The contest between the two continental champions was revived in 2021 when UEFA and South American confederation CONMEBOL strongly opposed FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina outclassed Italy 3-0 in the 2022 contest and the South American side will return to the Lusail Stadium in Qatar where they were crowned world champions three years ago.

The match will be held on March 27, 2026, with the game kicking off at 9 p.m. local time.

Spain and Argentina have met 14 times, with both teams winning six times each.

The debate over football’s greatest player of all time (GOAT) is one that has rumbled across generations – but India has cast its vote.

Fresh from leading Inter Miami to a historic MLS Cup, Messi is heading to India for a three-day ‘GOAT Tour’.

Accompanied by club-mates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will unveil a statue of himself in Kolkata on Saturday.

It has been assembled over the course of 27 days by a 45-strong crew and stands at a mammoth 70ft.

The tour begins in Kolkata at 10:30am local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, before heading to Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: A life-sized Lionel Messi sitting on a throne is one of a number of attractions at ‘Hola Messi’ fan zone

The statue is just one part of India’s homage to the former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward.

Fans can visit ‘Hola Messi’ fan zone where there is a life-sized replica Messi sat on a throne, a hall adorned with some of his trophies and a recreation of his Miami home complete with mannequins of the player and his family sat on a balcony.

“He (Lionel Messi) would be surprised to see the arrangements made for him,” Messi fan Shiladitya Banerjee said.

“He would be shocked to see how he is worshipped in Kolkata and across India. I am tearing up but these are happy tears.”

Messi, who has scored 787 goals in 963 appearances at club level, was honoured by a bronze statue in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2016.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently said they are “working on” a statue at the Nou Camp.

In 2014, long-term rival Ronaldo unveiled a statue of himself at his personal museum in Funchal of the island of Madeira.

Image source: EPA

Image caption: Cristiano Ronaldo’s personal museum houses mementos and awards from his career

Lautaro Martinez also scored as the hosts beat Venezuela 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires.

Messi, 38, was joined by his three sons and received a standing ovation from a crowd of 80,000 in moving scenes before the match.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner captained Argentina to their third World Cup triumph in 2022 and has scored a record 114 goals in 194 games for his country.

“There are so many emotions. I’ve experienced so many things on this field,” said Messi.

“It’s always a joy to play in Argentina with our people. I’m very happy. Being able to finish in this way here is what I always dreamed of.

“For many years I have had the affection of Barcelona, and my dream was to have it here too, in my country with my people. For many years a lot of things were said but, well, I’ll stay with all the good.”

Captain Messi broke the deadlock at Estadio Monumental when he latched on to a pass from Julian Alvarez before firing into the top corner.

Argentina, who top the South American qualifying group and have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, doubled their lead through Martinez’s diving header before Messi scored again shortly after.

Messi, Argentina’s most-capped player, said he has not decided if he will play at the World Cup.

“I’m trying to feel good and, above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good,” he said.

“We’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.

“I’ll finish the season then I’ll have pre-season, and there will be six months left. So we’ll see how I feel.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Messi was joined by his sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro before kick-off

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Messi was cheered by more than 80,000 fans

The man’s sister, Adriana Metz, who had been searching for her long-lost brother for decades, said she had spoken to her sibling for the first time last week.

Ms Metz was able to find him with the help of the campaign group Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, which has long tried to reunite the estimated 500 babies stolen by the military junta with their families.

Ms Metz’s brother, whose identity has not been revealed publicly to protect his privacy, is the 140th baby the group has found.

In a news conference, the founder of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Estela de Carlotto, read out a statement while members of the group clapped and cheered.

“Today we welcome the son of Graciela Alicia Romero and Raúl Eugenio Metz,” the 94-year-old said, while sitting next to a beaming Adriana Metz.

While the man, whom the group referred to as “Grandchild 140”, was not present, the group gave details of how he had been separated from his family.

His parents were both political activists in Bahía Blanca, a city in Buenos Aires province.

His father, Raúl Metz was one of 10 siblings. He followed in his father’s footsteps and worked on the railways, while also being an active member of the Communist Party.

His mother, Graciela Romero, studied economics and joined a Marxist guerrilla group, the PRT-ERP, with Metz shortly before the two got married.

The couple had a daughter, Adriana, and Ms Romero was five months pregnant with a second child when the two were arrested at their home in December 1976.

Shortly after seizing power in a military coup in March 1976, the junta tried to eradicate any opposition to its rule by rounding up critics.

Tens of thousands were snatched in raids and held in clandestine detention centres.

Many were tortured. Human rights groups estimate that some 30,000 people were killed or forcibly disappeared between 1976 and the end of military rule in 1983.

Survivors told the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo that Graciela Romero had given birth to a son on 17 April 1977 while in captivity in the clandestine detention centre known as “La Escuelita” (Little School).

Fellow detainees say that both Romero and Metz were physically and psychologically tortured while in captivity, before being disappeared.

Their one-year-old daughter Adriana was first looked after by neighbours who eventually handed the infant to her paternal grandparents.

Both the Romero and Metz family searched for the couple and their son for decades.

The pair are listed as disappeared and are feared to be among the many left-wing activists who were killed by the military regime.

The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo said it was an anonymous tip-off which had eventually led the group to “Grandchild 140”.

Working with the National Identity Commission (Conadi), an official body created to find children abducted by the military junta, they approached the man in April and offered him a DNA test.

He agreed to take the test, and on Friday Conadi informed him that he was indeed the baby snatched from Graciela Romero in 1977.

Adriana Metz said that during their phone call last week, he said that he had been raised as an only child.

“I told him ‘hey, here I am’,” she said at the press conference.

Adriana added that she was eager to meet her brother, who lives 400km (250 miles) away, in person to hug him.

Estela de Carlotto, who found her own missing grandson in 2014, said the fact that the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo had managed to locate one of the missing after 48 years showed how crucial their work was even after so many decades.

Source: BBC

The 18-year-old played for second division side San Telmo since 2022 following spells at the Boca Juniors and Independiente youth academies.

The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Camilo Ernesto Nuin, a player in our youth and reserve divisions, who was undergoing surgery today,” San Telmo said.

“The club will remain closed today as a sign of mourning.

“We join his family, friends, and team-mates in this difficult time and remain at their disposal for anything they may need.”

The Argentine Football Association said: “The Argentine Football Association, through its president Claudio Tapia and executive committee, expresses its sorrow at the death of Camilo Nuin and extends its condolences to the player’s family.”

The 37-year-old began his career at Rosario in 2005 and the Argentine top-flight club announced his return on Thursday.

“Our history together has more pages to write. Welcome home,” the Rosario-based club said alongside a video posted on X.

The 2022 World Cup winner spent two seasons with Rosario before moving to Europe with Benfica.

He went on to play more than 700 games in Europe for Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris St-Germain and Juventus.

Di Maria was close to rejoining Rosario as a free agent last summer but increasing drug-related violence in the region and a number of threats against him and his family ended his plans.

Speaking last July, Di Maria said: “There was a threat at my sister’s business, a box with a pig’s head and a bullet in the forehead, and a note that said that if I returned to [Rosario] Central, the next head was that of my daughter Pia.

“Those months were horrible. We could only sit there and cry each night over not being able to carry out that dream return.”

Di Maria has won 30 trophies in Europe – including league titles in three countries and the 2013-14 Champions League with Real – as well as the World Cup and two Copa America trophies with Argentina.

He rejoined Benfica for a second spell in 2023 and will leave the club after next month’s Club World Cup campaign in the United States.

Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone were on target for Argentina, whose World Cup qualification was confirmed before kick-off by Bolivia’s draw with Uruguay.

Matheus Cunha replied for the five-time world champions, who suffered their worst defeat in World Cup qualifying and are not yet guaranteed of a place in next year’s finals.

“What we did here can’t happen again,” Marquinhos told Brazilian TV station Globo. “It’s hard to talk about it in the heat of the moment. It’s embarrassing.”

He added: “We started the game badly, far below what we could do and they’re on a great run of confidence. They knew how to play smart. I’m sorry for our fans.”

Argentina, who were without Lionel Messi, went 2-0 ahead in the opening 12 minutes through Alvarez and Fernandez

A mistake from Cristian Romero allowed Cunha to pull one back, but Mac Allister restored Argentina’s two-goal advantage before half-time.

Argentina wasted several chances to extend their lead before Giuliano Simeone wrapped up the win with 19 minutes left, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans.

“It was a historic result, winning by 4-1, and that makes us really proud, I’m so happy for the fans,” said Atletico forward Alcaraz.

Argentina top the South American table with 31 points from 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the top six automatically qualifying for next year’s finals.

Brazil are fourth on 21 points and not yet guaranteed of qualification with four matches remaining.

Elsewhere, Paraguay stayed fifth and one point clear of sixth-placed Colombia after the sides drew 2-2 in Barranquilla.

Luis Diaz and Jhon Duran put Colombia 2-0 up inside 13 minutes. Junior Alonso pulled one back just before the break, before Julio Enciso levelled in the second half.

Argentina, which won its third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022, secured a place at the 2026 event ahead of its clash with Brazil later on Tuesday after Bolívia failed to beat Uruguay in an earlier game.

The top six teams in South America qualify automatically for the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with the seventh-placed team entering an intercontinental playoff.

Argentina top the standings after 13 of its 18 games, 14 points ahead of Bolivia in seventh.

It remains to be seen if Lionel Messi, who scored twice in Argentina’s win over France in the 2022 final, will feature for his country at a record sixth World Cup in 2026.

The 37-year-old has not ruled out the possibility but has repeatedly said it is not his focus and hinted that the end of his career is near.

He has a contract with Inter Miami through the end of 2025.

The 37-year-old returned to Miami’s starting line-up for their Major League Soccer win over Atlanta United but reportedly picked up an injury during Sunday’s game.

