Global Pulse

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大洋洲

  • Suspected ringleader among eight facing court over SA fight club trend

    Suspected ringleader among eight facing court over SA fight club trend

    Weeks after shocking unsanctioned youth fight videos sparked public fury across South Australia, police have announced a major breakthrough in their investigation: the 17-year-old suspected of organizing the underground “South Australian Fight Club” has been arrested and charged, joining seven other young people who will soon appear in court for their alleged involvement.

    The controversy erupted earlier this month when graphic clips of organised brawls between teenagers began circulating on social media. Filmed in a hidden location in Adelaide’s northern Elizabeth suburbs, the footage revealed a structured, unregulated fighting circuit modeled after professional combat sports. Participants were divided by weight classes, awarded championship belts, and fought under formalised rules, with competitors as young as 13 taking part in the violent, unauthorized matches.

    South Australia Police confirmed on Wednesday that the alleged ringleader, a 17-year-old resident of Davoren Park, was taken into custody at his home earlier this week. He faces 14 total charges: seven counts of aiding and abetting public fighting, and an additional seven counts of publishing material that depicts criminal offences. Following his arrest, the teen was released on bail and is scheduled to make his first appearance at Elizabeth Youth Court on September 4.

    He is not the only young person facing legal consequences for the scheme. Police have confirmed that seven other teenagers have been linked to the fight club and will be summoned to court at a later date. The group of co-accused includes a 14-year-old boy from Elizabeth South, a 14-year-old from Hillier, a 17-year-old from Elizabeth, a 13-year-old girl from Elizabeth Downs, a 15-year-old girl from Paralowie, a 17-year-old from Salisbury, and a 14-year-old from Riverle. The youngest person implicated in the case is the 13-year-old girl, making up two female suspects among the eight total people facing court proceedings.

    When the fight club first came to light, it triggered immediate widespread condemnation from community leaders and the public. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas previously spoke out against the unregulated brawls, saying he was “absolutely appalled” by the activity. “It is completely unsafe and perpetuates raw violence in a way that cannot be tolerated, particularly among children,” Malinauskas said in the wake of the videos going viral.

    Authorities launched a full investigation after the footage emerged, and have previously confirmed they are working to identify more than 36 additional people suspected of participating in or organizing the fight events. The arrest of the alleged ringleader marks the most significant progress in the case to date, as police continue to untangle the full scope of the underground youth fighting ring.

  • Actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia, agent confirms

    Actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia, agent confirms

    Veteran actor Sam Neill, whose decades-long career cemented him as one of the most beloved screen talents of his generation, has died at 78 from pneumonia, his long-time agent has confirmed. The New Zealand icon passed away on Monday at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, with his family describing the passing as sudden and unforeseen.

    Agent Philip Grenz released the official clarification on Thursday, pushing back against widespread misinformation and false reports circulating in media about the cause of Neill’s death. Years after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, Neill announced full remission earlier this April, and his family confirmed he remained cancer-free at the time of his death.

    In his statement, Grenz shared that before his final illness, Neill had successfully beaten lymphoma through the innovative CAR-T therapy. Over the past 12 months, the prolific actor even completed back-to-back filming for four separate projects, all of which are scheduled for release over the coming months. “As Sam Neill’s longtime rep, I spoke with his family and wish to clarify some details for his fans,” Grenz wrote. “Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.”

    Born in Northern Ireland and raised in New Zealand, Neill was famously an intensely private individual who shied away from public fanfare. Per his wishes, his family will hold a small, private memorial service at his New Zealand farm at a date yet to be confirmed. Grenz asked the public and media to respect the privacy of Neill’s loved ones as they grieve, thanking those who have already honored that boundary during this incredibly difficult period.

    News of Neill’s passing quickly prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the globe, with messages from fellow actors, political leaders, and millions of adoring fans. Laura Dern, Neill’s co-star in the iconic *Jurassic Park* franchise, remembered him as “my beloved lifetime friend”. Australian screen star Toni Collette called him a hero, a legend, and a sweetheart, while New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon praised Neill as “one of the greats”.

