National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has explained why a N6.44 billion budget provision for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign remained in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The issue came up after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar questioned why the money was still included in the budget even though Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Atiku said the budget item, listed as “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers,” needed a public explanation.

He asked why the government budgeted N6.44 billion for the World Cup qualifiers after Nigeria’s qualification campaign had ended. He also questioned who approved the budget line and what the money was meant for.

The budget provision has sparked public discussion, with many Nigerians asking whether the allocation was for a programme that had already been completed.

In response, Dikko said there was a misunderstanding about how the country’s budget system works.

According to him, the N6.44 billion was first included in the 2025 budget to support the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifying campaign. However, he said the money was never released during the 2025 financial year.

Dikko explained that despite not receiving the funds, the National Sports Commission still financed Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying matches, including the playoff fixtures, using other available resources.

He said the Federal Government later approved the transfer of some unfunded 2025 budget items into the 2026 budget so payments could be made for projects already carried out or programmes that were still outstanding.

“The budget sub-head has been in the Federal Government budget since the 2025 Appropriation Act to support the World Cup qualifiers,” Dikko said.

He added that when the 2026 budget was prepared, Nigeria still had a petition before FIFA concerning the qualification process. Because of this, he said there was reason to keep the budget item until the matter was concluded.

Dikko also revealed that after Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup officially ended, the NSC worked with the National Assembly and the Budget Office to change the budget through a corrigendum.

He said the amendment would allow the funds to be legally redirected to support other Nigerian national teams taking part in international competitions.

According to the NSC chairman, using a budget corrigendum is a legal process for correcting or updating items in the Appropriation Act.

He maintained that rolling over unfunded budget provisions from one year to another is part of the Federal Government’s budget implementation policy for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially where projects have already been completed but payment has not yet been made.

The controversy has renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of government funds for sports development and other national projects.

Official lineups for Spain-Argentina

Spain: Simon – Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella – Rodri (c), Ruiz – Yamal, Olmo, Baena – Oyarzabal.

Argentina: E. Martinez – Montiel, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico – De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Gonzalez – Messi (c), Alvarez.

Spain arrive as reigning European champions, seeking to replicate the extraordinary achievements of their golden generation by winning a second Euro-World Cup double sixteen years after their 2008-2010 feat. The Roja have showcased commanding possession-based football throughout this tournament, controlling matches through their midfield superiority and collective organisation. Their ability to dictate tempo and starve opponents of the ball has proven devastatingly effective, culminating in their semi-final demolition of France.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Spanish control meets Argentinian resilience in final showdown

Argentina come as defending World Cup champions, bidding to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. The Albiceleste have displayed pragmatism and defensive resilience despite being tested repeatedly in the knockout stages. Lionel Messi leads the charge, pursuing both a second World Cup crown and potentially reclaiming the all-time goalscoring record from Kylian Mbappé, who currently stands at 22 goals.

Argentina needed an extraordinary late comeback to beat England in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, and Lionel Messi’s side now faces Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday. Messi has now scored or assisted in every one of Argentina’s matches at this World Cup, tallying eight goals and five assists. Spain, meanwhile, proved why they may be the best all-around team at this tournament, dismantling France 2-0 in the semifinal with a display of complete dominance. They have conceded just one goal in seven matches and are riding a seven-game winning streak, and 37-match unbeaten run, coming into the Final.

Kickoff for Argentina vs. Spain is 3 p.m. ET from East Rutherford. The latest Argentina vs. Spain odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list Spain at +125 (risk $100 to win $125) on the 90-minute money line, with Argentina at +260 and a draw at +195. The over/under is 2.5 goals. Spain are -160 to lift the cup, with Argentina at +138. Messi (+160) has the shortest soccer odds as an anytime goal scorer, followed by Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal (+165) and Lamine Yamal (+230). Before locking in any Argentina vs. Spain picks or World Cup 2026 final predictions, check out the Argentina vs. Spain predictions from SportsLine’s Jon Eimer.

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, the FA Cup, and much more. He’s been red-hot on his soccer betting picks in 2026, posting a 31-13-2 record and returning over $1,200 of profit on his Champions League picks, and is on a profitable 27-18-2 run on WC picks. Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.

Now, Eimer has studied Argentina vs. Spain and just revealed his 2026 World Cup picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several World Cup odds and soccer betting lines for Spain vs. Argentina:

Top Argentina vs. Spain predictions

After examining Argentina vs. Spain from every angle, Eimer is leaning Under 2.5 total goals (-164). Spain have conceded just one goal in seven matches at this World Cup and were virtually untouchable against France in the semifinal. Argentina tend to strike late — nine of their 11 knockout-stage goals have come after the 75th minute — but breaking down this Spanish defense is a fundamentally different challenge. 

