Spain Wins WC Final 1-0, Messi gets ripped off in Awards
Ok lets start with the World Cup final – Spain scored the winner late (Spain Goal) and held on for the 1-0 victory (Highlights) in Extra time thanks in large part to the send off of Enzo Fernandez on a hard tackle earning his 2nd yellow card. (The shame is his first yellow was for dissent and his sendoff ruined the game basically giving the win to Spain). Yes Spain dominated possession and deserved the goal after making Argentina’s GK Martinez (should have won Golden Gloves) make the most saves (11) ever in a WC Final. But Argentina had come back so many times late and in Extra Time but never had to do it a man down – and yes they had 3 shots on goal in ET (not zero) as many folks in the Press have reported – (more than Spain BTW in ET). Either way Spain kept the ball from Messi for the first 95 minutes of the game – and took the game out of his hands with their high press and ball control. Cudos for Spain a deserving World Cup winner who gave up just 1 goal in the World Cup. But the awards at the end were ridiculous! Unai Simon for Golden Glove? He had 10 saves all World Cup long (4 impressive) – Martinez had 11 in the final. Real Top 10 WC Goal Keepers. The 2nd was Rodri winning the Golden Ball as best player? Seriously? Across the entire WC NO ONE was better than Messi (8 goals, 4 assist, 5 Man of Match, created 29 chances on goal). Messi got ripped just because he couldn’t pull off a Miracle late game goal for a 4th straight game. Whoever decided the individual awards was simply blinded by Spain winning, Best young player was right in Pau Cubarsi (of Spain) however and best coach – though not a category was Spain’s De La Fuente hands down. I was extremely disappointed in the fighting post game by Argentina – the poor sportsmanship was astonishing. However the MEDIA got it wrong when they said Argentina turned their backs on the medal presentation to Spain – the Argentine Fans were singing goodbye to Messi – who stood alone in tears looking into the crowd and his teammates simply joined him in acknowledging the Argentine fans who were singing to Messi. The Real Reason Argentina Turned Their Backs on Spain … Folks can get on Argentina all they want about the after game fights – but THEY DID NOT PURPOSELY TURN THEIR BACKS ON SPAIN during the medal presentation – so just stop!
So what really happened to Argentina in this final? That was not the Argentina we have seen this World Cup late in games. I have heard conspiracy theory’s about FIFA sending a letter to Argentine officials telling them they can’t win, I have heard about a fight between coach Scaloni & Messi pregame (evidently Scaloni wanted to play a low block and counter – which is what Argentina did) and Messi wanted to attack and possess more. While some of that may be true – I think Spain simply took the fight out of Argentina much they way these did vs France. They kept possession and did not let Messi get comfortable with the ball – until the last 10 minutes or so when Argentina was pressing for the equalizer. (an equalizer I feel would have come late if Argentina was not a man down in the last 15 minutes). Give Spain and Del Fuente credit – all he’s done is won his only 3 tourneys coached – Nations League 2023, Europa 2024, World Cup 2026. That’s 13 wins no losses and 1 tie during the streak. (that’s never been done before). Somebody tell Del Fuente its nice in the US in the winter time – maybe he’s ready for a change. LOL. I will have more about the US breakdown and my personal trip across the west to follow the US in next week’s OBC.
World Cup Memories
Haaland reacts to his funniest memes. Despite the Extra Time loss to Spain Messi still solidified his title as the GOAT for me. Did you know Messi almost played for Spain instead he stuck with his birthplace and this happened –Messi Magic for Argentina over the years and of course this year’s World Cup Messi in this World Cup – and overall for Barcelona: Messi Magic. Argentina fans took over Times Square the night before the game unfortunately the team’s Post Game antics inexcusable according to Taylor Twelman. (who did a great job along with John Strong as the #1 announcing team for Fox. I love John’s inflection at the right times though even I flip to Telemundo for the goals. Things I won’t forget the fans, England’s Wonderwall , this 10 goal wonder between England & France (if every game was like soccer might well be a top2 sport in the US – of course World Cup Viewship thru the Roof in US. & that doesn’t even include the finals which I will cover next week.