    Neill rose to international fame for his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in the groundbreaking 1993 *Jurassic Park*, a role that would define his decades-long career. Beyond his most famous turn, he built an extensive resume that included standout roles in celebrated films such as *The Piano*, *The Hunt for Red October*, *Dead Calm*, and *Event Horizon*, as well as a fan-favorite arc in the hit BBC drama *Peaky Blinders*. Across more than 50 years in the entertainment industry, Neill accumulated over 150 official screen credits, establishing a reputation for versatility and quiet charisma that endeared him to audiences of all generations.

    His most recent on-screen appearances arrived in 2025, with the feature film *The Fox* and the Netflix original series *Untamed*. Fans can expect to see two more posthumous performances from Neill, with *Godzilla x Kong: Supernova* and *The Last Resort* slated for release in 2027.

    In his 2023 memoir *Did I Ever Tell You This?*, Neill opened up publicly about his cancer diagnosis and the challenges of his treatment. In an interview with the BBC at the time of the book’s release, he shared a profound perspective on his illness and mortality: “I’m not afraid of dying. What I don’t want to do is to stop living, because I really enjoy living. I’ve regarded it as an adventure, quite a dark adventure, but an adventure nevertheless.”

    Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.

  • AFL 2026: Hawthorn star Will Day has been ruled out, three key Hawks to return

    AFL 2026: Hawthorn star Will Day has been ruled out, three key Hawks to return

    Ahead of this Sunday’s highly anticipated AFL clash between Hawthorn and Richmond at the MCG, Hawthorn head coach Sam Mitchell has confirmed that star midfielder Will Day will miss the matchup, a casualty of a corked calf sustained during last week’s rain-soaked game against Carlton. Day had turned in consistent, impressive performances for the Hawks this season after working his way back from a long, frustrating run of prior injuries, quickly cementing himself as a core playmaker in the club’s midfield rotation. While the injury is minor, Mitchell confirmed that Day’s withdrawal aligns with a pre-planned rest strategy the club designed to manage the young midfielder’s workload as the regular season winds down and the finals series approaches. Speaking directly to fans and media to curb unnecessary speculation about the nature of Day’s injury, Mitchell said, “I just know you guys will want to speculate about a hundred things, so I’d rather do it on the record. He got a cork in the calf and he wasn’t going to be able to train today … we knew he wouldn’t play 14 straight, so we knew he’d have to miss a game at some stage. He’s got the corked calf, so he’ll miss this one unfortunately, but it was going to happen somewhere over the next month anyway.” Mitchell added that the club had always planned for Day to miss one regular season game in the coming four weeks to protect his fitness ahead of September, and the minor calf knock simply solidified the timing of his rest. While Hawthorn will be without one of its most dynamic midfield playmakers, the club is set to welcome back three key contributors to its lineup for the Richmond clash. Defender Josh Weddle returns to the side after completing a suspension, young forward Nick Watson is in line to make his comeback after managing nagging hamstring soreness, and utility Josh Battle has been cleared to return following a full recovery from appendicitis. Mitchell confirmed all three players will complete a full training session ahead of the game, and that they will take the field this Sunday if they get through the session without any issues. “(Watson) has to get through training and make sure he’s all good, but he’ll do full training, if he gets through that, he’ll play. I believe it’s the same (for Battle), I think he’s got full training ahead. If he gets through that, then he’ll play as well,” Mitchell said. The blockbuster matchup between Hawthorn and Richmond is set to kick off this Sunday at the MCG, with both teams vying for crucial momentum ahead of the 2024 AFL finals series.

  • Billionaire Judith Neilson’s former secretary hit with new fraud charges

    Billionaire Judith Neilson’s former secretary hit with new fraud charges

    A high-profile fraud case involving one of Australia’s most prominent billionaire philanthropists has taken a new turn, with prosecutors adding 12 fresh criminal charges against the woman accused of stealing $1.6 million from her employer. Annalouise Spence, 51, who served as Judith Neilson’s personal secretary for several years until 2025, now faces a total of 140 charges connected to the alleged misuse of Neilson’s business credit card. The 12 new counts, all formalized in court on Thursday, are additional charges of dishonestly obtaining property through deception.

    Investigators allege that between December 2019 and November 2024, Spence used the company credit card to fund years of unauthorized spending on high-end personal goods and experiences. Among the documented extravagant purchases is a $29,118 trip to Seattle, Washington, which included first-class airfare and concert tickets to see the iconic rock band The Cure. Prosecutors have put the total value of the misappropriated funds at roughly $1.6 million Australian dollars.

