Greetings greetings! forty-eight teams, five weeks and 103 matches; welcome to World Cup final day!
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Of course we’ll be looking back at England’s absurd victory France, as well as forward to our Spain v Argentina denouement, the champions of Europe taking on the champions of South America with the former going for two major tournament wins in a row and the latter a fourth, including what would be a second consecutive World Cup and the first since Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962. Never has football seen anything like this.
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So what makes these teams special? Send in your thoughts, and we’ll also reflect on our best and worst moments, goals, matches, performances, players, and ephemera. Let’s go!
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Key events
I’d like to add a cult hero, if I may: Pico Lopes.
Something to read on the great man. I can’t think of many whose top level was higher or who changed the game so profoundly.
I think it’s also worth noting the extent to which Spanish footballing culture pervades the grass-roots game around the world; along with Ronaldinho, who integrated freestyle trickery and attitude into the elite level, it is the biggest influence on the modern style.
“A week ago, France were the greatest side ever seen in a World Cup,” says Gary Stover. “Anybody think Hall or Shaw would have been better than Spence? Anybody think Foden or Palmer would have saved England v Argentina? Maybe someone who’s currently having to make things work on the pitch, say Emma Hayes, has a better understanding of today’s game. Born in England, made in the USA, she sees first hand how the attitudes of me first, team second have slowed the development of both.”
I don’t think it’s right to say Hayes was made in the USA – she was already an all-timer before she moved. But yes, I agree that Shaw and Hall are both better than the left-backs taken ahead of them.
I advocated for this before Argentina played England, and they didn’t do it, but can they really afford to take on Spain with a midfield two? I’d get Lautaro into a tight front three with Simeone dropping out, then a narrow trio behind them and the full-backs tasked with supplying width.
“I’m wary of disagreeing with Emma Hayes,” writes David Wall, “but i think she’s wrong about the importance of individuals to Spain. Spain have been hindered in this tournament because Williams has barely been able to play and Lamine Yamal has been half-fit for a lot of it. The replacements for them are simply not up to their class and impact. Perhaps in terms of creating passing angles and retaining possession it’s not important which individuals are playing as almost all of the Spanish players do that by habit. But it’s just not true to say that particular individuals don’t make a significant difference to how they play and how effective they are.”
I don’t think someone who’s managed so many brilliant individuals doesn’t think the best of them can determine the outcome of games. Rather, Spain rely on a style, inculcated from young and through the age-groups, in a way other countries do not.
I did, though, love Promise David’s effort for Canada against Switzerland. Feels a long, long time ago , that.
What’s your goal of the tournament? I don’t actually think this one is close…
…given the circumstances, it can only be Sidny Lopes Cabral.
“The never ending introspection after England go out of a major tournament is the gift that keeps on giving,” says Niall Mullen. “What does the Peasant’s Revolt tell us about our inability to keep the ball under pressure? Do the Corn Laws mean we’ll never truly thrive in a positionally inflexed modern game etc.? All of this disappears if various penalties down the years aren’t missed, if Gazza doesn’t slow down in 1996, or if Jordan Pickford was a step to his right and had slightly longer arms on Wednesday night. The psychoanalysis of a nation based on the bounce of a ball is obviously absurd, but it is hugely entertaining. So please keep it coming.”
The problem, ultimately is the unwritten constitution. England won’t win anything until Parliament passes a bill of rights.
More on Will’s post below about Messi bathing Lamine Yamal. Great work, you have to say.
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Also going on:
Goodness me, what a day of sport this is.
Thanks Will and hi again all. I can confirm I’ve flogged my ageing carcass on treadmill and sauna, so am now full of endorphins or ready to expire; definitely one of the two.
Daniel Harris is mentally and physically primed for two more hours of content. Back in a bit.
Jonathan Wilson
Where Spain have abandoned the notion of la furia, Argentina have embraced it. It’s obviously not as simple as just staying in the game until Messi can do something brilliant, but equally his capacity to turn matches through ability and force of will is in an enormous asset. The Messi-inspired late surge has been the defining feature of Argentina in the knockout stage.
I think Spain have the stronger bench and with the likes of Nico Williams primed to come off it for a cameo, some damage could be done down the flanks late on. The Argentina full-backs aren’t much to write home about, so will be fear some fresh legs when they are tired.
The two best teams in the tournament are in the final. And I always love it when we get a final that’s never happened before.
Will be gutted for whoever loses but delighted for the winner.
Spain – the best international side of the last 20 years hands down, with their clear identity and way of playing, built around control of the football. I’d love to see them win it.
Argentina – the greatest competitors in international football in the last 6 years, never know when they’re beaten, if you want a fight they’ll have a fight, if you want to play they’ll play too. And of course, the little genius, the most talented player in history, the potential narrative of him going back to back is almost too hard to resist. I’d love to see this too.
