المكسيك تعبر جنوب أفريقيا

فاز منتخب المكسيك على نظيره الجنوب أفريقي بنتيجة 2-صفر في مباراة افتتاح كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2026 أمام 80 ألف مشجع بملعب «أزتيكا» في العاصمة مكسيكو.
وسجل مهاجم نادي القادسية السعودي خوليان كينيونيس الهدف الأول في الدقيقة التاسعة، وسدد بقوة بين ساقي الحارس رونوين وليامس مستغلا هفوة في دفاع جنوب أفريقيا.
وسجل المهاجم خيمينيز الهدف الثاني بضربة رأسية في الدقيقة 67 إثر تمريرة من ألفارو في الجهة اليمنى من خط الهجوم، وشهدت المباراة 3 بطاقات حمراء بواقع 2 لجنوب أفريقيا وواحدة للمكسيك. وأمام 80 ألف مشجع، أطلق الحكم البرازيلي ويلتون سامبايو صافرة البداية أمام ثمانين ألف متفرج.

East Rutherford, United States: Spain and Argentina prepared to do battle in Sunday's World Cup final in New Jersey as organisers said they were keeping a close eye on smoke from wildfires in Canada. truewildslot.com

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 has 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.

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.

For Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said he gets emotional when he reflects on the collective efforts that have gone into their success.

"Honestly sometimes I cry to myself thinking about what we have achieved," he said.

"My message to my teammates is that they should enjoy this moment, prepare with a smile on our faces.

"This is something we will remember forever."

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."

France coach Didier Deschamps vowed that no tears would be shed as he prepares to take charge of his final World Cup match, having guided them to glory in the 2018 edition and taken them to the final in 2022.

"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."

سجلت محطات رصد الزلازل الموزعة في إسبانيا نشاطًا أرضيًا غير معتاد بالتزامن مع تتويج المنتخب الإسباني بكأس العالم 2026إثر الهدف الذي أحرزه فيران توريس في الدقيقة 106 من الشوط الإضافي الثاني بمرمى الأرجنتين.



وبحسب الجيولوجي خافيير كارمونا، من جامعة كومبلوتنسي بمدريد، فإن هذه الظاهرة ليست جديدة على الأجهزة الإسبانية المتخصصة، حيث سبق أن رصد معهد علوم الأرض في برشلونة اهتزازات مماثلة عقب كل هدف يسجله نادي برشلونة، ناتجة عن قفزات الجماهير الجماعية لحظة التسجيل. وأوضح كارمونا أن ما يُرصد في هذه الحالات لا يُعد زلزالًا حقيقيًا بالمعنى الجيولوجي، بل موجات سطحية قصيرة ناتجة عن اصطدام أعداد كبيرة من الأجساد بالأرض في وقت واحد.



ويأتي هذا التتويج بعد فوز إسبانيا على الأرجنتين بهدف قاتل في نهائي البطولة الذي أقيم بملعب ميتلايف في نيوجيرسي، ليحصد المنتخب الإسباني لقبه العالمي الثاني بعد نسخة 2010 في جنوب أفريقيا.

Doha, Qatar: “It’s coming home.” Since the release of the Three Lions ahead of Euro 96, the phrase has become far more than a football song.

It is England’s annual declaration of faith, a slogan that returns before every major tournament regardless of what happened before. Semi-final defeats, penalty shootout heartbreaks, near misses have all failed to kill the dream.

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Now, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins across North America, the familiar question echoes once more across England.

Is it finally coming home?

The answer rests in the hands of a foreign manager. Thomas Tuchel was appointed for one and only reason and that is to win them a major title.

England have spent decades assembling squads packed with superstars. From the golden generation of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney to the modern era led by Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, talent has never been the issue. The challenge has always been turning that abundance of talent into silverware on the international stage.

That burden now belongs to Tuchel. The German arrives with a reputation as one of football’s sharpest tactical minds and a coach who thrives in knockout football. England’s Football Association effectively made a statement with his appointment: the time for learning is over. Results matter now.

Across friendlies and competitive fixtures, Tuchel has guided England to an impressive record, winning 10 of his 13 matches, drawing once and losing twice, giving him a win rate close to 80%. Under his leadership, England also became the first European team to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,England's German head coach Thomas Tuchel sits on a ball during a training session. PICS: AFP

Tuchel believes his squad is ready for the challenge. Following England’s final World Cup warm-up 3 - 0 victory over Costa Rica, he declared that he had “wished for that” level of intensity and commitment from his players, praising the team’s readiness ahead of the tournament.

At the centre of everything stands Harry Kane. The England captain arrives at the World Cup in arguably the finest form of his career. After another prolific season with Bayern Munich, Kane enters the tournament as England’s leader and primary source of goals. Tuchel recently described his captain as “sharp” and in “perfect form” to lead the national team in North America.

Kane himself has made clear what this tournament means. “The World Cup is the pinnacle of a professional footballer’s career,” he said ahead of the competition. For a player who has already become England’s all-time leading scorer, only one achievement remains missing as a captain to lift an international trophy.

Even before a ball was kicked, Tuchel’s squad selection sparked debate. The omission of several high-profile names raised eyebrows among supporters and pundits, while questions remain over the balance of the team and the roles of some of England’s biggest stars.

For years England have often looked stronger on paper than on the pitch. The nation’s history is filled with examples of superstar names failing to reproduce club form on the biggest international stages.

Tuchel’s approach is different, rather than collecting stars, he appears determined to build balance. Which could prove crucial when England encounter elite opposition. That is the challenge awaiting England if they are to lift the trophy for the first time since 1966.

The encouraging sign is that this squad feels different. It blends youth and experience, with Kobbie Mainoo, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, Noni Madueke, Elliot Anderson, Tino Livramento, Jarell Quansah and James Trafford among those set for their first World Cup, while the core remains built around Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, John Stones, Jordan Pickford and Reece James. Around them, Tuchel has assembled a group that appears more balanced than many of its predecessors.

With Kane leading from the front and Tuchel attempting to bring order to a nation blessed and burdened by talent in equal measure, England head into 2026 carrying the hopes of millions, and the dream that began in 1966 remains alive.

The question is the same as it has always been: has England finally got it right? And could football really be coming home?

London: Brian Lara has urged the "whole of the Caribbean" to celebrate Garry Sobers following the death of the West Indies legend.

Sobers, widely regarded as cricket's most outstanding all-rounder, died aged 89 on Friday, sparking a flood of tributes from all over the world.

Among his many achievements, Sobers's 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 stood as the highest individual innings in Test cricket for 36 years.

That record was eventually broken by fellow West Indies left-hander Lara, who made 375 against England in 1994, with Sobers walking on to the ground to congratulate him after he had gone past 365.

Lara, who first met Sobers as a boy while taking part in a youth cricket competition set up by the Barbados national hero, told Sky Sports: "He was a father figure, a general, a mentor in my life, so even though I am sad, 89 is a great score.

"I want to tell the whole of the Caribbean that we need to celebrate his life."

He added: "In each era of West Indies cricket there is a different motivational factor. Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Vivian Richards wanted to be the best team in the world.

"But I read that in the 1950s and 60s it was about making ourselves independent of English rule and Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Wes Hall fought for a different purpose.

"Sir Garfield is the most amazing person I have ever met. Just unbelievable."