Argentina face a testing transition period as they attempt to move on from Lionel Messi’s international retirement, with question marks also hanging over the futures of coach Lionel Scaloni and several ageing players. Messi vacated the famous number 10 shirt on Monday, after 21 years of carrying Argentinian hopes on his shoulders. It was a burden that weighed heavily initially, before a golden era late in his career during which the South American giants won three major titles, including the 2022 World Cup.

The 39-year-old’s last competitive match for Argentina was the 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final in July.

Of the 17 players who featured in that match for Scaloni’s side, only two will be under the age of 30 when the next World Cup kicks off in South America in 2030.

Veteran centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, 38, retired from international duty in the wake of the loss to Spain in New Jersey, when Argentina were thoroughly outplayed by younger, more vibrant opponents.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has since suggested he may follow suit, as has 32-year-old midfield enforcer Leandro Paredes, who was slapped with a 10-match ban by FIFA for attacking Spain players after the final whistle.

“If he (Messi) isn’t there, it will be hard for everything to keep working the way it used to,” Paredes told Argentinian TV channel TN.

Rodrigo De Paul’s international career has also been heavily linked with his Inter Miami teammate’s.

The biggest question marks surround the future of coach Scaloni, who has overseen the most successful spell for the Albiceleste since the days of Diego Maradona.

The 48-year-old, whose team are known as the “Scaloneta” at home, was appointed in 2018 and ended Argentina’s 28-year wait for a major trophy with victory in the 2021 Copa America.

The former Deportivo La Coruna right-back’s current deal runs out in December.

Scaloni had reportedly agreed a contract extension until 2030 before the World Cup, but he cast doubt on his future after the poor performance in the final.

“I already have an idea of what I want to do,” Scaloni said after the loss.

“I’m going to honour my contract, and then we’ll see. I need to think, because I don’t know if it’s possible to achieve something as great as this.”

The next World Cup will be largely held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, but Argentina will be one of three South American nations hosting one match, thus gaining automatic qualification.

First, though, they will be targeting a third consecutive Copa America crown in 2028.

Despite Messi’s retirement, there will likely still be plenty of familiar faces in a squad who will remain title favourites.

Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero have established themselves as the first-choice centre-half pairing.

Enzo Fernandez, who moved to Manchester City from Chelsea on Monday for a fee that equalled the British transfer record, and Alexis Mac Allister have made the central midfield positions their own, while Messi’s departure could give Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez more space to shine up front.

Alvarez in particular will be expected to improve significantly on his ratio of 15 goals in 59 caps.

‘Great young players’

Messi himself believes the long-term future is bright for his country.

“I’ve given it my all. I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” he said when announcing his retirement.

Exciting Como youngster Nico Paz made two appearances at the World Cup and could become a more regular starter, while 23-year-old Giuliano Simeone — son of former Argentina stalwart Diego Simeone — impressed as a substitute in the semi-final win over England.

Real Madrid winger Franco Mastantuono did not make the World Cup squad but has already won four international caps at the age of 19.

Argentina’s next generation impressed at last year’s Under-20 World Cup in Chile, reaching the final for the first time since 2007 before losing to Morocco.

Argentina currently have no fixtures scheduled for the international break later this month but the Argentinian football association is reportedly planning a possible farewell match for Messi, the country’s record goalscorer and record appearance maker with 125 goals in 207 games.

He leaves a huge hole — but a new generation will endeavour to fill it.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson has said that contract negotiations with Henry Pollock are going well – and that Eddie Hearn was simply doing his job by declaring his client worth at least £1m a season.

Pollock, one of English rugby’s brightest young talents, was the first signing from the sport to Hearn’s Matchroom agency earlier this year, with the boxing and darts promoter since looking to swell the 21-year-old’s commercial profile.

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Hearn recently suggested that he had been in disbelief when he learned of the player’s existing salary, believed to be around £150,000, with the youngster’s deal due to expire next summer.

