Everything you missed from day six at World Cup 2026: Messi magic, England’s late squad change, and VAR controversy | OneFootball

For 66 minutes it looked like everything was going wrong for Kylian Mbappe. While France toiled in their Group I opener against Senegal, the forward’s first touch was sloppy and he was denied what everyone apart from the officials thought was a penalty. Then Mbappe came alive, scoring two stunners to ensure lift-off for Didier Deschamps’ title chasers.

Despite defeat, Senegal’s impressive performance piled some pressure on Norway to win against unfancied Iraq in the group’s later kick-off - which they duly did, courtesy of another impressive Erling Haaland performance as he bagged a brace on his tournament debut.

Argentina and Lionel Messi also began their defence of the title won four years ago in an entertaining contest versus Algeria. It was the first competitive match played between the nations and kicked off with two disallowed goals inside the opening 10 minutes. Messi then took centre stage and rattled home a stunning opener, a second half tap-in and a delightful third to boost his own World Cup tally and kick start Argentina’s pursuit of another title in superb fashion.

Here is everything you need to know from day six of the super-sized tournament:

Mbappe double follows first major VAR controversy

While Mbappe became France’s all-time record goalscorer with his double in New Jersey, a decision not to award him a penalty when the match remained scoreless was questioned by many - including several referees themselves, according to the BBC’s resident official Darren Cann.

Iranian-Australian referee Alireza Faghani initially gave a corner – and then changed his decision to a goal-kick after watching replays. Mbappe had dribbled into the box where Senegal’s Sadio Mane slid in to make a tackle. As Mane reached Mbappe, the France captain touched the ball away from his opponent and then collapsed in a heap under Mane’s challenge.

Referee Faghani was sent to review the decision on his pitchside monitor by his VAR, and as he stepped back on to the pitch, French players and coaching staff began to celebrate. But instead of awarding a penalty, Faghani announced: “The attacker initiated the contact.”

open image in gallery

There was bewilderment as Mbappe was denied a penalty (Getty)

Partey loses Canada visa appeal

Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s match against Panama after a Canadian court on Tuesday dismissed his appeal against being denied entry.

The 33-year-old had been refused a visa by the Canadian government last week, prompting his legal team to launch a last-minute challenge at the Federal Court in Ottawa.

The Black Stars play Panama in their Group L match in Toronto on Wednesday. In dismissing the appeal, judge Roger Lafreniere wrote that Partey sought "extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief" that would have required Canada to set aside a "lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event."

Former Arsenal midfielder Partey denies seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year.

Injured Livramento replaced by Chalobah

Trevoh Chalobah has been called up to replace the injured Tino Livramento in England’s World Cup squad.

Livramento’s calf injury is an early blow for Thomas Tuchel’s preparations for the tournament, coming just one day before the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.

Tuchel was able to replace Newcastle full-back Livramento in the squad with a deadline of 9pm BST on Tuesday – 24 hours before England’s first game of the tournament – and Chelsea defender Chalobah was on his way to the United States on Tuesday. Chalobah will not be involved against Croatia, but will be available for subsequent group matches against Ghana and Panama.

open image in gallery

The injury-prone Newcastle full-back picked up a calf issue in training (Reuters)

Erling Haaland scores double on near-perfect World Cup debut

Having seen Mbappe run riot against Senegal, this generation’s other star striker clearly thought ‘anything you can do, I can do better’. Making his World Cup debut, Haaland scored twice in the first half as Norway beat a spirited Iraqi side 4-1 to end the first matchday top of Group I.

The 25-year-old is already Norway’s record goalscorer, now with 57 goals in 51 caps, and it looks like as well as duelling for top spot in Group I, he and Mbappe will be fighting for the tournament’s Golden Boot.

He only had 11 touches in the first half - the fewest of any player on the pitch - but two of them were goals. The first was a tap-in from a Moller Wolfe cutback, with the second also coming at close range as the Manchester City striker closed down Iraq keeper Jalal Hassan, who dawdled on the ball after a poor backpass by Zaid Tahseen and paid the price.

He missed a second-half chance for a hat-trick, too, and was narrowly denied an assist as he headed the ball across goal for Kristian Thorstvedt to bundle home Norway’s fourth on the night - but the strike was marked down as an Aymen Hussein home goal.

open image in gallery

Haaland ran riot against Iraq (Getty)

Magic Messi equals Klose’s record

Algeria were warned. A dainty pass slipped into the right side of the penalty area by Lautaro Martinez played Lionel Messi in on goal and he routinely found the back of the net by beating Luca Zidane on his near side. The crowd inside the Kansas City Stadium erupted in cheers only for the celebrations to get cut short as the football legend was ruled offside.

It was a chance taken just five minutes into Argentina’s World Cup opener and looked as though the 38-year-old had picked up exactly where he left off when winning the tournament four years ago. But it was not to be and Messi had to wait a further 12 minutes before making his mark on the 2026 edition of the World Cup.

Supplied by his close teammate Rodrigo de Paul, the little master spun towards goal before drawing a stunning effort from left-to-right, through the hands of Zidane and into the top, right corner with the pinpoint accuracy of his heydays. It is the type of goal that reminds the World Cup hopefuls that Messi may be heading into the twilight of his career but he retains all the prowess and skill of his younger self and, perhaps most importantly, the desire to achieve wonders on the biggest stage of all.

A second goal of the game caame from a fortuitous tap-in before a slick move late in the second half set him up for a driving finish that takes him to 16 goals across his six World Cup tournaments. That puts him level with record holder Miroslav Klose who he will surely surpass before this tournament is done.

open image in gallery

Leo Messi fired Argentina into the lead against Algeria and sent a reminder that he wants to regain the World Cup (AP)