Mumbai, July 17: Argentina’s Consul General to Mumbai, Daniel Quer Confalonieri, believes the reigning world champions have grown stronger with every game at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and head into Sunday’s final against Spain with genuine belief that Lionel Messi can end his international career on the highest note.

Confalonieri said Argentina’s performances have steadily improved after a slow start to the tournament.

“Argentina is growing into the tournament. We didn’t start particularly well; we were winning matches in the last ten minutes, even during the group stage. But after the second half against England, where we played magnificent football and Messi led the team brilliantly, I think we now have a real chance in the final against Spain,” he exclusively told IANS.

“I don’t know if we’re going to win, but I certainly hope so. Spain is a very good team with outstanding players. However, I believe Argentina are very solid, and I’m very confident and optimistic about our chances of winning the tournament.”

Reflecting on Lionel Messi, Confalonieri recalled meeting the Argentine icon during his visit to Mumbai in December last year and described the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the embodiment of humility.

“I met him when he came to Mumbai on December 14 last year. We were at the Wankhede Stadium with thousands of Indian fans, watching Messi. He’s a very humble person. He plays magnificent football, but he doesn’t speak much. He’s humble, respectful, and lets his football do the talking. That’s what a truly great football player does.”

The diplomat also acknowledged that this World Cup is expected to be Messi’s final appearance on football’s biggest stage.

“This is his last championship because he’s 39 years old, so we’re fortunate to have the opportunity to watch him. Even at 39, he’s incredibly fit and continues to perform at the highest level. He is still in excellent shape, even though he is 39 years old. At this stage of his career, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to watch him play.”

Confalonieri also reflected on Messi’s journey from a child battling a growth hormone deficiency to becoming one of the greatest footballers in history.

“When he was a child in Argentina, he faced serious challenges because of a growth hormone deficiency, which threatened his dream of becoming a professional footballer. He later moved to Spain, where he received the medical treatment and specialized diet he needed. There, he joined Barcelona, where he spent many years and eventually became one of the greatest football players of all time. Although his professional career was largely developed in Spain, he remains truly Argentine in the way he plays.”

Despite the focus on Messi, the Consul General stressed that Argentina’s success has been built on the collective strength of the squad.

“Next Sunday night’s match against Spain will be extremely challenging, but we are confident in our team. It’s not just about Messi; the entire Argentine squad is performing exceptionally well. We have many good footballers. The whole team is made up of warriors. I like to think of it as Messi and his warriors. There is a real sense of unity among the players.”

Having watched Spain eliminate France in the semi-finals, Confalonieri believes teamwork, rather than individual brilliance, will determine the outcome of the final.

“I watched the match between France and Spain. France had several outstanding attacking players. Kylian Mbappé and the rest of their forwards are all exceptionally talented. Spain controlled the midfield throughout much of the game.”

“As I told earlier, you don’t win a major tournament because of individual stars alone. You win by playing as a team. Every player has to work together, move forward as a unit, and support one another. That’s what makes the difference in competitions of this level.”

The sports circles in West Bengal have been rocked by the mysterious disappearance of a national level shooter, Damayanti Sen, from the Howrah Station near Kolkata since Thursday afternoon. The 15-year-old girl could not be traced till Friday morning despite frantic searches by her parents and the police.

As per the missing case registered by her parents at the local police station, Damayanti Sen, who had been recently selected for trials in the national team, went out of her residence on Thursday afternoon to purchase some household items and did not return home after that.

According to her parents, when she left the house to purchase some household items, the teenager was carrying her mobile phone.

After Damayanti Sen did not return home for quite some time, her family members started tracking her whereabouts and enquired about the teenager from her friends, shooting associates and relatives. Finally, after being unable to track her, they registered a missing diary at the local police station.

The police immediately started investigating the matter and finally they tracked the CCTV footage at Howrah Station, where Damayanti Sen was spotted moving between platform number four and platform number five of the station.

“That was the last time that she was spotted and we are now trying to track where she went from there,” said a local police officer. However, she could not be traced till Friday morning.

According to police sources, 15-year-old Damayanti Sen is a resident of 30/2, Umacharan Bhattacharjee Lane in Central Howrah.

According to the statement given to the police by her family members, ever since she was selected for the national team trials, she used to rise early daily for practice. Her parents categorically informed the police that she had no disagreement with any of her family members in the recent past.

Now the family members are wondering about the mystery behind the entire development. Her friends, neighbours and shooting teammates are equally worried about the disappearance of the teenager.

This is not the first time that the shooting circles in West Bengal have been rocked by a controversy.

In March last year, the West Bengal Rifle Association (WBRA) suspended Olympian and former Indian rifle coach Joydeep Karmakar from all shooting activities in the state. His suspension came after he made a series of social media posts in January last year accusing the association of corruption

Arlington, July 4: Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan raised the Palestinian flag after his side earned their first knockout win and dedicated the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 victory over Australia to the Palestinians.

Egypt went through to the last 16 after beating Australia 4-2 on penalties in a dramatic Round of 32 contest in Dallas and became only the second African nation ever to win a World Cup penalty shoot-out, after Morocco’s two triumphs – in 2022 v Spain and 2026 v the Netherlands.

Moments after Egypt secured the victory, Hassan carried both the Egyptian and Palestinian flags onto the pitch and celebrated with the Palestinian flag with fans chanting, “Free Palestine” slogan.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Hassan said, “May God grant them victory, may God have mercy on their martyrs. I’m saying to them: I’m dedicating this victory to the Egyptian people and Palestinian people, those kind and honourable people.”

In their previous match, the Pharaohs had beaten New Zealand to record their first victory on the world stage. Now they are celebrating an Antipodean double after a shootout triumph secured by Hossam Abdelmaguid after misses by Australia’s Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington

Egypt had gained an early lead in the game through Emam Ashour but Mohamed Hany’s second-half own goal meant a tight game went all the way to penalties, with Hossam Hassan’s still-unbeaten side prevailing to set up a Round of 16 tie in Atlanta on July 8 against holders Argentina.

Egypt would have won the game at the end of normal time but for a fantastic one-handed save by Patrick Beach to keep out Rami Rabia’s bullet header from a Mohamed Salah cross. Salah, passed fit amid concerns over a hamstring problem, then teed up Haissem Hassan for a shot foiled by a brilliant Souttar block.

Australia coach Popovic sent on substitute goalkeeper Mat Ryan in place of Beach just before the final whistle of extra tie but to no avail as Egypt converted all their kicks – including a nerveless Panenka effort by Salah.