Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has announced a national holiday to honour the national team’s performance in the World Cup, despite their defeat to Spain in the final.

The surprising move came after Argentina fell 1-0 to Spain in extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal.

Despite the loss, the government opted to recognise the team’s journey to the final. The decision allows the players and coaching staff to choose the date for the celebration.

Javier Milei’s holiday statement

In a statement on the social media platform X, President Milei addressed the public’s anticipation of a celebration.

“Given the concern about the celebrations for the achievement reached by the Argentine National Team, I inform the population that, depending on what the players and the technical staff decide regarding the day to celebrate, it will be declared a national holiday,” he wrote.

Defending the team’s efforts, Milei posted a message of support for Lionel Messi and his teammates.

“Thank you so much, players,” he stated. “[We fought] until the end with our boots on. Argentina are always at the top.”

With the tournament now over, attention turns to the future of the squad. The coaching staff faces the task of integrating new players as several veterans, including Messi, are expected to retire from international football.

While the Inter Miami star has not officially confirmed his retirement from the national team, the final is widely believed to have been his last World Cup appearance at the age of 39.

West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen will stay at the club as they prepare for life in the Championship.

The 29-year-old England international was part of the side which suffered relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season, leaving his future in doubt.

Bowen, who joined the Hammers from Hull City in 2020, has played 280 times for the club, scoring 85 goals, and has captained the side since 2024 after the departure of Kurt Zouma.

He has 22 England caps but missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad this summer.

The news provides a welcome boost for the Hammers, who have begun their pre-season preparation ahead of their first season in the Championship since 2011-12.

Bowen, a key player in the Hammers’ front line, started every Premier League match last season, scoring nine goals.

He famously scored the winning goal in the final minute against Fiorentina in the 2023 Uefa Conference League final in Prague as West Ham won their first major trophy in 43 years.

Bowen had been linked with a summer move away from the London Stadium back to the Premier League. He has now committed his future to the club for the 2026-27 season but has not signed a new contract extension, with his current deal running until 2030.

‘Live my life as captain of West Ham’
Speaking to the Hammers website, external, Bowen said: “My main motivation is staying and bringing this club back to the Premier League where we belong.

“It was only right for me to speak at the right time. Ultimately it [relegation] hurt everyone and it should hurt everyone.

“I flew out to Prague to meet (club directors) Daniel [Kretinsky] and Jiri [Svarc] and the ambition that I got from them, certainly in terms of the direction the club wants to move in, it interests me a lot. It didn’t take a lot, because this club means a lot to me.

“For me, when you’re here for a longer amount of time, you gain more affection, you grow into the club more, you grow into your role more and more, and I think that’s what I’ve done.

“I’ve been here six and a half years and transitioned from a boy to a man and I’ve never tried to hide away from anything.

“There are things you can do better, but certainly in my character on the pitch and off the pitch, I never try and hide away from anything and shift the blame.

“I always try and stand up for them and just kind of live my life as captain of West Ham and also as a fan as well.

“I see myself in years to come as a West Ham fan. So, I always think ‘what would they want as a fan if they got the opportunity to play on the pitch?’. For me, I think I’m like that character as well, so I think that’s the way.”

Bowen will now continue his pre-season preparations with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who confirmed that he will remain at the club for the new season back in May.

After a home clash against Portsmouth in the first round of the Carabao Cup a week prior, West Ham kick off their Championship season away at fellow relegated club Burnley on Sunday, 16 August

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has backed Spain to defeat Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final while subtly demanding strict officiating to counter the South Americans’ physical approach.

The club chief made the bold predictions during an impromptu interview with an El Partidazo de COPE reporter while strolling past the Tous store at the Rockefeller Centre in New York.

Laporta predicts Spanish glory
Spain are set to face the defending champions at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday in a clash that pits Barcelona’s past against its present.

Laporta left no room for ambiguity regarding where his loyalties lie ahead of the highly anticipated encounter.

“The Spanish national team will win,” Laporta stated. “We have a better team.”

Other than being a Spanish national himself, his unwavering support for manager Luis de la Fuente’s side is influenced by the fact that La Roja squad currently features eight Barcelona players.

However, Laporta also took the opportunity to issue a thinly veiled warning regarding Argentina’s famously robust defensive tactics.

Lionel Scaloni’s side have relied on an aggressive, physical approach to navigate their way to consecutive World Cup finals.

Laporta suggested that Spain’s technical style could be stifled if the match officials allow the defending champions to disrupt the flow with tactical fouls.

“If the referee is a referee who asserts himself, the national team will have more chances of winning the match,” he told the Spanish radio network.
The showpiece event presents a unique emotional dilemma for Barcelona supporters worldwide.

Argentina are captained by Lionel Messi, the undisputed greatest player in the Catalan club’s history following his legendary spell between 2004 and 2021.

Conversely, Spain’s attack is spearheaded by Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old sensation who currently wears Barcelona’s iconic number 10 shirt.

This generational dynamic has sparked intense debate across social media platforms, with Laporta stoking the sentiments by saying, “Messi is the past and present; Yamal is the present and future.

Many Barcelona fans have playfully expressed comfort with any potential outcome, while others continue to agonise over whether to support their historic idol or their current teenage talisman.

When the two nations take the pitch on Sunday, it will mark their first competitive meeting since the 1966 World Cup group stage, where Argentina secured a 2-1 victory over Spain at Villa Park in England.