world

Argentina 6 – Peru 0: the story of the alleged biggest fixing of the World Cups between dictatorships and missing persons

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In the context of a dictatorship that made opponents disappear daily, the 1978 World Cup was held in Argentina, an embarrassing chapter in the history book of football. “I knew what was happening to those who governed, but I could not imagine that cruelty towards the disappeared,” he said. would justify years later César Luis Menotti, Argentine coach from 1974 to 1982. While the Videla regime used the championship as propaganda Facing the outside world, the Albiceleste team, immersed in the competition and oblivious to the country’s political climate, was overcoming rounds supported by an enthusiastic public. In the decisive match against Peru, Argentina needed four goals to reach the final. He scored six and the controversy that that result raised is still alive today. Since the dawn of the World Cup, Argentina had pursued its organization. Finally, at the FIFA Congress on July 6, 1966, the South American country was chosen as the host country for the 1978 edition. At that same meeting, it was agreed that West Germany would host the 1974 World Cup and Spain would host the 1982 World Cup. Argentina had 12 years ahead of it to properly prepare the event. However, two years before the World Cup was held, events were going to take an unexpected turn. Football to whiten infamy On March 24, 1976, Jorge Rafael Videla carried out a coup d’état that overthrew the democratic government of María Estela Martínez de Perón, popularly known as Isabelita. Videla assumed the head of state at the head of a Military Junta, initiating the cynically called National Reorganization Process, which included a systematic plan to remove anyone suspected of dissidence from circulation. Videla swearing in as president of Argentina in 1974. (Eduardo Di Baia/AP) At first, the blow put the celebration of the championship in check. Belgium and Holland offered themselves as alternative venues, but the time margin was limited and FIFA estimated the show had to go on. Like Hitler at the 1936 Olympic Games or Mussolini in the 1934 World CupVidela used the World Cup for propaganda purposes. The tournament was an instrument to convey to the world the image of an open, advanced and plural Argentina, of a thriving football and political nation. No expense was spared for this: it is estimated that the organization of the tournament ultimately cost ten times what was budgeted, although no accounts were ever rendered. However, the situation in the country was far from the happy Arcadia that the military intended to portray. Kidnappings, torture and murders They were common in the development of relentless repression directed at all those suspected of not being sympathetic to the regime. It is estimated that up to 30,000 citizens He made the Military Junta disappear during those years. On June 1, 1978, a speech by Videla inaugurated the championship: “Within the framework of friendship between man and people, and under the sign of peace, he officially declared this eleventh (sic) World Football Championship 78 officially inaugurated.” At the same time that the ball was rolling in the opening match between West Germany and Poland, The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo metlike every Thursday at 3:30 p.m., to cry out for their missing children. While the Argentine people celebrated Kempes’ goals, thousands of people were silently retaliated against. The screams from the River Monumental Stadium reached the Navy’s Higher School of Mechanics, converted into a detention and torture centerwhich was a few blocks from the stadium. There are many detainees They faced a contradiction: His fan heart longed for the victory of his team, but reason dictated that victory would serve to consolidate the dictatorship. Finalists after beating Peru In terms of football alone, the Argentine team passed the first phase without problems and reached the last game of the second tied on points with Brazilwith Kempes becoming progressively more toned as the tournament progressed. According to the strange format of that World Cup, the winners of the two groups of the second phase went directly to the final, without semi-finals. The Netherlands won in group A, reaching the final for the second consecutive World Cup, despite the enigmatic absence of Johan Cruyff. In group B, Brazil and Argentina played everything on one card in the last match, but the locals played with the advantage of playing their match three hours later, and thus knowing the result of Brazil (FIFA had not yet unified the schedules of the first phase, a measure taken after the El Molinón pact). Brazil did its job and won 3-1 against Poland, a result that forced Menotti’s team to win by a margin of four goals against Peru. The Peruvians had had a formidable first phase, achieving first place in their group ahead of the Netherlands, but they had deflated in the second group and reached the last game without anything at stake. The Argentines dominated the match from the beginning, and at half-time they were already winning 2-0. After the restart, the Albiceleste team came out in a rush and 5 minutes into the second half they had already achieved their goal (4-0) against a Peru that seemed knocked out. Two more goals still fell and, midway through the second half, the scoreboard already showed the final 6-0. Objective achieved: Argentina was in the final of his World Cup. The shadow of a fix From the first moment, Argentina’s massive victory against Peru was surrounded by a halo of suspicionwith different and complementary versions, and crossed accusations between some protagonists. The passivity of the Peruvian defense during some goals raised suspicions, as did the signing of Peruvian defender Rodulfo Manzo for the Argentine team Vélez Sarsfield at the end of the World Cup. The first to raise the hare was Ramón Quiroga, the goalkeeper who defended the Peruvian goal that afternoon at the Gigante Stadium in Arroyito. In an interview with the newspaper La Nación in 1998, Quiroga, Argentine by birth but naturalized Peruvian, revealed his misgivings about the referee (“I think he … Read more

