Porro reveals story behind special goal celebration

Doha, Qatar: Whenever the wife of Spain right-back Pedro Porro asks their nearly one-year-old son how his father celebrates his goals, little ‘Pedrito’ plops down on the floor and raises his very small fist. Unfortunately, a small fever prevented Pedrito from being at Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final against France, with Porro’s mother staying behind to take care of the infant. syntagm.co.za

But that was not about to stop Porro from having a special father-son moment after he scored the second goal in La Roja’s 2-0 victory over Les Bleus. Imitating little Pedrito, Porro sat down on the pristine Dallas Stadium grass and raised his hand skyward.

“[My mother] didn’t come because my little one had a fever,” said Porro about the celebration. “It’s normal – it could be teething, growing pains, or any number of things. But I decided he should stay at the hotel. Everything’s fine, though. I gave him a little wave, and hopefully he’ll be feeling a bit better tomorrow.”

It was the highlight of a magical day for Porro, who just 24 hours earlier commented to assembled reporters that he hoped Tuesday would “be Lamine Yamal’s day”.

As it turns out, much of the final four encounter belonged to Porro himself, who scored his second goal at these global finals when he polished off a slick one-two combination with Dani Olmo.

His two goals puts him in rarefied air, with the Tottenham man equalling the legendary Fernando Hierro for most World Cup goals by a Spain defender with two.

“I’m very happy about that statistic, but I think the victory belongs to the team,” said Porro. “The victory belongs to the 26 of us, to the coaching staff, to everyone supporting us back home, to everyone here cheering us on. I’d like to dedicate it to all of them – it’s not easy for all the families who’ve come all the way here.” (FIFA)

أعرب بدر بن محمد الدرويش، رئيس الاتحاد القطري للفروسية والخماسي الحديث، عن بالغ الحزن والأسى لوفاة المغفور له بإذن الله صاحب السمو الأمير الوالد الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني، طيب الله ثراه، مؤكداً أن دولة قطر فقدت قائداً تاريخياً صاحب بصيرة ورؤية أسهمت في وضع أسس النهضة الشاملة التي تشهدها البلاد اليوم. وقال إن مسيرة صاحب السمو الأمير الوالد ستظل حاضرة في وجدان أبناء الوطن، لما قدمه سموه من جهود مخلصة في خدمة قطر، وما حققه من إنجازات عززت مكانتها إقليمياً ودولياً، وأسهمت في بناء دولة حديثة تقوم على الطموح والتميز والإنسان. وأضاف رئيس الاتحاد القطري للفروسية والخماسي الحديث أن القطاع الرياضي، والفروسية على وجه الخصوص، حظي بدعم ورعاية كبيرة خلال عهد سمو الأمير الوالد، الأمر الذي كان له بالغ الأثر في تطور الرياضة القطرية وتحقيقها العديد من النجاحات والإنجازات على مختلف المستويات. وأكد أن أبناء قطر سيواصلون السير على نهج القيادة الرشيدة، مستلهمين من إرث صاحب السمو الأمير الوالد قيم العطاء والعمل والبناء، سائلاً الله العلي القدير أن يتغمد الفقيد بواسع رحمته، وأن يلهم حضرة صاحب السمو الشيخ تميم بن حمد آل ثاني أمير البلاد المفدى، والأسرة الحاكمة الكريمة، والشعب القطري الصبر والسلوان.

Doha, Qatar: While nations battle for World Cup glory, Europe’s biggest clubs have quietly staged a contest of their own in North America.

From goals that have decided knockout ties to assists that have unlocked stubborn defences, players from a handful of elite clubs have left the biggest mark on FIFA World Cup 2026. And with the tournament now entering its final stages, no club has influenced the competition more than Real Madrid.

The 15-time UEFA Champions League winners sit comfortably at the top of the club standings with an outstanding 30 goal involvements 19 goals and 11 assists a reflection of the quality spread throughout their squad.

Much of Real Madrid’s success has come through Kylian Mbappe, who has once again delivered on football’s biggest stage.

The France captain has contributed eight goals and three assists, while Jude Bellingham has combined six goals with one assist to inspire England’s run to the semi-finals. Vinicius Junior has added four goals and an assist for Brazil, while Brahim Diaz has chipped in with four assists, highlighting Madrid’s influence across several nations.

