Before the final whistle blows on the 2026 World Cup, a familiar tension is already bubbling ahead of its next two installments. Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. And in Saudi Arabia, host of the 2034 tournament, homosexuality is understood to be illegal under Islamic…
Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup may not be a 2034 World Cup at all. The tournament is unlikely to be played in the summer — and the calendar math could push it into 2035. FIFA has, of course, switched the World Cup to winter before to avoid playing games in intense summer heat, with Qatar’s…
Final whistle. After six weeks, that’s a wrap on our World Cup coverage and live analysis — tracking not the goals and games, but the power plays, political battles and geopolitical stakes shaping the tournament. Thanks for following along. Politics
In four years, we’ll be celebrating another edition of the World Cup. We’ll be transfixed on a competition that will span six countries across three continents with possibly 64 teams taking part in sport’s greatest spectacle. More than likely, we’ll be seeing the likes of France’s Kylian Mbappé, England’s Jude Bellingham, Norway’s Erling Haaland, Spain’s…
For the second time ever, Spain is the world champion. This time, it was in much more dominant fashion than back in 2010. Argentina was not much of a threat to score for most of the 120 minutes, with Spain in complete control. Ultimately, the game had it all, from a red card to a…
El Fútbol won on Sunday. Spain beat Argentina, 1-0, in New Jersey to win its second World Cup, and the scoreline is the least descriptive stat of the night. Try this one instead: the defending champions, with Lionel Messi on the field for 120 minutes, did not register a single shot on goal. Not one….
NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM — Spain stands alone on top of the world. La Roja won their second World Cup title on Sunday — Spain’s first since 2010 — by defeating Lionel Messi and 10-man Argentina on Ferran Torres’s goal in the second half of extra time following a scoreless first 90 minutes. Spain…
Well, it took 103 World Cup matches and many variations, but Zlatan Ibrahimović’s “King of the Jungle” power rankings has a new No. 1 ahead of Sunday’s Spain-Argentina World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium. As part of his segments as a FOX Sports analyst this tournament, Zlatan has periodically dropped his “King…
NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM – In Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, one of the biggest takeaways is how success needs to be determined even before you enter battle. In war, the key assets of preparation will always outdo any reactionary tactics, because knowing the entire blueprint doesn’t just make you better prepared, it…
The best World Cup ever ended with a final to remember. For the second time ever, Spain is the world champion. The reigning European champions took down the reigning world champion, when Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute of the final to beat Argentina. This tournament had it all — drama, late game-winners, golazos,…