Inter later confirmed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has a “low-grade” injury to his adductor muscle.

Messi was rested for three Miami games before coming off the bench and scoring in last week’s Concacaf Champions Cup win at Jamaican side Cavalier.

Argentina can secure qualification for next year’s World Cup in this round of games as the holders visit Uruguay and host Brazil.

They lead South America’s 10-team qualifying group by five points from Uruguay with six games remaining, with Brazil seven points adrift in fifth.

The top six qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup while the seventh-placed team goes into a play-off.

After 12 rounds, Messi is the top scorer with six goals, taking his overall tally to 112 from 191 international appearances.

Argentina will also be without injured Roma striker Paulo Dybala and River Plate full-back Gonzalo Montiel.

Brazil will be without Messi’s former Barcelona team-mate Neymar as a thigh injury has denied the Santos forward, 33, a return to the national team.

The anti-discrimination group says if no investigation has taken place “it points to a deeply concerning lack of transparency and accountability”.

The footage showed the midfielder and some other members of the Argentina squad singing a derogatory song about France’s black players after winning the Copa America in July.

In a letter sent to Fifa president Gianni Infantino – and seen by the BBC – KIO’s chief executive Samuel Okafor wrote: “Despite making inquiries to the FA and Fifa, we and many others have not been told if there has been any investigation or outcome into his or any other players’ conduct.

“Establishing the facts and reaching an outcome should not be an extraordinary or difficult task for organisations who want to take discrimination seriously.”

KIO also compares the case with that of Tottenham and Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who was given a seven-match domestic ban by the FA last year for using a racial slur about team-mate Son Heung-min. The incident happened in his own time, so fell under the disciplinary jurisdiction of the FA, unlike with Fernandez, who was on international duty.

“You’ll be aware that Bentancur has recently been held accountable by the FA for making discriminatory remarks. Many fans have asked us why the Argentina team has not been held to account in the same manner, and fear what that means,” wrote Okafor.

The same letter has also been sent to South American confederation Conmebol.

What happened?

After Fernandez posted the video following Argentina’s win over Colombia, the French Football Federation said it would file a complaint to Fifa over the “racist and discriminatory” chant. Fernandez’s Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana – who has played for France – described the video as “uninhibited racism”.

Fernandez – a £107m British record signing in February 2023 – then said he was “truly sorry” for “getting caught up in the euphoria” of the celebrations, admitting the song included “highly offensive language”, and that it did not “reflect my beliefs or my character”.

Chelsea said it would “use this as an opportunity to educate” and said they had launched an internal disciplinary procedure. They said they “found all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable”. Fernandez was then made captain in August.

At the time, a Fifa spokesperson said the organisation was “aware of a video circulating on social media” and the incident was “being looked into”, adding it “strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials”.

However, incidents that occur in regional competitions such as the Copa America are usually reviewed by the relevant confederation first.

Image source Getty Images

Image caption: The incident occured following Argentina’s victory in the final of the 2024 Copa America

‘Vital we present a united front’

But six months on from the incident, KIO’s chief Okafor has written to Infantino and Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez.

“On behalf of many in the football community who are invested in this case, we would appreciate it if you could let us know if an investigation is under way and when you intend to reach an outcome,” Okafor wrote in the letter.

“Several of the players were filmed singing a song on the team coach which was both racist and transphobic about France’s players. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez was clearly seen singing, although we recognise he was not alone in those actions as many players can be heard during the video.

“Chelsea said Fernandez would take part in education to learn from his mistake. However, it’s important to note how this incident and its handling would have affected a wider community both in England and globally.”

Okafor says that if there has not been an investigation, “it points to a deeply concerning lack of transparency and accountability, especially given how widely this incident was seen. All federations and football organisations must uphold consistent standards in treating discrimination through accountability and education.

“As Mr Infantino outlined in May 2024, where federations described their intent to take a global stand against racism, it’s vital we present a united front to tackle discrimination. Otherwise, claims from federations that action is being taken fall at the first hurdle.”

The BBC has been told that the FA has also sought clarification from Conmebol but has not had a response.

KIO and Chelsea declined to comment.

Fifa and Conmebol have been approached for comment.

The 37-year-old Inter Miami forward, who also set up two goals at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, moved level with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.

Argentina are three points clear of Colombia at the top of the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, despite losing to Colombia in September and drawing with Venezuela last week.

“It’s really nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people. It moves me how they shout my name,” Messi said.

“This drives me – enjoying being happy where I am. Despite my age, when I’m here, I feel like a kid because I’m comfortable with this team. As long as I feel good and can keep performing the way I want, I’ll keep enjoying it.”

Messi, making only his second appearance for Argentina since suffering an injury at the Copa America in July, capitalised on a defensive error to put them ahead after 19 minutes.

He set up Lautaro Martinez and then Julian Alvarez before substitute Thiago Almada made it 4-0.

Messi struck twice in two minutes late on, beating two defenders to fire in his second and completing his hat-trick by finding the bottom corner.

Messi has scored 112 goals in 189 games for Argentina – second only to Ronaldo, who has 133, in men’s internationals.

Raphinha scored twice as struggling Brazil made it back-to-back victories with a 4-0 win over Peru in Brasilia.

Brazil, record five-time World Cup winners, had lost four of their past five qualifiers before defeating Chile on Thursday.

Dorival Junior’s side are fourth in the table – six points behind Argentina – after 10 games.

The top six teams qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Raphinha converted a penalty in each half before late goals from Fulham’s Andreas Pereira and Luiz Henrique.

“We needed this. It was really important winning both games to get back on track,” Raphinha told TV Globo.

In-form Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran scored his seventh goal of the season in all competitions as Colombia beat Chile 4-0.

Davinson Sanchez, Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Bournemouth’s Luis Sinisterra also scored in Barranquilla.

The 20-year-old, who played the full 90 minutes of United’s 0-0 Premier League draw at Aston Villa on Sunday with a strapping on his left knee, has been replaced in the Argentina squad by Leicester City’s Facundo Buonanotte.

The world champions are top of the South American qualifying standings – two points ahead of second-placed Colombia.

Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina travel to sixth-placed Venezuela on Thursday and host Bolivia, who are eighth, next Tuesday.

Garnacho has won seven caps for his country and helped Argentina clinch a record 16th Copa America title in the summer.

Meanwhile, Garnacho’s United team-mate, Noussair Mazraoui, 26, has withdrawn from Morocco’s squad for their Africa Cup of Nations double header against the Central African Republic.

Mazraoui was replaced at half-time in the Midlands, having started every league match for the club since arriving from Bayern Munich in August.

The suspension relates to two incidents in 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia this month.

Martinez repeated his infamous celebrations after the 2022 World Cup triumph by holding a replica Copa America trophy against his crotch following the 3-0 win over Chile on 6 September.

The match was Argentina’s first since winning the Copa America in the United States in July.

On 10 September Martinez hit a camera with his gloves as a cameraman approached him on the pitch after the 2-1 defeat by Colombia.

The Argentina Football Association said it disagreed with the suspension but that Martinez was “responsible” for his actions.

He will miss the qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia in October.

Martinez won the Golden Glove award for best keeper at the 2022 World Cup and placed the trophy near his groin after the presentation.

Inter Miami’s Diego Gomez scored the winner for Paraguay in Asuncion after 20 minutes as Brazil failed to register a shot on target in the first half.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and West Ham playmaker Lucas Paqueta all started all started for Brazil with the Real Madrid trio of Rodrygo, Endrick and Vinicius Jr in attack.

The result leaves five-time world champions Brazil fifth in the qualifying table with just three wins in their eight games.

Manager Dorival Jr was appointed in January and his side lost in the Copa America quarter-finals in the summer.

“The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play and that’s reflected in the result,” defender Marquinhos told Brazilian TV Globo. “There are a lot of new players, we are lacking confidence.

“Qualifying isn’t easy, it’s a difficult time and we have to know how to manage it. It’s a time of transition, we’re not feeling confident. We’re going to work hard, getting results on the pitch is the best answer.”

Messi-less Argentina beaten by Colombia in Copa America rematch

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Argentina have only lost twice in 18 matches since winning the 2022 World Cup final against France

Former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder James Rodriguez was the hero for Colombia as the 33-year-old scored the winner from the penalty spot to down the reigning world champions, who were without Lionel Messi.

It was revenge for Colombia who lost to Argentina in the Copa America final two months ago.

Rodriguez, now at La Liga side Rayo Vallecano, crossed for Wolves’ Yerson Mosquera to score the opener with a header in the 25th minute in Barranquilla.

Nicolas Gonzalez levelled for Argentina three minutes after the break but Nicolas Otamendi then fouled Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz and a penalty was given after a video assistant referee review.

Captain Rodriguez sent Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez the wrong way from the spot to score the 60th-minute winner.

“I don’t think I’ve ever scored against them – there’s a first time for everything,” said Rodriguez.

“We want to get used to playing finals. Today was just another game, but against a team that has won everything – this victory tastes even better.”

Elsewhere, midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who joined Manchester United last month from Paris St-Germain, started for Uruguay in their 0-0 draw at Venezuela.

Argentina remain top of the 10-team table by two points from second-placed Colombia.

The top six teams automatically qualify after 18 rounds of fixtures, which carry on until September 2025. The seventh-placed side go into an intercontinental play-off against a team from another confederation.

In Asia’s World Cup qualifiers, Australia were held to a 0-0 draw at Indonesia on Tuesday, having lost 1-0 at home to Bahrain in their opening match last Thursday.

Japan, also in Australia’s group, were 5-0 winners away to Bahrain as Premier League trio Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) and Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) all started for Japan.

South Korea recorded their first win in World Cup 2026 qualifying, beating Oman 3-1 with Tottenham captain Son Heung-min and Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan on target.

Second-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Paulo Dybala sealed all three points in front of the sold-out home crowd.

