US & Canada

All the biggest talking points and stats from the first 45 minutes of a goalless World Cup final in New Jersey in the US.

After a star-studded tournament ceremony and the logistical delays caused by the arrival of US President Donald Trump, the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina ended in a goalless scoreline at half-time.

The match at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday has been a cagey affair, with Spain enjoying greater possession and Argentina looking to make the game into a scrap.

The final kicked off six minutes late in New Jersey following a pre-match show that included singer Robbie Williams and actor Tom Cruise.

Once the football actually began, Spain looked to control the ball and force Argentina to chase the game. The South American giants were mostly restricted to their own half and looked to make it a physical battle.

Here are some of the biggest talking points from the first half.

A cagey affair in New Jersey

It all started so promisingly, with Lamine Yamal forcing a save from Emi Martinez after just five minutes. The teenager shot from a tight angle inside the box following some brilliant link-up play with Dani Olmo.

Since then, chances have been at a premium, with just three shots at goal in the entire first half, all by La Roja, with Argentina yet to register an effort.

Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal tested Martinez on 39 minutes, but his shot from just outside the area was easily saved by the Argentine keeper. Marc Cucurella also dragged an effort wide late on.

While Spain saw more of the ball, Argentina looked to get stuck in and make it a scrappy final. So far, the defending champions’ game plan has worked.

Referee keeps his cards in his pockets

Slovenian official Slavko Vincic declined to brandish a yellow card until the 40th minute, despite some hefty challenges in the first half.

Spain were furious when the referee didn’t penalise Alexis Mac Allister after a late challenge on Olmo just 15 minutes into the final.

The Argentine midfielder dived in, missing the ball entirely as he wiped Olmo out. The Spanish bench erupted, but the referee decided not to book the Liverpool man.

The first yellow card was eventually shown when Lisandro Martinez dragged Oyarzabal down from behind.

Martinez heads off injured

Argentina suffered a late blow in the first half as key defender Lisandro Martinez was forced off with an injury.

Martinez has played a crucial role at the heart of defence for Argentina in this tournament, but they will now have to cope without him for the second half of the final.

Veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi is now tasked with keeping the likes of Yamal and Oyarzabal quiet.

What were the head-to-head stats in the first half of the Spain-Argentina final?

Spain saw a lot more of the ball and enjoyed 64.6 percent possession. They also had three shots at goal, compared to none for Argentina.

The South Americans committed two more fouls than their opponents and picked up one yellow card.

Spain have been awarded two corners so far, whilst Argentina have had none.

Al Jazeera reporters on ground faced lengthy queues to enter the stadium due to tighter security checks.

Fans, media workers and employees faced lengthy queues to get in to the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, which is expected to be attended by United States President Donald Trump.

In the 48 hours before Sunday’s finale at New York New Jersey Stadium, FIFA sent emails to media staff inviting them to arrive as early as six hours before kickoff and warned them of road closures 150 minutes beforehand.

Among the media and stadium employees, the result appeared to be an early crunch to clear tight security that included inspections by Secret Service agents.

Al Jazeera reporters had a two-hour wait between entering the queue and clearing the initial security perimeter. Other journalists who arrived earlier reported wait times of three hours or more.

Trump’s helicopter landed next to the stadium as long lines of spectators waited to enter through enhanced security checks because of him.

One reporter was denied entry into the venue despite having tournament accreditation.

Malfunctioning ticket scanners added to everyone’s frustration as they queued in the heat.

Numerous other media personnel were denied entry at the security perimeter of the 80,000-capacity venue and sent to the stadium’s accreditation centre.

The same scenario was true for many fans, according to online reports. Despite warnings advising ticket-holders to show up four hours early, there were numerous reported waits of two hours or more in fan queues, with some also reporting malfunctioning ticket scanners.

However, when players from Spain and Argentina first took the field roughly 45 minutes before kickoff, a healthy portion of the lower stadium bowl appeared to be full, including the overwhelming majority of allocated supporters’ sections.

It is not the first major cup final on US soil to have logistical delays for fans.

In 2024, the kickoff of the Copa America final in Miami Gardens, Florida, was delayed by about 75 minutes due to overwhelmed personnel at fan entrances.

Significant numbers of un-ticketed fans then rushed turnstiles and forced entry before law enforcement gradually worked to clear those without paid admission as the match progressed.

Abandoned as a baby with severely underdeveloped limbs and brought up by nuns in Baghdad, Kelly will be performing at the World Cup final alongside some of the biggest global stars.

Among the headline performers at the first-ever FIFA World Cup half-time show alongside Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber and Madonna is a man with a remarkable life story – Iraqi-born singer Emmanuel Kelly.

Kelly says he was found abandoned in a box as a baby, and was brought up by nuns at Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Baghdad. Some of his limbs were severely underdeveloped, and at the orphanage he became friends with another boy called Ahmed, who had a similar condition.

In 1998, when Emmanuel was around four years old, the Australian Catholic humanitarian worker Moira Kelly visited the orphanage and witnessed the plight of Emmanuel and Ahmed.

She was determined to bring the boys to Australia for medical treatment, and after two years, she succeeded.

Emmanuel and Ahmed arrived in Australia in 2000, and both underwent multiple surgeries to enable them to wear prosthetic limbs. They were adopted by Moira the same year, and in 2009 they officially became Australian citizens.

In an interview published on the FIFA website in 2025, Emmanuel said the surgery and prostheses enabled him and his brother to be self-reliant for the first time.

“We learned all the basic things I think that humans take for granted sometimes, like walking and feeding themselves and things like that,” he said. “Eventually I decided I wanted to pursue entertainment and music.”

In 2011, at the age of 17, Emmanuel was a contestant in the Australian version of television talent show The X Factor. His rendition of John Lennon’s song Imagine captivated the live audience and was viewed millions of times online. Although he was eliminated relatively early in the series after forgetting the words to a song he was performing, this was the start of his musical career.

His brother Ahmed, meanwhile, became a competitive swimmer, representing Australia multiple times and winning the silver medal in the men’s 150-metre individual medley at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

In 2016, as the band Coldplay were preparing for concerts in Australia, lead singer Chris Martin saw a video of Emmanuel Kelly performing and resolved to meet him. Kelly was invited onto the stage at the Coldplay concert in Melbourne and sang Imagine in a duet with Martin.

The two became friends, and in 2024 Kelly was invited to be the headline opening act for Coldplay for their four concerts in Australia during their Music of the Spheres tour.

“Chris has been my brother, Chris Martin, for eight years or so, and he said to me, ‘Hey, come on tour with me and join me on a stadium tour.’ I did that, and that was pretty epic,” Kelly said in his FIFA interview.

Last year, Martin was asked by FIFA to curate the half-time show at the Club World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Kelly was one of the singers Martin asked to take part in the performance. He was described by organisers as “the first differently abled artist to headline a FIFA half-time show”.

Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is taking place in the same stadium. Once again, Martin is curating the musical performance, and Kelly will be one of those on stage for what FIFA hopes will be the most viewed half-time show in history.

“What an exciting opportunity to get to represent true full-scale global unity,” Kelly said in a video on Instagram ahead of the show. “No matter how different you are, you will still be seen.”

Influencer brothers Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate have been arrested in Miami, in the US state of Florida, after prosecutors in the United Kingdom brought further rape and sex trafficking charges against them.

The brothers were taken into custody on Saturday on a sealed warrant, the United States Marshals Service said, placing the US at the centre of an international legal saga that has stretched from Romania to the UK.

Raised in the UK, the Tate brothers hold dual US and UK citizenship. The UK government says it will seek their extradition to face 38 new charges of rape, sex trafficking and assault.

Here is what we know about the Tate brothers, their arrest and the possibility of extradition:

Who are the Tate Brothers?

Andrew, 39, and Tristan, 38, are former professional kickboxers. They are known for their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny.

