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In Peru, there is a wave of new baby Haalands. In Argentina, Lionel has raced up the rankings, and in Mexico a girl was reportedly named after three soccer players. Parents in Latin America are
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For some fans following this World Cup, the calculation has been simple: support whoever is playing against Argentina. Across the tournament, that has meant wearing the green of Algeria, the blue of Cape Verde, or
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Every morning, Abdullah Al Ali laces up his boots and heads to the training ground, where he now dedicates his time to coaching young footballers. Nearly two decades after retiring from professional football, his daily
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There are rooftops draped in blue and white and murals of Lionel Messi everywhere -- but this is not Argentina, it is Bangladesh where football-crazy fans are again celebrating their unique bond with the South American giants. The craze for Argentina has endured for decades in a country of 170 million people who have never qualified for the World Cup, but embrace the global showpiece with unmatched passion. The connection is once again on display ahead of Sunday's final in New Jersey, where the defending champions will face Spain.While fans in Buenos Aires prepare for what they hope will be another night of celebration, the mood more than 10,000 miles away in Dhaka is also reaching fever pitch. Football fans in Bangladesh have traditionally split their loyalties between Argentina and Brazil, South America's football powerhouses.But once Brazil were eliminated in the last 16 by Norway, many of their fans also threw their weight behind Argentina.By some accounts, Bangladesh is home to the largest number of fans of the Albiceleste outside Argentina.For many the love affair began with Diego Maradona's performances at the 1986 World Cup. - Shirt sales boom - Nurul Islam said his love for Argentina was inherited from his father, who supported Maradona. That passion has now passed to a third generation. The enthusiasm among is translating into booming replica shirt sales. Shamim Patwary, chief adviser of the Bangladesh Sports Accessories Merchant Manufacturers and Importers Association, said demand had surged.'There isn't any study on how many Argentina fans there are, but we have sold a huge number of jerseys,' Patwary told AFP. Bangladesh, one of the world's largest garment exporters, manufactures football jerseys for fans around the globe. At Galaxy Sports, one of Bangladesh's largest sportswear retailers, Argentina jerseys account for roughly 30 percent of total sales.'Some parents have even bought Argentina jerseys for newborns,' said Raihan Hossian. 'We have sold almost all the Argentina jerseys we stocked, especially the player editions.'For many supporters, price is secondary to passion. - Emotional pull - In Dhaka's lower-income neighbourhoods, pavement vendors have swapped their usual merchandise for football shirts, selling affordable versions to fans. Local media have reported at least 12 deaths linked to football-related incidents during this World Cup, although AFP was unable to verify the figure.With the World Cup taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, many matches have kicked off late at night in Bangladesh, but that has not deterred fans. Zakia Musanna said she has been staying up through the night to watch Argentina play while wearing the blue-and-white.'I put on the jersey because it gives us the feeling that we belong to the team, a sense of oneness,' said the 37-year-old.Musanna recalls watching Argentina's 2022 World Cup triumph alongside her father, and plans to return to the same venue for Sunday's final. 'We are planning to go to the same venue, reminisce about the previous victory and celebrate another win.'
