00:00We are now with our special segment on the occasion of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
00:04Beyond the game, the ball stays pure.
00:06Go ahead, Luis. It's a pleasure to share the set with you once again. Good morning.
00:10Good morning, Lore. Good morning to our audience.
00:12We continue today on the second breakday ahead of the third-place playoff and the grand final on Sunday.
00:18Today there are no games, as I was saying. It's a breakday.
00:21Each team, each corresponding team, all four teams that have remained here in the World Cup
00:25are training in their respective areas, training bases.
00:28And we'll continue to provide information of the upcoming games after the break.
00:55Welcome to Beyond the Game.
00:56In the ball stays pure. Spain and Argentina are set to make history in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final
01:01over 96 years of World Cup history.
01:04The two football powerhouses will face each other for the first time ever in a World Cup final
01:08to sign the World Championship on Sunday, July 19th, at New York New Jersey Stadium
01:13with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. Corak's time.
01:16Defending champions Argentina will look to retain the title they won at Qatar 2022.
01:20If they succeed, Argentina will become the third nation to do so, alongside Italy and Brazil.
01:26Spain will be aiming to lift its second World Cup trophy, adding to its triumph at South Africa 2010.
01:32Meanwhile, the third-place match will see France take on England on Saturday, July 18th, at 5 p.m. Corak's
01:38time.
01:44And the stage is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, as Spain and Argentina prepare to meet in
01:50a dream matchup
01:50that many believe was destined to happen.
01:54The finalissima, that never took place in March, will instead be replaced by the biggest prize in football.
01:59Spain, the reigning European champions, and Argentina, the Copa America holders,
02:04will battle for the most coveted trophy in the sport in what promises to be a historic showdown.
02:09Ahead of this blockbuster final, it's impossible not to look back at the history between these two football giants.
02:14Led by Lionel Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente, Argentina and Spain have developed an intermittent rivalry
02:20filled with memorable encounters spanning more than seven decades.
02:24Their story began on December 7, 1952, in Madrid, when Argentina defeated Spain 1-0
02:30thanks to a goal from Ricardo Infante, one of the country's most talented forwards of that era.
02:34The next landmark meeting came at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.
02:40Played in Birmingham, Argentina earned a memorable 2-1 victory over Spain in one of the most significant competitive matches
02:45between the two nations.
02:47Four decades later, in 2006, Lionel Messi made his first appearance against Spain in an international friendly.
02:54La Rocha claimed a 2-1 victory with goals from Xavi Hernandez and David Villa,
02:58while Daniel Villa scored Argentina's long goal.
03:00In 2010, just months after Spain lifted the World Cup in South Africa, the teams met again in Buenos Aires.
03:08Argentina produced a stunning performance, defeating the newly crowned world champions 4-1
03:12with goals from Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Agüero.
03:18The most recent meeting came in 2018, when Spain handed Argentina a crushing 6-1 defeat at Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium
03:24in a World Cup warm-up friendly.
03:26Isco starred with a hat-trick in one of the heaviest losses Argentina has suffered in recent history.
03:31Now, another chapter is about to be written.
03:33With the World Cup trophy on the line, Spain and Argentina renew their rivalry on football's biggest stage,
03:38where only one nation will be crowned world champion.
03:42Let's see how Spain reached the final, its second ever.
03:47Spain announced themselves as one of the tournament favorites by dominating Group H.
03:52La Roja overwhelms Saudi Arabia in a commanding opening victory
03:55before proving their resilience in a hard-fought draw with Cape Verde.
03:59They closed the group stage with another emphatic performance against Uruguay to finish first,
04:04showcasing the position-based football and defensive discipline that have become trademarks under Luis de la Fuente.
04:11Spain has steadily raised its level with every knockout match.
04:14Austria offered little resistance in a comfortable 3-0 round of 32 victory
04:19before Portugal pushed La Roja to their limit in a 10-Siberian derby that Spain edged 1-0.
04:25The biggest test came in the quarterfinals,
04:27where Spain overcame Belgium 2-1 in a high-quality contest to book another World Cup semifinal,
04:33extending an impressive run that has seen them concede just once in the knockout rounds.
04:38Spain defeated France 2-0 in a composed and commanding semifinal match.
04:43After an evenly contested opening, Lamin-Yamal drew the fall that led to a penalty in the 20th minute,
04:49and Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot.
04:52La Roja took control from there, dominating possession and frustrating a French side
04:57that struggled to create clear chances.
04:59Pedro Porro sealed the victory in the 58th minute,
05:03with a clinical finish following a sleek combination with Dani Olmo.
05:06Spain's disciplined defense and patient build-up secured a deserved place in the final.
05:14And Argentina's journey to the last four has been built on resilience,
05:17overcoming one tough test after another to keep its World Cup dream alive.
05:23The defending champions Argentina navigated Group J with experience and attacking quality,
05:28finishing atop the standings after victories over Jordan and Austria
05:32before sealing first place against Algeria.
05:34Lionel Messi once again set the tone,
05:37while Lionel's Calone squad showed the composure and efficiency expected from the reigning world champions
05:42as they advanced to the knockout stage on Beden.
05:46Argentina's route to the last four has been anything but straightforward.
05:50A thrilling 3-2-1 victory over Cape Verde in the Round of 32
05:53was followed by another dramatic 3-2 win against Egypt in the Round of 16.
05:58The quarterfinal brought perhaps their toughest challenge yet,
06:02but the LB Celeste defeated Switzerland 3-1 to secure a return to the semifinals.
06:07Tested repeatedly under pressure,
06:09Argentina has relied on championship experience
06:11and the enduring brilliance of Messi to keep its title defense alive.
06:15Following a tense and scoreless first half,
06:18Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute with a powerful finish,
06:22but the defending champions responded with relentless pressure.
06:25Enzo Fernandes equalized in the 85th minute with a stunning long-range strike,
06:30while Lautaro Martinez sealed the win with the stoppage time header.
06:34Argentina dominated the match statistically and on the pitch in the second half,
06:38outshooting England 15-5.
06:43And France and England meet this Saturday at Miami Stadium
06:46to battle for third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup,
06:49with both sides looking to bounce back after heartbreaking semifinal defeats.
06:53Didier de Champs, France in what will be his final match in charge of Le Blues
06:57after 14 years at the helm,
06:58suffered a convincing 2-0 loss to a dominant Spanish side.
07:02Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel's England came within moments of reaching the final
07:06but fell 2-1 to Argentina after conceding in stoppage time.
07:09Despite the disappointment of missing out on the championship match,
07:13fans can expect an open attacking contest with chances at both ends.
07:17France enters as a slight favorite,
07:19and the match could provide a fitting farewell for the Champs,
07:22with star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane
07:25expected to lead their respective attacks.
07:33This is all for this edition of Beyond the Game.
07:35The ball says pure,
07:36we're going to be back with more information and stories shaping this World Cup.
07:39We'll come back to you, Lore.
07:40Thank you so much, Lizzie,
07:41for keeping us posted on all of the updates in the world of football.
07:45And with this special segment,
07:46we have come to the end of this news brief.
07:48Remember, you can find this and many other stories on our website
07:51at telesuiteenglish.net.
07:52and join us on social media.
07:54We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
07:58For Telesuite English, I am not on a phone.
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