Argentina are top of the South American qualifying standings on 18 points, five clear of second-placed Uruguay, who play Paraguay on Friday.

The Copa America champions were without captain Lionel Messi, who sustained an ankle injury during the final in July and will also miss their next qualifier against Colombia on Tuesday.

There was also a tribute to Angel di Maria at the Monumental stadium, following the winger’s retirement from international football.

Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister opened the scoring three minutes after half-time from an Alvarez cross, before the Atletico Madrid forward doubled Argentina’s lead with a long-range effort.

Substitute Dybala added a third goal in stoppage time with an assist from Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

Players and coaches from both sides clashed on the pitch at the end as the hosts booked their last-four spot.

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta got France’s winner when he headed home Michael Olise’s fifth-minute corner at the near post.

Argentina’s best chance came just before half-time with Giuliano Simeone heading over from close range.

France had a late goal ruled out as the video assistant referee (VAR) ruled Maghnes Akliouche had fouled an opponent before Olise found the net with a deflected effort.

There has been recent animosity between the teams, with Argentina players filmed singing a derogatory song about France’s black players in the aftermath of winning the Copa America on 14 July.

French fans booed the Argentinian national anthem before the match at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, and the fracas at the final whistle highlighted the rivalry and tension.

France, who last won Olympic gold in men’s football in 1984, will face Egypt in Monday’s semi-final (20:00 BST) after the Pharaohs beat Paraguay 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

Argentina, who beat France on penalties at the 2022 World Cup, were hoping to become the first nation to be both the reigning world and Olympic champions since Italy in 1936.

The result rounded off a brilliant day for French sport with the 2024 hosts winning gold medals in judo, swimming and cycling BMX earlier on Friday.

Spain set up semi-final with Morocco

Fermin Lopez scored twice as Spain defeated Japan 3-0 in Lyon to move into the semi-finals.

The Barcelona midfielder, who was part of Spain’s victorious Euro 2024 squad, opened the scoring early on with a left-foot drive into the right corner and added his second, with a dipping right-foot shot from 20 yards, after the break.

Mao Hosoya, who hit the post for Japan, thought he had equalised late in the first period but his effort was ruled out for offside after a lengthy video assistant referee review.

Abel Ruiz’s late tap-in sealed victory for the European side, who will now play Morocco in Marseille on Monday (17:00 BST).

Morocco dominated from start to finish at Parc des Princes as they thrashed the United States 4-0 to reach the competition’s last four for the first time.

Soufiane Rahimi set them on their way, knocking in his fifth goal of the tournament from the penalty spot just before the half-hour mark.

Ilias Akhomach doubled their lead with a close-range finish and captain Achraf Hakimi extended their advantage with a left-foot effort after a fine run.

Substitute Mehdi Maouhoub rounded off the scoring with another penalty in stoppage time following a VAR review for a handball.

“I felt like I was playing at home in this stadium where I play for my club, but also because our fans were very loud and were here in big numbers,” said Hakimi, who plays in France for Paris St-Germain.

“Fans have been following us all tournament, I hope they can follow us all the way to the final. We want to make them proud.”

There has been recent animosity between the teams after Argentina players were filmed singing a derogatory song about France’s black players in the aftermath of winning the Copa America on 14 July.

It was similar to a song sung by Argentina fans during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – a tournament in which the South Americans went on to beat France in the final.

At the Olympics, Argentina’s rugby sevens players have been booed in each of their games by the home French fans.

“With everything that has happened recently, everyone in France was affected, so we will see what happens in the quarter-finals,” said Jean-Philippe Mateta, who captained France in their win against New Zealand.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, uncapped at senior level, is one of France’s overage players

Why is there animosity between the teams?

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Argentina won the Copa America in July but were heavily criticised for singing a song about France players of African descent afterwards

After beating Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America final in July, several members of the Argentina squad were filmed singing a song questioning the heritage of France’s black and mixed-race players.

Argentina fans had sung a song which was described as both racist and homophobic about France’s players at the last World Cup.

The rivalry grew when Argentina beat France on penalties in a thrilling final – with Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick having been only enough for Les Bleus to earn a 3-3 draw.

After that December 2022 game, footage emerged from the Argentina dressing room of the players singing “a minute’s silence for” and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez shouting “for Mbappe who is dead”.

At their celebrations back in Argentina, Aston Villa’s Martinez held a toy baby with Mbappe’s face on, while fans had a coffin lid with a picture of the forward which they set on fire.

Those issues were stirred up again after Argentina’s Copa America final win.

Chelsea have decided not to take any action against their midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was singing and had posted the video to his social media account.

His Blues team-mate Wesley Fofana, a French man with an Ivorian father, called it “uninhibited racism” and has since said he hopes the matter will have educated Fernandez.​​​​​​​

What players will be involved?

The men’s football tournament of the Olympics is an under-23 event – with three overage players allowed.

Fifa does not force clubs to release players – so managers have to choose from who is available.

Hosts France had wanted to call up Mbappe, but Real Madrid would not allow their new star signing to play at the European Championship and Olympics in the same summer.

France’s squad includes Crystal Palace striker Mateta, his former club-mate Michael Olise, who has joined Bayern Munich this summer, and captain Alexandre Lacazette, once of Arsenal.

Les Bleus beat the United States, Guinea and New Zealand in the group stages without conceding a goal. Their three overage players have all scored.

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez is in Argentina’s Olympics squad, just weeks after winning the Copa America with the senior team.

Former City defender Nicolas Otamendi, now of Benfica, and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who was once registered to City but never played for them, are the other two overage players. Both were also involved in the victorious Copa America squad.

Argentina lost 2-1 to Morocco in their opening Group B game but beat Iraq and Ukraine to go through in second place. Botafogo forward Thiago Almada is their top scorer with two goals.

Mascherano v Henry – the managers

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Thierry Henry had been linked with the Wales job earlier this summer

Both sides are managed by former Barcelona and Premier League players – although Thierry Henry and Javier Mascherano never played together.

Midfielder Mascherano joined Barca from Liverpool weeks after forward Henry left them for New York Red Bulls in the summer of 2010.

Mascherano, who won 147 caps for Argentina, played for West Ham as well as the Reds in England.

He won two gold medals in the Olympics, in 2004 and 2008, and has managed his country’s under-20s since 2021.

Henry, who is Arsenal’s all-time top scorer with 228 goals, scored 51 international goals in 123 games for France.

He has been France Under-21 boss since last year, and has previously been Belgium assistant and Monaco and Montreal Impact manager.

Quarter-final fixtures – Friday, 2 August (all times BST)

14:00: Morocco v United States, Paris

16:00: Japan v Spain, Lyon

18:00: Egypt v Paraguay, Marseille

20:00: France v Argentina, Bordeaux

Crowd trouble forced the first football match of Paris 2024 to be suspended for nearly two hours, with the game eventually completed in an empty stadium.

With Morocco leading 2-1 Argentina appeared to level the match 16 minutes into second-half injury time, which sparked bottles being thrown on to the turf and a pitch invasion by some supporters in Morocco colours.

The referee led both sets of players off the pitch at 16:05 BST, with the match resuming at 18:00 after fans had left the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne.

Shortly before restarting, Argentina’s equaliser was ruled out for offside following intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).

Morocco held on to their lead across three additional minutes.

“I have not been a coach for long, but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that,” said Mascherano, who won gold with Argentina in 2004 and 2008.

“It is a circus. But that is how it is. We cannot control it. I told the boys that now we need to look forward, try to get the six points that will allow us to qualify and that all this should fill us with energy and anger for what we have ahead of us.”

For some time the outcome of the match was unclear, with the official International Olympic Committee (IOC) website indicating it had ended.

Mascherano said the team captains initially “decided not to play on” and that the organiser “called Fifa” – world football’s governing body – before deciding to restart the match.

“It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament. This wouldn’t even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It’s pathetic,” he added.

“Beyond the Olympic spirit, the organisation needs to be up to standard and at the moment, unfortunately, it is not.”

A statement from the tournament organisers said: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators.

“The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.”

Argentina play their second match on Saturday in Lyon against Iraq, with Morocco facing Ukraine in Saint-Etienne the same day.

Morocco had been 2-0 ahead against Argentina, who pulled a goal back and were pushing for an equaliser. Cristian Medina then appeared to have made it 2-2 in the 16th of what had been 15 scheduled minutes of injury time at the end of the second half.

After the resulting crowd trouble, play finally resumed after a lengthy delay with no fans present, and with VAR having ruled out Argentina’s equaliser, Morocco secured a controversial 2-1 victory.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: A number of bottles and cups were thrown at the celebrating players after Argentina’s second goal, which was later disallowed

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Fans had to leave the stadium after the crowd trouble

Here’s how the chaos and confusion unfolded…

• Immediately after Medina looked to have made it 2-2, a number of cups and bottles were then thrown at the celebrating Argentina side before what appeared to be a flare landed near the players and coaching staff.
• A number of fans in Morocco colours also ran on to the pitch, with some being escorted off the pitch by stewards.
• Riot police moved to the side of the pitch and the referee immediately took the players off the pitch.
• The fans inside the stadium in Saint Etienne were told to leave the ground and a message on a big screen said: “Your session has been suspended please make your way to the nearest exit.”
• It was unclear whether the match had been classed as finished, but it was then revealed the final three minutes would be played in an empty stadium with no fans present.
• Before the match could be played to a finish, it was announced that Argentina’s potential equaliser had actually been ruled out by a video assistant referee decision that showed a player was offside before Medina scored.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Referee Glenn Nyberg gestures after VAR disallowed Argentina’s second goal

• The players had gone off the pitch at 16:05 BST, and they then came back to warm up at 17:45 before the match could resume at 18:00.
• Immediately the referee checked to see if the ‘equaliser’ should stand via a pitchside monitor and, as expected, the ‘goal’ was disallowed.
• Play resumed just after 18:00 for the last three minutes, and with neither side scoring further, Morocco won the match 2-1.

