Something happened inside that Argentina dressing room. You cannot... convince me this was just “final nerves.” They arrived at the stadium smiling. Then they emerged completely different. Enzo looked close to tears. Licha had sadness written all over his face. Paredes looked furious. Messi kept repeating: “Stay calm. Forget everything. Let's just play” Just play and not WIN?😧 And then Argentina produced one of their most lifeless, disconnected performances under Scaloni. Argentina can lose to Spain. Spain are an exceptional team. But Argentina do not suddenly forget how to press, compete and suffer together especially in a World Cup final. Maybe we will never know what was said behind those doors. But those faces, Messi’s words and the performance that followed make it feel like something much bigger happened before kick-off. 🇦🇷💔show more

🚨Lionel Scaloni on the strange way Argentina played against... Spain: • Reporter: Lionel, welcome home, and congratulations on reaching another World Cup final. But many fans were surprised by Argentina’s performance against Spain, it didn’t look like the team we’d seen throughout the tournament. What happened? 🗣️Lionel Scaloni: “First, congratulations to Spain. They deserved to be world champions and handled the final better than we did. I understand why people have questions. From the outside, a lot looked unusual. But football has stories the public never sees. Some things happen inside a dressing room, and out of respect for everyone involved, they should stay there.” • Reporter: Before kick-off, Messi told the team, ‘Let’s forget about everything. Let’s just play.’ There was no applause, and players like Enzo Fernández and Lisandro Martínez looked emotional. It felt very different. 🗣️Scaloni: “Every dressing room has emotional moments before a final. Cameras capture seconds, not the full picture. I won’t discuss private conversations, but everyone who stepped onto that pitch gave everything for Argentina.” • Reporter: Fans also noticed Messi during the warm-up, with some saying he looked distracted and even missed shots deliberately. Was something wrong? 🗣️Scaloni: “People can interpret body language however they want. Leo has his own routine after thousands of matches. It’s unfair to judge his mindset from a few minutes of footage.” • Reporter: Lautaro Martínez barely seemed involved despite being important throughout the tournament. Enzo Fernández and Leandro Paredes also played with an aggression that seemed out of character. Was something affecting the squad mentally? 🗣️Scaloni: “Finals change games. Spain controlled long periods, and that affects every player. Sometimes what looks strange is simply the result of facing a great opponent.” • Reporter: After losing Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez to injury, Argentina became much more defensive. Many fans felt that invited Spain onto you. 🗣️Scaloni: “Losing two key defenders in a World Cup final forces difficult decisions. Looking back, everyone can question them, including me but every change was made to help the team.” • Reporter: Argentina also struggled to keep the ball, Messi barely saw possession, and Spain kept winning it back. It didn’t resemble your tournament performances. 🗣️Scaloni: “Spain deserve huge credit because they forced mistakes no other team could. But we were also below our usual level. Whether it was nerves, fatigue, or simply an off night, we never found our rhythm.” • Reporter: Finally, Messi missed out on the Golden Ball, with Rodri winning it instead. Many Argentina fans believe Messi deserved it. What do you think? 🗣️Scaloni: “Individual awards will always divide opinions. For me, Leo had an extraordinary tournament and led this team brilliantly. A trophy doesn’t define what he achieved. As for everything else that’s being said… football has a way of revealing the truth over time. There are things I know, there are things I prefer to keep private, and there are things that people will continue to speculate about. My job isn’t to fuel speculation. Maybe one day certain stories will be understood more clearly, but today isn’t that day.”show more

Argentina player Rodrigo De Paul revealed Lionel Messi LEFT... Argentina’s team group chat and stopped responding to his teammates following their heartbreaking World Cup final defeat to Spain. 🇦🇷💔 🗣️ “Leo was extremely frustrated with us, especially after Enzo’s red card. He felt we threw the match away. That’s not something you usually see from Messi.” “He hasn’t responded to our messages since the final — not even the coach. We know we disappointed him. If we had handled that game differently, everything could’ve ended another way.” 👀😳 Messi going SILENT after the final… What really happened inside Argentina’s dressing room?show more

