FIFA World Cup 2026: German legend Toni Kroos backs Spain to edge Arg…

New York [US], July 19 (ANI): Former Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has tipped Spain to lift the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy, backing the European champions to overcome defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s blockbuster final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

According to reports cited by Marca from Tribuna.com, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner believes Spain’s consistency, tactical discipline and overall level of performance give Luis de la Fuente’s side the edge heading into the title clash.

Having spent a decade at Real Madrid, Kroos is well acquainted with Spanish football and many members of the current squad. The former midfielder reportedly based his prediction on Spain’s collective balance, control in midfield and structured style of play, qualities he believes have made them the tournament’s standout team. betsport.cv

Spain head into the final on the back of an impressive campaign in which they have conceded just one goal and become the first team in men’s World Cup history to keep six clean sheets in a single edition of the tournament.

After opening with a surprise goalless draw against Cape Verde, La Roja have responded emphatically with six successive victories, eliminating Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France to reach their first World Cup final since winning the title in 2010.

Luis de la Fuente’s side are also unbeaten in 37 consecutive matches, and victory over Argentina would see Spain not only claim a second World Cup crown but also set a new record for the longest unbeaten run by a European men’s national team.

Argentina, however, arrive in New Jersey carrying momentum of their own. Lionel Scaloni’s men produced another trademark comeback in the semifinals, rallying from behind to defeat England 2-1 after Enzo Fernandez equalised before Lautaro Martinez struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

The defending champions have now won 14 consecutive matches, equalling the longest winning streak by a South American nation, and are aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully retain the FIFA World Cup.

Argentina’s route to the final has been defined by resilience, with the South Americans needing either extra time or late comebacks after the 75th minute in all four knockout matches. They have also scored a tournament-record eight goals after the 85th minute, underlining their ability to thrive under pressure.

The two finalists have met 14 times previously, with the head-to-head record perfectly balanced at six wins apiece and two draws. Argentina won their only previous World Cup meeting 2-1 in 1966, while Spain registered a dominant 6-1 victory in their most recent encounter, a friendly played in 2018.

Kroos’ backing has added another intriguing subplot to a final already rich in narratives, with the German great joining a growing list of football personalities predicting Spain to end Argentina’s reign. Ultimately, however, the verdict will be decided on the pitch as two of world football’s most successful nations battle for the biggest prize in the game. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

New York [US], July 19 (ANI): A decade after one of the most heartbreaking moments of his illustrious career, Lionel Messi returns to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with an opportunity to rewrite history as Argentina takes on Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday (local time).

For the Argentina captain, the title clash is more than a battle for football’s biggest prize. It is a return to the venue where he endured the agony of defeat in the 2016 Copa America Centenario final against Chile, a night that ended with a missed penalty, tears on the substitutes’ bench and a shock announcement that he was retiring from international football, reported Marca.

According to a report by Goal.com, the memories of that night continue to make MetLife Stadium one of the most emotionally significant venues in Messi’s career. Following Argentina’s penalty shootout defeat to Chile, an emotional Messi had declared, “It’s over for me with the national team; I’ve tried so hard."

The announcement stunned the football world and sparked a nationwide campaign urging the then-29-year-old to reconsider. Among those pleading with Messi was a 15-year-old Enzo Fernandez, who posted an emotional message on social media that has resurfaced ahead of Sunday’s final.

“Do whatever you want, Lionel, but please think about staying. Stay to have fun, which is what these people have taken from you," wrote Fernandez in 2016.

Ten years later, Fernandez is no longer a fan writing to his idol but one of Argentina’s most influential midfielders, standing alongside Messi as Lionel Scaloni’s side chases a second successive World Cup crown.

Standing in Argentina’s way is a Spain side that has been the tournament’s standout defensive unit. Luis de la Fuente’s men have conceded just one goal throughout the competition, becoming the first team to keep six clean sheets in a single men’s World Cup.

After opening their campaign with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, Spain have reeled off six consecutive victories, eliminating Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France on their way to the final.

The European champions also carry a 37-match unbeaten run into the contest and are bidding to win only their second FIFA World Cup title after their triumph in 2010.

