00:13Welcome to Beyond the Game, the ball stays pure. The stage is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
00:18Spain and Argentina prepared to meet in a dream matchup that many believe was destined to happen.
00:25The finalissima that never took place in March will instead be replaced by the biggest prize in football.
00:30Spain, the reigning European champions, and Argentina, the Copa America holders, will battle for the most coveted trophy in the
00:36sport in what promises to be a historic showdown.
00:40Ahead of this blockbuster final, it's impossible not to look back at the history between these two football giants.
00:45Led by Lionel Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente, Argentina and Spain have developed an intermittent rivalry filled with memorable
00:52encounters spanning more than seven decades.
00:54Their story began on December 7, 1952 in Madrid, when Argentina defeated Spain 1-0 thanks to a goal from
01:02Ricardo Infante, one of the country's most talented forwards of that era.
01:05The next landmark meeting came at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.
01:10Played in Birmingham, Argentina earned a memorable 2-1 victory over Spain in one of the most significant competitive matches
01:16between the two nations.
01:18Four decades later, in 2006, Lionel Messi made his first appearance against Spain in an international friendly.
01:24La Rocha claimed a 2-1 victory with goals from Xavi Hernandez and David Villa, while Daniel Vilo scored Argentina's
01:31long goal.
01:31In 2010, just months after Spain lifted the World Cup in South Africa, the teams met again in Buenos Aires.
01:38Argentina produced a stunning performance, defeating the newly crowned world champions 4-1 with goals from Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain,
01:46Carlos Tevez and Sergio Agüero.
01:48The most recent meeting came in 2018, when Spain handed Argentina a crushing 6-1 defeat at Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium
01:55in a World Cup warm-up friendly.
01:57Isco starred with a hat-trick in one of the heaviest losses Argentina has suffered in recent history.
02:01Now, another chapter is about to be written.
02:04With the World Cup trophy on the line, Spain and Argentina renew their rivalry on football's biggest stage, where only
02:10one nation will be crowned world champion.
02:13And with the World Cup title on the line, Spain's Michael Merino admits that overcoming Lionel Messi and Argentina will
02:19be the toughest challenge of La Rocha's tournament.
02:22Leo is one of the greatest of all time. You only have to look at the career he's had and
02:28how well he's still performing at 39.
02:30I don't know if this will be his last match for the national team or his last final.
02:35With players like that, as I said about Cristiano, it's very difficult to predict their future because they continue to
02:42perform at such a high level.
02:43But anyway, it's a massive challenge and an incredible source of motivation for me and for us.
02:50Being able to play against a team like Argentina, who have won this before, makes the match even more important.
02:57And that's it. I'm just really happy to be able to experience these moments.
03:01I think it's going to be an intense match, just as it should be. It's a final.
03:06Both teams are playing for the biggest prize in football, winning the World Cup.
03:10And it's only natural that there'll be physical contact and intense battles.
03:14Because when everything's at stake, that's the way it has to be.
03:21And as the countdown to the World Cup final continues, excitement is building in Madrid, where fans are dreaming of
03:27a Spanish triumph,
03:28but know they must first overcome defending champions Argentina.
03:34I really enjoyed the last one. It was a great match. How do I picture it?
03:39With a lot of tension, there's going to be a lot of tension between the two teams because they fear
03:42each other.
03:46Spain plays very well. You have to admit it, they have a great team and they're strong mentally.
03:51But Argentina is Argentina always.
03:56I don't know. There might be the same surprise there was with France.
03:59We completely shut down the French team. But with Argentina, I don't know what's going to happen.
04:04I fear the worst. I fear an Argentina win.
04:09The Copa America champion and the Euro champion for the first time, the best players on the planet on the
04:15same field,
04:16and hopefully it stays home and Spain lifts the cup.
04:24Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic was appointed to officiate the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
04:29FIFA announced that Vincic will take charge of the tournament's biggest match when Spain and Argentina meet for the title
04:35on Sunday, July 19.
04:36He will become the first Slovenian referee to officiate a World Cup final and will oversee his fourth match of
04:42the tournament.
04:44Vincic will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomas Klanschik and Andras Kovacic as first and second assistant referees.
04:51Jordans Adhan Makenem was named fourth official while compatriot Mohamed Al-Kalaf will serve as the reserve assistant referee.
05:05So first of all, shock, then happiness. I was shaking. So it's a carnival honour to get the World Cup
05:15final.
05:16It's something that it's only a dream for a young referee when it starts. So I'm very proud, very proud
05:26of myself, my team.
05:30And yes, I'm still like, you know, thoughts are too much. So refereeing is everything about the team work.
05:42So without them, without Tomas and Andras, this is not possible. So I'm really happy that I have them through
05:52all my career, through our career.
05:53We are really a good friends, good team. And thanks to them.
06:02For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, FIFA will award personalized championship wins to the team crowned champions
06:08of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
06:11In a historic first for the tournament, Fulbo's governing body will present commemorative wins to the nation that wins the
06:17final between Spain and Argentina,
06:19adding them to the World Cup trophy and the traditional gold medals. The initiative brings one of the most iconic
06:25traditions in U.S. sports into international football.
06:28A total of 2026 individually numbered rings will be produced to commemorate the 2026 tournament.
06:3430 rings will be presented to the winning team, while the remaining 1,996 will be sold as official 2026
06:42World Cup merchandise.
06:43Each ring will feature the FIFA World Cup trophy on one side, with the opposite side customized to reflect the
06:49identity of the tournament's champion.
06:56And two days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, an unexpected opponent has emerged off the pitch.
07:02Thick smoke drifting south from Canada's massive wildfires has blanketed parts of New York and New Jersey,
07:08leaving the stadium area under hazy skies and raising concerns about air quality.
07:12Spain train outdoors despite conditions that range from unhealthy to hazardous,
07:16while health experts warn that prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke can affect breathing and athletic performance.
07:23Tournament organizers and local officials continue to monitor the situation closely,
07:27with forecasts suggesting cleaner air could arrive before Sunday's showdown between Spain and Argentina.
07:34For now, organizers expect the final to go ahead as schedule,
07:37but the weather has become an important storyline in the build-up to football's biggest match.
07:48In other news, the build-up to the World Cup final is inspiring more than just football fans.
07:53In Yakova, Kosovo artist Alen Alken Podsegu created a unique tribute to Lionel Messi and Lamin Jamal.
08:01The artwork is a 150-kilogram mosaic made entirely of grains and seeds featuring the faces of the two stars
08:07set to lead Argentina and Spain into the final.
08:10Jose Gu says the piece is inspired by iconic photographs of Messi and Jamal and represents the story that connects
08:16the two players.
08:17His goal is to express emotion through ephemeral art.
08:21Created thousands of kilometers from the World Cup, the mosaic has become a symbol of the final itself,
08:25a celebration of two generations of football greatness ready to meet on the sport's biggest stage.
08:37This is all for this edition of Beyond the Game.
08:39The bosses fear are going to be back with more information and story shaping this World Cup.
08:43Go back to you, Ale.
08:44Thank you very much, Luisi, for all of your latest updates in the final stretch of the 2026 FIFA World
08:50Cup.
08:51And after this special segment, we have come to the end of this news brief.
08:55If you remember, you can find these and many other stories on our website at www.telesuryenglish.net.
09:00Also join us on social media.
09:02We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and also TikTok.
09:06For Telesury English, I'm Alejandra Garcia.
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