Argentina Football

The Under-20 World Cup kicks off in Chile on Saturday with the stars of tomorrow ready to break into the spotlight. Here, we've picked out the eight biggest talents you haven't heard of yet.

On Saturday evening, Ruben Amorim will be hoping to God that Alejandro Garnacho doesn't make him pay.

When Erling Haaland smashed the record for the quickest player to reach 50 Champions League goals on Wednesday night, it sparked a debate about where he stands in the list of all-time great strikers.

Reports that Yamal and Nicki Nicole were dating first circulated in July when she attended his lavish 18th birthday party, which sparked controversy after dwarves and escorts were allegedly hired.

The superstar bowed out with an impressive two-goal performance in a 3-0 victory against Venezuela in front of a raucous sellout crowd in Buenos Aires.

The 37-year-old returned to his boyhood club earlier this summer despite receiving death threats that forced him backtrack on the move 10 months earlier.

The result saw Boca slip to 13th in Group A as part of the second phase of the Argentine Primera Division and also marked the historic club's worst-ever run of form.

EXCLUSIVE BY ISAAN KHAN: Obsessive on details but partial to confrontation, it's no wonder Gabriel Heinze has an admirer in Mikel Arteta.

Lionel Messi could seek a new club, albeit on a temporary basis, as he bids to win a second-successive World Cup with Argentina in 12 months' time.

The tensions occurred during Inter Milan's 2-0 victory over River Plate earlier in the week - a match that was heated on the pitch as well, with the Buenos Aires side receiving two red cards.

In addition to back-to-back league titles with PSV, Benitez has also added the Dutch Cup and two Super Cups along the way, with 43 clean sheets in 134 games across three trophy-laden seasons.

Argentina clinched the trophy in Qatar, defeating France in a dramatic penalty shootout in the final, with Alvarez having joined the City squad less than six months earlier.

IAN HERBERT: Alex Eastwood had completed nearly three rounds of a bout at a Wigan gym when he became disorientated and collapsed with a bleed on the brain. He died in hospital two days later.

SIMON JONES: Talk Argentine superstars - Alfredo Di Stefano, Ariel Ortega, Hernan Crespo, Gonzalo Higuain - and they all have one thing in common: graduates of River Plate's academy.

As Lionel Scaloni's side attempted to get back into the match in the second half, Fernandez was shown his marching orders following a horror challenge on Kevin Castano.

The 2026 World Cup begins a year from today and these are the must-know under-the-radar stars who will light up the global showpiece.

Mail Sport previously revealed Garnacho was brutally warned by Ruben Amorim that he needs to 'pray' he can find a new club in a dressing room spat in front of the United squad.

Maradona died at the age of 60 in November 2020 following a heart attack, just two weeks after he was released from hospital following surgery for a bleed on his brain.

What will Spurs do? Who might arrive and who is heading for the exit? Here, our expert MATT BARLOW answers all the key questions.

CHELSEA CONFIDENTIAL: Real are in the market for a midfielder and have tracked Fernandez ever since he was originally with River Plate.

Man United are considering a move for one of the highest rated teenagers in world as Ruben Amorim plans to boost his attacking options following a disappointing Premier League season.

Lionel Messi has previously been vague when quizzed on his intentions to play a part in his country's defence of their world crown. But, now, Luis Suarez has lifted the lid

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Ever since Martinez cast his spell on France in the 2022 World Cup Final, which Argentina won, he has been the footballer they love to hate in this country.

The Catalan giants won the clash, which was the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, 1-0, as they progressed to the final by virtue of a 5-4 aggregate win.

Wednesday's defeat in Buenos Aires left Brazil fourth in South America's World Cup qualification table, a huge 10 points behind Argentina, and as reports predicted, he has paid the price.

Brazil are set to sack head coach Dorival Junior after the five-time world champions' embarrassing 4-1 defeat by Argentina, according to reports from South America. 

Football legend Diego Maradona suffered an agonising 12-hour death in a dark room, struggling to breathe after his heart swelled to double that of a regular size.

In the 76 years since George Robledo became the first South American-born player to compete in the top flight, English football has always kept a close eye on developments there.

The Brazilian football federation has renewed their interest in Carlo Ancelotti and would like the Italian to be in charge for the 2026 World Cup, a report has claimed.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: As if being thrashed by their greatest rivals were not painful enough, Brazil had to stand and watch as world football's biggest wind-up merchant rubbed salt into the wound.

The rivalry between Argentina and Brazil is one of the fiercest in international football, and Raphinha stoked the flames ahead of kick-off by sending an x-rated message to Argentina.

The Barcelona man is in contention for the Ballon d'Or amid a breathtaking season which has seen him score 27 goals and set up a further 20.

The case revolves around allegations that their negligence contributed to the World Cup winner's death aged 60 in 2020. Maradona suffered a fatal heart attack at home in November that year.

Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho awkwardly appeared to ignore a young supporter as he drove off from Old Trafford at the weekend.

The attacking midfielder, who has been touted in some quarters as the 'next Lionel Messi', has impressed for the Argentine outfit, making 48 appearances across the past two seasons.

Claudio Echeverri is set to train with Manchester City for the first time later this week before their FA Cup fifth round tie against Plymouth Argyle. He shone at January's South American Championships

The Chelsea star split from his childhood sweetheart in October last year in a move that reportedly blindsided his 24-year-old influencer partner of over six years.

The French brand is one of the most iconic names in sportswear having sponsored a number of big nations and clubs over the years - but is now on the verge of a financial collapse.

The World Cup winner was awarded America's highest civilian honor on Saturday, and was invited to meet Joe Biden and collect the award in Washington DC - but opted against making the trip.

Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez, 32, has hinted at when he could hang up his boots, depending on whether he achieves one more goal in his career.

