Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul have been granted a mandatory recovery hiatus following their intense World Cup run with Argentina. Inter Miami's star duo will reportedly sit out upcoming league encounters and the MLS All-Star Game, ensuring they receive crucial rest after starring on the global stage.
Topps is celebrating one of football's most memorable images by turning Lionel Messi's famous photo with baby Lamine Yamal into a unique trading card. The announcement comes just a day after the pair faced each other in the World Cup final.
Footage from the New Jersey New York Stadium has exposed intense dressing room tunnel speeches delivered by Lionel Messi and Emiliano Martinez during Argentina's World Cup final defeat. The reigning champions were outplayed by Spain as they suffered a 1-0 loss after extra time, with a red card for Enzo Fernandez compounding their misery.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Instagram account appeared to like an explosive social media post alleging FIFA corruption and claiming officials attempted to hand the 2026 World Cup to Lionel Messi. The viral interaction surfaced before Argentina's final loss to Spain, after a tournament filled with fierce officiating disputes.
There is a sense that we are awaiting the inevitable after Argentina were downed by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The tears rolling down Lionel Messi's face after the full-time whistle in New Jersey suggested he may well be about to call time on his glittering international career, having powered his country through the tournament in North America at the age of 39.
Lionel Messi has broken his silence following Argentina's heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the World Cup final. The legendary captain took to social media to share a moving message with his supporters, admitting that the pain of the loss will take a long time to heal.
After nearly 40 epic days, the World Cup has drawn to a close. The final did not deliver on drama, but there is perhaps justice in the best team winning it all.
With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders again in 2026.
There's no sporting event bigger than the World Cup. It's the pinnacle of professional football, where global superstars are born, dreams die and legends live forever. Sometimes, with just one goal, one pass, one tackle, one block or one save, a previously little-known player can become a national hero, a name eternally etched in the memory of a country's collective consciousness.
After five weeks, a record 104 matches played and 308 goals scored, the 2026 World Cup is officially over. From a purely footballing perspective, FIFA's biggest tournament of all time did not disappoint, with 48 teams doing battle across three host countries and the vast expanse of North America. And when 46 of those nations had been whittled away, only the top two ranked teams on the planet remained: Spain and Argentina.
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