Tag: world cup

Messi and the World Cup: The numbers behind the legend

LONDON: Lionel Messi has the chance to add another glorious milestone to his incredible World Cup journey when Argentina face England in Atlanta on Wednesday, reported PA Media/dpa. The Press Association traces Messi's contribution to world football's most prestigious stage. Repeat success? Messi led Argentina to victory in 2022 in Qatar, scoring seven goals, including two in the final, before they beat France on penalties. The success was seen as partly driven by the Argentine squad's determination to win the championship before Messi retired. However, not only did he return almost four years later, but he was once again a mainstay of the team. The 39-year-old has scored eight goals in this summer's tournament, equalling France forward Kylian Mbappé as the top scorer, and is now chasing a second World Cup title before almost certainly ending his career on the stage. Respect for the individual The World Cup Golden Shoe is one of the few major awards that Messi has yet to win after Mbappé surpassed him in the race for the award in the last edition. The French striker scored a hat-trick in the final even though his team ultimately lost. The same two players once again lead the competition this time, with Mbappé having the advantage through the separating criteria of number of assists and fewest minutes played. Two English players, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, are also close behind with six goals each, while closest challenger Erling Haaland has already been eliminated. Messi is a two-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, the award for the tournament's best player, and in this edition adds two more all-time records to his collection. However, Mbappé is just one goal shy of Messi's record of 21 World Cup goals and looks set to become the long-term record holder. Both surpassed Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 goals in this tournament. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also became the first two male players to play in six World Cups, with both surpassing Lothar Matthaus' record of 25 appearances. Messi is expected to make his 33rd World Cup appearance on Wednesday, six appearances ahead of Ronaldo. A scoring record – and one weakness? Messi scored one goal on his World Cup debut in 2006 and failed to find the target in the 2010 tournament, before making an impact with four goals in the 2014 edition hosted by Argentina's arch-rivals Brazil. He scored one goal in 2018 before showing an extraordinary performance in 2022 when, at the age of 35, his number of goals in one edition surpassed the total goals he had scored in the previous four tournaments. Messi has surpassed that number in this tournament. His total goals in 2022 were aided by four goals from penalty kicks, but he also failed to convert one and the problem returned to haunt him in North America. Messi missed a penalty kick as Argentina beat Austria in the group stage and had another saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir in the last 16, meaning he has now converted just four of his eight penalties at the World Cup, excluding shootouts. He successfully completed his kicks in all three World Cup penalty shootouts he participated in, against the Netherlands in 2014 and 2022, and France in the 2022 final. Messi, who was 19 at the time, was only a substitute and was not used when Argentina lost to Germany on penalties in 2006. -- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa

LONDON: Lionel Messi has the chance to add another glorious milestone to his incredible World Cup journey when Argentina face England in Atlanta on Wednesday, reported PA Media/dpa. The Press Association traces Messi’s contribution to world football’s most prestigious stage. Repeat success? Messi led Argentina to victory in 2022 in Qatar, scoring seven goals, including […]

England Vs Mexico Kick-off Delayed Due To Severe Weather Conditions

MEXICO CITY, July 6 -- The kick-off in the World Cup match between England and Mexico at the Azteca Stadium has been delayed by an hour due to severe weather in Mexico City, FIFA has announced, reported Xinhua. The match was due to kick-off at 6 pm (0000 GMT), but with the threat of lightning in the area, the stadium activated its thunderstorm protocol less than an hour before then and the game will now commence at 7 pm. A FIFA statement read: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19:00 local time. “The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.” The delay is another challenge for England to deal with ahead of a crunch match, where they have to battle Mexico’s home advantage and the altitude. The storm has at least cooled the air down, with temperatures at 20 degrees Celsius. -- BERNAMA-XINHUA  

MEXICO CITY, July 6 — The kick-off in the World Cup match between England and Mexico at the Azteca Stadium has been delayed by an hour due to severe weather in Mexico City, FIFA has announced, reported Xinhua. The match was due to kick-off at 6 pm (0000 GMT), but with the threat of lightning […]

UN warns of dangers of extreme heat during 2026 World Cup

MADRID: The United Nations (UN) Climate Secretariat on Monday warned of the dangers posed by extreme heat to players, officials and fans during the upcoming World Cup finals, Xinhua reported. The tournament will take place in Mexico, the United States (US) and Canada with some matches expected to take place in temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity, thus posing challenges for all parties involved. At the start of the 10-day June Climate Summit in the German city of Bonn, the UN Climate Secretariat said in a statement: “The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the biggest tournament in football history, will take place at a time when extreme heat levels are increasing, driven by worsening climate change and affecting billions of people around the world.” "This extreme hot weather is expected to be part of the tournament journey, on the field, in the stands, around the stadium and in the host city," the statement said. The agency said one in four matches throughout the tournament was expected to take place in dangerously hot weather conditions, adding that while players were likely to receive immediate medical attention, the same might not be the case for fans. "The greatest danger is likely to occur outside the stadium. Supporter zones, waiting lines, transport routes, car parks and outdoor receptions can leave people exposed to dangerously hot weather for hours," the agency warned. The warning came just days after FIFA overturned a decision banning fans from bringing empty plastic water bottles into stadiums to be refilled at hydration stations. -- BERNAMA-XINHUA

