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Cristiano Ronaldo is the last major star to arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the legendary Portugal striker made an emphatic statement on Tuesday with two goals in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium. The win moved Portugal to four points in Group K and closer to a spot in the round of 32. On the flip side, tournament debutants Uzbekistan has now lost its first two games and looks to be heading home after its group stage finale. Ronaldo and Portugal will next take on Colombia on Saturday in a game that will decide its group. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will look for its first win or point against DR Congo. But first, here are four takeaways from Portugal vs. Uzbekistan: 1. Ronaldo Off And Running This World Cup has been all about the stars delivering. Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah have all scored multiple goals for their countries so far. But all eyes in this game were on Cristiano Ronaldo as he looked to join his rivals on the scoreboard. People did not have to wait long as Ronaldo scored an impressive goal in the sixth minute when right back João Cancelo moved down the flank and cut the ball back in the middle of the box for Ronaldo, who then was able to hit a shot inside the near post. Then in the 39th minute, Ronaldo bagged his second of the game when he made a run to get behind Uzbekistan’s backline and was on the end of a brilliant pass from Bruno Fernandes, his former Manchester United teammate. It was his staggering 145th international goal for Portugal and his 10th at the World Cup. Getting Ronaldo going at this tournament was a major priority for Portugal, as he had failed to score in his last 10 major tournament appearances, a span that had lasted over five years. That drought extends to 13 games when not including penalties. Even at age 41, Ronaldo remains critical to Portugal’s plans. In 2025, Ronaldo scored eight goals in nine appearances for Portugal. But now, he is off and running at the 2026 World Cup, which ends the criticism that he is struggling in major tournaments or that he has fallen behind other elite players who have all scored multiple goals in this tournament. Ronaldo is right there with them. Portugal is in much better shape now with Ronaldo off and running. 2. Fullbacks And Fernandes Drove Attack While Ronaldo was the top story of this game as the finisher of two of Portugal’s goals, Portugal’s attack was driven by its two fullbacks out wide along with Bruno Fernandes, who was instrumental in the middle. On the first goal, Barcelona right back Cancelo made a strong burst down the right side to find Ronaldo in the box. In the first half, Cancelo had 47 touches while completing 27/28 of his passes to be a major creator for Portugal. Likely due to rotation, he was removed at halftime. On the left side, it was Nuno Mendes, who was very effective in controlling that side of the field. Fresh off winning his second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, Mendes scored the Portuguese goal on a free kick that fooled everyone in the stadium. The expectation was that Ronaldo was going to take the kick, but Mendes was the surprising taker and had an opening to beat Uzbekistan keeper Abduvohid Nematov. But Mendes was on the ball all the time, with 98 touches in the game, and he was very aggressive in keeping Uzbekistan pinned back. Then in the middle, it was Fernandes who was running the offense, switching the points of attack, and then assisting Ronaldo on the team’s third goal. Behind them, Vitinha sat deeper and constantly served as the transition between defense and offense. With such ability on either side of the field and in the middle, it stretched the Uzbekistan defense and gave Ronaldo room to score. 3. Learning Lesson For Uzbekistan Uzbekistan’s first World Cup will be short. It was always an uphill climb after drawing both Colombia and Portugal in its group. The country’s federation tried to incorporate experienced leadership when it hired former Italy captain and Ballon d’Or-winning defender Fabio Cannavaro to lead the team, but ultimately the task at this tournament was too much. The first two opponents were simply way too strong. The good news is that despite this lopsided loss, this experience should only benefit these Uzbek players and improve the sport within the country. Soccer is strong in the Asian federation. South Korea and Australia have played well at the World Cup. Iran drew Belgium in its last game and Saudi Arabia drew Uruguay. The goal for Uzbekistan should be to consistently improve within AFC competitions. The country is ambitious and in 2022, the government announced it completing building 3,500 mini-football fields in the country. That was a project that began in 2017. The full national team is a mainstay in the knockout rounds of the AFC Asian Cup and its youth setup is surging, having won the AFC U-20 championship in 2023 and the U-17 championship in 2025. In 2024, Uzbekistan qualified for the Olympics. This World Cup will be short for Uzbekistan, but the team fought hard, and it is another step forward for the country’s program that has been making progress. 