If you held a gun to my head, I’d have to pick the slightly superior collective of Spain to edge a very tight game. But it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Argentina prevail because of their indefatigable spirit, and because a genius decides for the umpteenth time to simply bend a match to his will.
Can’t wait. Roll on 8pm.
Our brave boys are home.
Tottenham first-team coach Stuart Lewis is set to leave to take up a role at newly promoted Premier League club Ipswich, the Press Association understands.
Former Wycombe and Gillingham midfielder Lewis has spent the last decade coaching at Spurs and won three trophies in charge of the Under-18s across a four-year spell before he earned a promotion last summer.
Lewis, 38, spent the 2025-26 campaign in a newly created first-team academy transition coach role and helped Jun’ai Byfield and Luca Williams-Barnett make their professional debuts during a difficult season for Tottenham, but will now join Ipswich as part of Gary O’Neil’s coaching set-up.
It ends a lengthy association with the north London club for Lewis, who featured in the FA Youth Cup for Spurs as a player before he returned as a coach in 2015 and contributed towards the development of highly-rated teenager Mikey Moore, who excelled on loan at Rangers last season. PA Media
It is a bumper day of live sport …
Formula One
Cricket
Cycling
Golf
Needless to say, it’s been a busy few days for Sid. He’s also been writing about that of Lionel Messi and baby Lamine Yamal.
I wonder what the rubber duck is up to now.
The man who took it, the photographer Joan Monfort, says he didn’t believe in destiny before but does now. In it, Messi, the greatest footballer of all time, bathes an unknown baby with a cherubic smile. The child, chosen at random and surrounded by bubbles, is Lamine Yamal. The footballer De la Fuente says was “touched by God’s wand” was baptised by him too.
Sid Lowe
Sid Lowe went to have a big chat with Mikel Merino (another Basque) about his role as supersub at this World Cup and plenty more.
Coming from the bench isn’t the ideal plan for any player, but when you join a national team that’s as strong as I and Lautaro have, you value every opportunity and try to help your team if you come on or if you don’t. You focus on the present, embrace the situation, and think of yourself as the guy who can do it. I have complete belief in myself, my ability: every time I come on to the pitch I think I can have impact. In the final, I hope anyone [Spanish] is the hero. The trophy belongs to all of you, not just the 11 on the pitch.”
Unai Simon has had a quietly confident World Cup, helping take Spain to the final. It always go to show that having a Basque goalkeeper is worthwhile. I suspect he will have a key moment later on that could define his tournament.
Can Lionel Messi catch Kylian Mbappe after the Frenchman’s two goals last night?
I would still suggested goals in the bronze medal match are worth less.
It’s an impressively quick turnaround from finishing a match in Miami at midnight BST. You have to admire the logistics involved.
Hopefully the players can finally get some rest are a ludicrously elongated tournament.
The England squad has safely arrived back in the UK, landing at Birmingham Airport not long ago.
Ed Aarons has come up with his player ratings for the England squad from this tournament.
It transpires that Jude Bellingham was quite good.
Senne Lammens will come back from his World Cup frustration as a better goalkeeper, according to Manchester United team-mate Tom Heaton.
Lammens was at fault in Belgium’s 2-1 quarter-final loss to Spain when he spilt Pau Cubarsi’s 25-yard strike into the path of Mikel Merino, who fired into the roof of the net for an 88th-minute winner.
Lammens had come off the bench to replace an injured Thibaut Courtois in what was his only appearance at the World Cup. It was a huge moment for the 24-year-old but, having spoken to him in the aftermath, Heaton has no doubt the man who has locked down United’s number one position will bounce back.
“It was obviously a challenging moment for him, but I think that’s the life of a goalkeeper,” Heaton said following United’s 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki. “As soon as you put the gloves on and go between the sticks, you have to be ready to deal with that. He certainly is. I actually think he’ll be stronger for it.
“I think his personality is fantastic for a goalkeeper, so no issues there. It’s obviously disappointing for him, but I do honestly think it can help him in the long run.”
All goalkeepers go into a match knowing any mistakes are likely to lead to goals and can determine games. Heaton is sure Lammens has the personality to handle it at the highest level.
“I’ve certainly seen that from him as a young goalkeeper coming into Manchester United and dealing with that unbelievably well,” Heaton added. “I highly doubt he’ll be going into (the next match) with fear or worrying about what may happen. It’s more about what you want to go and achieve, whilst also accepting if it happens you can deal with it.” PA Media
Get in the mood for the final by testing your brain matter with this devilish quiz.
Bukayo Saka hailed England’s mentality after their thrilling 6-4 win over France sealed a third-place finish at the World Cup. It’s England’s best finish at the tournament since winning it in 1966.
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Philipp Lahm
My colleague Philipp Lahm has written his latest column.
