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  • 3 min read
  • Argentina beat England 2-1 to reach the 2026 World Cup final.
  • Lionel Messi set up both goals and completed 10 dribbles against England, matching a Maradona feat, per Opta.
  • Spain awaits in the final, staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
  • Opta rates Spain the favorite at 56.05 percent, with Argentina at 43.85 percent.

Messi equals Maradona on one of the World Cup’s harder statistical tests, a comparison that returned after Argentina beat England 2-1 to reach the World Cup 2026 final. A dribble, in match data, counts each time a player takes the ball past a direct opponent while keeping control. Opta logs every successful take-on. By that measure, Messi delivered one of the knockout stage’s clearest individual displays.

How Argentina beat England

England led first. Anthony Gordon scored in the 55th minute of the Argentina vs England World Cup 2026 semifinal. Messi then set up both Argentine goals. Argentina trailed until the 85th minute, when Enzo Fernandez equalized, and Lautaro Martinez won it deep into stoppage time, in the 90th minute plus two. At 39, Messi became the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup semifinal, per Opta. His two assists carried Argentina into another final.

Where Messi equals Maradona

The claim rests on Opta match data. Against England, Messi completed 10 dribbles, and Opta noted he became the second player in the last 60 years to reach that figure against England in a World Cup match. The other was Maradona, in 1986. A dribble counts only when a player beats a direct opponent while keeping the ball, which makes double figures in one game rare. That shared line is where Messi equals Maradona in the record books, and it points back to the fixture that shaped Maradona’s 1986 title run. The 10-dribble tally also extended the Messi dribbles record at the World Cup. Messi set up both Argentine goals as well, lifting his creative numbers further. Across World Cup history, he has moved ahead of Maradona on chances created, 99 to 71. He is tied for most goals at the 2026 tournament, with eight, and holds 33 goal contributions in 33 World Cup matches, the highest total on record. Mbappé sits next with 25.

The Spain vs Argentina final

Spain stands between Argentina and a title defense. Opta rates the Spain vs Argentina final at 56.05 percent in Spain’s favor, with Argentina at 43.85 percent. Those figures are projections and can shift on the day. Luis de la Fuente coaches Spain, whose squad Transfermarkt values at 1.22 billion euros. Argentina’s squad carries a value of 807.5 million euros. The three host nations, the United States, Mexico and Canada, share the tournament, and the final closes it. Messi equals Maradona in reaching a World Cup final as the central figure of an Argentine side, a role Maradona held in 1986.

Head-to-head history

Spain and Argentina have met 14 times. Each nation has won six, with two draws. Only one meeting counted as a competitive fixture, at the 1966 World Cup group stage, where Argentina won 2-1. The rest, played between 1952 and 2018, were friendlies. Their last meeting ended 6-1 to Spain. That scoreline came in a friendly, not a tournament match, which limits its weight for the final. The 1986 reference still frames Argentine expectations, since Maradona scored twice against England in that tournament, drove his team past the quarterfinal, and lifted the trophy. Argentina will try to close 2026 the same way.

TAGS
  • FIFA World Cup 2026, Football, ICN RED, Lionel Messi, Sports

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Dubai Is Ready With Free Autonomous Taxi Service
  • Apollo Go

A single line on the RTA’s social feed told residents their next ride might arrive with no one at the wheel. Dubai is ready with a free autonomous taxi service, and the offer began in two neighbourhoods that hug the coast. The Roads and Transport Authority opened public rides in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah, both close to the beaches, on July 15, 2026.

Riders reach the vehicles through two apps rather than an RTA channel. Uber customers pick the Autonomous option and receive a WeRide car when one is free nearby. Apollo Go users book inside that company’s own app. Fleet allocation depends on how many vehicles sit inside the active zone at the time.

The split behind the wheel is worth noting. Tawasul Transport handles dispatch and operational control for WeRide taxis booked through Uber. Dubai Taxi Company manages local fleet needs for Apollo Go. The technology firms run the driving systems. The licensed operators handle the ground work under RTA supervision.

This Dubai driverless taxi rollout removes something the earlier trips carried. When Uber first offered WeRide rides in December 2025, a vehicle specialist sat inside. The current free service drops that specialist and completes the move to fully autonomous operation.

From testing to public roads

The path here was slow and deliberate. RTA started commercial operations on March 30, 2026, after trials on set roads. By September 2025, more than 60 vehicles from Apollo Go, WeRide and Pony.ai were already running in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.

Apollo Go Dubai began with 50 RT6 vehicles used for testing and data collection. Agreements signed in April 2025 made Dubai the company’s first operating market outside mainland China and Hong Kong. Each RT6 carries 40 sensors and detectors. By April 2025, Apollo Go had logged more than 150 million kilometres of safe driving and over 10 million autonomous trips across several cities.

WeRide ran about 150 autonomous vehicles across the Middle East by December 2025, including more than 100 robotaxis. Anyone asking how to book driverless taxi Dubai rides will find the answer sits inside apps they already use.

What the cars actually do

The autonomous taxi Dubai fleet leans on artificial intelligence, high-definition maps and deep learning. Onboard systems read the road in real time and make driving choices without a person. The software handles intersections, signals, pedestrians and nearby cars while following road rules. These vehicles share open roads with live traffic.

The bigger target

Every robotaxi Dubai adds points toward one number. Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy aims for autonomous operation across 25 per cent of all journeys by 2030. The strategy covers several transport modes, not taxis alone.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, named licensing, infrastructure and operating rules as core requirements back in April 2025. Dubai’s population passed four million residents by December 2025, which lifts demand for taxis and app-based mobility.

The free window has limits Dubai has not spelled out. RTA has not disclosed operating hours, wider route boundaries, or an end date for free pricing. Published plans place 100 vehicles in the first phase and up to 1,000 Apollo Go units within three years. Later reporting suggests a Dh5 fare has since appeared on Apollo Go, a sign the free period may be short. Coverage will widen as demand, service quality and regulatory readiness allow.

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