“I expect a tight, tactical final where goals are at a premium,” Eimer told SportsLine. See Eimer’s best bets for Argentina vs. Spain at SportsLine, and you can bet the Under in Argentina vs. Spain at FanDuel here:

How to make Argentina vs. Spain picks

After studying the Argentina vs. Spain matchup from every angle, Eimer has found a critical x-factor and locked in three best bets, including a must-see Messi prop. You can head to SportsLine to see what they are. 

So what are the best bets for Argentina vs. Spain? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Argentina vs. Spain, all from expert on a 27-16 roll on World Cup picks, and find out.

Sword Of Legacy has concluded a successful week for trainer Matthew Dunn, achieving a determined victory at Rosehill. This win comes just three days after Band Of Brothers, carrying the same lime, purple, and gold silks of David Moodie’s Hesket Thoroughbreds, clinched the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.

The $2.25 favourite, Sword Of Legacy, took out the Ranvet Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. This marked Dunn’s 130th win for the current season, propelling him to sixth place in the national trainers’ premiership, a testament to an outstanding campaign for the stable. The filly was a popular choice with the public, according to leading online bookmakers.

“The same colours on Wednesday won the Ramornie. We’ve had a great season,” Dunn commented.

“That’s about 130 winners for the season, and we’re fifth or sixth in the Australian premiership, so to do that from a country base is a credit to my team.”

Having achieved Group placings in Victoria as a two-year-old, Sword Of Legacy joined Dunn’s stable earlier this year and has since won three of her six starts under his care.

Dunn admitted he had been inclined to spell the filly after her last start at Eagle Farm, but Moodie persuaded him to give her another run.

“I was actually going to stop her after her last start and David Moodie convinced me to go one more,” he said.

“She’s had to dig really deep on a testing track, and I suppose it ticks another box moving forward with her career. She’s going to improve again off what she’s doing now.

“She has already performed at stakes level. She should have won a Listed race three starts back in Brisbane, and just missed in a stakes race her second start in a race.

“I think she is better than an off-season Saturday horse.”

The Grafton influence continued when the Tom Charlton and John O’Shea-trained Roselyn’s Star captured the Schweppes Handicap (1100m) in the following race. Charlton had previously won the Grafton Cup (2350m) with King Pedro on Thursday.

Roselyn’s Star, the $2 favourite, was having its first start since winning at Group 3 level in the autumn and proved a class above its competitors, winning by a comfortable 2-1/4 lengths from Grand Impact ($20).

“The key to him was when we turned him out a winner,” O’Shea explained.

“He had a nice break, he had his tail in the air coming off a win. He’s come back in, and Tom and the team have done a wonderful job preparing him today.”

O’Shea confirmed that the Magic Millions carnival next year is the long-term goal for the talented winner.

Check out the latest betting markets for the race and see who the experts are tipping.

McIlroy, who also confirmed he will not play again before the PGA Tour play-offs in mid-August, added that it was “fair to say” that he is no longer as enthused by the prospect of playing on the PGA Tour and in the FedEx Cup after completing his career Grand Slam of winning all four majors.

When asked why that was the case, the 37-year-old said that “it just sort of ebbs and flows”.

He explained: “There’s been years where I’ve given it maybe more of my attention and years that I haven’t. I guess I’m just at a stage that I have other things that I prioritise.

“Again, the PGA Tour is in a lot of flux at the minute with a lot of their schedule and structure and everything like that.

“So I think the change where it doesn’t matter where you are in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, it’s like I just need to be in the top 30 going in there to have a chance to win a FedEx Cup. So why would I care about the first two?

“I sort of came to that decision last year and I’m just sort of doing the same thing.”

The world number two was left to reflect on a week at The Open in which he says he was “stuck in neutral”.

He added: “Obviously shot a good one on Friday to get myself in for the weekend and back in it. Even par over the weekend is not going to get it done.

“I just felt like any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey. Just one of those weeks I couldn’t get it going.”

President Donald Trump will present the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winner of the match between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, a White House official confirmed to Fox News.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last month on “Fox & Friends” that he and Trump would deliver the trophy to the winning team’s captain on the field of New York/New Jersey Stadium.

WATCH ARGENTINA VS SPAIN LIVE

Reece James of Chelsea lifts the FIFA Club World Cup trophy on stage with President Donald Trump after Chelsea’s victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Infantino also said at the time that Trump would attend the contest. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the president’s attendance “a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.”