Andrew is one of the most prominent proponents of the so-called “manosphere” network of communities, many of them online, that focus on traditional masculinity, antifeminism and self-improvement. He promotes his divisive views, often incorporating alpha-male and aggressively misogynistic themes, to millions on social media, including 10.8 million followers on X.

Andrew has been banned from platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram for violating hate speech guidelines. He also runs an online academy where he says he teaches young men how to get rich and attract women.

The brothers are also avid supporters of US President Donald Trump.

What are the new charges against the Tates?

British prosecutors say the 59 new charges – 42 against Andrew and 17 against Tristan – relate to alleged offences that took place between 2010 and 2017.

They said Andrew was charged with seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault, and 19 charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

Tristan was charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating sex trafficking.

“We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offences including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child,” the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement.

Since the arrest warrant was sealed, US Marshals did not disclose the charges on which the Tate brothers were arrested.

Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, said the brothers “are innocent”.

“We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free,” McBride said in a statement.

What are the other charges against the brothers?

Andrew and Tristan already face multiple charges in the UK and Romania, where they moved to in 2016.

Four women have accused Andrew of physical and sexual abuse.

The claimants, who have been granted anonymity, allege the elder Tate subjected them to physical or sexual violence between 2013 and 2015. Two say they were in an intimate relationship with him, while two worked for his online webcam business.

In June, a UK High Court judge threw out a legal bid by the Tates to be told the names of their accusers.

In Romania, the siblings were arrested in late 2022 along with two Romanian women. The four were accused of participating in criminal schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied the allegations and the Romanian case has not gone forward because of legal and procedural problems. The case has not been closed.

Andrew has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.

The Tate brothers are also accused of tax evasion and money laundering in the UK.

The UK CPS said it is seeking their extradition.

“The CPS has requested the extradition of the Tates from the US,” it said, adding that the latest charges stem from receipt of new evidence from Bedfordshire police that brings the total number of alleged victims in the Tates’ case to seven.

The British police previously sought the Tates’ extradition to the UK once their legal proceedings in Romania concluded.

But in February 2025, they were allowed to leave Romania after authorities lifted travel restrictions, and they flew to Florida on a private jet.

Romania’s foreign minister said at the time that a US official in the Trump administration had expressed interest in the brothers’ legal case in Romania.

Trump said he knew “nothing about” the case when asked if his administration pressured the Romanian government to release the Tates.

New Jersey, United States – Tobin Heath knows everything about winning a football World Cup and defending it successfully.

As a key member of the peerless USA women’s football team of the late 2000s and 2010s, Heath won the FIFA World Cup in 2015 and 2019, as well as Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

But it is not just the medals and honours that elevated her to the pantheon of football greats. Instead, it was Heath’s role in revolutionising the women’s game as a skilful and gifted forward that set her apart.

From mazy runs around defenders while running down the flanks to jaw-dropping assists and finishes inside the penalty area, Heath is often regarded as one of the most technically gifted playmakers in football history.

It is no surprise, then, that Heath’s analysis of World Cup teams as a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group went viral on social media and prompted questions about why she has not been seen on popular football shows prior to the tournament.

The 38-year-old hung up her boots in 2025 after career-ending injuries forced her into retirement. Her 181 international appearances brought her 36 goals but left an indelible mark on the game.

Having followed the knockout matches as the only female member of an elite panel of analysts at a men’s World Cup, Heath’s insights stood out as the tournament progressed towards the final.

As a World Cup replete with goals – 307 in 103 matches, at an average of nearly three goals per match – the ongoing tournament has left some fans questioning whether more scoring equates to a better overall spectator experience.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Sport, Heath shares her thoughts on the goals, players, styles of play and teams that stood out at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the tournament’s legacy:

Al Jazeera: Have more teams and more matches led to a record number of goals at the World Cup? Is it correct to rank this tournament as the most entertaining edition?

Tobin Heath: Yeah, that’s the biggest factor. For me, this is the evolution of football. It’s an evolution of football that the fans are obviously enjoying.

There are multiple factors [behind the high goal average] that we are analysing. But the top one is where these teams are winning the ball back, how they’re counter-pressing and the use of attack in wide areas. The use of the full-backs in the attack has been a key theme and a big positive for football.

We always want to see more goals. So we have to look at the increased team format and the diversity of the teams that are being matched up with each other. Personally, I love seeing diversity in football.

Stylistically, it makes for very interesting matches, and I think we saw some of those most interesting matches in the group stages and towards the beginning of the knockout rounds, where we saw teams that typically play different styles going toe-to-toe with the giants of football.

Al Jazeera: What impression did the likes of Cape Verde, Egypt, DR Congo and other African teams leave on you?

Heath: It was fantastic. Cape Verde are top of my mind in terms of their results. If you look at their result against Spain in particular, and then the thrilling game against Argentina, it’s basically the two finalists. There’s a direct correlation there, which is fascinating to see. And just the bravery with which they played – with so many low blocks – is very rare.

And then in the Egypt game, another outstanding match against Argentina. The result, very well, could have gone either way for me. It was just a beautiful display of football.

I remember watching the African club teams in the Club World Cup last summer and enjoying African football. I’ve enjoyed playing African teams in the World Cup, too. For me, as a football player, it gives you a different problem to solve.

Another team that stood out for me and that I thoroughly enjoyed this tournament was Ivory Coast. I loved their football, I loved their style, I loved their individual brilliance.

For African football, this is a big positive, and another step in the growth of football on that continent with various styles. And I hope to see more of the same in the Women’s World Cup next summer.

Al Jazeera: Having been a big exponent of attractive football in your playing days and a proponent of it after your retirement, how would you rate the different styles on display at the World Cup? And did you think it was an entertaining World Cup?

Heath: Oh my gosh, 100 percent! What we have seen in the level of creativity in this tournament has been nothing short of inspiring.

I became a huge fan of France because at any given moment on the pitch, you could see something that has never been done before in football. You’d see innovative football, innovative individual players.

Creativity has been at an all-time high. When you see the best players in the world performing at the top level, being highest in all the metrics. You look at (Jude) Bellingham, (Kylian) Mbappe, (Lionel) Messi, (Erling) Haaland – these are the best players that were showcasing their best football in this tournament.

There’s something in the water in the US that we just love our stars, we love putting them on a platform and the stars showed up big time at this World Cup.

Al Jazeera: Which young players have impressed you the most and what do their performances mean for the future of football?

Heath: The most incredible name that stands out for me is (Pau) Cubarsi.

To be so young, to play so many minutes and be so effective with this Spanish defence, it highlights an incredible way that Spain is generationally able to really connect the ideas and implementation of the type of football that they want to play.

I hope and pray that we see Lamine Yamal perform in a supersonic way in the final. He’s due for a moment. The anticipation has been there all tournament.

We talked about these young players, but we also have to highlight what Messi is doing and the age at which he’s doing it. It’s nothing short of extraordinary. I was laughing that we should give out a veteran award, but he could also win player of the tournament.

From the young superstars to the old, football is in good hands for generations to come.

Al Jazeera: What do you think about the future of football in the US and what this World Cup has done for it?

Heath: It’s so interesting because I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Our culture and society move fast. There are so many things that capture the attention of Americans at any given moment, and the World Cup captured the audience.

We put on a fantastic event; we showcased incredible stadiums and what the different parts of our country look like in the summertime, from the Pacific Northwest to the Miami heat. Stadiums with roofs to uncovered stadiums.

And yet, I’m left wondering how it affects football for us, especially men’s football in our country.

We talk about stars and the importance of stars in our country, but when I think about the players who had a good tournament, including Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun, there’s no stardom. It’s a little lacklustre for what the USA team and the World Cup have done in terms of the popularity and interest in this country.