MLS Allstar Game Wed, 8 pm on Apple/MLS Skills contest Tues 8 pm Apple Free
Lionel Messi is one of four players to have been ruled out of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game at Charlotte, N.C., as he recovers from the World Cup (More); everything you need to know about the All-Star game (More) |The game has evolved beyond a typical exhibition. For MLS, it represents an opportunity to showcase the league’s growth and competitiveness. For Liga MX, it is a chance to defend its long-established reputation as the region’s traditional powerhouse. Thanks World, We’ll Take it From Here – MLS is Back
Indy 11 Loses at Home 1-0, Travels to San Antonio Fri 9 pm, Returns Sun 8/9 @ 5 pm vs Hartford
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven had its 10-game home league unbeaten streak (9-0-1) snapped in a 1-0 loss to Loudoun United FC at Carroll Stadium. The run without a home loss in the USL Championship lasted nearly a full calendar year, starting last August and concluding with a 2-0 win over Charleston Battery on July 4. The Boys in Blue earned a plethora of chances, finishing with 20 shots, 14 shots from inside the box, 10 shots on target, nine corners, and 36 crosses. But Loudoun goalkeeper Ethan Bandré had an extraordinary performance, making 10 saves, tying the the most in a USL Championship match this season. At the midpoint of their season, Indy Eleven is in playoff position in eighth with 15 league games remaining. The Boys in Blue take a 2-0 record against the USL Championship Western Conference this season to San Antonio FC on Fri. July 31 at 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Indy Eleven returns home on Sunday, August 9 at 5 p.m. vs. Hartford Athletic. It is a 317 Night, so fans can purchase $11 tickets through the link and add on an Indy Eleven Medical Scrub Cap at checkout for $15 (cap must be picked up at the match). Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
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TV Schedule
Wed, July 29
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8 pm CBSSN KC Current vs Racing Louisville NWSL
10 pm CBSSN Bay FC vs Gotham FC
Fri, July 31
7:30 pm Apple Free NYCFC vs Toronto FC (Stewart)
8 pm Prime NC Courage vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL
9 pm CBS Golazo Indy 11 @ San Antonio FC
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6:30 pm Tubi, Ion KC Current vs Angel City (Thompson)
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12 noon ESPN Wrexham vs Sunderland
4 pm ESPN+, Des Liverpool vs Leeds United
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7 pm Victory+Plus.nwslsoccer.com Utah Royals vs Portland Thorns
9 pm ESPN Denver Summit (Heaps) vs Boston Legacy
Wed, Aug 5
10 pm CBSSN Denver Summit (Heaps) vs NC Courage
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8 am CBSSN Chelsea vs AC Milan
11 am CBSSN Man United vs PSG
4 pm Ion, Tubi Denver Summit vs Utah Royals
4:30 pm Apple Free New England vs Houston Dynamo
6:30 pm Ion, Tubi Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs NC Courage
8:45 pm Ion, Tubi Houston Dash vs KC Current
Sun, Aug 9
4 pm CBSSN Boston Legacy vs Portland Thorns
5 pm My Indy TV Indy 11 vs. Hartford Athletic
9 pm ESPN Seattle Reign vs Angel City (Thompon)
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World Cup team of the tournament: Our writers make their picks – and there’s no room for Kane
Lots of our writers chose Bellingham, but nobody had space for Kane Michael Steele/Getty Images
By Oliver Kay, Mark Carey, Colin Millar, Phil Hay, Eduardo Tansley, Amelie Claydon and George Edwards
July 22, 2026
FIFA has announced its ‘Dream XI’ of the 2026 World Cup, which was decided by fan voting throughout the tournament. It features three players from eventual champions Spain, the same number from France and two from Argentina, with England’s Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland of Norway and Cape Verde’s Vozinha completing the line-up.
To make life a little more interesting, we asked some of The Athletic’s writers to choose their best XI from this World Cup, with one rule: they could have a maximum of two players from any one nation.
Nobody went for Unai Simon, despite the Spain goalkeeper conceding only once in eight matches en route to lifting the trophy, while the cap on how many you could choose from each country meant there was room for some slightly left-field names. Julian Quinones and Youri Tielemans, come on down.
