00:00And we're going out with our special segment on the occasion of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
00:04Beyond the game, the ball stays pure.
00:06Go ahead Luis, a pleasure to share the set with you once again.
00:09Greetings once more, Lora.
00:10Greetings once more to our audience as well.
00:12We continue to cover the news happening around the World Cup
00:16as we're heading for the final weekend, the third place playoff on Saturday
00:20and the grand final on Sunday.
00:22More after the break.
00:43Welcome to Beyond the Game, the ball stays pure.
00:46The stage is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final
00:49as Spain and Argentina prepare to meet in a dream matchup
00:51that many believe was destined to happen.
00:55The finalissima that never took place in March
00:57will instead be replaced by the biggest prize in football.
01:00Spain, the reigning European champions,
01:02and Argentina, the Copa America holders,
01:05will battle for the most coveted trophy in the sport
01:07in what promises to be a historic showdown.
01:10Ahead of this blockbuster final,
01:12it's impossible not to look back at the history between these two football giants.
01:15Led by Lionel Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente,
01:18Argentina and Spain have developed an intermittent rivalry
01:21filled with memorable encounters spanning more than seven decades.
01:24Their story began on December 7, 1952, in Madrid,
01:29when Argentina defeated Spain 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ricardo Infante,
01:33one of the country's most talented forwards of that era.
01:36The next landmark meeting came at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.
01:41Played in Birmingham,
01:42Argentina earned a memorable 2-1 victory over Spain
01:44in one of the most significant competitive matches between the two nations.
01:48Four decades later, in 2006,
01:50Lionel Messi made his first appearance against Spain in an international friendly.
01:54La Rocha claimed a 2-1 victory with goals from Xavi Hernandez and David Villa,
01:59while Daniel Vilo scored Argentina's long goal.
02:02In 2010, just months after Spain lifted the World Cup in South Africa,
02:07the teams met again in Buenos Aires.
02:09Argentina produced a stunning performance,
02:11defeating the newly crowned world champions 4-1
02:13with goals from Lionel Messi,
02:15Gonzalo Higuain,
02:17Carlos Tevez,
02:17and Sergio Agüero.
02:19The most recent meeting came in 2018,
02:21when Spain handed Argentina a crushing 6-1 defeat
02:24at Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium in a World Cup warm-up friendly.
02:28Isco starred with a hat-trick
02:29in one of the heaviest losses Argentina has suffered in recent history.
02:32Now, another chapter is about to be written.
02:34With the World Cup trophy on the line,
02:36Spain and Argentina renew their rivalry on football's biggest stage,
02:40where only one nation will be crowned world champion.
02:43Let's now see how Spain reached the final, its second ever.
02:48Spain announced themselves as one of the tournament favorites
02:51by dominating Group H.
02:53La Roja overwhelms Saudi Arabia in a commanding opening victory
02:57before proving their resilience in a hard-fought draw with Cape Verde.
03:01They closed the group stage with another emphatic performance
03:04against Uruguay to finish first,
03:06showcasing the possession-based football and defensive discipline
03:09that have become trademarks under Luis de la Fuente.
03:12Spain has steadily raised its level with every knockout match.
03:16Austria offered little resistance in a comfortable 3-0 round of 32 victory
03:20before Portugal pushed La Roja to their limit in a 10-Siberian derby
03:24that Spain edged 1-0.
03:26The biggest test came in the quarterfinals,
03:28where Spain overcame Belgium 2-1 in a high-quality contest
03:32to book another World Cup semi-final,
03:34extending an impressive run that has seen them concede just once in the knockout rounds.
03:40Spain defeated France 2-0 in a composed and commanding semi-final match.
03:44After an evenly contested opening,
03:47La Minyamal drew the fall that led to a penalty in the 20th minute,
03:50and Miquel Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot.
03:53La Roja took control from there,
03:56dominating possession and frustrating a French side
03:58that struggled to create clear chances.
04:01Pedro Porro sealed the victory in the 58th minute,
04:04with a clinical finish following a sleek combination with Dani Olmo.
04:08Spain's disciplined defense and patient build-up
04:10secured a deserved place in the final.
04:15Argentina's journey to the last four has been built on resilience,
04:18overcoming one tough test after another to keep its World Cup dream alive.
04:25The defending champions Argentina navigated Group J
04:28with experience in attacking quality,
04:30finishing atop the standings after victories over Jordan and Austria
04:33before sealing first place against Algeria.
04:36Lionel Messi once again set the tone,
04:39while Lionel Scaloni's squad showed the composure and efficiency
04:42expected from the reigning world champions
04:44as they advanced to the knockout stage on Bidon.
04:48Argentina's route to the last four has been anything but straightforward.
04:52A thrilling 3-2-1 victory over Cape Verde in the round of 32
04:55was followed by another dramatic 3-2 win against Egypt in the round of 16.