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho Gaúcho In a recent interview was... asked about Argentina’s loss to Spain in the World Cup final “I love Messi as my old teammate, but him and the Argentine team don’t play fair at all and I’m glad Spain taught them a lesson.” He continued when pressed on the Copa América finals, doubling down on his criticism of Argentina’s approach against Brazil. “That is an example of how Messi and the Argentina team cheats,” Ronaldinho stated firmly. “They didn’t play Brazil fair we all know Brazil was supposed to win that finals but they did their dirty work.”show more

Sergio “Kun” Agüero revealed in a livestream that Messi... and the Argentina coach did clash after the World Cup final loss to Spain and also talked about how Messi’s teammates let him down. “I honestly didn’t like how things ended in the final with the national team, especially with Messi having a disagreement with Lionel Scaloni. Messi told me he had a clash with Scaloni over the coach’s tactics and how he handled the match. Messi told him there was no way they could sit back and let Spain have all the ball because they were going to lose that way, but the coach still insisted on playing a low block while waiting for a counter. I mean, who the hell goes against the words of the greatest player in the world? Messi sees the game differently, but the coach was too full of pride to follow his advice. Enzo’s challenge was very reckless. When you already have a yellow card, you still went for that type of tackle. Argentina had already lost the game before the final even kicked off, and it’s just so sad how Lionel Scaloni and the teammates let Leo down in his last World Cup after everything he has done for the national team.”show more

Sergio Ramos speaking on what it felt like to... beat Argentina and calling out Leonardo Paredes for putting his hands on Gavi: “I was the happiest person on earth that day because Spain didn’t just beat Argentina they completely demolished them. It showed how poor they really are, and they didn’t deserve to be in the final if not for the referee favoring them most of the time. Paredes was lucky I didn’t make it to the pitch in time. He would have found out the kind of person I was that day.”show more

Fernando Torres on Argentina’s aggression during the FIFA World... Cup final against Spain. 🗣️ “Argentina didn’t lose the World Cup because Spain were untouchable. They lost because they completely lost control of themselves. The moment football disappeared and anger took over, the final was over.” “I watched players wasting energy surrounding the referee, arguing over every decision, provoking opponents and letting frustration consume them. That’s not the mentality of champions. That’s panic.” “A World Cup final isn’t a street fight. It’s ninety minutes of discipline, intelligence and composure. Spain kept their heads. Argentina lost theirs, and that’s exactly why only one team lifted the trophy.” “Every unnecessary confrontation, every reckless reaction and every emotional outburst pushed Argentina further away from the trophy. They weren’t fighting Spain anymore—they were fighting themselves.” “The badge on your chest doesn’t give you permission to lose your discipline. The biggest players in football know when to stay calm. Argentina forgot that at the worst possible moment.” “When your emotions become bigger than your football, you’ve already handed your opponent an advantage. Spain didn’t need Argentina to make tactical mistakes—Argentina destroyed their own rhythm.” “Champions don’t spend the final chasing arguments. They chase the ball. Spain stayed obsessed with winning. Argentina became obsessed with everything except the football.” “If you can’t control your temper on the biggest night of your career, don’t be surprised when the trophy ends up in someone else’s hands. The World Cup rewards composure, not chaos.” “People will talk about Spain’s quality, but I’ll always believe Argentina’s greatest opponent that night wasn’t Spain. It was their own lack of discipline. They gave away the one thing no champion can afford to lose in a World Cup final their composure.”show more

Ex-Real Madrid player Toni Kroos has finally addressed his... tweet after posting “Football won” shortly after Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday. 🗣️ “Well, I’ve seen that a lot of people didn’t take the tweet well, but I stand by it. I believe a real football team won on Sunday. I also believe that everyone who watched the World Cup saw that Spain had the best team in the tournament, and Argentina definitely didn’t deserve to reach the final, let alone win the World Cup. Especially against England, they didn’t play well. They won most of their games due to referee favoritism and poor football, which always resulted in fouling their opponents. So I was relieved and glad that Spain won the final, and that’s why I tweeted that.”show more

