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‘Pure Joy’ for Matarazzo After Copa del Rey Triumph

Real Sociedad's head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo celebrates after winning the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP)
Real Sociedad's head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo celebrates after winning the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP)
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‘Pure Joy’ for Matarazzo After Copa del Rey Triumph

Real Sociedad's head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo celebrates after winning the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP)
Real Sociedad's head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo celebrates after winning the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP)

Real Sociedad coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was elated after his side defeated Atletico Madrid to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday, making him the first American coach to claim a major trophy with a club from Europe's top five leagues.

La Real triumphed 4-3 in the shoot-out following a pulsating 2-2 draw after extra-time, to win the trophy for only the fourth time in the club's history.

When Matarazzo was appointed in December the Basque team were hovering above the relegation zone, but he has driven them up the table and now to cup glory.

"It's probably the first (major trophy) for an Italian-American," said Matarazzo, a New Jersey native born to Italian immigrant parents.

Matarazzo said it was not until Pablo Marin's decisive penalty in the shoot-out hit the back of the net that he could really begin to take anything in.

"That was the moment where I realized this is real. It's happening," said the coach.

"You visualize success and you believe in it and you trust the players, but until you cross the finish line you don't really have the feeling that what is happening (is happening), and then it happens.

"And with that penalty, it took a couple of moments to realize, but it's just pure joy."

Matarazzo insisted the team's success over the past few months was not just down to him but the daily work that everyone put in, and the quality of the players he has available.

"We have fantastic players, unbelievable players on this squad with unbelievable character," he said.

"(Behind the success is) the daily work and the commitment that we all have to this team and for this club."

Real Sociedad's players, many of them who came through the club's youth system, were also overjoyed.

"I've never walked on water but it has to be like this," said Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored a penalty to put his team 2-1 up before half-time.

"It's tricky to win a trophy with the team of your life. After this my career is complete and I can die happy."

- 'Leave my mind blank' -

Oyarzabal netted from the spot in the 2020 Copa del Rey final to win it for his club but it was without fans in the stadium because of the global pandemic.

This time around it was Pablo Marin who converted the decisive penalty in the shoot-out.

"I tried to leave my mind blank, calm and serene," he said.

"To be able to live through this with these wonderful people is incredible."

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, who last led his team to the Copa del Rey in 2013, rued the opportunities his side wasted to win the game before penalties.

"The chances didn't want to go in," said the coach.

The Rojiblancos still have a chance to lift a trophy this year -- they face Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals, a competition they have never won.

However, Simeone said he needed time to absorb the defeat in Seville.

"I'm not thinking about Arsenal, what happens today hurts me a lot. We needed to win and we couldn't win," said Simeone.

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Sports

‘Heat Dome’ Threatens Sweltering Conditions for World Cup Fans, Players

Ivory Coast goalkeeper Alban Lafont runs his hands through water from a sprinkler as he participates in a training session in Dallas, Monday, June 29, 2026, ahead of the team's World Cup soccer match against Norway. (AP)
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Alban Lafont runs his hands through water from a sprinkler as he participates in a training session in Dallas, Monday, June 29, 2026, ahead of the team's World Cup soccer match against Norway. (AP)
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‘Heat Dome’ Threatens Sweltering Conditions for World Cup Fans, Players

Ivory Coast goalkeeper Alban Lafont runs his hands through water from a sprinkler as he participates in a training session in Dallas, Monday, June 29, 2026, ahead of the team's World Cup soccer match against Norway. (AP)
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Alban Lafont runs his hands through water from a sprinkler as he participates in a training session in Dallas, Monday, June 29, 2026, ahead of the team's World Cup soccer match against Norway. (AP)

Extreme heat will greet fans and ‌players this week at the World Cup, as an imposing "heat dome" settles over the central and eastern United States - plus parts of Canada - as the knockout rounds progress.

The weather phenomenon known as a "heat dome" - a large area of high pressure that traps heat and humidity - could lead to dangerously high temperatures, with heat indices set to hit 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the Midwest and East Coast, according to the US National Weather Service.

