Spain's captain Rodri is preparing for the anticipated 'physical' confrontation with reigning champions Argentina during Sunday's World Cup final. Rodri made a statement during a press conference in Manhattan, noting that Spain intends to ignore any possible provocations from their South American rivals and focus on executing their own tactics.
Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d'Or and plays in the midfield for the Spanish team throughout the World Cup, stated that the final promises to be unlike previous games of European champions. He emphasized that the match will be more intense, and the team needs to be ready for it.
“I think the match on Sunday will be quite different,” the Manchester City star told reporters. “It will be more physical, and we must be ready. But I believe that if there is one thing they know about this national team, it is our ability to play different games depending on the moment.”
Rodri added that the team is very complete, which is why they are in the final. When asked if he expects Argentina to resort to 'provocative' tactics, he replied that it is part of football. He noted that they will see how the game unfolds and prefers to think that Argentina is a team that gives its all and does not take such a path.
Nevertheless, he warned that if such a situation arises, they will have to ignore it and continue playing according to their plan so as not to fall for provocations.
The Spanish captain also expressed respect for his Argentine counterpart Lionel Messi, who is likely to play in the last match of his career, calling him the 'greatest of all time.' However, Rodri cautioned that Argentina is more than one person. He stressed: “What Messi means as a player and for Argentina goes beyond words. Obviously, for me, he is the greatest of all time. But Argentina is much bigger than Messi. They have proven that they are a very complete team with top players.”
He concluded that while Leo must certainly be taken into account, so must many other players.
Argentina reached the final after a difficult playoff run, which included a loss to Cape Verde in extra time, as well as dramatic victories over Egypt and England. Rodri believes these results demonstrate Argentina's mental resilience. “It speaks to their very competitive nature as a national team,” he said. “They are capable of bouncing back from adversity, and we take that into account.”
He added that they know what kind of team they are and will try to damage them as much as possible. Spain, meanwhile, reached the final by defeating tournament favorites France in the semi-finals, neutralizing the coordinated attack of 'Les Bleus' and outperforming the French in the midfield. Rodri admitted that this performance was 'one of the best' ever shown by the current Spanish team, but noted that to beat Argentina, they will need to raise their level higher.
Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel won a thrilling three-way race on the finish line of Stage 15 of the 2026 Tour de France, beating Tadej Pogačar and Isaac Del Toro.
Evenepoel managed to overtake the reigning sprint champion at the end of a challenging 11-kilometer climb. Isaac Del Toro took third place, finishing six seconds behind the winner. After the 183.9-kilometer stage from Champagnol to Plateau de Soleilson, Evenepoel shared his emotions, noting that he was literally trembling with excitement.
He recounted that the day had been very tough, and although he felt unwell at the start, he gradually improved his form. Evenepoel emphasized the difficulty of the race, as he had to compete with the best rider, Tadej Pogačar, and watch him battle Isaac Del Toro for the victory.
After Jonas Vingegaard, who started second in the afternoon, crashed 20 km from the finish line, sustaining an injury similar to a collarbone fracture, Tadej Pogačar increased his overall lead by five minutes. Evenepoel commented on the incident, calling it 'very bad news' for Vingegaard, his team, and the race itself, adding that after such an event, one must focus on maximizing performance.
The Belgian, who previously won the Vuelta a España title, moved up to second place in the general classification. Del Toro advanced from seventh to third place, trailing Evenepoel by almost a minute, and took the white jersey of best young rider from Paul Seix by a margin of 25 seconds. Fourth place was taken by the fifteen-year-old French prodigy, who finished nearly a minute behind the winner, with German Florian Lipovitz riding alongside him.
For Spaniard Juan Ayuso, it was an unsuccessful day: he lost the white jersey to Seix on Saturday, and also lost another minute to the Frenchman and nearly two minutes to Del Toro, dropping to sixth place in the general classification. The main dramatic moment of the day was the crash of two-time former winner Vingegaard. The 29-year-old Dane fell heavily in a corner while his team, Visma-Lease a Bike, set an intense pace to chase the breakaway. Vingegaard looked visibly distressed after the fall, which also caused four other riders, including Del Toro, to crash.
The Dane was helped into medical transport with a stabilized arm. Vingegaard, Giro d'Italia champion, has never previously withdrawn from a Grand Tour. In his five previous participations in the Tour de France, he won the race twice and finished second twice. Monday is declared a rest day before the start of the final week of the tour.