I hope that there is a direct correlation with players to come, both girls and boys, who can point to this World Cup as their inspiration. It will be the greatest indication of whether this tournament was a success.

Our country has been captured by the moment of watching the World Cup, but no one knows if they’ve been captured with it in their soul. It feels a little bit like a flash in the pan.

Al Jazeera: What is the biggest footballing aspect that stood out for you at this World Cup?

Heath: The gap between the possibility of winning a World Cup and actually winning a World Cup. It’s still extremely wide.

We had competitive matches, smaller teams going toe-to-toe with the biggest giants in the world, but it still seems that the closer you get, the bigger the gap between the top teams that can realistically go far in the tournament and the ones we enjoyed watching in the beginning.

I always say, winning is a muscle. It’s no surprise that we have two teams in the final that have enjoyed a lot of success in international football.

We see this both in men’s and women’s football. It will take something truly special to be able to break into that group.

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

‘King [Messi] abdicates, but the prince [Lamine Yamal] takes the throne!’
Spain fans filled the streets of New York with chants and songs ahead of the World Cup final against defending champions Argentina. Spain’s supporters are confident a new generation can bring the trophy home.

US Central Command says new strikes on Iran are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to choke the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States military said Sunday that it launched new strikes on Iran to “swiftly punish” the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for an attack that killed two American service members and left one missing and four requiring hospitalisation.

An area near Sirik in Iran’s Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island have been hit on the eighth consecutive night of US air strikes on Iran, according to Iran’s semi-official  Mehr and Tasnim news agencies.

The attacks happened early on Sunday, hitting Sirik at 1:30am local time (22:00 GMT, Saturday), and Qeshm Island at about 3:38am (00:08 GMT, Sunday) and again at 6:10am local time (0240 GMT) according to Iranian reports.

Tasnim also said the US military targeted a location near Shadegan in Iran’s Khuzestan province at 5:55am (02:25GMT Sunday).

The reports said there were no casualties and that residential and commercial infrastructure was not damaged in the attacks.

In a post on X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US military launched new strikes “designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”.

The post added that strikes were also in retaliation for Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on a US base in Jordan that killed the two US service members on Friday.

US Central Command later said its strikes targeted “Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites.”

Since the war began in February, 16 US service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded.

The Tasnim news agency said there were reports of explosions in Qom, Arak and Behbahan that were later denied by local authorities.

The governor of Arak said that “the situation is completely normal and so far we have not had any reports of attack or explosion”.

Iranian retaliatory strikes

Tasnim news agency said the Iranian army targeted US military assets in two bases in Kuwait.

A statement from Iran’s military said, “In response to the repeated aggressions of the enemy”, the army targeted a US “ammunition depot at Al-Adiri camp and the Patriot radar and air radar” at the Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait.

“Unforgettable lessons”

Before the latest US strikes began, Iran’s supreme leader warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the US continued its attacks on Iran.

Initially, the battle focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz. But US strikes have now widened to include civilian infrastructure, including bridges and desalination plants for drinking water.

State-run news agency IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television the US is violating terms of the interim deal and “no longer implementing them”.

Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in US strikes in the past three weeks.

Late Saturday, the Iranian embassy in India named two girls – Sogand Dardmand and Fatemeh Zahra Akbari – who were among seven killed in a US strike on Bandar Khamir in southern Iran, which took place on Thursday.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said that the last eight nights of US strikes on Iran have caused “anger” and “frustration” among the populace.

“People don’t really know whether they are going to see the continuation of this confrontation, or how long it’s going to take, and also if there is a possibility for a diplomatic settlement to resolve all these complexities and find a long-lasting solution”, he said.

The US has launched a new wave of strikes on Iran after two American soldiers were killed by Iranian strikes in Jordan. President Donald Trump called it ‘swift punishment’, as Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro reports.

US president says death of soldiers in Jordan a ‘sad thing’ as US forces attack Iran for the eighth consecutive night.

In order to afford a last-minute ticket to the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium — widely billed as the single most expensive sporting event ever played in the United States — you might have to be a millionaire, as the cost for a coveted seat at the venue crossed the $2m mark less than 24 hours before kickoff.

As Lionel Messi’s Argentina face Spain and their teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, ticket prices have soared on the resale market.

By Friday, nearly all tickets appeared to be sold, with a few listed on FIFA’s sales platform at about $32,000 apiece.

On Saturday, there were no last-minute tickets available on the site. However, FIFA’s resale platform had tickets available from a little less than $10,000 to as high as $2.3m.

The final caps a World Cup where fans were willing to shell out more than ever for a seat at the quadrennial showpiece, as ticket buyers confounded even the greatest cynics in the face of sky-high prices.

It is a fitting end to a tournament that has tested the limits of what fans will spend, with FIFA’s gamble paying off after concerns over visa restrictions and domestic unrest in the US.

“What FIFA did a very good job of was determining what demand would be because people [were] paying these absurd prices for just about all the 104 matches,” said Scott Friedman, a ticketing expert who previously worked for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“A year ago, we didn’t think people would be travelling with Trump’s ICE stuff and all this other conspiracy stuff. But it’s the most popular tournament in the world by far globally, and FIFA, to their credit, they set the prices high, and people ended up paying them.”

According to the Reuters news agency, an analysis of FIFA attendance data found that more than half the 72 group matches were attended to capacity, with most others only a few hundred fans short of a full house. About 99.7 percent of available seats were filled during the preliminary stage matches, FIFA said.

The data erased early concerns that FIFA’s infamously steep prices would put off fans, after swaths of empty seats were seen around the Guadalajara Stadium for the June 11 match between South Korea and Czechia.

Higher prices, higher demand

As the tournament expanded to its largest-ever field, however, with 48 teams involved, so too did interest among fans.

Prices were set initially at $575 a ticket for group games — more than double the most expensive group ticket available during the 2022 tournament — but FIFA’s dynamic pricing system meant that many ticket holders paid far more.

Hundreds of tickets were still available for the final on Wednesday, priced at little more than $7,000 on FIFA’s platform, a surprising fact that prompted speculation over whether FIFA had finally gone too far with its prices.

But the batch of seats available was likely the result of a process known as “slow ticketing”, Friedman explained, a common practice in mega-events in which organisers restrict inventory to motivate buyers.

“They can act like they already sold their seats and kind of just dribble them in accordingly to obviously increase market demand,” said Friedman, who runs the Ticket Talk Network, dedicated to exploring how seats for sports mega-events are bought and sold.

“Like, ‘Oh, there’s only so-and-so amount of tickets left available in the section, I better buy now,’”

‘No one really knows how this works’

An opaque “dynamic pricing” process has also proven a boon for FIFA, as the sport continues its uneasy evolution from a working-class game to a pastime of the wealthy.

FIFA introduced dynamic pricing for the first time at this tournament, allowing ticket prices to fluctuate based on real-time demand and other factors.

“One reason for the frustration over the last few months is that no one really knows how this works,” said Adam Elmachtoub, an associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research at Columbia University.

“People are willing to accept dynamic pricing — we deal with it for airfare, we deal with it even [for] buying clothes — but I think when it’s such a high-profile event, transparency will help a lot.”

FIFA introduced a small number of lower-cost tickets in response to backlash over prices, as politicians including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani lobbied for locals to have access to affordable seats.

A high-quality tournament also spurred demand, with the four top-ranked nations in the semifinals for the first time since rankings were introduced, and Sunday’s final will feature the 39-year-old Messi in what is probably his final World Cup match.

“The notion of what is fair pricing here is complex because entertainment is not like a necessity,” said Elmachtoub.

Fan appetite holds up

Lax rules around the resale market in the US have only served to accelerate the pocket-emptying around the tournament, with second-hand ticket sellers largely empowered to set their own prices.

