IR Fighter

Proud AUS 🇦🇺 Public Savant, Lawyer, ❤️❤️❤️⚽️ I.R. xpurt,⚽️ Like Hannah Gadsby, “I identify as tired.” 😴

[ana⁴⁴ @anapau_villa]

Me encanta que Cucurella se está aguantando las lágrimas mientras abraza a sus niños pero el segundo en el que lo abraza Claudia rompe en llanto, para mí esa es la señal del verdadero amor, encontrar un lugar seguro en donde puedes ser vulnerable ❤️

[IR Fighter @IRFighter]

@chiamakaafc 9

[Portia Moemedi @PortiaMoemedi]

Yamal: Mom I’m going to the World Cup
Mom: Take your brother with you

Them at the World Cup:

[dominic dyer @domdyer70]

🇪🇸 Ferran Torres scored the goal that made Spain world champions.

He's also one of the high profile footballers fighting animal cruelty and mistreatment.

He grew up playing football with his dogs and now rescues them while backing foundations.

A good man

[Craig F̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ @Craig_Foster]

It’s a shame that the post-match behaviour of the Argentine team will be remembered more than their tournament.

There are many injustices in football, as in life, but as we saw with Argentina, these tend to be both for, and against.

Egypt were certainly denied a penalty against Argentina, for example.

It’s entirely in keeping with the tournament tone, however, since lashing out, abuse, violence is exactly what Trump represents, and what his tournament should be remembered for.

It was, then, a perfectly Trumpian end to a highly controversial and corrupt, nonetheless hugely enjoyable on the field, World Cup.

Particularly with Trump doing his utmost to steal the attention of a moment that others had worked and sacrificed their whole lives for.

And it ended just as the world is, right now.

Vulgarity and obscene commercialisation, the bastardisation of the game, the world trying to play by the rules while the powerful manipulate and destroy them, everyone feeling aggrieved and righteous, and violence, recriminations, conspiracies and carnage everywhere.

Exactly as an Infantino and Trump World Cup, should.

Even in that moment, however, when the whole world around them is descending into chaos and violence, the worst of emotions spilling over, we saw the good.

Lamine Yamal on his knees, praying. Faithful to his beliefs, giving credit elsewhere. The perfect counterpoint to the obscene narcissism and self-adulation of Trump and Infantino.

And Messi and Yamal, embracing.

Despite the devastation that Messi was feeling in that moment, carrying the burden of an entire country and the weight of his own legacy, the older genius passing on his best wishes to the next generation. And Yamal paying his respects to someone that had nurtured his dreams, participated in his development, served as a reference point.

The worst, and best of human nature was on display at the World Cup Final and, in fact, throughout the entire tournament itself.

Fitting, really.

[Craig F̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ @Craig_Foster]

Very important story that will stand the test of time, how Borja Iglesias stepped down from Spanish National Team duty, in protest at the mistreatment of Jenni Hermoso.

A very, very rare and principled stance that few male athletes would take.

Later recalled to La Roja, he’s now a world champion.

In multiple ways.

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

Yamal’s younger brother spotted him on the field and immediately ran over, bursting with excitement, to give him a hug.

This scene is truly heartwarming.

After the match, Lamine Yamal reunited with his younger brother on the pitch in a moment that meant far more than just a celebration. The two brothers come from humble beginnings in Rocafonda, a neighborhood in Mataró, where Yamal grew up chasing his dream of becoming a footballer. Seeing him now represent Spain on the biggest stage made the embrace a powerful reminder of how far their family has come.

The excited child, wearing a matching Spain No. 19 jersey, ran across the field and jumped into Yamal’s arms for a joyful hug. It was a special moment that showed the pride, love, and sacrifices behind one of football’s brightest young stars.

[RUTH 🇨🇦 @it_Rutie]

Nico Williams made sure Lamine Yamal’s little brother had his own World Cup final. 🥹⚽❤️

[Goncalodias17 @goncalo_diass17]

Nico Willians:

"Corro rápido, mas não tão rápido como a minha mãe. Ela escapou à morte e atravessou o Saara do Gana até Espanha. Dei-lhe a minha medalha porque ela merece mais." 🥹

[Craig F̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ @Craig_Foster]

Well played pilot, well played.

[Ankor Inclán @ankorinclan]

Fabián Ruiz se cruzaba con su madre en los pasillos del Betis. Ella limpiaba. Él entrenaba. Los dos sabían lo que significaba estar ahí.

Fabián Ruiz Peña nació en Los Palacios y Villafranca, un pueblo de Sevilla de 40.000 habitantes. Sus padres se separaron cuando él era pequeño y su madre, Chari, sacó adelante a tres hijos sola. Cuando el Betis lo fichó para su cantera, el club ofreció a su madre un trabajo fijo como limpiadora en las instalaciones como parte del acuerdo. Chari aceptó. Era un empleo estable, seguro, suficiente.

