FIFA World Cup 2026

[ghazi52]

Keep calm and carry on - Spain trust team identity to deliver World Cup​

The final moment has arrived, and Spain want our second star.

To win this World Cup, we don't need to do anything spectacular - we just need to keep calm and carry on playing the same way.

I am back in Madrid now after working on the tournament for the BBC and I would say the whole country believes we can beat Argentina on Sunday and bring home the trophy like we did in 2010.

That confidence comes from lots of places - from winning Euro 2024, from our long unbeaten run of 37 games and of course from the way we beat France in the semi-final.

The strength of this Spain team is in the group, and in their mentality. They are a collective in the way they all play together and they have an identity they believe in, which means they always keep doing the same things.

Our first game of this World Cup was a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, which was not the result we expected - but they did not panic, and did not change their approach.

It was the same against Portugal and Belgium in the knockout rounds when they had to fight until the last minute to score a winner and, in a different way, it was the same when they went in front early on against France in the semi-final.

France were one of the big favourites to win the whole competition and had scored a lot of goals in their other games but Spain stayed positive, and did not change their approach to try to hang on to their lead.

Having that clear identity and sticking with it is the most important thing, especially now.

Spain can change some personnel within the team but they always keep the same shape and their mindset is always the same too - it is about having the ball, and controlling the game as much as possible.

Of course sometimes a game can bring you different situations but so far Spain have not been behind in any of our seven games at this World Cup, which is remarkable.

If that happens in the final, and we go behind against Argentina, we won't change. We will keep that same calmness we have seen from the start, until the very end.

 

[KingQamaR]

Spain's defence is the best in this World Cup. Cucurella is always a pest to an attacker, Porro is defensively and offensively superb, while the partnership of Cubarsi and Laporte is just unmatched. Their counterparts' defence is aggressive (Romero and Martinez), their erratic plays can be costly sometimes, but they will play dirty against the Spain attackers.

3-4 players might work against Olise or Mbappe, but they need to change strategy with Messi, it will not work!

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@Master Chief

Zionists or not, Argies are still cheats

Spanish are some of the worst racist genocidal maniac people of all times, matched only by Brits and Belgians.

Regards

 

[Watandar]

So what are England's chances against France for tomorrow's match ?

 

[Master Chief]

So what are England's chances against France for tomorrow's match ?

I think they will go all out. England are desperate for redemption.

France may be too, but England really need it after that farce. Tuchel is being crucified hourly on the radio and TV. Pundits who usually fight each other are tagging each other into the ring. The FA had to come out with a statement of "confidence" in Tuchel.

France did not fail tactically as badly as England - Spain were just a cut above and outfoxed France. England just failed completely.

Michael Owen said it best: an amateur pub team could have played by those tactics.

 

[SD 10]

Messi has messed up big fuk*n time, he’ll end up a big disgrace and disgusting Zio when he retires.

I’m rooting for Spain harder than ever.; Viva Espania

England is literally the biggest zio country/nation ever........ And you lot were supporting them...... No matter what you do penlado will always be messi's bitch! Now and forever

 

[Master Chief]

"I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him [Harry Kane] a defensive player. What do I know about soccer? They took the lead, and they took their best player and put him on defence."

Donald J Trump. 45th and 47th President of the United States of America.

 

[KingQamaR]

England is literally the biggest zio country/nation ever........ And you lot were supporting them...... No matter what you do penlado will always be messi's bitch! Now and forever

As a big fan , we didn’t know Argentina and Messi are linked so strongly with Israel especially with Netanyahu. That’s why I am pretty disappointed. But you are right to ask who was responsible for the Balfour declaration destruction of Palestinian territory! And let’s not forget all the Arabs government are all co-operating with Setanyahu in genocide of Palestinians people. Just for the record I never supported English football team you are welcome to check my postings. I was buzzing when they were kicked out by Argentina. That’s why I don’t understand all the hate for Argentina?

 

[Ali_Baba]

This video sums up perfectly the fight for "3rd" place. No one in the UK cares at all.

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This match can be best described as The Battle of the Losers ....

 

[PakAl]

So what are England's chances against France for tomorrow's match ?

I am thinking of it as another final, lets see who wins. France will be a different team against England, Spain was just too good, they control the ball all the time, break up plays, move the ball forward.

 

[SD 10]

As a big fan , we didn’t know Argentina and Messi are linked so strongly with Israel especially with Netanyahu. That’s why I am pretty disappointed. But you are right to ask who was responsible for the Balfour declaration destruction of Palestinian territory! And let’s not forget all the Arabs government are all co-operating with Setanyahu in genocide of Palestinians people. Just for the record I never supported English football team you are welcome to check my postings. I was buzzing when they were kicked out by Argentina. That’s why I don’t understand all the hate for Argentina?

personally for me england has been the primary culprit in every anti muslim campaign, belfour declaration, lawrance of arabia..... everything goes back to that island!

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

personally for me england has been the primary culprit in every anti muslim campaign, belfour declaration, lawrance of arabia..... everything goes back to that island!

I personally do NOT support england or argentina, but had england won, the white english racists would have got hyped up and started to publicly expressing their violent racism against non-whites. The racists like rupert lowe, nigel farage and tommy robinson would have also been very happy. It's refreshing and soothing seeing the goreh racists get put in their place and look so miserable.

 

[ghazi52]

Cheering against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup — Latin America's unlikely football unity​

AFP
July 18, 2026



This combination of file photos created on July 16, 2026, shows Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi in Atlanta on July 7, 2026 (L); and Spain's forward #19 Lamine Yamal in Inglewood on July 2, 2026. — AFP

While Latin Americans have traditionally rallied behind football teams from the region who advance deep into the World Cup tournament, a flood of memes, jokes and criticism has made it clear there is one exception: Argentina.

In one photoshopped picture that went viral, Lamine Yamal — who leads Argentina’s opponent, Spain — is wearing a Brazilian jersey. The snarky caption? “The hope of the Brazilian people.”

The fervour goes beyond the historic rivalry between Pele’s Brazil and Diego Maradona’s Argentina: Mexico, Colombia, Chile and others are all hoping Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste bite the dust on Sunday.

A similar phenomenon occurred before Argentina won its third World Cup title in 2022.

Colombian sociologist German Gomez told AFP that the “dynamic of solidarity … has been broken” with Argentina.

He said the digital era and social networks have fueled “narratives” that the team is a darling of football’s world governing body FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino.

“Argentina has had help from referees,” said Francisco Santos, a Brazilian fan trading World Cup stickers at a shopping centre in Sao Paulo, where cheers rang out when England scored first against Argentina in the semi-finals.

If Brazil could not become six-time champions, “I would rather see Spain become two-time champions than Argentina become four-time champions”, the 42-year-old said.

Critics say Argentina has received more favourable calls, such as penalties and yellow or red cards against opponents, even when such decisions have been backed by FIFA and experts.

“We’re going to cheer for Spain,” said Juan Camilo Abusaid, a 28-year-old finance worker in Bogota.