    Neilson, a respected figure in Australia’s cultural and philanthropic sectors, is best known for founding the Judith Neilson Foundation, which supports at-risk communities across Australia and sub-Saharan Africa. She also owns two leading contemporary art galleries in Sydney, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016 for her contributions to the arts, and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of New South Wales. She is the former wife of prominent Australian investment billionaire Kerr Neilson.

    Spence spent two months in pre-trial detention at Dillwynia Correctional Centre, a maximum-security women’s facility near Sydney, before she was granted bail in mid-June. Her release required a $1 million surety, and strict bail conditions mandate that she remain in a Sydney eastern suburbs mental health facility for ongoing treatment, a arrangement her legal team says will continue for the foreseeable future.

    During Thursday’s court hearing, Spence’s lead barrister Bryan Wrench, a high-profile Sydney legal figure, told the magistrate his team has yet to receive any official evidence brief from prosecutors in the case, despite the investigation dating back to April 2026. In an unusual and pointed observation, Wrench also noted the irony of Spence’s pre-trial detention: Neilson, the alleged victim, is a major donor to a prominent Australian organization that advocates for keeping low-risk women offenders out of prison.

    Wrench requested that Spence be excused from attending the next court hearing, scheduled for August 27, due to her ongoing residential mental health treatment. Magistrate Clare Farnan did not push back on the delay in evidence disclosure, noting that the slow progress in this case was far less problematic than other matters on her court docket that day.

  • Prosecutors set to appeal bail decision for teen allegedly found with bomb-making tutorials

    Prosecutors set to appeal bail decision for teen allegedly found with bomb-making tutorials

    A legal dispute over the bail release of an Australian teenager charged with terrorism-linked offenses is unfolding after prosecutors confirmed they will challenge a juvenile court’s ruling that granted the teen his freedom after nearly four months in detention. The case first came to light in mid-March, when Australian Border Force officers intercepted a prohibited ISIS flag being shipped into the country from China, which the then-17-year-old had attempted to import.

    Two weeks after the border seizure, agents from the Australian Federal Police executed a search warrant at the teenager’s family home in Melbourne, seizing multiple personal electronic devices for forensic analysis. Investigators claim the devices contained a cache of extremist content, including step-by-step bomb-making instructional videos and manuals, ISIS propaganda material, and search history showing the teen looked into topics ranging from train derailment methods to the locations of Melbourne synagogues and heavily trafficked city intersections. Law enforcement further alleges that for three years leading up to his arrest, the teen actively attempted to hide his online activity by using an encrypted browser to avoid detection.

    Notably, during the search of the property, police did not recover any precursor chemicals for explosive manufacturing, weapons, or physical equipment tied to bomb construction. The teen currently faces two formal charges: collecting and creating documents that could reasonably facilitate a terrorist act, and importing a banned organization flag, with prosecutors confirming additional charges remain under active consideration.

    Law enforcement had strongly opposed the teen’s bail application, arguing that he was in the process of self-radicalization and posed a significant risk of carrying out a lone-wolf terrorist attack. However, the court received testimony from a clinical psychiatrist who conducted a comprehensive assessment of the accused. The psychiatrist concluded that while there were legitimate grounds for concern about potential self-radicalization, there was no clear evidence that the teen was on an irreversible path to committing violent acts.

    The assessment found no proof the teen had actively planned violent attacks, acquired the materials needed to carry out harm, or reached the conclusion that violence was a necessary or unavoidable step. The psychiatrist added that all the teen’s activity remained at the research stage, with no indication of imminent violence. The court also heard that the teenager has an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, a key factor considered in the bail ruling.

    In a written statement submitted to the Children’s Court, the teen acknowledged he had made serious errors, described his time in custody as a jarring and upsetting experience, expressed regret for the pain he had caused his family, and pledged to avoid any activity that would result in him being returned to detention.

