Haaland adds assist to 4-1 rout

Kansas City Stadium is usually known as Arrowhead Stadium, and is usually known as the home of Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs.

The megastar quarterback is in the house with wife Brittany today and the pair delivered the match ball before kickoff.

Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, which he suffered in December.

It’s 1-0 to Argentina after 35 minutes.

This time Lionel Messi won’t be denied.

Argentina’s captain was allowed far too much space to roam by Algeria and he happily advanced to the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a magic left-footed strike that curled into the top-right corner of the goal.

Luca Zidane had no chance and Messi has his 14th World Cup goal at the age of 38. He is now Argentina’s youngest and oldest goalscorer at a World Cup.

It really feels like a World Cup now.

Big dogs Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are all dominating today.

Argentina lead 1-0 after 17 minutes.

Viral All Whites defender Tim Payne looks set to cash in on his huge popularity in South America by signing with Paraguayan champions Club Olimpia after the World Cup, with the reported move even getting the trademark “here we go” treatment from Fabrizio Romano.

The rumoured move, first reported by Sky Sports in the UK, would cap a whirlwind World Cup for the 32-year-old Wellington Phoenix fullback, who became an online sensation after being singled out by Argentina content creator El Scarso, for, ironically, being the least-known player at the tournament.

Payne had never heard of a community manager until three weeks ago. Now he has one helping run his social media accounts after becoming one of the breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup.

While All Whites captain Chris Wood featured on billboards outside SoFi Stadium, Payne was the player many neutrals came to see when New Zealand opened their World Cup campaign with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Iran in Los Angeles.

Outside the stadium, a Mexican father and son queued in customised Tim Payne shirts featuring the Phoenix defender’s face on the back and the slogan “No Payne, No Gain” on the front.

When Eli Just fronted reporters after scoring both of the All Whites’ goals in a record-breaking individual performance, a journalist from El Salvador asked whether Payne would be joining him, eager to speak to New Zealand’s viral sensation.

Kylian Mbappe entered the 2026 World Cup knowing another strong tournament could make him the competition’s all-time leading goal scorer.

At this rate, the Real Madrid superstar may get there next week.

Mbappe bagged a second-half brace in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I to become France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals, one ahead of Olivier Giroud.

And by adding his 13th and 14th career World Cup goals, he moved past Pele and Lionel Messi and is within two of equaling Miroslav Klose for the all-time tournament record.

If a reminder was needed, this performance showed the world Mbappe remains its most explosive player as he attempts to help his country reach a third straight World Cup final.

“Kylian was very efficient. Ruthlessly efficient,” France manager Didier Deschamps said.

“He’s an iconic player. I’ve always said that. He can from time to time miss a game or two, but on one action, he really is able to tip the scales.”

Lautaro Martinez will start as Argentina’s striker in their World Cup opener against Algeria, with Julian Alvarez on the bench despite coach Lionel Scaloni saying the Atletico Madrid player was available after recovering from an ankle injury.

Martinez will share attacking duties with Lionel Messi, who is appearing at a record sixth World Cup.

Left back Nicolas Tagliafico misses out with a calf injury and Facundo Medina replaces him.

For Algeria, Riyad Mahrez is on the bench as Anis Hadj Moussa starts.

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Thiago Almada; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez

Algeria: Luca Zidane; Aissa Mandi, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rafik Belghali, Ramy Bensebaini; Fares Chaibi, Hicham Boudaoui, Nabil Bentaleb; Ibrahim Maza, Amine Gouiri, Anis Hadj Moussa

There is a great subplot to the Argentina vs Algeria game that is kicking off in Kansas City - of all places - at 11am AEST.

Zinedine Zidane’s son Luca has been picked to start in goal for Algeria against Lionel Messi and company.

The 28-year-old played for France at age-group level but committed to Algeria’s senior team last year.

Zidane is wearing a custom-fitted protective facial mask to safeguard a fractured jaw and chin he suffered in April.

“At the start, people see you more as someone’s son,” Luca said recently.

“But I’ve always tried to make my own path. I worked hard to improve every day.

“When you’re called Zidane, everything you do has more of an impact. People are waiting for something bad to happen, so they can talk about it. But I’ve had to deal with it since I was small, so it’s natural for me. I’m always trying to improve every day, to be as good a goalkeeper as I can be.”

“This is a crucial moment for my career, playing a World Cup, to show I can play at the very highest level. I feel ready for that.”

He might be a goalkeeper but we assume Luca will be handy with the ball at his feet as well.

It it fulltime at Foxboro as Erling Haaland adds an assist to his two goals in a 4-1 rout of Graham Arnold’s Iraq.

Haaland nodded a header across the face of the goal and substitute Kristian Thorstvedt was able to get enough of a touch on it in what was almost the final act of the game.

That final goal means Norway sit top of Group I after the first round of games, with France having earlier beaten Senegal 3-1.

It was still a proud day for Graham Arnold’s war-torn Iraq, who are playing at their first World Cup since 1986 - and scored their first-ever World Cup goal.

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