ROME (ITALPRESS) – The international press has unanimously praised Spain’s achievement after they defeated defending champions Argentina in extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

L’Équipe, France’s leading sports daily, headlined its coverage “The New Kings”, hailing Luis de la Fuente’s side as “the greatest national team of the 21st century,” citing not only the 2026 World Cup triumph but also Spain’s 2010 World Cup title and their European Championship victories in 2008, 2012, and 2024.

In the United Kingdom, the BBC celebrated Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, describing Spain as “superior” after dominating every area of the pitch.

Germany’s Bild focused on the symbolic generational showdown between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, portraying it as a passing of the torch that crowned “the Spanish superstar” while marking what could be Messi’s farewell to international football. The Argentine legend, now with Inter Miami, was described by the newspaper as “weak and defeated.”

Portugal’s A Bola was even more emphatic, declaring that “Spain humiliated La Albiceleste.”

Meanwhile, Argentina’s Olé adopted a sporting tone, acknowledging that “Spain deserved the title,” while stressing that Lionel Scaloni’s men “gave everything and fought until the very end.”

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – A record-breaking World Cup, even for FIFA’s coffers. According to the Guardian, the international federation informed its members yesterday that the tournament, which concludes tonight with the final between Spain and Argentina, will generate $15 billion (over €13 billion), far exceeding expectations, given that forecasts had hovered around $11 billion. This is thanks to hospitality services and ticket sales, in a secondary market characterized by very high prices, with President Gianni Infantino thus strengthening his position ahead of the FIFA presidential elections to be held in March 2027.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Reflections are underway. The World Cup, which concludes tonight with Spain vs. Argentina, was also a tournament of innovations, starting with the much-discussed hydration breaks, whose future is still unclear. “Sometimes people didn’t like them,” acknowledged Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s head of global football development.

“I don’t think they changed the results of matches, but we’re here to serve the people who watch football, and we’ll draw conclusions for the future. At the end of the tournament, we’ll analyze their impact.” Opinions among coaches were divided, with some, like Tuchel, stating their complete opposition, while others, like Garcia and de la Fuente, saw a certain benefit in the breaks.

UEFA has already announced that they will not be adopted in Europe, but TV channels can certainly be satisfied: according to “The Hollywood Reporter,” Fox, the broadcaster that broadcast the World Cup in the United States, earned at least $250 million (€218 million) from advertising space sold for hydration breaks alone.

Wenger, however, fully endorsed the 48-team format: “It was the right decision and it was a great success. We concluded that it was ethically necessary to give a greater number of teams an opportunity.” These words could serve as a prelude to a further expansion to 64 national teams by 2030 or 2034, which Gianni Infantino has already confirmed will be analyzed.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta recorded its hottest July day on Saturday after temperatures reached 43.3°C, according to the Meteorological Office.

The reading exceeded the previous July record of 42.7°C, set in both 1998 and 2023, and came just 0.5°C below the country’s all-time high of 43.8°C recorded in August 1999.

The record was measured at the Meteorological Office at Malta International Airport as a severe heatwave continued across the islands.

Forecasts indicate the heatwave will persist until at least Wednesday, with daytime temperatures expected to remain above 40°C throughout the period.

Health authorities have escalated the Heat Health Action Plan, warning that the current spell is expected to persist until at least Tuesday.

Twenty cooling centres have been opened across Malta to assist vulnerable people without adequate cooling at home.

Authorities urged residents to stay hydrated, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and check regularly on older relatives, neighbours and people living alone.

Culture Minister Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, a medical doctor, advised the public to drink plenty of water, limit alcohol consumption and monitor people with dementia, who may not recognise the signs of dehydration.

Officials warned that prolonged exposure to extreme heat can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and, in severe cases, heatstroke, which can be life-threatening.

Older adults, young children, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers and those taking certain medications were identified as being at greatest risk.

The heatwave follows an exceptionally warm start to summer, with June 2026 recorded as the hottest June in western Europe and the second hottest across Europe.

-Photo Martin Agius-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

AMSTERDAM (NETHERLANDS) (ITALPRESS) – Ajax have completed their third signing of the transfer window, officially announcing the arrival of Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo from Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal.

The Dutch club have reportedly paid close to €20 million to bring the 23-year-old back to Europe. Marcos Leonardo joined the Saudi side in 2024 after an impressive season with Benfica.

