Lautaro Martínez

More than two decades after making his senior national team debut, Lionel Messi will play his final match for Argentina on Tuesday night

After more than two decades of service to his country, the 39-year-old superstar will hand over the captain’s armband for good as he makes his final appearance in the Albiceleste jersey on Tuesday at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory over his former side, Inter Milan, in a high-octane Champions League opener on Tuesday

He spoke of the first pair of trainers his father bought him and of how his mother kept making his bed when he moved to a club pension house in another city as a teenager

There was Novak Djokovic, the winner of more men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments than anyone else

The defending champion was trailing 1-0 at the break, and was still behind when the Inter Milan striker was introduced in the 81st minute in place of left-back Nicolas Tagliafico

The universe had aligned to give him the most beautiful goodbye any footballer could have imagined — victory in the World Cup at his fifth and surely final attempt, now to ascend into Argentinian football Valhalla to feast alongside Diego

Every major footballing nation has fallen beneath his blade, one by one hearing the hammer blow of judgement

Defending champions Argentina face England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup‘s second semifinal on Wednesday, renewing one of football’s bitterest rivalries

Alexis Mac Allister put his country ahead just 10 minutes into the contest following a precise corner, before Dan Ndoye drew level midway through the second-half

Up in Fifa’s VVIP box, far above the customarily ecstatic Argentine celebrations, Conmebol president and Gianni Infantino confidante Alejandro Dominguez was celebrating almost as wildly

While Cristiano Ronaldo was crying as he exited the World Cup stage for likely the final time following Portugal’s late 1-0 loss to Spain last night, 24 hours later his great rival Messi was shedding tears of pure relief

But the small African nation have confounded the critics and on Friday, they will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the round of 32

Lionel Scaloni's side finished the first stage with maximum points and looking formidable, albeit in one of the weaker groups also featuring Algeria and Austria

Germany will start favourites and eye a possible pre-quarterfinals berth against France who meet Sweden on Tuesday at the New York New Jersey Stadium

Defending champion Argentina delivered a confident performance in its final tune-up before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating Iceland 3-0 in an international friendly at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Tuesday night

With Messi still managing muscle fatigue, head coach Lionel Scaloni opted against risking his captain

But it had been widely assumed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would again lead Argentina, four years after lifting the trophy in Qatar

Wolfsburg missed their biggest chance in the 89th when substitute Mattias Svanberg hit the post with only goalkeeper Jonas Urbig to beat

Inter were 10 points clear at the start of this round and 12 by its conclusion, the best team in Serie A by a mile