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UFC Freedom 250: White House hosts MMA card for Trump’s 80th birthday – live updates | UFC
Key events
The third of seven fights has come and gone. Maurício Ruffy dismantled veteran Michael Chandler with a dominant performance that ended in a brutal TKO at the 4:29 mark of round one. The touted Brazilian largely neutralized Chandler from the outset, repeatedly hurting the former Bellator champion before closing the show with a finish that left little doubt about the gulf between the two men. The result sparked fresh questions about Chandler’s future at age 40, while reinforcing Ruffy’s growing reputation as one of the lightweight division’s most dangerous rising contenders.
The business ties surrounding the White House UFC card continue to grow. In a new development, the promotion announced that some fighters will receive performance bonuses in a cryptocurrency issued by World Liberty Financial, the Trump family-backed company that recently became an official sponsor of the event. Aram Roston and Joseph Gedeon report on the arrangement, which further intertwines the president’s financial interests with the unprecedented fight card unfolding on White House grounds.
Hey, it’s Tyson Fury! The former world heavyweight boxing champion has made an unbilled appearance and for a brief moment it seemed like it was about to break some actual news.
The 37-year-old from Manchester, England, emerged from the White House and made his way to cageside, where a UFC broadcaster teased an announcement involving Fury and Dana White. Given the decade-long saga surrounding a potential fight with Anthony Joshua and White’s much-discussed boxing ambitions, expectations were understandably raised.
Then Fury proceeded to spend several minutes confirming little beyond the fact that he would like to fight Anthony Joshua at some point, which everyone already knew.
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Pressed on the purported announcement, Fury immediately deferred to White. “I think I’m going to let Dana do the talking,” he said. Pressed on a Joshua fight, Fury reiterated that he was excited about the possibility, suggested he could have a tune-up bout in August and acknowledged that White could be involved in some promotional capacity. Beyond that, details were in notably short supply.
In other words, Fury appeared before a national audience to reveal that an announcement may eventually be announced by someone else.
Still, the appearance served as a reminder that few fighters can generate intrigue quite like Fury. Thousands of fans briefly stopped paying attention to the actual fights in the cage to hear him say, in essence, that discussions are ongoing. As publicity stunts go, it was oddly impressive. As announcements go, it was more of a save-the-date for a future announcement that may or may not exist.
Bo Nickal needed less than five minutes to make a statement at UFC Freedom 250, stopping Kyle Daukaus by first-round TKO after 4:34. The decorated wrestler from Penn State barely relied on his grappling pedigree, instead overwhelming Daukaus with strikes before a late flurry prompted the referee to wave off the contest. The victory snapped Daukaus’s two-fight winning streak while extending Nickal’s own run of consecutive wins. Nickal immediately exited the octagon to find Donald Trump at cageside, shaking hands with the president and exchanging a few words.
“It feels amazing,” Nickal says. “First and foremost, I’ve got to thank President Trump for making this happen. Thank you to Dana, the UFC and everybody involved. This is unbelievable.
“It takes a special person to have the balls to do something like this, and I have so much respect for him. I’ve had that for a long time. I’m grateful to be here and grateful to be part of it. I visualized about a hundred different ways to finish that guy, and that was one of them. It worked out, and I’m just grateful.”
Asked about the picture-perfect staraight left that finished the job, Nickal is to the point.
“Hard work pays off,” he says. “I’m a wrestler, but I’ve learned how to do a couple more things. I’m going to keep getting better and keep improving.
“Most importantly, I’m grateful to God for blessing me with this opportunity. I learned a Bible verse in high school, John 10:10: ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’
“I feel like I’m living that abundant life and enjoying every moment.”
Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukaus are in the octagon for second of seven fights tonight, a middleweight contest scheduled for three rounds. Nickal, the three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion viewed as one of the UFC’s brightest prospects, faces a difficult test against the streaking Daukaus, who has won six straight fights.
