Hundreds of fans gathered at the Oceans Mall shopping center in Umhlanga to watch the live broadcast of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final match. The match was between Spain and Argentina.
On Sunday night, Oceans Mall in Umhlanga became a hub of excitement as people gathered to watch the live broadcast of the final. Spain defeated Argentina with a score of 1–0, winning the championship title.
Fans supporting both teams—Argentina and Spain—watched the broadcast on a large screen at Oceans Mall, located in Umhlanga, north of Durban. This event demonstrated a spirit of community based on a love for football.
According to US President Donald Trump, the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the most successful in football history. He noted that during the tournament, revenue exceeded the figures of all previous championships by five times.
Trump stated in an interview with Fox News that he would like to hold a similar competition again. However, he added that they might not be able to host the next World Cup.
It should be recalled that the 2026 World Cup was jointly organized by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament matches were held in 11 cities across the US, including New York (East Rutherford), Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kansas City, and Seattle.
The South African team is preparing to return to Glasgow to participate in the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will begin on Thursday. The memory of the country's memorable campaign in 2014 is still fresh.
Twelve years ago, in the Scottish city, the South African Team won 40 medals, including 13 gold, which was the best result since resuming Commonwealth membership in 1994. Although the current Games are held on a smaller scale and include only 10 sports, South Africa has formed a balanced squad of 112 athletes capable of making a significant impact.
A large part of the optimism is linked to the swimming pool. The world champion Peter Cetze leads in this area, having established himself as one of the best backstroke swimmers in the world. Twenty-five athletes have been selected to represent the South African Team in swimming and para-swimming for the Glasgow 2026 Games. Experienced Commonwealth Games participants such as Chad le Clos are included in the squad.
Peter Cetze, a 21-year-old athlete, arrives in Glasgow as one of the main contenders for South Africa's gold medals in butterfly events at 50, 100, and 200 meters. He previously won gold, silver, and bronze in Birmingham four years ago and has risen in the world rankings.
Besides Cetze, the swimming squad includes many seasoned athletes. Current Commonwealth breaststroke champion Lara van Niekerk aims to add to the two gold medals won in Birmingham. World medalist Kaylen Corbett, versatile Rebecca Meder, and sprinter Erin Gallagher possess all the qualities to compete for the podium.
In athletics, the South African team also has high hopes of repeating the swimmers' success. Sinisifo Dambile demonstrated a breakthrough season and arrives as the fourth fastest 200m runner in the world after recording an impressive time of 19.74 seconds, and he is considered one of the favorites for gold.
Zakiti Nene is in excellent form, ranking third in the world in the 400m event this season after a time trial of 43.89. He has established himself among the elite runners in the one lap and will lead South Africa's mixed 4x400m relay. Middle-distance star Prudence Sekgodiso, who ranks eighth in the world in the women's 800m race this year, travels to Glasgow with realistic medal ambitions. Furthermore, javelin thrower Doug Smith has climbed to eighth place in the world rankings after an outstanding season, making him one of the leading contenders in this discipline.
The team also includes experienced participants such as Marione Fourie, Tshepo Tsithe, Light Pillay, and relay veterans including Gift Leotlelwa, Bradley Nkoanu, and Akani Simbine, which strengthens the athletics squad. In addition to swimming and athletics, Olympic javelin medalist Jo-Anne du Plessis will strive to win another major international medal, and the Spar Proteas team is expected to compete for first place in the rugby tournament.
The South African team will also present strong para-athletes in the disciplines of athletics, swimming, bowling, wheelchair basketball, and powerlifting.
Former world champion Kevin Lerena has announced his intention to return to the cruiserweight division, aiming to capture a third world title. He stated this on Tuesday in North Riding, looking noticeably fitter but maintaining his usual confidence.
Lerena reported that he is returning to cruiserweight to become a three-time world champion. He noted that he was previously told he would never be able to make cruiserweight weight again, but now he is only 6 kg away from the limit. Thus, he plans to become a three-time world champion in this category.
Recently, Lerena lost his WBC title to Riyadh Merhi in the bridgerweight division in Belgium at the end of May. At 34 years old, he made a firm decision to return to the lighter weight class. This fight was a rematch after Lerena defeated Merhi in Johannesburg in 2023. This time, Lerena fought all 12 rounds against his opponent, and the judges scored the fight for Merhi with scores of 116–112, 117–111, and 115–113.
Currently, Lerena is training intensely to shed the necessary weight to compete in the cruiserweight division, whose upper limit is 90.7 kg. His trainer, Peter Smith, set a strict weight goal before the start of official fight preparation. Smith said: 'Get out of the gym, come back in four weeks, and I need you to weigh 97 [kg]'. Lerena replied that this is not a problem since he already weighs 96.9 kg.
However, finding a suitable opponent in the new division may prove to be a difficult task. Lerena emphasized the necessity of achieving a victory. He hopes that in October or November, Peter will look into possible opponents for him, preferably from the top 50 or top 100. Since Lerena ranks fifth in the WBC rankings, he cannot fight just anyone. Lerena added that Peter will study options, which is never easy due to the Rand/Dollar exchange rate, which creates difficulties, but he will definitely return to victories.
