Sport shared the headlines with geopolitics today, as the World Cup provided both triumph and tension. Spain booked their place in the 2026 final with a composed 2-0 win over France, Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sealing a performance built on control and defensive discipline, while attention now swings to England against Argentina, with FIFA’s appointment of referee Ismail Elfath already stirring debate before a ball is kicked. Off the pitch, Arsenal appear ready to reshape their squad, agreeing in principle to sell Leandro Trossard to Besiktas in a deal that would end the Belgian’s productive spell in north London. Beyond sport, a stark reminder of the wider world came with deadly missile strikes on UAE tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the instability surrounding one of the globe’s most vital shipping lanes, while France’s Bastille Day parade turned into a pointed display of European unity behind Ukraine.