Tragically, a U.S. service member lost their life on Saturday during a mission dealing with explosive devices left by a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, according to an announcement made by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday.

Officials have confirmed that a second service member sustained injuries in this incident, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing challenges in the region.

In another development, CENTCOM revealed that search efforts in Jordan, following a separate Iranian strike on Friday, led to the discovery of unidentified remains on Sunday. This was part of the search for a missing U.S. service member.

According to officials, the incident in Iraq happened after U.S. forces recovered a downed Iranian drone and began handling the explosive material left behind. 

“A U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X. 

The military did not immediately release further details about the incident, but said the other service member injured in the operation is receiving medical treatment. 

In Jordan, officials said the unidentified remains recovered Sunday will also undergo an examination to determine their identity. 

“After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today,” CENTCOM said. “An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing.”

Friday’s Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Jordan killed two U.S. service members, CENTCOM previously said. 

Four American service members were also medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals, officials said. They have since been discharged. 

“CENTCOM is withholding additional information, including the identities of the missing and fallen warriors, out of respect for the families during the notification process,” the agency said. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

In a dazzling display of teamwork and grit, the World Cup came to a close with a triumphant trophy lift by the team whose strength is truly rooted in unity.

Spain, modest yet brilliant, has ascended to the pinnacle of global football, clinching the championship through sheer perseverance.

The decisive moment arrived in East Rutherford on Sunday, when Ferran Torres’ left-footed strike provided Spain with its long-awaited breakthrough after 106 suspenseful minutes.

Throughout the afternoon, Spain tirelessly sought a way past the formidable Emiliano Martínez, needing just that single strike to secure a 1-0 triumph, marking its second World Cup victory.

Exhibiting patience and mastery in possession, reminiscent of Spain’s first champions in 2010, the team once again engaged in a final reminiscent of that year’s, complete with an extra-time win against a short-handed rival.

It would be inaccurate to say Spain won this tournament without any stars given Lamine Yamal’s prominence both on the field and commercially, and given that Rodri is a Ballon d’Or winner in midfield.

But all tournament long, their contributions were almost entirely off the scoresheet.

So it was as well on Sunday when Spain, just like it has all tournament, slowly wrapped its grip around Argentina until a goal felt inevitable.

Luis De La Fuente’s side play soccer like a current runs through a river.

Before you notice it, they have total control.

That control, by the second hydration break on Sunday, had fully asserted itself, even as the match remained scoreless.

Spain was bearing down on Argentina as Martínez caught Torres’ header right before the break, and it seemed only a matter of time. 

Martínez made sure it would be as much time as possible, with a World Cup-record 10 in the 90 minutes of regulation time, but his team had no answer. 

Enzo Fernández, who had scored the game-tying goal against England, was sent off after 92 minutes, earning a second yellow card for a late challenge on Pau Cubarsí.

That left Argentina — which had played as if it were a man down all afternoon — actually there and clinging on for dear life.

With Martínez’s 10th save — on a Yamal free kick that followed a borderline reckless challenge from Leandro Paredes, who was playing on a yellow — Argentina made it that far.

Twice in the first seven minutes of extra time, Neco Williams had golden chances to take the lead for Spain.

The first, off his head, was denied by Martínez’s best save of the day.

The second, which ended up in the net, was wiped off due to Mikel Merino’s foul in the buildup.

Williams, though, didn’t squander a third opportunity, after Pedro Porro’s cross found him at the back post.

Instead of heading it toward Martínez, he sent it backwards, where the left foot of Torres could smash it into an open net.

Like Andrés Iniesta in Johannesburg, Torres flew towards the corner flag and was surrounded by teammates.

There were 14 minutes left, plus stoppage time, and that an exhausted, 10-man Argentina side began to produce chances under such circumstances only begged the question of whether this was possible all along.

Though his stature ensures he is still the story, Lionel Messi was largely a footnote in what could be his final game with the national team.

With Argentina pinned back for nearly the duration, there were almost no chances for Messi to impact the game, and it is hard to recall any moments in which he did so.

Sadly for Argentina, the only contributions its outfield players seemed to make on this afternoon were hard-charging tackles — some of which resulted in bookings, others that were lucky to avoid them.

Though Fernández’s first yellow card, given for dissent in the 83rd minute, seemed a tad harsh, there were a series of other moments in which referee Slavko Vincic gave Argentina a break.