    Children’s Court President Jack Vandersteen, who issued the bail ruling, noted that while law enforcement’s concerns about the accused remained substantial, the evidence before the court demonstrated the teen’s risk to the public could be effectively managed through stringent bail conditions. “The risk can be managed by a very strict structure and treatment-informed bail regime,” Vandersteen stated. The conditions include 24/7 intensive supervision, continuous electronic monitoring, mandatory regular check-ins at a local police station, a strict curfew, and a ban on entering within 100 meters of any Jewish place of worship.

    Shortly after the ruling was issued, prosecutors announced they would file an appeal of the bail decision with the Supreme Court of Victoria, and are seeking a stay of the original judgment that would keep the teen in detention through the appeal process.

  • ‘Their opinion doesn’t really count’: Craig Bellamy hits back at critics as Storm try to defy injury toll to extend finals streak

    ‘Their opinion doesn’t really count’: Craig Bellamy hits back at critics as Storm try to defy injury toll to extend finals streak

    One of the National Rugby League’s most respected and long-serving coaches, Craig Bellamy of the Melbourne Storm, has pushed back against widespread public skepticism that his decimated squad will fall short of a coveted finals berth this season, as the team prepares for a high-stakes round 20 showdown with the Sydney Roosters this Friday.

    Melbourne currently sits 10th on the NRL ladder, four points adrift of the top eight that qualifies for the post-season. This position comes after a remarkable mid-season turnaround: earlier in the year, the club suffered a historic seven-match losing streak, its longest on record, but has since fought back to keep its finals hopes alive. Notably, the Storm has not missed a finals spot since 2010, when the club was forced to forfeit all competition points as punishment for major salary cap breaches, a result that keeps that current drought-free run on the line.

    A major blow to the Storm’s prospects came when the club confirmed its two superstar starting halves, Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster, would both miss Friday’s critical clash against the Roosters. Munster, one of the league’s top playmakers, underwent knee surgery to repair damaged cartilage and is set to be sidelined for between four and six weeks. Hughes, meanwhile, has been ruled out with persistent hamstring soreness, an issue that already forced him to miss the team’s round 17 defeat to the Manly Sea Eagles. Bellamy explained that Hughes had played through the discomfort for weeks to help the team, but the injury had progressed to a point where rest was unavoidable.

    This latest wave of key injuries is far from the first setback the Storm has navigated this season. The squad has already been without Eli Katoa for the entire campaign after he suffered a life-threatening brain bleed, star winger Xavier Coates has missed all matches to date due to an Achilles injury, and forward Tui Kamikamica has not taken the field since round 4 after suffering a stroke.

    Despite the stacked list of absences, Bellamy says his playing group has deliberately tuned out external commentary that has already written off their 2024 finals chances. “I don’t think these guys take too much notice of people who haven’t played the game, haven’t coached the game. Their opinion doesn’t really count,” Bellamy told reporters. “We prepare the best we can to play the best we can. That’s all we worry about down here.”

    To replace the injured starting halves, Bellamy has named fill-in playmakers Tyran Wishart and Trent Toelau to step into the void, alongside captain Harry Grant, who will lead the game plan on Friday. The veteran coach said he has issued a straightforward directive to his inexperienced replacements: focus on executing their individual roles, stick to the team’s game plan, and do not let the pressure of the moment derail their performance. He added that while losing two star playmakers is far from ideal, the injury crisis opens a rare opportunity for the fringe squad members to prove themselves at the top level, saying he hopes the pair “grab that opportunity with both hands.”

    For Melbourne to lock in a spot in the finals, the team will need to win at least five of its remaining seven regular season matches. Rejecting the idea that the squad should dwell on its bad injury luck, Bellamy said a solution-focused approach is the only way forward. “If you sit around and worry about what the situation is, then you’re not going to get anywhere,” he said. “It’s a matter of this is what our situation is and this is what we need to do, get on with it and do it the best we can.”

  • AFL 2026: Collingwood to make changes for with Carlton

    AFL 2026: Collingwood to make changes for with Carlton

    One of the Australian Football League’s most anticipated rivalry clashes is just days away, and Collingwood has confirmed last-minute changes to its 22-man squad for Saturday night’s high-stake showdown against traditional foe Carlton.

    Magpies head coach Craig McRae announced Thursday that the side will lean into youthful attacking energy inside 50, recalling 20-year-old key forward Charlie West and young prospect Harvey Harrison to the senior lineup. The selection shake-up comes at the cost of veteran defender Jeremy Howe, who has been rested from this week’s match to manage minor wear and tear, with a short five-day turnaround between this round and next week’s fixture looming on the calendar.

