Iran vs USA is going head to head in the final round of Group B fixtures at the World Cup, with both nations in with a great chance of reaching the knockout stages.

Match Details:

• Location: Al Thumama, Qatar
• Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium
• Date: Tuesday 30 November
• Kick-off Time: 12:30 AM IST

Iran vs USA: Match Preview:

The two nations will tussle for the first time in a competitive game since then on Tuesday, and despite the backdrop of civil unrest in Iran, this contest goes ahead with nowhere near the same kind of political intrigue.

𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁: Take a peek inside the #USMNT's base camp in Qatar as the squad navigates the group stage 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IpWTkguCtG

— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 28, 2022

Iran and the USA remain relatively hostile politically, but USA coach Gregg Berhalter was adamant that will not impact what occurs on the pitch during a game that is essentially a winner-takes-all encounter.

"I've played in three different countries, and I coached in Sweden, and the thing about soccer is you meet so many different people from all around the world, and you're united by a common love of the sport," Berhalter said.

Iran are calling for USA to be kicked out of the tournament! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/NFDLXZzWFg

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 28, 2022

"I envision the game being hotly contested for the fact that both teams want to advance to the next round – not because of politics or because of relations between our countries.

"We're soccer players and we're going to compete and they're going to compete and that's it."

Here is Tyler Adams with a brilliantly-handled response after being told he pronounced Iran wrong. He was also asked about discrimination against black people in America. This is why he's #usmnt captain.👏 pic.twitter.com/NCCMjMoGef

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) November 28, 2022

Iran can secure their place in the last 16 with a draw, but the USA – who drew their first two matches – need to win.

The USA were eliminated by Iran as a result of a 2-1 loss in that infamous 1998 duel, which was also one of seven defeats they have suffered on matchday three on World Cup group stages.

They've only won their third group game once.

But the USA produced a positive performance during the draw with England, and Berhalter is happy his team have their destiny in their own hands.

⚡️ BREAKING: #Iran football team captain defies regime, backs protests: "We have to accept that conditions in our country are not right & our people are not happy. They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them regarding the conditions." pic.twitter.com/SX4kenXiTZ

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 21, 2022

"We win or we're out of the World Cup, and that's going to be the focus of ours in preparing the team," he added.

"Any time you're in a World Cup and you get to go into the last game controlling your destiny, that's a pretty good thing."

Team News:

Iran:

Star striker Sardar Azmoun has only managed 81 minutes across Iran's first two games after coming to this World Cup off the back of an injury-hit start to his club season with Bayer Leverkusen.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is suspended as a result of picking up two yellow cards so far, while Roozbeh Cheshmi is pushing for a start after scoring against Wales.

USA:

Gregg Berhalter resisted much team tinkering between the first two games, naming the same back four and midfield. The only change was Josh Sargent dropping out for Haji Wright against England. So far, the U.S. have lacked enough attacking penetration.

Giovanni Reyna's omission as a starter has been an odd saga, with claims from USMNT legend Eric Wynalda that the Borussia Dortmund teenager isn't actually injured as Berhalter had stated.

Iran vs USA: Head to Head:

This will be the third-ever meeting between Iran and USA, with the Stars and Stripes failing to win any of their previous two encounters.

They first squared off in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where Iran picked up a 2-1 victory, two years before both sides settled for a 1-1 draw in a friendly contest.

Predicted Line-ups:

Iran Starting 11 (4-4-2): H. Hosseini; Rezaeian, M. Hosseini, Pouraliganji; Mohammadi; Gholizadeh, Nourollahi, Ezatolahi, Hajsafi; Taremi, Ansarifard
Bench: Abedzadeh, Niazmand, Cheshmi, Torabi, Karimi, Khalilzadeh, Moharrami, Kanaani, Jalali, Amiri, Ghoddos, Azmoun

USA Starting 11 (4-3-3): Turner; Dest, Zimmerman, Ream, Robinson; McKennie, Adams, Musah; Reyna, Ferreira, Pulisic
Bench: Horvath, Johnson, Moore, Scally, Yedlin, Carter-Vickers, Long, De La Torre, Weah, Sargent, Roldan

IRA vs USA: Dream11 Predictions:

For more Iran vs USA news, follow Sportz Point.

Many great players have taken the football pitch and left the fans in awe. However, only a few players have gone on to win various trophies in their careers. In this special article, we will take a look at an elite list of players who have won the most trophies in football as a player. 