The forward has signed a contract with Ajax that will keep him at the club until 2031.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE (ITALPRESS) – The question is no longer who, but when. It is now widely expected that Zinedine Zidane will succeed Didier Deschamps as head coach of the French national team, although the French Football Federation has yet to make an official announcement.

According to L’Équipe, the date has already been set: September 1. From then on, the former Real Madrid manager will begin preparations for France’s opening UEFA Nations League fixtures. Les Bleus are scheduled to face Turkey on September 24, Belgium on September 28, Italy on October 2, and Belgium again on October 5.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NEW YORK (USA) (ITALPRESS) – “It was a tournament like no other, full of unforgettable moments.“ US President Donald Trump said this during a press conference at Trump Tower, attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who thanked Trump himself: “You don’t need any compliments, but without you, this World Cup wouldn’t have been such an incredible success,” the FIFA president said.

Trump also jokingly returned to the story surrounding the lifting of American player Balogun’s suspension (“I had to call Gianni for a recommendation, but I didn’t know how it would go. But it went better this way, Belgium won and the US had all their players, so Gianni, you made another great choice”).

he US president also added that the next World Cup will be held only in the United States “without Mexico and Canada,” joking that it could be held “in the US and China, so it would only be a short flight away.”

Trump finally praised Lionel Messi (“I saw that pass, brilliant”) and defended Harry Kane, criticizing Tuchel’s decisions in the semi-final against Argentina. “I think they made a mistake by playing him in defense. They took the lead, took their best player, and put him in defense.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has made little or no progress on most key rule of law reforms recommended by the European Commission, according to the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report.

The report found no progress on three of seven recommendations, limited progress on another three and some progress only on reforms to the governance of public service broadcasting, which have yet to be fully implemented.

The Commission said Malta continues to lag in tackling high-level corruption, improving court efficiency, strengthening media freedom and implementing institutional reforms.

It noted that while the Police and the Office of the Attorney General received additional resources and launched new investigations, Malta has failed to establish a strong record of final judgments in high-level corruption cases.

Malta also scored 49 out of 100 in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, placing it among six EU countries below the 50-point mark.

The report highlighted no progress on reforming the appointment of the Chief Justice, establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with UN Paris Principles, strengthening lobbying rules and updating asset declaration rules for MPs and ministers.

Limited progress was recorded on improving protections for journalists, access to official documents and public consultation before legislation is enacted.

The Commission welcomed reforms to media ownership transparency, state advertising rules and safeguards for the appointment of the PBS chief executive, but said further implementation is required.

It also raised concerns over weak conflict-of-interest verification mechanisms in public administration and frequent legislative changes affecting legal certainty for businesses.

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NEW YORK (USA) (ITALPRESS) – “The truth is, that photograph is crazy. I took a picture with him when he was a child, and now we find ourselves facing each other in a World Cup final.“ This is how Lionel Messi describes the generational clash with Lamine Yamal, on the eve of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

The Argentine ace spoke about the Spanish talent during a panel in New York that brought together the captains and coaches of the two finalists, hosted by Tom Brady, Rio Ferdinand, Novak Djokovic, and Kevin Durant. The reference is to the famous 2007 photograph of the newborn Yamal alongside Messi, which went viral on the eve of the World Cup title match. An image that today takes on an even more special meaning: 19 years later, the two will face each other again in the most important match in world football.

“Lamine is an extraordinary player, whom I’ve followed very closely because he plays for a club I love and for which I always wish the best. At 19, he’s already a world-class player and has his entire career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic, but we’ll do our best to ensure it doesn’t happen this time. I wish him all the best. He’s one of the best players in the world right now,” added the Argentine captain.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MIAMI (USA) (ITALPRESS) – Just hours before the third-place play-off against France, England coach Thomas Tuchel reflected on the semi-final defeat against Argentina and took responsibility for the defeat, but defended his tactical decisions. “I don’t regret my decisions,” the English coach explained in a press conference.

“I felt the game had changed, that we had become too passive, and I tried to help the team.” His decisions during the match, lost 2-1 after England had taken the lead, were criticized by commentators and former players. Tuchel, however, reiterated that he acted based on instinct and experience: “The result didn’t come, and I obviously take responsibility for the decisions I made, but they are decisions made under pressure, during the game.”

The German coach then rejected the idea of ​​looking for a culprit: “If you need someone to blame, it’s me. I’m the coach. But for me, there’s no single person to blame.” England face France in Miami tonight to decide third place in the World Cup.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews