Spain’s Pedro Sanchez and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet again at Sunday’s World Cup final, as strained ​relations between the two leaders over defence spending and the ‌war with Iran continue to simmer.

Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, will be in New Jersey for the game, his office said on Friday, where Trump could end ​up handing the trophy to the Spanish team, who play ​Argentina.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Spain over the government’s refusal to commit ⁠to NATO’s target of spending 5% of GDP on defence, making ​numerous threats of trade reprisals.

The latest came earlier this month at the ​NATO summit in Ankara when Trump told his advisers to “cut off all trade with Spain, including visits.”

The U.S. leader later softened his tone, saying Spain had honoured the request ​for payments and been “very generous”, a statement which Sanchez’s government understood ​as a reference to Madrid complying with its agreed defence spending target of 2% ‌of GDP.

Sanchez, who also angered Trump’s administration earlier this year by denying use of its military bases and airspace during the U.S. attack on Iran, at the time said Spain sought the best possible relations with its ​allies.

The two leaders ​held an informal, ⁠friendly conversation at the summit limited to topics including the World Cup, he said.

The Spanish leader has travelled ​frequently to the United States during his time ​in office, ⁠mostly for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. He visited Washington in 2023 for bilateral meetings with former U.S. President Joe Biden.

The Spanish ⁠royal family, ​including King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their ​daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, have also confirmed they will attend the final.

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja, New York

Numbers do not win football matches, but they can create irresistible narratives.

For Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, the number 19 has suddenly become the theme of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

The Barcelona star celebrated his 19th birthday only days before the tournament’s showpiece match. He wears the No. 19 jersey for Spain. And fittingly, the World Cup final against Argentina is scheduled for July 19.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

But as Spain prepare to face defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s final, many fans are wondering whether destiny has chosen this World Cup to become the coronation of football’s newest superstar.

At an age when many players are still finding their feet in professional football, Yamal has already established himself as one of the game’s most influential figures. The teenager has been at the heart of Spain’s march to the final, combining dazzling skill, maturity and fearless decision-making that belie his years.

Throughout the tournament, he has repeatedly demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the brightest talents world football has produced in recent decades. His ability to unlock defences, create chances and dictate the rhythm of matches has made him one of Spain’s most dangerous weapons.

What makes Yamal’s rise even more remarkable is the speed with which he continues to shatter records.

Since bursting onto the international stage, the winger has become accustomed to setting new age-related milestones. Every appearance seems to bring another record, another historic achievement and another reminder that football’s traditional timelines no longer apply to him.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has repeatedly trusted the youngster in the biggest moments, and Yamal has consistently rewarded that faith with performances of extraordinary composure.

Now the teenager stands just one match away from the ultimate prize.

A World Cup triumph would place Yamal among an elite group of players who have conquered football’s greatest tournament before reaching their 20th birthday. More importantly, it would cement his status as the leading figure of a new generation poised to dominate the global game.

Standing in Spain’s way, however, is an Argentina side inspired by Lionel Messi and seeking to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup title.

The final therefore presents a symbolic passing-of-the-torch moment. On one side is Messi, the legendary captain who has defined an era. On the other is Yamal, the teenager many believe could shape the next one.

Whether the recurring appearance of the number 19 proves prophetic remains to be seen.

What is certain is that Yamal has already rewritten expectations of what a teenager can achieve at the highest level of football. And if Spain lift the trophy on July 19, with their 19-year-old wearing No. 19 at the centre of the celebrations, the numbers will become part of World Cup folklore.

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By Kunle Solaja, New York.

In the midst of the energy-sapping actions of covering the World Cup, especially in New York where you have to cross into the neighbouring state of New Jersey for matches at MetLife Stadium, the body pleaded for rest, but the FIFA World Cup and unfolding events wait for no one.

This is, after all, the largest World Cup in history, measured not only by the number of participating teams but also by the vastness of its geographical spread. Unlike the compact experience of Qatar four years ago, where one could almost traverse the entire host nation within a short period, the 2026 edition stretches across three countries and multiple time zones.

Canada and the United States alone are continental in scale. Both countries span five time zones, creating additional challenges for a journalist whose audience is largely in Nigeria, Africa and Europe. By the time matches end in North America, much of the intended readership is asleep. Stories must still be filed, edited and transmitted before dawn breaks thousands of kilometres away.

The routine leaves little room for sightseeing.

Most days are consumed by airports, trains, media centres, stadiums and hotel rooms. Cities blur into one another. One arrives, covers a match, files reports and departs for the next destination.

It was therefore a welcome relief when Sunday, July 12, arrived as a match-free day.