Candia was found in the building's inner courtyard having allegedly fallen from the apartment on its seventh floor, and residents were described as having heard 'screams' leading up to her death.

Martinez was released by Argentina shortly after his arrival for their World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru, with initial reports stating he was suffering from a hip problem.

The streamer boasts more than 7.7million subscribers on YouTube and 9.38m on Twitch but has recently turned his attention towards newer platform Kick, where he revealed he can make more money.

The Inter Miami star is still finding his groove in MLS since returning to the field, but there were no such problems on international duty, as he returned to Buenos Aires for the first time in almost a year.

The Argentinian legend has been buried in the Jardin Bella Vista garden cemetery, also in the country's capital, since dying aged 60 in 2020 following a heart attack in his home.

Emiliano Martinez has been suspended by FIFA following offensive behaviour in Argentina's 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

Argentina already had one foot in the 2007 Copa America final when the incident occurred, Messi and co leading Mexico 3-0 with just minutes left to play when the incident occured.

Romero reposted a tweet that claimed Tottenham 'gave an advantage' to Arsenal they 'were the only Premier League club' that did not lay on travel arrangements for their stars to get back.

36-year-old winger Di Maria has enjoyed a glittering career that has seen him play for Rosario Central, Benfica, Real Madrid, United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

SAMI MOKBEL: Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez will escape punishment by the Football Association for his role in a discriminatory social media video that aimed discriminatory remarks at French players.

The Frenchman was one of the most vocal critics of the midfielder's actions, which were inadvertently captured in a live stream during raucous La Albiceleste celebrations.

The Argentinian's sentence was revealed in his absence at Llanelli Magistrates' Court this afternoon. It comes after the controversy over a chant directed at France's black players.

Argentina's unbeaten run came to an end when the world champions fell to a 2-1 defeat by Colombia. Without Lionel Messi, Argentina mustered only one shot on target.

Messi, 37, has been away from the team since he suffered a high-ankle injury while playing for Argentina against Colombia in the Copa America final on July 14.

The Atlas Lions came out 2-1 winners from the match, which saw the Argentinian anthem booed ahead of kick-off, flares, cups and bottles thrown at Albiceleste players and a near two-hour delay .

Re-live Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Argentina took on Morocco on the opening day of the Olympic football tournament.

Fernandez has received widespread condemnation for participating in the chant, including from his west London team-mates such as Wesley Fofana - who described it as 'uninhibited racism'.

KIERAN GILL: Chelsea have launched an internal disciplinary procedure into the incident, with this having soured their positive start to pre-season under Enzo Maresca.

The Chelsea midfielder came under fire for sharing an Instagram Live which showed him and other Albiceleste team-mates singing that France's players are 'all from Angola'.

Fernandez posted a video on social media which appeared to show him and a number of his team-mates singing along to a song with is alleged to include 'racist and discriminatory language'.

The Three Lions were looking to win their first major trophy since 1966 in Berlin, but lost 2-1 against Spain as they came up short in the final of the competition for the second edition in a row.

Lionel Messi was seen relaxing in the sun on Wednesday - just three days after suffering a gruesome ankle injury in the Copa America final vs. Colombia.

Multiple stars who unfollowed Fernandez including Christopher Nkunku, Malo Gusto, Benoit Badiashile , and Armando Broja were snapped at the club's Cobham training centre.

KIERAN GILL: History tells us Chelsea are no strangers to internal strife but even for a club so accustomed to chaos, the extraordinary scenes of the last 36 hours will take some beating.

While a number of the Albiceleste squad were present on the team bus following the victory in Florida, it is still unclear which players were taking part in the chanting beyond Fernandez.

Enzo Fernandez has taken to social media to apologise after he was accused of 'uninhibited racism' by team-mate Wesley Fofana over a video he posted of the Argentina squad.

KIERAN GILL: Fernandez's Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana, who is French and the son of an Ivorian father, took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare the video 'uninhibited racism'.

A rowdy Argentine contingent danced and chanted on the team bus after their 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final - South America's equivalent of the Euros.

The Argentina national team is under fire after a video posted by midfielder Enzo Fernandez captured the Copa America winners singing a racist chant on Sunday night.

Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo has slammed the extended halftime planned for Sunday night's Copa America final vs. Argentina to allow a concert by Shakira.

Drake earlier this week placed an extraordinary $300,00o (£234,195) wager on his nation to overcome Lionel Messi and Co in the Copa America semi-final.

DANIEL MATTHEWS AT METLIFE STADIUM: Messi is now the second highest scorer in international soccer history - behind only Cristiano Ronaldo - after leading Argentina into the final.

The competition's all-time leading scorer, his nation's, perhaps even Europe's, greatest-ever player has not been shielded from the deluge of dissent.

After a thrilling group stage, the quarter-final fixtures have been drawn for the competition and it's thrown up some intriguing battles that are set to take place.

Lionel Messi and Argentina will open the knockout stages against Ecuador in Houston on Thursday night, before Venezuela and Canada face off in Arlington 24 hours later.

With nothing left to prove in his glittering career, Lionel Messi actually achieved a first on Tuesday. The Argentine star stepped onto the MetLife Stadium field as a 37-year-old.

Lionel Messi's 37th birthday was celebrated by a massive crowd of fans on Monday, as Argentina supporters trekked out to the team's hotel in New Jersey to serenade the star.

Antonela, Thiago, 11, Mateo, 8, and Ciro, 6, were in Atlanta, Georgia, to watch the 36-year-old Argentina captain provide an assist for the second goal of a 2-0 win against Canada on Thursday.

Relive Mail Sport's live blog for Argentina vs Canada - including all the build-up, live scores and action from the opening Group stage of CONMEBOL Copa America 2024.