Really, Lionel Scaloni — who burned through all five of his subs by the 70th minute — was without answers for this Spain team, just like Didier Deschamps before him.

Against this version of Spain, perhaps there were none.

Even in the game’s feeling-out stage, which lasted the entirety of the first half, there was nothing in it for Argentina.

It became the first team in World Cup final history to go 90 minutes without a shot, and didn’t seriously threaten the entire game until it was down 1-0 and throwing the kitchen sink in the final minutes.

Not only is Spain world champions, but it was the first European champion to beat the South American champion in a World Cup final.

Its country holds the Women’s World Cup as well. 

It’s rare that any nation has ever held such an emphatic grip on the title of the world’s best soccer country. 

Spain grabbed that title the way it seems to do everything else.

By making it inevitable.

Wayne Rooney didn’t hold back his criticism of the halftime show during the 2026 World Cup final, branding it as ‘c***’ and claiming on BBC Sport that the highlight was its conclusion.

Spain emerged victorious in the 2026 World Cup, thanks to Ferran Torres’ decisive goal in extra time against Argentina.

At 41, the former England star joined numerous British fans and celebrities in slamming the show, despite its impressive blend of nostalgia, music, and global star appearances.

A star-studded lineup featuring Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and the Muppets rocked the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday night.

FIFA’s choice to incorporate a halftime show into football’s most significant event left many celebrities divided on its reception.

Wayne joked his favourite part of the show was ‘when it finished’ as he and Gaby Logan discussed the bizarre line-up of musicians.

‘To be honest, mine was when it finished I like a lot of those artists but to be honest I thought it was c***’, he fumed. 

‘I did honestly. It just didn’t get me going, I wanted the football to be back on. It was a bit flat. I like Burna Boy I like Shakira I like Bieber but that was too flat.’ 

Meanwhile Liam Gallagher savaged ‘This is like a bad trip’, before adding: ‘It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge’.

Elsewhere, Sam Thompson shared his frustration on Instagram, writing: ‘Half time show… absolutely the last thing a football game of this magnitude needed. No one’s in the right headspace now, not even the fans.

‘Imagine the players watching Sesame Street whilst cramping up and needing to warm up again’. 

Roy Keane was also underwhelmed as he said: ‘It was a bit of an anti-climax, but listen, it’s so nice to see Shakira.’

The futuristic segment began with Madonna, 67, singing Music, accompanied by giddy World Cup legends Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho. 

The toned music legend showed off her legs in stockings as she embraced the soccer icons, before they drove her out into the stadium, and held hands. 

Justin Bieber, 32, made a starkly different impact on the crowd as he stepped out with nothing but a guitar to sing a World Cup themed version of his song, Everything Hallelujah.

The star looked relaxed as he casually walked onto the pitch before belting out his hit track, adding the final line, ‘it’s the World Cup, Hallelujah.’

Shakira returned to the World Cup stage as she flaunted her toned abs in a pink and yellow sequined bodysuit to perform her hit Dai Dai, with Burna Boy, while K-pop sensations BTS regaled the crowd with Dynamite.

As well as a halftime show, the World Cup final also included a closing ceremony that featured performances and appearances from Post Malone, Cruise, Nicole Scherzinger, influencer IShowSpeed, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini.

Stars including Tom Cruise, Timothee Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Matt Damon and Adrien Brody joined the crowds for the final. 

Spanish actor Javier Bardem, skiing legend Lindsey Vonn and actress Julia Garner were also in attendance for the FIFA Gold Carpet event ahead of the final. 

World Cup final day got off to a chaotic start at MetLife Stadium with fans forced to wait for hours outside of the venue amid reports of technological glitches scanning tickets and security staff unsure of how to manage the crowds.

Organizers this week urged fans lucky enough to have a ticket to arrive up to four hours before the start of the game at the 80,000-seater stadium in New Jersey, a short drive outside of Manhattan, for Sunday’s showdown between Spain and Argentina.

As the build-up to the game expected to be watched by billions around the world ramped up, fans were waiting for over four hours to have their tickets scanned in order to enter the stadium for the showpiece game.

The attendance of President Donald Trump meant that airport-style security measures were also being enforced for everyone making their way inside of the venue.