Both Morocco goals were scored by Soufiane Rahimi, one just before half-time and then a penalty early in the second half as they looked to begin their 2024 gold-medal bid with a win.

Argentina pulled a goal back through Giuliano Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid manager and former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone.

But, after all the drama, it was Morocco who took the three points.

Argentina won the men’s Olympic football tournament in 2004 and 2008 and ex-Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, who was a part of the winning squad for the second of those successes, is managing the team in 2024.

Mascherano’s side will now need to get positive results against Iraq on Saturday and Ukraine on Tuesday to have a chance of finishing in the top two in the group and advancing to the quarter-finals.

A statement from the tournament organisers said: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators.

“The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.”

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is facing sanctions from the Premier League club after posting a video on social media that the French Football Federation said included alleged “racist and discriminatory language”.

World governing body Fifa is also investigating the video, in which several members of the Argentina squad – celebrating their 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final – take part in a song originally sung by Argentina fans questioning the heritage of France’s black and mixed-race players.

Fernandez has since issued an apology on social media.

Lloris, France’s most capped player and their captain when they won the 2018 World Cup, said he was shocked by the behaviour.

“It doesn’t matter if you are in a moment of euphoria because you have won an important trophy,” he said. “It demands even more responsibility when you are a winner.

“You don’t want to hear or see this kind of thing in football. We all stand against discrimination and racism.

“I just think and hope it is a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes and hopefully, they will learn from it.”

Former Tottenham captain Lloris, 37, signed for Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles FC in December and was in the United States as Argentina won the Copa America in Miami.

He was on the losing side in the 2022 World Cup final as France lost on penalties to Argentina.

“They [Argentina] are the face of football right now, in South America, in the world. They deserve a lot of credit for what they have done on the field for the last four or five years,” Lloris said.

“But when you win, you are an example for others, especially kids.

“It was a proper attack about the French people, especially for the French people who have some African origin and family.”

Mascherano defends Fernandez

Former Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano defended Fernandez and said “everything has been taken out of context”.

In an interview with Ole, Mascherano, who won 147 caps, said: “If there is something that we Argentines are not, it is racists, far from it.

“If there is something that we are as a country, it is totally inclusive. In Argentina, people from all over the world live and we treat them as they should be treated.”

Fernandez has been unfollowed on Instagram by Chelsea team-mates Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Lesley Ugochukwu, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, David Datro Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto.

Former Liverpool, West Ham and Barcelona player Mascherano, who is now Argentina Under-23s manager, said: “I know Enzo. He’s a great guy and he has no problem with that.

“You have to understand the culture of each country and know that sometimes what we perceive as a joke can be misinterpreted in other places.”

Victoria Villarruel, the vice-president of Argentina, launched a staunch defence, of her country on social media and said: “No country will intimidate us.”

Lautaro Martinez struck in the second half of extra time from Giovani lo Celso’s through ball to secure the win.

Captain Lionel Messi was left in tears when he had to be replaced midway through the second half after injuring himself while chasing for the ball – but was celebrating his country’s third successive major tournament at the final whistle.

Kick-off was delayed because of chaos outside the Hard Rock Stadium.

Organisers said ticketless fans tried to get into the ground, leaving some fans waiting for hours in the Miami heat for the gates to open.

Fans and police officers and security clashed with several arrests made. Several supporters needed treatment from paramedics.

On top of that the half-time break lasted for 25 minutes because of a concert by Colombian popstar Shakira on the pitch, a move that was criticised by Colombia boss Nestor Lorenzo beforehand.

It was a game of few clear chances in hot, humid conditions, with Colombia’s Jhon Cordoba hitting the woodwork in the first half.

Argentina thought they had taken the lead with 15 minutes to go but Nicolas Tagliafico’s effort was ruled out for offside.

Martinez would end up as the hero – and win the Golden Boot with five goals.

What now for Messi after Copa America glory?

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Lionel Messi went off injured in the second half

Messi had never won a senior international tournament until the age of 34 and now he has won three in three years after the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup.

The final was played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami – which is just over 20 miles from the city of Fort Lauderdale, where Messi’s Inter Miami club play.

The 37-year-old said before this tournament he had yet to make a decision on whether he will play on for his country until the next World Cup, which is also in the US – as well as Canada and Mexico.

His powers seem to be waning and his only goal of the tournament came in the semi-final win over Canada. He missed a penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Ecuador.

In this game he was hurt by a tackle in the first half and hobbled off in the second period, holding an ice pack on his ankle on the bench.

Is this his final major tournament appearance of a legendary career?

It was certainly the final appearance of Angel di Maria’s international career. The 145-times capped player had already announced he would retire from the international stage after this.

Trouble before the game

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: There were problems getting fans into the ground for kick-off

The delays before the game were more bad news for organisers – with the Hard Rock Stadium due to host games at the 2026 World Cup.

In the semi-finals in Charlotte, Uruguay players clashed with Colombia fans after the final whistle – because they were worried about the safety of their families.

Players’ families were affected too in Miami.

Roberto Garnacho, brother of Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, wrote on social media: “What a shame CONMEBOL, the families not being able to enter the stadium, unbelievable.

“We were with [Argentina defender Marcos Acuna’s] family outside, getting away from the fights… Argentina’s security had to come get us, children of players crying, people entering without tickets.”

Colombia’s wait goes on

Colombia had been unbeaten in 28 games, a run stretching over two years going back to a World Cup qualifier against Argentina.

But their only Copa America triumph remains the 2001 success in their home country.

They had chances against the Argentines, most notably when Cordoba hit the post early on with a hooked volley.

The 37-year-old scored six minutes into the second half to double Argentina’s lead when he deflected an effort from Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez had given the World Cup holders the lead when he latched on to a pass from Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo de Paul and converted from close range.

It’s the sixth time in the last eight editions that Argentina, the 15-time Copa America winners, have reached the final.

The final, against either Uruguay or Colombia, will be Angel di Maria’s final appearance for Argentina before his international retirement and there are also doubts over Messi’s long-term future.

“Let’s enjoy what we are experiencing as a national team, as a group. It is not easy to be in a final again, to compete again to be champions,” Messi told TyC Sports.

“I’m living it as I have been living everything lately – enjoying it very much and being aware, as it happens to Fideo (Di Maria) and Ota (Nicolas Otamendi), that these are the last battles.”

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni says he will work to “convince” Di Maria and Messi to continue with international duty.

“For Leo (Messi), it’s similar to Angel,” said Scaloni.

“We have to let him be and we will never be the ones to close the door. He can be with our team for as long as he wants to be. And if he wants to retire but still come and hang around, it would be great.”

Jacob Shaffelburg, a winger for MLS club Nashville, squandered Canada’s best chances in the early stages against Argentina.

Canada, ranked 48th in the world, were knocked off their stride by Alvarez’s goal and Argentina took a firmer grip on the game.

Lille striker Jonathan David had Canada’s best chance in first-half stoppage time when he latched on to a long throw but his effort was fired straight at Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Despite the defeat, Canada surpassed expectations in their inaugural appearance at the Copa America.

Jesse Marsch’s side, the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and the USA, will face the losers from the other semi-final in a third-place play-off on Sunday.

“What I said to the team afterwards is I know that they’re very disappointed, but I’m very proud of them,” said Marsch.

“We’ve put together some incredible performances, just starting our process.”

Marsch added it was important that Canada found a way to “expand” their “player pool” in the coming years.

The semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia and takes place on Thursday, 11 July at 01:00 BST and Copa America final is on Monday, 15 July (01:00).

Ismael Kone converted the decisive spot-kick after Wilker Angel’s effort had been saved by goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

Venezuela striker Salomon Rondon had earlier scored a stunning 65-yard lob to cancel out Jacob Shaffelburg’s early strike as the sides could not be separated after 120 minutes.

Tournament debutants Canada will now face world champions Argentina in New Jersey on Tuesday in a repeat of the tournament opener, which holders Argentina won 2-0.

“We’re going to face the best team in the world in the semi-finals. We’re excited about it,” said Canada coach Jesse Marsch, who was only appointed in May.

“We’re going to have to play the best game we can play against Argentina and even then it may not be enough.”

Venezuela coach Fernando Batista says he wants to use the disappointment to fuel their bid to qualify for the World Cup.

Venezuela are the only South American team never to have qualified for a World Cup, but currently sit fourth in qualifying for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“I leave with anger for losing on penalties, without losing a game in 90 minutes, but I leave proud of my players, who had a tremendous Copa America,” said Batista, whose side won all three group games.

“The team has more and more character. We have to chew our cud and focus on [World Cup] qualification, which is our main objective. We’ll keep going forward.”

After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the match went straight to penalties and Argentina got off to the worst possible start when captain Lionel Messi saw his chipped effort hit the crossbar.

But Ecuador failed to take advantage, Martinez saving their first two spot kicks from Angel Mena and Alan Minda.

Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister scored for Argentina, while former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi stepped up to convert the winning penalty after John Yeboah had kept Ecuador’s hopes alive.

The underdogs had forced penalties with an injury-time equaliser, Kevin Rodriguez heading an in-swinging cross past Martinez

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez had given Argentina the lead in the first half when he headed home from close range following a corner.

The World Cup holders were far from their best in Houston and Ecuador missed a chance to level on the hour-mark when captain Enner Valencia hit the post from the penalty spot after Rodrigo De Paul was penalised for handball.

Martinez, who taunted the Ecuador fans following his spot-kick saves in the shootout, turned to a largely-Argentine crowd in Houston following Valencia’s miss and pumped his arms in their direction.

The former Arsenal goalkeeper has now faced 24 penalties for Argentina and has conceded just 12 with nine saves and three off-target misses.

