When football fans think of the term ‘idol’, one individual who usually springs to mind is the late great Pele. The Brazilian icon transcended the sport and transformed the ‘beautiful game’.

While Lionel Messi chases a second World Cup trophy, Pele sits in a league of his own. He is the only player to have won the tournament on three occasions, firing Brazil to glory in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Pele became football’s first Black global superstar and his attacking brilliance mesmerized fans around the world. More often than not, those who grew up during his era dreamed of following in his footsteps and becoming the next Pele-like talent for their country.

Just like Messi idolised Diego Maradona, Pele too held many greats of the game in high regard. He particularly admired the work of one of Britain’s most successful sportspersons.

‘My Idol for a Coach’ – Pele

Pele opted against entering the football coaching world after calling time on his illustrious playing career. There have been many managers whose names are viewed in the same way as those of the players who take to the pitch.

No individual who has entered the British managerial dugout has ever been as successful as Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot guided Manchester United to 13 Premier League titles during a dominant 26-and-a-half-year reign at Old Trafford.

Ferguson called time on his career in 2013, and Pele was among countless footballing legends to pay tribute. He wrote on X:

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Ferguson was a serial winner who wrote his name into the history books at United and, first, with Aberdeen. He broke Celtic and Rangers’ stranglehold on the Scottish Premiership with three league titles.

Arguably his biggest feat came in 1983 when he led the Dons to a fairytale European Cup Winners’ Cup final victory over Real Madrid. That wasn’t the only time he got his hands on a European trophy, as he became the first manager in English football to win a continental treble in 1999.

When Sir Alex Chose Between Pele & Maradona

Unsurprisingly, Ferguson was a fan of Pele, perhaps why he instructed United to target the South American market during his era. No South American player came close to touching Brazil’s ‘King ‘, even Diego Maradona, if you ask the Scotsman.

Ferguson once weighed in on the debate over Pele and Maradona by revealing his admiration of the Santos hero. He said:

Pele unfortunately never graced European football during his playing days but made plenty of history at Santos. It would have been extraordinary to see the Brazilian rock up at Old Trafford on a UEFA Champions League night.

We are well and truly into the business end of the competition, so thoughts are beginning to turn toward the World Cup Final.

After 103 matches, only two nations will be left standing on the precipice of World Cup glory. But even as teams fall along the way, the eyes of a global footballing audience will remain glued to the spectacle.

There are firm favourites for the trophy, as well as a few dark horses, creating permutations for travel, ticket demand, and match times. So, here is everything you need to know to make your World Cup Final experience a memorable one.

When is the 2026 World Cup Final?

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The World Cup Final will take place on Sunday 19th July at 8pm BST. For fans in the United States, the final will be at 3pm Eastern Time and 12pm Pacific Time. For those watching from Europe and working to Central European Time, the final will begin at 9pm.

For South America, the start time will vary depending on your location within the continent. For those working to UTC-5 (Colombia, Ecuador, western Brazil) and UTC-4 (Paraguay, central Brazil), the final will begin at 3pm.

South American nations working to UTC-3 (Argentina, Uruguay, and eastern/coastal regions of Brazil) and UTC-2 (easternmost islands of Brazil), the final will start at 4pm.

And finally, if you are working to China Standard Time or Australian Western Standard Time, you may need to set your alarms. The final will begin at 3am on Monday 20th July.

Where is the 2026 World Cup Final?

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The World Cup Final will take place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The venue is roughly 5 miles west of New York City.

The stadium is the home of the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants, and is relatively new, having opened in 2010. With 80,000+ capacity and a distinct bowl-like architecture, the venue is designed to provide optimum viewing from every seat.

There are a number of sizeable parking lots within the vicinity of the stadium. However, due to the lots being regulated by parking passes, fans are advised to take advantage of public transport to access MetLife Stadium.

The stadium has its own train station and dedicated shuttle train which can be reached via connections from New York Penn Station or Newark Penn Station. There is also an express bus service that runs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan directly to the Meadowlands Sports Complex where the stadium is situated.

However, it’s not all plain sailing for the modern stadium. France’s Adrien Rabiot and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior both criticised the recently-laid natural grass turf after their country’s respective group games at the venue.

“In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly. The game becomes very sluggish, and we can’t get into our rhythm,” said the Brazilian star after his side’s 1-1 draw with Morocco.

Which Teams Will Be in the Final?

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We will have to wait and see who reaches the 2026 World Cup final, but we have already seen some of the expected challengers drop out in the knockout stage. The likes of Germany, Portugal and Brazil have been sent home, while each of the tournament hosts have also bowed out early.

We will know the identity of the two finalists on July 15, when both semi-final games are concluded.

