Football

Spanish giants Barcelona have confirmed the permanent signing of promising Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim after activating the purchase option included in his loan agreement. Abdelkarim, who joined the Catalan club on loan from Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly during the January transfer window, impressed club officials with his performances for Barcelona's Juvenil A side during the second half of the season. The 18-year-old striker found the net six times in 11 appearances, convincing the club to secure his long-term future.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has disclosed that the tears he shed after scoring the opening goal in his side’s 3-0 victory over Algeria were linked to personal challenges rather than football. The 38-year-old Inter Miami star delivered a memorable performance, scoring his first-ever World Cup hat-trick as the reigning champions began their campaign with a dominant win.

FIFA has identified Côte d’Ivoire as the youngest team competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the West African side's youthful profile ahead of their tournament opener. The world football governing body announced on Sunday via its official World Cup account on X, writing: “Introducing Côte d’Ivoire… Youngest squad at the FIFA World Cup 2026” with “Average age: 25.8.”

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has addressed growing speculation surrounding the future of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen amid reports linking the forward with a move away from the Turkish champions this summer. Osimhen has attracted interest from several top European clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea.

The Opta SuperComputer has tipped Spain to emerge as champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, placing La Roja ahead of all other contenders in its pre-tournament projections. Spain, who enter the competition as reigning European champions, have been widely backed by football analysts and pundits to add the world title to their recent successes.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has named Wayne Rooney as the greatest forward in the club’s history, overlooking former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in the discussion. Neville, who shared the dressing room with several elite attackers during his time at Old Trafford, made the remarks while speaking with fellow ex-United star Rio Ferdinand on Ferdinand’s YouTube programme, Rio Meets.