Argentina's hopes of securing back-to-back World Cup titles were dashed after a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final, leaving fans in Buenos Aires with a "bitter sensation" despite acknowledging Spain's strong performance.
Despite losing the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, the Argentine national football team received a massive hero's welcome upon their return to Buenos Aires. Thousands of passionate fans gathered at Ezeiza International Airport to celebrate their team, demonstrating that their bond with the players transcends mere results and trophies.
Argentina has advanced to the World Cup final after defeating long-time rivals England with two late goals, sparking widespread celebrations across the country, particularly in Cutral Co, Patagonia, home to a new 85-foot statue of Lionel Messi.
Argentina's men's hockey captain, Matias Rey, draws inspiration from football legend Lionel Messi as he leads his team in his sixth World Cup. Rey, like Messi, emphasizes the "never give up" philosophy learned from the national football team's success. The team, including goalkeeper Tomas Santiago, is preparing for a tough match against India, focusing on neutralizing key players like Harmanpreet Singh, while fans show their support by wearing Messi's jersey.
World Cup fever in Argentina, home of the defending champions, has boosted sales of counterfeit jerseys and soccer trading cards, sparking protests from retailers who are already under pressure from President Javier Milei's market-opening policies.
A statue of Lionel Messi in Argentina's capital has been broken in half, with the player's upper body, arms and head removed.
Moved by Lionel Messi's record-breaking form at the World Cup, Argentines have taken to the streets and social media to sing "Happy Birthday" to their favourite footballer who turned 39 on Wednesday.
Argentina's football players displayed a political banner claiming "The Falklands are Argentine" after their World Cup semi-final win against England, potentially violating FIFA's code of conduct.
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will face-off as defending champions Argentina meet reigning European champions Spain in the FIFA World Cup final, in New York on Saturday.
Miloslav "Curby" Urbanec, a Czech music promoter, has transformed his three-storey house in Bukovka into a vibrant shrine dedicated to the Argentine national football team, featuring sky-blue and white paint, a Lionel Messi mural, and a Diego Maradona statue, all stemming from a childhood passion ignited by the 1978 World Cup.
What do you need to know about the MetLife Stadium that will host the 2026 World Cup final?
Ahead of their World Cup semi-final clash against England, Argentina fans are engaging in traditional 'cabalas' or superstitions, including freezing captain Harry Kane's name, to bring their national team good fortune on the pitch.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has made three changes to his starting XI for the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, bringing Reece James and Djed Spence into the defence, while Argentina's Lionel Scaloni makes one switch, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul.
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.
Alexis MacAllister has puts Argentina ahead in the10th minute.
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.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is set to be football's largest tournament but will unfold against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tensions, including conflicts, strained alliances, and complex immigration policies, challenging its traditional role as a symbol of global unity.
Argentina-born Pope Francis, who died on Monday, is being honoured at his local hometown soccer club in Buenos Aires, San Lorenzo de Almagro, where the football-loving head of the Roman Catholic Church remained a member during his 12-year papacy.
The 'Finalissima' match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died on Monday aged 88.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the World champions will stick to the same winning formula that delivered glory at the Qatar 2022 World Cup after on Friday finding out their group opponents for next year's global tournament.
'Being able to finish this way here with my people is what I always dreamed of.'
Diego Maradona's fans will have a chance to snap up memorabilia from the soccer star in an auction on Sunday, just over a year after his death, which will include his iconic cigars, a pair of BMW cars and a luxury villa that Maradona bought his parents.
A sense of euphoria was in the air in the country, particularly in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo, where thousands of jubilant fans crowded to watch the match on a giant screen in the park.
The trend has generated a wave of social media memes and satire, and even the creation of an app that allows you to track where to get the coveted stickers. New stock has been selling out in a matter of hours.
Fans crowded into plazas to watch the game on giant screens, cheering when Messi scored the opening goal -- a penalty -- but groaning and slowly going silent as Saudi Arabia pulled two quick goals back in the second half.
Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country's football confederation (CBF) said on Friday, after the five-times World champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
Fans watching the games at the stadium and on televisions the world over have made the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 even more memorable.
Hundreds of thousands of Argentines poured into the sunlit streets of Buenos Aires on Sunday
Scenes from the champion team's homecoming...
Argentina may have been knocked out of the World Cup in Russia, but plenty of their frustrated fans remain, holding tickets to finals they expected their team to feature in - while hoping desperately that bitter rivals Brazil get eliminated.
The death of Maradona has highlighted the almost cult-like adoration that grew up around the player nicknamed "el dios" (or God), who mesmerised on the pitch and inspired fans off it despite long, public battles with addiction.
The many moods of the fans at the World Cup in Brazil.
The 43-year-old is now breathing without the aid of an artificial respirator and continues to be stable.
Miami's Hard Rock Stadium was awash in Argentine passion as Boca Juniors fans turned it into a little Buenos Aires for their team's 2-2 draw with Benfica on Monday.
Brazil were humiliated 4-1 by bitter rivals Argentina in South American World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday as the pressure mounted on manager Dorival Jr after his side were comprehensively outplayed and fortunate not to lose by more.
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.
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.
He also said he would like to tour the world to thank those who prayed for his health.
Modi met Infantino on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