The rules in the US stand in contrast to cohosts Mexico, where resellers are prohibited from listing their tickets above what they spent — and much of the rest of the world.

A flood of final-week listings brought prices down on resale platform SeatGeek, with the average ticket for the final listed for more than $11,000 as of Friday. Still, that figure easily made the final the most expensive event that the platform had sold, 8 percent above the 2024 Super Bowl, SeatGeek said.

“What we’re seeing with this year’s World Cup is that demand fluctuates with every round and every match-up reveal,” said Chris Leyden, senior director for marketing at SeatGeek.

“The appetite for this tournament has held up remarkably well from the group stage through the knockouts.”

World Cup for ‘a happy few’

Human rights experts warned, however, that the tournament remained out of reach for far too many fans.

At what FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised would be the most inclusive World Cup, supporters from multiple countries were unable to obtain visas, according to the Sport & Rights Alliance.

“It’s been a World Cup for a happy few,” Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, told reporters.

“Those in Europe, Norwegians, Scottish, who have enough purchasing power to travel to the US, don’t need a visa to enter the country and can afford the extortionate ticket prices.”

Kylian Mbappe scores twice for France to hit World Cup record but England win 6-4 in third-place playoff final.

England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff 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 semifinal exits – France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina.

Both coaches made multiple changes for Saturday’s 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 lineup 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 threatened to become embarrassing for France when Bukayo Saka made it 3-0 after a swift break.

And it was 4-0 in first-half stoppage time when Saka scored his second goal of the game, celebrated with a fist pump by Tuchel.

France coach Didier Deschamps told French TV channel M6 that the first-half display had been “catastrophic”, urging his men to show pride.

He made four changes, bringing on Dembele, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne and Barcola and was rewarded almost instantly when Mbappe scored his ninth goal of the tournament to move clear of Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

The game had now totally changed complexion, and Barcola pulled another goal back, with Deschamps clenching his fist on the bench.

Mbappe then netted his second of the game to become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals – slotting home from Olise’s pass.

That put him two ahead of Messi in the race to finish as top scorer at the 2026 tournament.

France squandered a number of chances to equalise, and England were handed a chance to extend their lead when Malo Gusto brought down Djed Spence in the penalty area.

Saka stepped up to the spot and converted to complete his hat-trick.

There was still time for Dembele to grab a fourth for France, but Bellingham then strode forward to score the 10th goal of the match with an individual effort.

In doing so, Bellingham became the first England player to score seven goals at a World Cup.

By finishing third, England secured their best result at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 1966, though they will carry bitter memories of their defeat by defending champions Argentina.

Deschamps led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and finished as runners-up four years ago.

Les Bleus were favourites to win the 2026 tournament after a sensational start but were well beaten 2-0 by Spain in the semifinals.

Three-time champions Argentina face European champions Spain in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday.

While Latin Americans have traditionally rallied behind football teams from the region who advance deep into the FIFA World Cup, a flood of memes, jokes and criticism has made it clear there is one exception: Argentina.

In one photoshopped image that went viral, Lamine Yamal — who stars for Argentina’s final opponents Spain — is wearing a Brazilian jersey. The snarky caption? “The hope of the Brazilian people.”

The fervour goes beyond the historic rivalry between Pele’s Brazil and Diego Maradona’s Argentina: Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and others are all hoping Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste bite the dust on Sunday.

A similar phenomenon occurred before Argentina won their third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022.

Colombian sociologist German Gomez believes the “dynamic of solidarity … has been broken” with Argentina.

He said the digital era and social networks have fuelled “narratives” that the team is a darling of FIFA and Gianni Infantino, president of football’s world governing body.

“Argentina has had help from referees,” said Francisco Santos, a Brazilian fan trading World Cup stickers at a shopping centre in Sao Paulo, where cheers rang out when England scored first against Argentina in the semifinal.

If Brazil could not become six-time champions, “I would rather see Spain become two-time champions than Argentina become four-time champions,” the 42-year-old said.

Critics say Argentina have received more favourable calls such as penalties and yellow or red cards against opponents, even when such decisions have been backed by FIFA and experts.

“We’re going to cheer for Spain,” said Juan Camilo Abusaid, a 28-year-old finance worker in Bogota, Colombia’s capital.

‘Very political’

Antonio Lopez, 51, a police officer in Mexico City, described Messi as a “legend”.

But he added: “If you’re going to sweat and break your back on the pitch to become champions twice, I accept that. If referees are going to help you, I don’t”.

At a media conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum jokingly asked journalists which team they were supporting in the final.

“Spain! Spain!” they replied.

For Mexican anthropology professor Jorge Negroe, a specialist in social studies of sport, “this World Cup has proven to be very political”.

Colombian sociologist Gomez added that while Maradona was seen as a revolutionary who confronted FIFA’s power, current narratives perceive Messi as FIFA’s “golden boy”.

National politics has also created resentment.

“I really don’t like Javier Milei (Argentina’s president) at all!” said Rachid Sjoberg, a 29-year-old agricultural laboratory operator in Santiago.

“The idea that he would then boast about having won the World Cup if they win does not sit well with me.”

Argentine fans and some players have also faced accusations of racism — such as a chant sung by the team in the past mocking the black players in the French team as not being really French.

There is also a long history of club-level fans throwing bananas on the field or making monkey gestures at Brazilian fans or black players.

During this World Cup, FIFA condemned racism in a statement after an Argentinian supporter told a black US influencer known as IShowSpeed to go “cry at the zoo” during a livestream.

‘We are unbearable’

Messi himself has acknowledged the strong feelings surrounding whether the team wins or loses.

“Four years ago, we achieved what we wanted: to play the final and be the best for four years. Once again, we have shown that nobody gives us anything for free, and we have put ourselves among the two best again,” he said.

“Let it hurt whoever it hurts.”

A brand of fernet, an alcoholic drink which is hugely popular in Argentina, has taken advantage of the anti-Argentine sentiment with humour.

Under the slogan “We are unbearable,” it launched an advert showing fans from different teams sitting in a therapy circle complaining about Argentina’s unbridled passion for football.

While many in Latin America are rooting against Argentina, the team has received a rapturous response at training camps in the US, with fans chanting “Messi! Messi!”

But some still embrace regional solidarity.

“I’m going to support Argentina because it’s a South American country,” said Valentino Tocto, a 20-year-old student in Lima.

With the World Cup final less than 24 hours away, an unlikely factor is grabbing the attention of organisers, fans and players alike.

The lingering smoke from the Canadian wildfires sparked earlier this week has engulfed the northeastern region of the United States, raising questions about its impact on the Spain vs Argentina final in New Jersey on Sunday.

A visible haze hung over the twin World Cup host states of New York and New Jersey on Saturday, with inclement weather causing disruptions.

At one point on Friday, New York rated as the city with the worst air quality in the world.

The World Cup final between the European champions and current title holders kicks off at 3pm local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Here’s what we know about the smoke, weather and World Cup final:

Is there a haze in New York and New Jersey before the World Cup final?

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires is hanging over the region, reducing visibility and affecting air quality in most northeastern US states.

Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect across a wide area of the US east coast on Saturday.

However, experts predict conditions will improve for the big showdown in New Jersey tomorrow.

The air quality index forecast shows an improvement from unhealthy air to “moderate” air quality for sensitive groups from Saturday to Sunday in East Rutherford, which means little to no health risk for the general public on the day of the final.

How is the weather and what’s the forecast in New Jersey before the Spain vs Argentina final?

A thunderstorm passed through the area on Saturday afternoon, causing heavy rain and loud thunder at the New York New Jersey Stadium, renamed from MetLife Stadium.

State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. Volunteers and staff dashed inside for cover as ponchos were handed out. The sky was the same thick, soupy grey it had been for days.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned residents about the potential for damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hailstones.

