News of world cup 2026

Messi makes World Cup history to send Argentina into last 32

22-06-2026 16:49 Argentina's skipper scores twice as the Albiceleste defeat Austria 2-0 and secure their place in the knock-out round.

Timeless Messi eyes World Cup record as Argentina face Austria

22-06-2026 11:23 Argentine maestro on the cusp of more footballing history when the World Cup holders face Austria on Monday.

Messi eyes World Cup record and birthday win against Austria

20-06-2026 22:30 Albiceleste captain celebrates his birthday on Wednesday and he will hope to hold the World Cup scoring record outright by then.

World Cup blues in Messi and Milei’s Argentina

20-06-2026 05:59 The World Cup provides partial reprieve for nearly six weeks, especially if Messi & Co are in it for a deep run. Politics, though, continues its course, and Adorni is coming up to the chopping block.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

Unstoppable Messi hits another high with Selección’s solid support

19-06-2026 11:47 Argentina's national team opened their World Cup campaign with a comfortable 3–0 win over Algeria, thanks to a hat trick from the extraterrestrial born in Rosario. Six World Cups, 16 World Cup goals for Messi – and counting...

by Carlos Piro

What we learned after the first round of World Cup 2026 games

18-06-2026 11:33 From Lionel Messi rolling back the years to full stadiums and a Cape Verde team that shocked Spain, here is what we learned after the first round of games at the World Cup.

Messi heads into historic sixth World Cup ‘as excited as ever’

14-06-2026 15:21 Simply by stepping onto the pitch on Tuesday against Algeria, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star will become the first player ever to appear at six World Cups.

Argentina races ahead of storm in first training session with Senesi

14-06-2026 14:56 Defender Marcos Senesi joins the squad in Kansas City as Lionel Scaloni finally has his full group for Argentina's World Cup title defence in the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

All eyes on Messi – but don’t forget the supporting cast

12-06-2026 08:48 Argentina can hurt opponents from anywhere on the pitch. There are plenty of candidates to become Messi’s latest World Cup partner-in-crime.

by Dan Edwards

Dominant Mexico defeat South Africa 2-0 in World Cup opener

11-06-2026 19:04 Dozens of protesters clash with police outside Estadio Azteca; Mexico see off South Africa in bad-tempered opener that saw three red cards.

Messi plushies see roaring trade as China firms get World Cup 2026 boost

10-06-2026 11:42 Sellers in China are betting on the country's lucrative fan market for a big World Cup boost.

Messi scores on return from injury as Argentina beat Iceland in World Cup warm-up

10-06-2026 11:30 With Lionel Messi back from injury to score his 117th international goal, Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 on Tuesday in their final friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Scaloni gives encouraging update on Messi fitness ahead of World Cup

05-06-2026 22:05 National team coach Lionel Scaloni says skipper could play "a few minutes" in upcoming friendly matches, likely one of the two.

Injury-hit Argentina hope to reach full fitness at World Cup

05-06-2026 07:00 The composition of Lionel Scaloni’s squad clearly shows that he is ready to put his faith once more in the boys that took Argentina to glory in Qatar.

by Dan Edwards

Algeria, Austria and Jordan – a look at Argentina’s Group J opponents

03-06-2026 16:06 Albiceleste will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan at the group stage of the 2026 World Cup; Defending champions are the clear favourites to progress in top spot.

Nineteen players from Argentina's top flight heading to World Cup 2026

02-06-2026 09:32 FIFA will pay Liga Profesional clubs US$11,000 a day for each player called up for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico; River Plate will receive the most of the domestic clubs, supplying seven of the 19 footballers from Argentina's top flight for tournament.

Loyalty could be fatal to Argentina's World Cup title defence, says 1978 champion

29-05-2026 10:39 Argentina are contenders but their chances will be undermined if Lionel Scaloni relies too much on the players who triumphed four years ago, says 1978 World Cup winner Daniel Bertoni.

Argentina eye World Cup double ahead of Group J opener

29-05-2026 09:50 The Albiceleste arrive at the World Cup aiming to become the first team in more than half a century to successfully defend their title. But since winning the title in Qatar four years ago, they have not played a single European side.

Maverick Marcelo Bielsa faces Uruguay mutiny ahead of World Cup

28-05-2026 10:19 Marcelo Bielsa's unconventional methods risk ruining Uruguay's World Cup chances before the tournament has even begun.

Scaloni eases fears over Messi injury ahead of World Cup

26-05-2026 22:04 Argentina coach says initial signs are “not so bad” after captain suffers hamstring issue, though several key Albiceleste players remain fitness doubts ahead of the tournament in North America.