Latin America Sports Daily for Wednesday, June 10, 2026

01

Messi came on, scored, and broke a record that had lasted 69 years

World Cup

Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday night, but the scoreline was not the story.

Ezequiel Barco opened for Argentina in the first half, and the match was comfortable long before Lionel Scaloni waved Messi onto the pitch with 20 minutes to go.

Three minutes after coming on, Messi took a penalty and scored: his 117th goal for Argentina and his 911th in total across club and country.

More significant was the record the goal delivered: at 38 years, 11 months and 14 days old, Messi became the oldest player ever to score for Argentina, ending Angel Labruna’s reign at the top of that list.

Labruna had held the record since July 7, 1957, fully 69 years ago; months before Pelé played his first World Cup game.

Thiago Almada put in the third goal to close out the evening, combining with Messi and Rodrigo De Paul in a sequence that showed Argentina’s midfield creativity in full.

Messi played 20 minutes, touched the ball 21 times, scored his only shot, and looked like someone who had genuinely shaken off the hamstring fatigue that had kept him out of the Honduras game three days earlier.

Argentina coach Scaloni had promised before the game that Messi would play and that he would manage the minutes carefully.

Both commitments were kept.

Argentina open Group J on June 16 against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City at 9pm ET, going in as defending champions with their best player fit and firing.

In short — Messi came off the bench against Iceland, scored a penalty in his first three minutes on the pitch, and became the oldest scorer in Argentina’s history at 38 years and eleven months — breaking a record Angel Labruna had held since 1957. Argentina won 3-0 and head into the World Cup looking settled and sharp.

02

Morocco game without Neymar — the target now is Haiti on June 19

Brazil WC

The news that had been expected for two weeks was confirmed on Tuesday: Neymar will not play against Morocco on June 13.

Globo reported that after further assessment, Neymar and the CBF medical staff have settled on Brazil’s second group game: Haiti in Philadelphia on June 19 as the realistic target for his return.

The CBF confirmed on Monday that an MRI scan had shown “good progress in his treatment, within the expected parameters”, positive but not yet a green light., but not a green light.

He has not played since May 17, and whatever fitness gains he has made in New Jersey have been achieved without any competitive football.

The Haiti game would be his first appearance since May 17, a gap of 33 days, and even then he would likely come off the bench rather than start from the opening whistle.

The Morocco game will be played without him, which means Ancelotti’s lineup question at right-back (Danilo replacing Wesley) is now the only outstanding piece before Saturday evening.

Raphinha, Vinicius Júnior, and Endrick are expected to lead the attack against Morocco, with the shape and minutes confirming what training at Columbia Park has shown all week.

In short — Neymar is officially out of the Morocco opener; Globo reported Tuesday that he is targeting Haiti on June 19, and the CBF described his latest scan as showing “good progress” — encouraging for the group stage as a whole, but Brazil face Morocco on Saturday with Danilo at right-back and Neymar watching from the bench.

03

Two corrections: Paraguay’s coach and Enciso’s club

Correction

Paraguay’s coach is Gustavo Alfaro, not Daniel Garnero. This column confused Garnero, the Uruguayan who guided Universidad Católica in Chile, with Alfaro, the Argentine who has coached Paraguay since 2024.

We apologise for the confusion; the error ran in several editions from June 4.

Alfaro took charge of Paraguay in 2024 and guided them to their first World Cup qualification since 2010, finishing sixth in the CONMEBOL table on 28 points, the same total as Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia.

Julio Enciso plays for Strasbourg, not Brighton. He moved clubs before this season and the Brighton reference was simply out of date.

Enciso remains in Paraguay’s official 26-man squad despite the injury concern that saw him leave their June 5 friendly against Nicaragua in tears.

His fitness for the June 12 opener against the United States at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is still not confirmed.

Corrections — Paraguay’s coach is Gustavo Alfaro (Argentine), not Daniel Garnero. Julio Enciso’s club is Strasbourg (France), not Brighton. Both errors ran in editions from June 4 onwards. We thank readers who flagged them.

04

The World Cup starts tomorrow — what you need to know about South America’s six

World Cup

Mexico vs South Africa opens everything on Thursday June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City at 3pm ET, with 90 minutes of football that nobody from South America has a stake in, but everybody will watch.