FIFA said it was in close contact with local authorities as it continues to monitor the impacts from the wildfire smoke and the storms on the stadium conditions for the final.

Have the weather and smoke disrupted preparations for Spain or Argentina?

Spain’s last training session ahead of the final at a nearby Melanie Lane Training Ground was suspended because of storms and lightning in the area.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said that was in accordance with US storm safety protocol.

“The players are currently taking part in a warm-up session indoors,” RFEF added.

FIFA said that there would not be another time slot for the team to train.

Argentina had an outdoor training session at their scheduled time of 1:30pm (17:30 GMT), with players showing no concerns about air quality or the weather.

Will the wildfire smoke affect the World Cup final?

The haze will mostly clear from New Jersey just in time for the final, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say.

“This storm front will largely move the smoke out of the northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina,” said Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist at online weather service AccuWeather.

“There could be some lingering smoke that would make things hazy, but very faint,” Roys said. “In terms of the thickest smoke, the smoke that has really been eye-popping and leads to poor air quality, that is not expected across New York City or much of the northeast.”

Jeff Berardelli, chief meteorologist and climate specialist at WFLA-TV, echoed the forecast, saying the storm front would “sweep the atmosphere clean”, leaving only a thin smoke that World Cup spectators may still smell in the air.

“It won’t be dangerous anymore,” Berardelli said. “It’s going to be dramatically better.”

Temperatures are forecast to be around 27C (80F) with light breezes and low humidity for kick off.

“You couldn’t have asked for much better weather for the World Cup,” Berardelli added.

Both experts expect the heavier smoke on Sunday to be concentrated closer to the fires, hanging over parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region.

Berardelli said they are burning longer and faster because of climate change.

Mamdani had pledged to arrest Netanyahu during campaign for mayor and says he is consulting city’s legal advisers.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said that he is consulting with city authorities over the possibility of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.

In an interview with The New York Times (NYT) released on Saturday, Mamdani reiterated his view that Netanyahu, who is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant for possible crimes against humanity in Gaza, must be brought to justice for the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza.

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in the Hague,” Mamdani told The Interview, a show produced by the NYT.

“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” he added. “And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has emerged as an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian cause, pledged to arrest Netanyahu if he came to New York City during his mayoral campaign. Some questioned the feasibility of that promise.

The mayor said that he was in “active conversation” with the city’s law department about whether he has the authority to have Netanyahu arrested, should he travel to New York.

“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” he said.

Asked about Mamdani’s call to have him arrested, Netanyahu told radio personality Sid Rosenberg that he thinks Mamdani secretly “hates America”.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also insisted that Netanyahu will be at the UNGA meeting in New York this September, despite the threats of arrest.

During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani was the target of frequent Islamophobic vitriol and insults. Rosenberg referred to the New York mayor hopeful as a “cockroach”, before later apologising.

Mamdani’s election to mayor and his continued calls for accountability regarding Netanyahu point to a dramatic swing among Democratic voters away from Israel.

A poll in May found that nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters oppose US aid to Israel, up from 45 percent three years ago.

Nearly half of those surveyed said that their party was too supportive of Israel, whose war on Gaza has been termed a genocide by a growing number of human rights organisations, international officials, and scholars.

While that shift has yet to translate into concrete policy change at the top of the party, which includes stalwart supporters of Israel, many Democratic politicians have slowly begun to adjust their positions.

Nearly half of the Democratic members of the US House of Representatives voted to end US aid to Israel earlier this week, a measure of the shifting politics around the issue that commentators believe would have been unthinkable just several years ago.

Mojtaba Khamenei says Trump’s signature is ‘worthless’ and that ‘bullying’ is a core element of US foreign policy.

Iran’s supreme leader has warned that the United States will suffer “unforgettable lessons” at the hands of Tehran and its regional allies, accusing the US of repeatedly violating the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

A written statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei was read out on state television on Saturday, in which the supreme leader said Washington’s breaches of last month’s MoU showed that President Donald Trump’s signature was “utterly worthless and invalid”.

“The repeated breach of agreements by the Great Satan vis-a-vis the accord has once again proven to all that the signature of the President of America is now utterly worthless and invalid, and that bullying, hegemonism and savagery are inseparable components of the American creed and doctrine,” the statement read.

“Now that the American enemy is seeking to foment war and suffer heavier costs and further humiliation, it should know that the dear nation of Iran and the Resistance Front hold unforgettable lessons for it,” it added.

The US dramatically escalated its attacks on Iran this week by targeting civilian infrastructure, including bridges, railway lines and water desalination plants.

Tehran has responded by successfully striking civilian infrastructure in Kuwait, with authorities there urging everyone to ration electricity.

The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in February, is seen as existential by the country’s senior leadership.

Tehran has shown no sign of caving to the increasing demands from the Trump administration, as regional countries continue to push for an end to the conflict behind the scenes.

Khamenei said the US has “revealed its true face,” exposing its “deceitfulness, irrationality, unreliability and wickedness”.

He called on Iranians to trust the leadership to protect the country, urging people to remain “vigilant” and “active” as the fighting grinds on.

Reports have surfaced in recent days that the Houthis in Yemen could close the Bab al-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea in support of their crucial ally Iran. That would further destabilise global energy markets, increase inflation and apply additional pressure on Trump to halt attacks.

The war is deeply unpopular in the US and has inflicted economic harm on Americans.

The MoU mediated by Qatar and Pakistan and signed last month aimed to create the conditions to bring the war to a permanent end.

However, Tehran and Washington have since declared the accord “over” after accusing each other of violating it.

The deals include rebuilding the long-defunct Iraq-Syria crude oil pipeline, which could bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq has struck dozens of agreements and partnerships with American companies, many in the oil sector, during a visit to the United States by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

“A total of 48 agreements, memoranda of understanding, cooperation agreements and partnership declarations were signed between public and private sector entities in Iraq and the United States,” the Iraqi leader’s media office said on Saturday.

They include “cooperation and partnerships involving the ministries of oil and electricity … with ExxonMobil, KBR, GE Vernova, Shell and Halliburton”, as well as several deals related to the construction of a major crude oil pipeline between Iraq and Syria.

Iraq also signed a deal with Starlink, which dominates the global satellite communications sector, to introduce services to the country.

The preliminary deals, signed at a US-Iraq business summit at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Friday, come as Baghdad seeks to move away from dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping and oil exports have been heavily disrupted due to the US-Israel war against Iran.

Iraq and Syria signed a cooperation agreement to reconstruct the long-defunct Iraq-Syria oil pipeline, which runs from the oil-rich Kirkuk region in northern Iraq to Syria’s Mediterranean port of Baniyas.

Iraq’s state news agency reported that major US energy company Chevron would carry out the project under the agreement.

The US Department of State said it welcomed Iraq and Syria’s plan to rehabilitate the pipeline, for which a “US-led international consortium” would “execute the technical and financial aspects”.

“Upon rehabilitation, this groundbreaking project will have an initial transport capacity of two million barrels per day of crude oil,” the department’s statement said. It described the pipeline as “a critical energy corridor linking Iraqi oil production to Mediterranean export markets and beyond”.

‘Make Hormuz an afterthought’

The US ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, said Iraq’s latest oil pipeline agreements would lead to a programme “that will make the Strait of Hormuz an afterthought”.

In addition to the Syria pipeline project, Chevron signed two other agreements with Iraq focused on boosting oil production, according to the company’s president of corporate business development, Jake Spiering.

In total, Iraq’s initial agreements with US firms, spanning the energy, healthcare and technology sectors are worth more than $60 billion, Reuters reported.

“We are using an open-door policy,” al-Zaidi ⁠⁠said at the business summit. “Everybody who has a project can come and talk to us. We will not make it difficult for anyone.”

New York City – It’s dubbed “Little Argentina”, but lifelong resident Christian Gimenez says much has changed in the neighbourhood he grew up in.

