Lionel Messi starts on the bench as Argentina take on Jordan in their final Group J match at Dallas Stadium on Saturday with coach Lionel Scaloni making nine changes to the side that defeated Austria in their previous match.

According to Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports, Scaloni is set to hand World Cup debuts to several squad members while resting regular starters ahead of the round-of-32 clash next Saturday in Miami.

Medina also recalled his childhood in Villa Fiorito, the Buenos Aires neighbourhood where Diego Maradona grew up

Brazil have lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over the controversial decision to disallow one of Vinicius Junior's goals in their 3-0 victory over Scotland, citing a Lionel Messi goal as an example of inconsistent VAR decisions, according to a report by TyC Sports.

From Lionel Messi rewriting history at 39 to Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland relentlessly closing in, while Vinícius Junior leads Brazil’s charge with flair and authority, the battle to finish as the tournament’s top scorer is fast becoming one of the World Cup’s defining subplots.

Lionel Messi may be making his case as football's greatest of all time with a stunning World Cup run so far, but in Kansas City, another Messi, a goat, is winning fans by munching weeds along the Missouri River.

As football fans around the world celebrate Lionel Messi’s birthday today, actor Chanchal Chowdhury has joined the tributes in his own artistic way. A lifelong admirer of the Argentine footballer, the actor recently shared a hand-drawn portrait of Messi on social media, drawing praise from fans.

And decades later, that mischievous prince remains. He plays with the singular, pure focus of a child with a ball at his feet, bringing an ethereal beauty and grace back to a hyper-mechanised sport.

Ronaldo no longer covers every blade of grass, and there’s no need to anyway. He has grown into a penalty-box predator with the same singular dedication that defined every phase of his career. His role in this Portugal side is different, more conservative, more positional, but vital nevertheless.

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.

Messi, at his sixth World Cup, was still going strong in the 95th minute.

France manager Didier Deschamps suggested Kylian Mbappe will eventually claim the all-time World Cup goals record after the 27-year-old striker scored his second double of the tournament in Monday’s 3-0 win over Iraq.

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.

“For me, Lionel Messi is the best footballer of all time. Congratulations, champion,” Klose said in remarks quoted by German media outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The contrast between the two football icons adds another fascinating chapter to this World Cup.

Despite a disciplined defensive approach, the European side found themselves unable to suppress a milestone-shattering evening that propelled the defending champions safely into the knockout phase with a game to spare.

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.

When asked to rank his absolute favourite goal from his unparalleled World Cup career or describe the feeling of breaking the record, the master goalscorer could only smile through the exhaustion.

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.

Relive the unbridled emotion of a night built for footballing royalty.