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French Open 2026: Flavio Cobolli v Alexander Zverev, men’s singles final – live | French Open 2026
Key events
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-6 3-2 Zverev* That botched drop last game told us exactly how nervous Zverev is – and we’re not even that close to the end of the match, his bum not so much squeaky as shrieking Roxette’s It Must’ve Been Love. He does, though, control this game pretty well, but at both 30-0 and 40-15, Cobolli finds winners … only to return into the net on game point. Zverev secures a vital hold, but can he find the break-back?
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-6 3-1 Zverev Up 15-0, Cobolli nets, and it’s occurring to me that, engaging though this final is, it lacks the rare genius Sincaraz disburse like it’s nothing. Oh, and when the Italian nets a forehand for 30-all, he needs to find something … actually, no he doesn’t, because Zverev gives it to him, waving a telegraphed drop that’s easily mashed back at him and, from there, the hold is secured.
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-6 2-1 Zverev* Zverev needed that, “that” being a a gold to love, sealed with an ace. He’s into this fourth set, but can he find the break-back he needs?
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-6 2-0 Zverev Has Zverev ever considered lozzing his ponytail? Maybe he’s using up all his bravery walking about with that on his heed – just a thought. Meantime, Cobolli makes 40-15, then nails a T-serve so nashes in behind it to dispatch a volley, sealing a critical hold.
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-6 1-0 Zverev* Zverev opens set four with a statement service-winner … but follows it with a telling double. This is not easy for him, at all, and when he jiggers a volley with classically hard hands, Cobolli – who won’t be over bussing all the work he put into set three with four tame errors – runs in to make 15-30. Gosh, and another double follows – focus, nerves or random, you decide – and a long service ups the pressure yet further. Then, when the rally gets under way, neither man takes any chances, then Zverev goes wide, and he’ll be fearing that, yet again, he doesn’t have the moxie to see out a final.
Alexander Zverev takes the third set 6-4 to lead Flavio Cobolli 2-1
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-6 Zverev Cobolli quickly makes 30-0, but then overhits a forehand after annihilating a succession thereof. And the mistake might just tell, Zverev upping the ante next rally, knowing his time has come, a netted forehand making things tight … and another raising set point! Out of nowhere, Cobolli seems to have remembered he’s playing in a grand slam final, so he opens his body to unleash his trusty inside-out forehand … and misses the sideline by a fraction. That was fair enough; the problem was the errors which preceded it and, as he’s been twice before, Zverev is a set away from fulfilling his heart’s desires. Cobolli will be feeling extremely poorly, because he blinked without that much prompting so to do.
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-5 Zverev* An ace down the T opens the game, then another out wide takes command of it; Zverev’s serve really is one of the finest shots in the game. And though, at 40-0, Cobolli reads one, flashing back a forehand winner, the German then lanks in to flicks a drop back across the face of the net, securing a vital hold; he’s a game away from a 2-1 lead, scoreboard pressure gnawing at Cobolli’s ankles.
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 4-4 Zverev Zverev makes 0-15 but Cobolli zooms in under the radar to tickle a terrific volley over the net – I really like the way he’s balancing risk and reward now. But at 30-15, he doesn’t do enough with a backhand pick-up so is deservedly punished … then a poor return allows him to dictate the next point and a leaping forehand winner, down the line and on to the baseline, secures the hold. His confidence is radiating through the screen – I suggest you try and grab some, because we could all do with just a bit of it. This is getting tight….
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 3-4 Zverev* A love hold to Zverev, who’s doing a decent job of managing the intense pressure he’s under. We’ve said it before, several times over the course of the last fortnight, but it bears repeating: everything he’s ever wanted and worked for, all the pain, all the tears, all the desperation, can be alleviated this afternoon … or branded upon his soul. At 29, he’s not near the end, but if he can’t get it done with Sinner and Alcaraz removed for him, the scarring will be profound and debilitating.