Argentina, meanwhile, has showcased remarkable resilience throughout the knockout stages. The defending champions have fought back from difficult situations repeatedly, including a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the semifinals, where Enzo Fernandez equalised before Lautaro Martinez struck a stoppage-time winner.

Scaloni’s side have now won 14 consecutive matches, equalling the longest winning streak by a South American nation, and are aiming to become only the second team after Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup.

The two nations enter the final with an evenly balanced head-to-head record of six wins each and two draws. Their only previous World Cup meeting came in 1966, when Argentina emerged 2-1 winners, while Spain claimed a memorable 6-1 victory in their most recent encounter, an international friendly in 2018.

As football’s biggest prize awaits, the spotlight will inevitably remain on Messi. Nearly ten years after leaving MetLife Stadium in tears and questioning his international future, the Argentine captain has one final chance to transform the venue of his greatest heartbreak into the stage for another unforgettable chapter in his extraordinary career. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

There has been a lot of speculation over the last two days with reports suggesting that India opener Rohit Sharma could be playing his last ODI on Sunday at Lord’s against England as BCCI selectors aren’t including him in their 2027 World Cup plans. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia though confirmed later that Rohit was very much a part of the ODI team and confirmed that the Lord’s ODI won’t be his last.

Rohit’s former Mumbai teammate and ex-India Test cricketer Nilesh Kulkarni, meanwhile, had no doubt that Rohit, 39, who has scored 11,757 runs in 287 ODIs so far, should play the next World Cup in South Africa.

Nilesh Kulkarni

“I feel Rohit has it in him to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup and should do so,” Kulkarni told mid-day, going on to recall Rohit’s precocious talent during his debut Ranji season in 2006-07. Interestingly, in that season, Rohit scored 205 against Gujarat in December 2006 at the Wankhede Stadium, where Kulkarni’s 10-wicket match haul (6-31 and 4-80) helped Mumbai win by an innings and 163 runs.

“Ahead of that match, I bowled to Rohit in the nets and his ability immediately stood out. When a batter has multiple shot options for the same delivery, as a bowler, you need to think a lot. He was equally good on a turning and bouncy track, and could hit a spinner on the rise or cut him if needed,” said Kulkarni.

“He had plenty of time to play the ball even at that young age [19], which I found extraordinary. There’s always a difference between a normal cricketer and a talented one, and Rohit was a special talent. His ability to play the ball late, even off a good delivery, was outstanding,” added Kulkarni, 53, who claimed a Test wicket on the very first ball, dismissing Sri Lankan opener Marvan Atapattu at Colombo in 1997.

Seven years after conquering the world, PV Sindhu rediscovered her champion’s touch. After several injuries and multiple near misses, the two-time Olympic medallist is back as she claimed the Japan Open 2026 title, shattering the long-standing Tokyo curse at the Metropolitan Gymnasium.

The 31-year-old Indian beat three-time world champion and home favourite, Akane Yamaguchi, 21-17, 21-17, in straight games in just 50 minutes on Sunday in the summit clash.

This triumph marks the former world champion Sindhu’s first title since the Syed Modi International in December 2024, and her first overseas title at the Super 500 level or above since 2022.

More than just a win, this victory secured her biggest individual career milestone since the memorable 2019 World Championship. In doing so, she also became the first Indian to win a BWF individual title at the Super 500 level or higher in 2026. At the age of 31, she surpassed Tai Tzu Ying as the oldest Super 750 winner as well.

The proceedings of the summit clash saw World No. 10 Sindhu racing to an early 3-0 lead before World No. 3 Akane responded with a series of deceptive shots to win four consecutive points to take a slender 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval.

After the break, Sindhu put Akane on the back foot with her attack and sharp cross-court smashes, opening up a four point lead at 16-12. A tight 38-shot rally helped Akane reduce the deficit to 16-17 but Sindhu regained control with clever interceptions, tight defence and a series of down-the-line smashes to earn the game point. She sealed the opening game with a smash to Akane’s backhand at midcourt.

Going into the second game, Sindhu started aggressively, forcing Akane into errors at the net, winning five consecutive points to race to an 8-3 lead. Akane mounted a brief comeback but Sindhu remained in control to lead 11-7 into the mid-game interval and extended that lead to 14-7 by dictating the rallies.