MADRID: The United Nations (UN) Climate Secretariat on Monday warned of the dangers posed by extreme heat to players, officials and fans during the upcoming World Cup finals, Xinhua reported. The tournament will take place in Mexico, the United States (US) and Canada with some matches expected to take place in temperatures around 30 degrees […]

Malaysia Regu Top Group A, Reach Quarter-finals In World Cup Sepak Takraw

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18– The national regu squad stormed into the quarter-finals after topping Group A with a comfortable 2-0 win over Singapore in their final group match of the 2026 World Cup Sepak Takraw Championship here. In the match at Stadium Titiwangsa, the national side, featuring Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi, Mohd Azlan Alias and […]

RTM, Unifi TV Official Broadcasters Of FIFA World Cup 2026 In Malaysia – Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 -- Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Unifi TV have been made the official broadcasters of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Malaysia in an effort by the government to ensure the public can enjoy the tournament in an inclusive, legitimate and comprehensive manner. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the decision was made through collaboration with the private sector to ensure high-quality broadcasting and a wider reach to the audience nationwide. He said the tournament would be broadcast on various platforms, including free-to-air via MyTV as well as OTT platforms through RTM Klik and Unifi TV. “Comprehensive coverage covering all 104 matches will be broadcast live on Unifi TV, while RTM will air the majority of matches either live or on a delayed basis. This provides a variety of viewing options for fans,” he said at a weekly press conference at Angkasapuri here today. Also present were Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, Communications Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, Bernama Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, Bernama Deputy Editor-in-Chief of News Services Mohd Shukri Ishak and RTM Director-General Ashwad Ismail. Elaborating further, Fahmi said the Grandstand programme would be produced from Angkasapuri with primary delivery in Malay as well as partially in English, while the latest updates would also be shared through the Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme. “In addition, public viewing events will be organised at selected locations on a modest scale to enhance fan engagement,” he said. He said several main sponsors to support the effort had been identified and were being finalised, with an announcement expected in the near future. Commenting on the cost, Fahmi, who is also MADANI Government spokesman, said the government had allocated RM24 million, which had been approved earlier, for the purpose. “There are several elements, including sponsorships from relevant parties, and we will announce these sponsorships in the near future. But on the government’s side, the expenditure is RM24 million,” he said. Meanwhile, he also stressed the importance of compliance with anti-piracy regulations for all content related to the sporting event. “All parties are urged to play their roles responsibly and enforcement action will continue to be strengthened against any violations,” he said, expressing hope that the tournament would unite the people through the spirit of sport and togetherness. The United States (US) will co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, with the opening match taking place in Mexico City on June 11, while the final is scheduled to be held in New Jersey on July 19. -- BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Unifi TV have been made the official broadcasters of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Malaysia in an effort by the government to ensure the public can enjoy the tournament in an inclusive, legitimate and comprehensive manner. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the decision […]

World Cup: FIFA rejects Iran’s request to move match to Mexico

MEXICO CITY: The International Football Federation (FIFA) has decided not to move a World Cup match involving the Iranian team from the United States (US) to Mexico, despite the conflict in West Asia. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this on Friday in a press conference, according to a report by the German News Agency (dpa). Iran has requested not to play in three group stage matches in the US following the US and Israeli attacks on Feb 28. Although the fighting has been halted by a fragile ceasefire, Washington has warned of further attacks. "FIFA ultimately decided that the match could not be moved from the original venue," Sheinbaum said. According to him, from FIFA's perspective, the move would involve "a very large logistical effort." World football's governing body had previously expressed doubts about Iran's request to move matches against Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt at the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the US, Mexico and Canada. FIFA President Gianni Infantino previously insisted that Iran should continue to participate despite tense relations between Tehran and Washington. "We want Iran to play and Iran will play in the World Cup. There is no Plan B, C or D – there is only Plan A," Infantino told Mexican broadcaster N+ Univision two weeks ago. Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj recently stated that the team was boycotting the US, but not the World Cup, without elaborating on the details, the state news agency IRNA reported. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump described Iran's involvement as "inappropriate" due to "their own lives and safety." Amid a ceasefire that began Tuesday, talks between the US and Iran for a lasting peace settlement are scheduled to take place in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Friday. Iran has previously launched retaliatory strikes after attacks by the US and Israel, including targeting Gulf countries and closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route.

MEXICO CITY: The International Football Federation (FIFA) has decided not to move a World Cup match involving the Iranian team from the United States (US) to Mexico, despite the conflict in West Asia. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this on Friday in a press conference, according to a report by the German News Agency (dpa). […]