Those conditions are set to extend through the Fourth of July holiday weekend in the US, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary, with matches from Toronto to Kansas City to East Rutherford, New Jersey and Philadelphia all feeling the heat.

"Even after the sun goes down, it's still going to be ‌very hot," said ‌AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert. "We're at a pattern that's really going ‌to ⁠be hot during ⁠the good portion of the afternoon and even into the evening hours."

Reppert projects that New York, which will welcome fans for a Round of 16 match in nearby New Jersey on July 5, will see temperatures reach their highest levels since 2013. He added that even matches played in the evening could be affected.

"The sun will be down," he said. "That will help make things better, but it's still going to be hot."

HYDRATION BREAKS FEATURE AT TOURNAMENT

The conditions have the potential ⁠to reignite the issue of player safety and welfare that came ‌up a year ago during the Club World Cup, ‌which was held in the US, when FIFPRO said the scorching weather should serve as a "wake-up call."

FIFA ‌instituted mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in each half in every match for the World ‌Cup this year, a measure that supporters say benefits player welfare, but critics argue disrupts the flow of play at the tournament.

World soccer's governing body did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any additional measures that could be taken for player or fan safety during the expected period of ‌intense heat.

Toronto, which will host a Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia on Thursday, put its "Heat Relief Strategy" into effect ⁠after Environment and ⁠Climate Change Canada issued a heat warning that runs from Tuesday through Friday.

Three of the stadiums hosting matches under the umbrella of the heat dome - Atlanta, Dallas and Houston - have retractable roofs and air conditioning, offering significant relief.

But even the stroll to the modern home of the Dallas Cowboys can feel more like a firewalk, with the concrete-and-asphalt-laden Texas city built for cars and primed to absorb heat.

Alina Mitina, an emergency department physician for Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, said fans should seek out shade as much as possible and watch out for telltale signs of heat-related illness, including dizziness.

"Shady areas will really save lives in these types of situations," said Mitina. "So as long as there's lots of shade and areas to buy water, I think they're going to be in really good shape."

Sports

Lebanon’s Brazil Fans Celebrate a World Cup Round of 32 Win

Supporters of Brazil's national team celebrate, after Brazil defeated Japan in a Round of 32 soccer match at the FIFA World Cup, in Zgharta, northern Lebanon, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP)
Supporters of Brazil's national team celebrate, after Brazil defeated Japan in a Round of 32 soccer match at the FIFA World Cup, in Zgharta, northern Lebanon, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP)
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Lebanon’s Brazil Fans Celebrate a World Cup Round of 32 Win

Supporters of Brazil's national team celebrate, after Brazil defeated Japan in a Round of 32 soccer match at the FIFA World Cup, in Zgharta, northern Lebanon, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP)
Supporters of Brazil's national team celebrate, after Brazil defeated Japan in a Round of 32 soccer match at the FIFA World Cup, in Zgharta, northern Lebanon, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP)

In the northern Lebanese town of Zgharta, Brazilian flags hung from balconies and stone alleyways as families prepared for Brazil’s Round of 32 FIFA World Cup match against Japan.

Children wearing yellow jerseys played football in the streets, while cafés and public squares filled with supporters draped in green and yellow, reflecting a passion for Brazil that stretches across Lebanon.

The connection between the two countries runs deep. Government estimates say between 7 million and 10 million Brazilians have Lebanese ancestry, more than Lebanon’s population of about 6 million.

Those family and cultural ties, shaped by over a century of migration, have helped make Brazil one of the most widely supported national football teams across Lebanon.

Children wearing Brazil jerseys carry a Brazilian flag and a soccer ball as they head with their family to watch the Round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan at the FIFA World Cup, in Zgharta, northern Lebanon, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP)

For many Lebanese fans, Brazil’s attacking style of play, flair and history of producing legendary players have also inspired generations of supporters, passing that passion from parents to their children.