But the delays were compounded amid reports of glitches in FIFA’s ticket-scanning system, meaning those who were fortunate enough to be at the front of the long lines still faced frustrating delays.

The Daily Mail also witnessed tensions simmering between fans, media members and security staff, with officials on the ground telling anyone who complained: ‘Take it up with FIFA’.

The game is set to be the most expensive to attend in the history of sport – on Sunday morning, the cheapest ticket available on most resale websites was starting at around $7,000.

FIFA encouraged fans to arrive early in order to participate in the World Cup closing ceremony, scheduled to begin around 90 minutes before the game itself kicks off.

But it is standard procedure for fans to arrive early for additional security checks whenever Trump attends a sporting event – and he has made it to plenty in his second term as President, ranging from the Ryder Cup to the Super Bowl.

Even on the live television coverage, the stadium was bare with a little over an hour until that closing ceremony began.

Soccer greats such as Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldo, former England captain John Terry and former Argentina player Diego Simeone all appeared carefree as they entered the stadium in good time before the game.

There were plenty of fans who were determined not to let the chaos ruin their day, too. Thousands of Argentina fans have made the journey to the stadium for what will likely be star man Lionel Messi’s last ever appearance in a World Cup at the age of 39.

Argentina are narrow underdogs against Spain, the European champions, despite being the holders after winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Trump is expected to hand the World Cup trophy over to the winning team after the game.

A senior Iranian official has boldly declared that Tehran has been bracing itself for a U.S. ground invasion for several decades. This revelation comes as new explosions ripple through the region, marking the eighth day of escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities.

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, known in international circles as a regime “mouthpiece,” proudly announced that Tehran had recently unveiled a “new missile.” He also spoke of strategic measures being taken by Iran, such as decentralizing its weapons and concealing them deep underground, all in anticipation of enduring a prolonged American air offensive.

In a conversation with political analyst Glenn Diesen, Marandi, who once advised Iran’s nuclear negotiation team, stated, “The Americans are planning an invasion. It’s not something I claim will definitely occur, nor do I suggest it will happen imminently. But plans for an invasion exist.”

Diesen reflected on Marandi’s claims, noting, “Whether these plans will be executed remains uncertain. However, the focus of Iranian strikes, as you observed, lies on Bahrain and Kuwait, significant primarily because these are the locations where most American forces have been stationed in preparation for a potential ground invasion.”

Marandi’s comments came as the conflict expanded across western and southern Iran in the run-up to Saturday.

Iran also launched missile and drone salvos targeting U.S.-linked facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Jordanian officials confirmed they intercepted 10 missiles early Saturday, while authorities in Kuwait reported casualties and severe damage to a domestic power and desalination plant.

In response, U.S. airstrikes struck bridges, a key road tunnel, surveillance outposts and reinforced underground weapons storage facilities.

Multiple explosions also rocked the city of Khorramabad in Iran’s Lorestan province. Iranian state media claimed the blasts were caused by U.S. missiles launched from regional bases in Kuwait, according to reports.

Khorramabad houses the Imam Ali Missile Base, one of Tehran’s primary underground silo facilities engineered to store and deploy liquid-fueled Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missiles, according to Washington’s Nuclear Threat Initiative.

The complex was damaged by Israeli airstrikes during the 2025 campaign targeting Tehran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Marandi also detailed what he described as a resilient, subterranean network central to Tehran’s military strategy.

“When Iran wants to fire missiles or drones, they don’t put them inside buildings or in piles somewhere. They take out whatever they need,” Marandi said. “They fire them, and then they go back to their bases, or they take out different missiles and drones, spread them out in different areas, put them apart from one another so that the Americans cannot bomb them in large numbers.”

He added: “Everything has been spread out in Iran and placed underground.”

The latest escalation between the U.S. and Iran ended a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a 60-day ceasefire and facilitate nuclear talks.

The key issue has centered on control of the Strait of Hormuz, with the strategic waterway turning into the conflict’s main battleground.

President Donald Trump ordered renewed airstrikes within weeks of the truce, or MOU, being implemented, and on July 14, he floated the possibility of launching a ground campaign.

According to Marandi, Iran’s military command is actively counting on a ground scenario and has since introduced a new weapon to the theater.

“Iran has that advantage, and of course, it has been accumulating missiles and drones for decades now, and it is doing so even now,” Marandi claimed.