4. Martinez Faces Choices Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has questions when putting together his lineup for the group stage finale against Colombia. After the disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo, Martinez made one big change when he dropped Real Madrid’s Bernado Silva for João Félix. But Colombia will be the team’s biggest test in the group stage, and it will decide Group K. Martinez has so many ways he can play that game. If he opts for a combination of power and speed, he can start Rafael Leao, who scored the final goal.  If he wants power, he could bring Silva back. There are many ways he can approach every game. Martinez has frequently stressed that no player is guaranteed a spot and this team has enough talent to give him options. Now with the team playing well, the competition will be tough on the players to earn minutes. In the pre-tournament friendlies, Martinez showed his team’s depth when he used all 26 of his players in wins over Nigeria and Chile. The game against Colombia might be what he considers to be his starting lineup in what is a team that could go far at this World Cup.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

From Lionel Messi’s and Kylian Mbappé’s stunners to Harry Kane’s take-two penalty shot, the 2026 World Cup has already seen more than 100 goals, and there’s so much more to come. But thanks to two Egypt goals Sunday against New Zealand in the group stage, World Cup goals have reached an impressive milestone: a goalscorer for every letter in the alphabet. Organized by surname, no World Cup has ever accomplished this feat. The closest was the 2018 World Cup, which had a goalscorer for every letter except Y. Well, thanks to goals scored by Egypt’s Trezeguet and Mostafa Zico, the 26-letter list is now complete. Here’s a look at the first 2026 World Cup goalscorer alphabet.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The USA faces an interesting situation on Thursday. The Americans have already won their group, and Türkiye has already been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. So, does U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino try to continue building off the USA’s good start, or does he put the focus on the round of 32? Let’s answer your questions. If you were Poch, how would you handle this game vs. Türkiye? — Blake Newton (@blake_newton48) There’s a good thing that’s brewing with this squad right now, and I don’t want to see much of that get disrupted by just making complete wholesale changes. That’s not to say I don’t trust the depth of this group. I just want to keep building the momentum within this team as much as possible. The key players who will not play, though: anyone who is one yellow card away from suspension. Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun are one yellow card away from missing the round of 32 game. Nobody wants that to happen. This also gives Poch a chance to get minutes for some more guys who could be important down the stretch in later rounds. The key storyline: Christian Pulisic. I am only playing him from the start if he is 100 percent fit. If he’s 85 or 90 percent, I’m not starting him. If that’s the case, maybe he gets 10 or 15 minutes of run, maybe as much as a half hour, toward the end, but I’m not pushing him or putting him in any jeopardy. The goal is to have a fully healthy Christian who is capable of firing on all cylinders for the round of 32. Who’s the player you’re most excited to see who we haven’t seen much of yet? — Jacobi Moore (@jacobimoore.92) The first name that comes to mind is Gio Reyna. I’d love to see more of him on the field since he could potentially make an impact later in the tournament. I’d also like to see guys who can make their World Cup debuts with an appearance. Specifically, it would also be nice to see midfielder Christian Roldan and striker Haji Wright get to play in this game because they’re from the Los Angeles area. What has been your favorite match so far at the tournament? — Christopher Castro (@christopheracastro_23) I’m very partial to the first USA game in Los Angeles. We had been waiting so long for that game and it had so many expectations. It was such an inspiring 90 minutes that filled the confidence that this fan base needed at that moment. Watching Lionel Messi at this tournament has been great, too. First, it was the hat trick against Algeria, and then he made history against Austria with his brace. Finally, Cape Verde’s match against Uruguay on Sunday night was great. That team’s existence in this tournament has been so fun to watch so far. Cape Verde nearly won that game and probably should have had a penalty late. Overall, I’m really happy with how that team has conducted itself so far. Cape Verde is making its country proud going into its final match against Saudi Arabia, having taken two points from matches against Spain and Uruguay. Now, it can guarantee qualification for the round of 32 with a win. What was your preferred formation lineup to play in? — Kaden Holmes (@kadenholmes68) Either a 4-2-3-1 as one of the two midfielders or a 4-3-3 where I was an “8” and could play from box to box. How old were you when you fell in love with football? — Fatimah (@fatttyy_toofineee) My first memories of kicking a ball are from when I was 3 or 4 years old. I’m sure my parents had me kicking a ball around before then because my dad loved the game, as did my mom. It was love at first sight with that first kick. I wasn’t thinking about playing professionally at that age. Instead, I just enjoyed playing. I had three older siblings that I was always trying to compete with. I enjoyed competing and the fun I had with my family before I started watching on TV and became a fan.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

