“Our group is good, and facing Argentina greatly motivates us as they are the defending champions.”

Messi notched a pair of assists as Inter Miami captured their first MLS Cup title with a 3-1 victory over the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps. Messi, who also was named the MLS Cup MVP, set up Rodrigo de Paul in the 71st minute and Tadeo Allende in second-half stoppage time.

Mohamed Salah took aim at Liverpool manager Arne Slot in an astonishing rant that could spell the end of his legendary career at Anfield after claiming he has been "thrown under the bus" during the Premier League champions' slump in form.

Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres said the Premier League leaders must quickly move on from Saturday’s disappointing 1-2 defeat at Aston Villa after a 95th-minute winner from Emiliano Buendia ended their 18-match unbeaten run.

The tournament will be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in 2022.

"This is the the moment that I've been waiting for, and that we as a team have been waiting for," Messi, named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player, said afterwards.

Barcelona top the standings on 40 points after 16 games.

The Reds led 2-0 and 3-2 thanks to Hugo Ekitike's quickfire double and Dominik Szoboszlai's strike but still failed to see the game out as they failed to win for the eighth time in their last 10 league games.

Holders Argentina will meet Algeria in Kansas City in their opening match in Group J on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Dallas.

Scotland's 28-year wait to return to football's biggest stage exploded into kilted chaos at a Glasgow pub, where one supporter dressed as Batman captured the national mood.

Kane struck three times in the second half to crush spirited resistance from Stuttgart, while St. Pauli and Heidenheim both grabbed injury-time goals.

Second-placed City seized the opportunity from Arsenal's 2-1 loss at Aston Villa earlier in the day, climbing within two points of the leaders with 31 points after 15 games.

The draw leaves Chelsea in fourth place in the table with 25 points from their 15 games.

For the first time in history, the world’s biggest football event will be hosted by three North American countries -- the United States, Canada, and Mexico -- with 48 teams participating.

Villa moved into second place, three points behind Arsenal who suffered only their second league loss of the season.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has taken a shape, following the final draw in Washington on Friday. Here are some key reactions from coaches of different participating teams:

Last season’s top-scorer Samuel Boateng struck a hattrick as Mohammedan thrashed promoted PWD Sports Club 4-0 to climb to fourth place in the Bangladesh Football League at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla on Friday..Boateng, who netted 21 goals for Rahmatganj last season,

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti reiterated his previous stance of placing form over reputation when selecting the squad for the World Cup, insisting Neymar will only be selected if he proves he deserves a place in the squad for the 2026 tournament, after the World Cup draw took place in Washington DC on Friday.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui struck a confident tone after his team were drawn to face five-time champions Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in Group C of the 2026 World Cup.

England coach Thomas Tuchel warned not to get carried away after Friday's draw for the 2026 World Cup placed his team in an apparently winnable group but left open the possibility of a hazardous run through the knockout phase.