The first round of the Currie Cup demonstrated intense competition, marking the start of an exciting season. During this tournament, which is South Africa's oldest domestic competition, several impressive victories took place, despite attention being diverted to the Springbok rugby team's final match in Durban.
On Friday in Cape Town, the Stormers XXIII team defeated Griquas with a score of 25-19. This victory was secured by a last-minute try, allowing the Cape Town team to start their campaign perfectly. Their next match will be a tough away game against neighbors from Boland in Wellington.
On Sunday in Wellington, Boland Kavaliers managed to defeat the Bulls visitors with a score of 24-10. Although the home team held the advantage in possession and territory, they failed to fully surpass the Bulls. Rainy conditions and careless play from both sides contributed to the match being tense, and referee Griffin Colby was very busy.
Despite both teams behaving indisciplinedly, Boland's forwards ultimately brought them the victory. The win was sealed by a penalty try scored through a powerful maul at the end of the game.
Boland's head coach, Hawies Fourie, noted the contribution of the forwards, stating: 'I must praise our forwards for taking responsibility, and they did well in securing the ball and executing pick-and-go attacks, as well as scoring two maul tries against a good Bulls team.' He also emphasized the importance of maintaining discipline and pride in the team's efforts despite difficult conditions.
In Bloemfontein, Cheetahs XV had to battle the Lions. After the initiative changed between the sides, the home team eventually won with a score of 29-27 in a very exciting, albeit error-filled, confrontation. Cheetahs XV star, two-time Faf de Klerk World Cup winner, distinguished himself with quick play in ball distribution and signature runs.
Faf de Klerk's visionary play attracted the attention of Springbok coaches. However, Lions visitor coach, Mziwakhe Nkosi, was not pleased with his team's opening performance. He admitted that the result did not meet expectations but noted an improvement in defense during the second half. Nevertheless, Nkosi pointed to a lack of discipline as the reason for the defeat and missed opportunities to finish attacks in the 22-meter area.
Furthermore, Sharks XV in Mbombela also showed impressive play, defeating Pumas with a score of 26-24, starting their campaign with a win.
Ryan Gibbons and S'Anara Grove triumphed at the anniversary 40th aQuellé Amashova Durban Classic race on Sunday. They secured the titles of winners in the elite men's and women's races, respectively.
The main race, covering a distance of 106 km, ran from the Pietermaritzburg town hall to the Masabalala Yengva pedestrian bridge in Durban. The event attracted thousands of cyclists, as recent editions were marred by bad weather, but this time the conditions were almost ideal for winter.
For former professional racer Gibbons, the victory was particularly significant as he was able to participate in one of South Africa's largest races after returning from Europe. He finished first with a time of 2:12:11, ahead of Gustav Basson, who took second place with a time of 2:13:24, and Casper Kruger, who secured third place with a time of 2:13:46.
Gibbons, a cyclist from Johannesburg, was part of a four-man breakaway that provided a decisive advantage early in the race, before making his winning move after Inchanghi. He commented: 'This is a very special event. Amashova is one of the biggest events of the year, and standing on the podium for the 40th anniversary was a huge goal.'
In the women's race, Grove demonstrated her superiority, winning the Amashova title for the third consecutive time with a time of 2:30:29. However, she admitted that this year's victory might have been the most enjoyable. Lucy Young took second place with a time of 2:33:49, and Liesel Jordaan received bronze with a time of 2:35:17.
The Durban rider started cautiously in the early stages before making a decisive maneuver on the M13 track after a series of attacks. Grove shared her thoughts: 'I wasn't 100% sure I would win because I wasn't completely confident in my endurance, but I was surprised that I managed to ride solo.'
The founder of the iconic Amashova National Classic, Dave Wiseman, completed the race despite battling various forms of cancer over the past year. Grove, who also won the debut Amashova criterium, emphasized that adaptability was key to her three-year winning streak. She stated: 'Every time requires something different. Things don't always go according to plan, but you have to work with what you have.'
The anniversary edition held special significance for founder Dave Wiseman, who reflected on the growth of the event: it has transformed from a race with just over 100 participants in the early 1980s into one of South Africa's leading cycling events. Wiseman noted: 'We wanted to create an iconic cycling event for KwaZulu-Natal, and it's incredible to see where it has come.'
Wiseman also shared that he completed the race while fighting cancer, calling the start itself one of his proudest achievements. Despite ongoing treatment, he finished in 3:41:00, only a few minutes behind his personal best time. He concluded: 'It was a good day. I feel much better than I did a couple of months ago, and being here for the 40th anniversary means a lot.'