    Howe’s spot in the defensive backline will be filled by returning defender Isaac Quaynor, who was close to selection last week after a recent injury layoff. McRae explained that while the 16-season veteran passed a Thursday fitness test, coaching staff made the deliberate call to hold him out to avoid a higher risk of more serious damage. “We could arguably push Howe to the line, but then we may be at risk of further injury, so we’ll leave him out this week,” McRae told reporters. “When we’ve got a five-day break coming, it’ll be touch and go to put him out there … why are we pushing a guy to the edge when we have further risk of injury? He should be available for next week’s fixture with the extra recovery time.”

    For West, the recall marks a well-earned second chance at senior football, after a dominant VFL (reserve league) campaign that has seen the young key forward boot 23 goals from his matches this season, with multiple scoring opportunities in every outing. McRae highlighted West’s elite one-on-one marking ability as a critical asset the side will need against Carlton, adding that the young forward will bring much-needed fresh energy to Collingwood’s attacking 50. “Charlie is going to play, it’s a good pick-up,” McRae said. “He’s a great one-on-one mark and we think that’s going to be something we need this week.”

    Beyond the Magpies’ selection changes, McRae also weighed in on the stunning resurgence of Carlton this season, which has seen the Blues post seven wins from their past eight matches under caretaker coach Josh Fraser. The turnaround comes as no surprise to McRae, who worked closely alongside Fraser for three seasons during Fraser’s tenure as Collingwood’s VFL coach and head of player development. In fact, McRae says Carlton’s current playing style bears a clear resemblance to the Magpies’ own gameplan.

    “Yeah, (they’re) playing a lot like Collingwood, really, there’s a lot of Collingwood flavour to it,” McRae said. “I say that respectfully, he spent a lot of time in our building. They’re defending the ground well and maintaining possession really well, so the game at times is going to be a bit of a struggle, a bit of a wrestle.” McRae added that the clash will differ from the Magpies’ past four outings, which have been high-flow, high-turnover matches. Still, he expressed confidence that his side is prepared for any style of contest: “We’ve got the tools and resources to get the job done in whatever environment we’re in.”

  • Huge step forward for major $3bn data centre set to be built in Sydney

    Huge step forward for major $3bn data centre set to be built in Sydney

    One of Australia’s leading technology firms has cleared a critical milestone for its landmark multibillion-dollar data centre development in Sydney, closing a $240 million land acquisition to pave the way for construction. Macquarie Technology announced this week that it had secured a 34,200-square-meter site in Sydney’s growing northern suburb of Macquarie Park, located between Talavera Road and the M2 motorway, for what will be its fourth data centre on the city’s existing Macquarie Park campus. The total investment for the ambitious project is pegged at $3 billion, marking one of the largest private sector data infrastructure investments in recent Australian history.

    If the project receives all required planning and regulatory approvals from local government authorities, the firm expects to complete initial construction by the end of 2029. Beyond expanding its domestic data storage and processing capacity, the development is designed to support long-term digital sovereignty for Australia, according to senior company leadership. Group executive David Hirst emphasized in comments to the Australian Financial Review that critical digital infrastructure cannot be offshored if Australia wants to maintain control over its citizens’ sensitive data. “The modern world doesn’t run without compute infrastructure. The most responsible place for it to be is inside a data centre,” Hirst said. “All those applications that we use today, if we don’t put them inside sovereign Australian data centres today, then they’ll be consumed or built offshore – and then we have no control.”

    In an official disclosure filed with the Australian Stock Exchange, Macquarie Technology outlined additional community and academic benefits tied to the project. The new campus will foster collaborative research, technology development, and hands-on learning opportunities in partnership with nearby Macquarie University, aligning with the company’s longstanding campus-style development model. Unlike many large-scale infrastructure projects that prioritize commercial outcomes exclusively, the development includes major public amenity investments: the firm will transform a long-neglected industrial plot on the site into a half-hectare public park, which will feature an outdoor art gallery showcasing work from local university art students.

