Posts

From Red Fury to a symphony in red: How Spain made themselves perennial World Cup favourites

There was a time when Spain’s football was defined by fury. Today, it is defined by control. The old La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) was built on passion, aggression and flashes of individual brilliance. The Spain of today is something more complete: technically immaculate, tactically sophisticated and capable of turning possession into sudden, devastating attacks. As Spain prepare to face Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium tonight, they do so unbeaten in 37 matches and as reigning European champions. Their remarkable resurgence is not the product of one golden generation or one exceptional manager — it is the result of a footballing system developed over decades, refined through success and failure, and constantly adapted to the demands of the modern game. For much of its history, Spain failed to translate the strength of its domestic football into international success. The 1964 European Championship remained its only major title for decades. The transformatio...
Post a Comment
Read more

How Spain made Argentina look ordinary

Image
The scoreline said Spain had beaten Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The match said something far more emphatic. For much of the World Cup final in New Jersey, Spain did not merely outplay the defending champions. They controlled the game so completely that Argentina, despite the presence of Lionel Messi in what was expected to be his final World Cup match, were reduced to chasing shadows. The victory gave Spain their second World Cup title, but it was the manner of the triumph that made it particularly significant. Against a team that had built its tournament on resilience, late comebacks and the individual brilliance of Messi, Spain offered something altogether different: control without panic, possession without sterility and pressure without recklessness. Spain’s Lamine Yamal takes a free kick during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, the US on July 19, 2026. — Reuters ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Policemen martyred in Ziarat attack buried as Quetta sit-in ends

Image
Mourners shower rose petals on a vehicle carrying coffins of the martyred police personnel.—AFP • Thousands attend funeral prayers offered at Quetta’s Ayub Stadium amid strict security arrangements • Koila Phatak, police stations, educational institutions renamed after martyrs • Bugti reaffirms commitment to ensuring timely implementation of accord QUETTA: The pol­icemen who were martyred in the Ziarat terrorist attack were buried in their native towns on Saturday after their funeral prayers were offered at Ayub Stadium, Quetta, attended by thousands of people following the culmination of a 10-day-long sit-in by their relatives. The sit-in committee agreed to call off the protest after a Friday-night agreement with the provincial government, in which all of their demands, including the call for a judicial probe, were accepted. Besides other measures, the government also agreed to constitute a judicial commission to probe the attacks in Ziarat and Hanna ...
Post a Comment
Read more

England edge France 6-4 in chaotic World Cup bronze match

England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday as Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semi-final exits — France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina. Both coaches made multiple changes for the match in the oppressive heat of Miami, with a host of stars on the bench at the start. England boss Thomas Tuchel left out Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham from his starting line-up while Deschamps, stepping down after 14 years at the helm, omitted Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice put England ahead with a goal from distance in the third minute and Ezri Konsa headed home to make it 2-0. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise were a threat as France searched for a way back into the game but they found England’s second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson in top form. The game threatene...
Post a Comment
Read more

Palestinian teen footballer dies after being shot during settler attack in occupied West Bank

Image
A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer died on Saturday, a week after he was shot during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to officials and relatives. Dozens of mourners dressed in black carried the body of Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan — a player for Al-Mughayyir Club and a member of the Palestinian national youth team — from the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to his village for burial. The Palestine Football Association accused Israeli forces of shooting Nassan while settlers were attacking the village on July 11. The young player was reportedly shot in the thigh during the attack. His leg was amputated, and he later died from his injuries, the association said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment Saturday. A relative mourns over the body of 17-year-old Fadi al-Naasan during his funeral in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on July 18, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Messi eyes glorious farewell as Spain, Argentina clash in World Cup final

Image
Spanish elan meets Argentinian steel in a historic World Cup final on Sunday which sees the reigning champions of Europe and South America battle for football’s ultimate prize. Holders Argentina are bidding to become the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the title , in what is almost certainly the final World Cup match of captain Lionel Messi’s career. Spain are aiming to thwart those ambitions by clinching the country’s second World Cup crown following their maiden victory in 2010. US President Donald Trump will be among a star-studded crowd of just over 80,000 spectators at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as the largest World Cup in history reaches its climax. World Cup officials have said they are “monitoring closely” air quality from Canadian wildfires affecting the region around the final, which kicks off at 12am PST. The final will also see an unprecedented 25-30 minute half-time interval for a Super Bowl-style concert featuring the likes of Madonna, Shak...
Post a Comment
Read more

France blocks access to online prediction platform Polymarket

France said Friday it was blocking access to the online prediction market Polymarket, as punters continued to make bets despite a ban already in place. The national gaming authority ANJ said that Polymarket’s webpage would be blocked on French territory, which adds to a November 2024 ban on financial transactions to the site. Polymarket is one of a number of online prediction markets which allow people to bet on the outcome of future events. The ANJ said the site’s continued availability — where betting odds on different events are updated in real time — constituted advertising. “Advertising, by any means whatsoever, in favour of an unauthorised betting or gambling site is a criminal offence,” the ANJ said, and noted the fines could reach 100,000 euros ($114,000). The regulator said that despite the ban on transactions from French accounts, visits from French internet addresses to Polymarket’s site have been rising, hitting 578,751 last month. The betting markets have caused a nu...
Post a Comment
Read more