How to watch Spain – Argentina: date and time of the 2026 World Cup final, and where you can watch it on any device

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Let’s explain to you How and where you can watch Spain’s match against Argentina. This is the grand final of the 2026 World Cup, in which our team has the option of getting the second star, the second World Cup in its history. But in front of them they will have an Argentina with Messi in a state of grace. Let’s make the article simple. First we are going to tell you the date and time to which this match is played. And then, we will tell you what your options are to be able to watch it from any device. Date and time of Spain – Argentina Spain’s match against Argentina will take place tomorrow, Sunday, July 19. Both teams will face each other at the New York New Jersey Stadium, a field where the New York Giants and the New York Jets of the NFL American football usually play. The grand final will be played at 9:00 p.m. in Spanish peninsular time8pm in the Canary Islands. And with this match we will know which of the two teams finally takes the world cup home. Where to watch Spain – Argentina As we have explained to you when we told you where you can watch the 2026 World Cupas it is a match for the Spanish National Team, you will be able watch it for free live through La1. This will allow you to see it both on DTT and on mobile phones or browsers through RTVE Play. Obviously, the party It will also be issued in the payment options that you could have to watch all the World Cup matches. It will be broadcast on DAZN and you will be able to watch it on any device if you have it contracted. You can also see it on the DAZN Mundial channel, available on both Movistar Plus and Orange TV. In Xataka Basics | Apps for football results: the best 14 applications to receive notifications and see match statistics

Apple ousts Nvidia and becomes the most valuable company in the world for a few hours. The secret is in the spending of AI

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Two years ago the surprise came and Nvidia overtook Apple becoming the most valuable company in the world for the first time. Since then the title has changed hands on several occasions, although Nvidia has retained it practically uninterrupted since mid-2025: good times are going on for Jensen Huang’s team, with stratospheric benefits thanks to the AI ​​race in which he is one of the great beneficiaries. But last night, in just a few hours, a company that is not going through its best moment: sue OpenAI for theft of trade secrets, immersed in full transition of its CEOwith a talent drain and lagging behind in AIonce again emerged as the most valuable company on the planet despite all of the above. Surpass from Apple to Nvidia. Although fleeting, this reorganization of the ranking of the technological giants constitutes a warning to sailors about the expectations placed on AI. what has happened. During the Friday session and how AOL collectsApple was valued at $4.88 billion, above Nvidia’s $4.86 billion, which fell 3.5%. It was a hit and miss: at closing, Nvidia’s capitalization reached 4.92 billion, thus barely surpassing Apple’s 4.89 billion. Fleeting but significant: Apple returned to the throne for the first time since April 2025. Why is it important. Beyond the stock market anecdote, this turmoil reflects a change in the narrative about who truly benefits from the AI ​​boom. One of the large and immediate direct beneficiaries is Nvidia and its leadership reflects this. Toni Meadows, Chief Investment Officer at BRI Wealth Management, declares for Reuters that Apple is less dependent on capital spending intensity and is better positioned to monetize AI through services, the closed ecosystem and hardware upgrades. Nvidia rises with certain fluctuations because it is directly exposed, but Apple is better positioned to reap its rewards with less risk. Context. Nvidia has just broken historical records: in October it became the first company in the world to exceed a valuation of $5 trillion: it looked down on the rest of the magnificent seven. The reason? Chips for AI. Apple, on the other hand, has earned the label of lagging behind: it does not invest in its own models and is laying all its eggs in Google basket. However, in 2026 there is an increase of 20% so far this year. In detail. The catalyst for this movement has been Siri: last month Apple got its act together and renewed its assistant with the new Siri AI. It arrived late to the party, but it starts from a privileged position compared to some rivals and new startups: the personal data that each iPhone and the ecosystem houses. Of course, you have to discover how to take advantage of that information without compromising the privacy of users. The future. What happens from now on will depend on whether Apple manages to turn the promise of monetization into tangible results. Or what is the same: if the new and late Siri manages to stand up to Gemini in the Android ecosystem or compete in features with ChatGPT. For Nvidia, the future involves demonstrating that the colossal spending on AI infrastructure by its clients (hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Google or Amazon) continues to translate into large orders for chips, and that the bubble of an investment that, for the moment, does not offer a sufficient return does not burst. The next quarterly results will be the best thermometer to verify if this rotation of investors towards those who monetize AI with less risk is consolidated. In Xataka | Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets: “Lol, I have access”, the message of the engineer who uncovered the scandal In Xataka | The European Commission, on Siri AI: “The decision not to launch it in Europe is Apple’s and Apple’s alone” Cover | Applesphere

