Author: AFP

Midfield great Luka Modric said on Tuesday that he was determined to enjoy every second of his last FIFA World Cup and had been “rejuvenated” by being with Croatia for a fifth time on football’s biggest stage.

Croatia face England on Wednesday in Texas in one of the most attractive fixtures of the group stage in North America.

The 40-year-old Modric will lead out Croatia, who beat England in the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, and will pull the strings once more in midfield.

Along with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, this will be the last dance for one of the most acclaimed players in the world over the past 20 years.

Modric, now with AC Milan after more than a decade at the heart of Real Madrid’s midfield, is set to win his 200th cap for his country in North America.

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“Every game, every tournament is special at 40 with the national team,” Modric said on the eve of the England clash.

“My aim in this tournament is to enjoy it, to do my best, but enjoy it,” he added. “I want to enjoy each match, every training with these guys.”

Croatia strolled through qualifying but came into the World Cup with little fanfare, much like at other recent major tournaments. But England will underestimate them at their peril, even if the Croatia squad is one of the older ones at the tournament.

Another veteran of past campaigns, 37-year-old winger Ivan Perisic, is also in the squad alongside Manchester City pair Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic.

There is excitement about defender Luka Vuskovic, 19, who is expected to start against England, and Modric said, “There are a lot of young players, so I feel rejuvenated with them.”

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Long-serving coach Zlatko Dalic is looking forward to facing England once more, and seeing how his men stand up to an attack led by the prolific skipper Harry Kane.

“The opponent is high quality,” he said.

“We know their quality, we analysed them, and they know us too… they’re very dangerous.

“They have the best strikers in the world. They have Kane — Kane can do a lot, a hell of a lot,” he added, saying he was also wary of the threat posed by Thomas Tuchel’s side from set-pieces.

“We are quite prepared for that,” he said.

READ: Austria earn FIFA World Cup win against debutants Jordan

SANTA CLARA: Austria were given a scare by tournament debutants Jordan on Tuesday before securing a 3-1 win, in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, rounded off by a penalty in added time from veteran forward Marko Arnautovic.

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The Austrians went ahead at Levi’s Stadium, currently known as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the World Cup, near San Francisco, when Romano Schmid produced a brilliant opening goal, smashing in a shot from distance.

Jordan never stopped chasing the game, and Ali Olwan’s glancing header nearly put them level before he scored the first World Cup goal in his country’s history, and it was worth the wait.

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He cut in and directed a superb right-footed shot at Austria’s keeper, Alexander Schlager and off the post.

But Austria regained the lead in the 76th minute thanks to an own goal from Yazan al-Arab before 37-year-old former West Ham man Arnautovic added a stoppage-time penalty to make the game safe.

READ: World Cup goals record ‘just a number’, says Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi savoured a “beautiful moment” after claiming the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goalscorer record on Tuesday, but said, “ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more”.

The 38-year-old Argentina captain etched another memorable chapter in his glittering career with a brilliant hat-trick in the South Americans’ 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City.

Messi’s hat-trick, his first ever at a World Cup, vaulted him alongside Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in the tournament’s history with 16 goals.

Next on the list is Brazilian great Ronaldo, with 15 goals, one ahead of Gerd Muller and current France star Kylian Mbappe.

“To enjoy this with my family, with my teammates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment,” Inter Miami star Messi said. “I’m happy.”

“It’s an honour to be there, given what it means to stand alongside Klose or the others.

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“Ronaldo is there too, but I don’t think it means anything — Mbappe as well, who scored two today (in a 3-1 win against Senegal).

“In the end, it’s just a statistic and nothing more.”

Messi’s razor-sharp eye for goal augurs well for Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles.

“The squad, it’s a very united, very strong group,” he said.

“I feel good. We were lucky enough to win a tough match. It’s important to start off with a win in the first game.

“I’m grateful to the fans, because once again they’ve shown that Argentina is crazy about this — we packed the stadium again.”

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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he no longer had “the words to describe Messi.”

“For 20 years, he’s had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play,” he said of Messi’s masterclass.

Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said Messi was still the heartbeat of the team despite his veteran status.

“If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all,” he said.

Rodrigo De Paul, who supplied the pass for the first goal on Tuesday, described the former Barcelona star as “a beast”.

READ: Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 as Messi ties World Cup goals record

KANSAS CITY: Lionel Messi scored a dazzling hat-trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 goals at World Cups as the defending champions swept Algeria aside 3-0.

On a night for the ages in Kansas City, the records kept tumbling for Argentina’s miracle man, considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time.

When the match kicked off at the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, Messi became the first player to feature in six World Cup tournaments in his 200th international match.