Argentina, the 15-time winners of the Copa America, will face either Canada or Venezuela in the semi-finals.

But the United States, who are hosting the tournament, have been knocked out and it has not been plain sailing for every team.

Some underdogs have also managed to earn a spot in the last eight and will be looking to cause more upsets.

With the quarter-finals on the way, BBC Sport runs you through the stories to look out for in the Americas’ biggest tournament.

Copa America quarter-final fixtures

Friday (02:00 BST): Argentina v Ecuador

Saturday (02:00): Venezuela v Canada

Saturday (23:00): Colombia v Panama

Sunday (02:00): Uruguay v Brazil

Bielsa has got Nunez firing

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez played a significant part in helping Uruguay achieve a maximum nine points in the group stage and reach the last eight.

He has played in each of their three games, scoring in the 3-1 win against Panama and the 5-0 victory over Bolivia.

Uruguay face tough opponents in Brazil, but are technically strong under former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, with Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde impressing.

Uruguay beat the USA to knock them out in the group stage. Can they get past one of the favourites in their next game?

Can Messi shine?

Argentina star Lionel Messi could be playing in his last major tournament but struggled in an injury-hit group stage.

The 36-year-old played in his side’s wins against Canada and Chile but was forced to sit out their game against Peru with a groin issue.

For the first time at a Copa America, Messi has failed to score in the group stage, although he did manage an assist as Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in their opening game.

But Messi has returned to training and the World Cup holders remain firm favourites to go the distance.

Up against Ecuador, whom they beat 1-0 in a friendly in June, Lionel Scaloni’s side will be expected to win.

The big question remains: will Messi finally manage to find his form?

Will Brazil cope without Vinicius Jr?

It has been a frustrating tournament for Brazil – and they will not be helped by Vinicius Jr’s suspension for the quarter-finals.

The five-time World Cup winners were held by Colombia in their final group-stage match and Vinicius was ruled out of their first knockout match after picking up his second yellow card.

Vinicius is Brazil’s top scorer at Copa America, having netted twice, while Real team-mate Rodrygo has struggled in front of goal.

This Brazil team are strong and could have the players to cope with losing Vinicius, but they need to be used. Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has been stuck on the bench.

Brazil need to step up to the task or risk losing to a Uruguay side who are firing on all cylinders.

Canada showing strength

This is Canada’s debut Copa America in the first regular staging in which teams from outside South America have joined the tournament.

Six of the 16 teams are from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf).

Managed by another former Leeds boss in Jesse Marsch, Canada – who are hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside the US and Mexico – have done something neighbours the USA have not by reaching the knockouts.

Lille striker Jonathan David is one of their main threats, although Canada struggled for goals in the group stage. David provided their only goal in a 1-0 win against Peru, while they lost 2-0 to Argentina and drew 0-0 with Chile.

Another upset on the cards for Panama?

Panama have been Copa America’s surprise package and exceeded expectations in the group stage.

The beat the USA and Bolivia to finish second in their group and set up a tough quarter-final against Colombia.

Going a step further might be too much to ask of the underdogs. Colombia, who topped their group and drew with Brazil, have Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and former Real midfielder James Rodriguez in their team.

Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma has also played a key role in midfield. They are a talented side and outclass Panama on paper.

Colombia will be expected to win, but a Panama team who have proved their doubters wrong will not make reaching the semi-finals an easy task.

The defending champions were dominant throughout at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with 22 shots.

Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez and Fiorentina midfielder Nicolas Gonzalez were the first to test Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, setting the tone early on.

Argentina’s best opportunity of the first half fell to talisman Lionel Messi but the Inter Miami star was denied by the post.

The pattern of play remained the same after the break with Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister spurning a golden opportunity.

It took until the 72nd minute for Chile to register their first attempt at goal, Rodrigo Echeverria forcing a save out of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

That chance seemed to spark Chile into life. Echeverria and Marcelino Nunez both tested Aston Villa number one Martinez as Chile looked to end a winless run of 30 games against Argentina at the Copa America.

With the game heading towards a frustrating draw, Inter Milan striker Martinez broke the deadlock in the 88th minute.

Martinez, who also scored after coming on as a substitute in Friday’s 2-0 win against Canada, reacted quickest to a loose ball in a crowded penalty area after Chile failed to deal with Messi’s corner.

“These matches are always like this, we have to continue in the same way, treating the matches in this way, as they are all going to be complicated,” Martinez told TyC Sports.

“Everything was tight, they set up lines of five at times but we are happy we ended up taking the three points, which is what we wanted.”

Argentina are top of Group A and are guaranteed a top-two finish with a match to spare. They play their final group game against Peru on Sunday (01:00 BST).

Canada claim maiden Copa America win

Earlier in Group A, Canada picked up their first Copa America win with a 1-0 victory over Peru.

Lille striker Jonathan David scored the crucial goal – the first since manager Jesse Marsch was appointed in May – in sweltering conditions at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

Temperatures reached 38C and assistant referee Humberto Panjoj had to be replaced after collapsing late in the first half.

Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau saved a Piero Quispe effort before Gianluca Lapadula had a goal ruled out for offside for Peru.

The momentum shifted in Canada’s favour after Peru defender Miguel Araujo was shown a red card in the 59th minute for a heavy challenge on Jacob Shaffelburg.

And 15 minutes later David scored with Canada’s first shot on target.

Canada end their group campaign against Chile on Sunday (01:00 BST).

Mexico captain Alvarez out of tournament

Mexico captain Edson Alvarez has confirmed he will miss the rest of the Copa America after suffering a hamstring injury during Sunday’s 1-0 win against Jamaica.

The West Ham midfielder left the field 30 minutes into Mexico’s Group B opener.

“I have made the decision to stay with the team until the end, to support and encourage them, as I always have done. Now it will be my turn off the field,” Alvarez said in a video posted on social media by the national team.

“It will also help my rehabilitation and return as soon as possible.”

West Ham begin their 2024-25 Premier League campaign at home against Aston Villa on 17 August.

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez opened the scoring from close range four minutes into the second half.

Substitute Lautaro Martinez confirmed the win late on when turning in Lionel Messi’s pass.

Victory in Group A stretches Argentina’s unbeaten record at the Copa America to nine matches, having won the 2021 edition in Brazil and a third-place play-off two years previously.

The 2022 World Cup winners face Chile next at 02:00 BST on 26 June. Canada, who are managed by former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, meet Peru at 23:00 BST on 25 June.

This year’s Copa America is being hosted in the United States with a mixture of Major League Soccer (MLS) and NFL stadiums picked as venues.

The pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is the regular home of MLS side Atlanta United and NFL franchise Atlanta Falcons, came in for criticism from Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni.

It usually has an artificial pitch but a temporary grass surface was installed for this tournament.

“With all due respect, thank goodness we won,” Scaloni said.

“Otherwise, it would have been a cheap excuse. We have known for seven months that we are going to play here and they changed the turf two days ago.

“It is not good for the show. It is not an excuse. The stadium is beautiful and with synthetic turf it must be spectacular, but with today’s turf it is not suitable for this kind of players.”

Argentina were given an early scare when an own goal after four minutes by Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez put Guatemala ahead – their first ever goal against the reigning World Cup and Copa America champions.

But Messi equalised eight minutes later when keeper Nicholas Hagen cleared the ball straight into his path and the Argentina captain scored into an empty net.

Lautaro Martinez, who finished as Serie A’s top scorer last season, put Argentina ahead with a 39th-minute penalty and the Inter Milan star scored his second from a Messi pass after the break.

“We are aiming for the title, we are fighting for everything,” he told TyC Sports.

“We said it when the Copa America ended in 2021 and when the World Cup ended, we will try to prepare ourselves to start the Copa America in the best possible way and hopefully it will be all joy.”

Messi claimed his second in the 77th minute after a superb pass from substitute Angel di Maria.

The tournament runs in the United States from 20 June to 14 July, with coach Lionel Scaloni’s side starting their campaign against Canada on Thursday before group games against Chile and Peru.

“We’re going to keep trying to do our best, we still want to keep winning titles,” added Messi.

“It will be harder and harder, the games are getting tougher, winning [the Copa] again is hard, but we will try again.”

The Inter Miami forward, who missed two Argentina friendlies in March with a hamstring injury, came on as a 56th-minute substitute for Angel di Maria at Soldier Field.

Di Maria, captaining the side in Messi’s absence, scored in the 40th minute after a superb pass from Tottenham defender Cristian Romero.

“With Leo, there is no need to risk him,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

“We want to take care of these players and allow them to arrive in their best possible conditions to the tournament.”

World champions Argentina face Guatemala in another friendly in Maryland on Saturday before they begin their Copa America defence against Canada on 21 June.

Tevez was taken to hospital in Buenos Aires on Tuesday and will remain there until medical tests are completed.

The 40-year-old former Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham striker is now head coach of Argentine top-flight side Independiente.

Independiente said in a statement on X that Tevez’s initial tests at the Trinidad Hospital in San Isidro were “satisfactory” but he will stay there for the time being as a “precaution”.

Tevez, who won 76 caps for Argentina between 2004 and 2015, took over as Independiente boss in August 2023.

He previously had a short stint in charge of Rosario Central, having retired as a player in June 2022 after a third spell with Boca Juniors.

Tevez made 201 appearances in the Premier League between 2006 and 2013 and scored 84 goals.

He won the Premier League title twice with United (2007-08 and 2008-09) and once with City (2011-12).

It is the first time since 2004 that Brazil – who were aiming for a third successive gold – will not feature.

Luciano Gondou headed the 77th-minute winner for Argentina’s Under-23s at the South American qualifying tournament for this summer’s Olympics in France.

Brazil have won a men’s football medal at the past four Olympics.

Argentina, who won gold in 2004 and 2008, finished the final qualifying event with five points.

