…battleImage source, Reuters and Getty ImagesImage caption, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are key parts of the World Cup advertising campaigns for Nike and Adidas respectivelyBySimon CassonBBC Sport senior journalistPublished19 June 2026The World Cup is all about numbers. Which team has scored the most goals? Who's got…

…feel about the relationship between AI and dating. Turns out, people don't want AI messing with every aspect of human life. Across the industry, dating apps are experimenting with AI. Bumble introduced a dating assistant named Bee, and Tinder is spending so much on AI tools that it's slowed its hiring process. Meanwhil…

…but it is a familiar face who commands the global headlines. Argentina captain Lionel Messi has catapulted himself to the top of the Golden Boot standings after netting a spectacular hat-trick against Algeria in Kansas City, drawing level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint all-time leading scorer in World Cup h…

…staff very well, and the fans are amazing,” Pochettino said. “And then the 'cherry' is Messi. It's a difficult combination to play against.” The USA and Argentina won their first matches at the World Cup against Paraguay and Algeria, respectively. If Pochettino’s side tops Group D and Argentina win their Group, the two…