He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, sending the massed ranks of Argentine fans in Kansas City wild.

"There are still people out there who will criticise him but he is an extraordinary player. Not everything came off for him, but he can win games in one moment," Deschamps said of the Real Madrid superstar.

Lautaro Martinez will share attacking duties with Lionel Messi, who is appearing at a record sixth World Cup.

The Manchester City striker turned in from close range to give Norway the lead on 29 minutes in Boston, but Aymen Hussein's header brought Iraq level.

It was as if the Spanish Armada had descended upon Atlanta Stadium on Monday, where reigning European champions Spain took on World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener widely billed as one of the biggest mismatches of the tournament.

France shook themselves awake after a sleepy first half on Tuesday to beat Senegal 3-1 in the New York/New Jersey Stadium for a perfect start to their World Cup campaign.

Brazil forward Neymar, who was diagnosed with a right calf injury in late May, trained at the World Cup for the first time Tuesday in a sign he may be nearing a return.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that one million fans have so far attended matches at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Sports can be very cruel. Often, it is the final image that leaves the deepest imprint on fans’ minds.

England defender Tino Livramento has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a calf injury and replaced by Trevoh Chalobah on the eve of the team's opening match against Croatia.

Although a Bangladeshi team is not taking part in the FIFA World Cup 2026, products “made in Bangladesh” have still made their way to football’s biggest stage.

Monday’s World Cup matches proved that the spotlight does not always need to fall on record-breaking forwards, even when the most compelling stories unfold inside the penalty area.

Amid worries over fitness of several key players and a series of shocking results involving some of the tournament’s heavyweights in the opening days of the FIFA World Cup, Bangladesh’s veteran defender Topu Barman is still expecting a winning start for defending champions Argentina when they take on a formidable Algeria side on Wednesday morning.

Remember Szymon Marciniak? The bald-headed Polish referee who officiated the thrilling FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France three and a half years ago at the Lusail Stadium.

The Argentine coach has reportedly experimented with both a 4-4-2 and a 3-5-2 formation during training, keeping opponents guessing ahead of Group J's opening match.

Dhaka engulfed in blue smoke alongside the Bangladeshi flag. Even our four-legged friends are getting into the frenzy. Bound by a unified dream for World Cup glory, global fans have proven that love for Argentina knows absolutely no borders.

Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in Europe, looks to be back in top form after being given a bit of rest by Manchester City at the end of the English Premier League season and by Norway in the run-up to the World Cup, Solbakken said.

Defending champions Argentina are set to launch their World Cup title defense mission when they take on Algeria in their opening Group J match at the Kansas City Stadium in Missouri on Wednesday morning. The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 am (Bangladesh time).

Scaloni emphasised the need for calm ahead of the opener.

The colourful Bielsa -- nicknamed "El Loco" (mad man) -- was asked why he was looking downwards in the promotional video rather than straight into the lens.