Should Messi choose to continue with Argentina through 2030, he would set a record as the oldest outfield competitor at a World Cup, aged 43 – provided, naturally, that Cristiano Ronaldo does not decide to prolong his Portugal career. In addition to potentially extending his record collection, Messi would have an opportunity to feature in […]
Continue ReadingThe World Cup showpiece will pit the title holders from South America and Europe against each other for the first time. Argentina and Spain occupy the top two spots in FIFA’s men’s global rankings. Opta’s predictive model identified Luis de la Fuente’s team as the leading contender to lift the trophy, with Sunday’s opponents rated […]
Continue ReadingMeet the match official Slavko Vincic will become the first referee from Slovenia to take charge of a World Cup final. He previously officiated the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0, and handled Spain’s 2-1 victory over France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024. The 46-year-old’s World Cup […]
Continue ReadingSpain’s manager Luis de la Fuente has ruled out deploying a dedicated marker on Lionel Messi during the World Cup final, despite the Argentine captain’s staggering tally of eight goals and four assists in the tournament and a personal lesson that hints otherwise. Ahead of Sunday’s showpiece in New Jersey, De la Fuente recalled his […]
Continue ReadingWill the 2026 World Cup final be a triumph for Spain or Argentina? There is also the match nobody aimed to compete in, the third-place play-off, where France and England will battle for the final spot on the podium. “I have watched Argentina many times in this tournament, and by their previous standards, this is […]
Continue ReadingWe have now entered what appears to be the fifth and presumably last chapter of Messi, yet the wizard from Argentina continues to deliver breathtaking displays — almost like it is 2011 and he is once again dominating Europe alongside Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. Though the standard of competition in Major League Soccer must be […]
Continue ReadingSpain appear invincible. Their 2-0 win over France extended their run without a defeat in regular or extra time to 37 games, a streak that Opta noted equals the longest ever by a European side. That said, Spain were beaten in the 2025 Nations League final by Portugal in a penalty shootout. This undefeated sequence […]
Continue ReadingAuthorities in New York and New Jersey have declared an air quality health warning due to drifting wildfire smoke, arriving only days before the World Cup final. Smoke from fires burning in Canada has settled across the New York metropolitan area, leading officials to advise people to limit strenuous activity outdoors and remain inside when […]
Continue ReadingBy the time he reached 19, Messi had struck 11 professional goals and had won La Liga and the Champions League once apiece. Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has already racked up a remarkable 56 goals, claimed three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and triumphed at Euro 2024. Yamal is not the […]
Continue ReadingTwo British television networks intend to broadcast the entirety of Fifa’s contentious half-time performance during the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, although they still do not know how long the interval entertainment will run. Last month, a newspaper report indicated that networks were worried about the duration of the half-time […]
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