Everything belonged to Messi, only the trophy to Spain
Most of the 80,663 fans at MetLife Stadium came to see Lionel Messi crowned again. Instead, a 1-0 loss to Spain left the 39-year-old in tears — a glorious, trophyless farewell for a player…
English edition
Sports Desk, page 4
580 reports translated from the Bengali original, most recent first. বাংলা সংস্করণ
Messi congratulates Spain, says wounds will take time to heal
A day after Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final, Lionel Messi posted an emotional message — “The pain is very deep and this wound will take a long time to…
Argentina returns home to warm welcome, but without Messi
Argentina returned home as World Cup runners-up to a red-carpet welcome and thousands of chanting fans — but captain Lionel Messi stayed on in the United States for personal reasons, the Argentine Football Association…
Lamine Yamal, the legend of tomorrow
When 19-year-old Lamine Yamal embraced a tearful Lionel Messi after the World Cup final, the football world watched the game's scepter pass from one generation to the next. At 19 years and six days,…
Yamal's younger brother steals the show after the final — in 15 photos
After the Spain–Argentina final, one of the most talked-about figures on the pitch was not a player or a coaching staff member but Lamine Yamal's younger brother, Keine Yamal, who roamed the field getting…
Actress Keya Payel sets off her fireworks anyway after Argentina's final defeat
Actress Keya Payel, an Argentina supporter, had bought fireworks to celebrate her team's victory. After Argentina lost the World Cup final 1-0 to Spain, she set them off anyway — drawing attention online with…
Actor Siam Ahmed celebrates Spain's World Cup win
Dhaka film actor Siam Ahmed, a rare Spain supporter in football-mad Bangladesh, celebrated Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final on social media, saying he has followed the team since 2007.
'Destiny was written in our favour,' says Spain's Ferran Torres
Spain forward Ferran Torres, whose extra-time goal beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, said destiny had been on Spain's side and dedicated the title to the country's 47 million people.
'Marriage if Argentina win': Porimoni reacts to Argentina's defeat
Actress Porimoni, who had jokingly vowed to marry if Argentina won the World Cup, reacted to their 1-0 final loss to Spain with a wistful quip: 'No wedding after all. Beloved Argentina, see you…
Where will the 2030 World Cup final be held?
Speculation has begun over the venue for the 2030 World Cup final, with Morocco's under-construction 115,000-seat Grand Hassan Stadium emerging as a strong contender alongside Spain's Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou. Spain, Portugal and…
BJP's Rudranil blames Trinamool leader for Argentina's defeat
After Argentina's 1-0 World Cup final loss to Spain, BJP MLA and actor Rudranil Ghosh jokingly blamed Trinamool Congress leader Arup Biswas, while praising Spain's performance.
FIFA posts record revenue of $15 billion from the World Cup
FIFA is set to announce record revenue of $15 billion from the World Cup, far exceeding its $11 billion target, driven by hospitality packages and huge ticket demand, The Guardian reports.
Messi and Yamal share a frame, a symbol of football's new era
Amid Spain's celebrations after the World Cup final, the most talked-about moment was an embrace between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi — one a new world champion, the other a legend bowed by a…
Schools ordered to form sports management committees
The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has directed all educational institutions to form sports management committees for the Prime Minister's Gold Cup national football tournament 2026.
World Cup cost the global economy $17 billion in lost productivity
This year's World Cup wiped out about $17 billion in productivity worldwide as fans watched stars like Messi and Mbappé, with the host United States hit hardest, according to a report by the HR…
Messi: a story with no end
At 39, Lionel Messi stood in a World Cup final at MetLife Stadium — perhaps for the last time — the central figure of a career that has already reshaped football, whatever the result…
'They played well, I sadly accept defeat,' Messi says
After the World Cup final loss to Spain, Argentina captain Lionel Messi accepted his rivals' superiority, saying Spain played better and that he was proud of what his team had achieved despite an unusually…
Unai Simón wins the Golden Glove
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has won the Golden Glove as the tournament's best goalkeeper, conceding only one goal across the World Cup.
Scaloni accepts defeat and credits Spain
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni accepted his side's 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final and praised his players, saying Spain were the better team and that Argentina had given everything.
How did Rodri win the Golden Ball without a goal or assist?