Argentine football star Lionel Messi is the player with most trophies in football history. In his career so far, with club and country, he has won 46 major trophies. Moreover, he is one of the very few players to win FIFA World Cup. Ballon d'Or, and UEFA Champions League in his career. 

But, yes, the below list only counts the major trophies won with teams and only only individual awards. We wanted to be clear with that at the start. With this list of "11 players who have won the most trophies in football history," we will able to judge which player has been a part of a winning team mostly. 

Though, it is not always the case that when you win a trophy, you have a big role to play in that. But, in this list, all the players listed always had big contributions to their team's success. So, without further a due, let's checkout the list. 

Top 11 players with the most trophies in football:

11. Vitor Baia (34 trophies)

Vitor Baia spent most of his career with FC Porto except playing two years for Barcelona. Baia started his career with FC Porto in 1988 and left the club to join Barcelona in 1996. 

Before retiring in 2007, he played for Barcelona in two stints and won the La Liga in 1997-98 season. His most success came his boyhood club FC Porto, where he won the Liga Portugal 10 times.

However, the biggest achievement was to win the UEFA Champions League in 2004 with the Dragons. Under the visionary eyes of Jose Mourinho, they created one of the greatest underdog success stories in European football.

In a total, Baia won 25 trophies with the Porto while adding the rest to his collection of glories for Barcelona. Unfortunately, he was not able to add any trophy while playing for Portugal.

10. Kenny Dalglish (34 trophies)

Scottish legend Sir Kenny Dalglish is Liverpool's one of the most legendary players. Apart from playing 13 years for the Reds, he played for Celtic for 8 years at the start of his career.

For Liverpool FC, he won a club record 8 Premier League titles along with three Champions League titles. He had won 7 English Super Cups and 2 FA Cup titles as well.

While playing for Celtic, he became the Scottish Champion four times.

9. Angel di Maria (35 trophies)

One of the most underrated players in modern football history, Di Maria always had to shine under the shadows of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Di Maria played alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina and then shared club dressing room with Cristiano at Real Madrid.

With his latest trophy for Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup, he now has won 35 trophies in his career. Di Maria won five Ligue 1 titles with PSG and won his only Champions League title with Real Madrid.

Read Also | Football facts: 10 players who have played most games with Lionel Messi

However, just like Lionel Messi, his international success bloomed late in his career. He won the Copa America twice in 2021 and 2024. But, his major success was to win the FIFA World Cup 2022, where he scored an important in the final.

Di Maria retired from international football after the 2024 Copa America final.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo (35 trophies)

Arguably one of the greatest players in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo has 35 trophies in his cabinet at the moment. The Portuguese legend won his latest trophy for Al-Nassr FC as he helped them win the United Arab Club Champions Cup 2023.

Ronaldo, who started his club career with Sporting CP, won the Portuguese Super Cup with the club in 2003. That was the start to a historical career which gave football fans joy for over two decades.

Read Also: Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History (Updated)

The Portuguese legend flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He then joined Real Madrid where he won four of his five UEFA Champions League titles. Ronaldo has won a title for every club he has played for so far.

However, one of his biggest achievements as a player was to win the UEFA Euro Cup with Portugal in 2016. Beside scoring over 900 career goals, Ronaldo's success for every team is what makes him a legend.

7. Ryan Giggs (37 trophies)

Ryan Giggs played all his life for one football club; Manchester United. In his 24-year career at the club, he won a total of 37 trophies, a record for the club.

Not only that, with 13 Premier League titles, he is league's most successful player ever. With the Red Devils, he also went on to win two UEFA Champions League title.

For United, he played 963 games and has 168 goals and 265 assists, another record for United.

6. Sergio Busquets (38 Trophies)

Sergio Busquets, the FC Barcelona and Spain legend is one of the most underrated players ever to play. The central defender was part of one of the greatest international team which won 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2010 Euros for Spain.

Read Also: Barcelona team that won "EVERYTHING" in 2009: Busquets to leave as the last man of that team

The former Barcelona captain won 9 La Liga titles. Not only that, he won 7 Spanish Cups and Spanish Super Cups as well for the Catalan club.

However, his biggest achievement in club football was to win three UCL titles for Barcelona. His latest trophy is the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners with Inter Miami CF.

