Lionel Messi

Messi scores from the spot as Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in WC friendly

Lionel Messi is ready for his sixth World Cup. After recovering from a muscle injury, the captain of the reigning world champions played 20 minutes and scored a penalty in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Iceland on Tuesday in its final tune-up match before the World Cup. Messi, recovered from muscle fatigue and a slight strain in his left hamstring that he suffered in his last appearance with Inter Miami on May 24, started the game from the bench. Just days before his 39th birthday and his sixth World Cup, Messi came on in the 70th minute and he scored a penalty kick after Lautaro Martinez was fouled inside the area. Messi, the all-time top scorer for the Argentine national team with 117 goals, converted the penalty with a high left-footed shot in the 72nd minute. Argentina, seeking its fourth World Cup title after those won in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will open its tournament against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan. It was the secon

Record eight players aged 40-plus set to feature at 2026 Fifa World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo will be the oldest outfield player at 41 and is set to feature in a record sixth World Cup

Lionel Messi to lead reigning champions Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2026

With his selection, Messi joins Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo as the only male footballers to appear at six different FIFA World Cups.

FIFA WC 2026: Check Argentina's full schedule, squad and team preview here

Argentina arrive in North America after an impressive qualification campaign, finishing with a record of 12 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws.

Injury scare for Argentina? Messi limps off field days before FIFA WC

Inter Miami head coach Guillermo stated that the final update regarding Messi's fitness can only be provided after a thorough medical examination of the Argentine

Lionel Messi joins Ronaldo in billionaire football ranks after US deals

A massive paycheck from current team Inter Miami, purported TV revenue-sharing deals, real estate holdings and even a stake in an Argentine restaurant chain have all helped land him in 10-figure club

Messi tour organiser files complaint against ex-Bengal min Aroop Biswas

Lionel Messi tour organiser, Satadru Dutta, lodged a police complaint against TMC leader and former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas and three others, including the state's former top cop, alleging they were responsible for the chaos that unfolded at the Salt Lake stadium last December and that he was made a "scapegoat" out of it. Dutta lodged the complaint at the Bidhannagar South police station on Monday evening, in which he also named former DGP and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Kumar, the minister's kin and Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Juin Biswas and I&CA department secretary Shantanu Basu, holding them responsible for the stadium mayhem. The event organiser, who was subsequently arrested and spent 38 days in jail, sought police intervention, alleging unlawful intrusion into restricted security zones of the field, collapse of perimeter control and disruption during the high-profile programme held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt ...

Lionel Messi sued over $7M contract breach for missing friendly match

Lionel Messi is being sued by a Miami-based event promoter who says the soccer icon violated terms of a $7 million contract by missing an exhibition match last year. Vid Music Group filed the lawsuit for fraud and breach of contract against Messi and the Argentine Football Association in Miami-Dade circuit court last month, according to court records. Messi and the AFA didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Considered one of the greatest soccer players ever, Messi appears with both his Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and Argentina's national team, and fans routinely pay much higher prices for the chance to see him play. According to the lawsuit, Vid signed a deal with the AFA last summer for exclusive rights to organize and promote Argentina's friendlies last October against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in exchange for ticket, broadcast and sponsorship revenue. Vid claims that Messi was supposed to play for at least 30 minutes in each match, unless he was ...

Lionel Messi stars as Argentina beat Zambia 5-0 in possible home farewell

In what was likely his final home appearance for Argentina's national squad, Lionel Messi scored a goal and provided an assist in a 5-0 rout of Zambia on Tuesday night in a farewell friendly ahead of the World Cup. The 38-year-old Messi set up Julian Alvarez in the fourth minute and then scored in the 43rd at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and pleaded with him to help Argentina win another World Cup. The global tournament kicks off June 11 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Nicolas Otamendi and Valentin Barco also scored for Argentina. The defending world champions raised some concern after their lackluster performance last Friday in a 2-1 victory over Mauritania. In the lead-up to the Zambia friendly, coach Lionel Scaloni had warned that if the team didn't improve its performance he would take drastic measures regarding the 26-man World Cup squad, which must be submitted by May 30. For the last home game before the World Cup, .