misconfigured routers all over the world

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The router is usually left out of our attention: we install it, check that there is a connection and let it continue working for months or years. However, that small piece of equipment that connects a home or office with the Internet can also become a useful piece for those seeking to hide their operations. The problem is not in what we see, but in what can happen in the background when the configuration is weak or the firmware becomes outdated. And there begins a story that no longer only affects security specialists. The hiding place was in the router. That possibility ceased to be an abstract warning on July 13, 2026. CISA, the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warned that Actors from Center 16 of the FSB, the Russian security service, continue to exploit vulnerable or misconfigured network devices in different countries. According to the notice, this activity has already allowed networks in several critical infrastructure sectors to be compromised. The warning was issued jointly with organizations in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A borrowed identity. The goal is not to stay on the router, but to use it as an intermediary for other operations. When traffic passes through a device installed in a home or small office, the connection may appear to be that of any legitimate user. It is what is known as residential proxy– A domestic connection used as an intermediary to hide where the attacker is actually acting from. For an organization’s defenses, distinguishing at first glance between a normal connection and malicious activity is much more difficult. Tracking begins on the Internet. To find new devices, attackers scan IP address ranges looking for routers with SNMP agents assets, a protocol used to query and manage computers connected to a network. The risk appears when that service is exposed and accepts common credentials or those that were configured at the factory. In that scenario, the team may respond to someone who should not have access. The first step is, therefore, to locate which ones are still advertising on the Internet with a weak configuration. From objective to tool. Finding an exposed router is not enough to control it. According to CISA, the actors send malicious traffic with spoofed source IP addresses and leverage the misconfigured SNMP agent to execute malware on the device. They also do so from networks made up of other already compromised routers, so that the system feeds itself. The process has three phases: first they find the equipment, then they exploit its configuration and, finally, they incorporate it into the network from which they will continue searching for new targets. The attack comes from another house Once incorporated into this network, the router begins to act as an exit node, that is, as the last visible point before the traffic reaches the target. To the person receiving the connection, the activity does not appear to come from systems linked to the FSB, but rather from a legitimate-looking IP address. This coverage can reduce the chances of automatic blocking and complicates the work of those trying to reconstruct the route to those responsible for the operation. A chase that never ends: The usefulness of this network of intermediaries is better understood when we look at its possible destinations. CISA points to communications networks, defense, energy, financial services and public organizations, all sectors where an apparently legitimate connection can facilitate probes or subsequent attacks. The phenomenon, furthermore, did not begin with this warning: Russian and Chinese actors have been fighting and reusing compromised routers for years. Although governments and companies have managed to disinfect devices and dismantle botnets, their operators usually rebuild them by incorporating new equipment. Close the door. CISA recommends disabling SNMP 1 and 2, versions that do not encrypt passwords or incorporate current protections, and using SNMP 3 only when necessary. If we do not use this protocol to manage the network, the safest option is to turn it off completely. The agency also advises disabling Cisco Smart Install, replacing weak credentials, installing firmware updates, and limiting other unnecessary network protocols. The router can go unnoticed for years, but that does not mean that we should leave it running without maintenance. Images | Xataka with Nano Banana In Xataka | Jordi Nebot, CEO of PaynoPain: “Accommodations are uploaded with stolen or AI photographs and an eye-catching price”

