EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Lionel Messi will become the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup final on Sunday as Spain’s Lamine Yamal seeks to join an elite group of teenage winners. The match at the MetLife Stadium will be the first meeting between Argentina’s Messi and the player w»»»

MIAMI: England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday as Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semifinal exits — France were outplayed by Spain while Englan»»»

Miami, United States: England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday as Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semi-final exits -- France were outplayed by S»»»

MIAMI: Kylian Mbappé became the leading goalscorer in World Cup history, but his France team said farewell to coach Didier Deschamps with a 6-4 defeat to England in the World Cup match for third place on Saturday. England completely overpowered France in the first half to build a 4-0 lead. Declan R»»»

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: Kylian Mbappé moved past Lionel Messi for the career World Cup scoring record on Saturday, scoring twice for France in the third-place match against England to reach 22 goals. Mbappé has 10 goals in this World Cup, two more than Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which i»»»

British runner Josh Kerr reacts after winning the men's one-mile event with a new world record of 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds in London. Photo by Neil Hall/EPA July 18 (UPI) -- British runner Josh Kerr broke the men's mile world record on Saturday, crossing the finish line in 3 minutes, 42.77 seconds.»»»

Agencies New York Spain and Argentina will both be aiming to create more history when they square off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA World Cups»»»

Agencies East Rutherford Spain and Argentina will both be aiming to create more history when they square off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA Wor»»»

EAST RUTHERFORD: Spain and Argentina prepared to do battle in Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey as organizers said they were keeping a close eye on smoke from wildfires in Canada. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups,»»»

DHAKA: There are rooftops draped in blue and white and murals of Lionel Messi everywhere — but this is not Argentina, it is Bangladesh where football-crazy fans are again celebrating their unique bond with the South American giants. The craze for Argentina has endured for decades in a country of 17»»»

NEW YORK: For some fans following this World Cup, the calculation has been ‌simple: support whoever is playing against Argentina. Across the tournament, that has meant wearing the green of Algeria, the blue of Cape Verde, or the red of Switzerland. Even the often maligned England got a boost in glo»»»

Bolivia has become the third Andean country this year to discover its own citizens fighting – and dying – in Russia's war on Ukraine. Prosecutors in La Paz opened a criminal investigation on July 14 into a recruitment network accused of luring Bolivian men abroad with fake construction jo»»»

PARIS: The World Cup has engaged punters like never before with an 80 percent increase in betting volume compared to the 2022 edition, even taking into account the higher number of matches for a 48-team tournament, a betting expert told AFP. Although many football fans were skeptical about the incr»»»

East Rutherford, United States: Spain and Argentina prepared to do battle in Sunday's World Cup final in New Jersey as organisers said they were keeping a close eye on smoke from wildfires in Canada. Lionel Messi's Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-b»»»

PARIS: A hundred years ago, Paris erected a monumental mosque to honor Muslim soldiers from French colonies who fought in World War I. It’s now an integral part of the capital’s bustling Latin Quarter, and as it celebrates its centenary, worshippers are reflecting on being Muslim in today’s France.»»»

Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina promises to be a classic, pitting Europe against South America and rising star Lamine Yamal against Lionel Messi. Spain head into the showdown unbeaten in 37 matches, while Argentina have built a reputation for producing some of the tournament's »»»

Vologda (Russia) (AFP) – Russian couple Yelena and Dmitry passed four petrol stations before finally finding one that actually had fuel as they returned to the city of Vologda, some 300 miles (480 kilometres) north of Moscow, from their country allotment plot. Like all but a few»»»

New Delhi, India: New Delhi police moved activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on Saturday over health concerns after a 20-day hunger strike in protest against India's examination system. Wangchuk, 59, has been fasting since June 28 to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan»»»

Dubai: There are cities you visit. There are cities you work in. And then there are cities that quietly become part of who you are. For Antonio Ostuni, Dubai is all three. Sixteen years after first arriving in the emirate as a young Italian hotelier eager to prove himself, there is still no one way»»»

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hands President Donald Trump the FIFA World Cup trophy after announcing the 2026 World Cup draw in the White House. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday told FIFA officials they should pick the United St»»»

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Alpine’s Franco Colapinto wound up seventh fastest for Alpine in Friday practice at the Belgian Grand Prix and then said he will be more nervous watching Argentina in the World Cup final than driving in Sunday’s race. The only Argentine driver on the grid, Colapinto wore»»»

NEW YORK: Argentina’s Mauricio Pochettino is weighing ‌whether to coach the United States Men’s National Team for the next four years, which would include the 2030 World Cup hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Pochettino has been engaged in contract talks to stay with the USMNT side that reached»»»

BARCELONA: Almost two decades ago, photographer Joan Monfort didn’t think much of his photo shoot of a teenage Lionel Messi bathing a cute baby boy in a plastic bathtub. Not until the remarkable twist of fate became clear years later, when that infant blossomed into Lamine Yamal. Now those images o»»»

WASHINGTON: The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday will be refereed by Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia, two years after he was in charge of a Champions League final. FIFA announced the pick late Thursday. It’s the second straight World Cup final where Argentina, now the defending champ»»»

A father's refusal to accept a marriage proposal for his daughter allegedly led to a brutal attack in Kerala, where he and his son were kidnapped, held captive and tortured by a group of men. According to media reports, the incident took place at Nagaroor near Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE marks Union Pledge Day on 18th July each year, commemorating the historic signing of the Declaration of the Union and the UAE Constitution by the Founding Fathers in 1971, marking the beginning of a 55-year journey of development, progress and global leadership. Union Pledge Day,»»»