Northampton are currently in negotiations over a fresh contract for Pollock, with both the player and the Prem club keen to reach a long-term agreement after winning the title last year.

“I think it is very helpful,” Dowson said of Hearn’s comments. “Eddie Hearn has a job to do, and that is to promote his client and ask for more money for his client. He’s doing both of those very effectively. We’ve said we want to publicise and grow the game and he has the ability to do that.

“We still have to make decisions based on our budget and our financial situation. We’ll continue to do that in the best way possible. That is in discussion with agents, discussions with the group and discussions with the decision-makers about what we can afford and how we put a squad together, how that fits within our budget. Eddie Hearn is great for the game; we want to keep Henry Pollock. Fundamentally, nothing has changed.

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“What he says is based on his job. My job is to try and fit 57, 58 players within a squad on a budget. I’ll continue to do that.”

Northampton managed to keep a number of key figures last season in a bumper contracting cycle, though club captain George Furbank has joined Harlequins.

Dowson is hopeful that the close-knit squad at Saints will provide an advantage when it comes to keeping Pollock.

“It is going well,” he said of talks. “We are still pushing it through. What Eddie Hearn also said, and people have gone straight to the million pound remark, but the other thing he said is that Henry wants to win stuff, Henry wants to stay at Saints, Henry wants to play with that group of players. He wants to win the World Cup. I embrace that. I am all for that. The appetite is for him to stay. Now, we’ve got to find a happy medium. We really want to keep him, he really wants to stay, and that’s a great start.”

India’s preparations for the 2026 Asian Games have suffered another doping setback, with wushu medal hopeful Surya Bhanupratap Singh becoming the latest athlete to be caught in an anti-doping case ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

The 30-year-old wushu player from Jammu and Kashmir has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for Enobosarm, also known as Ostarine. Bhanupratap has subsequently been dropped from India’s Asian Games squad, with his name deleted from the government-approved final contingent.

His case takes the number of Indian athletes who have failed dope tests since the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games to 12, adding to concerns over India’s preparations just weeks before the Asian Games begin on September 19.

Bhanupratap tests positive for Ostarine

Bhanupratap tested positive for Enobosarm (Ostarine), a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) associated with muscle and bone development.

Ostarine is prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances and is classified under S1.2, or other anabolic agents. The substance is prohibited at all times under the anti-doping framework.

From Asian Games medallist to missing the 2026 Games

Bhanupratap was not an outsider to the Asian Games setup. The 30-year-old was a bronze medallist in the men’s 60kg Sanda event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, making his exclusion particularly significant for India’s wushu campaign.

He had been expected to be among India’s medal contenders in wushu at Aichi-Nagoya. Instead, the doping case has forced his removal from the contingent at a crucial stage of preparations.

The immediate sporting consequence is therefore clear: India will head into the Games without one of its experienced wushu athletes.

Why the case matters beyond wushu

Bhanupratap’s case is the latest in a growing series of doping-related setbacks involving India’s Asian Games-bound athletes.

His addition takes the number of Indian athletes who have failed dope tests since the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games to 12, with cases spread across several sports.

The list includes four weightlifters, N Ajith, Sairaj Pardeshi, Harcharan Singh and Vanshita Verma; two judokas, Arun Kumar and Tulika Maan; shooter Gaurav Kumar Masoori; rower Lakshya; wrestlers Mukul Dahiya and Deepanshu; runner Abhishek Pal; and now Bhanupratap.

The cases have already had sporting consequences in some disciplines, including the loss of competition places and changes to India’s Asian Games squad.

An unwanted pattern before Aichi-Nagoya

The latest development comes at an especially difficult time for the Indian contingent, with the Asian Games scheduled to begin on September 19 and run until October 4.

The Olympic Council of Asia had highlighted anti-doping preparations ahead of the Games, including risk-based out-of-competition testing and anti-doping education for athletes and coaches.

