Sport
Messi’s World Cup chase takes center stage in Qatar
Lionel Messi’s hopes of winning an elusive World Cup will come up against the tactical scheming of veteran coach Louis van Gaal as Argentina face the Netherlands in Friday’s quarter-final at Lusail.
Messi, 35, once again carries his nation’s hopes on his shoulders as he looks to crown an extraordinary career that includes seven Ballon d’Or awards and multiple club titles, but only one Copa America to show for his efforts with Argentina, Reuters reported.
Messi can expect little in the way of sympathy from the 71-year-old Van Gaal, who is determined to give the Dutch their first World Cup title after runners-up finishes in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
The coach’s planning will largely focus on containing Messi and catching Argentina on the break, as Van Gaal thumbs his nose at his critics by playing a brand of football at odds with the usual attacking Dutch approach.
The tactical plan is key to his side’s hopes of winning tomorrow as the Dutch look to take revenge for their semi-final defeat in 2014 when Argentina beat them in a shootout.
“We can surprise teams with our plan. We were also the better team then and Messi didn’t see much of the ball,” the coach told reporters this week.
He can also point to a run of form that has seen the Dutch go 19 games without defeat since he returned to the hot seat for a third spell 15 months ago.
Messi spoke briefly about the Dutch threat after Argentina’s 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16, where he marked his 1,000th career appearance by scoring and being named Man of the Match.
“Another difficult one is coming,” he said.
Messi can expect vocal support from Argentine fans in Qatar, who are set to vastly outnumber their orange-clad Dutch counterparts.
On the losing side against Germany in the 2014 final, where Argentina failed to add to World Cup triumphs in 1978 and 1986, Messi was grateful for the support.
“These are incredible moments. We want to thank all the people who are here. The whole of Argentina would love to be here,” he said.
Quarterfinals
Friday: Brazil v Croatia & Netherlands v Argentina
Saturday: Morocco v Portugal & France v England
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
Argentina claimed their first-ever men’s futsal gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Portugal in the final.
The closely contested match at Dakar Arena saw both teams enter the final with perfect records, having won all three of their group-stage matches. However, Argentina emerged victorious, with captain Lorenzo Sampedro scoring the decisive goal six minutes before the end of regular time.
Argentina’s triumph adds another chapter to the country’s Olympic football success, following the gold medals won by its men’s football team at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Argentina head coach Mariano Alberto Gomez praised his players for their performance, saying they had represented their country with pride after a lengthy preparation and participation in several tournaments.
Portugal’s Joao Carvalho expressed disappointment at missing out on gold but praised his team’s journey, saying the final was decided by small mistakes.
Earlier, Morocco secured the bronze medal after defeating Afghanistan 2-1 in the third-place playoff.
Afghanistan came close to forcing a late comeback, scoring with just 13 seconds remaining, but Morocco held on to secure third place.
Morocco coach Zakaria Kairi said winning an Olympic medal was a significant achievement for his young players, despite the team falling short of its original target of reaching the final and winning gold.
The results confirmed Argentina as futsal champions, Portugal as runners-up and Morocco in third place at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Afghanistan’s U18 national futsal team put up a determined fight but narrowly missed out on the bronze medal after suffering a 2–1 defeat against Morocco in the third-place match at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games on Thursday.
The young Afghan players showed great determination and fighting spirit throughout the contest. Morocco took the lead in the first half before doubling its advantage after the break.
Afghanistan refused to give up and fought back, pulling one goal back in the dying seconds of the match.
Despite a late push, the national side could not find an equalizer, as Morocco held on for a 2–1 victory to claim the bronze medal.
Afghanistan’s national youth futsal team competed in four matches at the tournament, making an impressive start with a commanding 5–0 victory over Panama in its opening group-stage fixture.
The young side then faced Argentina, losing 2–1, before suffering a 2–0 defeat against Portugal.
Despite missing out on a medal, Afghanistan’s young futsal players demonstrated determination, resilience and competitive spirit on the international stage.
Portugal and Argentina will face each other in the final to compete for the gold medal.
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Argentina clinch futsal gold after defeating Portugal in Dakar 2026 final
Putin agrees to European role in Ukraine peace talks as Zelenskiy welcomes move
Afghanistan and Russia sign 15 economic cooperation agreements worth $103 million
UN warns of deepening water crisis in central Afghanistan amid climate change
Tahawol: Russia’s special attention to situation in Afghanistan discussed
Afghanistan finish runners-up after 6-0 defeat to Brazil in futsal final
Trump says US may strike Iran’s ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ nuclear facility
Afghan futsal coach: Brazil tournament is first step towards new goals and World Cup
Rubio heads to Central Asia while other US officials hit foreign policy hot spots
Violent protests spread across Europe as Albanian PM blames ‘foreign hand’
Tahawol: Russia’s special attention to situation in Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Discussion on US’s humiliating defeat in Afghanistan
Tahawol: High-level Russian delegation’s visit to Kabul discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s situation in focus at CSTO discussed
Tahawol: Efforts to halt deportation of Afghan refugees from US discussed
-
Sport4 days agoPortugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan’s record partnership highlights fourth day of Test against Zimbabwe
-
World5 days agoHouthi-run health ministry says airstrikes kill 33 near Yemen capital
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan thrash Senegal 6-0 to reach Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
-
World4 days agoFirst Muslim US senator-elect El-Sayed calls for review of aid to Pakistan
-
Regional4 days agoIran defends two-day proposal for peace talks after US rejects conditions
-
Climate Change5 days agoAfghanistan among world’s five most climate-vulnerable countries
-
Business4 days agoAfghanistan approves new foreign investment policy in bid to attract international investors