5. Maxwell (38 trophies)

Maxwell, the Brazilian left back might be the only unknown player on this list. The defender achieved most of his success playing for PSG in France.

However, he found success with FC Barcelona as well. But, joined PSG to find more chances as well.

Maxwell's first trophy was with Cruzeiro, winning the Brazilian Cup in 2000. Soon the joined Ajax, wining two Dutch League titles.

His move to Barcelona via Inter Milan and FC Empoli saw him winning the UEFA Champions League title in 2011. But his most success came with PSG, winning the Ligue 1 four times in a row from 2013 to 2016.

Read Also: Messi vs Ronaldo: The hat-trick battle

4. Gerard Pique (39 trophies)

Another player from that legendary Spanish and Barcelona team, who features in this list. Although known for his career at FC Barcelona, Gerard Pique had success with Manchester United as well.

It might be quite revealing for many that, he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, against whom he had some tough battles later.

Read Also | Reliving Barcelona's Golden Era: A Tribute to Footballing Brilliance

Pique won 9 La Liga titles for Barcelona to go with 3 UCL titles for the club. But before reaching there he had won the Premier League and Champions League for United in the 2007-08 season.

He was also an integral part of the Spanish team which won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and UEFA Euro in 2012.

3. Andres Iniesta (39 trophies)

Probably the best midfielder of the modern era, Andres Iniesta with 41 trophies is the third most successful footballer ever.

Another important player of that iconic Spanish and Barcelona team, Iniesta found success early in his career. He won his first major trophy with Spain U-17 team winning the U-17 Euros in 2000. He followed that up with the U-19 Euro title next year.

His Barcelona career started in 2002 which continued till 2018. In those 17 year at Barcelona, he won 32 trophies. Post that, he joined Japanese club Viseel Kobe where he won three trophies as well.

Read Also | Andres Iniesta: Who has won the most trophies for FC Barcelona?

Along with all club level success, Iniesta's greatest achievement was to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup alongside lifting the 2008 and 2012 Euro Cup. His goal in the 2010 World Cup final to hand Spain their first-ever World Cup, is regarded as one of the greatest World Cup moments.

Iniesta called it a day in 2024 after spending a year at the Emirates Club. 

2. Dani Alves (43 trophies)

Before Lionel Messi took over as the player with most trophies in football history, it was Dani Alves who had the record. The defender won 23 trophies in eight years at Barcelona.

Dani Alves won six La Liga and three Champions League titles with Barcelona. He then won 19 more titles while playing for Juventus, PSG, and Sao Paulo. He won domestic titles in Italy, France, Brazil and Spain as, which makes him one of the greatest of his era.

Read Also: All the FIFA World Cup winners and runners-up since 1930

The defender won six major titles with his national team, Brazil. He started his Brazil career by winning the U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2003. Alves then won two Copa America titles in 2007 and 2019. He concluded his international career by winning the Olympic gold in 2021.

Despite the recent off-field controversies, with 43 trophies in his cabinet, Dani Alves is one of the greatest ever to play the game.

1. Lionel Messi (46 trophies)

Leo Messi is the player with the most trophies in football history. With his latest triumph at the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners, the magician from Argentina won his 46th trophy in his career.

Messi won back-to-back four international trophies with Argentina within three years. He won the Copa America 2021 and then went on to win the Finalissima 2022. Then he capped off his greatest achievement by winning FIFA World Cup 2022.

The Argentine maestro has also won the Olympic Gold Medal with his country in 2008. His latest international success came in Copa America 2024.

In club football history, Messi is the most successful player with 41 club trophies to his name. He started his career with his boyhood club Barcelona and played 18 seasons for the club, scoring a record 672 goals.

Read Also | Top 10 La Masia Graduates who ruled football

The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner won four Champions League titles with Barcelona. Alongside European success, he won 10 La Liga titles as well, most for Barcelona. He has also won Spanish Cup seven times.

After his great stint at Barcelona, Messi went to the French League to play for PSG. However, he was unable to bring the UCL to the French giant, he won the French League with them. In addition, he won the French Super Cup for the season 2022-23 with PSG.