Dubai: Moving to a new country often begins with excitement to new opportunities, new surroundings, and the promise of a different future. But behind many expatriate stories is a challenge of building a life from the beginning. For Egyptian expat Ahmed Youssef, that challenge came at a time when th»»»

The Hungarian state spent more than HUF 387 million on President Tamás Sulyok’s official foreign trips between March 2024, when he took office, and the end of 2025, according to figures released following a public information request. The data, obtained by HVG from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a»»»

"Football is the most important of the less important things in the world." Those are the words of one of the most successful coaches in the history of football, Carlo Ancelotti. My fingernails, lack of sleep and heightened blood pressure are all evidence that Brazil’s current manager has a point. »»»

DUBAI: Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final has been billed as a showdown pitting Lionel Messi against Lamine Yamal, defending champions Argentina against European champions Spain; and perhaps the final appearance of football’s greatest player in the sport’s premier showcase. Yet one of the most intriguin»»»

DUBAI: Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final has been billed as a showdown pitting Lionel Messi against Lamine Yamal, defending champions Argentina against European champions Spain; and perhaps the final appearance of football’s greatest player in the sport’s premier showcase. Yet one of the most intriguin»»»

Miami: France and England will bid a gloomy farewell to the World Cup tomorrow when they face each other in the dreaded third-place play-off in Miami. Both teams head to Florida still raw from semi-final defeats that have left both footballing nations licking wounds, which, in the eyes of many, wer»»»

Doha, Qatar: Four years ago, Lionel Messi led Argentina to glory in Qatar at the FIFA World Cup, and he is one step away from repeating that feat and making Argentina the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962. On Wednesday night, under the lights of Atlanta, the Messi Magic was unlea»»»

East Rutherford: Master will take on apprentice when Spain coach Luis de la Fuente lines up against his former student, Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni, in the World Cup final on Sunday. Nine years ago, Scaloni was just another former professional player pursuing a career in coaching, studying for his p»»»

AUGUSTA, Maine: The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets, several of his close »»»

AUGUSTA, Maine: The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets, several of his close »»»

NEW YORK: The wreckage of a New York sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River, killing six people, showed signs of a bird strike, investigators said on Thursday. A senior Spanish business executive, his wife and three children died along with the pilot when the helicopter malfuncti»»»

MIAMI: France and England will bid a gloomy farewell to the World Cup on Saturday when they face each other in the dreaded third-place play-off in Miami. Both teams head to Florida still raw from semifinal defeats that have left both footballing nations licking wounds, which, in the eyes of many, w»»»

A decree by Argentine President Javier Milei, now struck down transferred the authority to grant citizenship by naturalization from the federal judiciary to the executive branch. Photo by Chema Moya/EPA BUENOS AIRES, July 16 (UPI) -- An Argentine court struck down a decree by President Javier Milei»»»

NEW YORK: Spain opened as the +125 favorites to win ‌the World Cup and stood at +130 as of Thursday morning, but Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina are seeing more of the betting action, according to BetMGM. Argentina — who opened at +250 at the sportsbook and have since moved to +240 —»»»

ROME: Italy’s ruling ‌parties on Thursday called for a presidential pardon for a 72-year-old jeweller who killed two robbers after a raid on his shop, saying any prison term would effectively amount to a life sentence given his age. Mario Roggero shot dead two men and wounded a third in 2021 after »»»

It will be Argentina defending its title in the World Cup final on July 19 in the United States. Lionel Messi captained his team to victory over England with Argentina scoring in the final moments of the match. It’s a story that keeps repeating itself for England the inventors of football — who hav»»»

DUBAI: Christopher Nolan’s gargantuan full-IMAX retelling of Homer’s “The Odyssey” is an elemental and testosterone-fuelled undertaking, chock-full of gorgeous set-pieces and metaphysical ruminations that are typical for the auteur; but unfortunately, the sum of its parts do not make for a transfor»»»

It began with unanswered phone calls. When relatives couldn't reach anaesthesiologist Dr Kiran Honannavar for nearly two days, they kept trying. His wife answered instead, reportedly saying he was sleeping. Later, she said he had gone to work. Neither explanation was true. Get updated faster and fo»»»

Dubai: A 32-year-old man allegedly shot his father dead at their home in Ghaziabad's Modinagar late on Wednesday following a heated argument over a property dispute, according to reports by NDTV and The Times of India. Police said the accused, identified as Nikhil, allegedly returned home drunk and»»»

Nathan Group has announced that it has surpassed Dh4.5 billion in payroll processing, achieving the milestone in July 2026 as the company celebrates its 15th year of operations. The achievement reflects the scale of its payroll and HR services business and underscores the growing demand among emplo»»»

ATLANTA: Harry Kane said he was “gutted” for England and their fans after his team were beaten 2-1 by defending champions Argentina in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday. Anthony Gordon’s strike had put the Three Lions on the cusp of a first men’s World Cup final since they lifted the 1966 troph»»»

On July 16, 1945, the first test of the atom bomb was conducted at a base near Alamogordo, N.M. 1 of 6 | Scene from the first atomic bomb test 0.016 second after explosion at the Trinity site on a secret base on July 16, 1945, in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The viewed hemisphere's highest point in this»»»

Doha, Qatar: Whenever the wife of Spain right-back Pedro Porro asks their nearly one-year-old son how his father celebrates his goals, little ‘Pedrito’ plops down on the floor and raises his very small fist. Unfortunately, a small fever prevented Pedrito from being at Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 »»»

SAN FRANCISCO: US Coast Guard crews suspended their search late Wednesday for three people missing a day after a boat capsized in the cold, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay while carrying 20 family members and friends who went out to scatter the ashes of a loved one. “Suspending a search is one o»»»