And the 38-year-old lit up the occasion with three goals in a clinical display by the reigning world champions.

Messi produced a majestic finish from distance in the 17th minute, sparking a frenzy among his adoring fans, who had turned the match into a virtual home game.

Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France great Zinedine Zidane, got his hands to the ball, but could not keep it out.

Messi netted again in the second half from close range, gobbling up a rebound to take him just one goal behind the all-time record held by Germany’s Klose.

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And he completed his first hat-trick at a World Cup with an unstoppable finish in the 76th minute. The diminutive genius was substituted shortly afterwards, forcing Argentine fans to wait to see their hero have a shot at the outright record.

The Group J match in the open-air stadium started at a frantic pace, and both sides had early goals ruled out for offside, including one from Messi.

But Argentina took the lead when Rodrigo De Paul played a beautifully measured through ball, which Messi picked up before driving at goal and unleashing a fierce drive from outside the penalty area that curled away from Zidane.

The South American team were largely in control of the match, fluid in attack with their Number 10 pulling the strings.

But as the clock ticked towards half-time, Algeria enjoyed a better spell, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez forced to parry a shot from Fares Chaibi from a tight angle.

Messi curled another effort over the bar in the early minutes of the second half, and Zidane kept out a shot from Lautaro Martinez.

But the crowd did not have to wait long to celebrate another goal from the veteran forward, who plays for MLS side Inter Miami.

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Zidane could not handle a sizzling Alexis Mac Allister strike from distance, and Messi was there to sweep home in the 60th minute.

Time stood still six minutes later as Messi was through again, but this time Zidane pushed the ball over the bar. However, he was not to be denied, completing his hat-trick after being set up by substitute Nico Gonzalez.

Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina are seeking to become the first back-to-back winners since Brazil managed the feat in 1962.

Algeria are hoping to reach the knockout round for only the second time, in a group that also includes Austria and Jordan.

Earlier, the roads around the Kansas City Stadium were clogged as tens of thousands of Argentine fans streamed towards the ground dressed in blue and white, many with Messi’s name on the back of their shirts.

Argentina’s all-time top-scorer is just the third man to reach 200 caps after Cristiano Ronaldo and Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa.

Ronaldo will equal Messi’s record of six World Cup appearances if he plays for Portugal against DR Congo on Wednesday.

READ: Zidane Iqbal becomes first footballer of Pakistani heritage to play at World Cup

Erling Haaland struck his first FIFA World Cup goals as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday in their first game at a major tournament in 26 years.

The Manchester City striker turned in from close range to give Norway the lead on 29 minutes in Boston, but Aymen Hussein’s header brought Iraq level.

Haaland pounced on an error at the back to put Norway ahead again before half-time and take his goals tally at the international level to 57 in just 51 matches.

Leo Ostigard headed in a third for Norway moments after coming off the bench to effectively wrap up victory. Norway got a fourth deep into stoppage time through a Hussein own goal.

The win left Norway on top of Group I on goal difference, level with France on three points after Les Bleus overcame Senegal 3-1 earlier in the day. The Norwegians face the African powerhouses in their next game in New Jersey on June 22.

No team endured a longer or more perilous road to the World Cup than Iraq, who secured their place as the 48th and final qualifier in March after a 21-match campaign that stretched across 867 days.

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Hussein, scorer of the decisive goal in the play-off win over Bolivia, was then held and questioned for hours by US immigration officials after arriving with the squad ahead of Iraq’s first World Cup since 1986.

Norway last played at the tournament in 1998, when coach Stale Solbakken was a member of the squad that famously beat Brazil in the group stage before exiting in the last 16. He also featured at Euro 2000.

After breezing impressively through qualifying, twice thrashing Italy, they are hoping a golden generation of players – led by Haaland and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard – can break new ground in North America.

Solbakken predicted Haaland would make a “very big impact” at his first major finals, and the City star was quick to deliver on that promise.

Antonio Nusa’s trickery was a problem for Iraq, and his incisive pass released the overlapping David Moller Wolfe clear before Haaland stretched to steer in the low cross from the left.

Iraq, who lost all their of group games on their only previous appearance, did not let that get to them as they equalised 10 minutes later.

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Amir Al-Ammari found space just inside the area and clipped in a cross, with Hussein rising brilliantly to power a header past Orjan Nyland.

But Iraq only had themselves to blame as they gift-wrapped Haaland’s second of the contest.

Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan was slow to react to a softly-hit backpass, his attempted clearance smacking off Haaland’s shin and ricocheting into the net.

Iraq again responded well, with Ibrahim Bayesh denied by a desperation block, Ali Al-Hamadi dribbling an effort wide and centre-back Akam Hashim lashing a spectacular volley just over the bar.