how the Asian giant is becoming the new world champion of foie gras

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“France is the country of foie gras. It is a hallmark of French gastronomy. An American or Asian tourist visiting Paris will want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Elysées and eat foie gras.” The phrase It is from Fabien Chevalier, president of CIFOG, the French association of the industry dedicated to preparing the famous delicacy based on the liver of ducks and geese. And although what he says is true, Chevalier is also aware of something: French producers have faced a formidable rival 7,000 kilometers away, in the Chinese farms of Shandong and Anhui. After all, foie gras may be associated with France, but some estimate that China has already become its second main producer. Chinese foie gras? Exact. And there are more and more. Estimates of China’s production capacity do not always coincide, but the trend they show does: the Asian giant is producing more and more foie gras, a business it has launched into so decisively that it already stands out as one of its heavyweights. In fact, is closing distances with France. The figures are clear. a few days ago The Wall Street Journal cited a report from the state-owned company China International Capital that suggests that domestic producers produce 11,000 tons a year, roughly 45% of global supply. The same headline cites a company that produces about 3,000 tons. Is there more data? Yes. And they point in a similar direction. During an interview recently with RFI, Chevalier, who in addition to being president of the French employers’ association is responsible for the company Lafitteestimated that in 2024 12,000 tons of foie gras would leave Chinese farms. And he believes that the balance was even greater in 2025, unlike what happens in France, whose production fell 3%. “Knowing that French production was around 15,000 t in 2025, Chinese production is quite significant,” acknowledges Chevalier. After consulting half a dozen analysts, Reuters calculate that Chinese production could reach 14,000 tons last year, seven times more than just a decade ago. How is that possible? For a sum of factors. One of them is that the Chinese foie gras industry not only has the support of ranchers and businessmen. The State has also gotten involved to give it a boost. Reuters speaks of “generous subsidies” that, in the specific case of a goose farm located in eastern China, cover more than 50% of infrastructure and vaccines. In addition to a new potential market, Beijing has seen foie gras as a lifeline for rural areas affected by the exodus to the cities, which explains that the Government have decided to support it through loans. Is it the same foie gras? That is another of the keys that explain why the Chinese sector is growing so quickly. Chevalier explains that Chinese farms are betting “mainly” on geese, something that, he admits, fascinates him. “It is much more difficult to make foie gras from geese than from ducks.” Whether for that reason or others, everything indicates that China has found a way to make its production as profitable as possible. If in France, where they work mainly with ducks, producers manage 500 g livers (or 700 if they opt for geese), in China those numbers skyrocket. There a liver can reach two kilos. Is there that much difference? Reuters interviewed the manager of a farm in eastern China who claims that the pieces coming out of his pens weigh at least a kilo. In fact, he showed journalists a specimen weighing about 2.9 kg. “Europeans can no longer raise a large number of geese because it is very hard work,” boasts the businessman, Li Fengshan, who explains that the ten days before the slaughter of the birds his employees work tirelessly, sleeping very little, to feed the geese with six meals a day. The way birds are fattened to produce foie gras (ducks or geese) has generated a strong controversy in recent years and has given rise to accusations of animal crueltya controversy to which they are not foreign the Gallic farms. Where does that foie gras go? Especially to the domestic market. At least for now the production of Chinese foie gras seems oriented basically to its own national market, although in the sector there are those who already expect that the weight of exports will grow in the future. Whether I achieve it or not, the reality is that in 2025 less than 5% of Chinese production was directed to external consumers. It is not a surprising percentage if one takes into account the legislative restrictions, which begin in the Chinese customs themselves, and that there are local producers who are betting on products such as foie gras ice cream and with different flavors or shapes in an attempt to gain share in their own market. The price plays in its favor: The Wall Street Journal interviewed recently a distributor in Macau that worked with European product that sold for $28 per pound, now deals with Chinese suppliers who sell it for $17. Is it a unique case? No. This is not the first time that China has demonstrated its ability to gain a foothold in new sectors, even those in which European producers are well established. It has already happened in the wine sectorbut also with others such as the trade of truffles or caviar. “For decades, among Western consumers, the ‘Made in China’ label was associated with cheap, low-quality and simple products,” remember Even Payby Trivium China. “In the last decade we have seen a lot of brands made in China with quality products at a lower price.” Images | Martin Baron (Unsplash), Arthur Wang (Unsplash) and GOETZ Jean-Pierre (Unsplash) In Xataka | One more day, Peru has woken up to a disturbing sight in its seas: thousands of Chinese ships devastating its fishing grounds

the surreal meeting of Juan Roig and Ana Botín with IShowSpeed ​​at the World Cup