Spain midfielder Rodri won the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2026 World Cup despite not scoring or assisting, recognised for controlling the game and anchoring a defence that conceded just one…
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to win the World Cup, Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. It is Spain's first world title since 2010 and…
Final ticket prices soar
Frenzy around the World Cup final sent resale ticket prices soaring past $10,000 — about 12.5 lakh taka — with VIP hospitality packages reaching roughly $60,000, as fans thronged New York's Times Square.
Dhaka concert to mark World Cup final, with Sanjoy Deb and Pritom Hasan
Dhaka is hosting a concert to mark the World Cup final, with singers Sanjoy Deb and Pritom Hasan set to perform.
Supercomputer predicts the Spain-Argentina final
The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 45.1 percent chance of beating Argentina in 90 minutes in the 2026 World Cup final, against 29.4 percent for Argentina, with a 25.4 percent chance of extra time…
Messi hints at retirement before the final
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has reignited talk of his future before the World Cup final, with a social-media message many read as a hint at retirement from international football.
Spain's three special plans to stop Messi's magic
Before the World Cup final, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente built three tactical plans to contain Lionel Messi — swarming him when he has the ball, cutting off his supply and dominating midfield…
Spain vs Argentina: five factors that could decide the final
Al Jazeera highlights five factors that could decide the World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and Spain — from the Yamal-Tagliafico and Messi-marking duels to a clash of contrasting styles and a generational…
Whose side is 'astrologer' Shanto's final prediction on?
Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, a devoted Argentina fan who correctly called all his group-stage predictions, declined a firm World Cup final forecast but said he personally believes Argentina will win.
'If Spain score early, they'll add three or four more against Argentina'
Former Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has backed Spain to win the World Cup final, saying that if Spain go 1-0 up they will score three or four more, while praising Messi for carrying Argentina…
Israeli attack takes the life of a 17-year-old Palestinian footballer
Fadi Hamdallah al-Nasan, a 17-year-old member of Palestine's national youth team, has died of gunshot wounds suffered in a settler attack in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials and his family say.
A single World Cup final ticket for 74 lakh taka!
Prices for the World Cup final soared in the resale market, with last-minute tickets selling for $10,000 to $60,000 — the top hospitality packages reaching about 74 lakh taka — as fans clamoured to…
Mbappé's regret: 'Messi will surely score in the final'
Kylian Mbappé is now the World Cup's all-time top scorer after a brace against England, but the France captain said missing the final outweighs the record, as France lost the third-place match 6-4.
Martínez, the mastermind of psychological warfare
Argentina's Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez is not just a conventional goalkeeper but a match-winner who dominates opponents mentally, especially in shootouts — playing on despite a cracked finger sustained before the World Cup.
Spain's 'three-tier trap' to stop Messi
Stopping Lionel Messi is Spain's biggest challenge in the World Cup final, and coach Luis de la Fuente has built three tactics around him — swarming him, cutting off his supply and dominating midfield…
DC Gold Cup football final held in Gangni
The upazila-level final of the DC Gold Cup Football Tournament 2026 was held in Gangni, Meherpur, with Deputy Commissioner Shilpi Rani Roy as chief guest handing trophies to the winners and runners-up.
Singer to jump into the Buriganga if Argentina win
Popular folk singer Kishore Palash, a die-hard Argentina fan, has vowed to jump into the Buriganga river if Argentina win the World Cup final.
A final of Messi vs Barcelona
Spain's World Cup squad is built on eight Barcelona players, echoing their 2010 title, while Argentina's Lionel Messi is himself a Barça legend — setting up a final between two generations of the club's…
Martínez changes his tune on retirement
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who once said he would retire if he won two World Cups, has brushed aside retirement talk before the final against Spain, saying his focus is only on winning.
The dish Argentina's footballers cannot do without
From Messi to Martínez, Argentina's footballers share a love of 'asado' — the country's traditional barbecue — and have shipped about 500 kg of beef to their World Cup base in Kansas to keep…
How different are Argentina's two back-to-back final squads?
From Qatar's Lusail to New Jersey's MetLife, Lionel Messi's two Argentina finals are just three and a half years apart, with only two meaningful changes to the starting eleven — Di María's exit and…
2010 to 2026: how different are Spain's two final teams?