    This community-focused addition builds on 16 years of local investment by Macquarie Technology in the City of Ryde region, where the company has previously supported early childhood literacy programs, high school career planning initiatives, and graduate employment pathways for local students. Currently, Macquarie Technology’s existing network of six Australian data centres – two based in Canberra and four in Sydney, including one in the Sydney CBD and three already operating at Macquarie Park – primarily serve critical domestic sectors, including national and local government agencies, financial institutions, and public and private hospitals. The new fourth Macquarie Park facility will not only expand capacity for these core use cases but also create specialized infrastructure capable of supporting the training of large artificial intelligence models, a fast-growing demand segment for domestic data infrastructure.

    The project comes amid a national push to grow Australia’s sovereign digital capacity and capture economic opportunities from the global AI boom, with industry leaders noting that increased local infrastructure will reduce reliance on offshore data providers and strengthen the nation’s digital resilience.

  • ‘There’ll be a decision’: Roosters provide update on Lindsay Collins as mystery surrounds Sam Walker’s future

    ‘There’ll be a decision’: Roosters provide update on Lindsay Collins as mystery surrounds Sam Walker’s future

    The Sydney Roosters are prioritizing long-term player safety over a quick return for veteran forward Lindsay Collins, as the representative player continues his recovery from a recent concussion sustained in late June. Head coach Trent Robinson has outlined the club’s deliberate, cautious approach to Collins’ comeback, revealing a final call on the 30-year-old’s return to matchday action will be made next Monday.

    Collins suffered the latest head knock during a June 26 clash against the Brisbane Broncos, where he developed noticeable concussion symptoms during halftime and was immediately pulled from the game. The injury forced him to miss the high-stakes State of Origin decider, and he was also sidelined for the Roosters’ narrow victory over the Parramatta Eels last weekend. He has not been included in the matchday squad for Friday’s highly anticipated showdown against the Melbourne Storm, though a potential return for the following week’s fixture against the Newcastle Knights remains on the table if his recovery progresses as expected.

    The club’s extra precaution stems from Collins’ well-documented history of repeated head knocks, and as of this week, the forward has not yet resumed full contact training with the squad. “He’s had a really good week, and I’d say Monday there’ll be a decision on the following week,” Robinson told reporters ahead of the Storm clash. “It’s just a cautious approach. Obviously he couldn’t play Origin and that took him out, so we’ve just taken a bit of a longer route to get him back on the field and do it in the right way.”

    In other squad updates, strike centre Robert Toia, who was initially named on the bench as backline cover, will also miss Friday’s match after carrying heavy fatigue from a gruelling State of Origin campaign. The Roosters will welcome back two representative players, however: hooker Reece Robson and young halfback Sam Walker, both of whom were rested for last week’s Eels fixture to recover from their Origin commitments.

    Amid ongoing contract negotiations surrounding Walker’s future with the club, Robinson offered glowing praise for the 20-something playmaker following his breakout maiden State of Origin series for the Queensland Maroons, where he claimed the prestigious man-of-the-match award in the series’ second game. Robinson highlighted the clear developmental benefits Walker gained from the high-level representative experience, noting that the opportunity has already elevated his on-field performance back at club level.

    “I’ve seen some really good understanding. I thought he played exceptionally well in his first series. I thought his understanding of what was needed was great,” Robinson said. “I’ve seen some real benefits walking back in here from that time, so that’s a real positive. Sammy’s been on a path for a long period of time. He’s played a lot of footy already, over 100 games at his age. Now he’s played Origin, and the best years are still yet to come for Sammy. That development and any experience you get over and above the round games of footy – whether you play finals footy, whether you play grand finals, whether you play State of Origin, whether you play for your country – they’re all experiences that layer on towards better development as a player.”

  • Messi’s Argentina stun England in comeback to reach World Cup final

    Messi’s Argentina stun England in comeback to reach World Cup final

    In a drama-charged World Cup semi-final that will go down as one of the most memorable chapters in the decades-long Argentina-England football rivalry, Lautaro Martinez’s 92nd-minute match-winning header sealed a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory for defending champions Argentina, who will now face European champions Spain in Sunday’s historic final. Played out in front of a packed crowd of 68,239 fans at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the contest lived up to every bit of its billing as a clash between two of the sport’s most storied national sides.