ZURICH (AP) — Spain and Lamine Yamal took top spot from Argentina and Lionel Messi in the FIFA men’s rankings published on Thursday, and lead for the first time since being dethroned as world champion in June 2014. Spain’s two-win start to a 2026 ...

After Lionel Messi's comments on the clash, Argentina star Emiliano Dibu Martinez set the record straight on playing the Finalissima against Spain a few months before the beginning of the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina’s former coach José Pékerman took decisive action to prevent Lionel Messi, shown here in 2006, from playing for Spain. Daniel Garcia / AFP via Getty Images José Pékerman, the former coach who shaped generations of Argentine footballers ...

Spain sensation Lamine Yamal does not want to be compared to Argentina star Lionel Messi as he approaches his biggest match to date in Sunday's Euro 2024 final against England. "I try to be Lamine. At the end of the day, it doesn't help you to compare ...

© Alexander Hassenstein & Daniel Jayo/Getty ImagesLamine Yamal (L) of Spain and Lionel Messi (R) of Argentina. De la Fuente took charge of La Roja after the 2022 ...

Friday, November 29, 2024, will mark the 125-year anniversary of the formation of FC Barcelona. To mark the occasion, The Athletic is running a series of pieces, celebrating the people and the moments who have helped make the club what it is today.

Long before the first whistle of 2026, the draw is already sketching invisible boundaries. For some contenders, such as Argentina and Spain, the road is being shaped as much by rules as by chance. As the 2026 World Cup draw takes shape,

© Marcelo Endelli & Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty ImagesLionel Messi (L) of Argentina and Lamine Yamal (R) of Spain, who are set to play the Finalissima after winning ...

Spain's Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed a 21-month jail sentence and 2.09-million-euro ($2.25 million) fine imposed on Lionel Messi for tax fraud, months after the Barcelona football star lodged an appeal. The Argentina international and his father ...

Lionel Messi is the best player at Inter Miami and led the team's first ever MLS Cup Final appearance.