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For less than a minute, the president of a bank with almost a hundred billion capitalization spoke like a salesperson from one of its branches. Next to him, the owner of the largest supermarket chain in Spain was waiting for his turn to introduce himself. He streamer The one they were addressing, and which broadcast the match live, is IShowSpeed, with 57 million followers on YouTube. And I had no idea who these gentlemen were. What happened. On the night of July 14, Spain beat France 2-0 and sealed its place in the final of the 2026 World Cup. Among the VIP audience, along with Timothée Chalamet, Javier Bardem and Usain Bolt, were Ana Botín, president of Banco Santander, and Juan Roig, president of Mercadona. They both went to greet Darren Watkins Jr., the streamer known as IShowSpeed, which broadcast the game live. The exchange began with introductions. “It’s like the Walmart of Spain,” they explain pointing to Roig in reference to Mercadona. Botín was not far behind: he defined his bank as “the JPMorgan of Europe.” A few seconds later the commercial offer arrived: “You have to open an account at Openbank”, and ended with a sales pitch which surely captivated Speed: “We pay you 4% for your savings.” The young man managed to tell Botín that he would have to give him “a good credit rating”, but he responded between surprise, curiosity and pure stupefaction. Who is Speed? At just 21 years old, Watkins Jr, or IShowSpeed, has accumulated more than 57 million subscribers on YouTube, and more than 150 million followers across all of his networks. He has been broadcasting live from the stands for weeks at the 2026 World Cup, after his favorite team, Portugal, was eliminated in the quarterfinals. On the night of July 14, the Spain-France match, its live broadcast from the AT&T Stadium reached nearly 58 million connected accounts. That’s why it was Roig and Botín who approached him, and not the other way around. No conventional advertising campaign would have put them in front of a comparable audience, much less that profile: young, digital and absent from traditional channels. Who are the other people? The older ones, we say. We know this very well, but it doesn’t hurt to remember it, because it is their insane fortunes that turn this talk in the box into a piece of Celtiberian memorabilia to take into account. Booty has a personal assets of 350 million euros (Santander has a market capitalization that has touched 100 billion euros this year). A considerable fortune, but far from the 8.8 billion that Forbes attributes to Roig in his latest list of the greatest Spanish fortunes. Rich folks. Throughout the conversation, Roig does not utter a single sentence in English. It is his companions who present it, who seek the comparison with Walmart and act as interpreters. It is a very particular and very Spanish folksiness, which leads Botín to compare Mercadona and Santander with giant American businesses. And it’s not because they lack size or importance, but they find a very simple way to make themselves understood with Speed. Recent rich. This folksiness comes from the fact that Spanish wealth is not the inheritance of several generations of nobles. Mercadona was already born in democracy, when Roig bought Mercadona from his father along with his brothers and his wife, when the chain had eight stores; today exceeds 1,700 and employs nearly 110,000 people; Botín presides over a bank founded by his family in which he maintains a relevant but purely management position. But the type of wealth they represent does fit with a broader and documented pattern of how the Spanish business class was formed: at the death of Franco, two hundred families controlled more than a third of the shares of the country’s large companies and banks, a network of power very close to the State. It is not the aristocracy that endures in the United Kingdom or the United States, the famous old money that goes back generations in the past. In Spain we have rich people from powerful but self-made families, which explains this attitude that leads a multimillionaire to calmly sell the advantageous conditions of an account in her bank: the money has been inherited, but not from generations, they are provincial families with power, and hence the attitude towards the young influencerwhich they see as another possibility to make money. Even with the rich, Spain is different. In Xataka | Mercadona is doing the opposite of other large companies: freezing Roig’s salary to reinvest it

FIFA had been trying for years to get soccer into the US. In this World Cup it has been American culture that has entered football

