By Abigail David

Premier League champions Arsenal have completed the permanent signing of defender Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen after activating the purchase option included in his loan agreement.

The Ecuador international joined Arsenal during the closing stages of last summer’s transfer window and quickly became an important figure in the squad.

Hincapie established himself as the club’s first-choice left-back despite competition from academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly and summer signing Riccardo Calafiori. He played a key role in Arsenal’s successful Premier League title-winning campaign, featuring prominently throughout the season.

The 24-year-old started several crucial matches during the run-in, including fixtures against Manchester City and Burnley, and was also selected ahead of Calafiori for Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal confirmed that the permanent transfer will officially take effect on July 1.

In a statement, the club said it was delighted to activate the option to make Hincapie’s move permanent following his impressive performances during his loan spell from Leverkusen.

The defender had previously been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but has chosen to continue his career at the Emirates Stadium.

Reports indicate Arsenal paid approximately £35 million to secure the defender on a long-term contract believed to run until 2031.

Hincapie made 39 appearances in all competitions last season as Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for a league title and also reached the Champions League final.

The Ecuadorian becomes Arsenal’s first signing of the summer transfer window following the club’s significant investment in new players during the previous campaign.

Meanwhile, Hincapie is currently on international duty with the Ecuador national football team. He has featured in Ecuador’s opening World Cup matches and is expected to be involved again when his side faces the Germany national football team in their final group-stage fixture.

By Abigail David

FIFA has disclosed that its Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) has identified and acted on more than 388,000 harmful comments since the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11.

The football governing body made the announcement on Thursday, highlighting its efforts to combat online abuse directed at players, teams and match officials during the tournament.

In a statement shared on its official X account, FIFA urged supporters to reject hate speech, online harassment and other forms of misconduct that undermine the spirit of the game.

According to the organisation, the SMPS has reviewed more than 3.8 million comments and social media posts related to the ongoing World Cup, with 388,000 harmful messages identified and removed. The figure has already surpassed the 287,000 abusive comments flagged during the entire 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

FIFA added that since the launch of the initiative, the service has analysed more than 250 million online comments and posts, identifying and removing about 30 million harmful messages across various competitions.

The Social Media Protection Service uses artificial intelligence to detect and hide abusive, discriminatory, threatening and hateful content from the public feeds of protected accounts, shielding players and officials from online harassment while enabling further action against offenders.

Developed in partnership with the global players’ union FIFPRO, the system was first introduced during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has since been expanded to cover major international competitions.

FIFA described the initiative as a vital step towards protecting football participants and creating a safer online environment, allowing players and officials to focus on the game without the psychological impact of online abuse.

While many fans welcomed the increased protections, some social media users called for greater clarity on the distinction between genuine abuse and passionate football banter, while others argued that broader issues affecting fan behaviour should also be addressed.

By Abigail David

Lionel Messi further cemented his place in World Cup history after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, adding to an already remarkable list of achievements at football’s biggest tournament.

The Argentina captain equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals and matched the German legend’s tally of 17 World Cup victories.

The Inter Miami forward also became the first player to score against 11 different national teams at the World Cup, surpassing the previous record of 10 shared by Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário and Germany’s Jürgen Klinsmann.

At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi set another milestone by becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record set at the 2018 tournament.

Among the major records already held by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner are six World Cup appearances, the most by any player, 27 matches played, a record 20 games as captain and the highest number of minutes played in tournament history.

Messi is also Argentina’s leading World Cup scorer and the highest-scoring South American in the competition’s history. He remains the only player to have scored in every knockout stage of a single World Cup, a feat achieved during Argentina’s triumph in Qatar 2022.

The Argentine star has registered assists in five different World Cups, won the Player of the Match award a record 12 times and is the only footballer to claim the adidas Golden Ball on two occasions.

With Argentina still competing, Messi could become the first player to reach 30 World Cup appearances and surpass Klose’s goal record outright, adding further chapters to one of football’s greatest careers.