Nigeria and Egypt win titles at NFL Flag Africa Continental Champions…

The National Football League (NFL) concluded the 2026 NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship in Nairobi, where Nigeria captured the women’s and Egypt claimed the men’s championship, both organized in consultation with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and played according to international flag football rules. Nigeria also secured the NFL Flag Continental Youth title. capturengo.org

The championship marked another milestone in the continued growth of flag football across Africa ahead of the sport’s debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Across three days of competition, athletes from five nations competed for continental titles while participating in an event that brought together national federations, coaches, officials and youth athletes from across the region. Nigeria defeated Egypt to win the women’s championship, while Egypt defeated Nigeria to capture the men’s championship. Nigeria’s youth team defeated Ghana to win the youth title. South Africa earned bronze medals in the men’s and youth divisions, while host nation Kenya earned bronze in the women’s competition.

Beyond competition, the championship served as a platform for the continued development of flag and tackle football across Africa. The week featured youth development activities, coach and official education, and an elite talent identification workout through the NFL Africa program, reinforcing the league’s long-term commitment to growing participation, strengthening the sport’s infrastructure and creating opportunities for athletes across the continent.

“The NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship reflects the continued growth of flag football around the world,” said Brian Flinn, NFL Senior Vice President, Global Flag Football. “As flag football continues building momentum toward its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, events like this are helping strengthen the sport’s foundation while creating meaningful opportunities for athletes at every level.”

“IFAF was delighted to support the 2026 NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship, which showcased the continued growth and competitiveness of flag football across Africa,” said Pierre Trochet, President of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). “Congratulations to all of the athletes, coaches and our national member federations who made this an outstanding championship. Together, IFAF and the NFL are continuing to expand opportunities for athletes to compete, develop and represent their countries while strengthening flag football across the continent.

About Flag Football

Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, played by more than 20 million people in more than 100 countries, with particularly rapid growth in youth and girls’ participation. The sport will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The NFL continues to invest in the game’s international growth through grassroots participation, youth development and strategic partnerships, including its work with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) to increase participation and inspire the next generation.

About NFL Africa

The NFL Africa program, spearheaded by NFL Legend Osi Umenyiora, is an initiative developed to support the growth of American football across the continent. The program is built on three pillars—fan events, talent identification and NFL Flag development—creating pathways to play for boys and girls at the grassroots level, increasing opportunities for elite athletes and serving a growing fan base. The continent’s connection to the league runs deep, with more than 145 players of African descent on NFL rosters.

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NEW YORK, United States, July 20, 2026 – If we have learned one thing from 10 years of Gianni Infantino as Fifa president, it is that more is better.

More tournaments, more games, more money.

The new-look Club World Cup, the expanded World Cup, the inflated ticket prices.

And, of course, the Super Bowl-style show that meant the half-time break at the World Cup final lasted 27 minutes and 22 seconds.

But why stop there?

Infantino appears to have thrown the door wide open to a 64-team World Cup.

“If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving,” he said.

Except, of course, smaller countries are not denied the chance. If they are good enough, they qualify. See Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

Purely in terms of the competition format, it does make sense.

The top two teams in the 16 groups would go through to the knockout stage. No longer would there be a need to send a few third-placed teams through.

But is there really any other logical reason to expand to 64 teams?

Who is behind the proposed expansion?

Let’s start with how we got here.

The 2030 World Cup will mark 100 years since the first World Cup, which was held in Uruguay.

The tournament will primarily be hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain – but the opening three matches will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as centenary hosts.

Conmebol – the South American confederation – wants more games.

In April 2025, it requested a one-off tournament of 64 teams so it could take on the full programme of the additional four groups.

Its president, Alejandro Dominguez, said it would ensure “nobody on the planet is left out of the party”.

There has been little support from elsewhere.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin dismissed it as a “bad idea” for both the tournament and qualifying process.

Victor Montagliani – president of the governing body of North and Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf) – said last year it would damage “the broader football ecosystem”.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa agreed, saying further expansion could bring “chaos”.

None of which means it will not happen, with the decision taken by the 37 members of the Fifa Council.

Would adding more teams devalue the World Cup?

A 64-team tournament has two main plus points: a more natural format, and more opportunities for emerging nations.

