Author: staff
Ferran Torres sealed Spain’s second World Cup title on Sunday with the only goal of the final, smashing home from close range after reacting to a loose ball in the penalty area in extra time. The strike finally broke the deadlock after more than 100 minutes of play. Luis de la Fuente’s side made the brighter start, dominating possession and looking to exploit spaces between the lines against a well-organised Argentina defence. The first clear chance came after five minutes when Lamine Yamal combined with Dani Olmo before forcing a close-range save from goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. Minutes later, Yamal…
Published on 19/07/2026 – 22:31 GMT+2 The first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final transformed the break between Spain and Argentina into a Super Bowl-style music spectacle. FIFA brought some of the biggest names in international music to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, extending the interval to nearly 30 minutes to accommodate the unprecedented production. Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the show featured Shakira performing the tournament’s official anthem, “Dai Dai”. Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber also took to the stage, with Bieber adapting the lyrics of his song “Everything Hallelujah” to include the line:…
Published on 19/07/2026 – 21:11 GMT+2•Updated 21:12 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signalled he is open to reshuffling his government as he seeks to fill the vacancy left by CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn, who was asked to step down and eventually resigned on Saturday. Speaking in ZDF’s summer interview, Merz stressed he was speaking “hypothetically”, but said he wants a decision on Spahn’s successor as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in Germany’s Bundestag by the end of July. Chancellery Minister Thorsten Frei is widely seen as the frontrunner to replace Spahn, although Merz declined to confirm whether Frei…
Published on 19/07/2026 – 21:23 GMT+2 After nearly two years of public tensions and failed attempts to improve relations, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and US President Donald Trump came face to face on Sunday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey. The two leaders were seated in the VIP section at MetLife Stadium, where Spain faced Argentina. Spain’s King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princesses Leonor and Sofía also attended the match. The brief encounter comes after months of friction between Washington and Madrid over defence spending. Relations have eased in recent weeks, however, after Trump…
By Harry Bligh with AP Published on 19/07/2026 – 18:55 GMT+2 The prize for tonight’s World Cup champions, aside from international recognition, includes that iconic trophy, championship rings and a cash prize of $51 million (€44.6 million). The money will be awarded to the country’s team federation, it’s up to them to decide how to pay the players. FIFA has increased this year’s payout for the winning team For the 2022 Qatar World Cup, winners Argentina received $42 million (€36.7 million). Tonight’s winner will hoist the world famous, Italian-crafted trophy, but they don’t actually get to take it home. Instead players are given…
Published on 19/07/2026 – 19:28 GMT+2 Just hours before Spain face Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final, captain Rodri has highlighted what he believes has been central to La Roja’s success: the strong understanding between head coach Luis de la Fuente and his players. “I think the combination of Luis de la Fuente and all of us is unique,” the midfielder told RTVE. Rodri said Spain’s run to the final was the result of “a very long and very beautiful process, a slow maturation”, built on the coach’s trust in the squad from the beginning. The Manchester City midfielder…
Updated: 19/07/2026 – 18:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this July 19th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
Iran’s joint military command said in a statement carried by state media that U.S. “covetousness, bullying, totalitarianism or brutality” would meet a “devastating response.” Iranian strikes hit a Kuwaiti power and water desalination plant for the second time in two days, Kuwait’s electricity ministry said, sparking a fire in a country that relies on desalination for about 90 percent of its drinking water. Bahrain reported intercepting attacks, and Jordan said it shot down three of four Iranian missiles aimed toward its territory. Israel warned that projectiles fired toward the port city of Aqaba could spill over into its territory for…
Published on 19/07/2026 – 13:53 GMT+2 A passenger ferry carrying 116 people began sinking off the coast of Guyana, triggering a major search and rescue operation. At least 53 people have been rescued after the MV Barima sent a distress call late on Saturday during a voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Guyana’s coast guard received a distress call at around 11 pm and responded alongside private vessels. Prime Minister Mark Phillips told AFP that the search and rescue operation would continue in the daylight and that he expected the number of rescued people to go up. He shared an…
Asked about Thorsten Frei, his chief of staff, whom ZDF has floated as a possible successor to Spahn, Merz declined to confirm any names. Promoting Frei would leave Merz with another senior vacancy to fill. In the interview, Merz also declined to defend Spahn personally, saying he had not expected outrage “on this scale.” “It probably also had something to do with his person, and also with the communication,” the chancellor said. Merz said Spahn told him about the child around 10 days ago and asked him to keep it quiet, which he did. Spahn informed the party “very, very…