After the inaugural race on Naval Base Coronado on a temporary street and tarmac course, NASCAR heads to its final road-course weekend. Some Cup drivers will be thankful and others will miss the opportunities these races afford them. But it’s also a time for those who might not thrive on road courses to show how much they’ve improved, like Bubba Wallace did with a second-place finish at Coronado. That allowed him to jump up on this list. The race winner, Corey Heim, isn’t running enough to be ranked here. Here are my power rankings following Coronado and heading into the event this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Dropped out: Christopher Bell (Last Week: 7), William Byron (Last Week: 8) On the verge: Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Riley Herbst, Carson Hocevar Don’t look now, but Chastain has back-to-back top-10 finishes with an eighth at Pocono and a seventh at Coronado. It looks like he is finding some speed. Suárez finished 13th at Coronado. It was his seventh top-15 finish in his last eight races and he is now eighth in the series standings. Nothing flashy but steady. Jones didn’t have much speed at Coronado and still moved up one spot in the points to 14th, despite a 20th-place finish. He can’t complain too much considering he damaged the car in qualifying as he tried to find some speed. Not only did Wallace finish second on a road course, he did it coming back from two laps down following a penalty for a wheel coming off the car. He has two top-three finishes in his last three starts. Buescher has three consecutive top-10 finishes, placing a solid sixth at Coronado. And his future is set, as he has signed a contract extension at RFK Racing. Gibbs was 15th at the Coronado and remained fifth in the series standings. He needs to have a good Sonoma to start building momentum for the final two months of the regular season. Blaney earned his fifth consecutive top-10 finish with a ninth at Coronado. He is third in the series standings. Reddick got out-dueled by teammate Corey Heim over the final laps at Coronado while also doing what he felt was the right thing to do as he gave up a potential pass on Heim because he had gotten into him unintentionally. That contact resulted in a flat and Reddick finished a disappointing 25th. Larson is known for doing special things but he hasn’t been doing anything particularly special lately. He finished third at Coronado, his third consecutive top-five finish. Hamlin will take 14th on a road course, as he cut into Reddick’s points lead. He now trails Reddick by just eight points. If Reddick had out-dueled Heim, Reddick would be in this spot. But the margin of error is tiny, especially on road courses.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Through the draft, free agency and trades, NFL teams have added players who they believe will bring them success in 2026. But who are the newcomers poised to make the largest impact on wins and losses for their squads? Here’s my top 15, in descending order: A perennial Pro Bowl fullback, Ricard will be integral in helping the Giants establish the physical brand of football that new head coach John Harbaugh wants. Ricard’s lead-blocking skills will clear rush lanes for dual-threat quarterback Jaxson Dart and a balanced running back room that gets Cam Skattebo back from injury. Tate, the No. 4 overall pick, has a good chance of being quarterback Cam Ward’s No. 1 wide receiver as a rookie, opening up a Titans pass game that struggled mightily last season. The Cowboys had the NFL’s worst pass defense a year ago. Enter Downs, selected No. 11 overall out of Ohio State, where he was a two-time All-American. From the nickelback position, Downs — touted as a generational safety prospect — is poised to make a massive difference in the back end with his communication skills, coverage IQ and sure tackling. In Moore, acquired from the Bears for a second-round pick, Josh Allen and the Bills get a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver for the first time since Stefon Diggs’ departure after the 2023 season. Buffalo hasn’t had a pass-catcher reach 900 yards over the past two years. With uncertainty at quarterback, the Cardinals’ offense could run through Love in 2026. Even with such talented pass-catchers as tight end Trey McBride and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, don’t be surprised to see the No. 4 overall pick surpass 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie. The Chiefs’ secondary underwent significant changes this offseason, highlighted by the blockbuster trade of CB Trent McDuffie to the Rams and the loss of Jaylen Watson in free agency. As a rookie, Delane, the No. 6 overall pick and an All-American out of LSU, will be expected to perform like a No. 1 cornerback. Linderbaum, a perennial Pro Bowl center for the Ravens, is expected to take significant pressure off quarterback Kirk Cousins (and eventually No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza) in reading defenses pre-snap at the line of scrimmage. His presence should also create more interior rush lanes for second-year running back Ashton Jeanty, who was frequently hit behind the line of scrimmage as a rookie. The