The lavish lobby of Planet Hollywood Beach Resort at Utorda Beach in Goa was buzzing with activity on Friday afternoon. The cheerful presence of the Indian players added even more life to the atmosphere as the Blue Tigresses moved around in relaxed spirits.

After a remarkable 14-year spell in charge capped by one World Cup triumph and another run to the final, Didier Deschamps is hoping to go out on a high as he gets ready to step down as France coach following the upcoming tournament in North America.

Former Italy under-20 international Cristian Volpato has decided to represent Australia and will join the Socceroos' training camp in Los Angeles ahead of the World Cup, Football Australia said on Friday.

Lionel Messi will turn 39 during the upcoming World Cup and could have been forgiven for quitting international football after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, but he remains his country's talisman as they aim to retain the trophy in North America.

The 31-year-old issued an impassioned proclamation of his patriotism last week, triggering Monday's appeal from Vice President Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh.

Switched to the number nine position instead of the wing against Maldives on Thursday, she found the net in just 11 seconds.

The English coach was also critical of the approach Maldives showed throughout the match.

"It's not a bad thing to cancel your wedding for – it only happens every four years," the 27-year-old keeper told New Zealand media.

The tournament expanding to 48 teams from 32 helped propel Jordan, a country of 12 million people with a creaking football infrastructure, to their maiden finals.

Coach Lionel Scaloni retained the core of the side that won Argentina's third world title, although veteran winger Angel Di Maria was not considered after retiring from international football following the 2024 Copa America.

Bangladesh women's football team head coach Peter Butler has fiercely defended his tactical approach, declaring he would rather quit than change his attack-minded philosophy, following his side’s 4-2 win over the Maldives in their opening match of the SAFF Women’s Championship in Goa yesterday.

Since stepping into professional football in 2002, Cristiano Ronaldo has dazzled audiences from Lisbon to Manchester, Madrid, and now Saudi Arabia. He has conquered Europe with both club and country, and in his glittering career, he is steadily moving toward the unbelievable milestone of 1,000 goals.

Defending champions Bangladesh made a winning start to their SAFF Women’s Championship campaign, beating Maldives 4-2 in their opening match of the tournament at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, India, today.

Weverton was part of the Brazil squad at Qatar 2022, where the Seleçao were eliminated by Croatia in the quarterfinals.

Adding a touch of warmth to an otherwise empty stadium atmosphere, a small group of Russian supporters turned up at the stadium carrying a white banner that simply read ‘Bangladesh’, with the two ‘A’s painted as love signs.

Head coach Peter Butler brought three changes to the playing eleven that last featured in the Women’s Asian Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan in Australia last March.

CBF doctor Rodrigo Lasmar delivered the blow ahead of a players' press conference, confirming the 34-year-old forward faces two to three more weeks on the sidelines.

Bangladesh have been drawn in Group B alongside hosts Uzbekistan, India and Syria in the qualifiers for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup following the draw held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

While the rest of the nation celebrates Eid with family and loved ones, the Bangladesh national football team is busy sweating it out on the training pitch.

Marcelo Bielsa is widely revered as a pioneer of coaching but his unconventional methods risk ruining Uruguay's World Cup chances before the tournament has even begun.