Read for 5 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 11:45 AM IST Go back and watch Enzo Fernandez as English boos drown out Argentina’s national anthem in Atlanta. Check out his iron grip on the shoulders of Alexis McAllister and Nahuel Molina. Not a single Argentinian is singing, they are all shouting. Screaming back. All against eleven. The theme of the Falklands, the memories of every battle against England, was etched in his mind. And there’s Enzo, an able conductor, now a midfield general, guiding them through that hailstorm of emotion and, later, skill. It’s not Riquelme and it’s not Redondo. But

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Read for 5 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 09:36 PM IST ●Moroccan shot-stopper Yassine Bouno caused enough confusion to delay Kylian Mbappe’s routine to take a penalty, only the second of 16 taken by the France captain. ●Lionel Messi He remained uncharacteristically fumble-prone, with his career-low conversion rate of 78 percent in missed regulation time penalty kicks against Austria and Egypt. ● Kai Havertz missed for the first time since a 16/16 record – denied by Paraguay’s clever Orlando Gil as Germany went home. ● Harry Kane heads home the rebound, after missing a penalty due to distraction tactics called by

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Read 4 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 03:05 PM IST The 2026 FIFA World Cup final produced a classic clash of continents and contrasts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night – Europe’s best, Spain, against South America’s defending champions Argentina. For the first time in history, the reigning European and Copa America winners will face each other in the World Cup final. While there are interesting subplots in the summit clash involving Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and others, the threat to challenge their supremacy is unlikely – at least on the grass the ball will roll on for

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Read 3 minutes17 July 2026 06:03 PM IST FIFA president Gianni Infantino is set for a fourth term in office, despite recent controversies, with overwhelming support from world football’s governing body, a report said. parents. More than 200 of FIFA’s 211 member associations have backed Infantino’s re-election bid, with only a handful of nations yet to submit letters of support. Germany remains the most notable holdout in the European Federation, although most of the continent has confirmed its support, accordingly parents The English FA, significantly, sent their letter before the World Cup even started. Infantino’s re-election path appears clear as

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 04:51 PM IST As the FIFA World Cup 2026 gears up for its grand finale at the Sophie Stadium, residents of New York and New Jersey, along with thousands of traveling fans, are grappling with mounting health concerns just days before the summit clash. Officials have issued an air quality alert, warning of hazardous conditions across the region. A sudden deterioration in air quality has been traced to smoke billowing from wildfires across Canada that have blackened skies over a wide swath of the United States, from the Midwest to the Northeast. According to

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Andres Iniesta knows Lionel Messi. He knows Messi more than anyone. He was the source of his goals, his best friend, and the one he turned to when he needed a brotherly hug. He knew his moments with telepathic intuition. They were comrades in 489 games. Yet, on an afternoon in Buenos Aires, two months after Spain were crowned world champions and stunned the world with their style, Messi showed little mercy to Iniesta or the rest of his Barcelona teammates, who scored in the final against the Netherlands. It was only eight minutes when they came up against each

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Read 3 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 01:48 PM IST Superstition, as it is locally known the CabalaFootball is deeply woven into Argentina’s culture. Whether wearing the same clothes, sitting in the same spot, avoiding washing jerseys or refusing to move during a game, fans often repeat the same routine during a winning run. That could prevent its president, Javier Maile, from attending Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Argentina aim to defend their historic title against Spain. Also read | Enzo Fernandes urged Messi to stay in 2016. Now he takes him Speaking to

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Read for 5 minutesAtlanta17 Jul 2026 12:06 PM IST Kylian Mbappe’s first touch in the semi-final against Spain was incredible. He turns his body to the side so he can take the ball in his stride and waltz away. He braked, because there was an intruder, Fabian Ruiz. He popped up out of nowhere and cajoled the ball away from the French. He wasn’t supposed to be there, but there he was, avoiding danger in unmanned space. The next second, just as he appeared, he disappeared into the vastness of the arena, wearing a recognizable glowing red shirt. That’s how

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Read 4 minutes6 July 2026 11:37 AM IST First Published: On 5 Jul 2026 at 09:26 PM IST Hosts Mexico will face an ever-fierce England side in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday. El Tri will enter the game on a 4-game winning streak, have yet to concede a goal in the tournament and will be hoping to keep their momentum going by upsetting the Three Lions. But before today’s much-anticipated clash between the two nations, when did these two last face each other in the competition? The previous and only

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A leap that brought down an empire. Years later, fate everywhere Erling Halland What pulled him and his side into this World Cup – that first goal of his brace against Brazil, will have symbolic resonance in the footballing annals of both countries. It was a fake header on fire. Norway will remember the pleasant evening in New Jersey as one with golden edges. which took them to the first quarter-final of the tournament. Brazil will say, when the aches and pains subside, the dark, dark evening that brought them closer to the reality that a halcyon football empire, one

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