Read 3 minutes17 June 2026 10:40 AM IST Lionel Messi opened his record sixth World Cup with a sensational performance as Argentina beat Algeria in their Group I opener in Kansas City on Tuesday night. Exactly 20 years after making his World Cup debut that saw him become Argentina’s youngest ever World Cup scorer, Messi dazzled in his 200th international cap to kick off a blistering start for the reigning world champions. Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute, beating a shot from the left past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane (son of French legend Zinedine Zidane) from open play

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Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 17, 2026 02:38 PM IST With a hat-trick in Argentina’s Group J opener against Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium on Wednesday, World Cup winner Lionel Messi not only tied Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the top scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals, but also became the oldest player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup. The 38-year-old Argentina star’s hat-trick came 20 years after his FIFA World Cup debut when he came on as a substitute in a group match against Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Messi’s

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Read for 5 minutesJune 17, 2026 12:31 PM IST It will also be the first time coach Thomas Tuchel has led England at a FIFA World Cup as England face Croatia in their Group L opener in Dallas on Wednesday. The 52-year-old German, who was appointed England head coach in 2024, is only the third foreign coach for England in their football history with Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello the first two. As England chase the World Cup trophy, a title that has eluded them since 1966, Tuchel shared that he is not yet ready to sing the national

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Read 3 minutes17 June 2026 11:13 AM IST After scoring a blockbuster hat-trick against Algeria on Argentina’s opening night at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi revealed he is drawing inspiration from An Unlikely Corner, a Netflix documentary series featuring the tennis legend. After Argentina won 3-0 on the strength of his first World Cup hat-trick in the 200th international, Messi revealed that he was inspired by Rafael Nadal’s journey through the lens of his four-part documentary, released on May 29 this year. Despite injury concerns in the lead-up to the World Cup, Messi put all worries to rest

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Bruno Fernandes There was once a coach who told him that if he wanted to be a top player, he should be a central defender, and if he wanted to be just a good player, he should be a midfielder. Bruno chose the latter and is now proving his prediction wrong and showing that sometimes it’s best to listen to one’s instincts. “I wanted to be the best of them all. And if I need to nutmeg someone, I’ll do it – I don’t care,” he said on the Manchester United podcast in 2020. His devil-may-care attitude occasionally doesn’t work

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Read 6 minutesNew JerseyUpdated: June 17, 2026 07:03 AM IST For just three seconds, Kylian Mbappe Suspended the game’s own memory. About his day’s troubles, his detachment from the game, the feeling of a stranger trapped in his shirt. Then instinct kicked in, muscle memory took over with robotic precision. When the excellent Michael Ollis threw a pass to his side, he swung and opened his body, carved out space to get around the ball with his right foot and dribbled it past the lunging Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy into the net. The goal in the 66th minute was Mbappe’s

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Read for 5 minutesUpdated: June 17, 2026 12:58 AM IST When a plane from Iraq landed at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport last week, US immigration officials pulled Aymen Hussain aside and detained him for seven hours. His mobile phone was searched before he was admitted. The team photographers were waved off. The 2003 invasion, the years that followed – the embers of what happened in both countries – have not completely cooled, whatever the diplomatic parlance. But Hussain, who will lead Iraq attacks Norway On Tuesday, he joined his colleagues at the hotel without stress. He has a bad habit. He

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“Not only the population of Argentina, but everyone – the whole planet – wants to see him play,” Scaloni said before the game. “Everyone wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an impact not only on Argentina fans, but on supporters around the world.” Scroll down to read all latest updates on Argentina vs Algeria match in FIFA World Cup 2026 Why Messi who plays like Xavi works for Argentina Messi wants to equalize with Messi himself, creating a tribute act to himself. (AP) The bridge is irresistible; To win it, to win it again. If Lionel

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Read 3 minutes16 Jun 2026 03:50 PM IST Hervé Renard has been appointed Head coach of Tunisia Until the end of the FIFA World Cup, replacing Sabri Lamochi, who was sacked in the wake of the country’s 5-1 defeat by Sweden in the tournament’s opener in Monterrey. The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) confirmed Renard’s appointment on Tuesday, saying the 56-year-old will take charge of the team immediately ahead of their remaining Group F matches against Japan and the Netherlands. “Negotiations will be initiated after the World Cup campaign to consider a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives,” the federation

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Read 3 minutes16 Jun 2026 04:02 PM IST Football brings out all kinds of emotions and a player doesn’t have to play badly to be booed – by his own team’s fans. Just ask Mark Cukure. Unable to send Cape Verde making their World Cup debut Their tournament opener in Atalanta would have been a disappointment, and the constant jeers from the La Rosa supporters throughout the game would not have gone down well with the Spanish left-back, although he was one of his best performers on the day, solid at the back, creating chances and providing an attacking outlet.

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