One of the UFC’s biggest stars appeared to have his freedom infringed upon earlier Sunday. Middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted from the Ellipse viewing area by multiple law enforcement officers and placed into a US Park Police vehicle in an incident that drew attention from nearby spectators. Strickland, who was wearing a black jacket and no shoes, offered no immediate explanation as he was led away and authorities have not publicly commented on the circumstances.
The episode comes after Strickland spent recent weeks publicly claiming he had been excluded from UFC Freedom 250 because of his criticism of Israel. Dana White has repeatedly denied those allegations, telling reporters earlier this month that “nobody is banned” from the White House festivities. Whether Sunday’s encounter with police was related to those claims remains unclear. Of course, any temptation to cast Strickland as a civil-liberties folk hero should be tempered by the fact that he has spent years generating headlines for racist, homophobic and sexist comments.
Diego Lopes delivered the first finish of UFC Freedom 250 with a dramatic second-round knockout of Steve Garcia after appearing to be on the wrong side of much of the fight.
Garcia enjoyed success at range and was repeatedly finding Lopes with clean shots, but the bout turned midway through the second round when the pair engaged in a wild exchange. Lopes abandoned caution, landed a fight-changing blow that stunned Garcia and quickly swarmed for the finish, leaving his opponent splayed on the canvas. The referee called it at the 2:42 mark of round two.
The come-from-behind knockout ignited the crowd in the purpose-built venue and provided an explosive start to the card, with Lopes once again showcasing the aggressive style and fight-ending power that have become his signature.
Diego Lopes are Steve Garcia are in the ring for the first fight of the night. A clash between two of the division’s hottest fighters. Lopes, from Brazil, has challenged twice for the UFC’s featherweight title last year, while the New Mexico native Garcia arrives riding a seven-fight winning streak.
The first of seven fights should be under way shortly. In the meantime here are some scenes from a Sunday night like few others on the White House South Lawn.
Just when it seemed the buildup to UFC Freedom 250 couldn’t get any stranger, the FBI director entered the frame. In a promotional video released ahead of Sunday’s White House card, FBI director Kash Patel touted a partnership that has seen hundreds of federal agents train alongside UFC fighters and coaches. The footage offers another glimpse into the increasingly close relationship between the promotion, the Trump administration and the constellation of institutions orbiting UFC Freedom 250.
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We’re still awaiting the first fight on tonight’s card: a three-round featherweight scrap between Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia.
Fabiola Cineas
Protesters with the grassroots activist group Third Act Virginia, who stood outside of the Ellipse as UFC fans filed into the viewing area in the afternoon, chanted “Whose house? Our house! Whose lawn? Our lawn!” UFC fans shouted back: “USA! USA! UFC! UFC!” The protesters erected a makeshift cage and filled it with puppets of Trump and his cabinet members. “We made the cage to show them behind bars where they belong – not in the UFC cage, but in a jail cage,” said Marco Smith, a member of Third Act Virginia who led the construction of the cage and puppets.
Luis, 18, and his friend, a 23-year-old UFC fan, who declined to share his name for fear of retribution, said they were at the Ellipse because they are big UFC fans and don’t see the event as political. “It’s the first time anything like this has been done at the White House, and the hype around this was very exciting,” said Luis who traveled in from Colorado. The two said they don’t support Donald Trump and also don’t vote in elections. “I understand why some people are offended by this because it is disruptive. But then I also see the other side. This is bringing people together to watch the event. This could unify people on both sides,” said the friend who resides in Virginia.
Emily Moore, 23, and Nick Cooke, 25, from upstate New York, were at the UFC viewing event to see American UFC fighter Justin Gaethje. “We applied for the tickets and got them, and we love UFC,” said Moore. “But we don’t support Trump at all. I come from a family of immigrants from Puerto Rico and Jamaica,” said Cooke.
Donald Trump and UFC president Dana White have now made their entrance, emerging from the White House to a Color Guard from the “military district of Washington” in a scene that feels equal parts campaign rally, state ceremony and fight night. As the Zac Brown Band reaches the closing bars of the Star-Spangled Banner, a rare Super Delta formation flyover by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds roars overhead, providing a display of American military might to match the scale of the occasion.