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Each match in the 2026 World Cup has been stopped twice for players to drink water. What FIFA sold as a medical standard has become one of the largest sources of advertising revenue in the history of football. The hydration break It is reminiscent of the one you already see in a LaLiga match in August, when the heat at four in the afternoon justifies it. Here, repeated in air-conditioned stadiums where more than one fan is seen wearing a cardigan, it sounds more like an excuse. It’s just the most visible symptom of something bigger. The panoramic. FIFA has been pursuing the American market for years without soccer finally gaining ground against basketball, American football or hockey. This summer he has changed his strategy: instead of selling football as it is, he has redesigned it with the cultural and television codes of the United States. Pauses that cut off the game, advertising in the middle of the game, celebrities paid to occupy the box, hospitality overflowing, very expensive tickets, a break from the final that doubles its usual duration to accommodate a concert… The tournament has also been played in Mexico and Canada, but it has not stopped sounding like the NFL and the NBA. The party has stopped being the product. He show prior, rest and show Later they are also products, they also compete for the same attention. In detail. The centerpiece is the hydration breaks: three minutes in the 22nd and 67th minutes of each of the 104 games, without discriminating by temperature. FIFA announced them in December as a health prevention and authorized television stations to fill the gap with up to two minutes and ten seconds of advertisements. It is not the only piece of the decoration: Halftime in the finals has been extended to about 30 minutes to accommodate a Super Bowl-style musical performance. One has appeared backroom VIP, very similar to the NFL boxes, where authorities, family and celebrities follow the game. Television production has adopted shots, access to locker rooms and tunnels that until now were the domain of American football. Between the lines. It is tempting to blame the United States for “Americanizing” soccer. But the one who has made every decision (breaks, calendar, 48 teams…) is FIFA, which has seen in the American entertainment model the fastest way to continue increasing income just when Europe, its traditional place, begins to show signs of stagnation. The French Ligue 1, without going any further, lost his television deals and has had to set up its own direct sales platform. behind the scenes. The change is not only a matter of changes in the regulations, it is also noticeable in how it is broadcast. The networks constantly cut to celebrities, boxes and reactions in the stands in search of the viral shot. Every break, every corner, every substitution is an opportunity for sponsorship, not just hydration. The fan in the stadium is no longer just a spectator, he is part of the set. The stands are lit, focused and edited, NFL style. In figures. The numbers explain why FIFA has been compensated for the change in model. The organization’s audiovisual income has grown by 36% compared to Qatar 2022, up to about 3,925 million dollars. Fox calculates entering between 250 and 500 million dollars only with the advertising of hydration breaks. A 20-second ad during a break has been sold in France for 425,000 euros. For the rights bid for 2030 and 2034, offers in the United States could start at $1 billion and reach $2 billion if both tournaments are packaged. Yes, but. Not all football has jumped on the bandwagon. The Premier League, the richest and least in need of new income, does not contemplate breaks: British regulations limit live advertisements and in England it is rarely as hot as would justify them. UEFA has said that He will not take them to the Champions League or the Euro Cup in 2028. And now what. CONMEBOL has already announced 90-second breaks for the Libertadores and the Sudamericana 2026. The MLS and the NWSL will negotiate their next rights with the World Cup precedent on the table. And FIFA is preparing the 2030 bid, with Spain as one of the venues, knowing that the networks will no longer pay only for the 90 minutes of the match: they will also pay for the minutes in which it stops. Featured image | FIFAXataka In Xataka | It is possible that today you will hear your neighbor sing Spain’s goal before you: the delay of streaming compared to DTT