Lo que nadie calculó fue el momento en que los dos coincidieran en los mismos pasillos. Fabián admitió años después que en aquellos años sentía una mezcla de vergüenza y orgullo al cruzarse con su madre fregando los suelos donde él soñaba con llegar a ser futbolista profesional. Vergüenza de adolescente, la que se pasa. Orgullo de toda la vida.
Chari se graduó en Psicología mientras Fabián subía por las categorías del Betis, llegaba al Napoli, volvía a España con el PSG y se convertía en pieza indiscutible de la selección española. El hombre que España no ha perdido ni un partido en los 49 partidos que ha jugado con la Roja. El mediocentro que marcó el gol que nos metió en semifinales del Mundial.

Ella estudió. Él jugó. Los dos llegaron.

¿Cuántas madres hay detrás de cada futbolista que levanta un trofeo, y cuántas veces las vemos?

[ᜰ @markklfc]

Lamine Yamal on Lionel Messi after Spain’s FIFA World Cup triumph over Argentina.

🗣️ Lamine Yamal: “Tonight I lifted the World Cup for Spain, but I also experienced something I’ll tell my children one day. The man who once held me as a baby was standing on the other side of the pitch, fighting for the same dream. Football has a beautiful way of bringing stories full circle.”

“When I looked at Messi after the final whistle, I didn’t just see an opponent. I saw the player who made millions of kids, including me, believe football could be art. I saw the man whose videos I watched over and over, trying to copy things that nobody else could do.”

“I know this defeat will hurt him. You don’t play with that much passion, carry your country again and again, and lose a World Cup final without feeling pain. Even in defeat, he kept demanding the ball, creating chances and refusing to stop believing. That’s what champions do.”

“People will talk about Spain winning this World Cup, and they should. But they’ll also remember that, at an age when most legends have already retired, Messi was still making the world’s best defenders panic every time he touched the ball. That’s extraordinary.”

“The photo of Messi bathing me became one of football’s most iconic images. Today we took another picture together, but this time I could thank him face to face. Without players like him, kids like me wouldn’t dare dream this big.”

“One day another generation will replace mine too. That’s football. But there will never be another Lionel Messi. Records can be broken and trophies can be won, but inspiring an entire generation to fall in love with the game is something only a few people in history will ever achieve.”

“Tonight belongs to Spain. Tomorrow, the debates will continue. But my respect for Lionel Messi will never change. He didn’t need to win this final to prove who he is. For me, he’ll always be one of the greatest players football has ever seen, and sharing the pitch with him was a privilege I’ll carry for the rest of my life.”

[Craig F̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ @Craig_Foster]

Thoroughly deserved.

The most dominant Final performance in living memory.

Holding Argentina to no shots in 90 mins is an extraordinary achievement of football organisation, belief, courage.

Rodri magnificent, Olmo was excellent, Pedri and Williams made a difference, Yamal is a European and World Champion at 19, and his ceiling knows no bounds.

Congratulations to Spain, reigning female and male world champions.

Decades of work.

Dominance in club football, and now international, at all levels of the game.

It’s been a joy to witness the Messi era, after Maradona.

What he did in 2026 was unbelievable. And he almost pulled off something here, again, in the final minute.

But he came up against a system he grew up in, and knows too well.

A worthy 23rd World Champion.

And a highly problematic and controversial, but equally memorable, World Cup.

[IR Fighter @IRFighter]

Why has @mehdirhasan account been suspended. Was it his Tweet “Yes!!! Spain win. Justice is done.”
Fair comment as far as I’m concerned.

[Football360.com.au @football360au]

All class, Mat Ryan 🇦🇺❤️👏 An honourable World Cup sign-off from the Socceroos captain.

[Craig F̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ @Craig_Foster]

Football is multicultural.

We believe that all Aussies should respect their ancestral backgrounds, while being wholly committed to Australia.

As the Socceroos said:

‘Many backgrounds. Shared purpose.’

That does not mean, nor has ever meant one culture, but many cultures in the same game, same country, with shared identity as Aussies.

Any attempts to argue otherwise, or misappropriate our history of the game which has always reflected Australia’s cultural makeup, from our British roots to our immigration story (and sadly not yet fully our ancient history), are opportunistic and misconceived.

In football, like in Australia, we celebrate our many backgrounds while uniting as Aussies.

In our clubs, our players, our game, our national teams.

The new doco ‘Wogball’ explains how the game helped integrate many communities over more than a century, and created the Socceroos team, and country, we see today.

Our crowds are proudly multicultural. Our players are proudly multicultural. Our clubs are proudly multicultural. And the National Teams are proudly multicultural.

And all equally Australian.

Many backgrounds. One purpose.

Anything else is an insult to football.

And the @Socceroos

[Zora Suleman @ZoraSuleman]

😂😂😂 #WorldCupHighlights

[CommBank Matildas @TheMatildas]

The power of football goes far beyond the pitch. 🫶⚽️