The Guardian

⚽ Latest World Cup news as tournament comes to close ⚽ Player guide | Golden Boot | Follow on TikTok | Mail us It was the triumph of an idea, an identity. Of an unshakable and patient faith. And when it was over, Spain’s new generation having emulated the one from the 2010 World Cup , all of those legendary names, there was simply delirium for them. It’s over. 104 matches later and Spain have bee…

The route to this World Cup victory involved beating the other 2022 finalist and then suffocating Argentina as they dried out in the sun Time to break the staff, bury the book and call time on that rough magic. There was, by the end, an undertone of sadness about Lionel Messi , New Jersey and a World Cup final that brought Spain the glory of an entirely deserved second trophy , and which saw Arge…

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , John Brewin, Jonathan Wilson and Sid Lowe as Spain win the 2026 World Cup. Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email . On the podcast today; Spain win the world cup for the 2nd time in their history. Has a team ever deserved it more? Continue reading...

Football appeared a sideshow for much of the last afternoon of a tournament nurtured to indulge the cult of the individual It ended almost as Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump had planned. Earlier on a seemingly endless World Cup final day, the trophy had, in a scene perfectly of a piece with the event’s excess, been let out of a Louis Vuitton trunk. Now they shuffled up to the podium together an…

Our photographer has been at Royal Birkdale for the Open. Here are some of his best shots as Ryan Fox claimed his first major with a birdie at the final hole Continue reading...

With the temperature at 9pm close to 32C, Spanish fans filled bars, parks and arena’s to celebrate their team’s 1-0 win over Argentina Patience beats overreliance on Messi: how the final was won and lost Neither the approach of yet another enervating heatwave, nor the prospect of heading to work on Monday morning, was going to keep Madrileños huddled indoors when the World Cup, and the stifling s…

US president watches Spain v Argentina match Match report: Spain beat Argentina in extra-time Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino were booed as they took to the field for the presentation ceremony before the US president attempted to gatecrash Spain’s victory party. Trump arrived at the stadium on Marine One, with the president’s helicopter first flying over the stadium about 45 minutes before kick…

The European champions conceded just one goal in the tournament and their success is a victory for a system Release the pressure, let it out. All of it and all of them. Again and again they had come, again and again they had been halted. Many players had taken aim at Emi Martínez’s goal but somehow he was still standing and time was slipping away but Spain refused to do so, so they came some more…

Game’s greatest player will not see his legacy sullied by defeat to Spain but his team’s display destroyed the game Playing on the grandest stage in sport for the last time, Lionel Messi seemed almost certain to provide one last memorable moment in this World Cup final. Yet as the sun ducked behind the west stand of New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, it became clearer and clearer that Argenti…

Rodri looks back to his imperious best in Spain’s midfield while Enzo Fernández has day to forget for Argentina Unai Simón Was alert to clear danger after Cubarsí’s early mistake. Otherwise could have brought his slippers. 7 Continue reading...

Argentina tried to kill the spectacle and make it a physical battle but Spain refused to take the bait and kept passing A worrying thought as a tepid first half drew to a close: was the half-time show going to be better than the football? This was a slog. Argentina could not match Spain’s possession approach but they had ways to level the playing field. There was physicality from Lionel Scaloni’s…

Southport local said the ovation he received on the 18th was ‘incredibly special’ after his title chances fizzle out Two o’clock on a sunny Sunday afternoon, five hours or so to go in the 154th Open Championship, and here comes Tommy Fleetwood up the 1st fairway, five shots off the lead. A delay in one of the groups up ahead meant that Fleetwood has had to stand and wait 15 minutes at the tee box…

Russell clipped by Hamilton on lap one after power loss British driver 50 points behind Antonelli in standings Toto Wolff, the Mercedes principal, has admitted the team let George Russell down. The British driver failed to score a point at the Belgian Grand Prix after a clash with Lewis Hamilton which Russell attributed squarely to his car’s performance not being up to scratch. The race at Spa wa…

R&A can quietly exhale as American’s challenge fizzles out in front of the occasional barb from Royal Birkdale crowd Deep into the final round of the Open, and Bryson DeChambeau is almost legless in the last chance saloon. He’s slipped to minus five, four off the clubhouse lead, with eight holes to play. Worse still, he has not made birdie all day. But there is a sliver of hope. After all, in 201…

A tournament with more teams and more games has been filled with euphoria, heartbreak, and these weird and wonderful viral moments As a Japanese supporter exclaimed to a television camera, “Texas is good, everything is big”, we knew the World Cup had started. In those early euphoric moments, seeing the palpable joy when everything is still possible, it seemed Japan fans were the MVPs of memes. Th…