Here are those teams, along with their reasons for picking them…
Oliver Kay
The two-players-per-nation limit had a severe impact on the defence, which might otherwise have been an all-Spanish affair. The two Spain players I have chosen are captain Rodri and teenage central defender Pau Cubarsi, which is harsh on Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella.Daily Play
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The most obvious alternatives in central defence were Argentina duo Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, but while they both made eye-catching contributions in certain moments, I felt they were all over the place in the victories over Cape Verde and Egypt in the knockout stage. I’ve turned instead to Diney, who was outstanding for Cape Verde in the group stage, particularly that opening 0-0 draw with Spain.
Brett Davis/Imagn Images via Reuters/Brett Davis
In goal, there will be a lot of votes for Vozinha, whose heroics for Cape Verde at the age of 40 were wonderful to watch, but I felt there was a stronger case for Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir.
The front six picked themselves, really. It wouldn’t be any different without the restrictions.
It might seem a little surprising to have only one player apiece from runners-up Argentina and third-placed England, but it was the back-four positions that were up for grabs and I didn’t feel either of those teams defended particularly well. They were heavily reliant on Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham, respectively.
There would be a case for England’s Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele of France, but it’s impossible to look beyond that Kylian Mbappe-Erling Haaland-Lionel Messi front three.
Mark Carey
It is an outside, data-led shout, but Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel deserves credit for exceeding shot-stopping expectations — conceding four goals fewer than the quality of shots he faced, which is more than any other goalkeeper in the tournament.
Daniel Munoz’s marauding, box-crashing runs were as much of a joy to watch for Colombia (below) as they have been for Crystal Palace, while England’s Djed Spence secured his cult-hero status with some memorable moments at both ends of the pitch on the other flank. Cubarsi and Martinez can hold the fort while the full-backs push on, with both being excellent in possession throughout this World Cup.
Daniel Becerril/Reuters
Rodri’s place in the team was never in doubt, but from here things get a little… top-heavy.
I have squeezed in Bellingham in a deeper midfield role (one he did play on occasion this summer), to allow Messi to play as the No 10 ahead of him. While those two scored 15 goals between them, both are also crucial in catalysing their team’s attack creatively from the middle third of the pitch.
I am shifting Michael Olise back to the right flank after his World Cup roaming central role, while Mbappe is moved from his centre-forward role to the left side — given that he drifts into those spaces anyway.
That allows me to shoehorn in Haaland through the centre, with a ridiculous return of seven goals from five games in his first World Cup.
Phil Hay
It’s not too easy to think outside the box because this World Cup was dominated by the biggest names, right from the start.
Messi, Mbappe and Haaland all have to figure up front. They notched 25 goals combined. There’s also no way you can leave out player-of-the-tournament Rodri (back to his Ballon d’Or-winning best). Similarly, Bellingham and Olise were too influential to overlook.
At the back, though, I thought I’d mix it up a little (with the exception of Cubarsi — again, he should make every XI here). Munoz scored a beauty for Colombia from right-back and was full of beans until his team ran out of steam against Switzerland in the last 16. Pico Lopes put in a huge shift for lovable Cape Verde, and Spence (below) came of age internationally with England. He was one of this World Cup’s surprise packages.
Elsa/Getty Images
Really, Cucurella should have been at left-back with Unai ‘You shall not pass’ Simon in as the goalkeeper, but the rules set for us meant my quota of Spaniards was full. So for good reason, I went with Australia’s Patrick Beach in net.
Amelie Claydon
Rodri is the foundation. The Golden Ball winner controlled Spain’s title run, completing a tournament-record 790 passes. His positional discipline will also give Bellingham and Olise the freedom to play further forward. Mbappe is equally unavoidable after winning the Golden Boot with 10 goals, while Messi is my team’s chief creator.
Vozinha made the case for an expanded World Cup and supplied much of the tournament’s romance. The 40-year-old former electrician made seven saves in that goalless draw with eventual champions Spain, then another eight against Argentina as Cape Verde pushed the holders turned runners-up into extra time.
Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes provide elite pace and recovery speed that allow Messi and Mbappe to move into central areas without leaving the side too narrow. Manuel Akanji offers composure and experience between them, while Cubarsi (below) takes Spain’s second allowed place after winning the Best Young Player award and helping the tournament’s winners concede just once in their eight matches.