Various international women's football players have cemented themselves in history books by achieving remarkable records. At the forefront is Canada's Christine Sinclair, an iconic figure in women's football

This collection of players and their impressive accomplishments underscore the development of women's football and the extraordinary talent that has emerged within the sport over the years. Let’s take a closer look at these stellar performers

Read Also: Real Madrid's Top 5 most expensive signings of all time

Babra Bander: Zambia- 7 

From the streets of Lusaka to the global stage, Barbra Banda’s journey is a testament to determination and raw talent. Born in Zambia’s capital, Banda started playing football at the tender age of seven. But her early sporting prowess wasn’t confined to just football.

Inspired by renowned Zambian boxer Catherine Phiri, Banda also dabbled in boxing at 14, quickly making a name for herself. She dominated the amateur scene, and after winning every bout and seeing other fighters hesitant to face her, Banda turned professional, where she won all five of her matches. However, football eventually took center stage in her life.

In October 2018, Banda signed with Spain's first division club, EDF Logroño, becoming the first Zambian woman to play football in Europe. Her career continued to soar when, in March 2024, she joined the Orlando Pride in the United States, signing a four-year contract that would keep her with the club until 2027.

Her impact on the international stage began early. Banda played for Zambia’s U-17 women’s team at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, turning 14 during the tournament. Two years later, on March 6, 2016, she made her senior team debut in a Women’s Nations Cup qualifier against Namibia.

The peak of her career came at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Banda captained the Zambian national team as they made their debut appearance at the prestigious tournament. She became the first woman to score consecutive hat-tricks in Olympic history, netting three goals in a 3-10 loss to the Netherlands, she scored another three in a 4-4 draw against China. These performances also made her the first woman to score two hat-tricks in a single Olympic tournament.

Read Also: I didn't set a date or a deadline": Lionel Messi hints at retirement after hat-trick against BoliviaFIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

Michelle Akers: United States of America- 7

🇺🇸 @MichelleAkers10
👕 No10 in 1999, 1995 and 1991

All-time #FIFAWWC record
Games: 13
Goals: 12 pic.twitter.com/XlnsSkLXAe

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) June 1, 2024

The name Michelle Akers is synonymous with U.S. women’s soccer dominance. With seven career hat-tricks, Akers helped the U.S. win the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup, leading the tournament with 10 goals, including five in a single game.

Her leading the team was crucial to the U.S. women's team securing its first-ever world title, and she later played a vital role in the 1999 World Cup and 1996 Olympics victories. 

Akers was also the lead scorer in the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in China in 1991. The U.S. women's team defeated Norway 2–1 in the final with Akers scoring both goals.

Ali Al-Biski: Libya - 7

Ali Al-Biski, a former Libyan footballer, played as a striker and holds the record as Libya's all-time top scorer despite the nation’s limited participation in FIFA events during his time. He led the Libyan Premier League in scoring twice—first in 1965 with Al-Madina SC, and again in 1968 with Al Ahli Tripoli. He recorded seven hat-tricks for the national team.

Pelé: Brazil - 7

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously known as Pelé, was a Brazilian forward and a football icon, widely hailed as one of the greatest players in history. With a Guinness World Record for 1,279 goals in 1,363 games (including friendlies), Pelé was named Athlete of the Century by the IOC in 1999 and featured in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of the 20th century. He debuted for Santos at 15 and for Brazil at 16, winning three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and scoring seven hat-tricks for Brazil.

Sándor Kocsis: Hungary - 7

Sándor Kocsis, a Hungarian striker, played for Ferencvárosi TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, and FC Barcelona. After relocating to Spain post-1956 Hungarian Revolution, Kocsis joined Barcelona’s squad. He led the 1954 World Cup with a record 11 goals, scoring 23 times for Hungary that year—a single-year record. Kocsis was also the first player to achieve two hat-tricks in a World Cup.

Cristiane: Brazil- 8

Brazilian forward Cristiane stands alongside the greats, boasting eight hat-tricks throughout her career. A prolific goal scorer, she played a key role in Brazil's silver medal triumphs at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Cristiane has participated in five FIFA Women’s World Cups and four Olympics, with her most recent hat-trick coming in Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Jamaica at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Ali Daei: Iran - 8

Iranian striker and former national team captain, Ali Daei, was renowned as the world’s top scorer in official internationals per the IFFHS, netting 20 goals in 1996. During the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, he scored nine goals over 17 matches, amassing 38 goals in 52 appearances by that time. In 2004, he became the first male to score 100 international goals, reaching 102 with a four-goal game against Laos.

