Lionel Messi matched the all-time World Cup scoring record as Argentina began their title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria. Austria, France and Norway also secured opening victories in Group J and Group I matches on Tuesday.
Austria marked their return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence with a tense 3-1 win over debutants Jordan in their Group J opener on Tuesday.
Austria took the lead on 20 minutes through a Romano Schmid thunderbolt, but were pegged back five minutes after the break when striker Ali Olwan found space in the area and fired a sizzling shot inside the far post.
Austria's veteran target man Marko Arnautovic slammed a low shot into the net from a goalmouth scramble in the 69th minute but it was ruled out for handball by teammate Stefan Posch following a VAR review.
Seven minutes later, though, Austria were celebrating again as Yazan Al‑Arab deflected a Marcel Sabitzer corner into his own net, before Arnautovic slotted home a penalty deep into stoppage time after Saleem Obeid was penalised for handball.
Lionel Messi earned a spot in the World Cup history books with a hat-trick that saw Argentina begin the defence of their title with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Algeria on Tuesday.
Messi became the tournament’s joint all-time leading scorer as he advanced to a total of 16 goals, equalling the record held by Miroslav Klose of Germany.
The opening game in Group J saw another masterclass from the Argentina captain, who turns 39 later this month and was marking his 200th cap for his country as he became the first player to compete at six World Cups.
Nicolas Jackson thought he had opened the scoring after beating Mike Maignan, only to be denied by the post and an unfortunate deflection, before Ismaila Sarr squandered another clear opportunity.
Jackson also had a goal ruled out for offside as Pape Thiaw’s side repeatedly threatened early on.
France improved after the break, with Desire Doue’s effort signalling a shift in momentum. Michael Olise and Mbappe both forced strong saves from Edouard Mendy before the breakthrough arrived in the 66th minute, when Mbappe finished clinically to level France’s all-time scoring record of 57 goals set by Olivier Giroud.
Bradley Barcola then put France ahead in the 82nd minute, but the match still had late drama. Senegal pulled one back in stoppage time through Ibrahim Mbaye (90+5), before Mbappe sealed the win moments later with a superb long-range strike (90+6), taking his international tally to 58 goals.
The France captain now sits on 14 World Cup finals goals, chasing Miroslav Klose’s record of 16.
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, with both sides marking their return to the global stage for the first time this century.
Norway took an early lead in a well-worked move that ended with Haaland finishing at the back post after a 14-pass build-up involving goalkeeper Orjan Nyland and David Møller Wolfe.
Iraq responded well, and Aymen Hussein became only the second Iraqi player to score at a World Cup when he headed in Amir Al Ammari’s cross in the 39th minute.
But Haaland struck again just before half-time, capitalising on a defensive mix-up between Zaid Tahseen and Jalal Hassan to restore Norway’s advantage.
Substitute Leo Østigård extended the lead in the 76th minute, rising unmarked from a corner to head home, before Iraq’s night worsened in stoppage time when Hussein turned the ball into his own net (90+6), completing a comprehensive Norway victory that sends them top of Group I.
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Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global security, trade, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic development dominating the agenda.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
Iran on Saturday awaited a U.S. response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
British police have arrested several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
Swiss voters are due to decide on Sunday, 27 September, whether to enshrine a stricter interpretation of the country’s long-standing neutrality in the constitution, in a referendum that has reopened debate over Switzerland’s role in European security and international diplomacy.
The United States and China have agreed to lower tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of goods and establish a new channel for cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), marking one of the most significant outcomes from Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.
Russia and Germany have held their first ministerial-level meeting since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, signalling a rare diplomatic contact between two countries whose relations have deteriorated sharply over the course of the war.
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