France defeated Argentina 4-3 in the World Cup. The fixture is part of the 8th Finals stage in the 2018 season. The match was played at Kazan' Arena in Kazan'. A. Faghani officiated the match. The full-time result capped a France vs Argentina meeting in World Cup with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for France and Argentina. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World CupRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Barco a left-back who can also play in midfieldPlayer had spell at Brighton before move to FranceChelsea have signed the Argentina international Valentín Barco from their sister club Strasbourg on a seven-year deal.The 22-year-old, who played seven times for Brighton including six Premier League appearances during the 2023-24 season, becomes the eighth arrival of new manager Xabi Alonso’s reign. Continue reading...
Inter Miami head coach Guillermo Hoyos explained how Lionel Messi was able to return to the MLS in less than two weeks from the 2026 World Cup final. Lionel Messi has officially returned to the pitch for Inter Miami following Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final. Less than two weeks after squaring off against Spain, head coach Guillermo Hoyos shed light on the driving forces behind the superstar’s MLS rapid turn-around. Following the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, Messi took a brief vacation before reporting back to Inter Miami’s Fort Lauderdale training facility on Wednesday. With only a couple of team sessions under his belt, the legendary forward suited up to aid the Herons in their ongoing quest for MLS hardware. On Saturday, Aug. 1, Inter Miami hosted the Columbus Crew. Rather than watching from a luxury box as originally expected, Messi was named to the matchday squad as a substitute. The captain entered in the 53rd minute and made an immediate impact, firing four shots (one on target), though the Herons ultimately settled for a 2-2 draw after Columbus midfielder Brais Mendez scored an 84th-minute equalizer. In his postgame press conference, Hoyos praised the dedication of his squad, singling out international stars Messi and Rodrigo De Paul: “I want to thank all the players for the effort they put in. I especially want to thank Leo and Rodri for traveling and showing up so soon after the World Cup. That was very important. This is a difficult, competitive league. We were winning in the 86th minute and wanted three points, but ended up with one. The game escaped us in the final minutes.“ Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball against the Columbus Crew. Hoyos on what drove Messi’s accelerated return Despite turning 39 during the 2026 World Cup, Messi defied expectations by making his return to competitive play in less than a fortnight. Instead of waiting for the club’s upcoming Leagues Cup debut, the Argentine legend insisted on getting match minutes under his belt against Columbus. When asked how Messi managed to stay fit and return so quickly, Hoyos offered a simple explanation: “Love for the game. The feeling towards a team as well. He is a football player, and when we are football players, we never leave football behind. Today I am a manager, but I will never stop being a football player. It is a very strong feeling.“ Hoyos’ sentiment aligns with Messi’s actions during his abbreviated time off. While resting in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, the star was spotted supporting Leones FC (the fourth-division club presided over by his brother, Matias) proving that even during his downtime, soccer remains front and center. Inter Miami now shifts its focus to the 2026 Leagues Cup, opening tournament play against Mexican side Atletico San Luis on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Nu Stadium. Following his cameo against the Crew, Messi’s participation is all but guaranteed.
With the 2026 MLS season already underway, questions are being raised about when Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will play his next game. Lionel Messi is still making history at 38 years old, remaining a cornerstone and captain for both Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. With the 2026 Major League Soccer season now underway, fans are wondering when they’ll see the forward back in action. Lionel Messi’s next match with Inter Miami is scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, when the Herons host the game against Atletico San Luis at Nu Stadium for the 2026 Leagues Cup debut. The Argentine star heads to the game after making his return to the Herons on Saturday against the Columbus Crew following his World Cup campaign. As for his next game with Argentina, there is no game scheduled yet, but the next matchups will be in the upcoming international break in September. Still, his continuity at the helm of the Albiceleste remains a question since he hasn’t spoken after the 2026 World Cup final over his future. During the World Cup, Messi featured in all eight matches for Argentina scoring eigth goals to cement his legacy as the second all-time top scorer in the torunament with 21 career World Cup goals. As for the 2026 MLS campaign, Messi has featured in 16 official matches so far across all competitions for Inter Miami, scoring 13 goals with 7 assist registered thus far. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF during the MLS match against LAFC. Lionel Messi and the task of defending the World Cup title The year 2026 will be especially significant for Messi, not only because of Inter Miami’s ambitions but also because he’ll head into the 2026 World Cup aiming to defend the title. The triumph in Qatar in 2022 marked one of the defining peaks of his career, and now in North America he’ll enter another tournament wearing the champions’ badge for the first time. Drawn into Group J, Argentina will open its campaign against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. The second match will be against Austria on Monday the 22nd in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, before closing the group stage against Jordan on Saturday the 27th, also in Texas. The Argentina FA has announced that the national team will base itself in Kansas City during the tournament, though training facilities have yet to be confirmed. Expected to be his final World Cup appearance, Messi will have a chance to add to his record haul with a squad coached by Lionel Scaloni that remains one of the strongest in international soccer after winning the last World Cup and back-to-back Copa América titles.
