☕️ World Cup Final - The beautiful game made ugly by bad loser

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

22 – French captain Kylian Mbappé has broken the all-time scoring record at the World Cup after scoring his 22nd goal, cementing his legacy as the best striker in the world. He made the goal during the third-place match against England, which the English team won 6-4. With his 22nd goal at the World Cup, Mbappé also became the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals. Mbappé had been trading the Golden Boot title with Argentina’s Lionel Messi throughout the tournament, but the French striker ultimately became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice after the Argentinian side failed to score any goals during the tournament final against Spain. Mbappé was also the first player to reach double digits for World Cup goals since West Germany’s Gerd Müller in 1970. Meanwhile, Spanish midfielder Rodrigo “Rodri” Cascante was named best player in the 2026 World Cup, with Messi coming in second.

16 titles – Over the course of five years, Spain’s football teams secured that many world and European titles from the under-17 division to the senior level. Spain is also the first nation to be men’s and women’s World Cup winners at the same time, with the women’s team beating England in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney in 2023. The number of titles in the short span of time has been described as Spain dominating the football scene. One possible factor is the appointment of the largely unknown and untested Luis de la Fuente as head coach following Spain’s defeat in the 2022 Qatar World Cup at the hands of Morocco. De La Fuente, who retired as a player in 1994, was credited with “understanding the style and system” of Spanish football. Spain is currently unbeaten in their last 38 matches in all competitions, the longest ever streak by any European or South American team in history. The full list of titles can be viewed here.

Six countries, three continents, 100 years – FIFA has proposed that the 2030 World Cup be held across six countries, namely Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in Europe and Africa, who are the main hosts, along with Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay in South America, who will each stage one opening-round match. This unique format will allow FIFA to celebrate the tournament’s 100th anniversary with centenary matches in the South American countries. Said matches will take place on June 8 and 9, 2030, with the opening matches in the host countries played on June 13 and 14. The World Cup final is expected to be played on Jul 21, though FIFA has not yet confirmed the full match schedule. The tournament will become the first men’s World Cup to be held across six countries and three continents. The six countries also automatically qualify for the World Cup due to their status as hosts.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Football fever
Lofty goals: Malaysia is dreaming bigger on the football stage after DPM Zahid Hamidi said the country hopes to one day host the FIFA World Cup. Speaking at a public screening of the World Cup final in Bangi on Jul 20, Zahid said he also hopes Harimau Malaya will eventually qualify for the tournament and represent Southeast Asia on home soil.

His remarks came as Malaysia climbed two places to 136th in the latest FIFA world rankings with 1,086.22 points, offering a small boost to the country's long-term football ambitions. Hundreds of fans also gathered at Bangi Square 2 to watch defending champions Argentina take on Spain in the final, with football legends joining a special "Borak Bola" session before the match.

But rubbish mentality: While football fever brought thousands together across the country, the celebrations also left an unwanted reminder behind. DBKL expressed disappointment after Dataran Merdeka was left covered in rubbish following a giant screen viewing of the World Cup final. Although DBKL said it would clean up the site, it reminded the public that keeping the city clean should not depend solely on cleaners and enforcement officers.

The local authority described Dataran Merdeka as a symbol of national pride and urged visitors to treat public spaces with greater care. Photos of litter scattered across the historic square quickly spread across social media, sparking criticism from netizens and renewed calls for better civic responsibility during large public events. Dreaming of the World Cup is easy. Building a world-class mindset is the harder part. Japan leaves stadiums spotless after the final whistle. Malaysia is still trying to find the nearest rubbish bin.

Government and business
KWAP returns fall short: Malaysia's pension bill is becoming increasingly difficult to fund, with PM Anwar Ibrahim revealing that KWAP's RM12.9 bil investment earnings are still far from enough to cover the government's annual pension obligation of almost RM45 bil. Anwar said the issue has been recognised for more than 20 years and remains one of the country's biggest long-term fiscal challenges. He said resolving it will require political determination while balancing the welfare of civil servants with the government's financial capacity. Responding to questions on whether KWAP's investment returns could eventually finance pensions without government support, Anwar made it clear that current earnings are simply not enough to close the gap.