05:00The quarterfinal brought perhaps their toughest challenge yet,
05:03but the LB Celeste defeated Switzerland 3-1
05:06to secure a return to the semifinals.
05:08Tested repeatedly under pressure,
05:10Argentina has relied on championship experience
05:13and the enduring brilliance of Messi to keep its title defense alive.
05:17Following a tense and scoreless first half,
05:20Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute with a powerful finish,
05:24but the defending champions responded with relentless pressure.
05:28Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute with a stunning long-range strike,
05:32while Lautaro Martinez sealed the win with the stoppage time header.
05:35Argentina dominated the match statistically and on the pitch in the second half,
05:40outshooting England 15-5.
05:45And as the countdown to the World Cup final continues,
05:47excitement is building in Madrid where fans are dreaming of a Spanish triumph,
05:51but now they must far overcome defending champions Argentina.
05:58I really enjoyed the last one.
06:00It was a great match.
06:01How do I picture it?
06:03With a lot of tension, there's going to be a lot of tension between the two teams
06:06because they fear each other.
06:11Spain plays very well.
06:12You have to admit it, they have a great team and they're strong mentally,
06:15but Argentina is Argentina always.
06:20I don't know.
06:21There might be the same surprise there was with France.
06:23We completely shut down the French team,
06:26but with Argentina, I don't know what's going to happen.
06:29I fear the worst.
06:30I fear an Argentina win.
06:33The Copa America champion and the Euro champion for the first time,
06:38the best players on the planet on the same field,
06:40and hopefully it stays home and Spain lifts the cup.
06:46And for the first time in FIFA World Cup history,
06:50FIFA will award personalized championship wins
06:52to the team crowned champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
06:56In a historic first for the tournament,
06:58football's governing body will present commemorative wins
07:00to the nation that wins the final between Spain and Argentina,
07:05adding them to the World Cup trophy and a traditional gold medal.
07:08The initiative brings one of the most iconic traditions in U.S. sports
07:12into international football.
07:14A total of 2,026 individually numbered rings will be produced
07:18to commemorate the 2026 tournament.
07:2130 rings will be presented to the winning team,
07:23while the remaining 1,996 will be sold
07:26as official 2026 World Cup merchandise.
07:29Each ring will feature the FIFA World Cup trophy on one side,
07:33with the opposite side customized to reflect the identity
07:36of the tournament champions.
07:45And two days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final,
07:49an unexpected opponent has emerged off the pitch.
07:51Thick smoke drifting south from Canada's massive wildfires
07:55has blanketed parts of New York and New Jersey,
07:57leaving the stadium area under hazy skies
08:00and raising concerns about air quality.
08:02Spain train outdoors despite conditions
08:05that range from unhealthy to hazardous,
08:07while health experts want that prolonged exposure
08:10to wildfire smoke can affect breathing
08:12and athletic performance.
08:14Tournament organizers and local officials
08:16continue to monitor the situation closely,
08:18with forecasts suggesting cleaner air could arrive
08:21before Sunday's showdown between Spain and Argentina.
08:24For now, organizers expect the final
08:26to go ahead as schedule,
08:27but the weather has become an important storyline
08:29in the buildup to football's biggest match.
08:40And in other news,
08:41the buildup to the World Cup final
08:42is inspiring more than just football fans.
08:45In Yokova, Kosovo,
08:46artist Alken Pasogu created a unique tribute
08:49to Lionel Messi and Lamin Jamal.
08:51The artwork is a 150-kilogram mosaic
08:54made entirely of greens and seed,
08:56featuring the faces of the two stars
08:58set to lead Argentina and Spain to the final.
09:01Posegu says the piece is inspired
09:03by an iconic photograph of Messi and Jamal
09:05and represents the story
09:07that connects the two players.
09:08His goal is to express emotion
09:10through ephemeral art.
09:12Created thousands of kilometers
09:14from the World Cup,
09:15the mosaic has become a symbol
09:16of the final itself,
09:17a celebration of two generations
09:19of football greatness ready to meet
09:21on the sport's biggest stage.
09:32And well, it is all for this edition
09:33of Beyond the Game.
09:34The Bullseys Spear
09:35is going to be back
09:35with more information
09:37on the story shaping of this World Cup
09:38in upcoming segments.
09:39We'll go back to you, Lore.
09:40Thank you so much, Lacey,
09:41for keeping us posted
09:42on all the updates
09:43in the world of football.
09:45And with this information,
09:46we have come to the end
09:47of this news brief.
09:48Remember, you can find this
09:49and many other stories
09:50on our website
09:51at telestudyenglish.net
09:52and join us on social media.
09:54We are on Facebook, X,
09:55Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok.
09:58For Telestudyenglish,
09:59I am Lorena Fong.
Comments