My host in Brooklyn, former Concord Press colleague Kayode Ogunleye, was also free from work obligations. We agreed that the evening offered the perfect opportunity to experience a side of New York that millions know only through television screens and Hollywood films.

The destination was obvious.

Times Square.

Before arriving in New York, a relation, Folasade Olabiran, who lives in Denver, Colorado, had welcomed me with a message: “Welcome to New York, the city that never sleeps.”

Sports journalist Kunle Solaja poses with his host and tour guide, Olukayode Ogunleye, at the scenic Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, moments before heading to the dazzling lights and ceaseless energy of New York City’s iconic Times Square during the FIFA World Cup 2026

Having previously completed an exhausting journey from Canada, I found the statement amusing. At that moment, all I wanted to do was sleep.

The quiet streets of Brooklyn only deepened my confusion. The neighbourhood appeared peaceful and relaxed, hardly resembling the restless metropolis of popular imagination.

Then Kayode offered a simple explanation.

“New York has many faces,” he said. “You are in Brooklyn. The heartbeat of New York is Manhattan.”

Soon enough, we were heading for Manhattan.

Like most New Yorkers, we relied on the city’s efficient public transportation system. Driving into Midtown would have been an exercise in frustration given the traffic congestion and scarcity of parking spaces.

We boarded the subway and rode the A Line into the city.

The moment we emerged from the underground station at 42nd Street, the transformation was immediate.

Humanity seemed to surge in every direction.

Thousands of pedestrians streamed through the streets like rivers flowing towards countless destinations. Tourists snapped photographs. Street performers entertained impromptu audiences. Vendors competed for attention. Office workers mingled with sightseers. Every corner seemed alive.

To blend into the crowd, I tucked my FIFA media accreditation out of sight.

Tonight, I was not a reporter rushing to a deadline.

I was simply another visitor experiencing Times Square.

Then came the lights.

One quickly notices something unusual about Times Square at night.

There is hardly any need for conventional street lighting.

The gigantic electronic billboards that cover the surrounding buildings illuminate the district with such intensity that darkness appears to have been completely banished. Massive digital screens flash advertisements, news updates, movie trailers and corporate messages in an endless kaleidoscope of colours.

Red, blue, yellow, green and white beams dance across the faces of visitors.

The entire district glows like a futuristic city imagined in science fiction.

Standing amid the spectacle, one understands why Times Square is among the most photographed places on earth.

Every direction offers another picture-perfect scene. There are commercial photographers sweet-talking people for patronage.

Every few seconds another electronic masterpiece appears overhead.

The atmosphere is electric.

Yet what impressed me almost as much as the lights was the visible presence of security.

Almost every 10 to 15 metres, one encountered members of the New York Police Department.

Some stood in pairs, others in groups of three.

Their watchful eyes scanned the crowds while maintaining a calm and reassuring presence.

What stood out most was their courtesy.

Several tourists approached officers for directions, and each enquiry was met with patience and professionalism. In a city that welcomes millions of visitors annually, the NYPD officers appeared fully aware that they often serve as the first point of contact for bewildered travellers.

Their efficiency contributes significantly to the sense of safety that allows Times Square to remain vibrant deep into the night.

When in New York, do as New Yorkers do. Taking a brief break from World Cup reporting duties, veteran journalist Kunle Solaja slips off his FIFA accreditation badge and blends seamlessly into the river of humanity flowing through Manhattan—just another face in the city that never sleeps, soaking in the sights, sounds and irresistible energy of the world’s most famous metropolis

The most remarkable aspect of the experience, however, was the realisation that the city genuinely never seems to sleep.

Restaurants remained open.

Retail stores continued trading.

Theatres welcomed audiences.

Street performers entertained.

Tourists arrived in endless waves.

The clocks advanced, but the energy scarcely diminished.

For someone accustomed to cities where activities gradually wind down after sunset, the relentless rhythm of Times Square was astonishing.

Hours seemed to pass unnoticed.

We crossed intersections, wandered through the pedestrian plazas and briefly ventured toward Fifth Avenue before returning to the heart of Times Square.

The lights remained dazzling.

The crowds remained thick.

The city remained awake.

Eventually, reality intervened.

The World Cup would soon reclaim my schedule.

Another journey awaited.

Another match would need covering.

Another deadline would demand attention.

But for a few memorable hours, football took a back seat.

The largest World Cup in history had brought me to North America to chronicle sporting drama, yet that evening provided a different story altogether.

It was a reminder that every World Cup journey is also a cultural journey.

And nowhere was that more evident than in Times Square — a place where night shines brighter than day, where millions converge from every corner of the globe, and where New York proudly lives up to its reputation as the city that never sleeps.

Nighttime at Times Square, I discovered, is indeed a nice time.

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