Anwar also ruled out introducing more flexible EPF withdrawals, saying only 38% of contributors have reached the basic savings target for retirement. While contributors can already access 10% of their savings through the Flexible Account and another 15% through the Sejahtera Account for approved purposes such as education, healthcare, housing and performing the haj, he said making withdrawals even easier would undermine long-term retirement security.

AirBorneo expands across ASEAN: AirBorneo is officially spreading its wings beyond East Malaysia, with plans to expand across ASEAN while continuing to serve rural communities in Sarawak and Sabah. Sarawak Premier Abang Johari said the airline will launch its first international route between Kuching and Singapore on Jul 22 to coincide with Sarawak Day, followed by Jakarta within the next two months. More ASEAN destinations are also in the pipeline as AirBorneo looks to strengthen economic ties and improve regional connectivity. The announcement came as the airline celebrated its inaugural commercial flight between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur, marking a major milestone after the Sarawak government acquired MASwings and transformed it into AirBorneo.

While the airline has bigger ambitions overseas, Abang Johari said its commitment to rural air services remains unchanged, ensuring remote communities in Sarawak and Sabah stay connected. At the same time, AirBorneo hopes to make travel between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak more affordable, particularly for students and their families. During its first six months of operations, fares will be fixed at RM375 for the Kuching to Kuala Lumpur route and RM399 for flights between Kuching and Singapore. Looking further ahead, the airline also plans to expand into East Asia within the next one to two years as Sarawak positions itself as a hub for renewable energy and low-carbon industries.

Shorts:

1. Pet welfare fund considered
   The government is considering introducing a special fund and tax incentives to support animal welfare groups and ease the financial burden on pet owners. Political Secretary at the PM's Office Datuk Azman Abidin said many NGOs and animal shelters currently rely on their own funds to rescue and care for stray animals. He said the proposals, discussed during a dialogue with industry stakeholders on Jul 20, will be compiled and submitted to the government, while stressing that improving animal welfare requires cooperation between authorities, NGOs, veterinarians, industry players and the wider community.

2. E-scooters still banned on roads
   Thinking of using an electric scooter or e-bike to beat the traffic? Think again. Despite becoming a common sight on Malaysian roads, both remain illegal on public roads under regulations introduced in 2021. Riders caught breaking the law can face fines ranging from RM1,000 to RM5,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both. These vehicles are only allowed in designated areas such as parks, pedestrian zones and private property, with the rules aimed at improving road safety and reducing the risk of accidents.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

World Cup Finale - The Beautiful Game turned ugly
Spain wins the World Cup final 1-0
It was marketed as the clash of titans. Argentina, the reigning World Cup holders, versus Spain, the current European champions. But it was one-sided, and it seemed like only Spain came to play as they dominated the World Cup final. Don’t let the 1-0 scoreline fool you. Spain was definitely the better side, with 20 shots against Argentina’s 3. Worse still, Argentina made it into the record for attempted zero shots during regular time (90 minutes), only happening twice over 900 World Cup games since 1966.

But it took 106 minutes until Ferran Torres pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and slotted it in with his left foot for his first goal ever in the World Cup. What a moment for a substitute who came on in the 62nd minute. As the final whistle sounded, Argentine legend Lionel Messi, one of the greatest football players in history, could just watch in disbelief as Spain ran towards their section of the crowd, celebrating their victory. This is Spain’s second World Cup since its 2010 triumph. Watch highlights here.

Things turn ugly as Argentina clashes with Spain after defeat
While most of the world might adore Lionel Messi, the same can’t be said about the Argentine team. Right after the match ended, Leandro Paredes placed his hand on the throat of Eric Garcia and then shoved Gavi to the ground. Lionel Scaloni, the coach for Argentina, came to break things up before it got any worse. Paredes was issued a red card by the referee after the brawl. It was a controversial match, with many fouls being committed and dangerous tackles by the Argentine team. As the final question looms over Messi’s international future, this event really puts a dent in Argentina’s football team legacy and reputation. Really glad Spain won.

