IN FIFA WORLD CUP
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Spain has won a desperately disappointing World Cup final as Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike finally broke the resistance of 10-man Argentina.
The European champions had created the best opportunities against the defending world champions, who mainly resorted to spoiling tactics and had Enzo Fernandez sent off just before the game went into extra-time.
Torres was the hero for Spain when he collected substitute Nico Williams’ header to beat Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot from close range after 106 minutes.
The game failed to live up to expectations as it descended into a war of attrition – while away from the action, this was the World Cup where razzamatazz and superstars came to the showpiece.
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Football’s biggest stage got its first-ever halftime show on Sunday as Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber and Coldplay co-headlined an 11-minute spectacle at MetLife Stadium while the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina remained goalless at halftime.
The show, directed by Hamish Hamilton, also featured Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus.
It was produced by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted.
Madonna opened the show, joined on stage by Brazil football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
BTS followed, before Justin Bieber took over the set. Shakira then performed alongside Burna Boy, reprising their World Cup anthem “Dai Dai,” which the pair had earlier debuted at the tournament’s opening ceremony.
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France star, Kylian Mbappe has become the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice after earning the award for top scorer at the 2026 tournament.
The France forward netted ten goals in eight games to edge out Lionel Messi in a high-quality race.
Having struck eight times to finish top scorer at Qatar 2022, Mbappe has won the Golden Boot in back-to-back World Cups.
The 27-year-old was the first man to reach double figures for World Cup goals since Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970.
Only Just Fontaine, who hit thirteen for France in 1958, and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis with 11 in 1954, have scored more individual goals in a single tournament.
Mbappe is also the men’s World Cup all-time top scorer with 22 goals – one ahead of Messi.
He moved clear of the Argentine on Saturday with two goals in the bronze match, although he could not stop France falling to a 6-4 defeat against England and finishing fourth.
England’s Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland of Norway scored seven times, while France forward Ousmane Dembele and English captain Harry Kane followed them in the list with six.
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Spain’s Unai Simon has claimed the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper after conceding just once in eight games.
The Athletic Club stopper kept seven clean sheets and was only beaten by Belgium’s Charles de Ketelaere in the quarter-final tie.
The 29-year-old was picked ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League title winner David Raya as Spain’s number one, and repaid manager Luis de la Fuente’s faith with a series of solid performances as they were crowned champions.
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England star, Jude Bellingham has become the first Englishman to score seven goals at a single World Cup with a late strike in the six-four win over France in the third-place play-off.
The Real Madrid midfielder was level with both Gary Lineker who scored six times at Mexico ’86 and team-mate Harry Kane, who netted six in Russia in 2018 and at this tournament.
Bellingham was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the final kick of the game, leading a counter-attack from the halfway line to the France box before beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner.
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Manchester United legend, Bryan Robson has disclosed that while Manchester City overpaid for Elliot Anderson, his former club should have matched the massive one hundred and sixteen million pounds bid to secure the midfielder.
Robson believes the Red Devils needed to meet the valuation to make a true statement in the market.
His comments stem from the English midfielder’s massive transfer to Manchester City following a standout season and international performances.
While acknowledging the exorbitant figure, the former United captain emphasized that signing a top-tier domestic talent of Anderson’s caliber is precisely the kind of move the club needs to catch up to their rivals.
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Tom Heaton is backing Manchester United team-mate Senne Lammens to emerge as a stronger character from his World Cup disappointment.
Lammens had been back-up to Thibaut Courtois throughout the tournament until the veteran Belgium goalkeeper was injured nineteen minutes from the end of the quarter-final against Spain.
Lammens was distraught at the final whistle and Heaton has spoken to the youngster, who was outstanding at United last season after arriving as a relative unknown from Royal Antwerp in preference to Argentina’s Emi Martinez, for eighteen point one million pounds.
Lammens is now on a three-week break before returning to pre-season training.
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IN NIGERIA
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Only six players of Cup-holders Nigeria’s Super Falcons were still being expected at the team’s camp in Casablanca, following the arrival of more players as fifteen players trained at the La Noria Club.
The BK Hacken FC of Sweden duo of Halimatu Ayinde and Joy Omewa flew into Casablanca as the team was being drilled by Coach Justine Madugu and his assistants at the La Noria, while Pachuca Tuzas of Mexico duo of defender Osinachi Ohale and forward Chinwendu Ihezuo were airborne to the North African Kingdom.
The final-phase preparations have hit fever pitch with nineteen of the twenty-five players in camp, ahead of the team’s opening match of the competition against Malawi on Tuesday, 28th July.
Among players who have been in camp earlier are captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defenders Shukurat Oladipo, Oluwatosin Demehin and Christy Ucheibe, midfielders Toni Payne and Jennifer Echegini, and forwards Asisat Oshoala, Francisca Ordega and Omorinsola Babajide.
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Super Falcons star, Deborah Abiodun says the team are determined to add more silverware despite their unrivalled dominance in African women’s football.
Abiodun insisted the team’s hunger for success remains as strong as ever, adding that retaining the title would be a special achievement for the Super Falcons.
Nigeria is widely expected to finish top of the group, but Abiodun insisted the defending champions will approach every game with the utmost seriousness.
She stressed that the team will not underestimate any of their opponents as they begin their title defence.
Nigeria is the most successful team in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, having won a record ten titles.
Justine Madugu’s side will be aiming to extend that record by claiming an 11th continental crown when the WAFCON 2026 finals kick off in Morocco next weekend.
The Super Falcons have been drawn in Group C alongside Malawi, Zambia and Egypt.
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Turkish Super Lig side Konyaspor have opened talks with Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem over a potential summer move.