How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Final

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

In the UK, the World Cup Final’s broadcasting rights will be shared, allowing fans to access live match coverage without any subscription paywalls.

The final will be broadcast live on BBC1 and ITV1 in England and STV in Scotland. Fans will also be able to stream the final via BBC iPlayer and ITVX with a valid UK TV licence.

In the USA, coverage is shared between both English-language and Spanish-language networks, which will provide access for both cable and streaming viewers.

FOX and the network’s accompanying FOX One app hold the primary network rights for English-language users. Telemundo and Universo will provide the Spanish-language coverage in the United States. For those using live TV streaming services, FOX and Telemundo’s World Cup Final live feed will be available through YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu+Live TV, Sling TV (in select markets), and DirecTV Stream.

World Cup 2026 Final Tickets

Tickets for the final can be purchased legally through FIFA’s official Ticket Portal and its Resale/Exchange Marketplace. However, high demand has driven prices considerably beyond the original estimates. World Cup Final tickets have increased by as much as 38% when compared to the December 2025 sales phase.

The last-minute World Cup Final ticket launch has seen Category 1/Premium tickets priced at over $10,000. Fans looking for a deal can explore secondary ticketing platforms like StubHub and SeatGeek, but tickets purchased here are required to be transferred electronically into your official FIFA Mobile Tickets App account.

For those chancing their arms with a last-minute strategy, the FIFA Resale Marketplace remains open for buyers and sellers up until one hour before kick-off. FIFA have also been releasing small batches of returned and unallocated tickets via their website. However, this strategy will require digitally queuing to monitor the ticket portal.

Many of us have placed a bet on sport before, whether it’s football, horse racing, boxing, or UFC.

With Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway rapidly approaching, it’s certain that people will be predicting the outcome of the bout for monetary gain, and the bout itself looks to be one for the ages.

UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway

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McGregor is returning from a five-year hiatus following an injury in his bout against Dustin Poirier, in which he rolled his ankle while stepping back and broke his lower tibia in the process.

While preparing to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024, McGregor suffered a broken toe in training which halted his comeback plans.

Meanwhile, Holloway continued fighting, contending for the UFC featherweight championship against Alexander Volkanovski, which he would lose by unanimous decision.

He went on to win the symbolic UFC ‘BMF’ title when he defeated Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout in 2024, though, would once again fall short of the UFC featherweight championship, losing via knockout to Ilia Topuria.

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On his return to the lightweight division, he successfully defended the BMF title against the aforementioned Poirier by unanimous decision. However, as a result of his loss to Charles Oliveira on the 7th of March 2026 by unanimous decision, he lost the ‘BMF’ title. This was his most recent fight, meaning McGregor isn’t the only one with a point to prove.

With a tantalising spectacle on the cards, it’s natural that some people take betting to the extreme, and the Canadian rapper Drake has done exactly that.

Drake’s UFC 329 Bet

Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, the 39-year-old certainly can afford the high stakes involved in gambling, but the sum he has bet is simply astonishing.

The Toronto-born musician has risked a whopping $1 million, and you might be wondering what the stake is. Well, Drake believes that the ‘Notorious’ McGregor is going to beat Holloway, despite his injury woes, long break, and his mounting list of controversies.

If the Irishman were to prevail, the payout for Drake’s bet would be a staggering $2.85 million, which is hardly something to complain about.

McGregor is considered to be the underdog with +185 odds taken for the rapper’s bet, which is hardly surprising, but he has a long-standing friendship with Drake.

Drake posted his betting slip on his Instagram account with the caption: “The Mac is back? The Proper Twelve drinking, tailored suit wearing, Lambo Yacht riding man with the Dubai tan that once had both belts in both hands… Say less.”

Max Holloway Reacts to Drake’s Bet

However, Holloway appears unfazed by this, particularly as Drake’s bets are known to be a curse for whoever he chooses.

He said: “I think Drake actually is a Max Holloway fan because we know what happens when he bets. So shoutout to Drake.”

Drake lost $1 million earlier this year when he bet that the New England Patriots would beat the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 Super Bowl. The Seahawks would go on to win 29-13.

However, it appears that his curse may be ending, as he placed a $770,000 wager on his home country Canada to beat South Africa and progress to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. This came to fruition and Drake reportedly received a $1 million payout, so he’ll be hoping his bold prediction will come off in an epic fashion and silence the doubters.

Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images

While the insane bet may be placing more pressure on McGregor’s shoulders, the Dubliner won’t be worried when he enters the Octagon. If he can pull off the comeback, it will be one of the greatest in the sport’s history, but if Holloway can end the fairytale, he’ll gain even more notoriety.

It seems certain to be an ethralling bout in the cage, but will McGregor have the luck of the Irish or will he come crumbling back to reality? All will be revealed.