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 3-3 Zverev A brilliant Zverev backhand, swatted low over the net, makes 15-all, but Cobolli is into his work now, a big serve facilitating an inside-out forehand winner to the corner. But when a backhand, taken early but overhit, hands over 40-30, he’s under a bit of pressure … which he wears superbly, that serve-forehand combo again doing the business. This is now a tremendous contest.
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 2-3 Zverev* Make no mistake, Zverev’s wounds are smarting, and they’re affecting him – he’s picking safe options to avoid giving anything away, whereas Cobolli is paying each ball on its merits, taking risks to make gains. The German does, though, secure another hold, the match rattling along with pleasing tempo and intensity.
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 2-2 Zverev Oooh, at 0-15, Cobolli overhits the inside-out forehand that served him so well in set two, a flatter one cross-court earning him 15-30. This is a crucial point in the match and Zverev comes in … but the attempted pass is wide, just, and here come two breaking opportunities. The first is burned when the German gets nervous, decelerating through a netted forehand, worrying about outcome not process – the ball was there for him, he had every right to hit it. A serve out wide follows, Cobolli rushing in to put away a volley then, up advantage, he chwhips a forehand on to the sideline, and he’s playing with the greater confidence now.
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 1-2 Zverev* Zverev moves to 40-0, so Cobolli backs away like he’s trying to open up the off side, the serve down the middle out, completing a double. But from there, the German secures his hold, and we might be reaching that elusive juncture in which both players are playing well.
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 1-1 Zverev There’s a confidence about Cobolli at the moment, but at 40-15, he rally-balls a backhand long … then thwacks a terrific serve out wide, which is exactly what I mean: he backs himself, but must take advantage of his improving form to forge in front in the match,
Cobolli 1-6 6-4 0-1 Zverev* Cobolli must make Zverev play now, looking to exploit his nerves and memories … and he quickly makes 0-15. From there, though, the German wins four quick points on the spin, and will be feeling a bit better now. Meantime, in a novel move, the King of France seems to prefer a boater to a crown – or he’s come dressed as a movie villain with humanising, individuating swag.
Flavio Cobolli takes the second set 6-4 to level with Alexander Zverev at one set all
*Cobolli 1-6 6-4 Zverev Zverev makes 0-15 but Cobolli quickly restores parity in the game, an ace, swinging out wide, earning 30-15. So he asks for the same ball back, hammering it long, but finds a fine backhand down the line to the corner and seems to have found the balance between going for his shots but with greater margin of error, raising two set points in the process. and though his volley, racing in behind his serve, is over-excited, Zverev nets his riposte, and he’ll be feeling it now, as we go level at one set apiece.
Cobolli 1-6 5-4 Zverev* Down 0-15, Cobolli again opens shoulders to lamp an inside-out forehand that’s too good and the crowd sing his name, then Zverev goes long off the forehand and, at 15-30, is two points away from losing the set. And though he makes 40-30, Cobolli drags a forehand, almost from behind him, cross-court for a winner so back to deuce we go, Zverev missing a game-point volley with another error. Two more advantages then go unconverted, before a big forehand is fired back by Cobolli … but the German responds brilliantly, a forehand dipping just over the net, and from there, he secures his hold. Cobolli will have to serve for one set-all.
*Cobolli 1-6 5-3 Zverev Zverev, who shared some sentiments with his team between games, goes long on the backhand then looks to make Cobolli play, inciting him to overhit a forehand for 15-all. But Cobolli is into stride now, opening up his body to punish an inside-out forehand into the corner for a winer, before a drop facilitates the clean-up backhand; 40-15. And though Zverev dominates the next rally, a big serve earns a simple clean-up, and the Italian is a game away from levelling the match.