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The four-man studio desk for the broadcast consists of former UFC champions Dominick Cruz, Chris Weidman and Michael Bisping alongside veteran play-by-play broadcaster Brendan Fitzgerald. Judging by the opening segment, they are also serving as tonight’s department of patriotism, a role embraced enthusiastically by all involved, including Bisping despite the minor complication of being English.
“The energy, the spirit, the patriotism and the whole show that was put on – it gave me goosebumps,” Bisping said of Saturday’s Fan Frest at the Ellipse. “It really did. And now, to be sitting here in the White House with the fights starting very, very soon … what an incredible week.”
Weidman then raised the stakes.
“The atmosphere was unbelievable,” he said. “As an American, I haven’t felt that type of patriotism in my life. Everywhere you went, it was ‘USA! USA!’ People just chanting ‘America’ nonstop. It just felt really good. It made me super proud to be American.”
Not to be outdone, Cruz recalled a moment involving the national bird.
“When that eagle flew over the top of us, man, you could shed a tear,” he said. “This is the pinnacle of any athlete’s life – to show up at the White House, much less to get to fight at the White House. So how special is it to be here?”
Fitzgerald completed the sweep.
“Unbelievable,” he said. “And after such success at the Olympics earlier this year – the Winter Olympics – and the Tkachuk brothers from the US gold medal-winning hockey team in attendance tonight as well to celebrate the patriotic spirit that this event does bring.”
For those keeping score at home, the running tally through the opening segment stood at one bald eagle, multiple chants of “USA!”, Olympic heroes, hockey royalty and at least three grown men fighting back goosebumps.
Heidi Androl, a reporter on the UFC’s telecast, says organizers are closely monitoring a line of thunderstorms moving toward Washington, with weather officials focused less on rain than on the threat of high winds and lightning.
“I was just down at the command center and was able to speak with Kevin Mahoney from DTN Weather Services, a private weather company commissioned by the UFC,” Androl says on the Paramount+ broadcast. “They’re working closely with the Presidential Weather Office and the National Weather Service tracking a cell of thunderstorms over West Virginia that is set to move into the Metro DC area between now and 9pm.
“It is not rain that they are concerned with. It is high winds and lightning. I am told that if that happens, a shelter in place will be initiated.”
According to Androl, UFC security officials have designated shelter locations for every department, with personnel on the South Lawn set to move into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which also houses the fighters’ locker rooms.
She added that any shelter-in-place order would be lifted “within 30 minutes of the last lightning strike within a six-mile radius”, though forecasters currently expect conditions to clear by around 9pm.
Before the cage fighting came the motocross. On Saturday, Nitro Circus star Travis Pastrana and a group of motocross riders performed jumps and stunts on the South Lawn as part of the build-up festivities. Pastrana had been invited by UFC chief executive Dana White to perform a dirt-bike backflip against the backdrop of the White House, a sentence that might have felt ripped from a Mike Judge screenplay not all that long ago. The stunt show formed part of a broader weekend program that has included fighter weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, concerts, fan festivals and enough pyrotechnics to power a national political convention and Wrestlemania back to back. Welcome to Costco, I love you.
Storm forecast delays first fight to 9pm ET
The weather has landed the first blow at UFC Freedom 250. With thunderstorms forecast across the Washington area on Sunday evening, UFC officials delayed the start of the White House card by approximately one hour. Broadcast coverage is still scheduled to begin at 8pm ET on Paramount+, but the first fight is now expected no earlier than 9pm, with promotion officials indicating the exact timing remains subject to changing conditions.
The delay highlights the challenges facing one of the most ambitious events in the UFC’s 33-year history. Mixed martial arts cards are almost always staged indoors, and the promotion has held only one previous open-air event: UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi in 2010. With further storms possible very much in play for later in the evening, Sunday’s card on the White House South Lawn may require additional adjustments before the night is over.
