Iran’s national team left a touching message calling for peace, respect and friendship after their World Cup group match against Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium.

The handwritten note was found in the team’s dressing room after a goalless draw in their second Group G game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In the message released by the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI), the players thanked the people of Los Angeles for their hospitality and expressed pride in representing their country during a difficult period.

“From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,” the note read.

“We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity.”

The team also thanked Iranian supporters for their backing during the tournament and ended the message with a call for unity among nations.

“May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations,” the statement added.

The note also paid tribute to the victims of an attack on a girls’ school in Minab, where at least 168 people reportedly lost their lives on the opening day of the conflict involving Iran.

Iran’s participation at the World Cup has been affected by ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, one of the tournament’s co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico.

Several members of Iran’s backroom staff were denied entry visas into the United States, while the Iranian Football Federation also raised concerns after its ticket allocation was withdrawn shortly before the competition began.

As a result, Iran moved their tournament base from Arizona in the United States to Tijuana in Mexico. The team has also faced strict travel rules, allowing them to enter the United States only a day before matches and leave immediately after games.

Iran began their campaign with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand before holding Belgium to another draw. They will complete their group-stage matches against Egypt in Seattle on June 27.

Despite the challenges, Iran remain hopeful of progressing to the knockout stage as they prepare for their final Group G encounter.

Naoya Inoue scored one of the standout victories of 2026 against Junto Nakatani, and now his promoter has confirmed that talks for another blockbuster clash are ‘in motion’.

Last month, Inoue got the better of fellow Japanese superstar Nakatani, in what was both the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history and one of the most anticipated bouts of the 2026 boxing calendar.

Attention has since turned to Jesse Rodriguez’, who held three super-flyweight world titles at the time of Inoue’s recent win. ‘Bam’ has vacated his belts and secured the WBA bantamweight world title with a knockout win over Antonio Vargas. The American’s trainer, Robert Garcia, has suggested that they will have one more fight at the weight before moving up again to challenge Inoue.

Speaking with Yahoo Japan, Inoue’s promoter, Hideyuki Ohasi, all but confirmed that Inoue will face Rodriguez in February next year, and that, despite ‘Bam’ looking for an interim fight, it may be the Japanese icon’s next outing.

“He will have a big fight in February next year, I am sure you can guess which one. That’s also in motion right now. Once that’s done, the next one will be in an extraordinary place.”

Rodriguez is expected to either defend his WBA bantamweight crown against Seiya Tsutsumi or attempt to unify the 118lb titles with WBO champion Christian Medina later this year ahead of a jump up to 122lbs.

Defending champions Argentina and Austria will be looking to keep their winning runs going in the FIFA World Cup 2026 when they take on each other in a Group J match today at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.

Argentina, in their campaign opener, beat Algeria 3-0 thanks to skipper Lionel Messi’s hat-trick. A win against Austria today means they are likely to keep their title defence alive at least until the Round of 32.

On the other hand, Austria beat Jordan 3-1 in their first game and will leave no stone unturned to create a major upset by beating Argentina in their second game. A win for them will also almost secure their place in the next round, while a loss will make their final group-stage game a do-or-die encounter.

But will Argentina extend their winning streak, or will Austria cause an upset? Stay tuned to find out.

Argentina look to maintain momentum

Argentina produced a statement performance against Algeria, with Messi once again demonstrating why he remains the focal point of Lionel Scaloni’s side. The Inter Miami forward scored all three goals as La Albiceleste began their campaign with a comfortable victory.

Scaloni is expected to make at least one change after Gonzalo Montiel was ruled out through injury, with Nahuel Molina likely to slot in at right-back. Julian Alvarez is also pushing for a starting berth after beginning the opening match on the bench, potentially replacing Lautaro Martinez alongside Messi in attack.

With six points enough to guarantee progress to the Round of 32, Argentina will be eager to avoid any slip-up and strengthen their grip on top spot in Group J before facing Iran in their final group-stage fixture.

Austria seek another statement result

Austria announced their return to the World Cup in style by defeating Jordan 3-1 to join Argentina on three points at the top of Group J.

Ralf Rangnick’s side relied on goals from Christoph Baumgartner, Michael Gregoritsch and substitute Marko Arnautovic to overcome the tournament debutants and will now attempt to test the reigning champions.

Changes could be on the cards, with Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso pushing for a place in the starting XI. His inclusion could allow captain David Alaba to shift to left-back, while veteran striker Arnautovic will hope his late goal against Jordan is enough to earn a start.

Austria have not reached the knockout stage since 1954, but another positive result in Dallas would put them on course to end that wait and potentially emerge as one of the surprise packages of FIFA World Cup 2026.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Argentina vs Austria: Starting 11

Argentina starting 11: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada

Austria starting 11: Alexander Schlager; Kevin Danso, Stefan Posch, David Alaba; Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager; Romano Schmid, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer, Paul Wanner; Michael Gregoritsch

FIFA World Cup 2026 Argentina vs Austria live telecast:

The live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Argentina and Austria will be available on the Unite8 Sports Network.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Argentina vs Austria live streaming:

The live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Argentina and Austria will be available on the ZEE5 app and website.

Check all the live updates of the Argentina vs Austria match in FIFA World Cup 2026 here

Casper Ruud’s young sisters, Charlotte and Caroline, are currently on vacation, relaxing by the seaside in their colorful bikins. Charlotte is enjoying her vacation with elder sister Caroline, and recently shared glimpses of their time in the water.

Charlotte took to Instagram and posted an image on her story. She stood on a rock, posing in a bikini with a lavish yacht right in front of her. Caroline offered an insight into the scenes that unfolded during their vacation.

She shared a reel on Instagram that revolved around her potential engagement in her work-related duties and captioned it:

“Not completely out of office, just out of Norway.”

Throughout the video, Caroline appeared in a pink bikini while working and attending calls on her phone. For the unversed, Caroline is a famous personality on the social media and boasts more than 25000 followers on Instagram. She often shares updates about her lifestyle, travel and other facets of her life.

Meanwhile, Charlotte is a promising 20-year-old tennis player and is reportedly walking in the footsteps of her brother Casper Ruud and father Christian. She has been putting in the hard yards at the Rafael Nadal Academy to develop her game.

Casper Ruud surprises his sisters with almost $1,200,000-worth gifts

Casper Ruud shares a closely knit bond with his sisters Charlotte and Caroline. Last year, in November, the Norwegian reportedly gifted them a penthouse each, worth a combined total of 13 million NOK.

According to financial newspaper Finansavisen, the 27-year-old transferred the two properties he owned to his sisters. Casper’s family of five consists of his two sisters, his father Christian, who achieved a career-high ranking of 39. His mother, Lele Ruud, has maintained a low profile.

Coming to the tennis front, Casper Ruud was last seen in competitive action at the 2026 Roland Garros. He toiled in his campaign opener against Roman Safiullin, but found his rhythm against Hamad Medjedovic with a commanding performance. In his third-round encounter against Tommy Paul, the Norwegian was two sets behind but climbed his way back into the game and staged a monumental comeback win.

His campaign was eventually cut short by promising Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca. He once again found himself trailing after two sets but cut down the deficit in the third. However, Fonseca didn’t allow him to run away with the momentum and sent him packing with a 7–5, 7–6(8), 5–7, 6–2 win. Casper Ruud hasn’t made a single appearance on grass this season before Wimbledon, which is scheduled to commence next week.