Gerd Müller: Germany - 8

Gerd Müller, a prolific German striker known for his precision in the penalty area, is considered one of football’s top scorers. With West Germany, he scored 68 goals in 62 games. For Bayern Munich, he scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches and 65 goals in 74 European games, holding a league scoring record. Müller’s eight hat-tricks include two in the 1970 World Cup.

Poul Nielsen: Denmark - 8

Danish striker Poul Nielsen scored 52 goals in 38 games, sharing Denmark’s top-scoring record. He earned a silver medal at the 1912 Olympics and led Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) to six Danish championships. Scoring eight hat-tricks in international play, Nielsen was an iconic figure for Denmark until his death in 1962.

Abby Wambach: United States of America- 8

Mary Abigail Wambach, born on June 2, 1980, is a retired American soccer player, coach, and National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee. A six-time recipient of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach was a key player for the U.S. women’s national team from 2003 to 2015.

She earned her first international cap in 2001 and, as a forward, became the highest all-time goal scorer for the U.S. national team. Globally, she ranks second in international goals for both men and women with 184 goals, trailing only Canada's Christine Sinclair.

Wambach competed in four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments: the 2003 edition in the U.S., the 2007 event in China, the 2011 tournament in Germany, and the 2015 competition in Canada. She also represented the U.S. in the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Olympics.

Throughout these five major international tournaments, Wambach played 30 matches and netted 22 goals. She helped her team secure two Olympic gold medals, third-place finishes twice at the Women's World Cup, a second-place finish in 2011, and ultimately, a World Cup victory in 2015.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

Carli Lloyd: United States of America- 9

Carli Lloyd is another legend of international football, having represented the U.S. from 2012 to 2021. Over her remarkable career, she earned two Olympic gold medals (in 2008 and 2012) and won two FIFA Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. In addition, she was named FIFA Player of the Year twice, in 2015 and 2016, and competed in four Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021).

Lloyd’s capacity for rising to the occasion was evident when she scored the decisive goals in the gold medal matches of both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She was also instrumental in the U.S. clinching World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, she also secured a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She played in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the US finished as runners-up.

Ali Mabkhout: UAE - 9

Ali Mabkhout, a forward for Al Nasr and the UAE national team, debuted with Al Jazira in 2009. A pivotal figure in UAE’s 2019 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinal win over Australia, he became UAE’s top scorer on October 10, 2019, with a hat-trick against Indonesia in a 5-0 victory.

Sven Rydell: Sweden- 9

Swedish striker Sven Rydell scored 49 goals in 43 matches, a record that stood for over 80 years until broken by Zlatan Ibrahimović in 2014. Rydell’s international career included a bronze medal at the 1924 Olympics, and he holds the Swedish record of nine international hat-tricks.

Vivian Woodward: England - 10

Vivian Woodward, an English forward, starred from the early 1900s to World War I, playing for Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. As Great Britain’s captain, he won gold at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, recording six hat-tricks for England amateurs and four for England’s national team.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal- 10

At the age of 18, Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal as a substitute against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003. At UEFA Euro 2004, he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 group stage loss to Greece in his eighth international appearance.

In 2016, Ronaldo led Portugal to their first-ever trophy at the UEFA Euro 2016, although he was subbed off in the 25th minute in the final against hosts France.He received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer.

In the 2018 World Cup, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, in a 3–3 draw against Spain Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male player to score 10 hat-tricks for a national team on 12 October 2021 in Portugal's 5–0 win against Luxembourg, breaking Sven Rydell's record.

Lionel Messi:Argentina -10

Lionel Messi debuted for Argentina’s U20 team in 2004 and won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. His senior debut came in 2005 at 18. In 2021, he ended Argentina’s 28-year trophy drought with a Copa América win. On October 15, 2024, Messi scored his 10th international hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Bolivia.

Christine Sinclair: Canada- 11

Christine Margaret Sinclair is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). From 2000 until her international retirement in 2023, she was a key member of the Canadian national team. 

Sinclair is an Olympic gold medalist, two-time Olympic bronze medalist, CONCACAF champion, and has won the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award 14 times. She holds the world record for the most international goals scored by any player, male or female, with 190 goals and is among the most-capped players in international soccer, with 331 appearances.

In a career spanning more than two decades with the senior national team, Sinclair has competed in six FIFA Women's World Cups and four Olympic Football Tournaments, leading her team to bronze medals in 2012 and 2016, and to gold in 2020.

