Brazil qualify for 2026 World Cup finals

June 11, 2025 9:03 AM

Brazil qualify for 2026 World Cup finals

Brazil secured their spot at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Paraguay, taking the second of South America's six automatic qualifying berths after champions Argentina booked their ticket in March. A goal from Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr. on the stroke of halftime in Sao Paulo made it a winning home debut for Brazil's new coach Carlo Ancelotti. Brazil extended their record as the only team to play in every edition of the World Cup, with the five-times winners set to make t...

Injured Messi ruled out of World Cup qualifiers against Brazil, Uruguay

March 18, 2025 11:38 AM

Injured Messi ruled out of World Cup qualifiers against Brazil, Uruguay

Lionel Messi was not included in Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, with the forward missing out due to a muscle strain. Messi scored a stunning goal in Inter Miami's 2-1 win at Atlanta United in Major League Soccer (MLS) on Sunday but felt a muscle discomfort, local media reported. As a consequence, the 37-year-old was left out of the Argentina squad on Monday, and will remain in the United States to recover. Argentina, who le...