Former Spain and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos in... a recent interview about the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. “I love Messi, yes he’s a genius,” Ramos said. “But him and the Argentine squad were really playing dirty in the final. The game and the officials were clearly supporting Argentina. They tried as much as they could to rig it, just like they did in the 2022 final. Thank God the Spanish team is different we rose above it and deserved the win.” When pressed about Argentina’s controversial match against England earlier in the tournament, Ramos doubled down: “The Argentine squad should have been suspended and stripped of their world titles after raising that flag and Enzo’s celebration. FIFA overlooked everything. There were so many calls that were not credited. It’s unfair. But I'm glad they lost".show more

🚨 Ferran Torres reveals Spain's final team talk: "The... coach told me Argentina were waiting for penalties he sent me on to finish the game. 🗣️ Ferran Torres When I was about to come on, the coach called me over and showed me exactly where Argentina were leaving space. He pointed out the gaps behind their midfield and told me they had stopped trying to win the match. In his eyes, they were already thinking about taking the game to penalties. He looked at me and said, 'If this goes to penalties, it becomes a different game. We have to finish it before then.' He told me to attack with confidence, make aggressive runs and be brave in front of goal. His message was simple: don't wait go and decide the final. That gave me so much belief. As a substitute, you dream of moments like that. The manager trusted me with the biggest responsibility in football, and I wanted to repay that trust. Scoring in a World Cup final is something I'll remember forever, but it all started with the confidence the coach gave me before I stepped onto the pitch.show more

Declan Rice on England’s approach to facing Argentina and... Lionel Messi in a potential World Cup semi-final. 🗣️ “Let’s stop pretending everything Argentina do goes through Lionel Messi. If you let him dictate the game, you’ve already made your first mistake. Our job is to make sure he doesn’t get a second to breathe.” “People can talk about Argentina’s squad all they want, but when Messi isn’t controlling the match, they’re a completely different team. He’s the engine, the creator and the player everyone looks for when the pressure is at its highest.” “We aren’t walking onto that pitch to admire him or watch another highlight reel. We’ll be in his face from the first whistle. Every touch will be contested, every pass will be pressured and every yard will have to be earned.” “This is a World Cup semi-final, not a tribute to Lionel Messi. If he thinks he’s going to stroll around and control the game, he’s in for a shock. We’ll make it as uncomfortable as possible because that’s what winning demands.” “Respect is one thing, fear is another. We respect Messi because he’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. But once that whistle goes, reputation means nothing. We’re there to beat Argentina, and if we stop their biggest threat, we’ve given ourselves every chance of reaching the World Cup final.”show more

🚨 Lamine Yamal statement. “𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦, 𝐚𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡. Yesterday... in the stadium, the chant “the one who doesn’t boo is Muslim” was heard. I know it was aimed at the rival team and it wasn’t something against me — but as a Muslim, it doesn’t stop being a lack of respect and something intolerable”. “I understand that not all the fans are like that… but to those who sing these things: using a religion as a joke in a stadium makes you look like ignorant and racist people”. “Football is for enjoying it and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe in”. “That said, thanks to the people who came to cheer us on, see you at the World Cup”.show more

🚨Michael Olise on France’s approach to facing Spain in... the FIFA World Cup semi-final. 🗣️ “Let’s stop pretending everything Spain do goes through one player. Whether it’s Lamine Yamal, Pedri or Nico Williams, the danger comes from how they move the ball together. If you allow them to settle into their rhythm, you’ve already made your first mistake.” “Spain are a fantastic team, but we’re not going into this match to admire their football. Our job is to break their rhythm, win our duels and make sure they never feel comfortable on the ball.” “We’ll press them, we’ll match their intensity and we’ll make every pass difficult. In a World Cup semi-final, you don’t get time to play pretty football. Every metre has to be earned.” “People talk about Spain’s possession, but we have players who can hurt any team in transition. With Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and the quality we have throughout the squad, we know we can create chances against anyone.” “This isn’t about proving who plays the better football. It’s about reaching the World Cup final. We respect Spain because they’re one of the best teams in the world, but once the whistle goes, respect stays off the pitch. We’re there to win and bring France one step closer to another World Cup.”show more

