Read for 2 minutes18 Jun 2026 09:36 PM IST Mario Miranda’s Lutolim in South Goa now has another claim to fame. One of the many characters that Miranda drew in his goofy roles in Salsete might be Reduldo Araujo, with a football at his feet. His grandson, Maximiliano Araujo, became the first Indian-origin player to score in a FIFA World Cup, as he netted for Uruguay in a 1–1 draw against Saudi Arabia. The Uruguayan team member since 2023 has a remote, distant link to Lautolim but his grandfather traces his roots to the large cultural village 10 km from

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 11:04 PM IST Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, is currently under medical supervision and recovering from a health condition, the Messi family confirmed in an official statement on Thursday. The family expressed deep dismay at the “lack of sensitivity, respect and decency” shown by some when discussing the private matter and urged the media and public to refrain from speculation. “We ask for responsibility, caution and humanity. A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media attention,” the statement said. The

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Read for 2 minutes18 Jun 2026 10:14 PM IST Lionel Messi kept the match ball after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s World Cup opener and plans to have it signed by his teammates before adding it to his personal collection at his home near Barcelona, ​​Argentine newspaper Clarin said. Argentina kit crews retrieved the ball after the final whistle and Argentina Football Association president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia personally carried it out of the stadium shortly before midnight in Kansas City. Messi’s wife Antonella Roccuzzo and sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro watched the match from the stands. The next

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Read 3 minutes18 June 2026 06:40 AM IST Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticized for the way he played in Portugal’s first game at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ronaldo endured a lackluster day in the park at Houston Stadium. The match against Congo ended in a 1-1 draw Joao Neves’ 6th minute goal was canceled out by Yone Wiese’s strike in the first half. Ronaldo, despite playing most of the game as the spearhead of Portugal’s attack, couldn’t do much. In fact, there was a point (in the 68th minute) when Francisco Conceicao outpaced Ronaldo and the forward fired his

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 03:30 PM IST FIFA World Cup 2026 Points Table Update: The 2026 FIFA World Cup edition has got off to an interesting start with many of the top teams facing sluggish contests in the opening weeks of the 12 groups. The expanded 48-team format was expected to see a host of first-round encounters, although many unheralded sides made their first impressions against football’s giants. 2010 champions Spain were held to a goalless draw in their opening match in Group H, the same group shared by Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were held

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Read 3 minutes18 Jun 2026 01:56 PM IST Anyone from Bengal knows about Amalfi, a town of less than 30,000 people nestled in the Colombian Andes. However, if you visit the mayor’s office of the municipality of Amalfi, you will be able to establish a connection with Bengal. A photograph of a Royal Bengal Tiger is prominently displayed. Statues of animals are standing all over the city. Legend has it that around 1949, this beast terrorized the region and devoured more than a thousand head of cattle. Desperate, the five decided to hunt the tiger and were successful. Historians later

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 03:35 PM IST South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said it was unfortunate to see a drone flying over his training base ahead of their second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against hosts Mexico in Guadalajara. The AP reported that the Mexican military intercepted and brought down the drone, and Hong said it was good that the object was in the sky before the team began working on their tactics for the match. Mexico vs South Korea will be played on Thursday (Friday, 6.30 am IST) at the Guadalajara Stadium, the fourth of

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Read for 2 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 01:27 PM IST Qatar brought an exciting side to the World Cup by treating a large number of supporters to an all-expenses-paid trip to North America. About 1,000 Qatari fans have landed in Vancouver on a jet chartered by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ahead of Thursday’s match against Canada. Fans have stayed at posh hotels including the Fairmont and JW Marriott Park. Beating the traditional Darbuka drums, they march towards the city. “First of all I would like to thank everyone who went the extra mile and traveled here,”

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Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 12:14 PM IST By Curry Barker the obsessionThe horror film, which grossed nearly $300 million from a $750,000 budget, is about a man who gets what he wants, then destroys it. Roberto Martinez should book the ticket. On Wednesday night, through two missed chances, 25 touches and zero shots on target, Martinez’s insistence on keeping Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting XI was less about tactical stubbornness and more about the kind of devotion that clouded decision-making. You can’t blame Ronaldo for wanting to start every game at 41. That competitive appetite is, in its

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Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 09:29 AM IST Thierry Henry was right. Analyzing Portugal’s performance on FOX, the former Arsenal striker and 1998 World Cup winner with France broke down a second-half passage of play involving Francisco Conceição and Bruno Fernandes to explain what Ronaldo is doing wrong. Also read | — Marc Geschwind (@MarcGeschwind) 17 June 2026 Also read | FIFA World Cup 2026 Standings After Round 1: Latest Group Standings, Key Match Results

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