00:00We now go with our special segment on the occasion of the World Cup. Beyond the game, the ball stays
00:05pure. Go ahead Luis, pleasure to share set with you.
00:08Good morning to our audience. Well, after a month and a half, all paths have led here. The road is
00:14complete and the grand final is just in a couple of hours, starting at 3pm Caracas time between Spain and
00:21Argentina. We have more after the break.
00:46Welcome to Beyond the Game, the ball stays pure. This Sunday, the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to its thrilling
00:52conclusion as Spain and Argentina face off at New York New Jersey Stadium to crown the new world champion.
00:57Both teams have the liberal standing performances throughout the tournament. Spain has stood out for its disciplined defence and tactical
01:03control, putting together an impressive campaign with six wins, one draw and just a single goal conceded in the entire
01:10competition.
01:11Argentina, meanwhile, heads into the final with a perfect record of seven wins and no defeats. Although Lionel Scaloni's side
01:19was tested throughout the knockout stage, La Albiceleste is the tournament's highest scoring team with 17 goals.
01:25Powered by the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. If Argentina leaves the trophy, it will
01:32claim a fourth World Cup title and successfully defend the crown won in Qatar 2022.
01:38Joining the exclusive club of nations to win back-to-back world clubs alongside Italy and Brazil. In addition, Argentina
01:45will move into a tie with Germany and Italy for the second most World Cup titles in history, trailing only
01:50Brazil's record five championships.
01:52Spain, on the other hand, is aiming to capture its second FIFA World Cup title after its triumph in South
01:58Africa in 2010. A victory would see La Roja join France and Uruguay as two-time world champions.
02:09And let's see how Spain reached the final, its second ever.
02:14Spain announced themselves as one of the tournament favorites by dominating Group H. La Roja overwhelms Saudi Arabia in a
02:21commanding opening victory before proving their resilience in a hard-fought draw with Cape Verde.
02:26They closed the group stage with another emphatic performance against Uruguay to finish first, showcasing the position-based football and
02:34defensive discipline that have become trademarks under Luis de la Fuente.
02:37Spain has steadily raised its level with every knockout match. Austria offered little resistance in a comfortable 3-0 round
02:45of 32 victory before Portugal pushed La Roja to their limit in a 10-Siberian derby that Spain edged 1
02:51-0.
02:52The biggest test came in the quarter-finals, where Spain overcame Belgium 2-1 in a high-quality contest to
02:58book another World Cup semi-final, extending an impressive round that has seen them concede just once in the knockout
03:04rounds.
03:06Spain defeated France 2-0 in a composed and commanding semi-final match. After an evenly contested opening, Lamin-Yamal
03:13drew the fall that led to a penalty in the 20th minute, and Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot.
03:20La Roja took control from there, dominating possession and frustrating a French side that struggled to create clear chances.
03:26Pedro Porro sealed the victory in the 58th minute, with a clinical finish following a sleek combination with Dani Olmo.
03:33Spain's disciplined defense and patient build-up secured a deserved place in the final.
03:41And Argentina's journey to the last four has been built on resilience, overcoming one tough test after another to keep
03:47its World Cup dream alive.
03:50The defending champions, Argentina, navigated Group J with experience and attacking quality, finishing atop the standings after victories over Jordan
03:58and Austria before sealing first place against Algeria.
04:02Lionel Messi once again set the tone, while Lionel Scaloni's squad showed the composure and efficiency expected from the reigning
04:09world champions as they advanced to the knockout stage on Beden.
04:13Argentina's route to the last four has been anything but straightforward.
04:17A thrilling 3-2-1 victory over Cape Verde in the Round of 32 was followed by another dramatic 3
04:23-2 win against Egypt in the Round of 16.
04:25The quarterfinal brought perhaps their toughest challenge yet, but the LB Celeste defeated Switzerland 3-1 to secure a return
04:32to the semifinals.
04:33Tested repeatedly under pressure, Argentina has relied on championship experience and the enduring brilliance of Messi to keep its title
04:41defense alive.
