Lionel Messi looked down, a grin widening into a grimace. One wonders whether there was even a smirk after the miss. Nowhere close to what could be termed a good penalty, he wore the look of a man who knew he was overthinking.

Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa finds himself under mounting pressure once again.

Lionel Messi made history yesterday, becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer after netting his 17th World Cup goal during Argentina’s Group J match against Austria at Dallas Stadium. As fans around the world celebrated the milestone, several Bangladeshi celebrities joined the conversation, sharing their excitement on social media.

Having picked up maximum points against Algeria and Austria, the reigning world champions are guaranteed to avoid a third-place finish. As things stand, a first or second-place finish means Argentina will square off against the runner-up of Group H, a spot currently occupied by Uruguay.

Lionel Messi rewrote World Cup history with a brace against Austria on Monday night as Argentina secured a 2-0 win and booked their place in the Round of 32. In the process, Messi also became the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The 38-year-old maestro broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, capping off a sleek team move with a precise, clinical finish into the bottom corner.

When Argentina take on Austria in their crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J clash in Dallas tonight, Lionel Messi will have the chance to emulate one of Diego Maradona’s most memorable feats in the famous Albiceleste jersey.

Lionel Messi has 16 World Cup goals in total and needs one more to become the outright all-time top-scorer in the tournament's history when the two sides meet in Texas on Monday.

Hosting a FIFA World Cup is a matter of immense pride for any nation. Countries spend billions of dollars on infrastructure development, building and renovating stadiums, and upgrading facilities to stage the greatest show on earth. In return, they receive significant economic benefits through the arrival of millions of football fans from around the world.

Algeria have lodged a complaint about alleged poor refereeing during their 3-0 World Cup defeat by Argentina this week, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

One pass to find him. One drop of the shoulder to leave them grasping at straws. And one touch to burst into space and bend the game to his will. It was all Argentina needed.

Watching Lionel Messi from just a few rows away was the highlight of FS Nayeem’s recent World Cup adventure in the United States. Alongside his wife, actress Nadia Ahmed, the actor attended Argentina’s clash against Algeria and experienced the tournament atmosphere firsthand.

Before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, one of the most anticipated storylines was the race to break Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup goalscoring record.

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.