By now, you already know which teams will play the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, 19 July.
The build-up to the matches in the international press has been, to say the least, frenzied. US President Donald Trump was almost knocked off the media headlines until he played referee and persuaded FIFA to overturn its one-match ban on US striker Folarin Balogun.That brought Trump back into the limelight pronto.
The coverage of the ‘beautiful game’ in Indian English newspapers has been equally extravagant and excessive. Over the past month, it has consumed more newsprint than arguably anything else. Reams and reams have been written on players, teams and games. Sports reporters have gone wild – much like the fans in the stadiums or those on the streets partying across the world.Riots broke out in Paris after France lost to Spain in the semi-final. And at least one passionate fan in Brazil smashed his TV set after the loss to Norway in the quarter-finals.Seriously, they’ve all gone mad about football.It’s sad that in the process, Indian sports successes during this period have been sidelined.The Indian women’s cricket team notched up a unique victory by defeating England in the first women’s Test match ever played at Lord’s in London. This ground is considered the home of cricket and for India to have not just beaten but thrashed the English team was big news.India also brought home 16 medals at the inaugural Under-23 Asian Athletics Championship, held from 9 to 12 July in China. It stood fourth behind star teams like China, Japan and Uzbekistan. There were some wonderful performances in mixed 4x400m relay, the women’s 4x400m relay and the men’s javelin throw.Both women’s cricket and the Asian Athletics Championship deserved more coverage that they received, but they collided with the FIFA World Cup.FIFA World Cup all the way