Ostigard nodded in Odegaard’s corner on 76 minutes to seal the points for Norway, before Haaland was thwarted by Hassan when another loose pass sent him clean through and seeking his hat-trick.

Haaland nonetheless had a hand in Norway’s late fourth, his looping header back across goal deflecting off Hussein before trickling over the line.

READ: Kylian Mbappe breaks Lionel Messi’s record at FIFA World Cup 2026

NEW YORK: Kylian Mbappe’s brace fired France to an emphatic 3-1 opening win over Senegal in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I clash at New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday.

Real Madrid star Mbappe took his career World Cup goals tally to 14 –just two behind all-time leader Miroslav Klose- and Bradley Barcola was also on target as Les Bleus secured all three points for Didier Deschamps’ side.

Mbappe darted across the penalty area to convert a brilliant Michael Olise pass on 66 minutes to break the deadlock in a contest in which France struggled badly in the first half, but came to life after the break.

Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain then came off the bench to get the second late on, before his club colleague Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back in stoppage time for Senegal.

But Mbappe saved the best for last, as he blasted in from long range in the 96th minute to seal the win, and become France’s all-time top scorer with 58 goals.

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The decision by coach Didier Deschamps to move Olise infield from the right wing was crucial in swinging the game the way of the two-time World Cup winners.

But it is Mbappe who grabbed the spotlight in what turned out to be a memorable 99th appearance for his country.

Mbappe renewed his extraordinary love affair with the World Cup, in which he scored in the 2018 final as France won, and netted a stunning hat-trick in their defeat on penalties to Argentina in the 2022 final in Qatar.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker’s double took him past Pele’s 12 and overtook the 13 of Lionel Messi and fellow Frenchman Just Fontaine.

He is now level with Gerd Mueller in the overall list, with only Klose and the Brazilian Ronaldo (15) still ahead of him.

France, one of the pre-tournament favourites, will be expected to build on this to ease into the last 32, with outsiders Iraq up next before a meeting with Erling Haaland’s Norway.

Deschamps, in his last tournament before he steps down after 14 years in charge, has been wary of overconfidence in his talented squad.

Opponents Senegal served as a warning from the past -– France went into the 2002 World Cup as holders and favourites, but lost 1-0 to the Lions of Teranga in their opening game and never recovered, going out in the group stage without scoring a goal.

Senegal showed how strong they are before a packed house of 80,545 in a game played in bright sunshine with the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the distance.

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A team led by veteran forward Sadio Mane, and featuring four starters born in France, were playing their first competitive game since the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco in January.

Pape Thiaw’s side won that in extra time, but were later stripped of their title for a walk-off protest by several players during the match. Their appeal into that is ongoing.

They were the better team in the first half, as Nicolas Jackson almost scored on the break on 25 minutes when he broke away and hit the post, before the ball ricocheted off goalkeeper Mike Maignan and went just wide.

Ismaila Sarr then put a glorious chance over the bar in first-half stoppage time, and Senegal were to regret that.

Olise and Ousmane Dembele switched positions at the interval, with the reigning Ballon d’Or moving right and leaving the area through the middle behind Mbappe to the Bayern man.

Suddenly, France came to life, with Olise being denied by Edouard Mendy and then setting up Mbappe for a chance that was saved.

France thought they had a penalty on the hour mark when Mbappe went down under a Mane challenge, but referee Alireza Faghani opted not to award a spot-kick after a review.

It didn’t matter, as Olise continued to tear apart the opposition and slipped in Mbappe for the opener.

It was a superb goal, and France struck again when Adrien Rabiot released substitute Barcola to run through and score.

Mbaye got one back on 95 minutes, but Mbappe had the last word.

READ: Neymar back in training with Brazil at FIFA World Cup 2026

Brazil forward Neymar, who was diagnosed with a right calf injury in late May, trained at the fifa World Cup 2026 for the first time Tuesday in a sign he may be nearing a return.

The 34-year-old has been undergoing treatment since the squad’s arrival in the United States, but took another step in his recovery process as he was out running at Brazil’s training base in New Jersey.

Earlier, it was reported that the star forward Neymar could miss the remainder of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stages.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti had previously expressed optimism regarding Neymar’s recovery but stopped short of putting a definitive timeline on his return.

Brazil’s all-time record scorer has yet to return to full training after missing the team’s opening 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday.

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Neymar has been an integral part of Brazil’s last three World Cup campaigns but there was some surprise at his inclusion this time as injuries have prevented him from playing for his country at all since 2023.

He has featured in just half of his club’s games in the Brazilian league, cup and Copa Sudamericana this year due to various fitness issues.