Once an epicentre of the Argentinian diaspora that settled in New York City, most relocating during the so-called “dirty war” of the 1970s, only a handful of Argentinian restaurants and bakeries remain as a foothold of what once was in the Elmhurst, Queens neighbourhood.

But when the FIFA World Cup comes around, the block swells with revellers, clad in white and sky blue. With Argentina heading to the final against Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just a few kilometres (miles) away, everything on the block – from the asphalt, to the benches, to the store fronts, and even the fire plugs – bears the iconic colours.

As a child, “everywhere you would go, it was Argentinian,” Gimenez, who owns Rio de la Plata Bakery and is among those who spearheaded the decorations, told Al Jazeera. “So what I do is try to keep it alive.”

To be sure, the 40-year-old is clear that the commitment to Argentina’s national team goes far beyond the monthlong tournament. The World Cup may come only once every four years, but the vaunting mural of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona on the side of his bakery is a mainstay.

To many, it is a reminder of the generational significance of the country’s football tradition, one that has for decades been a glue for Argentinians in New York City, even as the community has dispersed.

Seventy-four-year-old Beatriz Jaime recounted watching Argentina’s 1978 routing of the Netherlands in a broadcast at Madison Square Garden, and returning to the neighbourhood soon after to find it “loaded with people” celebrating into the night.

“The thing is that the roots are here, and they’re in Argentina,” said Jaime, who grew up in Queens but now lives on Long Island.

“You never forget that. I get goosebumps.”

For Henry Pachaco, 45, who is also from Queens, fandom is a family affair. He stood clad in the national team jersey, his mother wearing a blue shirt with a single phrase, “Hand of God”, a reference to the infamous hand-ball goal scored by Maradona in the 1986 quarterfinal match against England.

Pachaco called the block “the centre” for Argentinian fans in the city, offering a stadium atmosphere on game day – complete with a closed street, music, an outdoor television, and street food – without the price tag.

For Argentina to be in the final, for Messi to possibly be playing in his last national team match, and for all of it to be happening on New York’s doorstep, he said, represents a convergence of worlds.

“It’s like bringing Argentina to New York … wherever you go, anywhere in the world, when Argentinians get together. That that same passion is equal, no matter what.

“You’re always gonna be accepted here and have the best time of your life,” he said.

Gimenez echoed the sentiment, while addressing several racist incidents from Argentinian fans that have tarnished La Albiceleste’s run in this World Cup and the last. He said that was not representative of the fan base.

“Whatever your race or whatever your ethnic background is, we don’t look into that,” he said.

“If you’re supporting us, we love you. Straight up, just like that.”

A new fandom grows in Brooklyn

It is a message that is likely to be well received a borough away, in the Kensington neighbourhood of Brooklyn, home to an rapid-growing Bangladeshi community that has earned the area the title “Little Bangladesh”.

NYC data shows the diaspora population has tripled in the last two decades, one of the fastest-growing groups in an ever-changing city. Last year, the community elected the first-ever Bangladeshi American to the NYC Council.

Shafiqul Alam, 66, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 36 years, said the area has transformed, bringing with it a passionate new base of support for Argentina’s national team.

On match days, large-screen televisions have been set up in pedestrian squares in the neighbourhood. If the weather turns, he said, it is not uncommon for people to crowd inside his shop to watch on his own television.

“Bangladeshi people love Argentina,” he said, “and Argentina loves Bangladesh.”

Many factors have coalesced to fuel support for Argentina within South Asia, and particularly Bangladesh, notably a newfound access to televisions in the 1980s, which aligned with the Maradona-led national team’s 1986 defeat of England.

The match held potent political significance for countries still grappling with the legacy of British colonialism. But for many younger fans, support comes down to one man: Messi.

“Knowing this could be Messi’s last match, everyone will want to watch,” said Sajid Bhuyan, 31, a resident of the neighbourhood.

He had trouble imagining that any less than 90 percent of the local Bangladeshi community in Kensington backed Argentina.

While the origin stories of their fandom may be different, Bhuyan felt the passion from Little Bangladesh to Little Argentina was the same.

He recounted a tournament that has repeatedly seen Argentina come back from the brink of defeat, most recently in a stunning turnaround in the semifinal against England.

“I almost died when Argentina scored the two goals in just minutes,” Bhuyan said. “I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk, I had to take five or six minutes to calm down.

“So if it happens again,” he said, “we will enjoy!”

The 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament now comes down to one game: Spain against Argentina.

It is hard to argue that the European champions and world number one team taking on the South American champions and World Cup holders is not a fitting finale.

France had stormed into the pole position as favourites during the tournament, while England seemed to have their best chance since their only win 60 years ago.

Nevertheless, there is plenty to pick through when it comes to the finalists, so Al Jazeera does exactly that:

Argentina – World Cup holders and South American champions

Previous World Cup appearances: 18
Best performance: Winners (1978, 1986, 2022)
First appearance: 1930 (Uruguay)
Overall World Cup record: P94 W53 D17 L24 F171 A103
FIFA world ranking: 3

Overview: If their 2022 challenge in Qatar got off to a shocking start, with defeat by Saudi Arabia, then the 2026 campaign for Argentina could be seen as a flyer in comparison.

The truth, however, is that this has been far from a vintage Argentina, especially with Lionel Messi still the pivot of the team. The 39-year-old is, nevertheless, the reason that the title defence is ongoing.

The last side to win back-to-back World Cups was Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Italy have also retained a title, so it is a very short list that Argentina are seeking to join.

Strengths: Look no further than Messi for Argentina’s clear and unmatched – at least at this tournament – strength. The Inter Miami forward is set to win the Golden Boot with eight goals. The midfield trio holding in front of the back line: Enzo Fernandes, Alexis Mac Allister and Paredes, have been seen as the enforcers of the tournament, protecting Messi as much as the back line; they have even been compared to personal bodyguards for the Argentina legend.

Weaknesses: Due to the weight of reliance on Messi, Argentina’s weakness has to be their ability to replace their main man. Should Messi sustain an injury, Argentina’s odds – already wide – would stretch further. They have pace and guile in Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez, and goals in Lautaro Martinez; they also have power in their defence and holding midfielders, but do they have a spark without Messi? Arguably, no team at World Cup 2026 has been more reliant on one player.

Form guide: Argentina have not lost a match since they were beaten 1-0 in Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match. Since then, the South American champions have gone on a 14-game winning streak.

The Argentinians rattled in eight goals as they swept the group stage of the World Cup, conceding only once – in their final game against Jordan when already qualified for the round of 32.

The knockouts have proved far trickier, with 3-2 wins recorded in the last 32 and last 16, against Cape Verde and Egypt, respectively.

Their progress from the quarterfinals was secured by a 3-1 win against Switzerland, but that game – much like the Cape Verde win – required extra time.

The 2-1 semifinal win against England saw a second great turnaround at the tournament, having trailed the Egyptians 2-0 with 11 minutes of the 90 remaining.

Players to watch: Argentina not only threw the kitchen sink at England, but they also threw the extent of their attacking talent that started on the bench.

Along with Lautaro Martinez, coach Lionel Scaloni threw on Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolas Gonzalez. Although Messi is irreplaceable, the Argentinians are likely to need the full extent of the resources around him if they are to claim the win.

At the other end, Lisandro Martinez remains the main man at the heart of the defence.

Spain – European champions and world’s number one team

Previous World Cup appearances: 17
Best finish: Winners (2010)
Overall World Cup record: P74 W37 D18 L19 F121 A76
FIFA ranking: 1

Overview: Spain 

Spain have recovered from two terrible World Cup campaigns – having not reached the quarterfinals at the last two editions – to have the chance of becoming the reigning European and World champions for the second time.

The Spanish lifted the global title for the only time in their history in 2014, two years after their first continental crown.

