FIFA World Cup : 10 ગોલની થ્રિલર! ફ્રાન્સ સામે 6-4થી જીત્યું ઇંગ્લેન્…

બુકાયો સાકાના ત્રણ ગોલની મદદથી ઇંગ્લેન્ડે ત્રીજા સ્થાનના રોમાંચક પ્લે ઓફ મુકાબલામાં શનિવારે 6-4 થી જીત મેળવી જ્યારે કિલિયન એમ્બાપ્પેએ બીજા હાફમાં બે ગોલ કરીને ફૂટબોલ વિશ્વ કપમાં લિયોનેલ મેસ્સીના સર્વાધિક ગોલના રેકોર્ડને પાછળ છોડી દીધો અને ગોલ્ડન બૂટની રેસમાં સૌથી આગળ નીકળી ગયો.

ઐતિહાસિક મેચ અને ગોલનો રેકોર્ડ

આ 1982 માં હંગેરીની અલ સલ્વાડોર પર 10-1 ની જીત પછી વર્લ્ડ કપમાં સૌથી વધુ ગોલવાળી મેચ હતી. ત્રીજા સ્થાનની મેચમાં 10 ગોલ અત્યાર સુધીના સૌથી વધુ ગોલ છે. સાકાએ 37મી મિનિટ અને પહેલા હાફની ઇન્જરી ટાઇમમાં ગોલ કર્યા પછી 87મી મિનિટમાં પેનલ્ટીથી પોતાનો ત્રીજો ગોલ કરીને ઇંગ્લેન્ડ માટે પોતાના કરિયરની બીજી હેટ્રિક પૂરી કરી. ઇંગ્લેન્ડ માટે ડેકલાન રાઇસ અને એઝરી કોન્સાએ પણ પહેલા હાફમાં ગોલ કર્યા જેનાથી હાફ ટાઇમ સુધી ઇંગ્લેન્ડની ટીમ 4-0 થી આગળ થઈ ગઈ. રોમાંચક બીજા હાફમાં પણ ઇંગ્લેન્ડે પોતાની લીડ જાળવી રાખી અને વર્લ્ડ કપમાં પોતાનું બીજું સૌથી સારું પરિણામ મેળવ્યું. ઇંગ્લેન્ડે પોતાનો એકમાત્ર ખિતાબ 1966 માં જીત્યો હતો. tbzikra.org

એમ્બાપ્પે અને મેસ્સી વચ્ચે ગોલ્ડન બૂટની ટક્કર

ઇંગ્લેન્ડ માટે છઠ્ઠો ગોલ જુડ બેલિંગહામે બીજા હાફના ઇન્જરી ટાઇમની આઠમી મિનિટમાં કર્યો જે ટૂર્નામેન્ટમાં તેનો સાતમો ગોલ હતો. વર્લ્ડ કપમાં એમ્બાપ્પેના ગોલની સંખ્યા 22 થઈ ગઈ જે અર્જેન્ટીનાના કેપ્ટન કરતાં એક વધુ છે. આ સ્ટાર સ્ટ્રાઇકરે વર્તમાન વર્લ્ડ કપમાં પોતાના અભિયાનનો અંત 10 ગોલ સાથે કર્યો. તે ગોલ્ડન બૂટની રેસમાં મેસ્સીથી બે ગોલ આગળ ચાલી રહ્યો છે જેના નામે આઠ ગોલ છે. મેસ્સીને એમ્બાપ્પેથી આગળ નીકળવાની એક છેલ્લી તક ત્યારે મળશે જ્યારે તે અને વર્તમાન ચેમ્પિયન અર્જેન્ટીના રવિવારે ન્યૂ જર્સીના ઇસ્ટ રધરફોર્ડમાં ફાઇનલમાં સ્પેનનો સામનો કરશે. ફ્રાન્સ માટે અન્ય ગોલ બેડલી બારકોલા અને ઓસ્માન ડેમ્બેલેએ પણ કર્યા.

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સેમીફાઇનલની હાર અને સ્ટેડિયમનો માહોલ

બંને ટીમોએ કહ્યું હતું કે તેઓ રવિવારની ફાઇનલમાં રમવાનું પસંદ કરત. ફ્રાન્સ પાસે ટૂર્નામેન્ટ જીતવા માટે ઘણી આક્રમક ક્ષમતા હતી પરંતુ તેઓ સેમીફાઇનલમાં સ્પેનથી હારી ગયા અને સતત ત્રીજી વખત વર્લ્ડ કપ ફાઇનલમાં પહોંચવાની તક ગુમાવી દીધી. ઇંગ્લેન્ડે અર્જેન્ટીના વિરુદ્ધ સેમીફાઇનલમાં 1-0 ની લીડ ગુમાવી દીધી હતી અને 1-2 થી હારી ગયું જેમાં મેસ્સીએ અંતિમ મિનિટોમાં બે ગોલ કરવામાં મદદ કરી હતી. હાર્ડ રોક સ્ટેડિયમમાં સેમીફાઇનલ જોવા માટે 64,478 દર્શકોની ભારે ભીડ ઉમટી હતી. ઘણા સમર્થકો બંને ટીમોનો ઉત્સાહ વધારી રહ્યા હતા પરંતુ કેટલાય લોકો માત્ર આ મેચના માહોલનો આનંદ લેવા માટે ત્યાં આવ્યા હતા.

ફેન્સના રિએક્શન અને ઉત્સાહ

ઇંગ્લેન્ડનું સમર્થન કરવા પહોંચેલા મેક્સિકો સિટીના રહેવાસી ગેસ્ટન એસ્ક્વિવેલે કહ્યું, મને ઇંગ્લિશ ફૂટબોલ ખૂબ ગમે છે. હું નાનપણથી જ પ્રીમિયર લીગ જોતો આવી રહ્યો છું. હું માન્ચેસ્ટર યુનાઇટેડનો ફેન છું. મને તેમની સ્ટાઇલ અને તેમનો ખેલ પસંદ છે. પૂરી ટૂર્નામેન્ટ દરમિયાન ફ્રાન્સનું સમર્થન કરવા માટે પેરિસથી આવેલા થોમસ વિએલ આશા રાખી રહ્યા હતા કે એમ્બાપ્પે હેટ્રિક લગાવશે. તેમની આ ઈચ્છા લગભગ પૂરી થઈ જ ગઈ હતી. જ્યારે એમ્બાપ્પેએ 48મી મિનિટમાં ગોલકીપર ડીન હેન્ડરસનને હરાવીને શોટ માર્યો ત્યારે ફ્રાન્સ 0-4 થી પાછળ ચાલી રહ્યું હતું. પછી 66મી મિનિટમાં તેમણે અંદાજે 14 યાર્ડના અંતરેથી ડાબા પગથી શોટ મારીને ફરીથી હેન્ડરસનને હરાવ્યો. વિએલે કહ્યું, મને નથી લાગતું કે મેસ્સી કાલે હેટ્રિક લગાવી શકશે.

કોચ ડીડીયર ડેશેમ્પ્સની વિદાય

આ ફ્રાન્સના કોચ ડીડીયર ડેશેમ્પ્સની પણ ટીમ સાથે છેલ્લી મેચ હતી. તેમણે કહ્યું છે કે તેઓ 14 વર્ષ પછી પદ છોડી દેશે. પિચથી બહાર નીકળતી વખતે ડેશેમ્પ્સે ખેલાડીઓને ગળે લગાવ્યા અને ભીડ તરફ હાથ હલાવ્યો.

આ પણ વાંચો-The Odysseyએ બોક્સ ઓફિસ પર મચાવી ધૂમ, માત્ર 2 દિવસમાં કરી છપ્પરફાડ કમાણી!

Miami [US], July 19 (ANI): France winger Michael Olise has etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after registering his seventh assist of the 2026 tournament, surpassing Brazilian legend Pele’s long-standing record for the most assists in a single edition of the competition.

The French forward and Bayern Munich star achieved the milestone during France’s third-place match against England at Miami Stadium on Saturday (local time), setting up two goals for captain Kylian Mbappe to take his tournament tally to seven assists.

The previous record of six assists had been held by Pele since the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, a mark that stood for 56 years.

Olise began his World Cup campaign by assisting Mbappe in France’s opening match against Senegal before delivering two assists each against Iraq and Sweden to move within one of the historic records.

His two assists in France’s encounter against England, both converted by Mbappe, helped him surpass Pele’s tally and establish a new benchmark for the most assists in a single FIFA World Cup.

Despite setting the tournament record, Olise remains behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup assists chart. With seven assists in the 2026 edition, Olise now trails Messi’s overall tournament record by five assists.

The Bayern Munich winger also enjoyed a stellar, record-breaking 2025-26 campaign at the club level.

Olise finished the Bundesliga season with 15 goals and 19 assists, playing a key role as Bayern Munich secured both the league title and the DFB-Pokal.

However, Olise’s record-breaking feat ultimately came in a losing cause as France fell 6-4 to England in a breathtaking, record-breaking 10-goal thriller, with the Three Lions securing the bronze medal.

Notably, the defeat also spoiled French head coach Didier Deschamps’ farewell, bringing the legendary coach’s 14-year tenure as France manager to a disappointing end.

In what will go down as the highest-scoring third-place play-off in modern tournament history, England’s Bukayo Saka’s magnificent hat-trick overcame Kylian Mbappe’s brace and powered the Three Lions to their best World Cup finish on foreign soil since 1966.

England took absolute control of the first half, leaving Les Bleus shell-shocked with an unprecedented 4-0 lead before the interval.

Declan Rice opened the scoring just three minutes into the game, before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 18th minute. Bukayo Saka then took centre stage, netting twice in quick succession (37′, 45+1′) to mark the first time France has ever conceded four goals in a single half of World Cup football.

However, the second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Facing his 187th and final match in charge of France, Deschamps rang in tactical substitutions at halftime that sparked a furious French resurrection.

Mbappe led the charge, striking in the 48th minute before Bradley Barcola added a second just six minutes later to make it 4-2.

When Mbappe struck again in the 66th minute to bring France within one goal, England looked completely rattled under relentless waves of attack.

With his second goal, Mbappe created history by overtaking Lionel Messi to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. The brace took Mbappe’s World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him one clear of Messi’s 21.

Just as the game seemed to be slipping away from Thomas Tuchel’s men, England found their relief.

A late counter-attack resulted in an 87th-minute penalty, which Saka calmly converted to complete his hat-trick and restore breathing room at 5-3.

The drama spilt deep into stoppage time as Ousmane Dembele clawed one back for France in the 90+6th minute, but Jude Bellingham put the final exclamation point on the historic night, scoring in the 90+8th minute to seal the extraordinary 6-4 victory for England to cap their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign on a third-place high. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

New Delhi: Title-holders Argentina is all set to face challenger Spain in a star-studded 2026 FIFA World Cup final as the 39-day spectacle prepares for its closing showdown. Sunday’s finale in New Jersey will stage a unique battle, pitting the tournament’s best attack against the best defense—Argentina has scored the most goals (19); Spain has conceded the fewest (one).

What is the winner prediction for Spain vs Argentina?

As per the Opta supercomputer, Spain have a 59.46 percent chance of winning the 2026 World Cup, while Argentina have a 40.54 percent probability of retaining the title they won in 2022. The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium, home to two National Football League (NFL) teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets. For the FIFA World Cup, the venue has temporarily been rebadged as New York-New Jersey Stadium.

However, before the blockbuster final at MetLife Stadium, an off-field talking point has grabbed fans’ attention. Canadian rapper Drake has placed a massive USD 1.5 million (approximately Rs 14.5 crore) bet on Argentina to win the World Cup final. Instead of celebrating the vote of confidence, many Argentina fans are feeling uneasy due to the infamous “Drake Curse.”

What Is the ‘Drake Curse’?

• The Drake Curse is a sports superstition where fans have noticed a pattern where athletes, fighters, or teams publicly backed by Drake often gone on to lose crucial matches.
• In many occasions, teams have even suffered defeats after players were photographed with the Canadian rapper.
• Because of this long-standing superstition, many sports fans consider Drake’s support to be a bad omen.
• Now that he has placed his bet on Argentina, the move has sparked anxiety among the team’s supporters ahead of the World Cup final.

Will Argentina Break the Curse Again?

It is important to note that despite Drake’s massive wager, Argentina fans may not have much reason to worry, as Lionel Messi’s side has already defied the so-called curse once before. Drake had also placed a USD 1 million bet on Argentina to beat France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar. Argentina went on to win that thrilling final, proving Drake’s prediction right and seemingly breaking the “Drake Curse.”

Now, under Messi’s captaincy, Argentina will look to shatter the superstition once again when they take on Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final.

