World Cup LIVE: Lionel Messi in tears as Erling Haaland gives 'madman' verdict

World Cup LIVE: Lionel Messi in tears as Erling Haaland gives 'madman' verdict Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria in their World Cup opener after braces for Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe Hello and welcome to the Mirror's live coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, June 17. France vs Senegal kicked off Tuesday's action with a 3-1 win for Didier Deschamp's side. An Erling Haaland brace just a few hours later helped Norway to a 4-1 win over Iraq in the second match of the day. Reigning champions Argentina then faced Algeria with Lionel Messi emphatically responding to braces from Mbappe and Haaland, who issued his own reply to the 38-year-old, by scoring a hat-trick. Following his first goal, Messi was visibly emotional and he has since explained why he was in tears. Elsewhere, England were rocked by an injury blow to defender Tino Livramento, who has withdrawn from Thomas Tuchel's squad with a calf injury. He has been replaced by Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah, with that decision explained by the England boss in his most recent press conference. Elsewhere, Roberto Martinez is reportedly set to leave his role with Portugal at the end of the tournament but he has denied any truth in those rumours. We will keep you up to date with all the latest from the USA, Canada and Mexico right here on our live blog, which you can read below... Key Events England's German World Cup 2026 manager has said he won't be singing the country's national anthem, saying "I think we are not there yet". Bavarian-born Thomas Tuchel told reporters earlier this week that he would consider singing the anthem "at the very end maybe", adding: "I am still a bit shy. I don’t want to offend people and don’t want to have the focus on that now.” Do you agree with this? Take our poll and have your say England fans bought more than 5,000 beers as hundreds defied police orders to move on from a Dallas pub ahead of the Three Lions’ World cup opener against Croatia. Despite the Londoner Pub, in Dallas, advertising a later closing time, fans were ordered to move on by bar staff and two police officers just before 10pm. The pub was eventually cleared, but many remained on the balcony outside the building for another couple of hours. Officers confirmed the early closure was due to the venue reaching maximum capacity, with only two security guards on duty. Before closing its doors, the Londoner staff said they manged to sell 2,352 bottles of beer, more than 5,000 beers in total, making more than £30,000 from the evening. Portugal have refused to confirm if Roberto Martinez will still be manager after the World Cup. Reports have claimed Martinez will stand down following the competition. And while brushing aside the rumours, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) have not denied them either. A statement said: "The FPF and Roberto Martinez are focused exclusively on the World Cup. "The federation and the coach are aligned on this matter, as they have publicly stated." Martinez, 52, will be out of contract next month. The former Everton manager was appointed head coach in 2023, following the team's shock quarter-final exit to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Martinez has overseen one major tournament with Portugal, leading his side to the last eight of Euro 2024, before losing to France on penalties. It's understood Martinez and his bosses have agreed to postpone talks about a potential new deal until after the tournament. But this will not stop Martinez from having to field questions about his future, when he faces the media at Houston Stadium in under an hour's time. Jose Mourinho had been linked with replacing Martinez, but has re-joined Real Madrid instead for a second spell in charge. Portugal saw their preparations for a training session on the beach before their World Cup opener disrupted by security concerns close to their Palm Beach hotel. Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates have used the Four Seasons resort as their base and hoped to make use of a private beach during some down-time before a change of plans was required. According to reports from the Portuguese media, the players caused a stir when stepping towards the private beach. A public bathing area is nearby and security personnel stepped in amid concerns at the footballers being disturbed by members of the public. A Bola reports that security urged players to retreat back to their hotel and the coaching staff are said to have moved the training session back into the pool area. There was said to be a fear that it would be impossible to create a bubble around the public beach area which - like the private section - opened out onto the Atlantic Ocean. It's finally here! England kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia later today. Fans have been waiting for months for the big Three Lions’ kick off - which comes almost a week after the tournament started. They have taken over downtown Dallas with a huge army of supporters sitting in the sunshine bellowing out “Football’s Coming Home.” Gary Taylor, 64, said: “We’ve been waiting for so long. We’re so excited we finally have our first game.” Many of them took a short walk to visit the notorious ‘grassy knoll’ where President Kennedy was shot in 1963. Meanwhile, there was shock news from England’s Kansas City HQ yesterday. Ruben Dias has been ruled out of Portugal's opening World Cup game against DR Congo in Houston. The Manchester City defender is one of Roberto Martinez's most important stars. But he has picked up a problem in training - and will be sidelined. Martinez said: "He came in perfectly and played the 90 minutes with City in the Premier League. "He worked well in the warm up games ,but football is a contact sport. We ran tests and he's doing well, but it's a case of not taking