About twenty radicals violently attacked a group of fans who were watching the World Cup final in a bar in the Navarrese town of Berriozar. In a coordinated action, the attackers, with their faces covered, broke into the establishment’s terrace around 10:30 p.m. and threw chairs and tables at the customers, who were watching the match on television.
The Dane Jonas Vingeggard was forced to abandon the Tour de France after suffering a dramatic crash 20 km from the finish of the fifteenth stage, which was held between Champagnole and Plateau de Solaison, in which the Mexican from UAE Isaac del Toro was also involved. Vingeggard, winner of two Tours de France and one of the favorites in the current edition, went down in a curve along with other riders, but the Dane got the worst of it with a strong blow to his right shoulder.
Once again, Gianni Infantino’s FIFA lied. The halftime show was extended, from the referee’s whistle at the end of the first half until the players returned to the field, a total of 27 minutes and 20 seconds, quite a bit more than the 17 minutes promised by the organization. As many feared, the break lasted almost half an hour. Undoubtedly, the longest halftime in history.
The team spirit of the Spanish national team in the World Cup of the United States, Mexico, and Canada was rewarded with the second star for the country. And also with the string of individual World Cup awards won by Rodri, Pau Cubarsí, and Unai Simón.
Unable to shoot until the 116th minute. Unable to score. Unable to lead his team to the title. Unable to shine after a World Cup in which he had always walked the edge of the impossible. Don’t cry for him, Argentina, because he has given you everything. Don’t cry for him because he has been the flag of a team that has survived beyond the imaginable. Don’t cry because at 39 years old he leaves the United States World Cup with eight goals, four assists, and a third final in six appearances. Leo Messi, the greatest player of all time, gave in during extra time, as in 2014 at Maracanã against Germany. Not even his incredible longevity managed to beat an unbeatable champion. A Spain that shut down Mbappé and did the same to Messi.
Never in the history of the finals had a team failed to take a single shot on the opponent’s goal during regular time. Argentina, a stingy team that only attacked when it was dying down, ended up with two chances in 125 minutes, and they offered no more football than countering Spain with order, forcefulness, and too often dirty play, foul tactics, and trickery. Unworthy of the three-time champions who aspired to their fourth crown. Only goalkeeper Dibu Martínez was spared from a very poor collective performance.
For the second time in its history Spain
Ferran Torres, scorer of the second most important goal in the history of Spanish football after Andrés Iniesta’s in Johannesburg in 2010, could not contain his emotion after being crowned world champion: “The goal belonged to 47 million people, it was not mine. The script was written for us to win.”
Spain rules the world, a reality reflected in its football and confirmed by the World Cup. The second star is already flying back to the Peninsula to be embedded on the chest of an admirable team, which has a new hero. From Foios, Ferran Torres burst into extra time to disguise himself as Iniesta and open the doors to eternity with a left-footed shot. A goal that transferred the overwhelming superiority of the Spanish team to the scoreboard, wiping Argentina off the map without any hesitation and ending the Messi era in tears.
Later than Spain, Argentina announced its lineup. Lionel Scaloni waited to know Luis de la Fuente’s starting eleven before revealing his starters for the big final. And the current champion has prepared changes to defend the title. The coach makes three changes with the inclusion of Montiel at right back and De Paul and Nico González. None of them started the semifinal against England, but all three finished it.