They are one point ahead of Paraguay, who were playing Venezuela later on Sunday in a match that will decide the other qualifying spot. Brazil finished with three points.

Initially, reports suggested that the South American country had agreed in principle with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to play a friendly with the Black Stars in China on March 26, 2024.

However, the Argentine national team has since changed course, opting to challenge AFCON 2023 quarter-finalists Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire instead.

Nigeria secured their spot in the quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Cameroun, while Côte d’Ivoire advanced by eliminating defending champions Senegal with a 5-4 win on penalties.

Argentina, with three victories in five encounters against Nigeria and successful outcomes in both clashes with Ivory Coast, is set to face the competitive challenges posed by these formidable African opponents in their upcoming friendlies.

READ ALSO

• Argentina to play Ghana in a friendly in March in Beijing

• GFA announces deadline for application for vacant Black Stars coaching job

The 2022 World Cup champions have strategically chosen fixtures against both China and the Black Stars during the upcoming March international window.

According to reliable sources, Argentina will first clash with China, followed by a showdown against Ghana in seven days in March 26.

The anticipated match is slated to be held in Beijing, marking the second encounter between the two teams since Argentina secured a 1-0 victory in 2009.

Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to triumph in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has steered the team with remarkable success, having suffered only one defeat since clinching the prestigious trophy.

In contrast, the Black Stars experienced a premature exit from the group stage in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.

The upcoming friendly against Argentina provides an opportunity for Ghana to regroup and showcase their prowess on the international stage.

READ ALSO

• 2023 AFCON: Words cannot erase the disillusionment – Alexander Djiku after Black Stars exit

• 2023 AFCON: They played like they came to have fun – Adebayor slams Black Stars

Messi captained Argentina to victory at the tournament with his country beating France on penalties in the final.

The six jerseys were from the first half of the final, semi-final, quarter-final, last-16 tie and two group games.

The record for a game-worn football shirt is Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ jersey, which sold for £7.1m in 2022.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, became the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of a single tournament.

He played in all seven of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup matches, but only two of the three shirts Messi wore during the group stage will be auctioned, after Heart of Midlothian’s Australia international Cammy Devlin swapped shirts with the former Barcelona forward during the tournament.

Sotheby’s said: “A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to Unicas Project, led by Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Children’s Hospital with the support of the Leo Messi Foundation, to meet the needs of children suffering from rare diseases.”

Unlike the previous government, there were only nine new ministers instead of 18 and for the first time, the ceremony took place behind closed doors — no press, no livestream. 

Earlier on Sunday the new administration revealed its first “Decree of Necessity and Urgency” (Decreto de Necesidad y Urgencia, or DNU) — a type of presidential decree which allows them to legislate without going through Congress first.

The 76-page document confirmed that the Milei government is halving the number of ministries from the previous government, leaving only nine. The drastic reduction was a staple proposal of his electoral platform known as the “Chainsaw Plan.”  

Although initially doomed, the Health Ministry survived the chop. The original plan was to have only eight ministries and fold health into the new “Human Capital” ministry, which combines what were formerly the education and labor ministries.

Mario Russo, a cardiologist who previously held a government role in Buenos Aires province, will be the country’s new health minister.

Patricia Bullrich and Luis Petri, the erstwhile presidential ticket for Juntos por el Cambio, were sworn in as security and defense ministers respectively.

This will be Bullrich’s second stint on the job, having held the same role during former President Mauricio Macri’s government (2015–2019).

Following the substantial reduction, these are Milei’s nine ministers plus his new chief of staff (a role typically also sworn in alongside ministers on December 10).

• Chief of Staff Nicolás Posse 
• Economy Minister Luis Caputo 
• Security Minister Patricia Bullrich 
• Defense Minister Luis Petri 
• Interior Minister Guillermo Francos 
• Health Minister Mario Russo
• Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona 
• Human Capital Minister Sandra Petovello
• Infrastructure Minister Guillermo Ferraro 
• Foreign Minister Diana Mondino

By law, the executive power must inform Congress of the DNU within the next 10 days after the decree is published in Argentina’s Official Bulletin. A special commission with members of both chambers then has to analyze the decree’s language and vote on whether it’s valid. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies then have to vote to approve it or not. Both chambers must reject a decree for it to be annulled.

The incoming Milei administration confirmed most of its government leaders this week, including the new Central Bank head Santiago Bausili — former finance secretary during the Macri administration — and surprise carry-over Marco Lavagna, who will continue as head of the National Institute for Statistics and Census (INDEC, its Spanish acronym)

‘Don’t tread on me’

Earlier on Sunday, Milei made an impromptu speech on the Casa Rosada balcony. His supporters erupted in screams, singing La Renga’s song Panic Show with him. He yelled “Viva la libertad, carajo! (Long live freedom, goddammit”)” three times and the crowd responded “Viva!” 

A green flare was lit and a giant inflatable lion head could be seen a few meters away from the gates.

“You know I have built my political career on always telling the truth and that came at a cost. But you know I prefer to tell an uncomfortable truth than a comfortable lie,” Milei said, echoing his speech from earlier on Sunday verbatim and warning of difficult days ahead. 

While most people waved the Argentine colors of white and blue, some had yellow Gadsden flags with the phrase “Don’t tread on me” and the image of a snake. “Milei, our dear, the people are with you” they chanted when the new president paused.

Following the swearing-in of his cabinet ministers, Milei is set to attend an interfaith ceremony at the Buenos Aires Cathedral. The final event of inauguration day will be a gala at Teatro Colón at 8 p.m., where Milei will attend a staging of Madame Butterfly.  

MORE:

Ghana’s copyright laws are dead – FIPAG

Sonnie Badu eulogizes Kuami Eugene

The match was halted for 30 minutes after fighting broke out in a stand at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi later said there “could have been a tragedy” and criticised police, who had charged at fans with batons.

However, the national federations of both teams now face possible sanctions.

The trouble began during the national anthems before Tuesday’s game.

As police charged fans, some supporters ripped out seats and threw them at officers, while others spilled onto the pitch to escape the trouble.

Players from both sides approached the stand to attempt to calm the situation – Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was seen trying to grab a baton out of a police officer’s hand.

After players left the field the match was able to begin following a 30-minute delay.

Argentina won the game 1-0.

“Fifa can confirm that its Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA),” Fifa confirmed on Friday.

It added Brazil was being investigated for “potential breaches of article 17” of Fifa’s disciplinary code, which deals with order and security at matches.

Argentina is facing disciplinary action over the “crowd disturbance” and the “delayed kick off”.

Sanctions for breaking the rules typically include fines or stadium closures in forthcoming games.

A skirmish between rival fans broke out during the national anthems in a stand behind one of the goals at the Maracana stadium in Rio on Tuesday with Brazilian police confronting Argentina fans.

“There’s no place in football for this kind of violence, on or off the pitch,” Infantino said on Instagram.

“Players, fans, teams and officials deserve a secure environment,” Infantino said.

Tempers had flared in the Maracana stands moments before kick-off, with Brazilian police using batons.

Argentina players including Lionel Messi went towards the disturbances in an attempt to plead for calm. Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez attempted to jump into the seating area at one stage to confront a baton-wielding Brazilian police officer.

Messi and the other Argentinian players then returned to their dressing room as the clashes continued, with Messi appearing to say: “We’re not playing, we’re leaving.”

“We went to the locker room because it was a way to calm everything down a little,” Messi said. “We went to see how our families and people close to us were doing. And then we came back.”

Argentina went on to defeat Brazil 1-0 thanks to a goal from Nicolas Otamendi and sit top of the South American qualifying standings with 15 points from six games.

Brazil’s third defeat of qualifying, meanwhile, leaves the five-time world champions in sixth place with seven points from six games.

Scaloni made the surprise announcement after Argentina’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

The 45-year-old also led Argentina to the Copa America in 2021 before their World Cup triumph in Qatar last year.

“Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well,” said Scaloni.

“I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time.

“It’s not goodbye or anything, but I need to think because the bar is very high and it’s complicated to keep going and it’s complicated to keep winning.

“These guys are making it difficult, so I need to think about it for a while. I will talk to the FA president and the players afterwards.”

Scaloni succeeded Jorge Sampaoli as Argentina boss in August 2018 after a brief spell in charge of the under-20 side.

Their 2021 Copa America win was Argentina’s first major title for 28 years and meant they qualified for the Finalissima against European champions Italy in June 2022, which they won 3-0 at Wembley.

Their World Cup triumph in Qatar later that year was their third global title and first since 1986.

“We are sure and hope that Scaloni will continue,” said Argentina and Tottenham defender Cristian Romero.

“Let’s see now he will have time to think, he didn’t say anything in the dressing room about it. We will try to convince him.”

Tuesday’s win over Brazil was Argentina’s first-ever away win over their rivals in World Cup qualifying and moved them two points clear at the top of the table.

The game at Rio’s Maracana stadium was delayed by 30 minutes after crowd trouble broke out during the national anthems.

Police charged at away fans following scuffles before kick-off in a section of the Maracana Stadium that Messi says contained players’ friends and family.

Argentina captain Messi and his players went over to try and calm the situation before returning to the dressing room.

“It was bad because we saw how they were beating people,” said Messi, 36.

“The police, as happened in the Libertadores final, were once again repressing the people with nightsticks.

“We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down, it could have ended in tragedy.

“You think about the families, the people who are there, who don’t know what’s going on and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance.”

What happened before Brazil v Argentina?

The trouble began when rival fans clashed in a stand behind one of the goals at the stadium in Rio de Janeiro during the national anthems, prompting police to charge at Argentina’s supporters, some using batons.

Some supporters ripped out seats and threw them at police in response, while others spilled out onto the pitch to escape the trouble.

The Argentina players and some members of the Brazil team walked over to try to calm the situation, with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez trying to grab a baton out of a police officer’s hand.