chances. You need to be 100 per cent. It was a contact incident. Nothing to do with his time in Manchester." Bruno Fernandes has said the memory of Diego Jota will help inspire Portugal's bid to win the World Cup. The football world was left stunned last summer when Liverpool superstar Jota and his brother Andre Silva, were both tragically killed in a car accident in their homeland. The world of sport went into mourning. And twelve months later, Fernandes insists his former team-mate and close friend is never out of the thoughts of the Portugal squad. Roberto Martinez's side kick off their campaign against DR Congo in Houston. And Manchester United captain Fernandes said: "It's very important for us. He was in the group for so long and I played with him through the U21s. We came to the first team at the same time, and I obviously played against him in the Premier League. "Everyone has spoken about him. It will always be good words about him. He was a great team-mate, very down to earth and a great person for the country. He's still part of our group - and always will be. So will his brother be, too. He will also be in our memories." Portugal have never won a World Cup - and Fernandes insists there is nothing wrong with dreaming this will change in the coming weeks. He added: "The best one (team) is the one that wins (the tournament), and I hope at the end we can claim to be that. "I do believe we have a very talented squad with great individual quality and beyond that, we are a very cohesive team and united. That what's makes this team special. "Our dream is to be there. I think dreaming is not forbidden. But our main focus is to start well and focus on the first game in hand. "If we really want to reach the top, we have to not look too far ahead. There is a responsibility, because this team has so many talents, we just have to be decisive to reach the top." Portugal will play its first World Cup match in the US today, with the team set to go up against the Democratic Republic of Congo at 1pm ET (6pm BST), a fixture fans are eagerly anticipating. The team's manager, Roberto Martinez, has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as the "killer" who can lead Portugal's assault on the World Cup. Ronaldo will be taking part in a record equalling sixth tournament of his glorious career. At the age of 41, some people have questioned if his influence on the team is still as crucial or impactful. But Martinez has rubbished suggestions Ronaldo can no longer produce the goods at the highest level - and reckons one of the icons of the game remains as ruthless and lethal as ever. Portugal open their World Cup campaign against DR Congo in Houston. Martinez said: "He's a role model. An iconic player in global football to young athletes and children, male and female, who start feeling the love for football on the streets. It might be is sixth World Cup, but it feels like his first when it comes to his intensity and emotions. "He is ready to lead the group and is so essential. He's the striker, he's a killer. He's a player with excellent numbers. He's ready." Martinez, meanwhile has refused to confirm if he will continue as Portugal manager following the World Cup. Martinez's contract runs out next month and speculation is mounting he will stand down. Martinez added: "This is not news. We talked about it a lot in Portugal. It might be news here, but not in back in Portugal. The focus is to prepare for the World Cup. I deal with this very naturally. My contract ends. It's not news, this is just a fact." Luka Modric has responded to a touching tribute from Jordan Henderson.The Brentford man, who came out on the wrong side of the 2018 Champions League final and World Cup semi-final against Modric, said earlier this week that the Croatian is the best midfielder he's ever played against. Modric was very complimentary of his opposite number when the quote was put to him, explaining during a press conference at the AT&T Stadium: "First of all it's wonderful to hear great praise from a top player like Jordan Henderson is."We played against each other many times for club and national team, he's a true fighter and leader. My time in England has helped me a lot in my career, I had four phenomenal years in Tottenham and during this period the Premier League was, well, even today one of the best leagues in the world."This type of football helped me a lot in my development, it's truly valuable for everything that we need later." Lionel Messi has paid tribute to the World Cup icons he has surpassed for goals after scoring a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria. He is now level at the very top with Miroslav Klose on 16 having only recently overtaken Gerd Muller and the Brazilian Ronaldo. Speaking specifically on the latter, Messi said: “It is a great honor to be able to compete with all these greats, including Ronaldo Nazario, among the players I have watched. He was one of the greatest players of all time." Good morning English fans who value their sleep but also missed quite the few hours at the World Cup. Norway vs Iraq was likely the first game many opted against watching but the obvious highlight was the clash that followed that between Argentina (Lionel Messi) and Algeria. The 38-year-old was at his scintillating best in Kansas City as he scored a superb hat-trick with every goal showing his undeniable quality. He is now level at the top of the World Cup scoring charts alongside Miroslav Klose on 16. He was also involved in a controversial red card incident and hinted at personal issue causing him to cry after his first goal. You can read all there is to know about those stories by clicking here. Elsewhere, England boss Thomas Tuchel discussed a number of topics at his pre-Croatia press conference while tributes were paid to a Scotland fan that died in Boston. Erling Haaland's message to Messi was also a big story as he heaped praise on him just hours after his own brace for Norway against Iraq. Kylian Mbappe also managed two great goals in France's win over Senegal. An own goal and late Marko Arnautovic penalty sealed a vital three points for Austria against Jordan ahead of their next clash against Argentina. Arnautovic was very impressive in the second half and did see a goal disallowed for handball only for Yazan Al-Arab to head into his own net moments later. He was later on target from 12 yards after his shot from a flowing move deep into added time was handled. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is well-known for speaking his mind and that was exactly what he did in response to his FOX co-star Alexi Lalas after the latter suggested that France were "arrogant" in the first half against Senegal. Referencing their impressive second-half, he said: "The reality is, if they are arrogant, it's because they can do things like that." The former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan striker then replied: "It's not arrogance, it's confidence. Ignorant people will say it's arrogance, intelligent people it's confidence." Arsenal icon Thierry Henry was also on the panel and his reaction said it all as he looked on eyes wide in shock. Alongside his hat-trick and red card near miss, Lionel Messi was also captured overcome with emotion after scoring his opening goal. The 38-year-old was asked about that moment after the game where he confirmed that he was indeed in tears He said: “I cried after the first goal, yes… but it was something completely unrelated to football”. “I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength." Or maybe perhaps Ali Iyad Owan will be the one to set this game alight with the 26-year-old firing in a superb equaliser for Jordan. The Al-Sailiya attacker was a complete unknown just a few moments ago but he now he will go down in the history of his nation after scoring their first ever World Cup goal. As someone not exactly blessed to cope with staying up late, let alone throughout the night, the last few hours have flown by and that is largely because of some excellent games of football. Of course Lionel Messi is the headline act but we also saw some really impressive attacking play from Argentina. A historic moment for Norway came before that with Erling Haaland on target twice. Austria vs Jordan is yet to reach the heights of the games before it but there is still time for household names such as Marko Arnautovic or Marcel Sabitzer to make an impact. It could have actually been a very different game for Lionel Messi due to a possible red card challenge... Late in the first half, he committed a late foul with his studs captured high up on the leg of Aissa Mandi. He was not shown a yellow card and the incident was checked by VAR. However, Ale Moreno and Nedum Onuoha were of the belief he should have been dismissed. The former stated: "It's 100% a red card for Lionel Messi. It should've been." Onuoha agreed with that verdict but with a little less certainty as he pointed to the stills making it look worse but that Messi's concern showed he knew it wasn't a great tackle. Lionel Messi's evolution across his record SIX World Cup appearances from down the years... Romano Schmid has just scored for Austria with a superb strike after just 22 minutes. Austria get us going in San Francisco! For those of you powering through the night, we have one more game left with Austria facing Jordan! While many were left speechless by Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland seemingly found the perfect word to describe his display. After his own brace in Norway's win over Iraq just hours earlier, he simply wrote on Snapchat: "Messi is a madman [crown emoji]." Lionel Messi is approaching undisputed greatest of all time status with the Argentina captain not only scoring his first World Cup hat-trick - that was the 51st of his career - against Algeria but also going level in the tournament with Miroslav Klose on 16. And though the United States is now fully acquainted with the 38-year-old, as he is approaching three years at Inter Miami, but there was still something special about the occasion in Kansas City. Click here to read the full analysis. Argentina have officially beaten Algeria 3-0 with Lionel Messi grabbing all three goals! What an excellent few hours of football we have been treated to with Messi going one better than Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. We are simply running out of superlatives to describe Lionel Messi at this point.... Argentina have a third and Messi has his hat-trick as he expertly bends an effort into the corner from the edge of the box. He is now level with all-time World Cup record goal-scorer Miroslav Klose on 16 goals. He is withdrawn to a standing ovation just moments later. Messi doubles Argentina's lead and even though it was a rebound tap-in, it was still majestic from the winger. Alexis Mac Allister forces a save from Luca Zidane but his shot is spilled with Messi reacting quickest to simply pass the ball into the net. He is simply sensational! The second half of Argentina vs Algeria is now underway with one change made by the champions at the break with Gonzalo Montiel replaced by Nahuel Molina. More chances for both teams have followed in the first half but Argetina lead at the break through that Lionel Messi goal. The Inter Miami star has been a joy to watch in the opening 45 minutes with the 38-year-old certainly showing he still has it in front of goal. He did have one nervy moment however, as he committed a late foul which could have very easily been punished by more than just him conceding a free-kick. Yet again, Messi has too much time and space and this time there is no question over an offside. He picks up the ball deep and advances before curling an effort into the far corner. Argentina lead 1-0. Moments later it is Algeria's turn to be denied by an offside with Fares Chaibi on target but just millimetres beyond the last Argentina defender.