Factbox on Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi who won the Ballon d'Or for world player of the year for an unprecedented fourth successive time on Monday.
France captain Kylian Mbappe became his country's all-time leading scorer with a double against Senegal at the World Cup on Tuesday.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata in the wee hours on Wednesday but more than 1500 frenzied fans were left heartbroken as securitymen whisked the Argentine superstar away through the VIP gate.
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'.
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.
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.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
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.
Legendary Indian goalkeeper Brahmananda Sankhwalkar reflects on the emotional FIFA World Cup exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Junior. He discusses their unfulfilled World Cup dreams, their rivalry with Lionel Messi, and the circumstances of their respective team's eliminations, highlighting their enduring legacy despite the absence of a World Cup trophy.
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.
What should have been a landmark footballing moment in Kolkata turned into a cautionary tale on Saturday morning, as Lionel Messi's brief appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium was cut short amid crowd mismanagement
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.
According to ANI, citing sources, reported that the footballers will stay overnight at the facility, hosted by Anant Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries Limited.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Passed the milestone of 200 goals for Barcelona in November 2011 and is fast closing in on the Catalan club's record marksman Cesar Rodriguez, who scored 235.
Stating that she was shocked and deeply disturbed by the 'mismanagement' at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the incident.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a high-level probe into the alleged mismanagement at the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata, after fans were unable to catch a glimpse of the football star.
Lionel Messi eyes owning a club after playing days are done
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.
Lamine Yamal exploded into view at 16 and became an integral part of Spain's record fourth European Championship triumph in 2024.
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.
Following a dominant group stage performance, Argentina is now preparing to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
MLS begins a transformative season with Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and record transfers as North America prepares to host the World Cup.
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.
A factbox on Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi
'Icons like Messi inspire us and that inspiration matters deeply. But inspiration must be met with intent.'
Messi confirms Hyderabad stop on GOAT Tour
Hyderabad stadium decked up for Messi's Magic
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.
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.
A newly-married couple in Kolkata revealed that they cancelled their honeymoon to catch a glimpse of Messi 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.
Messi is currently at the Mumbai airport and is expected to leave shortly for the final set of engagements, which includes an appearance at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium for a ticketed event.
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.
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 much-hyped visit to the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday lasted 22 minutes, just enough to underline everything that is wrong in Indian football and the state administration's mismanagement.
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.
