There are few things more basic than turning towards a screen and expecting Lionel Messi to score. It is why spectators fill MLS stadiums on the regular, like clockwork, a drilled-in habit rather than an intentional, carefully chosen option. It is probably why thousands spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to pack Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on a Tuesday as Argentina faced Algeria in their World Cup opener. There’s almost a banal predictability to it, to the point that it almost doesn’t feel like news because of its routine nature; all the more easy to write him off because he’s a week away from his 39th birthday.

And yet, Messi still manages to captivate.

Another chapter to Messi’s already historic legacy was written on Tuesday in the American Midwest and an appropriate one at that. The World Cup winner equalled Germany international Miroslav Klose’s record for most career tournament goals with 16, reaching the feat on the back of three expertly taken goals that offered the latest reminder of his unnaturally natural talent. The historic goal was perhaps the least exciting of the three he scored on Tuesday, but it did not dim the quality he boasts more often than not when he takes to the pitch. Nico Gonzalez’s pass landed at Messi’s feet, the star with barely any bodies around him to try to nick the ball away. It was the perfect opportunity for him to take a shot from the edge of the penalty area and after two impressive goals behind him, he was not going to miss from there.

Leave it to Messi to mark multiple accomplishments in one go. He managed the feat while winning his 200th cap for Argentina and did so on the day of his very first World Cup hattrick, all while becoming his team’s oldest-ever goalscorer at the tournament exactly 20 years after becoming their youngest-ever scorer. It was also the first hattrick of this summer’s World Cup, six other players scoring braces to open the tournament before he notched a third.

It is a noteworthy feat for someone whose quality has undoubtedly dimmed from his peak years, and for the leader of a team many do not believe will successfully defend their World Cup title from 2022. It has been easy to suggest that Messi and Argentina will not be at the peak of their powers this time around; one win, no matter how notable, is not enough to necessarily change minds. He has been on the verge of being outshadowed by younger players making their best case to take over the spotlight he will undoubtedly leave behind one day – France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland each opened their World Cup campaigns with a brace in decisive wins for their teams.

Somehow, someway, though, Messi seems to find a way. For the first time in his storied career, he is back at the World Cup without the weight of a passionate nation on his shoulders. The trophy that had eluded him for decades has already been won, every complementary accolade already part of the collection. Without another title this summer, his impressive legacy is already set. Every time the sport itches for a new star, Messi offers a stark reminder that his abilities have not faded all that much – he might not be peak Messi anymore, but Messi is still Messi. Opposing defenders rarely seem to have a solution, even if it is the most obvious job they will be tasked with. Even if a Messi goal is ridiculously easy to predict, his movements are hard to track on the field; he will make his moments count far more often than he will not, leaving opponents and fans alike stunned.

Perhaps more impressive is that Messi has checked off a batch of accomplishments in the latter stages of his career. He now stands at 16 World Cup goals, but he had just six entering the 2022 tournament, notching seven last time out as Argentina’s decades-long wait for the title came to an end. Now with the pressure off, there’s a freedom that underscores his play; he continues to make it all look easy, somehow always living up to the billing.

The odds are technically not in Messi’s favor – simply put, an aging star should not be the leader of a title contender, let alone doing this type of thing. Messi has never been the average player and at this point is not your regular post-peak elite athlete. As long as he is on the pitch, Argentina will be difficult to underestimate – and Messi will be impossible to write off.

Head Coach Andrew Browne recently named his Ireland Men’s U20s Squad for the 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia.

Ireland have been drawn in Pool C alongside Argentina, England and USA and will play all their Pool matches at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi.

Having led Ireland in the U20 Men’s Six Nations, Sami Bishti will again captain the Ireland side. They will open their campaign against England on Saturday, 27 June (12.30pm Irish time).

Ireland then go head-to-head with Argentina on Match Day 2 on Thursday, 2 July (12.30pm Irish time), before concluding the Pool stages against USA in Tbilisi on Tuesday, 7 July (10am Irish time).

Ireland’s matches are live on Premier Sports and RugbyPass TV.

Head Coach’s Comments

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Head Coach Andrew Browne said:

“Building on from our Six Nations campaign, we have worked hard over a number of preparation camps and recent uncapped matches against Scotland and a Munster Development side.

“The World Rugby Junior World Championship is a fantastic challenge and an opportunity to test ourselves against the best teams in the world. We are aware of the challenges ahead, coming up against some quality sides in our Pool, but the players are excited for what lies ahead and are relishing the platform to grow and develop our performance levels in green.”

