crowd went in to tizzy when India's cricket God and the Argentine football captain came together on stage and exchanged pleasantries and presents.
MLS begins a transformative season with Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and record transfers as North America prepares to host the World Cup.
Hyderabad delivered the perfect footballing spectacle on Saturday night as Lionel Messi lit up the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, offering fans a sharply contrasting experience to the chaos that had unfolded earlier in Kolkata.
Sunil Chhetri penned an emotional tribute after meeting his childhood idol Lionel Messi during the Argentine legend's GOAT India Tour event at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Indian spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav opens up about meeting Argentina football icon Lionel Messi during the latter's visit to the national capital as a part of his 'GOAT India Tour 2025'.
Inter Miami secured their first MLS Cup crown on Saturday, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium as Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende struck late from a pair of Lionel Messi assists.
Lionel Messi lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the final leg of his G.O.A.T India Tour got underway in Delhi on Monday.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team to the White House on Thursday as he boasted about the United States' ongoing operation in Iran.
According to ANI, citing sources, reported that the footballers will stay overnight at the facility, hosted by Anant Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries Limited.
The Lionel Messi G.O.A.T. India Tour that began in shambolic fashion ended in a blaze of glory as devotional fans joyously gathered to catch a glimpse of a man that does things on the field that are often beyond human comprehension.
Argentine football icon Lionel Messi arrived in Hyderabad for the second leg of his GOAT India Tour 2025 on Saturday evening, after a chaotic start to the much-anticipated event in Kolkata.
Messi, accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Surez and Rodrigo De Paul, was accorded a traditional welcome, featuring folk music, floral greetings and a ceremonial 'Aarti'.
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'.
While most fans were left disappointed at the stadium, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan did get his moment with the football legend.
"Game Set Match... So it's now confirmed and official. World Cup winner Argentine superstar Rodrigo De Paul and Uruguayan and Barcelona legend Luis Surez will join Messi for the 'GOAT Tour to India 2025' Vamos," posted organiser Satadru Dutta on social media.
For long stretches, the atmosphere felt less Mumbai and more Camp Nou. Chants of 'Barca... Barca' and 'Suarez... Suarez' echoed through the stands as Messi interacted with youngsters, celebrities and former India football captain Sunil Chhetri.
A newly-married couple in Kolkata revealed that they cancelled their honeymoon to catch a glimpse of Messi in Kolkata.
Between 9 and 13 December, the Argentina Football Fans Club of Kolkata is turning Aikatan, a cultural hub just a short walk from Salt Lake Stadium, into a full-blown Messi fan zone, drenched in Argentina's blue and white.
Lionel Messi's brief appearance in Kolkata was marred by security breaches and crowd management issues, raising concerns about planning and coordination. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage reveal a chaotic scene with organizers and VIPs crowding the player, leading to his early withdrawal and subsequent protests.
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.
'...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.'
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.
Tendulkar also hoped that 'India also reaches the height that we all aspire to (in football).'
