Argentina got off to a winning start today, defeating Algeria 3–0 thanks to a sensational hat-trick from Lionel Messi. While the dominant display on the pitch left fans in the stadium ecstatic, the excitement quickly spilled over onto social media, with local showbiz stars joining in the celebrations.

Lionel Messi savoured a "beautiful moment" after becoming the World Cup's joint all-time leading goalscorer on Tuesday but said "ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more".

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.

With World Cup fever sweeping across the country, The Daily Star caught up with the actor to learn more about his favourite team and his fondest football memories.

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.

In a wide-ranging interview, Zulfiqar Mahmud Mintu reflected on his earliest FIFA World Cup memories, his coaching philosophy, the evolution of modern football and several other aspects surrounding the greatest football spectacle on earth.

Lionel Messi's Argentina and Kylian Mbappe's France, the two teams who contested a thrilling World Cup final four years ago, roar into the 2026 tournament on Tuesday.

On the night Argentina defeated France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, parts of Dhaka barely slept. Blue-and-white flags hung like tapestries from rooftops and balconies. Fireworks shattered the midnight, and dense crowds erupted in celebrations that perfectly mirrored the euphoric scenes at the Plaza de la Republica in Buenos Aires.

Lionel Messi stepped onto the stage. The Golden Ball was placed in his hands -- the award for the tournament’s best player. He had received it before, in 2014. But this was different.

The World Cup 2022 story of Argentina and Bangladesh exemplified the spirit of football. Covering it as a writer and presenting it in front of people was a privilege.

There is a particular silence that settles over the defeated.

Lionel Messi's showstopping talent brought a premature end to the career of his childhood football coach, who decided to bow out after training "the best player in the world."

The flight carried the number 1978 -- a tribute to Argentina's first World Cup triumph.

Lionel Messi will turn 39 during the upcoming World Cup and could have been forgiven for quitting international football after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, but he remains his country's talisman as they aim to retain the trophy in North America.

Sometimes a single goal changes an entire life. It becomes more than a strike into the net – it turns into a man’s identity, the essence of who he is. For Mario Gotze, there was one such moment. Just one. But one was enough.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the initial news regarding superstar Lionel Messi's fitness "is not that bad" and hopes further examinations will confirm that diagnosis with the World Cup just a fortnight away.

A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit last year is "swaying in the wind" and will be removed, a lawmaker told AFP on Wednesday.

Only his back was visible. Just the back, with the Number 10 emblazoned on it. And a football resting at his feet.