While Mbappe and Messi currently lead the charts, Haaland, Kane, Dembele, and Vinicius Junior are all within striking distance, setting up an intense battle for the tournament's top scorer award in the matches ahead.
Pochettino expects a "very tough game" against Paraguay, praising their aggression and discipline.
The 34-year-old Neymar faces two to three more weeks on the sidelines.
Inspirational Lionel Messi would like to end his glittering career on a high as Argentina begin their World Cup defence on June 17 against Algeria in their Group J encounter.
New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh, the first Sikh footballer to play at a FIFA World Cup, hopes his historic appearance will inspire more players of Indian and South Asian heritage to reach football's biggest stage.
Indian wushu player Aparna won a gold medal in the women's 52kg category at the 11th Sanda World Cup in Macau, defeating Vietnam's Thi Phuong Nga Ngo in the final.
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.
Brazil forward Neymar will not travel with the squad for their second World Cup group game against Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday as he continues to recover from a calf injury, the Brazilian football association said.
Brazil showed their attacking intent from the outset and thought they had taken an early lead when Raphinha finished from Bruno Guimaraes' clever through ball. However, the celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.
Nikhat, Jaismine and four other Indian boxers march into finals
Cape Verde pulled off a World Cup shock by holding Spain to a 0-0 draw in the opening game of Group H on Monday, where the European champions and one of the tournament favourites could find no way past the debutants and their keeper Vozinha.
Football fans in Kerala's Pullavoor village have created a unique floating stadium with cutouts of the Argentine squad in a river, showcasing their intense passion for the upcoming World Cup. This elaborate display continues a tradition of fervent fan support in the region.
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.
Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes the Indian women's cricket team are favourites for the upcoming T20 World Cup, highlighting their familiarity with English conditions and the return of key players.
Ronald Koeman says the Netherlands have the quality to beat any team at the World Cup despite not being favourites, while injury concerns linger over Jurrien Timber and Memphis Depay.
Sweden trio Yasin Ayari, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres were all on target as they cruised to a 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey on Sunday.
Germany gave debutants Curacao a reality check, as the former champions won 7-1 to kick-start their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a big win.
Sahil Jadhav, the reigning World University Games champion, secured his first Archery World Cup medal, a bronze in the compound men's event at Stage 2 in Shanghai, defeating Denmark's Martin Damsbo.
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.
Switzerland found the keys to break down a resolute Bosnia and Herzegovina defence with four late goals in a 4-1 win thanks to a brace from Johan Manzambi and further strikes from fellow substitute Ruben Vargas and captain Granit Xhaka with a penalty.
Belgium secured top spot in Group G and a place in the World Cup round of 32 after a dominant 5-1 victory over New Zealand.
Cape Verde's heroic goalkeeper Vozinha will have his mother in the stands when he next takes to the pitch at the World Cup on Sunday, after US officials moved to ensure she could obtain a visa in time.
Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich. The duo scored 483.6 in the final, finishing behind China's Qianxun Yao and Kai Hu.
United States President Donald Trump paid homage to soccer great Pele after being met with boos and cheers from the crowd at the Club World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The United States defeated Bosnia 2-0 to advance to the World Cup round of 16. Malik Tillman scored the decisive goal from a free kick after Folarin Balogun was sent off, having previously opened the scoring. This marks their first knockout win since 2002.
Lionel Messi is dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup, Inter Miami said on Monday after the Argentine forward was forced off in his final club match before the tournament.
Luka Modric scored to put Croatia ahead before they edged Slovenia 2-1 in the international friendly before the World Cup.
Defending champions New Zealand were knocked out of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 as England triumphed by nine wickets at the Oval in London on Sunday.
Curacao fans will have woken up the morning after still a little hurt by the 7-1 defeat to Germany in their World Cup debut on Sunday, but the result has not dampened their spirit or their delight at a first global finals for the tiny island nation.
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday, a heavyweight Group L opener that could set the tone for both teams' tournament ambitions.
A dominant 6-0 victory for Canada over Qatar in a World Cup 2026 Group B match in Vancouver was marred by a heated post-game confrontation between players and coaching staffs. Tensions escalated after two red cards for Qatar and Canada's continued attacking play, leading to a fiery exchange between coaches Jesse Marsch and Julen Lopetegui.
The challenge for manager Thomas Tuchel has a tough task in a tricky group with Croatia, Ghana and Panama, while ensuring reliance on Harry Kane does not become over-dependence by encouraging tactical flexibility.
Five-times champions Brazil came back strongly from a one goal deficit to beat Japan 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash at the Houston Stadium on Monday.
With less than a month to go, football fans have all fingers -- and toes -- crossed, notes Kanika Datta.
Erling Haaland struck a dramatic last-gasp winner to send Norway through to the next round of the 2026 World Cup, knocking Ivory Coast out in heartbreaking fashion.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, representing esports and gaming content outfit S8UL, has qualified for the chess event of the upcoming Esports World Cup in Paris.
Indian shooters Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan won gold in the 10m air rifle mixed team event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Cairo, setting a new world record score. India now leads the medal tally with four gold medals.
Smriti Mandhana said India's failure to bowl enough dot balls cost them the T20I series against England and urged the team to learn from the setback ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet Kaur's return to form was a major positive.
A record eight players aged 40 or older have been selected to play at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States - one more than at all the past 22 tournaments combined.
Spain arrive into their Group H clash against Saudi Arabia needing a sharper attacking display after being held to a shock 0-0 draw by World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their opening match in Atlanta.