“They, I think, last night introduced a new missile to the war,” he said of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG).

“The Iranians are hitting very hard, and they are prepared for a land war. They’ve been preparing for decades.”

Marandi concluded by claiming that Tehran views a U.S. ground operation as the most direct path to ending the conflict on its own terms.

“The Iranians — we discussed this during the 40-day war before on your show — when I said that the Iranians actually want the Americans to carry out a land invasion, and the same is true now, because they felt that if there was a land invasion, they would win,” he told Diesen.

A disturbing attack occurred last week in Queens, where a suspect vandalized two synagogues with motor oil and feces, police sources and a local safety organization reported.

The unsettling scene was discovered Friday morning by worshippers outside the synagogues. Steven Saphirstein, who serves as the community outreach coordinator for Queens Shmira, detailed the unsettling mess left behind.

Footage, although grainy, recorded the perpetrator in action. The assailant is seen sprinting toward the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, located at 83-10 188th St., at approximately 11:45 p.m. Thursday, launching the offensive mixture before making a quick getaway, Saphirstein stated.

According to the NYPD, the same individual struck the Young Israel of Holliswood at 86-25 Francis Lewis Blvd. roughly 45 minutes prior, which is over a mile away from the other site.

Images obtained by The Post depict the nauseating aftermath of the attack outside these Orthodox synagogues, painting a disturbing picture of the hate-fueled crime.

“They’re obviously disturbed,” said Saphirstein. 

“To take excrement and throw a bag and empty stuff like that out, you’re attacking the people who are coming there, who are praying.”

“You’re making them feel like filth,” he continued. “It doesn’t get lower than that.” 

It’s not the first time Young Israel of Jamaica Estates was attacked with feces. 

About a month ago, a bag of excrement was found in a Jewish newspaper box steps away from the synagogue, according to Saphirstein.

No arrests have been made, police said Sunday.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating both incidents. 

The stars shone brightly at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, gathered for the eagerly awaited World Cup final. However, many celebrities missed the mark entirely with their choice of attire, sparking a fashion frenzy.

As Argentina and Spain competed for the prestigious FIFA World Cup Trophy, the event attracted a stunning array of actors, musicians, fashion icons, and political figures who graced the red carpet before the high-stakes match commenced.

Despite the impressive turn-out, the spectacle was marred by a parade of fashion blunders. The event showcased a curious mix of over-the-top outfits, mismatched accessories, and lackluster ensembles that drew more raised eyebrows than applause.

Indeed, some of Tinseltown’s most revered names failed to hit the style high note at the soccer showdown, delivering a perplexing array of sartorial missteps.

Leading the charge on the fashion faux pas front was Gayle King, who made headlines not for elegance but for her notably unflattering white ensemble at the high-profile match.

The TV star, 71, opted for a tight white tank top, which left her toned shoulders and slim figure on full display.

But she paired it with some wrinkled white sweatpants, which weren’t the most flattering.

She completed the look with some sneakers and a silver purse – but overall, her outfit was boring and dowdy.

Kylie Jenner, who attended the match with her boyfriend, Timothee Chalamet, opted for an all-black ensemble. She donned a low-cut long-sleeve top and some matching jeans but it was a little too underwhelming, if you ask us.  

On the other hand, Blake Lively posted a selfie to her Instagram Stories from the World Cup final, and she had way too much going on with her look. 

She donned a white thank top and a blue and tan striped button-down shirt on top, along with some blue jeans. She acccessorized with an array of eye-popping necklaces and some dark sunglasses.

Model Winnie Harlow also went overboard with her World Cup final ensemble. 

She donned a white T-shirt that had gold squares strategically placed on her chest area, high-waisted tan jeans and a dramatic gold belt. 

She accessorized with oversized earrings and a matching necklace, and toted a gold handbag that had a face on it.

The worst part, however, was her gold and white sneakers, which had fake toes painted on them.

Singer Nicole Scherzinger, British pop star Robbie Williams and Italian musician Laura Pausini all wore blue outfits as they performed ahead of the coveted Argentina vs. Spain match… but the bright color made for quite an eyesore.

Scherzinger opted for a dramatic blue gown that had a huge ruffle in the front and a long train, which she paired with matching tights and heels, while Williams donned a sparkly tracksuit. Pausini, for her part, wore a blue tie-dye sparkly gown.