Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has said he is not certain about playing at the 2026 World Cup.

Messi has claimed he does not enjoy playing football when he is not fully fit.

The 38-year-old made this admission after scoring twice in the 3-0 win over Venezuela on Thursday.

It could be the last time that Messi features in a qualifying game on home soil.

“As I’ve said before, I don’t think I’ll play another World Cup.

“At my age, it’s only logical to think I might not,” Messi told TyC Sports.

According to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, his participation at next year’s World Cup will come down to his fitness.

“Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then have preseason, and in six months, I’ll see how I feel,” he said.

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For many Manchester United fans, recent performances have been frustrating enough to make them want to tear their hair out. But for Red Devils supporter Frank Ilett, that’s not an option—because of a bold pledge he made nearly a year ago.

Ilett, who lives in Spain, vowed not to cut his hair until Manchester United won five competitive games in a row. What began as a lighthearted challenge in October has turned into a nearly year-long ordeal. It’s been 324 days since his last haircut, and his once neat buzzcut has transformed into a wild mane, which he often showcases on his TikTok channel “theunitedstrand.”

“I thought it would just be a bit of fun for a few months,” Ilett said. “I didn’t expect it to be so difficult. Looking back, maybe I was too optimistic.”

At first, he considered setting the bar at three straight wins but raised it to five for what he thought would be a more interesting challenge. Unfortunately, United’s inconsistent form has kept him waiting. A run that could have ended his bet early this year slipped away, and results since then—including a shocking League Cup defeat to fourth-division Grimsby Town—have only prolonged his hairy situation.

Ilett’s growing hair has become symbolic of the club’s decline. Once the most dominant team in England with 13 Premier League titles, United has struggled under new manager Ruben Amorim. The team failed to qualify for European competition this season and currently sits far from its former glory.

Despite the frustrations, Ilett remains committed to his challenge. He admits the biggest struggle is coping with the heat under his now heavy locks, but he won’t visit the barber until United hits the magic five.

Looking at the fixture list, he hopes for a possible winning streak later this year against teams like Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Wolves, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa. But given United’s own poor form—finishing 15th last season—he’s not overly confident.

Still, he dreams of being in the stands for the decisive fifth victory, comparing it to his own “mini-Champions League final.”

Until then, the wait continues, and Ilett’s hair keeps growing—possibly even turning gray from the stress of watching Manchester United.

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Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise a Liverpool fan account over what he considered a disrespectful comparison between the club’s new attacking signing and two former Reds who recently left Anfield for moves abroad.

Metro Punch reported that the defending Premier League champions broke the bank to secure the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m before breaking the British transfer record by signing Sweden striker Alexander Isak for a whopping £125m from Newcastle on deadline day as the Premier League hit a record-breaking £3bn transfer window.

The EPL transfer record was broken twice in one window with Liverpool behind both deals, yet this didn’t satisfy a club fan account, which went further by dragging recently departed champions Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz into a needless comparison.

Darwin Núñez’s move to Al-Hilal for around €53 million (£46 m) ended a three-season spell at Liverpool marked by inconsistency, criticism, and missed chances—a romance that never fully blossomed after his €75 million (£64 m) switch from Benfica in June 2022, potentially rising to £85 million with add-ons, making him the club’s record signing at the time.

By contrast, Luis Díaz, who joined German giants Bayern Munich for £65.5 million, was a constant attacking threat under Arne Slot, often operating as a false nine.

Liverpool enjoyed a record-breaking transfer window, strengthening their squad with signings such as Hugo Ekitike (£79m) and Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5m), brought in to replace Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a crash, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid.

In total, the Merseysiders spent £446m — a Premier League record for a single window — surpassing Chelsea’s £434.5m outlay in the summer of 2023, according to Sky Sports. Factoring in potential add-ons and excluding undisclosed fees, Liverpool generated £228.1m from player sales.

Had Marc Guehi’s £35m move from Crystal Palace not collapsed on deadline day, Liverpool’s summer outlay would have reached £469.5m, with Milos Kerkez (£40m) and Giorgi Mamardashvili (£29m) already secured.

Despite missing out on Guehi, Liverpool enjoyed an almost perfect summer window worth celebrating. However, the independent fan account @AnfieldEdition on X chose that moment to “ridicule” the impact of Díaz and Núñez, posting a collage of the former Reds in black and white alongside coloured photos of new signings Wirtz and Isak, whose reputation among Newcastle fans has arguably already been damaged after forcing his exit from the club.

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