By Mitchel Obi, Lagos

As anticipation builds ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, veteran sports commentator Mitchel Obi has tipped Spain to emerge champions, predicting heartbreak for Lionel Messi and Argentina in what is expected to be the Argentine captain’s final World Cup appearance.

Obi believes Messi has already achieved one major objective by leading Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final, but argues that the journey will end in disappointment against a Spanish side that has impressed throughout the tournament.

Drawing a parallel with the late Diego Maradona, who guided Argentina to the 1990 World Cup final only to suffer defeat against West Germany, Obi predicts a similar fate for Messi.

“Mission accomplished getting to the final,” Obi wrote. “And like Diego Armando Maradona in 1990, Lionel Messi will end up in tears of defeat as the pain from Spain will leave him only with the top scorer’s honour.”

Messi has been one of the standout performers of the tournament and remains among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot. However, Obi believes individual accolades will provide little consolation if Argentina fail to retain the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

Spain, meanwhile, are seeking to add a second star to their jersey, 16 years after lifting their first World Cup trophy in South Africa in 2010. Obi pointed to what he described as a series of symbolic coincidences favouring La Roja’s quest for glory.

“Spain will have their second star on their shirts 16 years after the first on African soil,” he noted. “Do the numbers — 1 plus 6 equals 7. This is July, the seventh month.”

The World Cup final will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City, where Spain hope to complete a remarkable campaign and reclaim football’s biggest prize.

While predictions and numerical interpretations may carry little weight once the match kicks off, Spain’s impressive run to the final has convinced many observers that Luis de la Fuente’s side possess the quality and composure to challenge Argentina’s dream of back-to-back world titles.

For Messi and Argentina, the final represents an opportunity to further cement their legacy. For Spain, it is a chance to return to the summit of world football after a 16-year wait.

The answer will come under the lights of MetLife Stadium, where one of football’s most coveted prizes awaits and where, if Obi’s forecast proves correct, Spain will reign once again.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Argentina players held up a political banner declaring “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”) ​after their 2-1 World Cup semifinal victory over England on Wednesday, in ‌apparent contravention of FIFA rules.

FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.

World soccer’s ruling body did ​not immediately reply to a request for comment. British business minister Peter Kyle ​said the incident must be formally investigated, stressing that politics must be ⁠kept separate from the World Cup.

“I’m really proud of our team … the dignity ​that they showed, and that was in real contrast to what we saw with ​the Argentine team last night,” Kyle told BBC Radio on Thursday. “I really do hope that FIFA do a proper investigation into it.”

The question of sovereignty over the islands in the South Atlantic, known ​to the British as the Falklands and the Argentines as the Malvinas, has ​been a long-running sore in relations between the countries.

They fought a short conflict over the islands ‌in 1982, in which 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British combatants died. Britain ultimately retained control of the islands, and the vast majority of residents have said they wish to remain part of Britain.

But Argentina has long argued that it inherited the islands from Spain after ​its independence in 1816, ​and that Britain ⁠took control in 1833 through an illegal colonial act.

Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso held up the banner, grinning, and waved ​to fans in the stands. It was unclear where the ​banner had ⁠come from.

It is not the first time the question of political banners has come up during this World Cup. Last month in Los Angeles, Iranian-Americans waved pre-revolutionary flags that are ⁠symbols ​of protest against the Tehran government when Iran ​played. Those matches proceeded without incident.

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Nike’s (NKE.N), opens new tab swoosh will be notably absent from the World Cup final.

Argentina’s semi-final win over England on Wednesday crushed the sportswear giant’s hopes of sponsoring a team on the tournament’s biggest stage on Sunday.

Amid a ​fierce brand battle on and off the pitch, the outcome represents an assured visibility boost for rival ‌Adidas (ADSGn.DE), opens new tab, which outfits both finalists: Argentina and Spain.

Adidas had sponsored a total of 14 national teams in the tournament. None of Nike’s 12 teams, including semi-finalists England and France, managed to secure a spot in the final match.

Both companies have invested heavily in the soccer tournament. Still, Nike has been relying on it for sales and visibility as it tries to right its ship amid ​years of steadily shrinking market share.

Even a World Cup lift was unlikely to shift Nike’s trajectory. The ⁠sportswear company last month signalled that CEO Elliott Hill’s turnaround strategy faced significant obstacles, as persistent weakness in China and a ​cautious outlook overshadowed a modest fourth-quarter revenue beat.

The company’s shares have lost nearly a third of their value this year ​as investors grow impatient with Hill’s progress.

“There are more important issues, such as footwear innovation, inventory control, and stabilising sales and margins in China,” said Morningstar analyst David Swartz. “Adidas got more publicity, but that’s just the way it goes.”

A Nike spokesperson said the company always wants its athletes ​and federation partners to go as far as possible, but that “our vision for football has never been tied to a ​single moment.”

Adidas called the World Cup final a “proud moment” for the company, while declining to share sales projections.

OUTSIZED BOOST FOR ADIDAS

On top ‌of its ⁠national team sponsorships, Nike unveiled two new Mercurial soccer boots ahead of the World Cup, partnered with local streetwear designers and refreshed soccer merchandise at more than 5,000 Nike and wholesale stores globally.

Its “Rip the Script” World Cup campaign, built around a film featuring soccer icons and celebrities from France striker Kylian Mbappe to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, garnered 1.5 billion ​views during the first week of ​the tournament, Nike said. ⁠By kick-off, its national team kits had sold 2.5 times as many as in the same period during the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

But Adidas, an official World Cup sponsor, is a “clear winner” ​in the athletic footwear and apparel market, said Drake MacFarlane, a research analyst at ​M Science.

Stronger momentum ⁠in the U.S. and Europe helped the brand gain share from Nike in the second quarter, he said. World Cup demand has offered a lift, but Adidas’ improvement extends beyond the event while Nike continues to face pressure in Europe.

Adidas’ share of the ⁠footwear market ​rose to 19.2% in June, up from 16.0% a year earlier, while ​Nike continued to shed share, according to M Science data.

In April, Adidas executives said the company took around 250 million euros ($292 million) in bookings for ​World Cup products in the first quarter and expected the same in the current quarter.

-Reuters