Julián Álvarez scored a hat trick for Atletico Madrid in their 3-2 win against Rayo Vallecano.
Álvarez got all three goals for Atletico Madrid, reaching four goals and one assist in six La Liga matches with Atletico Madrid. At 0-0, it was a cross into the penalty area which found Álvarez and he would score to give Atletico Madrid the 1-0 lead.
Rayo Vallecano would take a 2-1 lead and once more, it was Álvarez. Giuliano Simeone headed the ball and it was saved by the goalkeeper but Álvarez would get the rebound and score to draw Atletico Madrid level.
Minutes later, Julián Álvarez would steal the show. He would receive the ball outside of the penalty area and the Argentine’s effort would beat the goalkeeper to give Atletico Madrid the 3-2 lead and his third goal of the match.
The 25 year old made headlines after Atletico Madrid’s last match against Mallorca where he was shown saying “Always me” after being substituted. Nahuel Molina also started the match for Atletico Madrid while Nicolás González was substituted into the match and Juan Musso was an unused substitute.
Mundo Albiceleste attended the press conference held this Wednesday in Miami, led by Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The event introduced the details of the upcoming matches that the Argentina national team will play in October in the United States.
Alongside Tapia were Javier Fernández, CEO of VMG Sports; Iván Rivera, president of the Puerto Rican Football Federation; representatives of the Venezuelan Football Federation; and artist Daddy Yankee, who is in charge of the commercial organization of the Argentina–Puerto Rico match.
The press conference, held at the AFA offices in Miami, also presented a halftime event featuring artist Bebeshito during Argentina’s match against Venezuela.
Tapia announced that negotiations have begun for VMG Sports to commercially manage Argentina’s international friendlies during the June 2026 FIFA date. In addition, Tapia confirmed to Olé that an agreement is already in place for a match against Mexico in the United States as part of the team’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
“Although the March date is pending, we already have confirmed matches for June before the World Cup, against Mexico and Honduras. These will take place in the United States, with the stadiums still to be defined,” Tapia stated.
Regarding a possible Finalissima against Spain, Tapia said that the AFA is waiting for confirmation:
“We are waiting to know the decision for March, if the Finalissima will be played or not. If it takes place, we have the obligation to compete for it, because it is another official title and Spain is one of the strongest teams. Facing them in March would be a way to measure ourselves ahead of the World Cup.”
Ian Subiabre will travel to Chile to represent Argentina at the upcoming U-20 World Cup, despite ongoing contract negotiations with River Plate. The tournament will take place from September 27 to October 19, 2025.
Although no final agreement has been reached, Subiabre received the green light to travel with the national team. Negotiations are expected to resume after the tournament. The 18-year-old forward from Comodoro Rivadavia has already been assigned the No. 11 shirt by coach Diego Placente.
While Subiabre joins Argentina’s youth squad, River will play the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals without him in Marcelo Gallardo’s list of available players.
Per reports by Infobae and journalist Hernán Castillo, a high-level meeting in New York between FIFA and Conmebol leaders, along with the presidents of Paraguay and Uruguay, brought forward a proposal that could reshape the 2030 World Cup. The South American confederation, backed by its Executive Committee, formally requested that the tournament feature 64 teams and additional matches in South America.
Currently, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay are set to host the three opening games before the rest of the competition moves to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The new proposal seeks to expand to 16 groups instead of 12, ensuring that South America hosts more than just the inaugural matches.
The Council of FIFA, which includes 37 members such as AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, is expected to meet next week to discuss the proposal. If approved, it would confirm Argentina’s River Plate stadium as the venue for the national team’s first match, with additional group-stage games to be played in Uruguay and Paraguay.
This push comes in the context of the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, giving symbolic weight to Conmebol’s effort. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has also signaled that the organization would provide financial assistance for potential stadium upgrades in the region.
Racing Club secured a place in the Copa Libertadores semifinals with a 1-0 win over Vélez Sarsfield at the Cilindro de Avellaneda. Santiago Solari scored the decisive goal that sealed the series with a 2-0 aggregate score.
The match included a key moment when VAR correctly disallowed a goal from Vélez, keeping the score level before Solari broke the deadlock. In the second half, Vélez nearly equalized through a Javier Sosa header that struck the post, but Racing’s defense and goalkeeper Gabriel Marchiori held firm to preserve the advantage.
With this victory, Gustavo Costas’ team extended their winning streak in the competition to three matches and became the first club to book a place in the semifinals — a stage Racing had not reached since 1997.
Their next opponent will be decided in La Plata, where Estudiantes will attempt to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Flamengo from the first leg in Brazil.
