Søren Wærenskjold wins the fastest stage of the Tour de France

Record audience at Wimbledon

The Wimbledon women’s final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova became the most watched in the history of ESPN for the Grand Slam on grass. The match, played on Saturday, averaged 1.9 million viewers.

That represents a 48% increase from last year’s final, when Iga Swiatek defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. On that occasion, the victory was resounding: 6-0, 6-0 in just 57 minutes.

Noskova won 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, after wasting five match points and a 5-2 lead in the second set. The match generated drama in the middle of the match, which contributed to the interest of the audience.

ESPN has broadcast Wimbledon since 2003 and has had exclusive rights since 2012. Overall, this edition was the network’s second most watched, only behind 2019, when Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in five sets and Simona Halep defeated Serena Williams.

Serena Williams’ return to Grand Slam tennis after almost four years of absence also boosted viewership. Their Day 2 match averaged 1.8 million viewers, despite taking place on a Tuesday afternoon in the United States.

Men’s final and figures in Italy

Sunday’s men’s final, in which Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev in four sets, averaged 2.4 million viewers on ESPN. That figure is 16% lower than in 2025, when Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz also in four sets.

In Italy, where Sinner is the most popular athlete, the final was watched by 4.2 million average viewers, with a 33.8% audience share according to Sky Italia. The year before, Sinner’s victory over Alcaraz reached 5.7 million viewers.

The finals began at 11 a.m. Eastern time in the United States and at 5 p.m. in Italy.

The Argentina National Team sealed its place in the final of the 2026 World Cup after beating England 2-1 at the Atlanta stadium. The rival will be Spain, which eliminated France in the other semifinal. The decisive match will be played on Sunday, July 19 at 1:00 p.m. (Central Mexico time) at MetLife Stadium in New York.

Road to the final

Argentina is seeking the two-time championship, something that a team has not achieved since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Led by Lionel Messi and Lionel Scaloni, the albicelestes left Cape Verde, Egypt, Sweden and England behind. Spain, led by Luis de la Fuente, surpassed Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France.

For the Albiceleste it will be their fourth World Cup final: in addition to the current one and Qatar 2022, they played in Brazil 2014, where they lost to Germany. Spain, on the other hand, is looking for its second star after the 2010 South Africa title.

The broadcast in Mexico will be carried out by Las Estrellas, Canal 5, Azteca 7 and TUDN. MetLife Stadium will be the stage where both teams will define the new world champion.

Euphoria in Buenos Aires

Tens of thousands of fans flooded the center of Buenos Aires after Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England, which qualified the team for the World Cup final. The chants against the historical rival echoed in the Obelisk.

“And you see, and you see, he who doesn’t jump is an Englishman,” they chanted incessantly.

The victory evoked the memory of Mexico 1986, when Diego Maradona scored two legendary goals against the same rival, four years after the Malvinas war. For many, the game symbolizes more than the sport.

“For Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last,” was heard among the crowd.

People cried, sang and hugged each other in the winter rain. Young people climbed light poles with light blue and white flags. Actress Rosana Beto Cruz, a 48-year-old nun, celebrated among strangers: “The national team achieved this. A World Cup makes this happen.”

The match was decided in added time with a goal from Lautaro Martínez, after the equalizer from Enzo Fernández. Argentina, the current champion, will face Spain on Sunday.

Politics and mixed feelings

President Javier Milei declared that he experienced the victory with “immense joy” and that he always trusted in the comeback. He offered the Casa Rosada to celebrate if the team wins the title. However, he asked not to mix matters: “The Malvinas are recovered with wise diplomacy, not with cheap patriotism.”

Hours before, Vice President Victoria Villarruel had written on social networks that Argentina was playing “against the usurping pirates”, fueling the controversy. After the match, players like Giovani Lo Celso showed a banner with the phrase “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which could lead to sanctions from FIFA.

For many fans, the victory had a special flavor due to the historical rivalry. Yanina Quinteros, 40, celebrated with her daughter: “This is more exciting because of the rivalry with England.” María Bertero, also 40, remembered the war: “My heart still hurts for all those boys who were sent to die.”

The figure of Lionel Messi, 39, shone again. Matías Adorno, wearing the captain’s shirt, expressed: “Seeing Messi play like this, at his age, leaves me speechless.”

The celebrations offered a collective respite amid the economic crisis and political polarization. “Today we are all together,” Quinteros summarized.