Spain battle past Argentina in extra time to win 2026 World Cup

NEW JERSEY, United States 

Ferran Torres scored ‌in the 106th minute to lift Spain to their second World Cup title with ⁠a 1-0 win ⁠in extra time over 10-man Argentina in the final.

Torres’s deserved winner on Sunday came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time ⁠to lift the Spaniards to their first World Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.

It came on La Roja’s 20th shot in the contest against defending champions Argentina ⁠that failed to manage any to that point and struggled to wrest possession away from their superior Iberian opponents.

That was true at even strength and became more difficult when La Albiceleste’s numbers were reduced when Enzo Fernandez’s late challenge on Pau Cubarsi left referee Slavko Vincic no ‌choice but to produce a second caution just before the end of normal time.

Spain remain the only nation ever to win a European Championship and World Cup in successive tournaments, having now done so a second time. They are also the first World Cup champions ever to concede only once across an entire tournament.

Ferran Torres scores the only goal of the game as Spain win their second World Cup.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina failed to earn a title for the first time in three major tournaments, having also captured the ⁠2021 and 2024 Copa Americas either side of their 2022 World ⁠Cup triumph.

The 39-year-old eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi finished the competition with eight goals and four assists, but had little time on the ball in the final until Spain finally took the lead. And he never seriously looked like he would lift his ⁠side to another great moment as he has so many times in the last two World Cup cycles.

Emi Martinez made 11 ⁠saves for La Albiceleste, who fell short in their ⁠bid to be the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles.

What had felt so difficult for the first 105 minutes suddenly looked easy after 37 seconds of play in the second period of ‌extra time.

Pedro Porro curled in an out-swinging cross from the left to the back post, Nico Williams won the header and nodded it back into space, and Torres hammered a ‌half-volley ‌at last past the flailing Martinez.

It was his only goal of the tournament, making him the seventh player to score during a tournament in which his side never trailed.

Asked about his goal, Torres said after the game: “Honestly, I didn’t think too much. I just saw the ball coming to me, and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people.”

The win made Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach ever to lead a team to the World Cup title.

“We are world champions,” de la Fuente said. “It was together we reached this stage.”

There was some pushing and shoving after the final whistle, which was quickly cleaned up, and Spain commenced their celebration as most Argentina players sat on the turf in disbelief.

Cooler heads prevailed, and Spain’s players lined up minutes later to form an honour guard of sorts for Argentina’s squad to walk through on their way to the stage for the runner-up medals.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted that Spain were the better team. 

“They were the better side – that’s the truth – but I’ll cherish the memory of them [his side], of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far,” Scaloni said.

“We have to place immense value on this, because it takes so much effort.”

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 20/7/2026

 

Mbappe leads World Cup Golden Boot race for the ages

MIAMI, United States 

A Golden Boot race for the ages has the perfect finale - it will go down to the final match of the tournament.

Kylian Mbappe's two goals in France's incredible 6-4 defeat by England in the third-place play-off moved him two goals clear of Lionel Messi, but the Argentine still has one match left to respond.

And if the 39-year-old can score twice in the final against Spain, he will take the Golden Boot by virtue of having more assists.

Anything less and Mbappe, 27, will become the first player to scoop the prize twice.

That is before we even mention the fight between the two men to be the World Cup's all-time scorer.

Mbappe now leads that race on 22 goals with Messi one behind.

Mbappe's double against England took him to 10 for the tournament - the most in a single edition of the World Cup this century. The last player to make it into double figures at a men's World Cup was Gerd Muller for West Germany in 1970.

And to put that feat further into context, prior to this tournament only eight players had scored eight or more goals at a single World Cup - Muller, Just Fontaine, Sandor Kocsis, Ademir, Eusebio, Guillermo Stabile, Ronaldo and Mbappe.

The 2026 World Cup has certainly been a tournament for the stars.

England talisman Jude Bellingham's goal against France moved him into third in the Golden Boot standings on seven - the most an Englishman has scored at a single World Cup.

That edged him ahead of Erling Haaland by virtue of assists, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane one goal further back alongside France's Ousmane Dembele.

Saka hat-trick helps England down France to win World Cup 2026 Bronze Final

MIAMI, United States 

England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff 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 England suffered a late collapse against Argentina.

Both coaches made multiple changes for Saturday’s match in the oppressive heat of Miami, with a host of stars on the bench at the start.

England boss Thomas Tuchel left out Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham from his starting lineup while Deschamps, stepping down after 14 years at the helm, omitted Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice put England ahead with a goal from distance in the third minute and Ezri Konsa headed home to make it 2-0.

Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise were a threat as France searched for a way back into the game, but they found England’s second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson in top form.

The game threatened to become embarrassing for France when Bukayo Saka made it 3-0 after a swift break.

And it was 4-0 in first-half stoppage time when Saka scored his second goal of the game, celebrated with a fist pump by Tuchel.

France coach Didier Deschamps told French TV channel M6 that the first-half display had been “catastrophic”, urging his men to show pride.

He made four changes, bringing on Dembele, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne and Barcola and was rewarded almost instantly when Mbappe scored his ninth goal of the tournament to move clear of Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

The game had now totally changed complexion, and Barcola pulled another goal back, with Deschamps clenching his fist on the bench.

Mbappe then netted his second of the game to become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals – slotting home from Olise’s pass.

That put him two ahead of Messi in the race to finish as top scorer at the 2026 tournament.

France squandered a number of chances to equalise, and England were handed a chance to extend their lead when Malo Gusto brought down Djed Spence in the penalty area.

Saka stepped up to the spot and converted to complete his hat-trick.

There was still time for Dembele to grab a fourth for France, but Bellingham then strode forward to score the 10th goal of the match with an individual effort.