Ireland Men’s U20s Squad – 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championship:

Forwards (17):

Sami Bishti (UCD/Leinster)(captain)
Ben Blaney (Terenure/Leinster)
Jamie Conway (Shannon/Munster)
Adam Cooper (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Max Doyle (UCD/Leinster)
Joe Finn (Garryowen/Munster)
Rían Handley (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Charlie Keane (Corinthians/Connacht)
Alex Lautsou (Shannon/Munster)
Duinn Maguire (UCD/Leinster)
Blake McClean (Instonians/Ulster)
Donnacha McGuire (UCD/Leinster)
Luke McLaughlin (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Dylan McNeice (UCD/Leinster)
Josh Neill (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Diarmaid O’Connell (Corinthians/Connacht)
Paddy Woods (Queen’s University/Ulster)

Backs (13):

Christopher Barrett (UCC/Munster)
Noah Byrne (Dublin University/Leinster)
Rob Carney (Cashel/Munster)
Jack Deegan (Blackrock/Leinster)
Daniel Green (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Charlie Molony (UCD/Leinster)
James O’Dwyer (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
James O’Leary (UCC/Munster)
Charlie O’Shea (UCC/Munster)
Johnny O’Sullivan (Dublin University/Leinster)
Daniel Ryan (Corinthians/Connacht)
Seán Walsh (Corinthians/Connacht)
Tom Wood (Garryowen/Munster).

Ireland Men’s U20s Fixtures – 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championship:

Saturday, 27 June: Ireland v England, Avchala Stadium, 12.30pm Irish time

Thursday, 2 July: Ireland v Argentina, Avchala Stadium, 12.30pm Irish time

Tuesday, 7 July: Ireland v USA, Avchala Stadium, 10am Irish time.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Portugal begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday night in Houston.

Cristiano Ronaldo competes in a sixth consecutive World Cup, and the Portuguese skipper will be targeting a historic triumph in the only major competition he has not won.

Having qualified from a group with Hungary and the Republic of Ireland, Portugal will be the favourites to top a group which includes Uzbekistan and Colombia.

As for DR Congo, it is their first appearance on the World Cup stage in 52 years, when they competed as Zaire. They qualified via a 1-0 win over Jamaica in an intercontinental playoff in March.

Here’s everything you need to know about this World Cup 2026 game:

When is Portugal vs DR Congo?

Portugal face DR Congo at 6pm BST on Wednesday 17 June (12pm CT) at the NRG Stadium in Houston.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on BBC 1, BBCiPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with coverage starting at 5:30pm BST.

Team news

Ronaldo was sent off in his last competitive match for Portugal but had the last two games of a three-match ban suspended by Fifa. Portugal have a fully-fit squad, including the PSG trio of Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha.

For DR Congo, they have no injury concerns and have a number of notable names, including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe and Yoane Wissa.

Predicted line-ups

Portugal XI: D Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, Ronaldo, Neto

DR Congo XI: Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Kapuadi, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Moutoussamy, Sadiki, Mukau; Wissa, Bakambu

Latest odds

Portugal – 1/3

Draw – 5/1

DR Congo – 11/1

WWE presented an action-packed edition of NXT tonight. The show ended in chaos and featured an appearance from a star who bid goodbye to fans last Tuesday.

The main event of this week’s WWE NXT saw Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Kendal Grey join forces to take on Women’s North American Champion Zaria and Kelani Jordan in a tag team match. The two sides delivered a back-and-forth showdown before taking the action to ringside. Zaria attempted an F5 on the floor to Vice before Tatum Paxley surprisingly showed up.

The former NXT Women’s North American Champion was in the audience, distracting the Australian powerhouse. Paxley’s unexpected appearance caught Zaria off guard. Lola Vice capitalized on the opening and hit a spinning back fist on the face-painted star. In the end, Vice pinned Zaria to secure the win for her team.

Last week, Tatum Paxley lost her NXT Women’s North American Championship to Zaria. After the match, Paxley was visibly emotional and bid goodbye to WWE fans at ringside. Many believed she was main roster-bound. However, it seems like her NXT feud with Zaria is not over yet.

Following the tag team main event of tonight’s WWE NXT, Paxley launched an attack on Zaria. Kelani Jordan attempted to steal the NXT Women’s Championship amid the chaos. However, Grey inadvertently took out Vice with the title amid the brawl.

Despite emerging victorious in the tag team contest, the night didn’t end well for Lola Vice and Kendal Grey. The show concluded with Grey trying to explain that she accidentally took out the NXT Women’s Champion. Vice and Grey will now square off for the prestigious title at The Great American Bash on June 28, 2026.

The promotional poster for The Great American Bash features Tatum Paxley. However, she doesn’t have a match on the show as of this writing. Given her latest attack on Zaria, it seems like the Triple H-led creative team is planning to book a rematch between the two at the premium live event.