She is one of only three players to score in five different World Cup tournaments, alongside Marta and Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2022, Sinclair was honored with the Best FIFA Special Award for her achievement as the world’s top goal scorer.

Notably, Sinclair scored her eleventh international hat-trick during a 2012 Olympic match against the United States, netting all three of Canada’s goals in a 3–4 loss.

Read Also: Most valuable Spanish players in history: Yamal goes past Rodri

Alex Morgan: United States of America- 12 

Alexandra Patricia Morgan, born on July 2, 1989, is a retired American professional soccer player who last played as a striker for San Diego Wave FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), where she served as captain, as well as for the United States national team. She co-captained the U.S. national team with Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe from 2018 to 2020, and later with Lindsay Horan in 2023.

Morgan was the first overall pick in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash, where she made her professional debut and contributed to the team's league championship win. At 22, she was the youngest player on the U.S. national team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the team finished as runner-up.

During the 2012 London Olympics, Morgan scored the decisive goal in the 123rd minute of the semi-final against Canada. She ended 2012 with 28 goals and 21 assists, becoming the second American woman, after Mia Hamm, to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a single year. This achievement made her the sixth and youngest U.S. player to reach 20 goals in one season. Morgan was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year and became a FIFA World Player of the Year finalist.

She played a crucial role in the U.S. team's victories at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups, earning a spot on the Dream Team in both tournaments and winning the Silver Boot in 2019. Morgan recorded her eleventh international hat-trick with five goals on 11 June 2019 in the United States 13–0 victory over Thailand in the 2019 World

Her record-breaking twelfth international hat-trick came in 2021 against Paraguay in a game where the United States dominated and won 8-0

A total of 16 U-23 National football teams will go against each other in the grandest stage of world sports, the Summer Olympics in Paris. The Paris Olympics 2024 will start on 26 July and continue till 11 August. While France being the host nation have already qualified for the Men's Football competition; Brazil, the defending champions will not take part in the Paris Olympics after being knocked out by Argentina in the final stage of the CONMEBOL pre-Olympic tournament.

Here is everything you need to know about the qualification process of the Men's football teams in the Paris Olympics 2024.

How many football teams will feature in the Paris Olympics?

A total of 16 football national under-23 teams from six continental confederations will qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. France have already qualified as the host nation and for the remaining 15 spots, AFC and CAF each received 3.5 slots, UEFA received 3 slots, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL received 2 slots, and the OFC received 1 slot.

Also Read: Top 10 Indian-origin footballers who could represent India, if OCI and PIO players were permitted

Which national football teams have already qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024?

Host: France

CONCACAF: United States, Dominican Republic

UEFA: Spain, Israel, Ukraine

CAF: Morocco, Egypt, Mali

OFC: New Zealand

CONMEBOL: Argentina, Paraguay

AFC: To be determined 

How the teams have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024?

Dominian Republic and USA qualified via the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship

Dominican Republic Men's Football team ensured their first-ever Olympic birth via a historic runners-up title at the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. They were beaten by the United States in the final by 6-0. This was USA's third CONCACAF U-20 Championship title. The win ensured the USA Men's Football team's first Olympic birth since 2008.

UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023 saw three teams qualify

Spain, Israel and Ukraine qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 via UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023. Though England won their third U-21 Euro Championship by defeating Spain in the final by 1-0; they were not considered for the quota since an English team cannot participate in Olympic qualification for Great Britain due to there being no agreements between the associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Spain qualified for the Summer Games being the runners-up while Israel and Ukraine qualified as the other semi-finalists in the tournament.

Also Read: Jordan 100, Qatar 98, India 97: Two teams ranked below India in 2018, will be playing AFC Asian Cup 2023 final

Morocco, Egypt and Mali qualified from CAF

The 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations saw Morocco, Egypt and Mali qualify for the Paris Olympics. Since the Confederation of African Football had only 3.5 slots available, finalists Morocco and Egypt qualified along with bronze medalists Mali who had defeated Guinea in the third-place match to earn their spot in the Olympics 2024.

Morocco defeated Egypt in the final by 2–1 to win their first-ever U23 Africa Cup of Nations title.

New Zealand booked their place via 2023 OFC Men's Olympic qualifying tournament

New Zealand qualified as the lone team from the Oceania Football Confederation after beating Fiji in the final of the 2023 OFC Men's Olympic qualifying tournament by a historic 9-0. Riley Bidois scored five goals in the final as the New Zealand team defended their title successfully. 