The Japanese staged another fightback, reducing the deficit to 17-15. However, Sindhu held her nerve in the closing stages, winning two straight points before Akane’s return sailed out as the match ended in her opponent’s favour.

It was a poetic redemption for Sindhu as she registered her first completed on-court victory over Akane in four years. Sunday’s final was the 30th meeting between both, with Sindhu extending her head-to-head lead to 16-14.

The former world champion, who started the year ranked 18, and entered Tokyo as World No. 10, is set to rise to World No. 8.

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The post PV Sindhu Ends Seven-Year Wait, Scripts History with Maiden S750 Title At Japan Open 2026 appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

બુકાયો સાકાના ત્રણ ગોલની મદદથી ઇંગ્લેન્ડે ત્રીજા સ્થાનના રોમાંચક પ્લે ઓફ મુકાબલામાં શનિવારે 6-4 થી જીત મેળવી જ્યારે કિલિયન એમ્બાપ્પેએ બીજા હાફમાં બે ગોલ કરીને ફૂટબોલ વિશ્વ કપમાં લિયોનેલ મેસ્સીના સર્વાધિક ગોલના રેકોર્ડને પાછળ છોડી દીધો અને ગોલ્ડન બૂટની રેસમાં સૌથી આગળ નીકળી ગયો.

ઐતિહાસિક મેચ અને ગોલનો રેકોર્ડ

આ 1982 માં હંગેરીની અલ સલ્વાડોર પર 10-1 ની જીત પછી વર્લ્ડ કપમાં સૌથી વધુ ગોલવાળી મેચ હતી. ત્રીજા સ્થાનની મેચમાં 10 ગોલ અત્યાર સુધીના સૌથી વધુ ગોલ છે. સાકાએ 37મી મિનિટ અને પહેલા હાફની ઇન્જરી ટાઇમમાં ગોલ કર્યા પછી 87મી મિનિટમાં પેનલ્ટીથી પોતાનો ત્રીજો ગોલ કરીને ઇંગ્લેન્ડ માટે પોતાના કરિયરની બીજી હેટ્રિક પૂરી કરી. ઇંગ્લેન્ડ માટે ડેકલાન રાઇસ અને એઝરી કોન્સાએ પણ પહેલા હાફમાં ગોલ કર્યા જેનાથી હાફ ટાઇમ સુધી ઇંગ્લેન્ડની ટીમ 4-0 થી આગળ થઈ ગઈ. રોમાંચક બીજા હાફમાં પણ ઇંગ્લેન્ડે પોતાની લીડ જાળવી રાખી અને વર્લ્ડ કપમાં પોતાનું બીજું સૌથી સારું પરિણામ મેળવ્યું. ઇંગ્લેન્ડે પોતાનો એકમાત્ર ખિતાબ 1966 માં જીત્યો હતો.

એમ્બાપ્પે અને મેસ્સી વચ્ચે ગોલ્ડન બૂટની ટક્કર

ઇંગ્લેન્ડ માટે છઠ્ઠો ગોલ જુડ બેલિંગહામે બીજા હાફના ઇન્જરી ટાઇમની આઠમી મિનિટમાં કર્યો જે ટૂર્નામેન્ટમાં તેનો સાતમો ગોલ હતો. વર્લ્ડ કપમાં એમ્બાપ્પેના ગોલની સંખ્યા 22 થઈ ગઈ જે અર્જેન્ટીનાના કેપ્ટન કરતાં એક વધુ છે. આ સ્ટાર સ્ટ્રાઇકરે વર્તમાન વર્લ્ડ કપમાં પોતાના અભિયાનનો અંત 10 ગોલ સાથે કર્યો. તે ગોલ્ડન બૂટની રેસમાં મેસ્સીથી બે ગોલ આગળ ચાલી રહ્યો છે જેના નામે આઠ ગોલ છે. મેસ્સીને એમ્બાપ્પેથી આગળ નીકળવાની એક છેલ્લી તક ત્યારે મળશે જ્યારે તે અને વર્તમાન ચેમ્પિયન અર્જેન્ટીના રવિવારે ન્યૂ જર્સીના ઇસ્ટ રધરફોર્ડમાં ફાઇનલમાં સ્પેનનો સામનો કરશે. ફ્રાન્સ માટે અન્ય ગોલ બેડલી બારકોલા અને ઓસ્માન ડેમ્બેલેએ પણ કર્યા.

