🚨 Di Maria on the strange way Argentina played against Spain
🎙️ “Look, people see 90 minutes on TV and think that’s the whole story, but football at that level isn't just about what happens on the pitch. What happened before that final against Spain... it wasn't normal.
In 2022, you saw fire in our eyes. But in that tunnel against Spain? Cuti posting that weird 'forced to finish second' message after the loss, Enzo and Licha literally in tears in the dressing room before the kickoff—not from emotion, but from frustration. Leo missing every single shot in the warmup, looking completely drained, and then posting 'whatever happens tomorrow' instead of what he wrote last time with 'I'm ready'? Come on man.
You don't just forget how to play overnight. There were people in suits—whether it was mafia, the powers at the top, or whoever runs the show behind the curtain—who had already written the script. Argentina was brought there to hand over the torch, not to win. We were told, without it being explicitly said, that Spain had to be the champions. And when you're playing against 11 men on the field and an entire invisible empire off it, you realize some matches are decided long before the whistle blows."
🚨 “That’s the Biggest Joke of This Tournament” — Mbappé Fires Over Messi Snub
🎙️ Reporter:
“Kylian, congratulations on winning the Golden Boot back-to-back. How does it feel?”
Mbappé:🗣️“Thank you. Of course, I’m very happy—very proud. It’s not something easy to achieve, especially at this level, against the best players in the world. But if I’m being completely honest… I would trade both of them in a second for the World Cup trophy. Individual awards are special, but football is about the team, about lifting that trophy together. That’s the dream.”
🎙️ Reporter:“You mentioned the level of competition—this time you were up against Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot. How tough was that?”
Mbappé:🗣️“It wasn’t easy at all. We’re talking about the best player in the world. Every game, every moment, you’re watching him… and he’s delivering. Scoring, assisting, deciding matches. He had me worried, I won’t lie (laughs). There were nights I couldn’t even relax because I knew what he’s capable of doing the next day. Competing with someone like that pushes you beyond your limits.”
🎙️ Reporter:“Messi had a great tournament, but he still didn’t win the Golden Ball. What do you think about that?”
Mbappé:🗣️“That’s the part I honestly don’t understand. For me, it doesn’t make sense. We’re talking about the greatest of all time… a man who keeps rewriting history, who dominates headlines, who amazes everyone in every single game. He decides big matches like it’s nothing. And we’re saying he’s not the best player of the tournament? For me, that’s the biggest joke in this competition. I don’t see it any other way.”
🎙️ Reporter:“People often call you Ronaldo’s biggest fan, yet you never stop praising Messi. Why is that?”
Mbappé:🗣️“Yes, it’s true—I grew up idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s the reason I started dreaming the way I do. But that doesn’t mean I should be blind to greatness. What Lionel Messi has done for football… it’s crazy. Even now, at 39, he’s giving players in their prime sleepless nights. And he’s not even a pure striker. That tells you everything. Respect is respect. When you love football, you have to appreciate
Giving Rodri the World Cup Golden Ball over Messi wasn’t deserved—not even by 10%.
Rodri is the heartbeat of Spain’s system, no doubt about it. But you can’t hand him the tournament’s best player award based mainly on his performances in the semifinal and final.
Meanwhile, another player performed at an extraordinary level from the opening game all the way to the semifinal, often carrying his team almost single-handedly (with the exception of the semifinal, when his teammates stepped up as well).
There’s also a huge difference in the strength of the two national teams, yet that wasn’t properly taken into account. Neither was individual performance.
This isn’t about statistics alone.
Rodri is incredibly important and influential to his team. Messi is just as essential—arguably even more so. Not simply because of goals or assists, but because of everything he means to his team. Both are the heart of their sides, but Messi had the added edge of consistently deciding games.
Since the award ultimately went to a player from the finalists, the comparison is straightforward.
I honestly don’t know what they were thinking by giving it to Rodri.
For me, Lionel Messi deserved the World Cup Golden Ball without a second thought.
🥇 2015 - De La Fuente wins u19 European Championship with Spain
🥇 2019 - De La Fuente wins u21 European Championship with Spain
🥇 2023 - De La Fuente wins Nations League with Spain
🥇 2024 - De La Fuente wins EURO 2024 with Spain
🥇 2026 - De La Fuente wins 2026 World Cup with Spain
This is incredible. Since becoming the manager of Spain in 2022, De La Fuente has only lost two matches. 🤯👏
🚨WORLD CUP GOLDEN BALL 2026! 😳👀
WhoScored Ratings
🇦🇷 Messi 8.82 (1st)
🇪🇸 Rodri 7.30 (32nd)
WhoScored MOTMs
🇦🇷 Messi 6 (1st)
🇪🇸 Rodri 0
Official MOTMs
🇦🇷 Messi 5 (1st)
🇪🇸 Rodri 1
FIFA Power Rankings:
Attacking
🇦🇷 Messi 8.28 (3rd)
🇪🇸 Rodri 4.35 (233rd)
Creativity
🇦🇷 Messi 8.21 (2nd)
🇪🇸 Rodri 5.92 (80th)
Leo Messi should have picked up a third Golden Ball award. But FIFA gifted this to Rodri! 😀🥶
Nimeona mjadala watu mtandaoni wanahoji, "Kwa nini Iran haipigi Israel moja kwa moja, bali inaonekana kushambulia nchi nyingine?"
Kwa tathmini ya haraka na mtazamo wangu ni kwamba, Iran inajiandaa kwa vita dhidi ya Israel kwa kuwa kwenye mtazamo wao vita hivyo haviepukiki, ni suala la muda tu. Na ni kwasababu ulinzi wa Israel hauishii kwenye mipaka yake. Marekani imejenga mtandao mpana wa rada, mifumo ya ulinzi wa anga, vituo vya kijeshi, na ushirikiano wa kiusalama katika nchi nyingi Mashariki ya Kati na muhimu zaidi Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, na Iraq na Syria ambapo ni route ya missiles za Iran zikielekea Israel. Jordan ni sehemu muhimu zaidi ya mtandao huo kutokana na nafasi yake ya kijiografia ikipakana na Israel na imekuwa ikizuia makombora mengi kufika Israel. Nchi kama Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait na nyingine pia zinachangia uwezo wa Marekani wa kugundua, kufuatilia na kukabiliana na vitisho vya anga (missiles and drones).
Kwa mtazamo wa kijeshi, Iran inafahamu kuwa kwa kudhoofisha mtandao huo, inapunguza tabaka za ulinzi linalosaidia kuilinda Israel kabla makombora hayajafika kwenye anga lake wakati wa vita vya moja kwa moja, kama ilivyoshuhudiwa mara kadhaa kwenye mgogoro huu. Mataifa yote haya yana Patriot, na wakati mwingine THAAD na Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow na Iron Beam kwa upande wa Israel kwenye ngazi mbalimbali za interceptions.
Kilicho wazi ni kwamba vita vya kisasa havipiganwi kwenye mpaka mmoja. Mfumo wa ulinzi wa Israel umeunganishwa na mtandao mpana wa washirika wa Marekani katika eneo lote la Mashariki ya Kati. Kwa hiyo, katika vita vya sasa, endapo vitafikia kwenye mgogoro wa moja kwa moja kati ya Israel na Iran, basi kuna uwezekano mtandao wa ulinzi kwa ajili ya Israel ukawa umedhoofika kiasi kikubwa na kupelekea madhara na athari za makombora kuwa kubwa zaidi.