Tobi Amusan wins Paris Diamond League title, equals season’s best with 12.28s

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan continued her remarkable resurgence on the global athletics stage by winning the women’s 100m hurdles at the Paris Diamond League, equalling her season’s best time of 12.28 seconds.

The victory marked another major milestone for the Nigerian sprint hurdler, who produced a brilliant late surge to defeat a strong field and strengthen her bid to reclaim the Diamond League title later this season.

Amusan, 28, crossed the finish line in 12.28 seconds, finishing ahead of American duo Grace Stark, who took second place in 12.38 seconds, and Alaysha Johnson, who settled for third in 12.39 seconds.

The reigning world record holder had to overcome an early challenge after Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser made the fastest start. However, Amusan displayed her trademark speed over the closing stages, reeling in Visser before pulling away comfortably to secure victory.

Sunday’s triumph was the third time Amusan has clocked 12.28 seconds this season, having posted the same time at both the Xiamen Diamond League and the Rabat Diamond League in May. The consistency highlights the Nigerian’s return to peak form after an impressive start to the 2026 campaign.

The Paris success also represents Amusan’s second Diamond League victory of the season, following her win in Rabat. Earlier this month, she also claimed top honours at the New Taipei City Athletics Open, extending her impressive winning streak ahead of the season’s major championships.

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Amusan began the year by securing a fourth consecutive African title, underlining her dominance on the continent before carrying that momentum onto the international circuit.

After a difficult 2025 season, the Nigerian star has responded with a series of outstanding performances, signalling that she is once again among the world’s leading sprint hurdlers.

The 2022 world champion remains the world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles after her historic 12.12-second run at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, a performance that made her the first Nigerian to win a World Championship gold medal in athletics.

Amusan is now firmly on course to qualify for the Diamond League Final, where she hopes to reclaim the title she won for three consecutive years between 2021 and 2023.

Her latest victory further boosts Nigeria’s hopes of another successful international athletics season as she prepares for the Commonwealth Games and other major competitions later this year.

The Paris Diamond League also witnessed several notable performances, including American sprinter Trayvon Bromell, who defeated Noah Lyles in the men’s 100 metres, while Swedish pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis extended his dominance with another victory.

With her consistency improving and confidence growing, Amusan appears well-positioned to challenge for more international titles and add another Diamond League crown to her impressive career achievements.

Tobi Amusan wins Paris Diamond League title, equals season’s best with 12.28s

Argentina complete perfect group stage as Messi rewrites FIFA World Cup history

Lionel Messi continued to cement his place in football history after breaking more FIFA World Cup records as Argentina completed a flawless group-stage campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, advancing to the knockout rounds with maximum points.

The reigning world champions secured victory in their final Group D match to finish top of the standings with a perfect nine points from three games, strengthening their credentials as one of the favourites to retain the World Cup trophy.

Once again, Messi was at the heart of Argentina’s success, delivering another influential performance while adding fresh milestones to his extraordinary international career.

The Inter Miami forward extended his record as the player with the most FIFA World Cup appearances, while also increasing his all-time record for the most minutes played in the tournament’s history.

The 39-year-old has now featured in six FIFA World Cups, becoming the first player to reach that landmark while continuing to demonstrate remarkable consistency and longevity at football’s biggest event.

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Messi’s latest achievements further enhance a World Cup résumé that already includes records for the most matches won by a player, the most World Cup appearances as captain and the most knockout-stage appearances in tournament history.

Beyond the statistics, the Argentina captain has continued to make decisive contributions with goals, assists and leadership, proving that he remains one of the tournament’s standout performers.

Speaking after the victory, Messi praised his teammates for maintaining their focus throughout a challenging group stage.

“We knew the group stage wouldn’t be easy. Every opponent is difficult at a World Cup, but we stayed united, remained patient and achieved our objective of finishing top of the group.”

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni also hailed his captain’s impact, saying Messi’s influence extends far beyond the records he continues to set.

“Leo continues to amaze everyone. Beyond his records, his leadership, commitment and desire to compete inspire the entire squad.”

Argentina’s perfect group-stage record reflects the team’s impressive balance between experience and emerging talent, with Scaloni’s side combining disciplined defending, creative midfield play and clinical finishing.