Calvin Hernandez/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Haaland gives the attack a focal point after his seven goals powered Norway to the quarter-finals. His movement and physical presence would create space for Messi and Mbappe.
Bellingham also scored seven but earned his place for more than his goals, supplying pressing, late runs into the box and essential midfield balance. Olise completes my trio after seven assists, making him the tournament’s outstanding provider.
Kane is unfortunate to miss out, but selecting him would overload an attack already containing three elite finishers.
Colin Millar
Until the quarter-final stage, this World Cup was dictated by stars: chiefly Messi, Mbappe, Olise, Bellingham, Haaland and Kane. It was telling that none of the obvious names then scored in the semi-finals or final, which was fitting for a tournament won by Spain: the epitome of a collective excelling ahead of individuals.
Focus will be on that mesmerising Spanish midfield, but in truth their entire game — which conceded just one goal and 10 shots on target in eight games — was built on an excellent defence whose positional sense, discipline, focus and technical quality were streets ahead of any other side.
Vozinha was the personal story of the tournament in the only team capable of stopping Spain: his performances for Cape Verde in the opening game and in extra-time defeat to Argentina bordered on heroic.
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Julian Quinones was the standout player among the three co-hosts, scoring in four of Mexico’s five games, including several stunning strikes.
Honourable shoutouts to Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, Norway’s Martin Odegaard, Johan Manzambi of Switzerland, Cape Verde’s Pico Lopes, Ismaila Sarr of Senegal and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande. Oh, and the entirety of Spain’s starting line-up.
George Edwards
The many underdog stories of this World Cup seem eternities away now, but they made its early stages gripping, and Vozinha, a clubless 40-year-old playing for rookies Cape Verde, ended the tournament as the only goalkeeper to stop Spain from scoring.
Cubarsi’s composure both on the ball and in defensive actions rightly earned him young player of the tournament, and despite William Saliba never looking fit, France only seemed capable defensively with him by Dayot Upamecano’s side.
Flanking them, the availability of Hakimi and Spence would allow progression up the park, as well as the Moroccan’s recovery pace and the Englishman’s one-on-one speciality protecting what is admittedly an attack-heavy line-up.
Rodri’s ability to consistently make the correct decision in any scenario and his building presence as the tournament progressed was testament to the ripening of Spain — his composure would allow Bellingham and Manzambi (below) to float between midfield and attack as they saw fit.
Alex Grimm/Getty Images
The selections of Mbappe and Messi need no explanation, toppling and toying with records between them across the World Cup, and Haaland’s stubborn No 9 positioning and instinct gives this team the sharpest possible blade.
It’s very attacking, and relies heavily on Rodri’s anchoring, but given that 11 Spaniards cannot be selected, balance has gone out the window.
Eduardo Tansley
Rodri was the first name on the sheet, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player — while leading Spain to victory.
I had to max-out my Cape Verde picks as they were the fairytale of the tournament: unbeaten in the group, including that goalless draw with Spain, and then going toe-to-toe with Argentina before being beaten in extra time. The people have spoken, with Vozinha on close to 30 million Instagram followers, and Lopes recruited via LinkedIn to play a blinder at the World Cup.
In defence, Spence didn’t start every game, but after fans questioned his inclusion by Thomas Tuchel, he turned out to be one of England’s most valuable contributors. Cubarsi was an assured presence in Spain’s back line at just 19 years old, and Munoz scored twice to help Colombia win their group ahead of Portugal. I wish I could include more Spain defenders considering they only conceded once.
Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Mikel Merino of Spain were in with a shout in midfield, but there were a lot of attacking options to fit in.
Kane was one of the players of the tournament as well, but I chose its two top scorers in Mbappe and Messi and its record assist-maker Olise.
Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
In his first World Cup, Haaland helped knock Brazil out with a brace on the way to the quarter-finals, scoring seven goals and starting various massed rowing incidents.
Bellingham was the match-winner against Norway (and settled things against France), and no Englishman has scored more World Cup goals at one tournament than his seven in this edition.
