Also known as: Kingdom of Spain
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Namibian
Critics blasted Argentina for dirty tactics and poor sportsmanship during their 1-0 loss to Spain, cementing the country’s status as World Cup villain that grew throughout the tournament. …
Arrogance or pride? Argentina grapples with World Cup villain labelThe Namibian
It was a World Cup in which football’s biggest names sprinkled stardust over the tournament, yet in the end the trophy deservingly went to a formidable if unspectacular Spain side who were simply too strong, even without Lamine Yamal being at his thrilling best. …
Superb Spain worthy winners of World Cup dominated by superstar namesThe Namibian
Ferran Torres scored an extra-time winner as Spain defeated holders Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup on Sunday and shatter Lionel Messi’s dreams of a triumphant farewell to football’s greatest stage. …
Spain down Argentina to win World Cup, shatter Messi dreamThe Namibian
… With only Sunday’s final between defending champions Argentina and Spain remaining, world governing body Fifa can already claim the tournament as a triumph. …
Fifa toasts World Cup triumph as tournament draws to closeThe Namibian
… Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semi-final exits — France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina. …
England edge France 6-4 in chaotic World Cup bronze matchThe Namibian
… For Argentina it was a second defeat in their opening three games in a poor yet emotionally-driven display, hours out from their footballing counterparts eyeing a defence of their World Cup crown against Spain in New York. …
Earl double guides England past Argentina after dramatic endingInformanté
… France enter the match determined to recover from their 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain, which ended their hopes of reaching another World Cup final. …
France and England seek FIFA World Cup consolation in bronze medal clashThe Namibian
… Spain star Yamal, the teenage prodigy who has followed in Messi’s footsteps at Barcelona, has only just turned 19. …
Messi, Yamal come full circle in World Cup showdownThe Namibian
Argentina are one game away from becoming just the third team to successfully defend the World Cup, with European champions Spain standing in their way. …
Back to back World Cup winners: Argentina seek to join elite groupThe Namibian
… Spain are aiming to thwart those ambitions by clinching the country’s second World Cup crown following their maiden victory in 2010. …
Messi eyes glorious farewell as Spain, Argentina clash in World Cup finalArgentina faced widespread criticism for dirty tactics and poor sportsmanship during their 1-0 loss to Spain, with commentators describing their performance as "petty, petulant and distasteful." Argentines counter that they are passionate rather than arrogant, and say they are accustomed to being criticized.
21 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Argentina faced widespread criticism for dirty tactics and poor sportsmanship during their 1-0 loss to Spain, with commentators describing their performance as "petty, petulant and distasteful." Argentines counter that they are passionate rather than arrogant, and say they are accustomed to being criticized.
21 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Spain won the 48-team World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday with a goal from Ferran Torres in the 106th minute. Spain's defensive strength—conceding only once in the tournament—and captain Rodri's play earned him player of the tournament honours over attacking superstars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
20 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Spain defeated holders Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final on Sunday, with Ferran Torres scoring an extra-time winner in the 106th minute. The victory ended Lionel Messi's hopes for a triumphant farewell to international football.
20 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Fifa declares the expanded 48-team World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada a triumph, marked by thrilling football and strong performances from smaller nations including Cape Verde, Curaçao, and Egypt, who reached knockout rounds in record numbers.
19 July 2026 · The Namibian →
England beat France 6-4 in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff as Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Both teams had reached the semi-finals but suffered exits — France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina.
19 July 2026 · The Namibian →
England rugby's No. 8 Ben Earl scored twice to guide England to a 31-24 victory over Argentina in the Nations Championship on Saturday, with a late Argentina try being ruled out after a television review. The match was marked by ill-discipline and tension stemming from Argentina's recent football World Cup victory over England.
19 July 2026 · The Namibian →
France and England will play for the FIFA World Cup 2026 bronze medal in Miami on Saturday, after both lost semi-final matches. France fell 2-0 to Spain, while England reached the third-place play-off after losing their semi-final.
18 July 2026 · Informanté →
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will face each other in the World Cup final on Sunday, completing a remarkable two-decade arc: in 2007, a 20-year-old Messi posed with five-month-old Yamal for a Unicef calendar photo while both were at Barcelona, and both now appear in what is likely Messi's final World Cup.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Argentina are one game away from becoming just the third team to successfully defend the World Cup, with European champions Spain standing in their way. The article examines how previous World Cup winners fared when they reached the final in the following tournament, including Italy (1938), Brazil (1962), and Argentina (1990).
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Spain and Argentina face off in a World Cup final on Sunday, with reigning champions Argentina seeking to become the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the title, while Messi, aged 39, is likely playing his final World Cup match.
