Publisher - The Beautiful Game, Beautifully Told

The gods of football, as someone noted afterwards, clearly did not want the record broken from the penalty spot. They had something better in mind. In the ninth minute at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Messi struck a penalty wide of…

The World Cup rarely offers such neat symmetry. This almost feels scripted. And if it is, I am loving it. Last week, Messi, Mbappe and Haaland scored a total of seven goals within hours of each other. This time they scored a total of six,…

Portugal and Uzbekistan meet at NRG Stadium in Houston on Tuesday afternoon in a crucial Group K encounter, with both nations seeking a result that could define their World Cup futures. Roberto Martinez's side were held to a…

History has been rewritten in Texas. Just two days shy of his 39th birthday, Lionel Messi has officially become the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, inspiring Argentina to a clinical 2-0 victory over Austria at Dallas…

It’s a funny old game. The mighty La Roja tore away Saudi Arabia’s resistance to end the game as a contest within the first half an hour and without needing to enter second gear, but this day will still be rightfully remembered as a day of…

Argentina and Austria clash at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) on Monday night in a monumental Group J fixture where the winner will directly book their ticket to the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds. Both nations arrive in exceptional…

Cape Verde's remarkable FIFA World Cup 2026 journey continued on Sunday as the tournament debutants produced another fearless display to secure a memorable 2-2 draw against Uruguay, moving one step closer to an historic place in the…

After Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the delegation did not check into their hotel. They went to the airport. The match had ended at approximately 8pm Pacific time. Within hours, the players were on a charter…

New Zealand and Egypt meet at BC Place in Vancouver on Monday morning in a Group G fixture where both nations seek their first tournament victory following opening draws. Darren Bazeley's All Whites secured an impressive 2-2 comeback…

Uruguay and Cape Verde meet at Miami Stadium on Sunday evening in a Group H fixture where both nations arrive seeking to capitalize on their opening results and establish genuine group momentum. Marcelo Bielsa's side disappointed against…