For India, however, the final phase of preparations has increasingly been accompanied by doping-related disruptions.

Bhanupratap’s case is different from an already concluded anti-doping sanction: he has been provisionally suspended following the positive test, while the case proceeds through the relevant process. NADA’s anti-doping system provides for adjudication of alleged anti-doping rule violations through its disciplinary and appeal panels.

For now, though, the sporting impact is already being felt. A wushu medal hopeful is out of India’s Asian Games squad, and the country’s tally of doping cases since the Glasgow Commonwealth Games has climbed to 12- another unwanted development as Aichi-Nagoya draws closer.

Roman Reigns has been on a phenomenal run in 2026 so far. He kicked off the year by winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match and then went on to capture the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42. However, those aren’t his only accomplishments this year. Reigns has also managed to remain undefeated by pinfall, creating an impressive streak.

With 2026 entering its final four months, the biggest question is who can hand the OTC his first pinfall of the year. WWE currently has several big names on Monday Night RAW who could bring an end to Roman’s undefeated streak in the next few months. Even the seemingly impregnable Tribal Chief could find himself at the receiving end of a three-count.

Let’s take a look at four WWE stars who can hand Roman Reigns his first pinfall loss of 2026:

#4. LA Knight

LA Knight is currently embroiled in a heated feud with Roman Reigns on Monday Night RAW. The two superstars are expected to collide in a blockbuster match at Money in the Bank with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Knight has the opportunity to pull off one of the biggest shockers by handing Reigns his first pinfall loss of 2026 at the upcoming premium live event.

Pinning the OTC would serve as the ultimate culmination of Knight’s organic rise to the top-tier main event status. That pinfall victory over Roman Reigns could immediately establish The Megastar as a high-profile name in the Stamford-based promotion. Although LA Knight can pin The Tribal Chief and pull off a huge upset, the possibility of it happening remains a big question.

#3. Solo Sikoa

Solo Sikoa has been entangled in the Bloodline civil war for the past few months. While Roman Reigns wants him to come back to the family and serve him, The Street Champion refuses to do so. There is a good chance that Sikoa could win the Men’s Money in the Bank contract this year. Following that, he could deliver one of the biggest jaw-dropping moments of 2026.

The 33-year-old could cash in his potential briefcase on Reigns, handing the World Heavyweight Champion his first pinfall of this year. Solo Sikoa executing a Money in the Bank cash-in on the OTC presents the most logical narrative option for breaking his streak. He could simply strike when Roman is at his most vulnerable state after a brutal title defense at a major premium live event this year.

#2. CM Punk

CM Punk has been marching forward as the Undisputed WWE Champion on SmackDown. The Second City Saint could hold on to that title for a few more months, which could ultimately pit him against Roman Reigns in a champion vs. champion showdown at Crown Jewel 2026. The two superstars could revisit their WrestleMania rivalry, unravelling new layers in their feud.

And that could be where the OTC’s undefeated streak may finally end. Punk could shock the world by pinning Reigns and defeating him at Crown Jewel. There is a good possibility of it happening, as WWE might equalize the score between the two superstars at 1-1. Although Roman may face his first pinfall loss, it may come as a result of interference or ringside shenanigans.

#1. Royce Keys can pin Roman Reigns

Royce Keys has returned with a brand new recognition and identity on Monday Night RAW alongside a new group. He has been riding on red-hot momentum and WWE could therefore give him a big moment at Survivor Series this year. Keys could compete in the Men’s WarGames match this year against The Bloodline, which appears to be the direction.

There is a high chance that Royce Keys could pin Roman Reigns inside the barbaric double-caged structure, securing a monumental victory for his team. Having him pin the OTC inside the chaos of a Survivor Series WarGames match would instantly catapult him into superstar status. Following that, WWE could book a blockbuster singles match between Reigns and Keys for Wrestlepalooza.