It is the latter which Infantino is championing, especially after the heroics of Cape Verde.

Fifa faced criticism before the tournament, with suggestions the additional teams would not be competitive.

Then Cape Verde drew with Spain and Uruguay to finish second in their group. And the Blue Sharks gave Argentina an almighty scare by taking them to extra time in the last 16, before losing 3-2.

But the fairytale stories must be balanced with the competitive edge of the tournament.

Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Panama, Tunisia and Uzbekistan failed to pick up a point – and this summer’s group stage had minimal jeopardy for the top nations.

Add more teams and it would be difficult to see a repeat of top-four seeds like Belgium (2022), Germany (2018), Spain (2014), Italy (2010) and France (2002) failing to make to knockout stage.

Then there is the question of where the extra places would go.

Based on this year’s qualifying, these are the additional countries who would have made it into a 64-team World Cup 2026 (with their Fifa ranking at the start of the tournament in brackets):

AFC: Indonesia (118), Oman (79), United Arab Emirates (68).

Uefa: Denmark (21), Italy (12), Poland (36).

Concacaf: Honduras (65), Jamaica (71), Suriname (125).

Conmebol: Bolivia (77), Venezuela (49).

OFC: New Caledonia (151).

Africa: Burkina Faso (62), Cameroon (44), Gabon (86), Nigeria (26).

Six of those teams are from the top 50 of Fifa’s world rankings – three from Europe, two from Africa and one from South America.

And therein lies the problem. Asia and Concacaf are weaker confederations, as was proven by performances this year.

Nine of Africa’s 10 countries got out of the group stage. But only two of nine Asian countries advanced, and just three of the six Concacaf countries – the co-hosts – made it through.

New Zealand, who got one point and finished bottom of their group, are the only country from Oceania in the world’s top 150.

There is an argument that if you extend again, you should give a greater weight of places to Europe just for competitive balance.

But, on the other hand, there are those who would argue that bringing more teams into the World Cup ultimately allows the game to develop further in those countries.

Infantino will sell the expansion as being good for the global game, but there have to be doubts that it is good for the competition.

Almost a third of Fifa’s 211 nations would be present.

Would the group stage not simply become a glorified pan-confederation qualifying competition for what is, essentially, a knockout tournament?

The logistical issues of 64 teams

Expanding the World Cup to 64 teams is really just a case of bolting on four additional four-team groups.

But more groups means more time.

This year’s tournament lasted 39 days. An additional 24 matches would require 20 schedule slots. Or another five days.

But this summer’s event was unique for two reasons: multiple time zones and indoor stadiums.

Fifa was able to elongate a matchday at either end, with games scheduled over a 14-hour period so it could stay true to exclusive time windows for television coverage.

That will not be so straightforward in the future, even with 48 teams.

Climate change is making playing in the daytime more challenging – see the record heatwaves in Europe in recent weeks.

Other countries are far less likely to have the covered venues of Atlanta, Dallas Houston and Vancouver to mitigate it.

The Saudi Arabia World Cup is likely to move to January 2035 but it is not clear how other countries will get around this growing problem.

Until this year, only once had there been dual hosts of the World Cup – Japan and South Korea in 2002.

It is hard to imagine any one country ever being capable of hosting again. Even Saudi Arabia.

Could we be looking at World Cups hosted by, for instance, the UK and Scandinavia? Or Eastern Europe?

How would an Asian or African country be able to fund hosting the World Cup?

Let’s look a just a few issues that would need to be resolved.

This summer there were 16 host cities with stadiums having capacities ranging from 43,000 to 81,000. More would be required.

There would need to be 64 individual, elite-level training facilities for the qualifying nations.

Then there is the provision of hotels for the fans, and the infrastructure and support network to move them around.

Expanding the World Cup is not as simple as giving more opportunities to more countries.

Is the expansion mainly about money?

One of Infantino’s key promises when he was elected was to bring more money into the game.

Every football association now has access to $8m (£5.9m) in funding over a four-year period, with a further $1.2m (£890,000) on top for the smaller nations.

Confederations get $60m (£44.5m) to develop, promote and organise football.

It is why Infantino is likely to be re-elected unopposed next year.

This money has to come from somewhere, primarily the World Cup.