Argentina have already brushed aside several superstitions and predictions throughout this tournament. Earlier in the competition, a video of a Ghanaian spiritualist went viral in which he claimed Cape Verde would eliminate Argentina. However, Argentina comfortably advanced.

Another widely discussed superstition involved popular YouTuber IShowSpeed (Speed), who attended Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland wearing the team’s jersey. During the tournament, every team supported by Speed had been eliminated, leading fans to believe his backing was a bad omen. Yet Messi’s side defied that trend as well, defeating Switzerland to book their place in the semi-finals.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu produced a vintage display of attacking badminton to outclass local favourite Akane Yamaguchi in straight games, clinching her maiden Super 750 title at the Japan Open here on Sunday.

The 31-year-old became the first Indian to win the Japan Open, combining relentless attack with tactical discipline and composure in the decisive moments to register a 21-17, 21-17 victory over the three-time world champion and end a title drought of more than two years.

Sindhu’s previous title came at the Syed Modi International in 2024. The triumph is her biggest title since winning the World Championships in 2019.

Yamaguchi was appearing in her sixth Japan Open final, while Sindhu had not beaten the Japanese in a completed match in four years. Their meeting at the Malaysia Open earlier this year ended with Yamaguchi retiring after the opening game.

Sindhu’s last full-match victory over her came at the Thailand Open in 2022.

On Sunday, however, the Indian dictated terms from the outset. She controlled the forecourt superbly, attacked with purpose rather than sheer power and repeatedly found answers whenever Yamaguchi threatened a comeback.

Along with her powerful smashes, Sindhu’s precise net play proved decisive. She repeatedly worked the shuttle tight to the net, forcing Yamaguchi to lift and creating opportunities to unleash her trademark cross-court and body smashes.

Sindhu raced to a 3-0 lead before a few unforced errors, coupled with some brilliant shot-making from Yamaguchi, allowed the Japanese to draw level at 3-3.

Both players traded errors in the opening exchanges before Yamaguchi’s service error made it 5-5. Sindhu then began to seize control with superb net play, patiently constructing rallies before finishing them with a cross-court winner to move 8-6 ahead.

Another powerful smash extended her lead to 9-6, but two successive errors handed Yamaguchi a route back into the contest. A body smash from the Japanese made it 9-9 before Sindhu misjudged a shuttle to trail by two points at the mid-game interval.

The momentum swung again after the break as Sindhu won a gruelling 36-shot rally to restore parity at 11-11. A thunderous cross-court smash put her ahead at 13-12 before Yamaguchi sent one long and the Indian won a net exchange, followed by a deep push to open up a 16-12 advantage.

Yamaguchi responded with a clever push to Sindhu’s forehand and a return that clipped the back line, but Sindhu wrong-footed her rival with a disguised follow-up shot to stay ahead.

At 17-15, the pair produced a breathtaking 38-shot rally, with Yamaguchi’s remarkable defence keeping her alive. Sindhu then allowed the Japanese to draw level.

The Indian, however, came up with her best badminton when it mattered most. A fierce cross-court smash and another Yamaguchi error gave her a 19-17 lead. The Japanese then found the net to hand Sindhu three game points. She wrapped up the opening game with a precise push into Yamaguchi’s backhand corner.

Sindhu carried the momentum into the second game, dominating the forecourt and taking the shuttle early to keep Yamaguchi under constant pressure.

Another punishing 44-shot rally ended with a weary Yamaguchi hitting wide as Sindhu reeled off six straight points to surge to an 8-3 lead.

Although Sindhu briefly lost her rhythm with two net errors and another shot drifting long, allowing Yamaguchi to reduce the deficit to 8-7, the Indian quickly regained control to take an 11-7 lead at the interval.

Yamaguchi continued to spray her returns long and squandered another video challenge as Sindhu stretched the lead to 14-7. The Japanese mounted one last charge with a fine net shot, a deep flat push and a couple of errors from Sindhu to narrow the gap to 14-12, but a timely net error halted the comeback.

Two booming smashes carried Sindhu to 17-14, and another Yamaguchi error left the Indian three points away from the title.

A touch of nerves crept in as Sindhu twice found the net, allowing Yamaguchi to close to 19-17.

But the Japanese then sent another return wide.

Sindhu earned three championship points after Yamaguchi faltered at the net and sealed the title when the home favourite’s return landed long, with the line call upheld after a video review. She celebrated the moment embracing her coach.