04:42Following a tense and scoreless first half, Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute with a powerful finish,
04:49but the defending champions responded with relentless pressure.
04:52Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 85th minute with a stunning long-range strike, while Lautaro Martinez sealed the win with
05:00a stoppage time header.
05:01Argentina dominated the match statistically and on the pitch in the second half, outshooting England 15-5.
05:10And the excitement is at all-time high in New York ahead of the FIFA World Cup Final.
05:15Thousands of Argentina supporters transformed the iconic Times Square into a sea of sky blue and white.
05:20Fans gathered throughout the day despite the bad weather, waving flags, singing traditional chants and celebrating their team's remarkable run
05:26to the championship match against Spain.
05:28The atmosphere has become one of the biggest displays of fan passion outside the tournament's host cities, with supporters expressing
05:34confidence that Lionel Messi and Argentina can leave another World Cup trophy as anticipation reaches fever pitch.
05:40All eyes now turn to Sunday's final, where Argentina and Spain will battle for football's biggest prize.
05:49And Spain's supporters also made their presence felt in New York ahead of the World Cup Final.
05:54Hundreds of fans marched from Madison Square Garden to Mercado Lido, Spain, filling the streets with drums, drums and Spanish
06:01flags as excitement continues to build before Sunday's showdown.
06:04The gathering celebrated the team's impressive tournament campaign and reflected the confidence surrounding La Roja as they prepare to face
06:11Argentina in a highly anticipated final.
06:19In other topics, England claimed third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after surviving a dramatic second-half fight
06:25back to defeat France 6-4.
06:28The three Lions were unstoppable before the break, exposing a French side whose defense looked completely disorganized while the midfield
06:35struggle to offer any protection.
06:36Standing captain Declan Rice opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike before providing the corner for Esri Consa
06:43to head home the second.
06:44Bukayo Saka then took center stage, combined brilliantly with Marcus Rashford for England third before adding a superb fourth just
06:51before halftime, giving Thomas Tuchel's side a commanding for a new lead.
06:55But France emerged from the dressing room looking like a different team.
06:58Kieran Mbappe sparked the comeback with a clinical finish before setting up Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Debele later added an
07:05order as England's comfortable lead suddenly came under serious threat.
07:09Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to restore breathing room before Jude Bellingham capped a magnificent individual
07:15tournament by weaving past three defenders to score England's sixth, his seventh goal of the tournament.
07:21Despite France's spirited resurgence after a disastrous first half, England's explosive attack in this play proved enough to secure a
07:28deserved 6-4 victory and finish the tournament with a bronze medal.
07:37And the race for the Golden Boot has taken another dramatic turn following England's victory over France.
07:43Despite the defeat, Kieran Mbappe remains firmly on top with 10 goals, extending his lead over Argentina's Lionel Messi, who
07:50sits second with eight.
07:51England's Jude Bellingham climbed into a share of third place alongside Erling Haaland on seven goals after scoring against France,
07:59while Ousmane Dembele's late strike moving into fifth with sixth also.
08:03Mbappe also etched his name into football history, becoming the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history with
08:0922 career goals,
08:10surpassing Messi's previous record of 21 goals set also in this edition of the tournament.
08:15It is important to note that Mbappe reaches this mark in only three World Cup participation.
08:20With only the final between Argentina and Spain remaining, the race for the Golden Boot is very much alive.
08:37This is all for this edition of Beyond the Game, the Boaster Spear. Today is Sunday, the day of the
08:40final, and we'll have more updates in the coming segments,
08:43and we'll have more contacts with our people on the ground, so stay tuned for that. We'll now go back
08:47to you, Sophie.
08:49Thank you, Lizzie, for keeping us posted on all the updates related to the world of football.
08:53And with this special segment, we have come to the end of this news brief.
08:56Remember, you can find this and many of our stories on our website at telasureenglish.net, and join us on
09:01social media.
09:02We're on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok.
09:05For Telasure English, I'm Sophie Fernandez. Thank you for watching.
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