Bayern Munich are the closest challengers with 21 goal involvements, built around two players who have excelled in different ways. Harry Kane has once again been England’s driving force with six goals and one assist, while Michael Olise leads the tournament assist chart with five assists.

Joshua Kimmich has also played his part with two assists as Bayern’s internationals have continued to deliver when it mattered most.

Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Liverpool are level on 20 goal involvements each, although each club has reached that total in a different way.

Fresh from their UEFA Champions League triumph, Paris Saint-Germain have produced 14 goals and six assists. Ousmane Dembele has led the way with five goals and two assists for France, while Achraf Hakimi has contributed one goal and two assists for Morocco. Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue have also played their part, highlighting the depth within the French champions’ squad.

Arsenal’s tally has been built on nine goals and 11 assists from players representing several nations. Kai Havertz has scored three goals for Germany, while Leandro Trossard has added two goals and two assists for Belgium. Martin Odegaard has four assists for Norway, and Mikel Merino has delivered when the pressure has been greatest, scoring the winning goals in Spain’s Round of 32 and quarter-final victories.

Bukayo Saka has also contributed three assists for England.

Liverpool have matched Arsenal and PSG with 20 goal involvements, made up of seven goals and 13 assists. Cody Gakpo has registered three goals and one assist for the Netherlands, while Alexander Isak has contributed one goal and three assists during Sweden’s impressive campaign. Florian Wirtz has added three assists and Ryan Gravenberch has also contributed two assists for the Netherlands, ensuring Liverpool’s internationals have remained among the tournament’s most influential creators.

What makes the numbers even more impressive is that they have not been driven by one or two superstars alone. Between them, the five clubs have produced 111 direct goal involvements through 38 different players, accounting for a significant share of the attacking contributions in a tournament that has produced 291 goals so far.

As the race for the World Cup trophy enters its decisive phase, the battle among nations continues to take centre stage. Yet behind many of the tournament’s defining moments have come from players of the same five clubs.

قال يوسف كانو، أمين السر العام للاتحاد القطري للكرة الطائرة: إن رحيل صاحب السمو الأمير الوالد الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني يُعد خسارة كبيرة لدولة قطر، إلا أن إرثه سيظل رمزًا وطنيًا وقيادةً استثنائية أسهمت بحكمتها ورؤيتها الثاقبة في بناء دولة قطر الحديثة، ووضع الأسس الراسخة لمسيرة التنمية والنهضة التي أثمرت إنجازات كبيرة في مختلف القطاعات، ومنها القطاع الرياضي، الذي أصبح نموذجًا يُحتذى به على المستويين الإقليمي والدولي.
وأضاف أن سمو الأمير الوالد قاد مسيرة التنمية بثبات، وتميز بالحكمة وبُعد النظر، وعمل على ترسيخ مكانة دولة قطر إقليميًا ودوليًا، حتى أصبحت نموذجًا في التنمية والازدهار. كما أولى اهتمامًا كبيرًا بالإنسان القطري، إيمانًا منه بأن بناء الإنسان هو أساس بناء الأوطان، فدعم التعليم والصحة والبنية التحتية، وشجع على التطور والابتكار.
وأكد أن إنجازات سمو الأمير الوالد لم تقتصر على الداخل، بل امتدت إلى تعزيز دور دولة قطر في دعم السلام والحوار والتعاون بين الشعوب، مما أكسبها احترامًا وتقديرًا واسعًا على الساحة الدولية.
وأشار إلى أن سمو الأمير الوالد أسهم في ترسيخ نهضة شاملة شملت مختلف المجالات السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية، ووضع أسسًا متينة لمسيرة التنمية المستدامة التي تواصل الدولة البناء عليها حتى اليوم.
واختتم يوسف كانو تصريحه قائلاً: «إن رحيل سمو الأمير الوالد يمثل فقدًا لقائد استثنائي ترك إرثًا خالدًا وإنجازات ستظل شاهدة على إخلاصه وتفانيه في خدمة وطنه وشعبه، وستبقى سيرته مصدر إلهام للأجيال القادمة، التي ستواصل مسيرة البناء والتنمية مستلهمةً قيم الحكمة والقيادة والعطاء التي جسدها طوال حياته. رحم الله الأمير الوالد، وجزاه خير الجزاء على ما قدمه لوطنه، وأدام على دولة قطر أمنها واستقرارها وازدهارها».