The architect of Spain’s vision is Johan Cruyff. He brought the 4-3-3 formation and a specific ideology to Barcelona. A cadre of tactical purists, such as Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery, refined his approach into a philosophy that has defined the playing style of the entire league, all youth squads and the national team for nearly two decades. Its principles include ball-oriented defending, clearly defined positions and roles, a high level of organisation, and technical, combination-based football. Eleven players operate as a unit, moving like a swarm.
Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has internalised this guiding philosophy. He spent decades working in youth development at club and federation level, and his assistants are longtime associates. On the pitch, this style is embodied by Rodri, the world’s best player.
Fifa has been accused of providing an “open door to fraud” and allowing political influence to cast doubt on the integrity of the World Cup in a stinging rebuke by the Council of Europe’s secretary general.
In an open letter published to coincide with Sunday’s final, Alain Berset also called for a new integrity framework to be built before the 2030 tournament, which is mainly being staged in Europe, and warned that Fifa was embroiled in a crisis involving money and power.
Niall Mullen writes: “The never ending introspection after England go out of a major tournament is the gift that keeps on giving. What does the Peasant’s Revolt tell us about our inability to keep the ball under pressure? Do the Corn Laws mean we’ll never truly thrive in a positionally inflexed modern game etc.? All of this disappears various penalties down the years aren’t missed, if Gazza doesn’t slow down in 1996, or if Jordan Pickford was a step to his right and had slightly longer arms on Wednesday night. The psychoanalysis of a nation based on the bounce of a ball is obviously absurd, but it is hugely entertaining. So please keep it coming.”
THIS IS WHAT WE LIVE FOR!!!
Goalkeeper Radek Vitek is ready to leave Manchester United in search of regular first-team football.
The 22-year-old spent last season on loan with Bristol City, where the former Czech Republic Under-21 international kept 12 clean sheets in 41 appearances.
With Senne Lammens having locked down United’s number-one spot since joining last September and Karl Darlow freshly arrived as his new number two, Vitek knows he must leave Old Trafford to further his development and is ready to make the move permanent if necessary.
“I feel great and ready to go again somewhere to hopefully be number one,” Vitek said after playing the second half of United’s 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki. “I hope there will be some interest. I think you will know when the things are more concrete.”
Vitek, who has been linked with Scottish champions Celtic, has two years left on the United contract he signed last summer. He joined United as a 16-year-old from Czech club Sigma Olomouc and spent time on loan with Accrington and Austrian club BW Linz before spending last season in the Championship.
Asked if he preferred a loan or a permanent move, Vitek added: “I’m ready for both to be fair. It depends on what the club wants and also depends on the options and, yeah, we’ll see.
“There’s been a few interests on the table, but we’re hoping to get the best one and hopefully it will happen soon. I want to play every week and that’s the goal for next season. Hopefully I find out soon where that’s going to be.” PA Media
Marcela Mora y Araujo
The Nobel prize-winning economist Simon Kuznets said there were four types of countries: developed, underdeveloped, Japan and Argentina. Not fitting easily into a type, especially in our binary times when complexity and nuance have become increasingly alien to our processing abilities, is characteristic of Argentina and its people.
There is a meme doing the rounds that says: “To kick the Spanish out, first we had kick out the British. History is cyclical and repeats itself.” The image is of battles of independence more than two centuries ago, and the reference is to two British military incursions met with enough resistance to stop them. We learn about the British invasions in primary school in Argentina but I have never met a Briton who has heard of them.
Thanks Daniel. Larks galore await!
Righto, that’s it from me for now. Here’s Will Unwin, who’ll croon you through the next bit.
It’s amazing, really, the environment Scaloni has cultivated for his squad. Their sense of mission is palpable, the sense of destiny mystical, and their unity in that supernatural. How well that works against Spain’s composure will go a long way towards settling our final.
For England, watching Sunday’s final will be painful. Why can’t we cross the line? Is it to do with our social, cultural makeup? I believe it is to do with the mental part of the game. At the highest level you have to train your muscles in your brain as much as you train the rest of your body, to be able ensure emotion doesn’t plague your performance under pressure. We have to ask ourselves, why are Argentina so successful at delivering when it really matters and we’re not?
This is not about tactics, it is not about substitutions. We are being shortsighted and emotional when we discuss those things straight after a semi-final defeat. Long term, we have to ask what is it in our psyche that we haven’t addressed as a nation to overcome this? And how do we all contribute to that; players, coaches, fans, media, clubs … all of us?
I think this point is reflected in the difficulty English football has with controlling midfielders, players able to remain calm in the maelstrom, in favour of box-to-boxers charging about, exhorting their teammates to yet greater physical effort.
Emma Hayes has been, for mine, the best pundit on UK telly. I’m delighted to embed her in written form.
We’re just under way at Lord’s…