Raiders signed Linderbaum for three years and $81 million, making him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history. In McDuffie, a two-time All-Pro selection for Kansas City, the Rams now have a cornerback capable of taking a No. 1 receiver out of the game. Given the explosiveness of its offense, Los Angeles could be playing with the lead quite often in 2026, which makes McDuffie particularly valuable. The Rams sent four picks to the Chiefs for McDuffie, including a first-rounder in 2026. The former Notre Dame standout should immediately step in as RB1 for the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, with Kenneth Walker III signing a free-agent deal with the Chiefs and top backup Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL. Waddle, acquired via trade in March, gives the Broncos a No. 1-caliber wide receiver and the explosive playmaking their offense has lacked. The speedy Waddle averaged 14.2 yards per reception last season, which would’ve led all Denver pass-catchers. The Ravens signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million contract in March after backing out of a trade with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby. A double-digit sack threat, Hendrickson’s presence could elevate Baltimore’s defense to the elite status it had prior to last season. The pass-rush juice he provides should speed up the clock in the pocket for opposing quarterbacks, leading to more playmaking opportunities for Baltimore’s talented secondary. Beyond giving the Patriots a true No. 1 wide receiver, Brown — acquired from the Eagles for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick — is a star who’s shown he’s capable of rising to the occasion in big moments. That’s something New England lacked in its run to the Super Bowl last season. The Pats didn’t have a pass-catcher reach 80 receiving yards in any of their four playoff games. Stefon Diggs, who was their leading receiver during the regular season, didn’t have a postseason appearance with more than 40 yards. Lawrence, the centerpiece of the Bengals’ defensive makeover this offseason, will make a significant impact on Cincinnati’s run defense, which ranked dead last in 2025 (147.1 rushing yards allowed/game). The Bengals gave up the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 draft for the three-time Pro Bowler. If Murray plays to the Pro Bowl level we saw early in his career in Arizona, the Vikings will get more than a QB1 — they’ll have a player who can lead them back into contention in the NFC North. Plus, after the Cardinals released him, Murray is playing on a one-year, league-minimum deal worth $1.3 million. With Garrett in the fold, the Rams could have the NFL’s best defense by the end of the 2026 season. He’s that much of a force multiplier, making L.A. the heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl. And that’s why the Rams traded Pro Bowl edge Jared Verse and three draft picks to Cleveland for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. With the Rams’ explosive offense, it’s not difficult to envision a scenario where opposing offenses are scrambling for points late in games, providing many opportunities for Garrett to pin his ears back and get after quarterbacks. Just last year, he broke the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

France scored early, played through driving rain in Philadelphia, sat through a long weather delay, and simply controlled its game against Iraq for all 90 minutes. Iraq at times has played well but has now lost its first two games at the tournament as it has made continuous mistakes – first against Norway and now against France. Here are my takeaways: 1. Mbappé Shines In World Cup Of Stars The defining stories of this World Cup have yet to be written, but it would not be a surprise if this will be remembered as an international tournament where many of the sport’s greatest players all shined together. Earlier in the day, Argentina star Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with his 18th goal, but that record might not last for long with the way Kylian Mbappé has been playing. France’s all-time leading scorer opened the scoring against Iraq with a magnificent strike for his 15th career World Cup goal. He is just the fourth player to reach that mark, behind Messi, Germany’s Miroslav Klose, and Brazil’s Ronaldo. Then in the second half, Mbappé took advantage of another Iraqi blunder at the World Cup to score his 16th goal. The caveat is that Mbappé is still only 27 years old and could still have multiple World Cups ahead of him, and he might eventually become the tournament’s greatest ever player. This World Cup has been an incredible gathering of historic talent. Along with Messi and Mbappé, you have also seen multiple goals from Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, and Harry Kane. That number will only increase as more teams begin playing multiple games. 