Brazil’s next game is against Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday. They face Scotland in their final Group C game in Miami on June 24.

READ: Ruben Amorim steps in as AC Milan’s new coach

Ruben Amorim will lead AC Milan’s bid to return to the Champions League after taking charge of the ailing seven-time European champions on Monday.

Italian media report that Amorim will be paid a net annual salary of 3.5 million euros ($4.06 million) over his two-year deal as he bids to improve the fortunes of one of Europe’s most storied clubs.

“There are ambitions that stay with you throughout your career, and coaching AC Milan has always been one of mine,” Amorim said.

“I know exactly what this club means: history, prestige and an extraordinary fanbase around the world.”

Portuguese Amorim returns to coaching six months after being sacked by Manchester United with a year-and-a-half left on his contract, a move which cost the Premier League giants £16.7 million ($22.4 million).

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He had attracted attention as a bright young coach at Sporting Lisbon but he failed to make an impact at Old Trafford and it was left to his replacement Michael Carrick to drag United into next season’s Champions League.

The 41-year-old will be tasked with a top-four finish in Serie A next season after Milan missed out on Europe’s top club competition on the final day of this past campaign.

Milan slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat by lowly Cagliari and ended up fifth behind both Roma and wealthy upstarts Como who took the final two Champions League spots.

That result, which was preceded and followed by loud supporter protests against American owners RedBird, led to the sacking of coach Massimiliano Allegri, CEO Giorgio Furlani and the club’s sporting directors Igli Tare and Geoffrey Moncada.

Allegri is widely reported to be taking over at Napoli in the coming days following the departure of Antonio Conte.

READ: Women’s World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka stun New Zealand in memorable victory

Serena Williams will play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022 after the American legend was given a wildcard to play the doubles event with her sister Venus on Tuesday.

Williams made a sensational return to tennis last week when she won her first-round doubles match at Queen’s Club with partner Victoria Mboko.

The 44-year-old had not played professional tennis for four years after saying she was “evolving away” from the sport following the 2022 US Open.

But the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was keen to play in front of her two young daughters and made the shock announcement of her return just prior to the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s.

Serena Williams was unable to play more than one match at Queen’s after Mboko pulled out with an injury, but she is due to continue her remarkable comeback in the Berlin Open doubles alongside Karolina Muchova this week.

The Williams sisters are six-time doubles champions at Wimbledon, winning their last title on their most recent appearance together a decade ago.

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Following speculation that Serena would be tempted to play in the singles at Wimbledon, which starts on June 29, the American was absent from the list of wildcard entries into that part of the tournament.

After so long away, she had no ranking to secure automatic entry into tournaments, leaving her to rely on wildcards.

Williams is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, but she hasn’t won a Grand Slam crown since beating Venus to win the 2017 Australian Open.

Her most recent Wimbledon singles title came in 2016, with her last four Grand Slam finals ending in defeat.

There is still one singles wildcard place for Wimbledon to be announced.

Williams’ return at Queen’s for her first match in 1,375 days captured the imagination of the sporting world.

Her decision to pick up a racquet in a competitive setting for the first time since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open had sparked questions about the wisdom of the move.

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But it was like she had never been away as Williams produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd.

Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus has been beaten in all seven of her singles matches this year.

The 45-year-old, who plays only occasionally in the twilight of her career, won a doubles match with Katie Boulter in Madrid in April.

Elsewhere in the Wimbledon wildcard list, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of the season, and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov were given entry into the men’s singles.

Maja Chwalinska, who reached the French Open final earlier in June, was handed a wildcard for the women’s singles.

READ: FIFA World Cup: Ghana head to Canada court over Thomas Partey visa row

Ghana’s government was headed to Canadian federal court Tuesday seeking to overturn Ottawa’s refusal to issue a World Cup visa to player Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges.

Canadian public broadcaster CBC reported the hearing was set for Tuesday morning, with Ghana pursuing an injunction application that could allow Partey to play against Panama on Wednesday in Toronto.

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa has called Canada’s decision “high-handed and extremely unfair”, calling Partey “a key member of Ghana’s senior national team”.

Accra has sent an official “note of protest” to Ottawa over the move and formally asked Canada to review the decision, Ablakwa said.

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Canada’s foreign ministry has not responded to a query regarding its response to Ghana’s protest.

Partey is a Villarreal midfielder who previously played for Arsenal. He made 167 appearances for Arsenal between 2020 and 2025 before his contract expired.

He has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022.

Ghana will commence their World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto on 17 June, before facing England and Croatia in Boston and Philadelphia, respectively.

READ: England suffer major setback ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 opener