Now the World Cup seems further away than ever

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The promise: the joint Spain-Portugal-Morocco candidacy for the 2030 World Cup was presented on a dossier that included between 14 and 18 stadiums in total, with 11 Spanish, 3 Portuguese and 6 Moroccan venues. On paperthe tournament would be a lever for infrastructure modernization. Regarding the coffers and the laws, there are complications. There are just over three years left until the World Cup and it seems to be receding like a phantasmagoria. Let’s count. Last March, FIFA took a tour visiting stadiums in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bilbao, Zaragoza and Seville. There were gaps, too many. So the organization invited the respective organizing committees to put their notebooks in their suitcase and write down the good work of Miami and Dallas. The “Observer” program is, literally, an intensive master’s degree for the logic of an event like the 2030 World Cup: beyond infrastructure, airport management, visas, requirements in the commercial exploitation section, etc. In April, the president of the RFEF, Rafael Louzán, proposed creating a dedicated commission (and approving a State Events Law that covers the reforms). In May, some of these ideas fell apart. Because? The selection of the Ibero-Moroccan candidacy by FIFA is done, but in practice Spain has been losing weight: Málaga and A Coruña resigned, Valencia has been left off the official list of 11 locations and several key projects remain in the works or on plans. The condition was clear: many stadiums had to undergo renovations to meet FIFA requirements for capacity, access, decks and VIP areas. The moneys. Right now, these are the reform proposals and estimated cost. Although these are downward figures, this is the general map, starting with Morocco: Tangier Grand Stadium: €350 million (construction + expansions up to 75,000 spectators) Mohamed V Complex (in Casablanca): more than €95 million (major remodeling) Prince Moulay Abdellah (in Rabat): €480-500 million (practically complete reconstruction) Agadir Grand Stadium: €230 M (construction + modernization for World Cup) Marrakech Grand Stadium: €240 M (construction + upgrade) Fez Stadium: €250 million (construction + remodeling) Hassan II Grand Stadium (Casablanca/Benslimane): €1 billion (complete complex, including stadium and related infrastructure, with seating for 115,000 spectators) In comparison, Spain: Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid): €1,347 M (complete transformation project) Riyadh Air Metropolitano (Madrid): €310 M (original construction) Spotify Camp Nou (Barcelona): €1,450 M (Complete Espai Barça) RCDE Stadium (from Cornellà-El Prat): €60 M San Mamés (Bilbao): €211 million Reale Arena (San Sebastián): €80 M (comprehensive renovation 2017-2020) La Cartuja Stadium (Seville): €100 M (last remodeling for the 2030 World Cup) La Rosaleda (Málaga): €270 M (remodeling project) Gran Canaria Stadium: €174.7 M (project currently being put out to tender, El Cabildo is still negotiating to “lower some of its claims” because going all-in is already branded as “absolute suicide“) Riazor (A Coruña): €125 M (remodeling project) La Romareda (Zaragoza): €220 M The problem? What was suspected: the Federation itself has warned that many Spanish stadiums still do not meet the requirements and that we must go “from projects and good intentions to getting wet and guaranteeing works and investments”, while Morocco has already put specific figures and a schedule for the reform of its six fields. Let’s look at it case by case. 180 million for a team in third place. The New Romareda It has been justified from day one by the opportunity to host the World Cup: a stadium with around 43,000 net seats, designed to meet the FIFA minimum and bid for matches up to the round of 16. The initial cost was estimated at around 148.5 million plus VAT (close to 180). The Chamber of Accounts of Aragon raised the figure: it adds external developments, surveillance, certificates, ICIO and other concepts until it reaches at least 173.2 million. It is already suspected that will exceed 180 million if all the costs of the environment and modular stadium are included. Now comes the paradox: he builds a FIFA standard stadium for a city whose club, Real Zaragoza, currently plays in the First Federation, a place where it is better not to look. Using the World Cup as a political anchor for an investment that mixes municipal, regional and private funds It’s not sitting well with everyone.. The Accounts Chamber requested a “complete and traceable view of the costs” when detecting items assumed directly by the Government of Aragon. That is, they were not in society’s budget, precisely to prevent the World 2030 label from masking the real cost for the taxpayer. Saying “we did it for the World Cup” is not enough. Tic-tac and tiki-tac. Another work that race against the clock It is Nou Mestalla. The Valencian stadium is a recast on the skeleton built more than a decade ago. About 70,000 spectators capacity, light cover with tensioned cables and some 3,450 parking spaces They fall within your proposal. Beyond the World Cup, the City Council has signed an agreement that allows it to use the stadium for Cup, Euro Cup, and Champions League finals. The current calendar sets July 11, 2027 as the deadline to issue the Final Work Certificate (CFO). It is known that approximately 76% of the structure has been completed and that the total investment, including tertiary and surrounding areas, will far exceed 500 million euros, becoming the largest project in the club’s history. Then came the bickering: the RFEF left Valencia out due to the accumulated delays and the difficulty in guaranteeing deadlines. With the building permit already approved and aspiring to a UEFA category 4 stadium, the club reacted with a statement. Two years passed. FIFA did not get off its ass and indicated that in its bid book everything was clear. And Valencia pushed forward. The “World Cup renewal” mode does not work. In Seville, the La Cartuja Stadium aspires to be the third stadium in the country by capacity, with 70,000 gross spectators, lowering the level of the playing field, expanding the lower stands and changing facades and skin to comply with FIFA regulations. The first phase cost about 12 million … Read more

How to watch Spain – France: date and time of the World Cup semi-final match, and where you can watch it on any device

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Let’s explain to you How and where you can watch Spain’s match against France. This is the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, a match of the highest level that could well be worthy of the final, in which two of the great candidates for the title face each other. Let’s make the article simple. First we are going to tell you the date and time to which this match is played. And then, we will tell you what your options are to be able to watch it from any device. Date and time of Spain – France Spain’s match against France will take place today, Tuesday, July 14. Both teams will face each other at the AT&T Stadium in the state of Texas, which during the tournament is being called Dallas Stadium. This semi-final will be played at 9:00 p.m. in Spanish peninsular time8pm in the Canary Islands. There can only be one left, and the winner will face the team that wins England – Argentina in the grand final tomorrow. Where to watch Spain – France As we have explained to you when we told you where you can watch the 2026 World Cupas it is a match for the Spanish National Team, you will be able watch it for free live through La1. This will allow you to see it both on DTT and on mobile phones or browsers through RTVE Play. Obviously, the party It will also be issued in the payment options that you could have to watch all the World Cup matches. It will be broadcast on DAZN and you will be able to watch it on any device if you have it contracted. You can also see it on the DAZN Mundial channel, available on both Movistar Plus and Orange TV. In Xataka Basics | Apps for football results: the best 14 applications to receive notifications and see match statistics