The players eventually left the field before returning after police had gathered the Argentina fans into a separate section of the stand and the game was able to begin after a 30-minute delay.

The trouble unfolded a fortnight after trouble broke out between fans of Brazilian side Fluminense and Argentine club Boca Juniors before the Copa Libertadores final – the South American equivalent of the Champions League final – which was also staged at the Maracana.

Brazil captain Marquinhos, who joined the Argentina players on the pitch calling for calm in the stands, added: “We were worried about the families, women and children that we were seeing in panic up there in the stands.

“Down on the pitch it was hard for us to understand what was going on, it was a very scary situation.”

World champions Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a goal from former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Newcastle midfielder Joelinton was sent off for Brazil, who lost a home World Cup qualifier for the first time.

The five-time World Cup winners have now lost three successive qualifiers to sit sixth in the South American qualifying table, eight points behind leaders Argentina and in the last spot that guarantees a place at the 2026 finals.

Despite the historic victory, after the game Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni – who led his country to World Cup glory in Qatar 12 months ago – said he was considering resigning.

“Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well,” said the 45-year-old, who took charge in 2018. “I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time.”

Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring, with further strikes from Nicolas Tagliafico and Nicolas Gonzalez sealing victory in La Paz.

Brazil also secured their second win after beating Peru 1-0 thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Marquinhos.

Marcelo Bielsa suffered his first defeat in charge of Uruguay after Ecuador came from behind to win 2-1.

Bielsa’s side, who beat Chile on Saturday, took the lead through Agustin Canobbio, but a goal in each half from Felix Torres secured the win for Ecuador, who also missed a penalty through Enner Valencia.

Messi watched Argentina’s victory from the bench but was not listed among the substitutes having complained of tiredness after scoring the only goal in Wednesday’s win against Ecuador.

“Leo was not ready to play,” said boss Lionel Scaloni after the game. “He tried to recover, but he did not feel comfortable.”

Former Manchester United midfielder Angel di Maria captained the side in Messi’s absence and provided the cross for Fernandez to stroke home a first-half opener.

Bolivia forward Roberto Fernandez was then sent off for a high challenge on Cristian Romero before Tagliafico headed home Di Maria’s free-kick before the break.

Julian Alvarez hit the post in the second half as the world champions continued to dominate before Gonzalez wrapped up the win with a left-footed drive late on.

Brazil are the only other side in South American qualifying to make a perfect start but were frustrated for large periods by a defiant Peru side in Lima.

The game looked to be heading for a draw before Neymar’s in-swinging corner was glanced home at the near post by by Marquinhos.

Elsewhere, Chile and Colombia played out a goalless draw in Santiago, while a stoppage-time penalty from Salomon Rondon secured a 1-0 victory for Venezuela against Paraguay.

With first place essentially guaranteed thanks to a vastly superior goal difference, Sweden made nine changes in Hamilton and lacked the cohesion of their first two games but still had too much for their opponents.

After a fiercely contested hour, Sweden’s extra quality shone through, with Rebecka Blomqvist finding space in the box to power home Sofia Jakobsson’s cross from close range.

Elin Rubensson put the result beyond doubt with a coolly taken late penalty after Blomqvist had been fouled in the box as Argentina sought to defend a free-kick.

Argentina depart the tournament having finished bottom of the group with one point.

They battled hard here but were unable to hurt the Swedes and claim what would have been a historic double at a World Cup finals – a maiden win and progression to the knockout rounds for the first time.

South Africa join the Swedes in the last 16 after winning 3-2 against Italy in a dramatic game in Wellington.

South Africa were on course to pick up a first-ever Women’s World Cup victory in a pulsating encounter in Dunedin but in the end, they had to settle for their first point after Argentina scored twice within five second-half minutes.

Knowing defeat would take Argentina to the brink of elimination, they threw everything at Desiree Ellis’ side in the second half and were rewarded for their endeavour.

Substitute Romina Nunez headed in Argentina’s second goal after a superb half-volley from Sophia Braun had stunned South Africa.

“I told them to play, have fun, dribble and play their best games. That’s why we are here. They are wonderful players,” said Portanova.

“I wanted to see them playing with that love that optimises our football. We were a bit slow in the first half. In the second half, we changed and there was a huge feeling. We moved ahead with self-confidence.

“The thing I most admire about these players is the constant desire to grow. I’m really emotional about what they achieved.”

Glasgow City winger Linda Motlhalo gave South Africa the lead after being teed up by Thembi Kgatlana, who was shown to have stayed onside following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

Kgatlana should have scored after the break when she sliced Jermaine Seoposenwe’s curling cross wide from close range, but the two combined later for South Africa’s second goal.

It was South Africa’s first point at a Women’s World Cup but for large parts of the game, they looked set for a historic win before their final Group G match against Italy.

Argentina face Sweden next, ranked third in the world, but have at least kept their tournament alive.

“We knew [today’s game] was at a favourable time slot for Argentina TV so it was important for us to promote women’s football and see us playing well,” added Portonova.

“They needed to see happiness in our eyes. I believe that at certain times we achieved this. They had self-conviction and were proud of the national shirt they were wearing.

“It was full of Argentinians in the stadium too. It is around 4am in Argentina for the Sweden game. Please follow us, wake up early – we will play our best match possible to win these three points.”

‘It comes back to haunt us every time’

South Africa captain Refiloe Jane was taken off on a stretcher midway through the first half

It was a frantic and remarkable contest in New Zealand where South Africa’s fearlessness and aggressive pressing dominated the first half.

Motlhalo and Kgatlana had starred, causing problems for Argentina and combining effectively to give South Africa what appeared to be a strong lead.

Argentina boss Portanova reacted by making several substitutions and it was two of those who linked up for their second goal – Yamila Rodriguez’s cross was headed in expertly by Nunez.

There had been few chances for Argentina in the opening hour but Paulina Gramaglia’s attempted cross clipped the woodwork when it sliced over goalkeeper Kaylin Swart’s head at the end of the first half.

Instead, the majority of the chances fell South Africa’s way and during lengthy first-half added time, they had a goal ruled out for offside, before Motlhalo struck dangerously wide of the post.

Racing Louisville forward Kgatlana spurned a few chances before netting South Africa’s second goal and that ultimately proved costly when Nunez, who had earlier volleyed it over the bar from close range, headed in Argentina’s equaliser.

“That’s the problem – we don’t take our chances. It comes back to haunt us every time,” said South Africa boss Ellis.

“How many chances did we create? How many final third entries did we have that we did not complete? We were in complete control of the game and we just needed to finish it off.

“We lost the ball a lot in certain areas. It’s criminal. It hurts a lot. We have to take responsibility – it has to be better.

“That was a great opportunity to put us a step ahead [in the group] but it is not all lost. We have put ourselves in this position by not taking our chances.”

South Africa face Italy in their final group match but could be without captain Refiloe Jane – who was taken off on a stretcher.

Jane’s replacement Kholosa Biyana picked up another yellow card and is ruled out against Italy with suspension.

Rodriguez, 25, has received criticism on social media, with fans claiming the artwork is disrespectful to Argentina star Messi.

Messi and Portugal’s Ronaldo are long-term rivals and are regarded as the best players of their generation.

“At what point did I say that I’m anti-Messi?” Rodriguez said on Instagram.

“I’m not having a bad time because of you [fans] but for the atrocities that are said, without mercy.

“Can’t you have an idol or a player you like? Messi is our great captain in the national team but the fact that I say that my inspiration and my idol is CR7 [Ronaldo] does not mean that I hate Messi.”

Messi, 36, and Ronaldo, 38, have 12 Ballons d’Or between them – the trophy awarded to the world’s best player in a calendar year.

The pair’s rivalry developed while Inter Miami’s Messi was at Barcelona and Al Nassr’s Ronaldo played for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018.

Rodriguez, who also has a tattoo of Argentina legend and former World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona on her thigh, has called for fans to be more open-minded.

“What is the problem? We are not all obliged to only love the players of our country,” said Rodriguez.

“Please understand that this is football and everyone has appreciation. Their preferences and highlighting one does not mean burying the other.

“Enough. It tires me, it hurts me.”

Rodriguez came on as a substitute in Argentina’s 1-0 defeat by Italy in their Women’s World Cup Group G opener.

They play South Africa on Friday.

Fans immediately got their money’s worth when Argentina won the ball in Australia’s half in the second minute and Enzo Fernandez found Messi, who sidestepped two defenders before beating the keeper with a curling shot from outside the box.

Messi, who last week confirmed he wanted to move to American side Inter Miami, has now scored in seven straight games for Argentina and the country’s talisman has shown no signs of slowing down ahead of his 36th birthday next week.

A sea of blue-and-white had greeted the teams as they stepped out onto the pitch with an overwhelming majority of the 68,000 capacity crowd sporting Argentina jerseys.

“I can’t see any yellow shirts anywhere,” Australia coach Graham Arnold said before the match.

“I just really hope Lionel Messi gets a little percentage of the shirt sales because I’ve never seen so many Argentine number 10 shirts in my life!”

Argentina doubled their lead in the second half when Rodrigo De Paul floated in an enticing cross into the box and substitute German Pezzella found space between two defenders to fire home a free header.

Goals from Ibrahim Muhammad and Rilwanu Haliru Sarki in the Round of 16 encounter propelled the Flying Eagles into the last eight in a match filled with excitement and suspense.

The game commenced with Nigeria showing early promise, displaying their attacking intent. However, as the first half progressed, La Albiceleste gradually gained control of the proceedings.

Veliz had a couple of half-chances to break the deadlock, with one header narrowly sailing over the crossbar and another flicked effort safely gathered by Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Kingsley Aniagboso.

It was in the second half that the Nigerian breakthrough arrived. Emmanuel Umeh delivered a perfectly weighted pass over the top, finding Ibrahim Muhammad, who expertly directed the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Federico Gomes Gerth.