Trump was on stage during the FIFA Club World Cup trophy presentation after Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Earlier in the World Cup, Trump got involved in one of the World Cup’s biggest controversies, calling Infantino and requesting a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card. Balogun was suspended for Team USA’s Round of 16 match, but he was later ruled eligible for the game.

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino and President Donald Trump prepare to present the trophy to Chelsea FC following the World Cup final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 13, 2025. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

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Trump has yet to attend a World Cup match, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio was spotted at the U.S. Men’s National Team’s opener against Paraguay, a 4-1 win on June 12.

The president was awarded the first FIFA Peace Prize at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., during the World Cup final draw in December.

President Donald Trump speaks after receiving the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the World Cup 2026 Final Draw. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)

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Trump recently attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, while the White House played host to UFC Freedom 250 last month. An IndyCar race will take place in Washington, D.C., next month.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

Robert MacIntyre had a hard time rolling with the breaks Royal Birkdale dealt him on Sunday. The warning he received for venting his frustration? That didn’t bother him at all.

After what was reportedly his second club-slamming outburst of the day, MacIntyre was issued a code of conduct warning following his tee shot on the par-4 16th hole during the final round of the Open Championship. Asked about it afterward, the fiery Scotsman was unfazed.

“I expect to get a few of them in my career,” MacIntyre said. “Yeah, I run hot. So be it.”

MacIntyre, who began the day at three under, seven shots off the lead, teed off at 7:05 a.m. alongside Cameron Young in relatively calm conditions. While Young took full advantage, birdieing his first three holes en route to a six-under 64 and the clubhouse lead, MacIntyre stalled as any distant hopes of a Sunday charge faded. He finished the day with a one-over 71.

As the final round wore on, the wind strengthened, Royal Birkdale grew even more exacting, and emotions boiled over elsewhere, too. Even Scottie Scheffler, the game’s best player and one of its most consistent flat-liners, barked in anger after his tee shot on the par-5 17th got a less-than-favorable bounce. MacIntyre, for his part, has never claimed to be a cool customer, and he wasn’t about to apologize for it.

“I’m going to do it for the rest of my career,” he said. “I try and toe the line, but when you feel you’re playing a golf course that you can hit it pretty much anywhere and there’s no real punishment and then you do hit one slightly off line and you get the biggest punishment you can possibly get, it’s just a sore one. Again, I’m going to react aggressively at times. Part of my DNA.”

MacIntyre also made clear he wasn’t losing sleep over the warning itself.

“To be honest, I couldn’t care less,” he said. “If I got a two-shot penalty, it’s my fault. A warning, it’s my fault. I don’t really worry about it.”

The Patrick Payne-trained Bold Soul has proven a lucrative asset on the flat, but a move to jumps racing is now on the horizon.

Bold Soul added the Deane Lester Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday to his tally of seven previous wins from 33 starts, with the victory pushing his career earnings beyond $800,000.

Under the guidance of jockey Jake Noonan, Bold Soul ($5.50) achieved a short-head victory over the $2.60 favourite Highland Blaze, with Tempesti ($16) a further half-head adrift in third. Bold Soul’s win was an upset, according to online bookmakers.

Harry Coffey, the rider of third-placed Tempesti, lodged a protest against the winner, claiming interference as they neared the finish. However, following a brief review, Racing Victoria stewards dismissed the objection.

Neal Greaves, representing trainer Patrick Payne, confirmed that Bold Soul is likely to contest jumps races next.

“I think the plan is, you might see a pretty nice jumper at Ballarat on August 16,” Greaves said. “I think the intention is he will have a jumps run this season.”

Greaves observed that Noonan has a unique rapport with Bold Soul.

The gelding had previously been ridden by Billy Egan for his last two placings at Flemington over 2540m and 2600m.

Noonan had secured the Tasmanian Derby and later the Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville aboard Bold Soul, marking his first time on the gelding since the Lord Reims Stakes in Adelaide earlier in the year.

“It’s interesting, as some of the riders have not found him that easy to ride,” Greaves explained. “If you can’t get him to settle, and that’s the case with a lot of horses, you’re in a world of hurt, but for some reason Jake has been able to.

“We were concerned with the weight as when the weights first came out, Ciaron Maher had one (Smokin’ Romans) in it with topweight of 60 kilos. We had 55-½ kilos, so we were a bit disappointed when Ciaron didn’t accept with his, and they pushed the weights up, but it affected everyone else as well.”

With Bold Soul potentially making a transition to jumps, it’s worth checking the latest racing odds.