Sport
Saturday’s Matches: Lionel Messi plays in 1,000th career match
Argentina’s star player, Lionel Messi, played in his 1,000th game in his professional career and led his team to a 2-1 victory over Australia in their round of 16 match at the Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar on Saturday.
The legendary No 10 scored and starred in Argentina’s eventually tense 2-1 win to set up a quarterfinal clash against Netherlands, who defeated USA 3-1 on the same day.
Messi commanded the stage again on Saturday night and scored Argentina’s opening goal. It was Messi’s ninth World Cup goal and his first in the knockout stages of the tournament.
While Argentina progressed to a quarter-final clash against the Netherlands, football commentators have said the team was far from convincing and Australia nearly snatched an equalizer in the closing seconds.
Critics have also pointed out that Argentina is still far too reliant on their aging superstar to dig them out of trouble.
For the Netherlands, Memphis Depay’s early goal got the Europeans off to an ideal start before Daley Blind’s strike on the stroke of half-time left the Americans with a huge task. Haji Wright halved the deficit on 76 minutes to tee up a tense finish, but Denzel Dumfries confirmed the win soon after.
The USA’s tournament is now over, having only scored three goals in four matches, and they will hope that the sport will continue to develop in their country in time for 2026, when they will host the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.
Where to watch
Afghan fans need not miss out on any of the excitement of this year’s tournament which is being broadcast live and exclusively by Ariana Television in Afghanistan.
For the full broadcast schedule CLICK HERE
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
In the 25th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Jawanan Perozi.
On Friday, in the 26th match, Istiqlal Kabul defeated Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1.
Tomorrow, in the 27th match, Arman FC will take on Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 10:00 AM, followed by the 28th match, where Sarafan Herat will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 PM.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving football fans across the country the chance to experience the excitement and intensity of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
In the 23rd match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Arman FC put on a dominant and electrifying display, overpowering Aino Mina 6–0.
In Thursday’s 24th fixture, Khurasan Faryab took on Ettifaq Khanzadah and secured a solid 2–0 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s games, Jawanan Perozi will face Abu Muslim Farah at 10:00 a.m. in the 25th match, while Istiqlal Kabul meets Sarsabz Yashlar at 1:30 p.m. in the 26th encounter.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the opportunity to follow the excitement and energy of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
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