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Spain and Argentina prepared to do battle in the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday as organisers said they were keeping a close eye on smoke from wildfires in Canada. Lionel Messi's Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, while Spain are trying to win a second title after their maiden victory in 2010. Organisers said they were 'monitoring closely' the smoke that has choked skies over large areas of the United States. 'There's been discussion about it, and we have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in FIFA headquarters there, so we're monitoring closely,' Andrew Giuliani, White House World Cup task force executive director, told a briefing.US President Donald Trump will be among a crowd of over 80,000 spectators as the largest World Cup in history reaches its climax in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.It will be the only game of the tournament that Trump will have attended.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would also attend the final after an invitation from the American president.Trump on Friday hailed the World Cup, also played in Mexico and Canada, as 'the most successful sporting event perhaps in the history of the world' as he held a reception in New York with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. - Physical battle -Spain captain Rodri said he was bracing for a 'physical' battle with Argentina and would aim to ignore any possible 'provocations'. Rodri, the 2024 Ballon D'Or winner, said he expected the final to be unlike any other game the European champions had faced. 'I think Sunday's match will be quite different,' the Manchester City star told reporters. 'It will be a more physical one, and we must be prepared. But I believe that if we are known for something in this national team, it is that we know how to play different games based on the moment.'So we can adapt to having to defend, counter-attacking, to attacking. We are a very complete team, and that is why we are here.' When asked if he expected Argentina to resort to 'provocative' tactics, Rodri replied: 'Well, that's a part of football.' Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged fans to make the most of seeing Messi lead out his team in another World Cup final at the age of 39. 'He has made history. He is a legend,' Scaloni said of the former Barcelona player, who helped Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.England arrived in Miami to play France on Saturday in the meeting of the beaten semi-finalists to determine who finishes third. England coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that their 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-final had been painful. 'We have to live with this, so it's our pain, my pain and the players' pain -- we feel the most pain of all,' Tuchel said at a press conference. 'And it is our scar that we carry now. It is a very painful defeat, and we have to live with this defeat, first and foremost, not the critics, not the experts, not our family members who suffer as well with us and want only the best for us, but it's basically us.' France coach Didier Deschamps vowed that no tears would be shed as he prepares to take charge of his final World Cup match with Les Bleus.'I know that the final curtain falls tomorrow,' Deschamps said on Friday. 'No one here is going to cry, but I know I'll miss the French team. For 15 years (he was appointed in 2012), I had the privilege of experiencing moments that were magical, and others that were difficult. ' Deschamps' talented team were favourites to win a third World Cup but lost 2-0 to Spain in the semi-finals.
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Four years after he went down to him, Andrey Rublev exacted revenge against Sebastian Baez at the Nordea Open, racing to victory in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event on clay in the Swedish
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UAE Team Emirates - XRG's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycles to the finish line of the 13th stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France cycling race,
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U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks the new Air Force One, as he arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, U.S., July 17, 2026. (Reuters) President Donald Trump will attend the World Cup final on Sunday between Spain and defending champion Argentina, the White House confirmed on Thursday.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would be in New York City on Friday to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in Manhattan, then be at Sunday's game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The comments confirmed Trump's expected participation after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said last month that he would present the trophy."We will be together with the president, enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course," Infantino said on June 23 on "Fox & Friends."Heads of state have a history of attending the finals and some have been part of the trophy presentation, including in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018.Neither Trump nor vice president JD Vance have previously attended any of the 102 games played thus far at this World Cup, which is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Members of the cabinet have appeared at games featuring the U.S. men's national team in California and Seattle."His attendance will cap what has been the most-watched, most secure and most successful World Cup in American history," Leavitt said.The United States hosted the Men's World Cup one previous time, in 1994.Trump has attended multiple high-profile sporting events, including the Super Bowl, U.S. Open tennis tournament, Ryder Cup and Daytona 500, during his two presidential terms. PRESENT AT A SERIES OF EVENTS In November 2024, he was present for a UFC event at Madison Square Garden. Last month, he attended UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn, as well as Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.Last summer, he was at the same venue as Sunday's match for the Club World Cup Final and shared the stage as English club Chelsea raised the trophy.Infantino partnered with Trump to announce the World Cup draw would be last December at the Kennedy Center in Washington. He also presented Trump with the first FIFA Peace Prize.Trump acknowledged calling Infantino to review the red-card suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun for a foul in the 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1.Balogun was automatically banned for the following round of 16 match against Belgium on July 6. Infantino acknowledged receiving a call from Trump, who publicly lobbied for Balogun to play, but the FIFA president said he did not interfere with the decision-making process.FIFA suspended the one-game ban on July 5, enabling Balogun to play amid the controversy. Belgium eliminated the U.S. squad 4-1. Related Story
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MATARO: The pitch where Spain forward Lamine Yamal honed his skills in a working-class, multi-ethnic neighbourhood outside Barcelona was buzzing with life on Thursday as locals looked ahead with pride to the World Cup final
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DUBAI: The 2026 World Cup heads into its final match with one clear conclusion from a domestic competition perspective: La Liga EA Sports is the most represented league in the final.Spain and Argentina, the two