Cobolli 1-6 4-3 Zverev* What Zverev’s doing really well is winning the first point or two of his service-games – as he does here, a lackadaisical forehand into the net mattering much less now he’s got a buffer. Oh but a backhand winner down the line takes us to 30-all and, for the first time, the German is under a bit of pressure, flapping a backhand wide when a deep return spits at him – or, as they say in America for reasons I don’t understand, “spit at him”. For the first time in the match, the Italian has break point, doing a brilliant job of sticking in the longest point of the match so far, until the weight of Zverev’s shots tells – though, for reasons known best to himself, in 23-stroke exchange, he only targets the forehand twice. But on advantage, Zverev doubles and, for the first time, momentum is in the balance … so he hammers a service winner out wide. Again, though, Cobolli saves game point, this time with a gorgeous disguised drop … so Zverev diddles him with one of the same … only to swat a backhand wide, restoring deuce. Gosh, and a double follows, so here comes the biggest rally of the match … and when Cobolli’s return lands in, the German panics, overhitting an inside-out forehand to cede the break! This is getting interesting…
*Cobolli 1-6 3-3 Zverev This is much better from Cobolli – there’s some confidence about him now, his shot-selection much better. But at 40-15, he offers Zverev space into the forehand corner and the flat backhand hits it with extreme prejudice … then the next return catches the net. For now, at least, we got ourselves a ball-game, Cobolli doing all he can to manipulate the crowd so his opponent feels it.
Cobolli 1-6 2-3 Zverev* Well, he can, but still finds himself down 0-30 and unable to return the next serve, the one after that coming back but offering a simple putaway. It’s not a disaster for Cobolli – if he can keep holding, this set can come down a few points here and there in a breaker. There’s a lot of work to do between now and then, but.
*Cobolli 1-6 2-2 Zverev Cobolli is playing better now, picking his shots well, and he’s starting to enjoy himself, holding to 15 and noising up the crowd thereafter. He wants an atmosphere on court to remind Zverev – and himself – of what’s at stake, but can he land a few returns?
Cobolli 1-6 1-2 Zverev* Zverev rushes trough a love hold and looks impregnable in the process. This is the most authoritatively I’ve seen him play in a major final – so far, he’s bullying Cobolli, who’ll be under pressure when he goes to serve again, a punishment for being broken in the final game of set one.
*Cobolli 1-6 1-1 Zverev There’s not been much bull-fight trumpeting so far today, a travesty remedied no sooner have i typed my disappointment Ole! Meantime, Cobolli makes 30-15 then hurls himself into a forehand, Zverev’s defensive stretch moon-ball dropping long, just, an ace out wide securing a vital hold, and the crowd love it – they want to see a contest and for that, we need the Italian on the board in set two.
Cobolli 1-6 0-1 Zverev* Cobolli looked really nervous in that first set, and seemed to be looking for lines and corners, when bigger targets would’ve served him better. In fairness, Zverev served pretty well, and he opens set two in similar vein, holding to 15; this next game is a biggun.
Is it gonna go Cobolli’s way? If you want it, you got to believe, yeah.
Alexander Zverev takes the first set against Flavio Cobolli 6-1
*Cobolli 1-6 Zverev Cobolli needs a hold here, not because the set is salvageable but to send a message he’s settled and into it. He’s got loads of charisma – I’m reliably advised he doesn’t struggle for amorous advances – which usually translates to how he competes, but here, he’s been either tentative or wild and, at 30-40, Zverev larrups a forehand winner cross-court to seal a one-sided, three-break opening set.
Cobolli 1-5 Zverev* Not for the first time, Zverev frames a forehand, but Cobolli isn’t getting his lengths right yet, going long for 15-all. But a netted forehand means 15-30; can he capitalise? Er, no. He does miss by fractions with an improbably backhand down the line, but all that does is secure the second consolidation, which means he’ll now serve to stay in set one having barely participated in it.
*Cobolli 1-4 Zverev Cobolli misses with a backhand down the line, and looks in trouble next rally when Zverev, improbably, returns around the net. But he’s in position to stick it away, only to then find himself down 15-30, his woes compounded when an inside-out forehand falls wide; he’s not quite hitting his spots yet and now faces two points for a double break. And it only takes one, an attempted drop hitting the top of the net, and this set is almost over.
