The sixth (and final) World Cup act of Leo Messi
The Argentine, who against Algeria can beat Cristiano Ronaldo to the record of being the first player to have played in six World Cups, maintained the suspense until the last minute
Tehrangeles, Los Angeles’ little Iran: ‘That national team does not represent Iran; it represents the Islamic Republic of Iran’
The L.A. neighborhood, a meeting point for its large Persian community, receives the national team uncomfortably as it makes its debut against New Zealand
The USMNT, an interracial and diverse team debuting under the shadow of Trump’s immigration raids
Mauricio Pochettino’s side, including 12 Black players and three Latinos, opens against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, whose employees can strike if ICE deploys there
Diego Maradona’s secret chapel in Naples
The cloister of the church of Santa Maria della Sanità houses a curious baroque-inspired painting in which the Argentine soccer star appears with his arms raised toward the heavens
Saudi Arabia: Soccer, power and sportswashing
Riyadh’s aggressive transfer policy, which has already landed Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, is a weapon to promote the country and try to improve the international image of its leadership
Álex Chan, the Spaniard making history for the US at the 2023 World Handball Championship
The top scorer in Spain’s premier handball league has become a key player for the USA and contributed to the team’s first victory at the tournament after 25 consecutive defeats
Real Madrid president: ‘We are creating a European Super League to save soccer, the situation is dire’
Florentino Pérez, who will be the new chairman of the breakaway project, said last night that it is aimed at giving the sport an economic boost after the financial losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic
The network of 6,000 bunkers that Franco built but never used
In fear of post-war invasion and internal resistance, the Spanish dictator ordered his own version of the Maginot Line to be constructed in the Pyrenees
Nobody wants to restore Franco’s train
The carriage in which the Spanish dictator traveled to meet Hitler in 1940 is still awaiting restoration
The island that Spain and France rule for six months of every year
Today, as part of a twice-yearly tradition, Madrid formally cedes control of tiny Pheasant Island to France
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