2. France’s Other Stars Make A Splash Much of the attention surrounding this French team is on Mbappé as he now chases Messi’s scoring record, with both stars picking up right where they left off after the 2022 final. But Michael Olise’s contributions continue to be first-rate as he shows the world why he is one of the best wingers in the world for both France and Bayern Munich. In his last three appearances for France – going back before the start of the World Cup – Olise has three goals and two assists. Another big story for France out of Monday’s game was that 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé scored his first ever World Cup when he put France up 3-0. That was always a question when that burden would finally be lifted, and now it has finally happened. The potential now is that Dembélé is more relaxed and comfortable at the World Cup. That is bad news for any team hoping to stop Les Bleus. It is far from just Mbappé. His supporting cast, especially Olise and Dembélé, is world-class. They all showed it in this game. 3. No Issue For France After Rain Delay This game featured the first weather delay of the World Cup when a thunderstorm kept players in the locker room for over two hours. It raised the question of how the respective teams would respond. In this game, France responded very well. Iraq was likely content to only be trailing by one goal at halftime, and the first half took a lot of energy from Graham Arnold’s players to get to that point. France, meanwhile, was likely frustrated to have only one goal at that point. The long break saw the game revert towards how it was expected to be. France played very nice soccer in the early parts of the second half while Iraq did not look like the team that was keeping it close in the first half. France’s professionalism was apparent after the delay. France’s players refocused on the original game plan and returned to business as usual. For Iraq, the delay deflated the team’s excitement and momentum. 4. Mistakes Are Ruining Iraq’s Chances For the second straight game against a top team, Iraq committed an error in playing the ball out of the back with a shot goal kick. Against Norway with the score 1-1, Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan played the ball out wide to defender Zaid Tahseen, who then played the ball back to Hassan with Erling Haaland running down on him. It ended with a goal. Against France, Iraq made a goalkeeper change and went with Ahmed Basil Fadhil. But the same mistake happened as he passed it to Tahseen, who again hit a poor pass back to the keeper. This resulted in a Mbappé goal that put France up 2-0 and squandered any chance of an Iraq comeback. Playing out of the back is a risky strategy, but it becomes almost reckless when a team is not nearly as talented as its opponent. Arnold deserves a lot of blame for having this mistake happen twice on such a big stage. His team should have respected the talent of Norway and France and played it much safer. His teams would have been much better off.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Lionel Messi continues to remind the football world that he’s the greatest player of all time, with one GOAT move after another. He’s the all-time leading FIFA World Cup goalscorer — and will only extend his mark with every goal. And that he is doing it 20 years after first setting foot at the World Cup is even more remarkable. There is no doubt that the Argentinian captain, who is playing in a record sixth World Cup alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, will continue to keep opponents up at night. Messi now stands alone in FIFA World Cup history with 21 tournament goals and 123 overall as Argentina’s top scorer. But it can’t just end there, so allow me to rank all 21 goals across all World Cups that he has scored. Because every beautiful gem deserves its own appraisal. And yes, as you might expect, I will more than likely be updating this column: 21. Goal vs. Saudi Arabia | Nov. 22, 2022 Messi stepped up for the penalty after a foul on Leandro Paredes. But the shock of the tournament arrived when Herve Renard’s Saudi Arabia came out victorious. It would only be the spark that would eventually kickstart a historic World Cup-winning campaign. 20. First Goal vs. France | Dec. 18, 2022 For me, the 2022 World Cup final was the greatest I have ever witnessed, and it started with another spot-kick as Messi made it 1-0. Little did we know that this would only be the first chapter of an incredible footballing novel. 19. Goal vs. Netherlands | Dec. 9, 2022 Messi already had an assist for the opening goal, and he made it 2-0 before the Netherlands came back to make it very entertaining with another penalty. La Pulga placed it beautifully past Andries Noppert as the Argentina faithful celebrated from behind the goal. 18. Goal vs. Croatia | Dec. 13, 2022 Another clutch penalty after Julián Álvarez was taken down. Messi’s spot-kick was smashed into the top right corner as Dominik Livaković couldn’t do anything about it. 17. Second Goal vs. France | Dec. 18, 2022 A dramatic goal in stoppage time when Argentina took a 3-2 lead as Hugo Lloris failed to push away a shot from Lautaro Martinez, so Messi pounced. As we all remember, the night would conclude with a penalty shootout and a glorious third World Cup title, 36 years after Diego Maradona lifted the trophy in México. 16. Second Goal vs. Algeria | June 16, 2026 A prototypical Messi instinct is to react before anyone else. And that’s what happened here after Alexis Mac Allister’s effort was pushed away by Zidane, but not far enough. Messi pounced and earned his second goal of the night. 15. Goal vs. Jordan | June 28, 2026 Argentina, already through and having won the group, started without Messi, who did not need to play a whole 90 minutes. As if he ever needs a full match to create some magic. Leo entered the action in the 60th minute, and 20 minutes later, he scored his second free kick at a World Cup and his 19th career goal at the tournament. It was a great finish, though I think the keeper and his wall could have done better. From another angle, you can also see Argentina’s stopper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez conducting the Argentinian wall and telling them where to stand in order for Messi to find his path towards goal. It’s brilliant. As a result, Messi also became the first men’s player to score in seven straight World Cup matches. 14. Third Goal vs. Algeria | June 16, 2026 There is probably more of a poetic, symbolic meaning to this goal as it officially marked his first ever hat trick at the World Cup. But it was also a delightful finish that sealed the three points and placed Messi in the history books. Receiving a ball from Nico Gonzalez inside the box, the soon-to-be 39-year-old star made a quick assessment and shot at Zidane with an effort that went bottom-left. Once again, the goal was perfectly placed with tremendous accuracy and the stadium knew the outcome. We all did. Messi, once again, gave us an evening to never forget. 13. Goal vs. Australia | Dec. 3, 2022 It took a dramatic save from Emiliano Martínez at the end of this one for Argentina to secure the victory, but it all started with Messi’s opener during what was his 1,000th career match. The goal started from a free-kick cross by Leo that ended up with him entering the box and, with a slight touch from Nicolas Otamendi, the Argentinian icon placed a low shot past Matt Ryan. 12. First Goal vs. Algeria | June 16, 2026 Messi, as he is turning, receives the ball from his Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, and with his quintessential, almost omnipotent left foot, takes an effort just outside the box, smashing a powerful shot past Algeria’s Luka Zidane. Zinedine’s son probably saw it coming, but like many other mortals, it just can’t be stopped. It was the door that opened the floodgates. Once again, as is always the case, it started and ended with Messi as he provided the ball out to the left to Julian Alvarez. The man from Atlético de Madrid saw his shot saved, Messi claimed it, then shot it. THAT one gets blocked, but because Leo never quits, the Argentinian captain headed toward the center of the box and smashed it in. Pure determination. 11. Record-Breaking Goal vs. Austria | June 22, 2026 Of course, this is the goal that’s sealed in time, making him the all-time scorer in men’s World Cup history. After missing a penalty in the 14th minute, Messi made amends by scoring a delicious finish, thanks also to a wonderful dummy by Thiago Almada. Messi took it the first time, and it was clear he was never going to miss. On the 40th anniversary of Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal, Messi created another eternal memory for Argentina. 10. Goal vs. Serbia and Montenegro | June 16, 2006 Messi’s first ever goal at the World Cup. Days before his 19th birthday, Messi came on from the bench with just over 15 minutes left. Carlos Tevez found the then-Barcelona teenager, who made a run inside the box and slotted it past the goalkeeper. It may not be his greatest goal from an aesthetic perspective, but it’s one of the most meaningful. 9. Goal vs. Mexico | Nov. 26, 2022 Anxiety was rising with Argentina fans as La Albiceleste was currently at 0-0 against Mexico deep in the second half. But then came Leo as Di María gave him the ball just outside the box. The Argentina captain sent a powerful, low effort past Memo Ochoa for the opener and the South Americans erupted. 8. Goal vs. Cape Verde | July 3rd, 2026 Lisandro Martínez deserves a lot of credit for this goal as it was his deep, beautiful assist that fed Messi inside Cabo Verde’s box. The Argentinian captain brought it down beautifully with his left foot and in the same breath, placed it past Vozinha – perhaps the only other player at the tournament who has captured so much attention at this tournament. This goal made it eight consecutive World Cup matches, extending his own record for the longest streak ever. 7. Goal vs. Egypt | Round of 16 | July 7, 2026 The equalizing goal that shook Atlanta’s stadium and sent it into ecstasy. Leo himself pings the ball in the box but it scrambles away until Gonzalo Montiel finds it and just about returns it to Messi, who proceeds to smash it past Egypt’s stopper Mostafa Shobeir. It hits the crossbar and eventually ricochets into the net. A magnificent finish at such a crucial moment. 6. First Goal vs. Nigeria | June 25, 2014 Messi ended the group stage in perfection, scoring a brace against Nigeria. The first came in the second minute of action as Angel Di María hit the post and, like a bull charging at will, Leo entered the box and smashed it in. An absolute rocket. 5. Second Goal vs. Austria | June 22, 2026 Once again, as is always the case, it started and ended with Messi as he provided the ball out to the left to Julian Alvarez. The man from Atlético de Madrid saw his shot saved, Messi claimed it, then shot it. THAT one gets blocked, but because Leo never quits, the Argentinian captain headed toward the center of the box and smashed it in. Pure determination. And also, pay attention to his touch just as he gets the ball inside the box. It is the definition of genius and elegance. But you have to slow down the highlight in order to truly appreciate it. 4. Second Goal vs. Nigeria | June 25, 2014 The second was Messi’s first and only free-kick goal at the World Cup. Nigeria came back with a goal but, in true fashion, La Pulga reclaimed his team the lead with a beautiful set piece. Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama could only watch and follow it in as he knew — as we all did — he was already beaten. 3. Goal vs. Iran | June 21, 2014 Iran held on as much as it could. But when you face Messi, that’s just never enough. In the 90th minute, Leo picked up the ball on the edge of the box and completely smashed a beautiful left-footed attempt heading towards the top left of goal. A piece of magic and one of my favorite goals. 2. Goal vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | June 15, 2014 Messi didn’t score in the 2010 World Cup so he had to make amends four years later in Brazil. At 27, he was ready to make a statement and this is one of my favorite goals because you are now seeing prime Leo—running at full speed—unable to be stopped. Messi drives towards goal, gives it to Gonzalo Higuain, gets it right back and, with a lethal left-foot finish that eventually becomes a trademark on the bottom left, scores. The best part is that he forced two Bosnian defenders to crash into each other in the process, as they were unable to stop the Argentinian. They became two early victims of Messi’s wrath. 1. Goal vs. Nigeria | June 26, 2018 After causing havoc against the Super Eagles back in 2014, the African side was probably done with this guy by the time Russia 2018 arrived. But Messi was not and four years later, Leo scored what is in my opinion, his greatest World Cup goal. He received a great pass from Ever Banega, and as he was tracked down by a defender, Leo took a touch as smooth as butter with his left knee, then with his left foot, brought it down to his weaker right foot and slammed it past the goalkeeper. Hang it in the Louvre? It’s a goal so good that it deserves to have its own exhibition.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Christian Pulisic returned to training with his U.S. teammates on Monday after missing their most recent match of the World Cup with a calf injury. Pulisic participated in warmups and ball drills during the 15 minutes of practice open to the media in Orange County. The team gave no formal update on the status of the AC Milan midfielder, who has been limited to one dynamic half of play in the unbeaten Americans’ home World Cup. Pulisic didn’t play in the Americans’ 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle last Friday. He played the first half of their tournament-opening victory over Paraguay, catalyzing two of the U.S. team’s three goals in the first half of a historic 4-1 win before coming off at halftime with stiffness from an injury incurred the previous week in training. Pulisic trained apart from his teammates during the workouts between the first two games, so his return to the full squad was obviously encouraging. He had been limited to gym workouts, resistance training and light ball work during his absence. “It’s a tough situation when you’re going through a small, little knock,” U.S. teammate Alex Zendejas said Monday. “It’s an important tournament where obviously everyone wants to be able to get out there 100%, but [we don’t] talk about the injury or talk about the moment [Pulisic] is going through. [We] talk about other stuff, try to get his mind off of it. Just be there for him.” The U.S. finishes group play on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium against Turkey in a meaningless game for the group-winning Americans and the already-eliminated Turks. The Americans’ first knockout match is on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino still didn’t have his entire roster on the field at Great Park. Midfielder Cristian Roldan missed practice with a strained muscle. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Argentina came to Dallas needing a result to top the group and left with a record. Lionel Messi spent the opening 10 minutes missing a penalty and reminding everyone he’s human. He spent the next 85 showing everyone why he isn’t. Here are my takeaways from Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria: 1. Klose-ing Time: Messi Didn’t Want A Roommate For exactly one game, Messi had shared the all-time World Cup men’s scoring record with Germany’s Miroslav Klose at 16 goals. Apparently the arrangement annoyed him. Late in the first half of Monday’s match, Facundo Medina dug out a cross from the left, Messi took one touch, and the ball settled in the bottom corner. No. 17 for No. 10, and the record was his alone. In stoppage time, he added an 18th goal, threading it through a thicket of Austrian legs like a man squeezing onto a closing subway car. Klose needed four tournaments to reach 16. Messi is in his sixth World Cup, two days shy of 39 years of age, and just opened a two-goal lead on the retired German striker. Messi also missed a penalty — the first player to do so at this tournament. Given the evening he just had, no one will remember that miss from the spot. 2. 