Cobolli 1-3 Zverev* Ach, Cobolli, almost on top of the net, bumps a volley long, then Zverev hooks a forehand to the corner; 30-0. But at 40-15, he swipes a backhand cross from side to side, right at the Italian – who has a huge chunk of open court at which to aim. He hits it well too, but from there, the German closes out the hold, and he’s playing well enough here, wearing the pressure pretty comfortably so far.
*Cobolli 1-2 Zverev Cobolli nets a backhand for 0-15, but whips a beauty of a forehand down the line, from inside the corner, to make 30-15. And from there, he closes out the hold, an inside-out forehand to the corner securing things, and he’ll feel much better for that.
Cobolli 0-2 Zverev* Down 0-15, Zverev delivers a monstrous T-serve … then another, backed up with an overhead putaway,. A delivery out wide then facilitates a clean-up to the opposite corner, and a high-kicker out wide secures the consolidation. That was definitive.
*Cobolli 0-1 Zverev (*denotes server) A forehand error for 0-15, then a double for 0-30; Cobolli needs to slow himself down, presumably why Zverev opted to receive. And though the Italian takes control of the next rally, he soon goes long on the forehand, meaning he now faces two break points, the first saved when a forehand falls long and the second by a netted backhand, at the end of a much longer rally. Neither man is at it yet, but Cobolli makes advantage thanks to a fine serve which sets up the rally, and the game looks secure when Zverev nets a return … except somehow, it clambers over the tape and back to deuce we go. From there, two massive forehands earn the Italian a second advantage, only for one into the net to scrub it, the another down the line is slightly wide and Zverev has what Jim Courier describes as “a third bite at the apple” – which doesn’t make sense as one might not finish it in one, as would happen to a cherry. Cobolli does find the big serve he needs, but a poor drop allows the German to make advantage again, and this time, when Zverev hits the baseline on the return, the change in bounce causes him to frame his riposte, and that’s the break!
Righto, Cobolli to serve. Ready …play.
Now here comes Zverev, looking less nervous than Cobolli. It’s sunny, so we won’t have our players stuck under a roof playing on wet mud, as happened in yesterday’s men’s doubles final.
Our players, in the locker room together, are ready … and here comes Cobolli. This is the biggest moment of his life: he’ll never have experienced anything like this.
Five weeks ago, Cobolli beat Zverev 3 and 3 in the semis at Munich. It’s true that, subsequently, the outcome was reversed in Madrid, but that was on a much faster court than Chatrier – which is more similar to the one in Germany.
So how’s it going to go? I’d love to say Cobolli in five, but Zverev in four looks the likeliest outcome. His ability to serve himself out of difficult situations will, I think, be the difference.
For my part, I think Cobolli needs to stick Zverev on his bike – rather than just hit winners, he needs to stop his his opponent planting feet. That means plenty of drop-shots – I think he can beat him at net – but also angled balls that break the sidelines and deep balls towards corners.
In terms of how Cobolli beats Zverev, Coach Calv gets in touch to let us know: “Cobolli is a quality player. No stand out weaknesses. He can live with Zverev off the ground and even beat him. The men’s game now they all play the same. There isn’t much tactically. They’re all baseline ball strikers and it’s just whoever hits it better. It’s a grim reality of the game.”
This is a great stat: Zverev is the first player since Mats Wilander in 1988 whose opponent in the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final had never reached that stage before. Or, in other words, this tournament could not have gone more in his favour and, though he’s not played especially close to his best, he’s been more than good enough for those he’s faced.
Almost. Because though, for Zverev, everything he’s worked for and sacrificed is on the line here, he too doesn’t know when he might work his way back to this stage; it might be next month but it might also be never, with neither hard to believe as an outcome. The more balls he retrieves, the more Zverev will have to go for to hit winners – or the more he’ll retreat into safe play – and that is when he can pounce.