Argentina and Paraguay en route to Paris

Argentina and Paraguay qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 after both teams topped the final stage of the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. Two groups of five teams each first played in a round-robin format to qualify for the final round. The two best teams from each group qualified for the final round (round-robin format) and eventually two best teams for the final round qualified for the Paris Olympics.

Argentina defeated Brazil by 1-0 to finish as the runner-up while Paraguay defeated hosts Venezuela by 2-0 in their final game to become the Winner of the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.

2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup to decided three spots

The 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup will decide the three of the four teams for the Paris Olympics 2024. The tournament will start on 15 April 2024 in Qatar. The final will be played on 3 May 2024. Two finalists and the third-place winner will qualify for the Paris Olympics from this tournament.

AFC–CAF play-off will decide the final spot

AFC–CAF play-off will determine the final spot for the Men's Football competition in the Summer Olympics 2024. Since both AFC and CAF have 3.5 slots each, a knockout face-off between the fourth-placed team of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, which is Guinea and the fourth-placed team AFC U-23 Asian Cup, which is yet to be decided.

"Argentina Merch On," said the commentator as Lautaro Martinez scored the final shootout of the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-final between Argentina and Netherlands.

Nahuel Molina started the proceedings for Argentina as he scored in the 35th minute of the match in which was touted to be toughest match for them in FIFA World Cup 2022. The youngster did not miss his chance to jump on Messi's lap after scoring that electryfying goal. Lionel Messi then scored from the spot in the 73rd minute to give Argentina a 2-0 lead.

Also Read: 5 Jinxes Argentina broke after winning the FIFA World Cup 2022

Things were looking all easy for Lionel Scaloni's men until Wout Weghorst came in as a substitute for the Netherlands team. He came and just massacred the hearts of Argentine fans with two goals in 83rd and 90+11 minute of the match to take the game into the extra time.

The game was tied at 2-2 after full 120 minutes when an epic penalty shootout took place at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Netherlands defender and captain Virgil van Dijk missed the first shot to give Argentina the advantage. Emiliano Martinez with a great save, jumping to his left. Lionel Messi, the captain of the Argentina team then stepped up to take the first shot of the shootout for his team and he scored. 0-1 for Argentina after first shot.

Steven Berghuis missed the second shot for the Dutch team to provide Leandro Paredes an opportunity to give Argentina a 0-2 lead. Emiliano Martinez again with a great save. This time, jumping to his left.

Teun Koopmeiners converted from the spot for the Netherlands for the first time to give them some hope. However, Gonzalo Montiel made sure that his team keep the gap alive to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finals.

Things got a bit tensed for Lionel Scaloni's men as Enzo Fernández missed the fourth shot for them after Wout Weghorst scored for the Dutch team to make it 3-2 after four shots each.

However, with a deficit of one goal already, Argentina just had to make sure they scored in the last shot after Luke de Jong scored from Netherlands last shot. Lautaro Martínez's clinical penalty then made sure that Argentina were the one going to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 which they eventually went on to win.

Watch: Lionel Scaloni's reaction as Argentina qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finals

Argentina made it 2-0 against France in the World Cup final with a brilliant team move that was finished off by Di Maria.

Argentina VS France | FIFA World Cup 2022

Winning Goal | Copa America 2021

In a hard-fought 2021 Copa America final, Argentina ended a 28-year long wait for International trophies by beating Brazil 1-0. Thanks to Angel Di Maria's goal!

Olympics Win | Beijing 2008

Argentina became Olympic champions in Beijing as Angel Di Maria brought home the Gold with the winning goal against Nigeria.

Real Madrid | Ankle- breaker to Puyol

The way Di Maria changed defense to offense against one of the world's greatest defenders was beyond exceptions.

Manchester United

Just 16 minutes into the game, Di Maria showed his class against Leicester with a sumptuous lob to put United two up and was votes United's player of the month in September that year!

Juventus Hat-trick

Angel Di Maria scored a hat-trick as Juventus advanced in the Europe League playoffs by beating Nantes 3-0

PSG vs OGC

When asked about his best goal, Angel Di Maria picked out his stunning lob from a seemingly impossible angle against OGC Nice last season!

Angel Di Maria has confirmed that he will retire from the Argentina national team after the 2024 Copa America.