Spain are in a World Cup final for the second time since 2010, and Luis de la Fuente's 2026 side has much in common with Vicente del Bosque's 2010 champions — both entered as…
Is Yamal Eklavya, is Messi Dronacharya?
An op-ed reflecting on Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal through the Mahabharata's Eklavya and Dronacharya — and on what the World Cup's uncertainty teaches about greatness beyond trophies.
A house divided before the final for Scaloni
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's family is split before the final, with many of them Spanish by birth, though his wife and sons will back Argentina; his Mallorca in-laws face a difficult choice, he said.
Argentina's two 'dangerous' traits, in the eyes of Spain's World Cup-winning coach
Vicente del Bosque, who led Spain to the 2010 World Cup, tips Spain to win the final but warns his country to beware Argentina's two 'dangerous' traits — their unpredictable play and their depth…
Record World Cup prize money — how much will the champions get?
The 48-team World Cup has a record $655 million prize fund, about 50 percent more than 2022, with the winners set to receive $50 million and the runners-up $33 million, according to The Athletic.
Argentina and Spain take the field in their 'lucky' jerseys
Argentina and Spain will wear their home 'lucky' jerseys in the World Cup final, FIFA confirmed — Argentina in the sky-blue-and-white they wore for their 1978, 1986 and 2022 titles, Spain in the red…
Mac Allister, unbeaten at the World Cup
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has set a record as the longest-unbeaten player in World Cup history, going 13 matches without defeat across the 2022 and 2026 tournaments, per Opta.
The 'curse' chasing Argentina on the road to back-to-back titles
Argentina have returned to the top of the FIFA rankings before the World Cup final, but no top-ranked team has won a World Cup since the rankings began in 1992 — the 'curse' Argentina…
Argentina on the brink of breaking a 64-year record
Argentina could make history in Sunday's final: a win would not only retain the World Cup but end a 64-year wait, making Scaloni's side the first team since 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
'How do you handle the pressure?'
Before the World Cup final, tennis great Novak Djokovic — a 24-time Grand Slam champion — asked Lionel Messi how he keeps his form under pressure; the 39-year-old Messi, smiling, said he never thinks…
Trump and Mamdani both at the final — whose side is each on?
US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will both attend the World Cup final, though the politically opposed pair have no plans to meet; who each is backing remains a…
Bangladesh bat after losing toss in series-saving match
After losing the opening T20 to Zimbabwe, Bangladesh bat first in the series' second match at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, after Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and chose to bowl.
Could Messi win the Ballon d'Or again this time?
France Football says playing for a European club is not required to win the Ballon d'Or, keeping alive the prospect of a ninth award for Lionel Messi, who has starred at the World Cup…
Yamal's little brother, the off-field star of the World Cup
Kein, the three-year-old younger brother of Spain's Lamine Yamal, has become one of the World Cup's biggest attractions from the stands, his exuberant reactions at every Spain match going viral.
The 11 records Messi could set in the World Cup final
As Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, Lionel Messi stands on the brink of 11 personal records, from oldest outfield finalist to most goals in a…
Pori Moni jokes she'll 'marry again' after Argentina beat England
Dhaka film actress Pori Moni, in a playful show of World Cup fandom, posted on Facebook that she would 'marry again' if Argentina won the title, then, after their semifinal win over England, teased…
Messi leads the Golden Boot and Golden Ball race
At 39, Lionel Messi leads the race for both the World Cup Golden Boot and Golden Ball after seven matches, level with Kylian Mbappe on eight goals but ahead on assists.
With 19 goals, Argentina draw level with 1970 Brazil
Argentina's 2-1 win over England has taken them to 19 goals in seven matches at this World Cup, matching the famous Brazil side of 1970 and placing them fifth on the list of most…
Argentina keep their record of never losing a World Cup semifinal
Argentina's 2-1 win over England has extended a remarkable run: every time the Albiceleste have played a World Cup semifinal, they have reached the final — seven semifinals, seven finals.
'Undoubtedly Messi is one of the greatest of all time': Harry Kane
England captain Harry Kane praised Lionel Messi after Argentina's 2-1 semifinal win, saying that with the world's most dangerous players a moment on the ball can produce magic, and that Messi is undoubtedly one…