Sports

When Argentina and Spain meet in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, it will be a true passing of the guard. From one generational superstar to the next. From one Barcelona legend to the club's current star. From 39-year-old Lionel Messi to 19-year-old Lamine Yamal. Yamal is already a household name, who, at 17, helped Spain win the UEFA Euro 2024. Messi, too, wasted no time piling up a […]

The 2026 World Cup featured veteran stars and first-time competitors that competed for a title much older than some could imagine. From Croatia's Luka Modrić at age 42 to Cape Verde's Vozinha at age 40, the tournament talent spared no age limit. But who are some of the oldest players to have hoisted a World Cup trophy? With 39-year-old Lionel Messi competing for back-to-back World Cups, here's a list of […]

Argentine President Javier Milei said on Thursday he won't be attending the World Cup final because of superstition, instead choosing to view Sunday’s match between Spain and Argentina from home — where he has watched the defending champion's previous seven games, all victories, in the tournament. In a bid to help his nation’s beloved soccer team secure its second consecutive title, Milei added, he'll be wearing the same heavy jacket, […]

The world's best have thrived this summer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has helped make this the best edition of the tournament ever. Ahead of the final between Spain and Argentina, we ranked the 50 best players in the tournament. Most of the players toward the top of this list have household names and are among the world's best. Others, though, have broken out and became stars during […]

New Virginia Tech coach James Franklin knows the Hokies' proud history going back to the Frank Beamer era. Annual bowl bids. A trip to the national championship game. Special teams play so reliably good that it spawned the name "Beamer Ball," and the beaten-up metal lunch pail symbolizing a blue-collar defensive ethic. "You guys all remember that Virginia Tech," Franklin said Thursday, "but none of the current players do." That […]

A No. 10 jersey worn by Brazil icon Pelé in the 1958 World Cup final has been sold for $4.9 million, Sotheby’s said Thursday. Pelé, who died in 2022, was 17 when he scored twice in Brazil’s 5-2 win over hosts Sweden at the Rasunda Stadium and still remains the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final. Sotheby’s said the jersey worn by the Brazilian star is […]

Lionel Messi has a message for Argentina's detractors: "Nothing was handed to us." The Argentina superstar responded to critics who have been bashing the reigning World Cup champions over perceptions of beneficial officiating and favoritism by the soccer establishment. He said the team’s ability to overturn late-game deficits, most recently the semifinal victory over England, is the result of championship pedigree and nothing more. After trailing 1-0 going into the […]

The 2026 World Cup final is set as Argentina looks to defend its title against Spain. But after four wild comebacks, what was it about Argentina’s seminal performance that sealed its championship spot? Their X-factor, Lionel Messi. Although Messi has not scored since Argentina's round-of-16 win over Egypt, he’s still managed to set up some of their game-winning goals that led them to the final, including a pair of assists […]

Sunday's FIFA World Cup final is packed with storylines, from Lionel Messi facing teenage sensation Lamine Yamal battling for the sport's biggest prize. But Argentina enters the match with a chance to accomplish something no men's team has done in decades. A win would make Argentina just the third country to pull off back-to-back men's World Cup titles, something that hasn't been done since 1962. Messi has his squad right […]