African football boss Patrice Motsepe offered an emphatic defence of FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday, portraying him as a devoted steward of the game and friend of the continent. Infantino has faced growing criticism over FIFA’s decision to delay a suspension for United States striker Folarin Balogun at the recently concluded World Cup, as […]
world cup 2026
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
On building a culture of winning …
What comes next for the USMNT program? “I want everyone who cares to focus on the U-17 and U-20 World Cups and the Olympics, where our stars of tomorrow compete against the best and build a culture of winning,” said U.S. Soccer secretary general and CEO JT Batson in an interview with Puck’s John Ourand released on Tuesday (🔒). A new […]
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World Cup final draws 66.4 million viewers
Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina shattered all U.S. viewing records for a soccer game after they had been shattered earlier in the tournament. The combined audience (Match window) on Fox and Telemundo platforms was 66.4 million viewers, the most for a non-NFL sportscast since the 1994 Winter Olympics. Fox reported it averaged […]
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Spain stars lap up adulation of estimated two million on World Cup parade
New World Cup champions Spain enjoyed a vibrant night of celebrations after an open-top bus parade through the streets of Madrid on Monday in front of a jubilant crowd of an estimated two million people. The players enjoyed drinks on their procession under a blazing sun, along the main arteries in the city centre where […]
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“The pain is immense,” says Messi of World Cup defeat
Lionel Messi said on Monday that after Argentina’s World Cup final loss “the pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal.” “I’ll also hold on to all the good memories,” Messi wrote in Spanish on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself wearing his loser’s medal following the […]
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Chattanooga is the base camp champion of the World Cup 2026
“The coolest part about watching every one of Spain’s training sessions from start to finish is noticing how much fun they have. You can see on their faces how much fun they have. They enjoy being around each other. They have enjoyed their time here.” — Curtis Blair, the boys and girls soccer coach of […]
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Superb Spain worthy winners of World Cup dominated by superstar names
It was a World Cup in which football’s biggest names sprinkled stardust over the tournament, yet in the end the trophy deservingly went to a formidable if unspectacular Spain side who were simply too strong, even without Lamine Yamal being at his thrilling best. The 19-year-old winger was the focus of so much attention, but […]
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Spain: A champion befitting an extraordinary World Cup
The patient and polite usher kept asking the Spain fan not to stand on his seat while playing the trumpet. “The seat will break!” At the first-half hydration break — with the 2026 World Cup final scoreless — the seat-standing dispute took the form of a comical one-sided negotiation. “Pago, Pago!” said the trumpeter, indicating […]
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Messi denied dream farewell as abject Argentina lose World Cup final
Lionel Messi could have ended all debate over who is the greatest player of all time by winning another World Cup with Argentina on Sunday, but he was left in tears following Spain’s 1-0 win. Messi, now 39, dragged the holders to another final, scoring eight goals and also providing two assists in the dramatic […]
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REACTION: ‘The defining team of the 21st century’
Global media reaction, including from Argentiina, agreed that Spain the deserved winner of the 2026 World Cup.