સેમીફાઇનલની હાર અને સ્ટેડિયમનો માહોલ

બંને ટીમોએ કહ્યું હતું કે તેઓ રવિવારની ફાઇનલમાં રમવાનું પસંદ કરત. ફ્રાન્સ પાસે ટૂર્નામેન્ટ જીતવા માટે ઘણી આક્રમક ક્ષમતા હતી પરંતુ તેઓ સેમીફાઇનલમાં સ્પેનથી હારી ગયા અને સતત ત્રીજી વખત વર્લ્ડ કપ ફાઇનલમાં પહોંચવાની તક ગુમાવી દીધી. ઇંગ્લેન્ડે અર્જેન્ટીના વિરુદ્ધ સેમીફાઇનલમાં 1-0 ની લીડ ગુમાવી દીધી હતી અને 1-2 થી હારી ગયું જેમાં મેસ્સીએ અંતિમ મિનિટોમાં બે ગોલ કરવામાં મદદ કરી હતી. હાર્ડ રોક સ્ટેડિયમમાં સેમીફાઇનલ જોવા માટે 64,478 દર્શકોની ભારે ભીડ ઉમટી હતી. ઘણા સમર્થકો બંને ટીમોનો ઉત્સાહ વધારી રહ્યા હતા પરંતુ કેટલાય લોકો માત્ર આ મેચના માહોલનો આનંદ લેવા માટે ત્યાં આવ્યા હતા.

ફેન્સના રિએક્શન અને ઉત્સાહ

ઇંગ્લેન્ડનું સમર્થન કરવા પહોંચેલા મેક્સિકો સિટીના રહેવાસી ગેસ્ટન એસ્ક્વિવેલે કહ્યું, મને ઇંગ્લિશ ફૂટબોલ ખૂબ ગમે છે. હું નાનપણથી જ પ્રીમિયર લીગ જોતો આવી રહ્યો છું. હું માન્ચેસ્ટર યુનાઇટેડનો ફેન છું. મને તેમની સ્ટાઇલ અને તેમનો ખેલ પસંદ છે. પૂરી ટૂર્નામેન્ટ દરમિયાન ફ્રાન્સનું સમર્થન કરવા માટે પેરિસથી આવેલા થોમસ વિએલ આશા રાખી રહ્યા હતા કે એમ્બાપ્પે હેટ્રિક લગાવશે. તેમની આ ઈચ્છા લગભગ પૂરી થઈ જ ગઈ હતી. જ્યારે એમ્બાપ્પેએ 48મી મિનિટમાં ગોલકીપર ડીન હેન્ડરસનને હરાવીને શોટ માર્યો ત્યારે ફ્રાન્સ 0-4 થી પાછળ ચાલી રહ્યું હતું. પછી 66મી મિનિટમાં તેમણે અંદાજે 14 યાર્ડના અંતરેથી ડાબા પગથી શોટ મારીને ફરીથી હેન્ડરસનને હરાવ્યો. વિએલે કહ્યું, મને નથી લાગતું કે મેસ્સી કાલે હેટ્રિક લગાવી શકશે.

કોચ ડીડીયર ડેશેમ્પ્સની વિદાય

આ ફ્રાન્સના કોચ ડીડીયર ડેશેમ્પ્સની પણ ટીમ સાથે છેલ્લી મેચ હતી. તેમણે કહ્યું છે કે તેઓ 14 વર્ષ પછી પદ છોડી દેશે. પિચથી બહાર નીકળતી વખતે ડેશેમ્પ્સે ખેલાડીઓને ગળે લગાવ્યા અને ભીડ તરફ હાથ હલાવ્યો.

આ પણ વાંચો-The Odysseyએ બોક્સ ઓફિસ પર મચાવી ધૂમ, માત્ર 2 દિવસમાં કરી છપ્પરફાડ કમાણી!