Then the action begins in earnest. Here is where South America’s six nations stand on the eve of it all.

Paraguay — opens Friday June 12

vs USA, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, 9pm ET; Coach Gustavo Alfaro, Enciso’s fitness still unresolved. The host nation is the hardest possible opener.

Brazil — opens Saturday June 13

vs Morocco, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford NJ, 6pm ET. Danilo at right-back, Neymar on the bench; Ancelotti’s last public word was “the idea is clear.”

Ecuador — opens Saturday June 14

vs Ivory Coast, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 7pm ET. 19 games unbeaten, coach Beccacece, Pacho fresh from two Champions League medals. The group’s quiet contender.

Uruguay — opens Sunday June 15

vs Saudi Arabia, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 6pm ET. Bielsa says this is his best-prepared side; Darwin Núñez leads the attack and a win here opens the group right up.

Argentina — opens Monday June 16

vs Algeria, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, 9pm ET. Messi just broke a 69-year-old record and the defending champions enter the tournament better prepared than they looked three weeks ago.

Colombia — opens Tuesday June 17

vs Uzbekistan, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, the softest opening matchup of any South American nation. Luis Díaz, Cucho Hernández, and James Rodríguez lead a side that should win.

In short — The World Cup opens tomorrow; Paraguay play first among South America’s nations on Friday, Brazil and Ecuador follow on Saturday, Uruguay Sunday, Argentina Monday, Colombia Tuesday — six countries, six openers in seven days.

05

Game 4 at the Garden tonight — Spurs need to level the series or go home down 3-1

NBA

The Spurs won Game 3 at Madison Square Garden 115-111, with Wembanyama putting up 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Castle with 23, making the series 2-1 and give San Antonio a foothold in New York.

Knicks coach Mike Brown was furious after Game 3, pointing out that the Spurs shot 24 free throws in the second half to New York’s eight.

Game 4 is tonight at MSG at 8:30 PM ET on ABC, and the stakes are clear: a Spurs win levels the series at 2-2 and sends it back to San Antonio with momentum; a Knicks win makes it 3-1 and puts New York on the doorstep of the title.

No team in NBA history has won a Finals after going down 3-1.

Fox’s ankle remains the series’ key health question; in Game 3 he scored 15 points and looked significantly improved from Game 1, but the question is whether a full 48-minute effort is possible without a setback.

Result and full coverage tomorrow, which will also carry news from the World Cup’s opening day.

In short — Game 4 is tonight at MSG (8:30 PM ET, ABC), the Knicks 2-1 up after Wembanyama’s 32-point Game 3 win; the Spurs must win or face the near-impossible task of recovering from 3-1 down in the Finals.

06

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

What record did Messi break against Iceland?

Messi became the oldest player ever to score for Argentina when he netted a penalty against Iceland in the 73rd minute on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama. He was 38 years, 11 months and 14 days old at the time.

The previous record belonged to Angel Labruna, held since 1957. It was Messi’s 117th Argentina goal (his 911th career) and he played 20 minutes off the bench looking fully fit.

When will Neymar play at the World Cup?

Neymar is confirmed out of Brazil’s first game against Morocco on June 13. He has not played since May 17, and a Globo report on June 9 said he is targeting the second group game, Haiti in Philadelphia on June 19 as his first appearance at this World Cup.

The CBF confirmed the scan showed “good progress within expected parameters.” Even against Haiti he is likely to come from the bench; Brazil’s June 24 Scotland game remains the most realistic match for a full role.

Who is Paraguay’s World Cup coach and when do they play?

Paraguay’s coach is Gustavo Alfaro, the Argentine manager who guided them to their first World Cup qualification since 2010. This column incorrectly identified their coach as Daniel Garnero in previous editions; we apologise for the error.

Paraguay open Group D vs the USA on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood at 9pm ET; Enciso is in the squad but his fitness is unconfirmed. Games two and three: Türkiye (June 19) and Australia (June 25), both at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

In short — Three key questions answered: Messi broke a 69-year-old record against Iceland; Neymar targets Haiti on June 19; and Paraguay’s coach is Gustavo Alfaro, not Garnero.