Due to the lack of steel, World War II ships began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

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Close your eyes and think about the main material of a boat. Very possibly wood be first that comes to mind, and it’s normal: we have been sailing in wooden boats for millennia, and we continue to do so. But it is also logical that the steel that dominated the 19th and 20th century shipsand the current sea monstersideas haunt you. And most likely you have not thought about another material: the concrete. But yes, for 150 years we were creating concrete boats, and far from being crazy, it was the most logical idea. And they were even used in the First and Second World War. a french. One fine day in the mid-19th century, a French gentleman named Joseph-Louis Lambot It occurred to him to build a boat. Not just any one: a reinforced concrete one. There was one problem: in 1848, they had no idea what reinforced concrete was. This material, basically, is the mixture between concrete and steel. Both combine to create something with much greater structural resistance and have been the basis of the most imposing skyscrapers, dams and almost any construction of the last century since its invention. Well, it was Joseph-Louis who came up with the idea of ​​combining the two materials. At least, it attributes the invention of reinforced concrete to this man. As always, there is controversy over the dates, who patented reinforced concrete, who built the first slab, etc. But anyway: Lambot wanted to test his invention and built a small boat of less than four meters with the aim of exhibiting it at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. Quite a few advantages. Basically, the interior was wire mesh covered by cement and Lambot’s idea was to completely replace wood. The invention was liked, but it did not really attract the attention of boat manufacturers. Some barges were created for European canals, but little else. Everything changed when the Italian engineer Carlo Gabellini built the Liguria in 1896. It is what we consider to be the first reinforced concrete ship designed to sail on the high seas. And, really, it made sense to create reinforced concrete ships. It is a material that has great resistance to corrosion, so the marine environment does not damage the hull, reducing maintenance (which also has it) and extending its useful life. It offered good thermal insulation, so perishable resources could be transported in better conditions and there were no fire problems. The Namsenfjord In the absence of bread… A few years later, the construction of these concrete ships expanded and other countries began to build them, especially cargo ships. But of course, we are in 1914 and that means that something happened: the World War I. And beyond the advantages of concrete over other materials, the world was forced to create concrete boats for a very simple reason: there was no steel. The militarization and industrialization of the belligerent forces caused a situation of steel shortage. The ships were important, since the naval supremacy It has always been a determining factor in a conflict, but with the steel necessary for a destroyer many other things could be created. And the problem is that they had to continue building ships because there were resources to move worldwide. The First World War. The revolution came with Namsenfjorda Norwegian ship that, in 1917, demonstrated that self-propelled concrete boats could be made. It was 26 meters long and weighed a whopping 400 tons and most importantly: the United States saw that there was potential in these ships beyond serving as freighters powered by an auxiliary ship. Thus, they created the Emergency Fleet Corporation program with the objective of producing 24 concrete vessels. It was a failure: those that were completed were done after the war, so they had to be used for other things. One was the SS Faithwhich was going to serve in the war, but in the end it was left to be used in transportation work in the United States. It was launched in 1919, was in service until 1921 when it was sold to Cuba and had a length of 97.54 meters. A year after Faith, the SS Selmaan enormous mass of reinforced concrete measuring 129.54 meters in length that was launched just the day Germany signed the Treaty of Versaillesending the First World War. It ended up being used as an oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. With sails and a secondary support engine Devastating disadvantages. With the war over, interest in concrete shipbuilding waned. It still had advantages, since building them was much cheaper than making them in steel or iron, but if we mentioned a series of advantages before, it is important to now know the disadvantages (which outweigh them, and by far). To match the strength of a steel hull, a concrete hull is thicker, which has several limitations. On the one hand, it weighs more, so it also has a greater draft, the ship’s movement is slower and more fuel is needed. Being thicker means that there is less interior space for cargo, since the useful volume is reduced. This weight means that the engines must be more powerful and the fuel tanks must also be larger, so the investment in this part is greater. The dam to build it must also be monstrous because parts cannot be welded, as in a steel one, and then there is the impact resistance. Second World War. Metal breaks, yes, but it has greater elasticity than concrete. This material, however, is much more fragile when faced with impacts. A collision causes a crack in the hull, and this in a boat that weighs so much is a condemnation. That is why, after the Great War, the concrete ship project was abandoned, leaving its construction practically limited to cargo barges, but then the Second World War arrived, and the steel needs of the previous one were repeated. However, the US program was not as ambitious as the one they started … Read more

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