Benjamin Mendy has sold the replica 2018 World Cup trophy FIFA awarded him at auction. In 2018, Benjamin Mendy lifted the World Cup at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium as part of the France squad that beat Croatia 4-2 in the final. Seven years later, that gold-plated memory has a price tag: the left-back has sold the official replica trophy FIFA gave him as a champion for roughly $62,200 at auction. The sale went through American collectibles house Goldin as part of its “Global Football Auction Part 2,” a sale that also featured memorabilia tied to names like Lamine Yamal, Pelé, and Lionel Messi, and closed on July 25. The piece up for grabs wasn’t the actual World Cup trophy, which stays in FIFA’s possession, but the identical replica FIFA and the French federation hand every world champion as a personal keepsake, standing roughly 38 centimeters tall. It was listed with a crack at its base and visible wear, and the winning bidder received a certificate signed by Mendy to authenticate it. Mendy had a brief participation at the 2018 World Cup Mendy, now 32, played a bit-part role in that Russia 2018 run under Didier Deschamps, coming on for 40 minutes in a 0-0 group-stage draw with Denmark while Lucas Hernandez started every other match at left-back. Benjamin Mendy of France celebrates with the World Cup Trophy. (Getty Images) France‘s path to the title included wins over Argentina in the round of 16, Uruguay in the quarterfinals, and Belgium in the semifinals before the final against Croatia. Mendy’s career: a fall from the top Mendy’s path to that World Cup medal ran through Le Havre, where he broke into the first team in 2011 after coming up through the reserves, before a move to Olympique de Marseille in 2013 for three seasons. He then joined Monaco, where he won the 2016-17 Ligue 1 title as part of the young squad that also produced Kylian Mbappé, and that breakout campaign earned him a move to Manchester City in 2017 for a then-world-record fee for a defender. His six years at City were repeatedly derailed by injuries and, later, a major legal setback that kept him out of football entirely for two years before he was cleared in 2023. City released him following that ordeal, and his career never recovered its old level: a brief, appearance-less spell at Lorient came next, followed by a short stint at Swiss side FC Zürich, before he signed with Poland’s Pogoń Szczecin in September 2025, where he currently plays.
Juan Cuadrado confirmed interest from an MLS team, leading many to wonder whether he could end up as Lionel Messi's teammate at Inter Miami. Juan Cuadrado finds himself without a club after his one-year stint at Pisa in Italy’s Serie A came to an end on June 30, and Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami have emerged as a possible suitor for the Colombian, after he confirmed he received an offer from MLS. Besides MLS, the 37-year-old player revealed in an interview with DSports that he also has offers from Mexico and a club in Europe. “There are offers from the United States, from Mexico, and one from Europe that isn’t confirmed yet, but there are talks… Right now I’m waiting on proposals, but for the moment I’m not ruling out the FPC (Professional Colombian Football),” Cuadrado revealed. While Cuadrado hasn’t revealed any of the clubs that have shown interest in him, Inter Miami could easily be one of the MLS sides in the mix for several reasons. The Colombian is currently a free agent, which would make any move straightforward from a contractual standpoint. Since he wouldn’t need to be signed as a Designated Player, the Herons wouldn’t have to touch their salary cap structure to fit him in — a detail that matters given how tightly Miami already manage their DP slots around Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and German Berterame. German Berterame celebrates a goal with Lionel Messi. (Getty Images) There’s also a clear on-field need he could fill. Facundo Mura, the Argentine right back Inter Miami signed as a free agent from Racing Club, has yet to find the level he showed during his time in Argentina. Cuadrado, who can also operate as a right-sided midfielder, would give Hoyos both direct competition for that spot and extra depth on the right flank, something the squad could use as the fixture list piles up. Cuadrado brings a wealth of experience Then there’s the experience factor. Cuadrado cuenta con muchos partidos con una alta carga de presión, having played in a Champions League final. There, he came on as a substitute for Juventus in the 2016-17 decider against Real Madrid, where they lost 1-4 in Cardiff. On the international stage, he featured for Colombia at two World Cups, 2014 and 2018, and across five editions of the Copa America, helping the team to third-place finishes in 2016 and 2021 over more than 110 caps for La Tricolor. None of that guarantees a move to Fort Lauderdale, but between the financial fit, the positional need, and the pedigree he’d bring to the dressing room, Inter Miami have plenty of reasons to keep an eye on Cuadrado’s situation as he weighs his options between MLS, Mexico, Europe and Colombia.
Lionel Messi's return with Inter Miami remains uncertain, and it looks like it won't come against Columbus Crew in the next MLS matchup. Inter Miami head coach Guillermo Hoyos has cast fresh doubt over whether Lionel Messi will be fit to face the Columbus Crew this Saturday, just days after the Argentine captain rejoined the squad following Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final. Messi returned to training in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, July 29, but Hoyos stopped short of confirming his captain would be included for the visit of Columbus, leaving the door open without making any promises. Speaking to reporters after the training session, Hoyos was asked directly about Messi’s chances of featuring. “We’re talking along those lines. He arrived not long ago, so we haven’t really had the space yet to talk properly, but we’re very happy that he’s back,” the coach said. Rodrigo De Paul finds himself in an identical spot, having rejoined the squad at the same time as his compatriot, meaning his availability for Inter Miami’s next MLS clash is also in doubt. 🇦🇷 Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul are Both Back!The two Argentines have both returned from their post-World Cup breaks to resume practicing with Inter Miami.Guillermo Hoyos did not provide any specifics as to their availability for Saturday vs Columbus. #InterMiamiCF #Messi pic.twitter.com/UOBecSJSv3— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) July 31, 2026 Notably, Inter Miami haven’t needed either of them to keep winning. The club beat Chicago Fire 3-2, with Luis Suárez scoring a brace, and followed it up with a 1-0 win at CF Montreal with the Uruguayan finding the net again, stretching their run to six straight victories. Messi’s potential return to the pitch with Inter Miami If Saturday comes too soon, the more realistic target for Messi’s first appearance since the World Cup final is Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup opener against Atletico San Luis on August 5. That date would also line up with games against Monterrey on August 8 and Leon on August 12 to close the group stage, giving Hoyos a clearer runway to manage Messi’s reintegration than a compressed turnaround against Columbus would allow.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
