The World Cup final, which lasted almost two years, turned into a diplomatic meeting. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and US President Donald Trump met face-to-face for the first time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.
Both leaders watched the decisive match between Spain and Argentina together. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain also attended the match, situated in a special section reserved for heads of state.
Relations between Washington and Madrid have largely deteriorated over the past two years, primarily concerning defense spending. However, the situation began to ease following the NATO summit held in Ankara last month. The US President noted that Spain had 'completely cleared up' within the alliance by agreeing to significantly increase its defense commitments. This indicates a change in Trump's stance, who had previously sharply criticized Madrid.
For his part, Pedro Sánchez stated that Spain is already meeting its obligations and that defense spending has substantially increased. Nevertheless, he reiterated that he considers the alliance's requirement of 5% of GDP to be 'unfounded and ineffective.' Before the final meeting, the Prime Minister congratulated Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of relations between the two countries in an interview with Spanish national television.
Disagreements between the two nations are not limited to defense. While Madrid condemned Israel's military actions in Gaza as genocide, the American administration categorically rejected such a definition. Furthermore, tensions between the capitals were heightened by Spain's refusal to allow the use of American military bases in Rota and Morón for operations related to the escalating crisis with Iran, citing bilateral defense agreements.
Proteas' fast bowler, Lungie Ngidi, stated that the decisive match for him in the World Test Championship final at Lord's stadium was the main turning point that revived his international career.
Ngidi shared in an exclusive interview with IOL during the Cricket SA (CSA) awards ceremony in Sandton. He noted that all the momentum started precisely when he took three wickets for nine overs and managed to maintain that pace up to the present day.
Before the WTC final in London last June, Ngidi was not a guaranteed player in the squad, and fans and experts actively advocated for the selection of Ntine Olifant Bartman. Nevertheless, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad supported the experienced fast bowler, and the 30-year-old athlete does not regret this decision.
Ngidi explained that the main change was the increase in playing time. He mentioned the coach's words that the more he plays, the better he gets, which was a huge plus for his career. Previously, he lacked time on the field, which led to instability.
Even in the first half of the match at Lord's, Ngidi initially struggled, taking no wickets and conceding 45 runs in eight overs. While Kagiso Rabada (5/51) and Marco Jansen (3/49) dominated the Australian batting, Ngidi managed to change the course of the game in the second half.
He emphasized that Shukri gave him opportunities, and he was able to respond with results, which he believes is a player's duty. Ngidi believes that this decisive match served as a long-awaited boost to his international form. After this, he went to Australia, where he achieved a five-wicket haul, participated in the series in England, and also played in T20, the World Cup, and SA20 in India. He compared this to a snowball effect, where good results lead to new successes.
Ngidi added that in cricket, you often continue to act as you did the day before if the results are positive. This snowball effect, starting with one over at Lord's, changed everything in his career, making it significantly easier than in previous years.
The Australian team is preparing to play a two-match test series on home soil against Bangladesh. Australian cricket has unveiled a squad of 13 players. Well-known athletes such as Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon have returned to the team, where they will now play alongside captain Pat Cummins.
Previously, captain Pat Cummins was absent due to injury, but he has now returned. Before this, Pat Cummins managed to play only one Test match during Ashes 2025-26, while Josh Hazlewood missed the entire Ashes series and could not participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup due to injury. Nevertheless, Hazlewood demonstrated strong form by returning to the RCB squad for IPL 2026, where the team won the trophy twice in a row, and his contribution was significant.
Following the retirement of Usman Khawaja, Travis Head received a promotion and became the opening batsman. Jack Verhodeld will also feature in this series alongside Travis Head. The return of these stars led to some younger players being excluded from the squad. Michael Neeser and Brendan Doggett, who performed excellently in the Ashes, were unable to secure a spot in the team.
Spinner Todd Murphy is also not included in the squad against Bangladesh, although he will train with the team for potential use as a reserve. These three players attracted attention from fans due to their recent performances. Bangladesh is visiting Australia for the first time in 23 years to play a Test series. The first match is scheduled from August 13 to 17 at the Marrira Cricket Grand in Darwin, and the second match will take place from August 22 to 26 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Australia aims to assert its dominance by winning both matches by a large margin.
Over the history between the two teams, 6 Test matches have been played, with Australia securing 5 victories. Bangladesh managed only one win, which was achieved in a match in Mirpur in 2017. In the ICC Test Championship table, Australia holds a confident first place with 7 wins in 8 matches, while Bangladesh is in fourth place with 2 wins in 4 matches.