As kickoff approached, drums echoed through the streets and fans gathered around screens to cheer every attack.

“Today we had to work a bit for the win, but I was sure we were going to win,” said Brazil supporter Bagus Fadlallah. “We’re Brazil, and we’ll show everyone what Brazil is really made of.”

After Brazil’s victory, supporters in villages and cities across Lebanon took to the streets, waving Brazilian flags, beating drums and celebrating a team many Lebanese have supported for generations.

Sports

‘We Came from Nothing’: DR Congo Dreams of England World Cup Upset

Congo's Yoane Wissa (20) celebrates scoring their third goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)
Congo's Yoane Wissa (20) celebrates scoring their third goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)
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‘We Came from Nothing’: DR Congo Dreams of England World Cup Upset

Congo's Yoane Wissa (20) celebrates scoring their third goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)
Congo's Yoane Wissa (20) celebrates scoring their third goal during the World Cup Group K soccer match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP)

DR Congo's long road to a first World Cup in 52 years has been beset by challenges that their English opponents in the last 32 on Wednesday could scarcely imagine.

Despite having to navigate 13 qualifiers, a pre-tournament quarantine due to an Ebola outbreak and the instability caused by decades of conflict, the war-torn nation is making its mark on the global stage.

"It's not easy in our country," said Yoane Wissa after his two goals secured his nation's first World Cup win against Uzbekistan and a meeting against England, where the Newcastle striker has played his club football for the past five years.

That is by no means the only English connection in the squad.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was born in London and played for England to under-21 level.

Axel Tuanzebe also represented the Three Lions at youth level and could come up against his former schoolmate and teammate Marcus Rashford in Atlanta.

Of the 26-man squad, 20 were born outside of Congo -- the majority, like Wissa, in France.

The battle for the mineral-rich East Congo has sparked a decades-long conflict between a litany of armed groups and forced families to flee, seeking security in Europe.

"There's a war in East Congo. Every day, every time we wear this shirt, we think about them," added Wissa.

"Because we want peace and for them, I just say 'thank you'. Thank you because we came from far. We came from nothing to be here. Now we write our story with a black pen and we need to be proud."

The roots of an inspiring story on the field come from that tragic backdrop.

Sourcing and recruiting dual-national players has become crucial for smaller nations to punch above their weight in international football.

- 'New generation wants to help' -

Wan-Bissaka was one of those who initially needed some convincing.

Signed by Manchester United for £50 million ($66 million) when just 21, DR Congo swooped when the England career he imagined he would have failed to materialize.

But as the Leopards' star has risen, players are becoming increasingly keen to join the Congolese cause.

Noah Sadiki represented Belgium at youth level and would almost certainly now be a mainstay for the Red Devils had the Sunderland midfielder not switched allegiance.

"There is a new generation that wants to help the people of the country," Sadiki told French sports paper L'Equipe.

Competing as Zaire in 1974, the country's only previous World Cup ended in embarrassment with 14 goals conceded in three defeats.

Over half a century on, Congo's new generation have given a nation reason to dream.

The outbreak of Ebola that has claimed more than 300 lives had had an impact on the team's World Cup preparations.

The United States imposed a 21-day isolation period on players in Belgium before they were allowed to enter.

Their most famous fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga -- known for his statue-like pose honoring the country's first prime minister Patrice Lumumba -- was denied entry to the US.

But the team led by Sebastien Desabre, a Frenchman, has defied the odds.

Congo eliminated African powerhouses Cameroon and Nigeria in qualifying before sealing their place with victory over Jamaica in an inter-continental play-off in March.

Desabre's men then thwarted Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal as Wissa's header secured a 1-1 draw in their opening World Cup game.

A narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia meant they had to beat Uzbekistan to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

Roared on by thousands from the Congolese diaspora in the stands, Wissa was the hero once more in a 3-1 win.

The challenge of England, one of the favorites for the competition, awaits.

But Congo are unlikely to be overawed given the hurdles they have scaled to get to this stage.