Sports

India: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav. Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Bilal Sami, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Fareed Ahmad Malik, AM…

NEW DELHI: Lionel Messi celebrated a historic night with tears, a hat-trick and yet another record as Argentina began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a dominant 3-0 win over Algeria in Group J at the Kansas City Stadium.The 38-year-old was seen emotional after scoring the first of his three goals, leaving fans wondering…

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, second right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal. (AP Photo) Lionel Messi turned back the clock once again as defending champions Argentina launched their FIFA World Cup title defence in emphatic fashion, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scoring his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in a commanding 3-0 victory…

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) celebrates after scoring the opening goal. (AP Photo) Lionel Messi added another chapter to his remarkable legacy on Tuesday, becoming only the second player in history to score in five different FIFA World Cups as defending champions Argentina took control against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium.Making his record sixth appearance at football’s…

India’s Harsh Dubey attends a training session in Lucknow. (AP Photo) TimesofIndia.com in Lucknow: It took Surendra Dubey and Jyoti Dubey nearly 24 hours to travel from Nagpur to Lucknow. A delayed train only added to the journey, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the proud parents, who had missed watching their son Harsh…

8′ – Another goal, another offside! Algeria’s celebrations are cut short after VAR rules the effort out, making it one disallowed goal each in a breathless opening spell. Brilliant work from Maza in midfield, dictating the tempo and threading passes through tight spaces. Spotting Farid Chaibi’s run between the full-back and centre-back, he delivers a…

Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha stays on the hot seat NEW DELHI: For those unfamiliar with India’s iconic quiz show “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), hosted by legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, the term “hot seat” may evoke a bizarre image. But, in reality, it is where contestants sit opposite Bachchan in the Indian version of “Who Wants to…

The Australian referee Shaun Evans (L) has been cleared by FIFA of any wrongdoing. (IANS Photo) FIFA has cleared Australian video review official Shaun Evans of any wrongdoing after investigating a hand gesture that resembled a white supremacist symbol, with the governing body’s independent disciplinary committee finding no evidence of a breach of its code.The…

France’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the opening goal of his team during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Kylian Mbappé entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an opportunity to add another chapter to…

New Zealand’s Sarpreet Singh (10) battles for the ball (AP Photo/Andre Penner) NEW DELHI: New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh created history by becoming the first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup 2026 match. Coach Darren Bazeley kept faith in him until he was substituted in the 90th minute. New Zealand will…