Forli · Attacker · #30 · Italy · 20 yrs
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 Argentina is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, when La Albiceleste take on Algeria for Matchday 1 in Group J of the 2026 World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The forward is heading to the game after recovering from his muscle overload and performing in the last friendly against Iceland, where he found the back of the net from the penalty spot. As for his next game with Inter Miami, Major League Soccer has implemented break for the World Cup, with the 2026 regular season slated to resume after the international tournament concludes in mid-July. To jumpstart their defense of the MLS Cup trophy, the Herons will return to action by hosting the Chicago Fire at Nu Stadium on Wednesday, July 22. During the 2026 MLS campaign, Messi has featured in 16 official matches so far across all competitions, scoring 13 goals with 7 assist registered thus far. The Argentine star most recently delivered a pair of brilliant assists against the Philadelphia Union, a match he was ultimately forced to leave early in the second half due to a minor hamstring strain. 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.
PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, June 9: We look at how the Chinese papers are covering Xi Jinping's two-day visit to North Korea. The New York Times examines how Pyongyang has transformed its economy through repression and fortuity. In the UK, West Ham's billionaire former co-owner David Sullivan is accused of sexual coercion by several women, with his past as a porn baron also under scrutiny. Plus: actor Idris Elba explains why fans are not ready for a Black James Bond.
Gavi described what he thought when he got injured, which almost left him out of Spain's team for the World Cup. After Spain’s squad was announced by Luis de la Fuente, his place at the World Cup was confirmed despite having missed a significant amount of time at Barcelona through injury, with Gavi reflecting on the moment in a conversation shared by the Spanish Federation. Gavi said: “I went in thinking I would be out for four or five weeks, and when I came out of the anesthesia, they told me it would be four or five months. I remember even the doctor had to leave because I was about to explode.” The midfielder went through a two-year stretch in which he barely played. The injury he was referring to was a torn meniscus suffered in a training session with Barcelona last August before returning in March, but he had also torn his ACL in November 2023 with Spain. Gavi getting back to the highest level proved worth all the time he spent recovering from injuries that could have ended his career. The call-up for Spain For the midfielder, the sport has many great things, but also some tough ones: “Soccer is the best thing there is, but there are injuries that can easily end your career. I have always had that ambition in my mind and that dream that no one can beat me.” Gavi got injured during a training session last year (Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) The player could be the clearest example of resilience through injury, because he had been expected to be called up for the Euro that Spain won in 2024 during his rise, until he got hurt, which made this call-up an anxious wait for him. Gavi said: “I didn’t want to watch the call-up because I always get nervous. I saw it there with the physios. When I heard my name, it was a huge rush of happiness. Representing Spain at the World Cup is one of the greatest things there is. Being called up to my second one is a huge pride.” Gavi’s season with Barcelona It was just the beginning for Barcelona when Gavi went down in a training session after two La Liga matches, with a future that did not look promising. Even if he was not able to play too much, it was enough to convince de la Fuente. The midfielder finished with 13 matches, with 0 goals and 1 assist.
The 2026 World Cup will debut several rule changes approved by FIFA, specifically targeting systemic time-wasting and refining the analytical impact of VAR on the pitch. The 2026 World Cup is gearing up to be a historic landmark event for global soccer. In addition to debuting a brand-new, expanded 48-team tournament format that will significantly increase the total number of matches, this tournament marks the first time in history that the competition is being co-hosted by three different nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Mexico will have the honor of officially kicking off this historic tournament on home soil when they face South Africa on Thursday, June 11, in a highly anticipated Group A opener. The group also features South Korea and the Czech Republic, making for a highly competitive path to the knockout stages. That opening whistle at the Estadio Azteca will mark the beginning of a new era in international soccer. Beyond the pageantry, the match will serve as the first official testing ground for a series of updated regulations recently greenlit by FIFA‘s governing body to modernize the pace of play. In total, seven new rule changes will make their tournament debut during the 2026 World Cup. Every single one of these mandates is engineered to dramatically reduce tactical time-wasting, maximize effective playing time, and streamline the overall operational impact of VAR during high-stakes match play. 1248 players. 48 nations. Locked in. 🔒The Official Squad Lists for #FIFAWorldCup 2026 are here ⤵️— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 2, 2026 The new 2026 World Cup rules explained Timed throw-ins (5 seconds): If a player deliberately delays restarting play during a throw-in, the possession can be immediately turned over and awarded to the opposing team. Timed goal kicks (5 seconds): Aimed at cracking down on deliberate stalling, excessive delays on goal kicks can now result in the referee awarding a corner kick to the opponent. This mirrors existing rules regarding how long a goalkeeper can hold the ball before distributing it. Timed substitutions (10 seconds): Substituted players are given exactly 10 seconds to exit the pitch at the nearest boundary point. If they fail to do so, the incoming substitute will be barred from entering the field for at least one minute, forcing the team to play temporarily with 10 men. This scenario already occurred in a recent international friendly, where Japan scored a goal against an Iceland side that was temporarily shorthanded due to this restriction. Medical treatment protocol: Any player attended to on the pitch by a physiotherapist or medical staff must remain off the field of play for a full 60 seconds once play resumes. Exceptions will be made for goalkeepers, severe injuries, or instances where the opposing fouling player receives a yellow or red card. Covering the mouth while speaking: In an effort to curb dissent and unsportsmanlike behavior, any player who covers their mouth with their hand during a heated confrontation with an opponent can be sanctioned with a straight red card. VAR intervention on incorrectly awarded corner kicks: The Video Assistant Referee can now intervene if it is clearly determined that a corner kick was wrongly awarded. However, this review must be conducted rapidly and finalized before play restarts. This rule does not apply to incorrectly awarded goal kicks. Review of second yellow cards: Players sent off after receiving two cautions will now be permitted to have the second yellow card reviewed by VAR. Conversely, VAR will not proactively initiate reviews to check for potential unpenalized second yellow card offenses.
Barcelona are set to retain January arrival Patricio Pacifico despite the defender currently being in recovery mode.Pacifico suffered a serious injury shortly after arriving, although the Uruguayan de...