🚨 Shoaib Akhtar reveals: “I fought with Wasim Akram... and Waqar Younis” during the 2011 World Cup. 😱 QUESTION ❓ What happened in 2011? :- Shoaib Akhtar 🗣️:- There was a fight in 2011. I had an argument with Afridi. I fought with Waqar. I said, Please let me play this match. It’s a 10-over game. If Sehwag and Sachin get out within those 10 overs, the game is gone for them. Because the pressure was on them. They were playing at home. It was such a huge World Cup, a World Cup in India, and a semi-final against Pakistan. We had nothing to lose. We had nothing to lose. But they took me out of the team. They said, You’re unfit. I said, ‘How am I unfit? I went out and bowled six overs during the warm-up, out of anger. Do you think Shoaib Akhtar should have played that 2011 World Cup semi-final against India? ?show more

🚨 Francisco conceicao on Ronaldo not passing the ball... to him on Portugal 2-1 win over chile: 🗣️ “I felt I was in a much better position to take the shot and score but Ronaldo didn’t pass the ball Sometimes in football moments like that are what decided games We had opportunities in transition where the right decision could have changed everything, but it didn’t happen in that moment. We ended up going 1 man down and having to fight to take something out of the game but at the World Cup we need to work as a team to achieve our goal At this level, small details matter a lot. One pass, one decision, one second can completely change the direction of a match. We have the quality in this team, but we need more understanding in those situations, especially in the final third. If we want to go far in the World Cup, we cannot rely on individual moments we must move as one unit and make the best choice for the team every time.” {talkSPORT }show more

Ashley Cole on England’s World Cup semi-final elimination. 🗣️... “England have bottled it. There’s no sugar-coating this. You don’t spend years building one of the most talented squads in world football only to crumble the moment you’re asked to show courage. They gifted Argentina belief and paid the ultimate price.” “They went into their shell after taking the lead. Instead of finishing the game, they started protecting it like a small nation hanging on against a giant. That mentality is embarrassing for a team with England’s quality. Champions kill games—they don’t hide from them.” “The manager completely lost his nerve. His substitutions, his tactics, his message to the players—it all screamed fear. Sitting deeper and inviting Lionel Messi and Argentina onto you is football suicide. Everyone watching knew what was coming except the people on the England bench.” “And the players deserve criticism too. Too many disappeared. Too many hid instead of demanding the ball. When Argentina raised the intensity, England folded like a pack of cards. You cannot call yourself world-class if you vanish when your country needs you most.” “This wasn’t bad luck. This wasn’t the referee. This wasn’t fatigue. This was a complete collapse of mentality. England threw away a place in the World Cup final because they lacked the courage to keep playing football.” “If you’re satisfied with reaching the semi-finals, then keep making the same mistakes. But if you genuinely want to become world champions, performances like this should haunt every single person in that dressing room. They didn’t lose to a better team—they lost to their own fear.”show more

“One morning, I went to check on our guests... having breakfast. My back was to the waterhole. Suddenly everyone went quiet and just stared at me, their faces full of disbelief. I thought, have I said something strange? But then I clocked and I asked, “Is there something behind me?” Cue all the nodding. I turned around to see a female lion walking past the Elephant Pool. She looked at us, let out a call to rally the others, and then calmly sat down right in front of the pool. At that point, we were a mix of pure excitement and disbelief. Just when we thought that was it, three more lions arrived. Four lions in total! The most incredible sight. It felt like they had joined us for breakfast. If you ask me, this was the perfect armchair safari experience.” 📷 : Host Sam 📍 : Somalisa Acacia, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe #Lion #wildlife #Africa #Safari #Momentsshow more

