Argentina’s defeat in the football World Cup final defeat has come with a costly post-match hangover. FIFA has imposed a ban on Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes and a hefty fine for sparking a brawl after his side’s loss to Spain. His teammate Nahuel Molina has been similarly disciplined in a series of a decisions by the FIFA disciplinary committee. Story by Nick Rushworth. Keywords for this article Source link
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was met with unprecedented backlash following his proposal for the structural reform of the World Cup. Under pressure, he announced that he was withdrawing his plan to sell part of the tournament to private investors. This proposal caused quite a stir internally and even led some members of his team to resign in protest. Emerse Faé’s contract as manager of the In Ivory Coast’s Elephants expires on August 1. The Ivorian Football Federation has announced that it will not be renewing his contract. He will therefore step down, having led the team to victory in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations and guided the Ivorians to a historic run at this summer’s World Cup. In Italy, the football world is mourning one of its legends: Franco Baresi, who died at the age of 66. Source link
Argentina’s appearance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final left much to be desired. Spain’s 1-0 victory, after extra time, did not tell the story of what was a dominant display that barely gave the Argentinians a sight of goal – let alone a shot. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list What followed the final whistle, however, turned a poor performance into a pitiful and pathetic showing from one of the world’s greatest football nations. The tussle, led by Argentinian players, was the latest in a series of dubious decisions and actions that left the defending champions facing questions about their conduct throughout the tournament. Now FIFA, football’s global governing body, has issued charges against the South Americans and their fans. Al Jazeera Sport explores what those charges are and what they could mean for the team who celebrated victory at Qatar 2022. What has FIFA charged Argentina with following the World Cup? There are numerous charges against Argentina and its football association, the AFA, that relate to the final, the semifinal and …
Football governing bodies hit out at plans to sell World Cup stakes; FIFA insist proposal is not an ‘obligation’. Published On 30 Jul 202630 Jul 2026 FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup a proposal but “not an obligation”, after the idea provoked a furious response from a number of football authorities. FIFA announced plans this week to create a $20bn subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events, and said it will offer stakes of up to 20% in it to external investors. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The proposal drew strong criticism from the sport’s regional confederations, which said they were blindsided by the plan by world football’s governing body to bring private investors into the sport. But Infantino said strengthening the commercial side of the game is the natural next step in this evolution. “It’s part of a democratic process – a consultation process – and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation, and, as I …
Lionel Messi returns to Inter Miami after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain, which led to retirement rumours. Published On 30 Jul 202630 Jul 2026 Football superstar Lionel Messi has returned to practice for Inter Miami, 10 days after Argentina’s World Cup run ended with a 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the final earlier this month. The two-time defending MLS MVP missed Miami’s first two matches after the World Cup break against Chicago and Montreal, both of which the team still won, extending its winning streak to six matches. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The 39-year-old also chose not to participate in Wednesday night’s MLS against Liga MX All-Star Game in Charlotte, instead taking some time off to visit his father, Jorge, who the Messi family announced during the World Cup is battling an undisclosed illness. Messi concluded this year’s World Cup, his record sixth, with eight goals and four assists, coming one win away from leading Argentina to be the first team to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil …
The $2 billion acquisition of Africa’s MultiChoice Group boosted Canal+ Group’s first-half financials, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup contributing to strong subscriber growth at the pay-TV giant’s South African business. “Following the acquisition of MultiChoice, our increased scale is starting to deliver the benefits we expected,” Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said on Tuesday in unveiling the results. “We have achieved half of our €250 million ($284 million) synergies target and remain well on track for the year, and we confirm our full-year and medium-term guidance.” Canal+ touted that “subscriber acquisition [was] up 40 percent, compared to the first half of 2025 in MultiChoice countries,” adding that June was the “best subscriber acquisition month in South Africa in a decade.” In that context, the company also mentioned “successful content and marketing initiatives, including the World Cup advertising campaign featuring Idris Elba and the launch of the Novelas+ channel in South Africa.” BNP Paribas analyst Nicolas Langlet was optimistic about the momentum at MultiChoice, writing in a report: “Trend at MultiChoice improved sequentially … driven by the success of FIFA …
A documentary on Spain‘s triumph at the World Cup — with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to their wins over Argentina and France — is coming to Prime Video. The four-part series, arriving exclusively on the platform by the end of the year, will feature never-before-seen footage and testimonies from all the protagonists, including major players for the Spanish National Team. “Viewers will have access to unique moments that explain the triumph of a group of 26 players and a coaching staff who, over 52 days, behaved like a family,” said Prime Video on Friday. “Effort, laughter, complicity, moments of tension and demand: The docuseries offers spectacle, entertainment and closeness to understand the keys to a success built on competitive instinct and the relentless drive to improve of a team that will be remembered for the what, and, above all, for the how.” The docuseries is produced by the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) in collaboration with Telefónica Broadcast Services (TBS). It was a monumental World Cup for the Spaniards, and a monumental World Cup in general. The …
While Argentina faced criticism throughout World Cup 2026, post-final altercations are now being investigated by FIFA disciplinary prosecutor. Published On 24 Jul 202624 Jul 2026 As FIFA investigates Argentina’s conduct after the World Cup final, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has described the incidents as “intolerable and unacceptable.” FIFA asked one of its disciplinary prosecutors on Monday to report back on testy on-field confrontations after Spain’s 1-0 win in extra time on Sunday to dethrone the defending champion. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes physically tangled with Spain players Eric Garcia and Gavi, and Spain captain Rodri was hit in the stomach as he ran past Argentina defender Nahuel Molina. “It cannot be allowed,” De la Fuente told Spanish public broadcaster TVE on Thursday, adding he did not see the incidents at the time while “celebrating with other people”. “In any case, I find it intolerable and unacceptable from players of that calibre, whom I had been praising in the days before and who have a magnificent coach,” …
NewsFeed GOATs are not players, but prizes at this football tournament in eastern India. The event keeps tribal traditions alive by awarding the winners khassi goats instead of trophies. For many young players, it’s a pathway to professional opportunities. Published On 22 Jul 202622 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link
The biggest World Cup ever in the United States was fittingly capped by the most watched final match — and most watched match, period. Spain’s 1-0, extra-time victory over Argentina in Sunday’s final match delivered a combined total of nearly 63 million viewers on Fox, Telemundo and Peacock (62.8 million, to be precise). That is well beyond every other record set in earlier stages of the tournament and more than doubles the 25.78 million who watched the 2022 final between Argentina and Spain (16.78 million on Fox, 9 million on Telemundo and Peacock). Sunday’s audience was the the largest ever in the United States for any soccer match by almost 17 million viewers. The U.S. team’s loss to Belgium in the round of 16 was the previous high with 45.99 million viewers in both English and Spanish. Fox’s English-language broadcast averaged 38.9 million viewers, 5.8 million more than the U.S.-Belgium match, and peaked with almost 51.7 million people watching from 5:45-6 p.m. ET as Spain sewed up its victory on a Ferran Torres goal in …
