Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and had a hand in two more goals as Argentina crushed Bolivia 6-0 in South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The historic Maracana stadium has hosted two World Cup finals, in 1950 and 2014, and saw Messi and his squad become 2021 Copa America champions by beating Brazil 1-0.
His Brazilian fans loved him for his idiosyncratic personality and unapologetic nationalism. He liked to say he was born with victory at his side and was rarely shy to challenge those who said his teams were too defensive.
The Copa America 2021 championship final will be played between Brazil and Argentina from 05:30 am IST Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Pele's greatest contribution to both soccer and Brazil was to transform his underachieving nation into a footballing superpower.
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The federation has confirmed that they are flying players in from their domestic league
A much-changed Brazil failed to win for the first time in 11 games but still qualified top in Group B for the quarter-finals of the Copa America on Sunday after drawing 1-1 with Ecuador in Goiania.
The last place Brazilians expected to be embarrassed in the World Cup was on the pitch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the passing away of the Argentine legend.
The stadium where the Confederations Cup is due to kick off in two months will not be officially opened until May 18 because rain has delayed the laying of the pitch, officials in Brazil's capital said on Monday.
Brazil against Argentina is a true clasico. The teams first met in 1914 and in the years since have established themselves as two of the most storied sides in world soccer. Together they have won seven World Cups.
Rampant Germany hammered Portugal 4-0, with four players sharing the goals, to progress to the semi-finals of the Rio Games football tournament on Saturday.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was among the first in the Indian sporting fraternity to take to Twitter to pay his tributes to Diego Maradona.
The most expensive of the 12 stadiums built or revamped for the 2014 World Cup has a leaking roof less than eight months after it was finished, the stadium's operators said on Tuesday.
After going two games without a goal and being booed off the field by their own fans, the Brazilian men's soccer team found their scoring touch at the Rio Olympics on Wednesday with a 4-0 win over Denmark that sealed their place in the next round.
Football legend Pele has termed Argentine forward Lionel Messi as the "best in last 10 years", but also spoke highly of his fellow Brazilian Neymar and Portugal's Ronaldo.
Tickets for matches in Brasilia have already been on sale for months and it remains unclear how fans, many of whom may have bought flights and booked hotels, would be reimbursed
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