Blake Lively’s Met Gala Moment Was Deeply Tone-Deaf Blake... Lively showing up at the Met Gala this year, smiling like nothing happened, honestly felt surreal. Not in a good way. More like… are we all just expected to pretend the last two years didn’t happen? Because that’s what it looked like. A reset. A clean slate. As if everything that went down with Justin Baldoni just evaporated the moment she stepped onto that carpet in a Versace gown. And I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work like that. You don’t get to be at the center of a situation that serious, with that much damage done to someone’s reputation, and then just reappear in full glamour mode like it was all some minor inconvenience. Whether people want to admit it or not, that whole situation left a mark. On him, on the project, and on how people see her now. What makes it worse is the timing. Walking into one of the most visible events in the world right after everything wrapped up just feels… off. There’s no reflection in that. No pause. No sense that any of it actually mattered beyond being something to get past. And then there’s the bigger issue. When something tied to a story about domestic violence turns into this kind of public spectacle, it cheapens it. It stops being about the message and starts being about ego, control, and image. That’s the part that doesn’t sit right. You can call it strategy, you can call it PR, but to a lot of people it just reads as tone-deaf. Versace dressing her? That’s their choice. But let’s not pretend fashion houses don’t pick sides when they do that. They know exactly what kind of attention it brings. Same with the Met Gala. They don’t “accidentally” invite people. Every name is a decision. So yeah, people are going to question it. They should. Because this didn’t feel like a comeback. It felt like someone stepping right back into the spotlight without acknowledging the weight of what just happened. Like the expectation is that the audience will move on simply because she has. Not everyone will. And honestly, they shouldn’t have to. PS: That’s the only soundtrack that actually fits that red carpet. moment.show more

🚨🇪🇸 TALK ABOUT THE AUDACITY! Thousands of Argentina fans... took over Malaga, Spain, celebrating their World Cup final spot by chanting “He who doesn’t jump is Spanish!” 🇦🇷🥶👇 Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! 💀 Shortly after booking their ticket to the final, Argentine supporters flooded the streets of Malaga. But instead of just celebrating, they decided to target the locals, shouting “El que no salta es español” (He who doesn’t jump is Spanish). SPANIARDS ARE NOT HAVING IT! 🤬💸 Locals are absolutely losing their minds over this, quickly pointing out the irony of the situation. Thousands of Argentines flee their country’s catastrophic economic crisis and 200%+ inflation to build a better life or vacation in Spain—only to insult the very people hosting them! Spaniards are clapping back hard, asking why they don’t go back to celebrate in Buenos Aires if they hate Spain so much! 🤫✈️ The comment section is about to turn into a full-scale war: 🇪🇸 Spanish Fans: “You run away from your hyperinflation, find jobs in Spain, and then insult us on our own streets? Have some dignity and respect!” 🤡❌ 🇦🇷 Argentina Fans: “It’s just football folklore, don’t be so sensitive! We practically own Spain now anyway, cry louder!” 🏆🤷‍♂️ 👇 IS THIS COMPLETELY DISRESPECTFUL, OR IS IT JUST HARMLESS FOOTBALL BANTER?show more

This is football and what matters most in this... world, family — A Cape Verde player cries with his wife and son after the match vs Argentina. He shouldn't cry. They gave it to the champs. Yeah the cinderella story ended, but people thought it'd end WAY sooner. Kudos to Cabo Verde, their run was legendary and we will never forget. Unfortunately, we won't see them again in 2030. No need for tears. They gave the reigning champions a run for their money. They didn’t win the Cup or the game but they won the respect of the World. They fielded the oldest team in the tournament, besides the legal problems with Mendes, 9 or more of them will retire before 2030. I'm not saying new talent can't impress, I'm just saying it's unlikely. They maximised the use of foreign born players. So, hopefully they will be back in the world cup again. They gave a fantastic account of themselves.show more

🚨Cubarsí on Rodri winning the Golden Ball over Messi... “First of all, congratulations to Rodri. He had an incredible tournament and nobody can deny that. But if you ask me who deserved the Golden Ball after this World Cup, my answer is Lionel Messi.” “People cannot underplay what Messi did simply because Argentina didn't win the World Cup final. At 39 years old, he was still the best player in the tournament. Every time he stepped onto the pitch, he carried his nation and produced moments only he can create.” “I honestly think the way the Golden Ball is decided should change. Team results matter, but football is also about individual greatness. Rodri was fantastic, but for me, Messi was the best player of the tournament and deserved the Golden Ball.”show more