Author: Rowan Clarke

Argentina’s Lionel Messi swept home a trademark left-footed curler against Austria to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer at the age of 38. The Inter Miami forward then added a second in a crowded six-yard box to wrap up a 2-0 victory, underlining his extraordinary impact on the tournament. Messi had already netted a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening game, meaning his hunger for goals shows absolutely no signs of fading at this level. He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, a feat only previously achieved by France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho, both in 1958. No…

The football world has firmly backed Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku after he expressed his desire to leave Belgium’s World Cup camp for the birth of his first child. Doku, 24, is expecting his first child with wife Shireen, who is due to give birth during the second week of July, potentially during the quarter-final stage of the tournament. The Belgian winger played 86 minutes of his country’s opening 1-1 draw with Egypt in Group G before missing their 0-0 draw against Iran through illness. The situation drew significant attention after L’Equipe channel presenter France Pierron described a father’s presence…

Iran left a heartfelt handwritten note in their dressing room following a goalless draw with Belgium in their second World Cup Group G game at Los Angeles Stadium. The Football Federation of Iran released the message, which called for harmony between nations amid the backdrop of an ongoing conflict involving Iran and the United States. “From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,” the note read. “We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity,” the message continued, capturing the…

Liverpool have rejected a verbal offer of 25 million euros from Inter Milan for midfielder Curtis Jones, with the bid amounting to £21.7m. The Premier League club consider the offer significantly below their valuation, with Liverpool placing a price tag of £35m on the 25-year-old. Liverpool are unwilling to sanction a cut-price exit for Jones, making clear that no deal will be done at Inter’s proposed figure. This is the second time Inter Milan have approached Liverpool for Jones this year, having also expressed serious interest back in January. During the winter window, the Italian club proposed a loan deal…

BBC Sport has launched the latest edition of its popular daily footballer guessing game, with quiz number 15 now live for fans to enjoy. The challenge is straightforward: identify a mystery footballer using as few clues as possible, with each wrong guess unlocking a new hint. Points are awarded based on how quickly players can identify the correct answer, rewarding those with sharp footballing knowledge. A score of three is considered good, while managing to guess correctly in just four or five clues is described as exceptional. Today’s mystery player and accompanying clues have been put together by BBC Sport’s…

Barcelona’s pursuit of Marcus Rashford could be reignited if the Spanish club sells Brazil winger Raphinha to a Saudi Arabian side this summer. Raphinha, 29, has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, and any departure could free up funds and a squad spot for the Manchester United forward. Rashford, 28, has long been linked with a move to La Liga, and a potential Raphinha exit may be the catalyst that makes the transfer a genuine possibility. Paris Saint-Germain have entered the race to sign Crysencio Summerville, complicating Manchester United’s hopes of landing the 24-year-old West Ham winger. Summerville’s impressive performances for…

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei believes his side’s unbeaten start to the 2026 World Cup will be remembered by future generations given the extraordinary circumstances they have faced. The Iranians have navigated two Group G matches without defeat, drawing against New Zealand before holding a ten-man Belgium side to a goalless draw on Sunday. Ghalenoei pointed to a turbulent six-month period leading into the tournament as context for just how significant those results truly are. Iran’s participation at the World Cup was shrouded in uncertainty due to the ongoing war with tournament co-hosts the United States, adding a layer of…

Scotland travel to Miami to face Brazil on Wednesday in what could be the most significant match in the national team’s history. Steve Clarke’s side have managed just two shots on target across their World Cup campaign so far, with none registered in their last game and a half. Striker Che Adams has had just three touches of the ball in the opposition box across 146 minutes of tournament football, underlining a deeply concerning lack of attacking threat. Scotland’s only goal of the tournament came via a double deflection in the opening stages of their first match, hardly the kind…

Scotland head into their crucial Group C finale against Brazil with their World Cup fate very much hanging in the balance. Steve Clarke’s side have collected three points from their opening two fixtures, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Haiti and a 1-0 defeat against Morocco. That tally may yet prove sufficient if Scotland avoid a heavy loss against Brazil on Wednesday, with a point almost certain to secure a place in the last 32. Clarke deployed a 4-4-2 formation in pre-tournament friendlies against Curacao and Bolivia, where Scotland scored eight goals across the two matches and looked sharp. However,…

The 2026 World Cup is barely ten days old, yet the tournament has already managed to rewrite football history in remarkable fashion. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland all hit the ground running in their respective nations’ opening fixtures, setting the stage for a record-breaking competition. Messi’s stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria moved the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who had stood alone on 16 World Cup goals since 2014. Messi required 27 games to reach 16 goals, three more than Klose needed, but the 2022 World Cup winner will…