Lionel Messi ended his remarkable 21-year international career on Tuesday, saying an emotional goodbye to Argentina supporters during his final appearance in Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old, considered by many to be football’s greatest-ever player, marked the occasion by scoring his 126th international goal in front of 85,000 fans as Argentina secured a comfortable 3-0 win […]
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Not for the first time, Lionel Messi is making a return to Argentina’s national side. This appearance, however, carries a feeling of celebration and closure rather than duty, as the country prepares to honour arguably the finest footballer in history. Messi will pull on the Argentina jersey for the final time this week in a […]
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Captain Steve Mounie is among Benin’s most prominent footballers. The striker currently represents German Bundesliga club FC Augsburg and is also familiar to Huddersfield Town supporters after playing there from 2017 to 2020. Although he has been a regular member of the national team for more than ten years, Mounie says he has never previously […]
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Argentina have included Lionel Messi in their squad for an October friendly against Benin, with the fixture expected to mark the forward’s final appearance for his country. Messi confirmed his international retirement in August after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. He had also been reflecting on his future in the […]
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Mark Chapman is joined by Chris Sutton, Stephen Warnock and Rory Smith to review a dramatic summer transfer window, with several major moves potentially still ahead. Football finance specialist Dr Tom Bason explains why missing out on European qualification could sometimes improve a club’s financial position. He also examines how clubs such as Brentford are […]
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Lionel Messi has confirmed that he is stepping away from international football after making 207 appearances for Argentina. The 39-year-old debuted for his country in 2005, lifted the World Cup in 2022, and finished as a runner-up both this summer and in 2014. He also helped Argentina claim two Copa América trophies. In a statement, […]
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Three Argentina footballers have received suspensions for their involvement in a confrontation following last month’s World Cup final against Spain. However, their role in showing a Falkland Islands banner after the semi-final victory over England resulted only in financial penalties. Fifa’s disciplinary committee handed Leandro Paredes a 10-game suspension and a $90,000 (£66,000) fine. Nahuel […]
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Nevertheless, Conmebol said it was troubled by recurring unilateral decisions made without dialogue or the use of established institutional procedures for resolving such matters. Argentina’s football association, whose national team finished second at the 2026 World Cup, welcomed Infantino’s acknowledgement of his mistakes and subsequent apology. It said his 10 years as Fifa president had […]
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Argentina’s football governing body is marking the national team’s World Cup semi-final victory against England last month. Following an executive board meeting on Wednesday, the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) designated 15 July—the date of the 2-1 triumph in Atlanta—as its “National Football Teams Day”. “This date was selected to honour Argentina’s memorable World Cup semi-final […]
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Chelsea have completed the transfer of Argentina international Valentín Barco from affiliated club Strasbourg, handing him a seven-year contract. The 22-year-old featured seven times for Brighton, making six of those appearances in the Premier League during the 2023-24 campaign. He is the eighth player recruited since Xabi Alonso took charge. Barco primarily operates at left-back […]
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