The South American champions now head into the knockout rounds full of confidence as they pursue a second consecutive FIFA World Cup title.

Should Argentina lift the trophy again, they would become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the men’s FIFA World Cup crown.

With Messi continuing to break records and Argentina carrying strong momentum into the knockout phase, supporters will be hopeful that another historic chapter is yet to be written.

Argentina complete perfect group stage as Messi rewrites FIFA World Cup history

Iran accuses US of unfair treatment at 2026 FIFA World Cup after controversial exit

Iran has accused the United States of treating its national football team unfairly during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with head coach Amir Ghalenoei calling on FIFA to ensure no participating nation experiences similar conditions at future tournaments.

The criticism followed Iran’s 1-1 draw against Egypt in its final Group G match in Seattle, where the team narrowly missed out on a place in the Round of 32 after other results went against it.

Speaking after the match, Ghalenoei praised his players for persevering through what he described as a series of logistical and travel challenges caused by U.S. restrictions.

“To my players and the team, I want to say I’m proud of them. What these young people have done should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly,” Ghalenoei said.

He added that despite the obstacles, his players had represented Iran with determination and professionalism.

“Despite all of these problems, we’ve been able to perform well, and the world is proud of Iranians and our team.”

The Iranian coach urged football’s governing body to take action before future tournaments.

“I urge FIFA: don’t let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups.”

Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup came amid heightened diplomatic tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

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Before the tournament, the team’s planned training base in Arizona was moved to Tijuana, Mexico, after visa restrictions prevented parts of the Iranian delegation from entering the United States.

Throughout the group stage, Iran was based in Mexico and required to cross the U.S.-Mexico border for matches before returning immediately afterward.

For its opening two matches in Los Angeles, the squad was permitted to enter the United States only one day before kick-off and had to leave on the same day after each match.

Although authorities eased the restrictions before the final group game in Seattle by allowing the team to arrive two days earlier, the delegation was still required to return to Tijuana once the match ended.

Ghalenoei said the repeated travel, limited preparation time and absence of several support staff affected the team’s performance throughout the competition.

Earlier in the tournament, he described Iran as “the most oppressed team” at the World Cup because of the extraordinary logistical challenges it faced.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the governing body’s role in ensuring Iran could compete despite the complex political environment.

Before the tournament, Infantino said FIFA worked extensively with relevant authorities to make Iran’s participation possible.

“When people were saying it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup, I promised them that they would come.

“I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure, in these circumstances—which we could not influence—Iran could come and play.”

Infantino also visited Iran’s dressing room after the team’s opening match against New Zealand, where he reportedly reassured players that FIFA was working to resolve the logistical issues.

Iran appeared to have secured automatic qualification for the knockout stage when defender Shoja Khalilzadeh scored deep into stoppage time against Egypt.

However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside, leaving Iran’s qualification hopes dependent on results elsewhere.

Reflecting on the disappointment, Ghalenoei said:

“I used to think that we were really a totally oppressed team, but after these three games, I have noticed that we also have bad luck as well.”

Iran’s hopes were eventually ended after a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in another Group G fixture denied the team a place among the best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi also criticised the tournament’s logistics, describing the experience as a “disaster” because of the travel arrangements imposed on the squad.

According to Taremi, several members of Iran’s logistics and recovery staff were unable to enter the United States after being denied visas, placing the team at a competitive disadvantage.

“How is it possible we always have to travel to Tijuana? We love the people of Mexico. We love Tijuana; it’s so good. They are such humble people. We love them.

“But as professional players, in a professional competition, it’s not right.”

He added:

“It’s a disaster World Cup; a disaster. FIFA has to solve every problem here, but unfortunately they could not solve it since the beginning.”

The White House has defended the travel arrangements, saying they were introduced for security reasons amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

U.S. officials said discussions with FIFA continued throughout the tournament and noted that some travel restrictions were relaxed for Iran’s final group-stage match in Seattle after concerns were raised by the Iranian Football Federation.

Despite the off-field challenges, Ghalenoei commended his players for remaining focused and competitive throughout the tournament, saying they had earned respect for their resilience under exceptionally difficult circumstances.

Iran accuses US of unfair treatment at 2026 FIFA World Cup after controversial exit