Samsul Arefin Khan

Messi’s relationship with Argentina was built through repeated disappointments. He reached the 2014 World Cup final and lost to Germany. He then suffered defeats in the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals against Chile. Having lost three consecutive major finals, Messi announced his international retirement. However, it wasn’t meant to be the end as he reversed his decision a couple months later and so began the quest for the unfinished business.

On his first overseas tour, the 30-year-old has emerged as a standout performer, taking 20 wickets in six matches, including a five-wicket haul against NT Strike on Friday that helped secure the Bangladeshi side’s semifinal spot. Rubel recently spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan about his unlikely rise, his first overseas experience and his hopes of reaching the national team, and more.

Chief selector Habibul Bashar described the performance as “disappointing” but said Bangladesh were “not alarmed”.

Renshaw’s inclusion is not solely a reaction to Weatherald’s failure.

Bashar spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan over the phone from Darwin about the team’s difficult build-up, their overall performance and other issues.

Following Bangladesh’s dominant nine-wicket victory over Australia inside four days in the Darwin Test, Ashraful spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan about the team’s performance, how belief was instilled in the players after a difficult build-up, and other aspects of the historic victory.

That comparison puts Bangladesh's achievement into a striking perspective.

Bangladesh have put themselves in a position to do something special in Australia. Whether the ‘finest day’ gets even finer is now in their hands.

Former opener Hannan Sarkar believes that experience should help Bangladesh put up a stronger fight this time.

Grass-covered pitches, steep bounce, persistent seam movement and unfamiliar conditions have often made life difficult for visiting Asian sides, with Bangladesh enduring one of the toughest struggles.

For more than two decades, world football has been shaped by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary rivalry. Their brilliance defined an era, rewriting records, collecting trophies and inspiring generations of fans.

Football has long celebrated "Fergie Time", while Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid became synonymous with dramatic late comebacks in the UEFA Champions League. Scaloni's Argentina now belong in that conversation.

Interestingly, almost everyone in my family supported Brazil, while my father also admired Germany and Italy. Even today, I cannot clearly explain why I chose Argentina. Perhaps it was Gabriel Batistuta

Unlike Spain and France, who reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals by winning all six matches within regulation time, Argentina and England have endured a tougher route to the last four.

On July 11, 2021, Argentina ended a 28-year wait for a major international trophy by defeating Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final at the Maracana Stadium.

"I am not fully sure whether they were a bit complacent after going there following wins against some formidable opponents. Another important factor, I think, was that the conditions were a bit challenging and they could not figure out how to adjust to them," chief selector Habibul Bashar explained.

Before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, European heavyweights France and Spain were widely regarded as the leading contenders for the title, thanks to the remarkable depth and quality of their squads as well as their recent form.

Argentina possess the quality and experience to advance, but if they once again need a 39-year-old Messi alone to rescue them, they may not be so fortunate this time.

The inaugural Round of 32 in the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup delivered on every front. There were shocks and surprises, thrilling comebacks, heartbreaking exits and the fall of several giants.

Before the 2026 World Cup got under way, few would have predicted a Round-of-32 meeting between defending champions Argentina and debutants Cape Verde. Yet after the group stage, it has become one of the tournament's most captivating ties.