Below is the brawl. Another angle here shows Messi did nothing about it:

It didn’t stop there. Their classless act continued when they turned their backs to Spain’s World Cup trophy presentation - view here.

Leadership Changes
Singapore Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs resigns over ‘interactions with a woman’
Things haven’t been going that well for Singapore’s People’s Action Party. Singapore’s acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Faishal Ibrahim, has resigned after his ‘interactions with a woman’. PM Lawrence Wong put it this way, ‘Most of their interactions took place through online messages. They also met on the sidelines of public events.’ Both Faishal and the woman have made harassment allegations against each other, and the police are investigating this.

Wong said there was no wrongdoing, but whether the ‘conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and member of parliament’ is another question entirely. Faishal said in his letter of resignation that ‘While there was no physical relationship between us, and I did not intend for the interactions to develop into one, there was a lapse of judgment on my part ⁠in the way I handled the interactions, and ⁠in failing to establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage.’

In 2023, Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran pleaded guilty to corruption as he admitted to receiving SGD380,000 (RM1.2 mil) from Malaysian billionaire tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Even Singapore, with its squeaky-clean reputation, is not immune to this.

Andy Burnham is the 7th UK Prime Minister in a decade
Andy Burnham becomes the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade, as he replaces Keir Starmer. In his farewell speech, Starmer said, ‘My work is done’, ending also a highly unpopular tenure as Prime Minister, like the previous prime ministers. As much as we want to say third time’s the charm, this is the seventh time.

Burnham now needs to announce his cabinet and tackle a slew of economic and political issues that include slow economic growth, a cost-of-living crisis, underperforming utility companies, homelessness, public housing and a whole lot more. The Labour Party needs all the help it can get as Burnham leads the party to tackle the surging Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. Lucky #8 when?

Hope? Iran’s comments hint at fresh negotiations
A sliver of hope emerges in the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Iran’s foreign ministry said that negotiations with the US could be pursued on national interests. Mediators were hard at work, as they shared new proposals to Iran. This comes as the conflict escalated over the weekend with the US conducting a ninth straight night of attacks against Iran. Bahrain and Kuwait, US allies, reported more Iranian strikes. Crude oil prices were down slightly to USD88 (RM360.09) per barrel after hitting a high of USD91 per barrel. Much is at stake again as only four tankers managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, down from eight on Saturday. 20% of the world’s oil supply goes through this strait.

China car sales plunge by 20% in 1H 2026
After a record year in 2025, the Chinese car market seems to be cooling off very quickly. Passenger vehicle sales fell by 20% for the first half of 2026, as rising fuel costs dampen demand for petrol-based cars, and decreasing electric vehicle (EV) subsidies are also discouraging Chinese consumers from opening their wallets for new EVs.

Retail sales of petrol cars collapsed by 39% in June. Carmakers are also being squeezed by higher raw material and component prices such as lithium and memory chips. Xiao Feng, at Citic CLSA, projects that auto sales will fall by 20% for 2026, while the China Passenger Car Association projects a 14% decline. The outlook for EVs is slightly more optimistic, with Feng projecting a 6% decline. Much will depend on exports next year. A rebound is expected for 2027, driven mostly by EV exports to overseas markets. Passenger vehicle exports grew by 82.3% in June 2026, as overseas buyers are also pivoting towards EVs amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict that has driven up oil prices.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

Movies

1. Avengers: Doomsday trailer just dropped. Seems like the whole Marvel universe (X-Men, Fantastic Four etc.) gathered in this movie. Out this year-end. Watch until the end of the trailer - surprise.

2. Upcoming Korean Movie, Hope, about fighting aliens featuring Michael Fassbender. We really hope to see Fassbender in the movie.

3. As funny as it sounds, “rescue Matt Damon” is turning out to be a profitable niche movie genre.