The goal ignited jubilation among the Nigerian contingent, while Argentina intensified their pursuit of an equalizer.

Luka Romero came agonizingly close to levelling the scoreline when his powerful low strike rattled the inside of the post, leaving Nigeria momentarily relieved.

The tension in the stadium reached a fever pitch as Argentina pressed forward relentlessly, desperate to keep their tournament dreams alive.

In a dramatic turn of events, Rilwanu Haliru Sarki emerged as the hero for Nigeria in the dying minutes of the match. With time running out, Sarki leapt high to connect with a cross, guiding a perfectly timed header into the back of the net.

The celebration that followed was a testament to the magnitude of Nigeria’s achievement.

This remarkable victory propels Nigeria into the quarter-finals, where they will face the winners of the Ecuador-Korea Republic clash in Santiago del Estero on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Africa’s representative Tunisia were eliminated on Wednesday when they were defeated 4-1 by ten-man Brazil.

The Brazilians wasted no time in asserting their dominance, with top scorer Marcos Leonardo converting an early penalty kick,

Leonardo turned provider later, setting up captain Andrey Santos to double their advantage with a well-placed pass.

The match took a dramatic turn before the break when Brazil defender Robert Renan was shown a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Tunisia seized the initiative in the second half, enjoying more possession and launching waves of attacks. However, Brazil’s resilient defense held firm.

Tunisia thought they had pulled a goal back through Raki Aouani, but VAR intervention revealed a handball and the goal was disallowed.

In the dying moments, Brazil capitalized on Tunisia’s committed forward play, with substitute Matheus Martins and Santos both finding the net on counter-attacks.

Despite a late consolation goal from Tunisia’s Mahmoud Ghorbel, it was Brazil who emerged victorious.

Messi captained Argentina, scored seven times and won the Golden Ball as his country won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in December.

He is the first athlete to win the team and individual awards in the same year.

Sportswoman of the year went to Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

She won the women’s 100m world title at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in July, becoming the first person to win five golds in an individual track event at the championships.

“This is a special honour,” said Paris St-Germain forward Messi, 35. “Particularly as the Laureus World Sports Awards are in Paris this year, the city that has welcomed my family since we came here in 2021.

“I want to thank all my team-mates, not only from the national team but also at PSG – I have achieved none of this alone and I am grateful to be able to share everything with them.”

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has won 10 outdoor world sprint titles, including relays

Fraser-Pryce’s 100m gold came 13 years after her first and the 36-year-old has more world sprint titles than any other athlete.

She ran a sub-10.7-seconds 100m seven times in 2022, three more than the previous best for a female sprinter in a calendar year.

“I was thrilled to be nominated alongside such inspiring women athletes, and to win this award, voted for by some of the greatest sportsmen and women of all time, is just amazing,” she said.

“This is the sixth time I’ve been nominated in this category, so to finally hold the Laureus statuette in my hands is one of the greatest honours of my career.”

Argentina lifted the World Cup for the third time, beating France in a penalty shootout in Doha after possibly the greatest final of all time, which ended in a 3-3 draw.

They beat England’s Euro 2022-winning Lionesses, men’s Champions League winners Real Madrid and France’s men’s Six Nations champions to win the award.

Manchester United and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen won Comeback of the Year following his return to football after collapsing on the pitch because of cardiac arrest during Euro 2020, while men’s tennis world number two Carlos Alcaraz was awarded World Breakthrough of the Year after a 2022 in which the then 19-year-old won the US Open and became tennis’ youngest men’s number one.

The award winners were voted for by a selection of sporting greats who make up the members of the Laureus Academy.

Full awards list

• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award: Lionel Messi
• Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
• Laureus World Team of the Year award: Argentina men’s football team
• Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award: Carlos Alcaraz
• Laureus World Comeback of the Year award: Christian Eriksen
• Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award: Catherine Debrunner
• Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year award: Eileen Gu
• Laureus Sport for Good award: TeamUp (A programme for children displaced by war by Barcelona and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski)

The decision follows the removal of the original tournament host, Indonesia, as well as a subsequent bid submitted by the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) and an on-site inspection by a FIFA delegation to the South American country last week.

The delegation members visited the proposed tournament venues and associated infrastructure. The hosting agreement has been signed by the AFA, along with all other relevant documents on the part of the host and local authorities.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup will take place from 20 May to 11 June and will feature six groups of four teams. Having been awarded the hosting rights to the tournament, Argentina will compete in the event in place of Indonesia.

Argentina is the most successful nation in the history of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, having won the tournament six times, most recently in 2007. The country also hosted the competition in 2001.

READ ALSO

• Barcelona investigation a ‘ferocious attack’ – Laporta

• Nsoatreman FC coach left frustrated after ‘human VAR’ after defeat at…

“FIFA is delighted to announce that this year’s edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup will take place in Argentina, as the home of the world champions opens its doors to the tomorrow’s superstars of world football,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“I would like to thank the AFA and particularly its President Claudio Tapia, as well as the governmental authorities, for their commitment to hosting this magnificent event at such short notice.

“The U-20 World Cup plays a key role in FIFA’s efforts to promote youth football across the world. Since 1977, this tournament has featured some of the greatest players of the past decades, including Diego Armando Maradona, Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and many others. Having this year’s edition taking place in a country that lives and breathes football will be a tremendous inspiration for the stars of tomorrow.”

Following the confirmation of the new hosts, the Official Draw of the Fifa U-20 World Cup 2023™ will take place on Friday 21 April at the Home of FIFA in Zurich. Further details will be provided in due course.

Messi joined the Qatari-backed giants from FC Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after the Catalans failed to offer him a new contract that would simultaneously allow them to navigate a strict La Liga salary cap.

Two years later, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner looks set to switch allegiances once more when he becomes a free agent on June 30 as PSG face their own issues meeting Financial Fair Play limits.

Just past midnight in Europe, L’Equipe released a snippet of a report it will publish in full on Tuesday morning through Twitter.

Messi “will not continue his adventure at PSG next season”, according to the French sports publication, though there remains a way of the two parties maintaining their relationship in 2023/2024 if the Argentine accepts a “significant reduction in his salary”.

READ ALSO

• Lionel Messi: Barcelona ‘in contact’ with PSG forward about Nou Camp return

• Lionel Messi wins Best Fifa men’s player of the year award

Last week, the same publication reported that Messi currently takes home €3.375 million ($3.7 million) a month, which puts him third on the list of French football’s biggest earners behind teammates Neymar in second and the World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Player in 2022 according to Forbes in first-place Kylian Mbappe.

If it is accurate, L’Equipe’s report debunks that made by Catalan daily newspaper Mundo Deportivo on Friday alleging that PSG were willing to offer Messi “more money” and “more years” beyond the additional, optional season his original two-term deal came with.

It would also come as music to the ears of FC Barcelona if true after the La Liga leaders confirmed there have been talks between their board and the Messi camp before the weekend.

Barca transfer expert Gerard Romero has reported that Messi is willing to take a pay cut to don Blaugrana again, and also that important sponsors are prepared to help fund the coup.

Even if he were to continue at the Parc des Princes, Messi’s relationship with PSG fans seem fractured after his name was booed again when the starting lineup was read out ahead of Sunday’s 1-0 home loss against Lyon.

By playing for Barca again, though, Messi would be idolized every time he pulled on his number ’10’ shirt and president Joan Laporta now needs to work harder than ever on getting a deal over the line if Messi and PSG are on course for a divorce.

The 35-year-old forward reached the landmark when he opened the scoring on 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero.

He added two more before the break to complete a quickfire treble.

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez also scored, before Argentina paraded the World Cup trophy in front of more than 42,000 supporters.

It was Argentina’s second match on home soil since beating France in Qatar on penalties in December to win the World Cup.

Messi scored his 800th career goal – and 99th for Argentina – in a 2-0 win over Panama in Buenos Aires last week as part of the team’s World Cup homecoming tour.

The Paris St-Germain striker reached three figures for his country when he took a pass from Villarreal’s on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani lo Celso and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.

READ ALSO

• Messi statue to stand next to Maradona, Pele at museum

• Lionel Messi wins Best Fifa men’s player of the year award

Three minutes later Nicolas Gonzalez outjumped goalkeeper Eloy Room to head home from four yards before the Fiorentina winger set up Messi for his second of the night.

Fernandez made it 4-0 with a shot from distance before Lo Celso released Messi to notch his third in just the 37th minute.

Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Montiel rounded off the scoring in the second half but the night belonged to Messi, who extended his record as Argentina’s all-time record scorer – Gabriel Batistuta is a distant second on 56.

He remains third on the men’s all-time international scoring list behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Iran’s Ali Daei (109).

Messi, holding a replica of the World Cup trophy, stood beside the life-size statue at an unveiling ceremony at the South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL) headquarters in Luque, Paraguay before the Copa Libertadores draw on Monday.

The 35-year-old emulated the late Maradona by leading Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years in Qatar in December.

READ ALSO

• Lionel Messi wins Best Fifa men’s player of the year award

Thousands of fans mob Lionel Messi at a restaurant [Video]

“I had never dreamed or thought about this,” Messi said. “My dream was to enjoy what I liked when I was little, to be a professional soccer player, to do what I always loved in this life.

“I had a very long road, many decisions and defeats, but I always looked ahead and wanted to go for a triumph, for a victory.

“I think that is the most important thing, to fight for your dreams, that everything is possible and to enjoy the game, which is the most beautiful thing there is.”

The Argentina players and coach Lionel Scaloni also received miniature trophies of the World Cup and the Copa America, which they won in 2021.

The Argentine Football Federation renamed the national team’s training facility after Messi on Saturday, two days after he scored his 800th career goal in a 2-0 friendly win over Panama.

Messi has scored 99 goals for his country and would become the first Argentina player to net 100 international goals if he scores in Tuesday’s friendly against Curacao.