Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (ANI Photo) Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name deeper into FIFA World Cup history by becoming only the second men’s footballer to feature in six editions of the tournament, joining long-time rival Lionel Messi in an exclusive club. However, the milestone came on a frustrating night as Portugal were held to…
The World Cup has once again delivered a reminder that reputation alone counts for little on football’s biggest stage. If a favourite drops its intensity or fails to take control against a lower-ranked opponent, the consequences can be costly. Spain experienced that against Cape Verde, and Portugal were handed a similar lesson when they were…
In a disturbing piece of news coming from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it has emerged that Ivory Coast attacker Elye Wahi was arrested late last month as part of fixing investigations. Elye Wahi, right, played 55 minutes against Ecuador. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Wahi played Ivory Coast’s opener against Ecuador earlier this week. Last month,…
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (Image: AP) It was as if one was watching a movie marathon at a film festival. Or a night-long musical soiree.First, the blockbuster from reigning superstar Kylian Mbappe, followed by new entrant Erling Haaland’s superhit debut feature. Then, as dawn was breaking, came Lionel Messi’s cult-classic, a statement, a reminder, almost rephrasing…
Ghana’s Caleb Yirenkyi (3) celebrates scoring the opening goal against Panama. (AP Photo) Caleb Yirenkyi struck deep into stoppage time to hand Ghana a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening Group L clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026.Just when the contest appeared destined to end in a frustrating stalemate, Brandon Thomas-Asante burst…
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (AP Photo) Is age finally catching up with Cristiano Ronaldo?The question is growing louder after the 41-year-old endured another frustrating evening in Portugal’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, managing just 25 touches and failing to register a single shot on target in a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo.Ronaldo attempted just three…
Cristiano Ronaldo has delivered a clear message after Portugal‘s disappointing start to the 2026 World Cup, where they were held to a draw by DR Congo. Portugal entered the match as overwhelming favourites, with many expecting them to dominate proceedings and score freely, given the quality in their squad. Instead, they found themselves frustrated for…
Cristiano Ronaldo goes on playing the World Cup after World Cup, but unlike Lionel Messi, nothing changes for him and Portugal. It’s just disappointment. His first World Cup was way back in 2006 in Germany. That time, Portugal reached the semis, and a young Ronaldo raised expectations. And how he has flattered to deceive all…
NEW DELHI: India captain Shubman Gill revealed that he had a double century in his sights after producing a scintillating 154 against Afghanistan in the second ODI on Wednesday, saying he had set himself a target before the series to bat deep and convert starts into match-defining scores.Gill overcame oppressive conditions and severe cramps to…
Hello and welcome to our new daily World Cup column: OFFSIDE.Whenever there is a World Cup, we usually get two headline ads from Nike and Adidas, who between them sponsor 26 of the 48 teams. Adidas’ ad was called Backyard Legends, headlined by Timothée Chalamet, where he is putting together a team to beat a…
