With the sun obstructed by haze, Spain’s players practiced Thursday ahead of the World Cup final outside in northern New Jersey while air conditions are hazardous because of smoke from Canadian wildfires. It was not clear how fast-paced a practice Spain held. Media members are only able to observe the first 15 minutes of what … Read more
A No. 10 jersey worn by Brazil icon Pelé in the 1958 World Cup final has been sold for $4.9 million, Sotheby’s said Thursday. Pelé, who died in 2022, was 17 when he scored twice in Brazil’s 5-2 win over hosts Sweden at the Rasunda Stadium and still remains the youngest player ever to score … Read more
Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final is packed with storylines, from Lionel Messi facing teenage sensation Lamine Yamal battling for the sport’s biggest prize. But Argentina enters the match with a chance to accomplish something no men’s team has done in decades. A win would make Argentina just the third country to pull off back-to-back men’s … 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
Lionel Messi has a message for Argentina’s detractors: “Nothing was handed to us.” The Argentina superstar responded to critics who have been bashing the reigning World Cup champions over perceptions of beneficial officiating and favoritism by the soccer establishment. He said the team’s ability to overturn late-game deficits, most recently the semifinal victory over England, … 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
Argentina’s players might have stumbled upon a few secrets in their victory over England that could be helpful moving forward. Following Argentina’s 2-1 victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, Lionel Messi and Argentina teammates Nico Gonzalez and Enzo Fernández huddled around a water bottle. They read the back of it as … Read more
This was the World Cup of firsts. The first tournament to feature 48 teams saw 1,248 players descend upon Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer. The expanded field means there will be a total of 104 matches played at the conclusion of the tournament, resulting in 9,360 minutes of soccer played in regulation … 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