Romero knee injury keeps him out of Jordan match

Romero injured, out against Jordan

Cristian Romero is done for the group stage finale. The Tottenham center-back picked up a knee injury and will miss Argentina's match against Jordan on Saturday (1).

Romero himself played it down in the mixed zone after the Austria win. "I knew this could happen to me. I had a small problem there, felt it again, but in 3 or 4 days I'll be fine again, so that's it. It's nothing serious. I'll keep my head up and come back stronger than before" (1).

You go into the Jordan match already qualified, so there is no reason to rush him.

Argentina 2–0 Austria, through to the knockouts

Job done. Argentina beat Austria 2–0 in the second group match on Monday and sealed progression to the knockout stage (1).

Your team has now taken maximum points from two matches without conceding a single goal. Top spot in Group J is firmly in Argentina's hands heading into the final group game.

Messi now owns the World Cup scoring record

Lionel Messi stands alone. His 18 World Cup goals make him the outright all-time leading scorer in men's tournament history, surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16 (4).

Twenty-one of the 48 teams at this World Cup have scored fewer World Cup goals in their entire history than Messi has on his own (4). That is the scale of it.

In Arlington, Texas, fans took to the streets to celebrate the record (5). The city was full of Argentina shirts.

Jorge Messi discharged from hospital

Messi's father, Jorge Messi, was released from hospital on Monday after a spell in care (2). A journalist close to the situation confirmed he is out of danger (2).

A weight lifted for the captain ahead of the knockout rounds.

Real Madrid ready to sell Nico Paz, Premier League clubs circling

Nico Paz could be on the move. Real Madrid are prepared to sell the Argentine midfielder, opening the door for Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham (3). Inter Milan are also watching.

Paz spent last season on loan at Como. No fee has been reported yet, but Madrid's willingness to sell marks a shift.

Fan reactions

Arsenal supporters are connecting dots between Julian Alvarez and a potential move to north London, with one Reddit user claiming the Argentine forward was the "anonymous" attacker referenced in earlier transfer speculation. The thread has sparked a mix of excitement and skepticism in equal measure. Read the full discussion here.