Beyond the octagon, the fighter walkouts and the spectacle of a UFC card on White House grounds lies another story: who gets access and what it costs. Sidney Blumenthal argues that Sunday’s event has become a nexus of political fundraising, corporate influence and presidential branding, with million-dollar donor dinners, seven-figure hospitality packages and a guest list that reads as a who’s who of Trump’s political and business network. For Blumenthal, the looming presence of “the Claw” is merely the most visible symbol of a much larger transaction.
Tonight’s order of play
Here’s a look at tonight’s seven-fight card (in reverse order). The first fight is expected to begin at 8pm ET, with the main event likely shortly before midnight depending on fight length and any weather delays.
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Ilia Topuria v Justin Gaethje, UFC lightweight championship unification (five rounds)
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Alex Pereira v Ciryl Gane, interim UFC heavyweight championship (five rounds)
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Sean O’Malley v Aiemann Zahabi, bantamweights (three rounds)
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Derrick Lewis v Josh Hokit, heavyweights (three rounds)
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Maurício Ruffy v Michael Chandler, lightweights (three rounds)
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Bo Nickal v Kyle Daukaus, middleweights (three rounds)
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Diego Lopes v Steve Garcia, featherweights (three rounds)
The most dangerous opponent on the card may prove to be the weather radar. Thunderstorms remain in the forecast over Washington, with a 60% chance of rain, heavy downpours and wind gusts approaching 34mph threatening to disrupt tonight’s festivities. While the canopy should keep the octagon dry, UFC officials will be monitoring lightning closely. A single strike within eight miles of the venue would trigger an automatic 30-minute suspension of the event.
The Weather Channel highlighted the meteorological challenges earlier on Sunday, warning that oppressive humidity, triple-digit heat indices and even swarms of mosquitoes and gnats could complicate proceedings alongside the threat of thunderstorms.
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About three hours later, the White House’s official rapid response account on X came in hot with a rather different assessment, quote-posting: “This event is about celebrating America’s unmatched greatness after 250 years – which apparently doesn’t sit well with the friendless loser who wrote this bullshit clickbait headline.”
Sheesh!
Preamble
For most of America’s 249-year, 11-month history, the White House lawn has been reserved for state dinners, diplomatic ceremonies, Easter egg rolls, turkey pardons and carefully choreographed displays of presidential power.
After tonight, we can add cage fighting to that list.
Beneath a 92ft superstructure known as “the Claw”, about 4,300 spectators are expected to gather on the South Lawn to watch Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters punch, kick and grapple inside an octagon erected a short walk from the Oval Office. The event, billed as UFC Freedom 250, coincides with Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and forms part of the administration’s broader celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The result is a spectacle without obvious precedent in modern US political life: a private, for-profit sporting event staged on federal grounds, featuring the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotions and unfolding at the official residence of the president of the United States.
By the standards of the Trump era, perhaps that no longer sounds particularly surprising. Yet even by those standards, the scene is extraordinary. Rising above the temporary arena is a lattice of steel, video boards and lighting rigs more that wouldn’t be out of place at a major music festival. Around it sit grandstands, hospitality areas and thousands of seats occupied by invited guests, political allies and US armed forces members required to meet strict weight-to-height and fitness specifications.
The event arrives at a complicated moment for the administration. Earlier on Sunday, Trump announced a peace agreement with Iran that would reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and bring an end to nearly four months of fighting in the region, though questions remain about the deal’s durability. A legal challenge seeking to halt the White House card was rejected on Friday, clearing the way for an event that critics have portrayed as an extravagant blending of politics, entertainment and private business interests.
Supporters see something else: a celebration of American culture, sporting achievement and the country’s approaching semiquincentennial.
Either way, the imagery promises to be unlike anything previously witnessed at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Over the coming hours, fighters will make their entrances toward an octagon built on the South Lawn. Trump is expected cageside. Thunderstorms remain in the forecast (more on that shortly). And one of the most unusual nights in White House history is about to begin at the top of the hour.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Joseph Gedeon’s lookahead to tonight’s semiquincentennial cage-fighting spectacular.
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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