NEW YORK — Will Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final mark the coronation of Lionel Messi-era Argentina as the best national team of all time? Or will Spain’s next-greatest generation take a huge step toward claiming that title for itself? It’s a dream finale between two iconic soccer powers. With Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni leading … Read more
Entering its second consecutive World Cup final, Argentina’s journey to defending their 2022 title was nothing but wild. From Lionel Messi becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer to four straight comeback wins, it was going to be difficult to keep Argentina out of the final. Argentina will face Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup … Read more
Spain is back in the World Cup final since winning it all in 2010 over the Netherlands in Johannesburg at the first ever edition to be hosted on the African continent. In those 16 years, much has changed (i.e, the number of qualified teams) while some things have stayed the same (Lionel Messi and Ronaldo … Read more
The 2026 World Cup final is set as Argentina looks to defend its title against Spain. But after four wild comebacks, what was it about Argentina’s seminal performance that sealed its championship spot? Their X-factor, Lionel Messi. Although Messi has not scored since Argentina’s round-of-16 win over Egypt, he’s still managed to set up some … Read more
France and England will go head-to-head in the 2026 FIFA World Cup bronze final on Thursday at Miami Stadium, but will star striker Kylian Mbappé be part of the action? Here is everything we know about the France star’s status for the bronze final match vs. England: Why Mbappé Might Not Play After France failed … Read more
By now you’ve probably seen the clip on repeat. The moment Kylian Mbappé realized his World Cup dream was slipping away. It was the 58th minute when Pedro Porro drove a right-footed shot into the back of the net, giving Spain the second goal in what became a 2-0 semifinal victory over France on Tuesday. … Read more
In 2007, a 20-year-old Lionel Messi posed for a Barcelona charity calendar, gently bathing a baby in a plastic tub. The baby’s family had won a UNICEF raffle. Nobody thought about the photo again for 17 years. The baby was Lamine Yamal. You could write fiction for a decade and never come up with that. … Read more
ATLANTA STADIUM — Watching Argentina’s coach speak the day before his team produced one of the most epic semifinal comebacks in World Cup history, it was impossible not to think that Lionel Scaloni was trying to soften the potential blow for the soccer-crazy nation’s almost 47 million citizens. The Albiceleste has been so successful under … Read more
The final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is now set as Spain and Argentina will meet on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium in the world’s most important game. It is a clash between two elite national teams who both put on remarkable performances in their respective semifinal wins. It pits the reigning … Read more
England and Argentina will restore their historic rivalry when the two sides go head-to-head in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals on Wednesday at Atlanta Stadium, and, for the first time ever, Lionel Messi will be part of it. As hard as it might be to believe, it’s true: Messi has never played a match, … Read more