Spain are worthy World Cup winners. It’s a victory for method over madness
The Spain squad join captain Rodri to lift the World Cup trophy – a title they fully deserve Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images
By Oliver Kay
July 20, 2026
Had you closed your eyes, you might have thought you were sitting in Las Ventas, the famous bullring on the outskirts of Madrid. The fight wasn’t quite over yet, but it had reached the stage where the matador felt ready to tease the raging bull. “Ole!” the delighted Spanish supporters shouted. “Ole! Ole! Ole!”
After 104 games across three countries over five and a half weeks, the 23rd edition of the men’s World Cup was down to its closing stages. Spain had finally made the breakthrough in the final and glory was within touching distance. For a couple of minutes, they kept possession like it was a training-ground rondo, enraging their opponents. Argentina’s players saw red, their fury growing with every pass. Ole! Ole! Ole!
The late Cesar Luis Menotti, the cerebral coach who led Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 1978, said in 2004 that Spanish football, having underachieved on the international stage for so long, needed to “forget its fury and decide if it wants to be the bullfighter or the bull”. It caused indignation in Spain at the time, but Menotti was right. In the past 18 years, since embracing possession-based football like never before, Spain’s men have won the European Championship three times and now the World Cup twice.President Donald Trump booed at World Cup final | World Cup Daily Briefing
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It is a remarkable run of success and, while the first five weeks of this World Cup were dominated by the exploits of star players such as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, few would dispute that Spain, after a slow start, asserted themselves as the outstanding team come the tournament’s business end. They beat Mbappe’s France 2-0 in the semi-finals and then, after 105 minutes of stalemate, a goal from Ferran Torres broke the increasingly fraught resistance of Messi’s Argentina in the final.
It was a triumph of teamwork, of intelligent, controlled possession football and of composure in contrast to their opponents’ aggression and paucity of attacking ambition. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the end of regulation time and the ugly antics of Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina at the end were in keeping with a performance that did not yield a single shot until the closing minutes of extra time.
Ferran Torres hammers home the winning goalJewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images
The way it unfolded called to mind two previous World Cup finals.
The first was the 1990 edition, when Argentina, as reigning champions, produced a mean-spirited performance that was finally punished by West Germany; that one ended in tears for Diego Maradona, as it did for Messi here, the greatest players of their respective eras finding there was a limit to just how far they could carry their vastly more limited team-mates. The other was in 2010, when Spain faced extreme aggression from the Netherlands, which they eventually overcame with a goal in extra time.What You Should Read Next
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Long before he became FIFA’s chief of global football development, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had a dim view of the international game, likening it to “fast food” as opposed to the haute cuisine produced by the best club teams. A national-team coach, he told reporters in 2010, “has to make a quick meal and he has little time to do it. There’s little time to practise, to work on the style of the team, so… it’s instinctive, quick-fix management”.
For the most part, it is. But this Spain team, like the one that dominated the international game in the late 2000s and early 2010s, is one that has emerged organically, based on a clear identity and a way of playing.Daily PlayPlay Connections: Soccer EditionGroup soccer terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.
Argentina were carried to Sunday’s final by a wave of emotion and by the genius of their 39-year-old captain. Spain, by contrast, were a calm, controlled, measured side, built on sound footballing principles. Their win was a victory for method over the madness that always threatened to be Argentina’s undoing.
After a strong start to the tournament, the reigning champions teetered on the brink of elimination throughout the knockout stage, trailing Egypt and England until the closing stages, needing extra time to overcome Cape Verde and Switzerland. Spain stumbled in their opening group match, a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, but thereafter they found their rhythm and grew in confidence and authority. They conceded just one goal in the eight games.What You Should Read Next
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Where does the greatest credit lie? Their captain Rodri, of Manchester City, won the FIFA Golden Ball award as the tournament’s outstanding player, looking back to something like his best form in midfield nearly two years after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Pau Cubarsi beat his fellow Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal to the young-player award after another outstanding performance alongside Aymeric Laporte in central defence. Full-backs Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella excelled at both ends of the pitch. Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Pedri, Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal and others have made big contributions along the way, as did Torres by coming off the bench to score the World Cup-winning goal.