Their number one ranking by FIFA on entering the tournament is in large part based on the victory at Euro 2024.

Strengths: Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, now 19 and 24, respectively, were the rising stars of Spain’s continental win in 2024, but neither has fired at the World Cup.

Yamal’s fitness entering the tournament was a concern, given he missed the end of the domestic Spanish season with a hamstring injury, while Williams has mostly been restricted to cameos from the bench in North America.

As lauded as Argentina’s defence has been, Spain have only conceded one goal at the tournament so far. Their organisation as a nation, be it at club or international level, is rarely anything other than immaculate.

The rapid, short passing game “Tiki-taki” started in Spain during Pep Guardiola’s time with Barcelona – ironically, when Messi was leading the line for the Catalan club and was the main reason for its success.

The Spaniards will once again look for their heavy possession-based game to win the day, with Rodri and Fabian Ruiz acting as the fulcrums in midfield.

Weaknesses: As in most walks of life, a strength can also be a weakness. Where question marks have been raised about Spain at this edition, it has mostly surrounded a pedestrian pace.

The short passing game remains, but it has not been as swift and effective this time around, especially against the low block – something they are likely to face against Argentina.

Most of the sides have set up that way against the Spanish so far, with Cape Verde, Uruguay, Portugal and Belgium all making life exceptionally difficult. The neutral will be hoping very much for an early Spain goal, therefore bringing the Argentinians out to play.

Form guide: The opening match of the tournament was against Cape Verde, and the 0-0 draw that the debutants from Africa secured was regarded as one of the great World Cup shocks in the group stage.

A much-needed win against Saudi Arabia followed, also with a more than useful 4-0 margin, before a narrow 1-0 win against Uruguay saw Spain through as group winners.

Austria were dismissed 3-0 in the last 32, but then came the big tests against Portugal and Belgium. Neither was shaken off easily, with one-goal winning margins, but they were victories nonetheless.

The ultimate test at this edition, for all teams hopeful of lifting the trophy, was France – it was a challenge that Spain passed with flying colours.

Spain have not tasted defeat in 37 matches, dating back to a 1-0 reverse in an international friendly against Colombia in March 2024.

Their last defeat in a competitive match came against Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier in March 2023.

Players to watch: Yamal has only netted once at this edition, in the trouncing of Saudi Arabia, while their other starlet, Williams, has yet to score.

It feels as though something special must come from one of them, even if it is in a late moment of desperation, as per Messi’s two late shows to save Argentina already.

A large factor of the final is whether at least one of the megastars on show will shine, and in doing so leave their indelible impression.

It is hard to imagine the tournament will pass without Yamal producing something to remember. The winger secured a second successive La Liga title with Barcelona this season and was named Player of the Season.

Both sides will happily take a dull 1-0 win, if that is what it takes. The expecting global audience will hope for anything but.

Plumes of smoke from wildfires in Canada are pouring into major US cities across the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Polluted air is affecting more than 100 million people and is creating concern ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final.

The only thing you might have in common with a World Cup football player is posting on Instagram as soon as you’re back home from a social gathering. Or, in the case of Erling Haaland, while you’re still in the dressing room after a win.

Football’s biggest stars are giving an insider look into the World Cup, their training, and personal lives at the six-week tournament through social media, and for some of them, their following has grown by tens of millions. Their on-pitch heroics, popularity, and personal stories have led them to overnight social media stardom during the World Cup.

Of course, football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have seen an exponential rise in their Instagram following as well. But the 2026 World Cup wasn’t the first rodeo for these veterans, who have an evergreen social media boom outside the tournament.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the biggest social media stars from this World Cup:

Erling Haaland — Netherlands

The goofy, witty and relatable six-foot-five-inch (195cm) Viking has been one of the World Cup’s most loveable personalities on the pitch and online.

The 25-year-old Norwegian striker, like many Gen Z social media users, seems to be chronically online when he’s not leading his country to new World Cup heights.

From candid Snapchat stories to Instagram posts right after winning to taking a taxidermied raccoon on the plane ride home, Haaland has become a social media phenomenon this World Cup.

It’s all thanks to his authentic posting style, compared with more carefully curated accounts that PR firms manage for similar high-profile personalities.

Of Haaland’s Instagram following of more than 70 million, 29 million were added in the past 30 days, according to analytics tool Social Blade. He is projected to reach 75 million after the World Cup final and nearly 322 million by the end of the year.

Vozinha — Cape Verde

One of the best feel-good stories of the tournament belongs to Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper whose heroics kept some of the world’s best teams from scoring a single goal against the island nation — all of which his mother eventually saw in person after she finally received a US visa to attend the World Cup.

He leapt, dived and executed a string of saves in Cape Verde’s tournament opener against Spain to end the match in a shock 0-0 draw. By the time he opened his Instagram a few hours later, his following surged from 500,000 to nearly five million.

It currently sits at 29.3 million followers, and the initial hype around him still stands as his posts garner millions of likes and interactions.

The 40-year-old joked how most people couldn’t even point out Cape Verde on a map before the World Cup, but his team’s standout performance in the group stages and knockout match helped change that.

Jude Bellingham — England

Good looks, loveable personality, Golden Boot contender — is there anything Jude Bellingham isn’t great at? And a massive 50 million Instagram following, of course.

The English midfielder’s World Cup journey may have ended in disappointment earlier this week, but there’s a lot to be said about a player whose fans sing “Hey Jude” for him after leading his team to victory at previous World Cup stages before the semifinal loss.

Bellingham, 23, has gained nearly nine million followers in the past 30 days, according to Social Blade, but his online popularity spiked by three million in October, when he opened up about his struggles with mental health.

Lamine Yamal — Spain

The teen sensation has been on the up and up since bursting to stardom two summers ago with Spain’s UEFA 2024 win, and his social media reflects the cool, candid, level-headed personality he carries on and off the pitch.

The 19-year-old’s Instagram feed is a mix of post-match photos, brand partnerships, multiple trophy wins and pictures with family members with whom he shares a close relationship.

His younger brother, Keyne, has become something of a celebrity at the World Cup, too, with his endearing antics as Yamal shepherds the three-year-old around the stadium pitch or watches him try — and fail — at golf.

The Barcelona striker could see his popularity gain new heights — and more Instagram followers, which currently number 49.6 million — after this Sunday’s World Cup final as Spain take on Messi’s Argentina.

Social media has already been fawning over the full-circle moment that began with a now-viral photo of Messi and Yamal in 2007 for a UNICEF fundraising shoot.

Tim Payne — New Zealand

Payne’s viral moment may have come before the World Cup, but it was touching nonetheless.

The New Zealand defender’s Instagram following exploded late in May after an Argentinian influencer decided he was the least-known player at the World Cup.

Valen Scarsini, known as “elscarso” on Instagram and TikTok, made a video encouraging his audience to give the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender’s account likes, comments and follows.

Payne’s Instagram following grew from fewer ⁠⁠than 5,000 before the campaign to about 5.8 million, turning the 32-year-old into one of the tournament’s most unlikely viral stars.

He even addressed the outpouring of love in a video on Instagram, and eventually met up with Scarsini at the team’s hotel in Boca Raton, Florida, ahead of the World Cup.

New York, United States – Zein Rimawi says he’s not much of a football fan, but when asked for his pick for the FIFA World Cup final, Rimawi blurted: “Spain.”

“You don’t need to finish the question,” the 72-year-old told Al Jazeera.

Sitting in his office in the Bay Ridge neighbourhood of New York with a Palestinian flag behind him, Rimawi said football cannot be separated from politics.

“I support countries that support our causes, especially the Palestinian cause,” added Rimawi, who serves as the chair of the Arab American Federation nonprofit.

His support for Spain, who will face off against Argentina for football’s most prized trophy on Sunday, echoes the sentiments of many among the large Arab American community.

