The Irish Times view on the World Cup: still a beautiful game
Despite crass commercialisation, and political meddling, the finals remain magica
Spain football team
Going Gone – Frank McNally on the rise and fall of Irish go-go dancing
Plus: Diplomacy requires envoys of bad luck to avoid Spain’s and Argentina’s embassies on Sunday
Spain v Argentina: Johan Cruyff’s legacy clear as the nation that shaped Messi faces its masterpiece
The World Cup final pits the Spanish collective against the most extravagant talent to emerge from its football culture
Paul Howard watched every World Cup game – here’s what he learned
In the News podcast: Bloated tournament shows how little Fifa cares about players, says Howard
Why Catalans and Basques will be watching the World Cup final out of the corner of their eye
Spain’s march through the football tournament triggers mixed emotions in the two regions, which both have long separatist histories
Spain’s victory over France intensifies mysterious grip Luis de la Fuente exerts on his squad
Hypnotic belief in the collective process takes Spain to final destination
World Cup semi-final: Masterful Spain display knocks France out - as it happened
Oyarzabal and Porro score in semi-final as Spain go through to face Argentina or England
Spain show cold ruthless streak to hit France twice and reach World Cup final
Oyarzabal and Porro scored as Spain toyed and frustrated France and struck two goals with cold ruthlessness
‘Heir to Messi and Maradona’: Spain’s Lamine Yamal ready to break French hearts again
Winger’s talent has potential to advance perceived limits of football itself, it seems
Mikel Merino puts Spain into World Cup semi-finals after Lammens blunder
Manchester United goalkeeper came on after Thibaut Courtois was injured late in second half
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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