00:00And we go now with our special segment on the occasion of the World Cup.
00:03Beyond the game, the ball stays pure. Go ahead Luis, pleasure to share that with you.
00:08A pleasure to be back here with you, Sofia, and with our audience.
00:11In just a matter of minutes, the third-place playoff will start between England and France, more after the break.
00:40Welcome to Beyond the Game. The ball stays pure this Saturday. France and England face off at Miami Stadium in
00:45the 2026 V4 World Cup third-place playoff.
00:48Both teams arrived emotionally drained after falling just one step short of the final,
00:52despite enjoying outstanding tournaments in which they remain unbeaten until the semifinals.
00:57France offered a 2-0 defeat to Spain, while England saw its dream slip away after Argentina came from behind
01:03to claim a 2-1 victory.
01:05But beyond the bronze medal, this match will also decide several historic individual achievements.
01:10Guylian Mbappe enters the game with eight goals in the tournament and is aiming to break the all-time FIFA
01:14World Cup scoring record.
01:16Meanwhile, Harry Kane and Jules Bellingham will not be playing as a starting XI, as Thomas Tuchel put a starting
01:25XI with a lot of substitutions.
01:38And Spain's final preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an unexpected halt on Saturday.
01:44Severe thunderstorms and lighting forced the cancellation of La Roja's outdoor training session in New Jersey.
01:50Following U.S. storm safety protocols, Luis de la Fuente's squad stayed indoors, completing only a brief activation workout ahead
01:56of Sunday's showdown with Argentina.
01:58The defending champions also had their plans disrupted, with Lionel Scaloni's team beginning training 45 minutes later than its schedule
02:05in Morristown after waiting for the weather to improve.
02:09Despite the unusual interruption, both finalists are expected to be fully ready as they put the finishing touches on preparations
02:15for the biggest match in world football.
02:22And on Friday, the third annual Fanatics Fest event gathered coaches and captains of the World Cup finalist teams for
02:29a last sit-down ahead of Sunday's match.
02:31Hosted at New York City's Javits Center event, the festival that spans for four days and kicked off on Thursday,
02:37the festival featured FIFA's official World Cup final press conference with the presence of the Federation's President Gianni Infantino and
02:45players and managers from Spain and Argentina in addition to a star-studded roster including Tom Brady and Novak Djokovic.
02:52Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and captain Rodri spoke about staying calm in big moments while Argentina's Emiliano Martinez,
02:59Lionel Scaloni and Lionel Messi talked about dealing with pressure,
03:02what it would mean to win back-to-back World Cups and understanding football as a team sport that ultimately
03:08is about having fun and playing with passion.
03:15Well, a bit like our coach was saying just now, we grew up playing football.
03:22We've always experienced it with a lot of passion, with a real desire to play, to have fun, to enjoy
03:30ourselves, wherever it was, at school, in the street, or on some team,
03:34like all of us started out in some team in our neighborhood when we were very little.
03:40And I think we never really think about the pressure.
03:44We always see it as something natural, just playing, having a good time, competing.
03:52Because in the end, we're a competitive group, we like to win, but always understanding that it's a sport, a
03:59team sport, that the opponent is playing too, and you can't always win.
04:05I think when I was little, I started to learn and understand that you actually lose more than you win.
04:11And I think that helped me grow as a person and as a player too.
04:18And football legends took over New York ahead of the 2016 FIFA World Cup Final.
04:23At New York City's iconic Rockefeller Center, FIFA hosted another edition of the Legends Cup, an event that brought together
04:29some of the greatest figures in football history
04:31and helped build excitement ahead of the highly anticipated World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain.
04:38Among the legendary players who returned to the pitch for the fans was goalkeeper Vosinja, who continues to enjoy international
04:45recognition following his outstanding performances with Cape Verde National Team during the tournament.
04:51The FIFA Legends Cup has become one of the organization's most popular events, bringing together football icons from different generations
04:57to celebrate the rich history and enduring legacy of the beautiful game.
05:08Both teams, Spain and Argentina, have a chance to win.
05:11They've played great games and secured big wins in the semifinals, and now the final is a very special match.
05:18It's a game where mistakes matter, a game of patience, and whoever has the most patience will end up winning
05:23this match.
05:24I think that, like everyone else, the supporters, the players, this is a truly thrilling World Cup, especially with Argentina's
05:33matches, the way they give everything until the very last.
05:36I think Argentina is a team that never gives up, always plays with heart, and above all, has made it
05:43to the final in an incredible way.
05:48And as the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its grand finale, love is sharing the spotlight with football in Guadalajara.
05:55Around 750 couples said, I do, in a unique mass wedding ceremony held inside the city's World Cup fanson, turning
06:01one of the tournament's biggest celebrations into a day of lifelong memories.
06:05Smiles, cheers, and football jerseys, replace traditional wedding halls.
06:09With the world united by the beautiful game, these couples begin a new chapter together, proving that football's greatest legacy
06:17isn't just the trophies, is the unforgettable moments that bring people together.
06:27This time, it was actually him who proposed to me. We'd been thinking about getting married for a while. The
06:33right opportunity just hadn't come up, so we thought we'd make the most of it now with the World Cup.
06:43To be honest, we're really happy. We're absolutely delighted. We're proud of our team Mexico.
06:50They gave exactly everything they had to give. And now, we really are happy to be part of our team.
06:56We're so happy for our team, proud of them.
06:58Proud to be Mexican. And proud to be Mexican.
07:06We combined our love for both things, our love of football and our love for the person we're with.
07:12We have 750 couples registered who are set to formalize their union legally, their marriage today.
07:19Okay.
07:23And Deportivo Tachira defeated Atlético Nacional 2-1 in a charity-friendly organized to support those affected by the earthquakes
07:30in Venezuela.
07:31On Friday, Medellin's Atanasio Girardot Stadium, under the slogan, Together for Venezuela, Deportivo Tachira faced Atlético Nacional in a fundraising
07:39match with proceeds said to be donated to charitable organizations assisting earthquake victims across Venezuela.
07:45The Venezuelan side struck first just four minutes into the match, as Heidelberg Ramirez finished off a swift attack down
07:52the left flank.
07:53Early in the second half, Alfredo Morelos leveled the score for Atlético Nacional, capitalizing on a well-placed pass from
08:00Edwin Cardona inside the box.
08:02But Tachira responded almost immediately, with Juan Sanchez producing a spectacular finish to restore the lead and 0-2-1
08:09victory.
08:15This is all for this edition of Beyond the Game.
08:17The ball is pure in just five minutes.
08:19The third-place playoff will kickstart between France and England.
08:22We'll see what happens.
08:23We expect it to be a very entertaining match, full of attacks as both sides want to finish third better
08:29than fourth, I guess, even though no one wants really to play this match as Tomás Tucho said the day
08:33before.
08:34But we'll go back to you, Sophie.
08:37Thank you, Lizzie, for keeping us posted on all the updates related to the world of football.
08:41And with this special segment, we have come to the end of this news brief.
08:45Remember, you can find this and many other stories on the website at www.telesureenglish.net and join us on
08:49social media.
08:50We're on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
08:53For Telesure English, I'm Sophie Fernandes.
09:06Bye.
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