In 2017, Fifa projected a 48-team World Cup would bring in $6.5bn (£4.8bn).

In 2022, it revised the format again and added 24 games. Now, it expects to rake in $9bn (£6.7bn) this year.

A 64-team event is likely to raise more from television, sponsorship and ticket sales.

Fifa says it has a responsibility to grow the game, and its tool for this appears to be more and more football.

But critics would argue there has to be a point where expansion is no longer good for the game.

Gianni Infantino est dans le pétrin. La FIFA et son président Gianni Infantino font face à une nouvelle vague de critiques en Angleterre. Le Parti libéral-démocrate britannique a appelé la Fédération anglaise (FA) et l’UEFA à envisager une sortie de l’instance mondiale afin de créer une nouvelle organisation chargée de gouverner le football international. Cette prise de position intervient après plusieurs polémiques ayant marqué la Coupe du monde 2026. Parmi les dossiers les plus contestés figure la suspension aménagée de l’attaquant américain Folarin Balogun, ainsi que l’enquête ouverte à l’encontre de certains joueurs argentins après une célébration liée aux îles Falkland. Les détracteurs de la FIFA dénoncent également certaines décisions organisationnelles du tournoi et accusent l’instance de manquer de transparence. Les appels à une réforme de la gouvernance du football mondial se font de plus en plus entendre, tandis que l’avenir de Gianni Infantino continue d’alimenter les débats.

Yanis B.

L’article CM : Les députés anglais appellent la FA à quitter la FIFA (Yanis B) est apparu en premier sur Foot Afrique.

Argentina Player Ratings vs Spain.Argentina’s dream of becoming back-to-back world champions ended in heartbreak after a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Lionel Scaloni’s side battled bravely and defended resolutely for long spells, but Spain’s relentless pressure finally told through Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute goal.

Injuries to key defenders Cristían Romero and Lisandro Martínez disrupted the backline, while the midfield struggled to gain control against a dominant Spanish side. Enzo Fernández’s red card in stoppage time was the defining moment that handed Spain the decisive advantage in extra time.

Ratings at a glance

Player	Rating	Role / Key note
Emiliano Martínez	7/10	Goalkeeper — outstanding saves; kept Argentina in it through 90 mins
Gonzalo Montiel	6/10	Right-back — disciplined; quiet evening; cleared well vs Cucurella
Cristían Romero	6/10	Centre-back — authoritative until injury forced him off
Lisandro Martínez	6/10	Centre-back — key Yamal block; booked; injured before half-time
Nicolás Tagliafico	5/10	Left-back — struggled vs Yamal’s pace; limited offensively
Nico González	5/10	Right wing — failed to justify start; withdrawn at half-time
Alexis Mac Allister	6/10	Midfield — composed under pressure; limited by Spain’s dominance
Enzo Fernández	3/10	Midfield — RED CARD (2nd yellow); anonymous; left team with 10 men
Rodrigo De Paul	5/10	Midfield — never stamped authority; chasing possession all night
Lionel Messi	5/10	Forward — supressed by Spain’s structure; final WC match
Julián Álvarez	5/10	Striker — isolated; lacked service; movement sharp but no chances
Nicolás Otamendi (sub)	6/10	Sub CB — important clearances; organised backline after injuries
Leandro Paredes (sub)	4/10	Sub midfield — yellow card immediately; struggled with Spain’s intensity
Giuliano Simeone (sub)	5/10	Sub winger — energy but blasted over late in extra time
Facundo Medina (sub)	5/10	Sub CB — courageous in difficult situation; eventually breached
Nahuel Molina (sub)	4/10	Sub RB — lost Williams for Torres’ winning goal; costly lapse

Read also: Argentina vs Spain

Player-by-player ratings

Starters

Emiliano Martínez 7/10

The Aston Villa goalkeeper was Argentina’s standout performer and their best chance of keeping a clean sheet. He produced an early stop to deny Yamal, dealt with Torres’ header, and in extra time kept Argentina alive with two outstanding saves — one denying Nico Williams before the disallowed effort. There was little he could do when Torres finally found the corner. The best player in a losing cause.

Gonzalo Montiel 6/10

Handed a starting role and enjoyed a relatively quiet opening period with Alex Baena rarely threatening his flank. His best contribution came in the second half when he reacted quickly to deny Cucurella a clear shot on goal before making way for a substitute.