17 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Spain and Argentina will contest the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday at New Jersey Stadium, with Spain having defeated France 2-0 in the semi-finals and Argentina seeking to defend their 2022 title. The match will be the first time the two nations have met at a FIFA World Cup since 1966.
17 July 2026 · New Era →
Spain and Argentina will face off in the FIFA World Cup final this weekend at New Jersey Stadium. The final will be the first meeting between the two nations at a World Cup since 1966, with Spain aiming to add to their World Cup titles and Argentina defending their 2022 triumph.
17 July 2026 · New Era →
Thomas Tuchel came under fire from British media after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, with criticism focused on his defensive substitutions that replaced attacking players with a five-man defence after England took a 1-0 lead.
16 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Lautaro Martinez scored in the 92nd minute as Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 in a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, with Lionel Messi setting up both goals to send Argentina to the final against Spain.
15 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Spain beat tournament favourites France 2-0 in the World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro, to advance to Sunday's final where they will face either Argentina or England.
14 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Lamine Yamal hopes to emulate Kylian Mbappe by winning the World Cup as a teenager, with Spain facing France in Tuesday's semi-final in Arlington. The 16-year-old Yamal, who scored in Euro 2024's semi-final against France four days before his 17th birthday, will celebrate his 19th birthday on the eve of this World Cup semi-final.
13 July 2026 · The Namibian →
France and Spain meet in a World Cup semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with France's potent attacking force led by Kylian Mbappe—who has scored eight goals in six games—pitted against Spain's possession-based, collective style under Luis de la Fuente.
13 July 2026 · The Namibian →
England and Argentina will meet in a World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to the final on July 19. The match carries decades of rivalry, including a 1986 quarter-final encounter won by Argentina on goals from Diego Maradona, and takes place amid a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands.
13 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals are set: France will face Spain in Dallas on 14 July, while England play defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on 15 July, after dramatic quarter-final victories decided by 2-1 and 2-0 scores respectively.
13 July 2026 · Informanté →
Tour de France organisers have shortened the ninth stage by 30km for the first time in the race's history due to an intense heatwave in central France, following Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier's victory in the eighth stage.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
England play Norway in a World Cup quarter-final in Miami on Friday with Kane and Haaland as their leading scorers; the winners will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Mikel Merino scored a late goal to send Spain through to the World Cup semi-final with a 2-1 victory over Belgium at SoFi Stadium on Friday. Spain will face tournament favorites France in Dallas on Tuesday.
10 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Spanish astrophotographer Aleix Roig visited Tivoli Astrofarm in the Kalahari Desert and highlighted Namibia's exceptional dark skies, scientific infrastructure including four 60-centimetre telescopes, and potential for astrophotography and astro-tourism. Roig documented celestial objects including the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds during the PHOTOTRIP Namibia expedition.
10 July 2026 · Informanté →
Kylian Mbappé scored a brilliant curling finish after a missed penalty, and set up Ousmane Dembele's goal as France defeated Morocco 2-0 to advance to the World Cup semi-finals, moving Mbappé level with Lionel Messi with eight tournament goals.
10 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Belgium meet Spain in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday, seeking to break Spain's defence, which has recorded six consecutive World Cup clean sheets—a first in history. Spain have conceded just six shots on target in five matches and are playing possession-based football similar to their 2010 World Cup-winning approach.
9 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals feature Argentina versus Switzerland, France versus Morocco, Spain versus Belgium, and Norway versus England, with matches beginning 9 July at various venues and times.
9 July 2026 · Informanté →
Lazarus Haimbodi, Virinao Nguatjiti and Lafras Uys will represent Namibia at the 2026 Grand Prix of Spain in Madrid from Friday to Sunday, and attend a week-long United World Wrestling training camp from 13 to 18 July. The trip, funded by the Namibia National Olympic Committee, is part of the wrestlers' preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2027 African Wrestling Championships.
9 July 2026 · The Namibian →
France begin their push for a third World Cup title Thursday against African champions Morocco in a blockbuster quarter-final at Gillette Stadium. France have scored 14 goals in five games, with captain Kylian Mbappe accounting for seven of them, while Morocco advanced through the group phase and eliminated the Netherlands and Canada.
8 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The FIFA World Cup has reached the quarter-final stage with eight teams remaining, including France, Morocco, Spain, and Belgium. Matches are taking place in the United States beginning Thursday.
8 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Belgium beat the United States 4-1 in a World Cup last-16 match at Seattle's Lumen Field, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring twice and Romelu Lukaku adding a goal. The result ended USA's hopes of reaching a first World Cup quarter-final in 24 years and set up a quarter-final between Belgium and Spain.
7 July 2026 · The Namibian →