South America

June 12 (Reuters) - Boca Juniors defender Ayrton Costa will miss the Club World Cup after being denied a visa to enter the United States due to a criminal complaint against him in his native Argentina, the club confirmed on Thursday.

In 2023, Costa accepted a probationary sentence to avoid trial for an aggravated robbery in 2018, which U.S. officials ruled that he is still serving.

June 10 (Reuters) - Argentina have learned to cope with Lionel Messi's absences and no longer need to rejig the line-up when the Inter Miami forward is not available, manager Lionel Scaloni said ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Colombia.

Since making his senior debut in 2005, Messi has scored 112 goals in 192 appearances for Argentina, winning the World Cup in 2022, two Copa America titles and a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Argentine forward Ángel Di Maria will return to his homeland to play for his boyhood club Rosario Central, the Argentine Primera Division club announced on Thursday.

"Our history together has more pages to write. Welcome home," the Rosario-based club said alongside a video posted on Twitter.

Di Maria transfer

May 26 (Reuters) - Argentina's Mac Allister brothers Alexis and Kevin pulled off an unusual family feat on Sunday by lifting championship trophies on the same afternoon in different countries, though neither of them took part in their teams' final game of the season.

Alexis got his hands on the Premier League trophy at Anfield after Liverpool secured the title last month, while his older brother Kevin endured a nervy afternoon in Belgium as his club Union Saint-Gilloise ended a 90-year wait for the championship.

Start reserving him a seat at the award ceremony, FIFA.

Argentine full back Santiago Montiel has lit up the football world with a jaw-dropping bicycle kick goal that many fans are already touting as a top contender for FIFA’s Puskás Award. 

The Maracana Stadium will be one of eight venues across Brazil to host matches at the 2027 Women's World Cup, the first edition to be held in Latin America, FIFA announced on Wednesday.

In addition to the iconic venue in Rio de Janeiro, the 64 matches of the competition will be played in Belo Horizonte (Mineirao Stadium), Brasilia (National Stadium), Fortaleza (Castelao Arena), Porto Alegre (Beira-Rio Stadium), Recife (Pernambuco Arena), Salvador (Fonte Nova Arena) and Sao Paulo (Itaquera Arena).

2027 Women's World Cup stadiums

April 28 (Reuters) - Franco Mastantuono took time out from preparing for a geography exam to score a spectacular curling free kick which helped River Plate beat arch-rivals Boca Juniors 2-1 in Sunday's Argentine Superclasico.

BUENOS AIRES, April 27 (Reuters) - River Plate secured a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Boca Juniors in a tense 'Superclasico' in Argentina's Primera Division Apertura competition on Sunday to claim bragging rights over their arch rivals.

A record crowd of over 85,000 fans packed into the recently expanded Mas Monumental stadium, creating a cauldron of noise following a minute's silence for Pope Francis, who died last week.

Watch: Franco Mastantuono free kick vs. Boca Juniors

The Lionel Messi Mexico rivalry quote went viral on Thursday as the Inter Miami star said there's no rivalry between Argentina and El Tri. He doubled down saying that Mexico fans believe there's a rivalry when in reality there is none.

Messi appeared on Simplemente Fútbol when he shared his feelings on the disdain Mexico fans have for him.

Lionel Messi Mexico rivalry