Cristían Romero 6/10

Marshalled the defence with authority during the first half alongside Lisandro Martínez and kept Spain’s attackers at bay. Unfortunately his evening ended prematurely with an injury — a cruel setback in what had otherwise been another impressive tournament for the Tottenham defender.

Lisandro Martínez 6/10

Made the outstanding block that prevented Yamal from opening the scoring and defended aggressively throughout. His booking for bringing down Oyarzabal summed up his commitment to the cause. Forced off through injury before half-time, adding to Argentina’s defensive problems.

Nicolás Tagliafico 5/10

Endured a difficult evening against the electric Yamal. Struggled to cope with the teenager’s pace and was fortunate to avoid a booking after hauling him down during one dangerous move. Offered very little going forward and found it hard to influence the game.

Nico González 5/10

Rewarded with a start but failed to justify his selection. Found no joy against Spain’s organised defence, struggled to retain possession and was withdrawn at half-time as Scaloni searched for more control in midfield.

Alexis Mac Allister 6/10

One of Argentina’s more composed midfielders despite the relentless Spanish pressure. Lucky to avoid disciplinary action early on but kept the ball moving whenever Argentina had spells of possession. His influence was ultimately limited by Spain’s dominance.

Enzo Fernández 3/10

A night to forget following his starring role in the semi-final. Completely overrun in midfield as Spain dictated the tempo. His frustration boiled over in stoppage time when a reckless challenge on Cubarsí — his second yellow — left Argentina with ten men for the entirety of extra time. The lowest point in an otherwise fine tournament.

Rodrigo De Paul 5/10

Usually the heartbeat of Argentina’s midfield, De Paul never managed to stamp his authority on this final. Spain’s pressing restricted his ability to drive the team forward and he spent most of the game chasing possession rather than dictating play.

Lionel Messi 5/10

Spain executed their game plan to perfection to nullify football’s greatest player. Messi struggled to find space and was surrounded whenever he received the ball. He tried to inspire his teammates but could not unlock Spain’s disciplined defensive structure. A poignant farewell to the World Cup stage for the greatest player of his generation.

Julián Álvarez 5/10

Worked tirelessly up front but was isolated throughout. With Argentina unable to establish themselves in midfield, the striker rarely threatened Spain’s defence. His movement remained sharp but clear opportunities never materialised.

Substitutes

Nicolás Otamendi 6/10

Introduced after the defensive injury disruption and made several important clearances to organise the backline. Battled bravely alongside the other centre-backs but could not prevent the decisive goal.

Leandro Paredes 4/10

Came on at half-time to add steel in midfield but immediately picked up a needless yellow card. Struggled to cope with Spain’s intensity and looked increasingly frustrated as the match wore on.

Giuliano Simeone 5/10

Brought energy after coming on but failed to make a meaningful impact. His best chance arrived late in extra time, but he lacked composure and blazed over from close range.

Facundo Medina 5/10

Thrown into a difficult situation following Romero’s injury. Defended courageously for long spells but, like the rest of Argentina’s backline, was eventually breached as Spain’s pressure finally told.

Nahuel Molina 4/10

Found life difficult after entering the game. Lost track of Nico Williams during the move that led to Spain’s decisive goal, allowing the winger to head the ball into Torres’ path. A costly lapse on a painful night for Argentina.

Présent au MetLife Stadium dimanche lors de la finale de Coupe du monde remportée 1-0 par l’Espagne contre l’Argentine, David Beckham a écrit quelques mots sur ses réseaux sociaux pour saluer la performance espagnole.

Spectateur attentif de la Coupe du monde, l’ancien international anglais de 51 ans (115 sélections, 17 buts) a tenu à féliciter la Roja sur ses réseaux sociaux pour sa victoire dans cette édition et une finale remportée 1-0 contre l’Argentine près de New York. Vainqueur de La Liga en 2007 de la Supercoupe d’Espagne en 2003, David Beckham a évolué pendant quatre saisons au Real Madrid entre 2003 et 2007.

« Champions du monde. Vive l’Espagne. Félicitations à l’Espagne pour ce tournoi parfait », a posté, ce lundi, l’ancien madrilène sur son compte Instagram.

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