At MetLife Stadium, Spain beat Argentina in a lacklustre final, dominated by tension and fatigue. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute

Spain 1-0 Argentina after extra time: La Roja win the 2026 World Cup

Spain 1–0 Argentina after extra time: La Roja win the World Cup 

FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, Romy Gai, takes stock of the 2026 World Cup, which generated 11.5 billion in revenue, and explains how it has transformed the North American market and the business model for major events

“It was a historic World Cup; football will never be the same again”

The Iberian country is one of the most dynamic in the Eurozone, whilst Buenos Aires is on a clear upward trend after years of deep crisis

Spain v Argentina: a grand final between two growing economies

US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed their great satisfaction with the 2026 World Cup whilst speaking together at a press conference in New York

Trump and Infantino: mutual praise for the World Cup – the American dream

The break between halves in the match on 19 July could last well beyond the usual 15 minutes, with a half-time show featuring a host of distinguished guests

There’ll be a half-hour interval, Super Bowl-style, before the grand final

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On average, the races broadcast <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.25rem;">on Rai 1 attracted </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.25rem;">4.6 million viewers. Revenue has exceeded 50 million. The hydration breaks are racking up figures on a par with Sanremo</span>

A TV audience of two billion viewers is expected for tonight’s World Cup final

At Miami Stadium, the two European national teams put on an attacking spectacle: Saka scored a hat-trick and Mbappé set a new record by netting his tenth goal, taking his World Cup tally to 22.

England v France 6–4, a thrilling match in Miami: Saka leads the Three Lions, Mbappé makes history 

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Following the crisis of the 1990s, France has built an unrivalled football ecosystem, and Paris has become the Silicon Valley of football. On 14 July, they face Spain in their third consecutive World Cup final

And so France turned its failures into the strongest national football team in the world

In Atlanta, the Albiceleste secured their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over Egypt and will now face Switzerland, who beat Colombia on penalties. The match is scheduled to take place in Kansas City on 12 July

Argentina v Egypt 3–2: Messi misses a penalty, then leads an epic comeback. Switzerland await in the quarter-finals

The debate on reforms: Lega Pro is calling for 1 per cent of TV rights revenue to be allocated to the division’s youth academies; Minister Abodi offers reassurances regarding funding, whilst FIGC President Malagò is pushing for new stadiums and training centres

The rebuilding of Italian football: youth academies, stadiums and the allocation of 1 per cent of TV rights revenue

Today in Mexico City, the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Mexico and South Africa

The World Cup of Records: an 11.5 billion FIFA-branded machine

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“Distinti e Popolari” offers a wide-ranging perspective on football and sport – no longer, and not merely, as something confined to the pitch, but as a mirror of a fast-paced and fragmented society. In this podcast, Michele Dalai, Alessia Tarquinio and Carlo Genta will be hosting journalists, authors, writers and artists to discuss the impact of the game on our daily lives and how the spheres of culture, politics, sport and society are deeply intertwined. An eight-part podcast (airing on Mondays and Fridays) produced in collaboration with Radio 24 and DAZN, available on the Radio 24 website and app, and as video content on the DAZN website and on Spotify.

Distinguished and Popular

FIFA has suspended the US striker’s ban. Trump, after celebrating on Truth, admits to having called Infantino, who in turn describes the decision as having been taken by an independent body. Strong protests have come from UEFA and the European Union.

FIFA has suspended the US striker’s ban. Trump, after celebrating on Truth, admits to having called Infantino, who in turn describes the decision as having been taken by an independent body. Strong protests have come from UEFA and the EU.

Balogun case: a political issue. Trump: ‘Injustice rectified’. UEFA protest. Belgium’s appeal rejected

Veritice Abodi-Malagò to speed up the process. Certified proposals for the candidate facilities must be submitted by 31 July. There will be 9 or 10 facilities vying for five places

Euro 2032: the race for the stadiums enters its decisive phase – guarantees and a clear timetable are now needed

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Switzerland dominated Algeria to win 2–0. The Red Fury, who beat Austria 3–0, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, who beat Croatia 2–1, are set to face off in one of the most eagerly anticipated round-of-16 ties.

Switzerland through to the last 16. Spain and Portugal win and set to meet in Dallas

In Brazil, Cazè TV, a YouTube channel, has acquired the rights to broadcast all 104 World Cup matches live

From the TV monopoly to participatory streaming: the ‘Cazé revolution’ in Brazil

Belgium staged a last-gasp comeback against Senegal (3–2 after extra time), whilst the United States beat Bosnia 2–0. The two sides will face each other on 7 July at Lumen Field Stadium

Belgium and the United States have progressed to the last 16 and will face each other in Seattle

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The share price has fallen by 33 per cent since the start of the year. Argentina’s victory dashed the giant’s hopes of sponsoring the world champions

Nike shares fall on Wall Street as the brand exits the World Cup alongside England

FIFA is working on a comprehensive overhaul of the transfer system, which is due to come into force on 1 January 2027

Agents, the EU Court backs FIFA: green light for restrictions on commissions and agency agreements

In the round of 32, Germany came from behind against Paraguay but could only manage a 1–1 draw, before eventually losing on penalties. The same result saw out the Netherlands v Morocco match, with the North African side making fewer mistakes in the decisive penalty shoot-out to progress to the round of 16

The Netherlands and Germany are out of the World Cup; Morocco and Paraguay celebrate after a penalty shoot-out

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The Clearing House makes it possible to trace players’ careers and distribute the sums due to the clubs that trained them. Transfers involving just the 530 players selected for the World Cup alone generated 221 million dollars

The youth academy continues to reap the rewards even years later: FIFA has paid out almost a billion dollars to the clubs that trained the players

The semi-final between France and Spain, broadcast during prime time on Rai 1, attracted an average audience of 9,017,000 and a share of 49.4 per cent.

Rai: over 50 million in advertising revenue raised for the World Cup

The match in Atlanta ends 2–1. Argentina fall behind after a goal from Gordon, but, led by Messi, they find the strength to fight back, hitting the woodwork twice before scoring through Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. 

The very heart of Argentina: England stage a comeback and reach the final once again 

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Dentro il mondiale di calcio nordamericano

Inside the North American Football World Cup