Here, Palestinian emblems – graffiti, keffiyeh patterns, tatreez embroidery and watermelons – appear nearly everywhere.

The neighbourhood is nicknamed Little Palestine, but in reality, it is a melting pot of Arab-American and other immigrant communities from across the world.

With the final taking place in neighbouring New Jersey, World Cup fever is raging in Bay Ridge.

Palestinian restaurants, Yemeni cafes, Lebanese grocery stores and corner shops all have the flags of the participating teams displayed.

While the tournament has been a festival of football, Rimawi called it a “political summit”.

So Spain, which recognised the State of Palestine in 2024 and has been a vocal critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, is a natural choice for Arab fans, he argued.

“I didn’t know who Hossam Hassan was,” he said, referring to Egypt’s head coach.

“But when he raised the Palestinian flag, I instantly became a fan.”

‘We’re for Spain with all our hearts’

Across 5th Avenue at Al Reef Bakery, Talal Abdraboh had a similar take.

He said Spain’s support for Palestinians and the Arabs’ presence in Andalusia for centuries make the team endearing to fans in the community.

“It’s not about bias against Argentina. If any team that’s not Arab were facing Spain, we would support Spain,” he said.

“We’re for Spain with all our hearts.”

The bakery has a large mural of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and another featuring a Palestinian woman baking with the words of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, “I long for the bread of my mother.”

“The Arab community was immersed in this World Cup, especially when Arab teams were playing,” Abdraboh told Al Jazeera as he cut a loaf of bread into vertical strips.

“All the Arab fans were raising the Palestinian flag. So, when any Arab team was playing, we were cheering for them as Palestinians.”

A record eight Arab teams participated in the 2026 tournament, with Morocco going the farthest before losing to France in the quarterfinals.

Egypt made it to the round of 16, but they crashed out after squandering a two-goal lead against Argentina amid a series of controversial refereeing decisions that included ruling out an Egyptian goal for a soft foul in the build-up after a VAR review.

Arab unity

For many Arab New Yorkers, the tournament showcased the community’s unity.

Mahmoud Kasem, the owner of Al-Aqsa Bakery, installed a large TV screen outside his restaurant and gave out free falafel for major Arab teams’ matches, attracting people from across Bay Ridge.

“Not everything is about business. I love soccer. Across the Arab world, we are infatuated with the game. I wanted to create a beautiful atmosphere as we do in Palestine. Put a TV outside and tell people, ‘Come and watch,’” Kasem told Al Jazeera.

“The beauty of it is seeing the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Moroccans, the Jordanians, everyone get together. I love unity. I love community and being all together.”

He added that he wishes Arab leaders would follow the example of people in the diaspora and eliminate borders and disputes.

Kasem said he convinced police officers who complained about his show partially closing down the street to drop their grievances, invoking the celebrations that took place across the city when the New York Knicks won the NBA championship.

Like many people in Bay Ridge, Kasem is hoping for a Spanish win on Sunday. He highlighted Arab and Spanish cultural, linguistic and musical similarities and lauded the positions of the government in Madrid.

“When Palestine was bombed, they took a stance. When Lebanon was bombed, they took a stance,” he told Al Jazeera. “They stand with humanity. They stand with freedom.”

Kasem added that many Palestinians support Real Madrid and Barcelona in club football.

Beyond the Spanish government, many Spanish celebrities and footballers have expressed solidarity with Palestine.

Last year, the Basque side Athletic Club – home to Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon and winger Nico Williams – officially called for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

Kasem said politics should stay out of football, but it was FIFA that politicised the sport after handing US President Donald Trump its inaugural Peace Prize and suspending Russia over the invasion of Ukraine while refusing to ban Israel for the genocide in Gaza.

Argentina-Israel vibes

Some fans have linked the Argentinian team to Israel because of the pro-Israel policies of the government of President Javier Melei.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also expressed support for Argentina. Israeli flags were also spotted during Argentina’s match with Egypt.

But the Argentinian team and players have not taken a position on the conflict.

In 2018, Argentina cancelled a friendly match with Israel in Jerusalem after pressure from Palestinian rights activists.

So some Arab Americans are still backing Argentina, arguing that the magic that Lionel Messi produces transcends politics.

Karim Bouzeraa, a 24-year-old barber in Bay Ridge, said the Israeli flags do not represent Argentinian football.

“Messi is a legend,” he told Al Jazeera. “Twenty years of competition is not something easy. We’ve seen other legends, but no one with the same longevity.”

Bouzeraa said regardless of who’s cheering for whom in the final, it was heartwarming to see Arab fans get behind all of their teams in the tournament.

“At the end of the day, we are all Arabs – one blood. Hopefully in the next World Cup we see many Arab teams, so we can support them,” he said.

United States President Donald Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs against Canada, as a penalty for the wildfire smoke that has clouded cities across North America.

On Friday, Trump complained about the air quality on social media, as officials in Canada continue to battle 896 active blazes across the country.

Roughly 200 are burning in the province of Ontario, where Premier Doug Ford said 81 are still out of control. Trump, however, blamed the fires on Canadian governance.

“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush,” Trump wrote.

“The United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!”

He pledged to call Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing the Canadian leader’s government of negligence.

“The cost is incalculable,” Trump added, saying the expense would be added to existing tariffs against Canadian exports to the US.

The post is the latest example of the US president wielding the threat of heightened tariffs to impose a wide range of demands on foreign countries.

Since returning to the White House for a second term in January 2025, Trump has ratcheted up pressure against Canada, using tariffs as a means of pressuring the country to increase border security and change trade practices he considered unfair.

Trump has also pushed Canada to cede its sovereignty and become the “51st” US state.

Scientists have attributed the proliferation of wildfires across North America to a range of factors, including hot and dry conditions worsened by climate change.

But the right-wing Trump has repeatedly blamed left-leaning and centrist politicians for mismanagement when powerful wildfires erupt.

Trump, for example, repeatedly attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom when his state was fighting wildfires around the city of Los Angeles in 2025.

He blamed the fire destruction on the state’s approach to water management and its endangered species protections.

“I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this,” Trump wrote at the time, though experts say his accusations had little basis in fact.

During his first term, Trump also attacked California, saying that the state should have raked its forest floors to prevent wildfires.

“I said, you’ve got to clean your floors. You’ve got to clean your forests,” Trump told a rally in 2020.

Scientists say that multiple factors can contribute to large wildfires, including heightened heat, drought and overly repressive fire policies that prevent natural burns, resulting in overgrown landscapes.

The risk of damage is also heightened by the increasing number of people living in areas where the wildlands meet urban development.

In mid-July, Ontario saw its largest conflagration of the year so far, when several smaller fires merged in Wabakimi Provincial Park, destroying First Nations communities.

Ford, Ontario’s premier, said on Friday morning that 10 communities had been evacuated.

He thanked leaders across Canada, as well as in US states like Massachusetts and Minnesota, for providing support.

“Neighbours have each other’s backs, which is why Ontario has always been there for our American partners in their time of need,” he wrote on social media.

But Republicans, including Trump and US Representative Bill Huizenga of Michigan, have used the recent blazes to criticise Canada for its fire policy.

“Canada’s inability to mitigate, contain, and prevent its wildfires must be addressed,” Huizenga wrote on social media on Thursday. “These annual fires significantly harm not only our health and quality of life, but also our economic prosperity.”

On Friday, Trump reiterated his position that Canada’s fires could have been prevented through debris removal.

“Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,” Trump wrote.

“This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”

The wildfire smoke has prompted concerns about the viability of hosting the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey this weekend.

But the Trump administration itself has faced pushback over its wildfire preparedness.

The New York Times reported on Friday that the Trump administration had slashed funding for wildfire research, including laboratories that study the effects of wildfire smoke on human health.