Awaziem is expected to leave French club Nantes following the Canaries’ relegation from Ligue 1 at the end of last season.
Konyaspor are eager to strengthen their defence with the signing of the experienced centre-back, who has previously enjoyed two spells in Turkish football.
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Nigeria emerged champions in the women’s and youth categories at the 2026 NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship in Nairobi.
The three-day championship featured athletes from Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa and host nation Kenya.
Nigeria defeated Egypt to win the women’s title, while Egypt overcame Nigeria to claim the men’s championship.
Nigeria also secured the youth title after defeating Ghana, with South Africa winning bronze in the men’s and youth competitions.
Kenya earned bronze in the women’s category at the championship organised in consultation with the International Federation of American Football.
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The Commonwealth Fencing Federation, has confirmed that 20 countries, including hosts Nigeria and Australia, have registered for the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos.
The event scheduled to hold between 9th and 14th August will have India parade the largest contingent, with 67 fencers competing in the Veteran, U-23, Para and Senior categories across the epee, foil and sabre events.
Other participating countries include Bangladesh, Botswana, Cyprus, England, Ghana, Guernsey and Jamaica.
Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, The Gambia, Togo and Wales, also made the list.
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OTHER LEAGUES
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Stephen Robinson has expressed his frustration about the format of the Premier Sports Cup after guiding Aberdeen to their second win out of two in Group A.
Robinson, who won the competition as St Mirren manager last season, feels the first-round group stage of the League Cup comes too early in the season.
The Dons beat Queen’s Park two-one at Pittodrie on Saturday, having opened with a two-nil win at Brora Rangers on Tuesday.
Aberdeen travel to take on Queen of the South in Dumfries in their next fixture on Tuesday then finish at home to Kelty Hearts on Saturday.
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OTHER SPORTS
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In Tennis, Stefanos Tsitsipas has won his first ATP title in 16 months after defeating Raphael Collignon in the Swiss Open final.
The former world number three and two-time Grand Slam finalist overcame the Belgian 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to claim the 13th ATP title of his career.
Tsitsipas’ last title was the Dubai Open in March 2025, where he beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets.
It was the 27-year-old’s sixth clay court title of his career, most notably winning the Monte Carlo Masters in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
The 24-year-old Collignon, ranked 42 in the world, was competing in his first ever ATP final.
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In Formula one, George Russell says he is numb to the disappointment after another problem at the Belgian Grand Prix led to him losing nearly all the ground in the championship he had gained on team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the past month.
Russell crashed out on the first lap at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday after a collision with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who was penalised for the incident.
With Antonelli winning for the sixth time in ten races this season, the Italian doubled his lead over Russell in one fell swoop.
The Briton’s remarks are a reference to the series of issues he has suffered this year that have contributed to Antonelli’s lead.
Russell said after the British Grand Prix last time out, where Antonelli suffered a second problem in three races that prevented him scoring, that the issues had now pretty much equalised across the two cars.
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In Cricket, England hit the highest one-day international total at Lord’s to beat India by 27 runs and seal a thrilling 2-1 series victory.
Opener Ben Duckett made the biggest men’s ODI individual score at the Home of Cricket in striking 141 off 135 balls as the hosts posted 383-7, surpassing the previous mark of 334-4 by England against the same opponents in 1975.
Duckett shared an opening stand of 192 with Jacob Bethell, who fell for 91, before finally chipping a return catch to Prince Yadav in the 44th over after smacking 18 fours and a six.
Joe Root helped drive England to their formidable total, hitting an unbeaten 74 from 48 balls for his sixth consecutive score of 50 or more in ODIs, while Jos Buttler added a blistering unbeaten 41 off 13 deliveries late on.
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In Rugby, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi walked out of his news conference after the 31-24 defeat by England in the Nations Championship.
He said England’s celebrations in the changing room next door showed a lack of respect.
Contepomi had asked an England representative to stop the noise of the music and celebrations.
Argentina were denied a try by the television match official in the final play of a chaotic match in Santiago del Estero.
England cruised to a 19-3 lead at half-time before Argentina, who wore replicas of the football team’s 1986 World Cup kit, fought back in the second half.
England are third in the northern hemisphere group in the Nations Championship.
The competition resumes on 6th November and the finals will be held on 28th and 29th November.
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In Golf, Tommy Fleetwood says he will continue to chase his dream of winning The Open after falling short at the end of a special week on home soil at Royal Birkdale.
Hoping to clinch his first major and become the first Englishman to lift the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992, Fleetwood started the final round five shots back of overnight leader Sam Burns.
Roared on by huge crowds, Fleetwood birdied three of his first eight holes to vault into contention before a hat-trick of bogeys around the turn wrecked his chances.
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In Cycling, Britain’s Beth Shriever has become the first BMX racer to win four elite world titles as extreme weather curtailed the UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane.
After persistent strong winds delayed the start of the race in the Australian city, the UCI was forced to abandon the event and take results from the first round, held the previous day.
Shriever set the fastest lap time in the women’s event, which meant she was declared the champion for an unprecedented fourth time.
In the men’s event, fellow Briton Ross Cullen won silver after setting the second-fastest lap, behind Australia’s Jesse Asmus.
Shriever’s victory adds to her world titles in 2021, 2023 and 2025, as well her Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
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In Athletics, Josh Kerr says breaking the men’s mile world record is an awesome achievement but hints he could attempt to set a new mark.
Kerr beat Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s 1999 time, crossing the line in three minutes 42.66 seconds.
The Scot became the seventh British athlete to claim the mile record and first since Steve Cram in 1985. Kerr’s previous best personal best over the mile was a British record of 3:45.34.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it…words from Henry David Thoreau.