Lionel Messi, Micael dos Santos spark Inter Miami comeback victory vs NYCFC

Lionel Messi scored the equalizer off a free kick in the second half before helping to set up Micael dos Santos' winner and Inter Miami came from behind to beat New York City FC 3-2 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Inter Miami (3-1-1) pulls into a second-place tie in the Eastern Conference by handing NYCFC (3-1-1) its first loss. Gonzalo Lujan scored his first career goal - unassisted off a rebound in the 4th minute to give Inter Miami an early lead. The 21-year-old defender has started in 23 of his 30 career appearances. Nicolas Fernandez continued his red-hot start with his fifth goal, scoring off a free kick in the 17th minute to pull NYCFC even. Fernandez has eight goals in 16 career appearances since last season. Agustin Ojeda scored - with assists from Maxi Moralez and Kevin O'Toole - to give NYCFC a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute. It was Ojeda's second goal this season and his fifth in 61 career matches. Moralez already has four assists this season. The advantage lasted for two ..

Messi to lead Argentina in Guatemala friendly before 2026 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi was called up Wednesday for a March 31 friendly match against Guatemala as Argentina gears up to defend its title in the World Cup. The game at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires was arranged after the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain on March 27 in Qatar was called off because of the conflict in the Middle East. Coach Lionel Scaloni left out striker Lautaro Martinez, defender Lisandro Martinez, and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso because of physical problems. Martinez (left calf strain) has been cleared to play but has yet to return for Inter Milan. Jose Manuel Lopez of Palmeiras in Brazil was called up in his place. Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez is unavailable due to physical discomfort. Lo Celso of Real Betis is recovering from a muscle tear. Estudiantes de La Plata defender Tomas Palacios and Racing Club full-back Gabriel Rojas received their first senior national team call-ups. Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was called up despite being embroiled in ...

Messi frustrated as ARG vs ESP Finalissima cancelled ahead of World Cup

The Inter Miami star had approached the Finalissima game with ambition, viewing it as a serious final, but he was not involved in the decision-making that led to its cancellation.

West Asia conflict forces cancellation of Messi vs Yamal Finalissima clash

The Finalissima had initially been scheduled for March 27 in Qatar. However, organisers were forced to reconsider the venue after tensions in West Asia

Lionel Messi faces backlash after White House visit with Donald Trump

Last week, Messi attended a reception at the White House celebrating his U.S.-based team, Inter Miami, winning the 2025 MLS Cup.

Messi joins Trump at White House a year after turning down Biden's invite

Presidents have welcomed champions for decades to capitalise on the winning optics, but Messi's visit stands apart as he's long avoided presidential visits

Messi, Telasco Segovia guide Inter Miami to 4-2 victory over Orlando

Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami rallied to beat Orlando City 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter and Co. Stadium. Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to pull Inter Miami (1-1-0) even at 2-2 and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th. The reigning MVP's first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches - 51 of them in his last 49 appearances. Marco Pasalic took a pass from Ivan Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City (0-2-0) a 1-0 lead. Pasalic has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami. Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martin Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime. Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second ha

Denis Bouanga leads LAFC to dominant 3-0 win over Messi's Inter Miami side

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami got off to a rough start in their MLS Cup title defense when David Martinez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz scored in Los Angeles FC's 3-0 victory. Son Heung-min set up Martinez's opening goal for LAFC, which emphasized its status as a primary threat to Miami's crown during a lively MLS season opener between two of the league's marquee clubs. "This game is always special because Messi played, and we have some (desire) to want to beat Miami because Messi is there," Bouanga said. "Every player, the mentality is so high for this game. It's high for all games, but maybe this game is more high than another mentality." The matchup drew 75,673 fans - the second-largest crowd in MLS history - to the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is next-door to LAFC's home BMO Stadium. The huge crowd celebrated a convincing win for the home team and still enjoyed a good look at Messi, who played the full match despite dealing with a strained hamstring this ...

Lionel Messi's big reveal: What he wants to do after his retirement

The 38-year-old Argentine star is currently playing with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where he is likely to stay until at least the end of the 2028 season.

Sports@2025: Of crowns, cracks and goodbyes that shaped the sporting year

Landmark wins, uneasy moments and defining exits shaped the sporting year

Messi event chaos: Calcutta HC refuses to interfere in SIT investigation

The Calcutta High Court refused to interfere at this stage in a probe being conducted by a special investigation team (SIT) over chaos during Argentine football legend Lionel Messi's event at Salt Lake stadium here on December 13. A division bench presided by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul held that the investigation and enquiry in the case is in the preliminary stage and no material could be placed before it to establish that "investigation/enquiry is vitiated or polluted". The petitioners in three PILs sought transfer of the investigation into the incident to CBI as well as the refund of ticket prices to the spectators, a section of whom had gone on a rampage over not being able to see their favourite star and early conclusion of the event following a messy situation on the ground. Some people were seen jostling around Messi, thus blocking the view of those seated on the stands. Rejecting a prayer for interim relief on the matter, the court said that at this stage, it is not ...