Quite a while ago now, Coach Calv Betton – whose charge, Henry Patten, lost in the final of the men’s doubles yesterday – messaged to tell me he’d seen a player. This is always exciting – others of whom I was advised early doors include Felix Auger-Aliassime, Carlos Alcaraz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – and he was sure Cobolli, for that was who it was, would develop into a top-10 talent.
Well, he’s there now, and though grand slam finals are hard to come by in the Sincaraz era, I’m not surprised to see him in one. If he plays well today, he can win this match – Zverev’s forehand and volleying, though improved, are weaknesses – and for him, this is almost a free hit.
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Preamble
Salut à tous et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2026 – dernier jour!
Broadly speaking, we invented sport because we wanted to know who was the fastest, the strongest and the best. But that was a while ago now, and the behemoth we nurtured now serves an entirely different purpose: in a fragmented, atomised, divided world, sport is company and in sport is community, a real-time, real-life friend and family. If we’re sad, lonely or bored, we know sport has our back, caring, nurturing and teaching with gentle omnipresence, asking nothing in return. If we’re happy, in company and engaged, we know sport has our back, caring, nurturing and teaching with gentle omnipresence, asking nothing in return.
For these reasons, even the worst sport is better than the best almost everything else – and verily has the French Open 2026 been not that. Over the last fortnight, we’ve had bestowed upon us a succession of barely believable matches and outcomes, our days enriched and our existences affirmed by a raft of compelling stories that remind us how to feel, a joy shared across the world – so too the knowledge that we’ll be talking about what we’ve lived for as long as we live. That is a precious, restorative elixir to carry with us … but now we want the final we and the tournament deserve.
Alexander Zverev has probably spent most of his life assuming that, at some point, he’d become a grand slam champion – let’s be real, his demeanour has never hidden it, one of various reasons many will be hoping he loses today. And though he lost the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem from two sets up, followed by a five-set final to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 edition of this competition, the feeling persisted that, though he struggled to find his best game when he needed it most, his time would come. Except he then made the 2025 final in Melbourne, endured an exhibition spanking from Jannik Sinner, and something within him changed – how couldn’t it? He was good, but he was significantly less good than the two best, fading as they grew, and there was no sense he could best both in a two-week major.
Which makes this fortnight the opportunity of a lifetime, Alcaraz injured and Sinner beaten by illness. The question now, though, is whether that inspires him or ratchets pressure up to such paralysing degree it prevents him from performing; neither outcome would be surprising.
And, though many seem to consider a final against Flavio Cobolli to be as close to as gimme as you can get, that is not really the case. Of course, Zverev is good enough to win in straight sets, but he faces an opponent who, it’s been clear for several years now, has the talent to challenge the elite. His forehand is a tremendous shot, he returns superbly and moves beautifully, perhaps the quickest player on tour. But more than that, he competes like he means it and, though of course he’ll be nervous, he won’t freeze – partly because he doesn’t carry the weight of expectation, mainly because he’s just one of those many sportsfolk built differently to the rest of us, the warmth of his embrace turning fear into opportunity. He will be ready.
And so will we, caring for ourselves by caring about this, the experience of being us made better by the unique captivation of Roland-Garros 2026. Chauette! On y va!
Play: 3pm local, 2pm BST
The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.
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Key events
In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.
Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.
“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “
News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.
“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.
Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.
The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.
The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.
An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.
In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.
For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:
“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.
“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”
Saturday’s match reports here.
The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.
“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against Cape Verde.
“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.
“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.
“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.
“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”
The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The teams – Lamine Yamal starts
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?
Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.
Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat
The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.
Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.
“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.
Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.
A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.
Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP
Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?
Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.
Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.
“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”
We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.
The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.
Preamble
Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.
Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.
A topless man can be seen driving erratically in Edinburgh before abandoning his car and attacking a black man and a delivery rider.
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