Pau Cubarsi, Rodri and goalkeeper Unai Simon, who won the Golden Glove, with their awards after the finalCarl Recine/Getty Images
But more than any of that, it comes down to the collective, to what is not just a coherent playing style in the senior team but a joined-up approach to developing players — and indeed coaches. Two of the most successful club coaches of this era, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, are Spanish, as are the coaches of five Premier League teams, including champions Arsenal (Mikel Arteta), Europa League winners Aston Villa (Unai Emery), Chelsea (Xabi Alonso), Fulham (Alvaro Arbeloa) and Liverpool (Andoni Iraola).
English football, with all the wealth it has accumulated through the Premier League’s unrivalled commercial success, keeps looking for quick fixes, the dopamine hits of the transfer market and short-term coaching hires.What You Should Read Next
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England reached the World Cup semi-finals this summer under a successful and high-profile German coach, Thomas Tuchel, whose approach to the tournament seems to reflect the “fast food” approach of Wenger’s description. Spain have entered another golden era under a coach, Luis de la Fuente, who spent nine years coaching their under-19 and under-21 national teams.
“I never imagined anything like this,” De la Fuente, 65, told reporters after Spain’s victory yesterday. “I always just wanted to enjoy those moments I was experiencing (with the development teams). I always worked and coached where I wanted to be. When you look at this process, we couldn’t have achieved anything on this journey without these players and with the knowledge of the raw materials and the way Spanish players play and compete.”
Luis de la Fuente has now guided his team to the European Championship and World Cup doubleMaurice van Steen/ANP via Getty Images
In other words, the knowledge and the connections that De la Fuente has built up over time. Unai Simon, Rodri and Merino were all in the Spain squad that he led to winning the European Under-19 Championship in 2015. Simon, Merino, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Oyarzabal were all in the squad he led to the European Under-21 Championship crown four years later. This is how national teams are meant to develop. In practice, they all too rarely do.What You Should Read Next
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It has not been uninterrupted success, or anything like it. There were painful learning experiences between winning Euro 2012 under Vicente del Bosque and reclaiming that title 12 years later with De la Fuente. Neither is the modern team a facsimile of the generation built around a Barcelona midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta; this one can look a little more functional, until it comes to the flamboyant threat of Williams and particularly Yamal on the wings.
But eventually they dominated this World Cup final. By the end of 90 minutes, they had recorded 66.2 per cent of the possession and 15 shots to Argentina’s zero. Extra time continued in the same vein and, while they were accused of being too devoted to their passing game in that group-stage draw against Cape Verde (just as they were when they were knocked out of the previous World Cup in 2022 on penalties by Morocco after recording 77 per cent possession in that match), their patience and confidence in that style has sustained through the rest of the tournament.Spain defeats Argentina to win the World Cup
David Ornstein and Lia Griffin
There was a direct element to the goal — a hanging cross from Porro, a clever and determined far-post header by Williams and an emphatic Torres finish — but it was a product of a controlled, composed performance that always looked likely to wear Argentina down eventually.
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Not only are Spain now reigning men’s European and world champions; they are the first nation to hold the men’s and women’s World Cups simultaneously. They are reigning European Under-19 champions in both the men’s and the women’s games. And that is while seeing a player as precociously gifted as Yamal fast-tracked into the senior squad, a European champion and now a world champion who only turned 19 last week.What You Should Read Next
The sadness of Lionel Messi’s last tangoF. Scott Fitzgerald said “show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” This was no tragedy but a World Cup without Messi is less than whole
Yamal is the face of this Spain team, the one who will be on billboards for years to come, but that word “team” overrides everything else. In a World Cup that was so often illuminated by the game’s biggest stars, glory was claimed by the strongest collective.
It goes back to the message De la Fuente said he gave his players before the game.
“I told them, ‘Gentlemen, we have an appointment with history — and we want to be there first’,” he said.
It took a while, but in the end they got there with a flourish. Ole! Ole! Ole!
Oliver Kay Before joining The Athletic as a senior writer in 2019, Oliver Kay spent 19 years working for The Times, the last ten of them as chief football correspondent. He is the author of the award-winning book Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football’s Lost Genius.
Sam BordenJul 2, 2026, 06:44 AM ET ESPN 
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