In doing so, Bellingham became the first England player to score seven goals at a World Cup.

By finishing third, England secured their best result at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 1966, though they will carry bitter memories of their defeat by defending champions Argentina.

Deschamps led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and finished as runners-up four years ago.

Les Bleus were favourites to win the 2026 tournament after a sensational start but were well beaten 2-0 by Spain in the semifinals.

Three-time champions Argentina face European champions Spain in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 19/7/2026

 

Two US troops killed and one missing after Iranian attack in Jordan

By Kathryn Armstrong, WASHINGTON United States 

Two US service members were killed and one remains missing after Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan on Friday, military officials said.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said four US service members were medically evacuated to Jordan hospitals but have since been discharged. Others who had minor injuries have returned to duty.

Jordan's military earlier said it had intercepted 10 Iranian missiles fired into its airspace overnight, without reporting any damage.

The US military said it had carried out the seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran since President Donald Trump declared their temporary ceasefire agreement "over".

The US death toll in the conflict has risen to 16 after an American Navy pilot who went missing earlier this month was declared dead, marking the second increase in the toll this week.

Military officials did not disclose the identities of those killed, nor did they provide details about the circumstances of the incident or where in Jordan the latest attack took place.

In a statement on Saturday, Centcom said: "Two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command (Centcom) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing.

"Out of respect for the families, Centcom will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had destroyed at least two US fighter aircraft early on Saturday on the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, according to Iranian state media.

The US has now carried out its seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran since President Donald Trump declared their temporary ceasefire agreement "over", according to the military.

At least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes over the past three weeks, Iranian state media said, citing the country's health ministry.

Thousands more have been killed across the Middle East since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February, official figures show.

Washington and Tehran struck a preliminary deal to end the war in June, but the agreement unravelled within a month of its signing.

Late on Saturday in Iran, its Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that America's "repeated breaches" of the agreement had "laid bare a fundamental truth: the signature of the US president is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility".

Khamenei has not been seen in public since the attack which killed his father at the start of the war in February.

Hostilities have re-escalated over the past week, with the US reimposing a blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 18/7/2026

 

Andy Burnham named Labour leader ahead of taking over as UK Prime Minister

LONDON, England 

Andy Burnham was on Friday elected leader of the Labour party clearing the way for him to become the UK Prime Minister next week following the departure of Keir Starmer. 

Burnham has risen to leadership on a pledge to thwart the rise ‌of the populist Reform UK and said he would "give hope back" to people.

Andy Burnham, nicknamed the "King of the North", became leader of Britain's governing Labour Party on Friday, the final step before becoming its seventh prime minister in a decade.

At a "special conference" on Friday, Burnham, who earned the regal moniker ⁠for his determination as mayor of Greater Manchester to defend the region's interests, was elected after gaining overwhelming support from Labour lawmakers.

The event is little more ‌than a formality before he replaces Keir Starmer as Britain's leader on Monday, when the party ⁠will be eager to find out his cabinet team and learn more about his approach to government.

There is still much to learn about how Burnham will govern.

He has given one speech since returning ​to parliament last month after winning a parliamentary seat in Makerfield, the start of a four-week process to install him as prime minister and remove Starmer, whose unpopularity across Britain turned his lawmakers against him.

In it, he sketched out ​some of his domestic agenda, saying he wanted to oversee the "biggest rebalancing of power" from London to Britain's regions – something ​he believes will reduce inequality and the anger felt by 'left-behind communities' who have increasingly ​flocked to Reform.

That message of having a plan to thwart the rise of Reform won over Labour lawmakers, who feared they would lose their parliamentary seats to veteran Brexit ​campaigner Nigel Farage's populist party at the next national election, due by 2029.

Reform has topped opinion polls for months.

Some of that sheen has been tarnished in recent weeks by Farage's acceptance of funds from wealthy donors, perhaps giving Burnham an opening to revive Labour's fortunes.

Yet he does not have much time.

With a general election no more than three years away, Burnham ⁠will need to start implementing some of his pledges, many of which are based on long-term thinking, as quickly as possible.

20 children killed in bus crash in Uganda

KAMPALA, Uganda 

Twenty children and one adult were killed on Friday when their bus overturned in Uganda.

The group from King David Junior School in the capital Kampala were returning from a trip to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa District when the crash occurred, police say.

"The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned," police said in a statement on social media.

"The crash claimed the lives of one adult male and 20 pupils, while three adult males and several juveniles sustained injuries," the statement said. Police also shared a photograph of the badly mangled bus.

Uganda has a poor road safety record. Last year, two buses collided on a major highway in Uganda, killing 46 people. In 2024, there were 4,434 fatal collisions and 5,144 deaths, according to a report.

At least 20 killed in jihadist attacks in eastern DRC

KIVU, DR Congo 

At least 20 people were killed this week in three attacks by suspected jihadist fighters in eastern DR Congo, according to a report from RFI.

The attacks took place in North Kivu’s Beni territory between the 12 and 15 of July.

On Sunday, fighters from the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, targeted an area west of the city of Beni - the seat of North Kivu’s government since Goma fell to the M23 armed group last year. 

Seven civilians were killed and three soldiers from the Congolese armed forces were ambushed.

Overnight on Tuesday, the ADF attacked the town of Mangina, near the border with Ituri province, killing four civilians.

Ten others were killed in a separate assault on Mangina on Thursday.

Survivors have been fleeing to Beni town centre, which has so far been spared from attack.

The ADF’s brutal campaign of violence has been underway in North Kivu and Ituri for years. It includes abductions and forced labour, child recruitment, forced marriage and forced pregnancy.

A recent report from Amnesty International accused the group of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 17/7/2026