40 Years After Maradona Magic, Messi Equals His Tally – In His Late 30s Forty years ago to this date, Diego Maradona beat England with his fist and then with the finest goal the tournament has ever produced. The most Argentine afternoon in football history. Maradona scored 34 goals for Argentina across his entire career and was retired from international duty by 33. But here’s the number that shouldn’t be possible: Messi has scored 34 since his 35th birthday alone. That’s a whole Maradona, assembled from spare parts and stubbornness in the years most players spend on a beach. Here are the numbers that matter: 18 World Cup goals to eight, 120 international goals to 34. The comparison stopped being a comparison a long time ago. 3. Argentina Won Ugly (Which Is The Scary Part) This was not the clinic that Argentina put on last week against Algeria. Ralph Rangnick’s Austria did the Rangnick things: pressed in waves, stayed compact, refused to lend Argentina any rhythm. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni kept his 4-3-3 with Messi drifting in off the right, and the fluency came and went like a bad phone signal. Argentina edged possession 54%-46% and spent long stretches managing rather than menacing. Austria even had chances. Kevin Danso flung himself in front of an Enzo Fernández shot on the line, Michael Gregoritsch headed over, a stoppage-time header slid wide, and Argentina keeper Emiliano Martínez had to earn his paycheck on a Marcel Sabitzer free kick. They did everything right and lost 2-0 to a squad that had missed a penalty. That’s the warning for the rest of the bracket: the champion played at maybe 70 percent and still strolled out with three points. 4. Austria Is Down, But Not Out The scoreline stings, but Austria’s tournament is alive and, better still, in their own hands. They sit second in Group J on three points, and that 3-1 win against Jordan in the opener has quietly become the most important thing they’ve done all year. Argentina has won the group and reached the Round of 32. One automatic ticket remains. It comes down to the final match against Algeria. Win it, and Rangnick’s side almost certainly advance. Monday’s Jordan-Algeria result will tidy up the exact math, but Austria controls the part that counts. And they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt. They pressed the world champions, made real chances, and didn’t flinch. Nobody’s idea of a fun knockout draw, if they get there.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

History has been rewritten. Lionel Messi has cemented his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game, adding the ultimate goal-scoring crown to an already legendary résumé. After scoring his first goal against Austria on June 22, Messi recorded his 17th FIFA World Cup goal to become the all-time scoring leader in the men’s tournament. He’s officially surpassed the record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose – and is now two clear of Klose with 18. The record for most goals scored at a World Cup tournament was previously held by Brazil women’s team legend Marta with 17, which Messi tied with his first goal against Austria and then broke with his second (that came deep into stoppage time). He now stands alone as the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. Messi became just the third player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining Just Fontaine (France) and Jairzinho (Brazil). The first goal came in the 38th minute at Dallas Stadium off a thunderous one-time touch from Facundo Medina’s pass that sailed into the bottom-left corner past Austria keeper Alexander Schlager. And then, Messi scored a second time against Austria in the 95th minute, breaking his tie with Marta. A deflected save popped back to Messi, whose first shot was blocked, but he found the back of the net on his second-chance attempt. Just absolute relentlessness from the GOAT to give Argentina a 2-0 lead over Austria in a match it would ultimately win. Messi has played in every World Cup since 2006 and has scored in all but one edition, missing the scoresheet only in 2010. He scored seven goals during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup title run and has already added four more in 2026, continuing to build on his record. On top of making World Cup history, Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer with 122 goals. He also holds the record for the most World Cup match appearances, with 27, and will look to add to that total by the end of the tournament. Could Mbappé Also Join Messi? After making history, Messi has firmly established himself as the undisputed GOAT of the sport, while another rising star is slowly but surely building an impressive World Cup resume behind him in France star Kylian Mbappé. At just 27 years old, Mbappé already ranks fourth on the tournament’s all-time scoring list with 14 career goals. He is also on track to surpass Klose’s mark, potentially as early as this year’s World Cup. Mbappé has already scored 14 goals in just 15 World Cup matches, including four as a 19-year-old during France’s 2018 title run. He followed that performance by scoring eight goals in 2022, the most in the tournament, highlighted by a hat trick in the World Cup final against Argentina. Mbappé made his impact known after recording the second hat trick ever recorded in a World Cup final. Messi may hold the record today, but Mbappé is rapidly closing the gap and appears destined to challenge it in the years ahead. The race for World Cup history is far from over and could take center stage again if France and Argentina meet in another World Cup final.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports