[Saba Sports News] According to British media, Meighan Pickford, wife of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, endured an 18-hour travel nightmare while attempting to depart New York. Her first flight was scrapped after a six-hour hold on the runway, and the second flight was delayed due to missing aircraft parts. After England beat France 6-4 to claim third place at the World Cup, Meighan headed to John F. Kennedy Airport with their three children to fly out of the US. The initial flight waited behind a queue of 30 aircraft for six hours on the tarmac before being cancelled, as the cabin crew had exceeded their legal duty time limits. She reclaimed their luggage and spent the night inside the airport terminal, then rebooked a second flight. Yet trouble persisted: once aboard the replacement plane, they faced another two-hour runway hold, caused by a missing component on the aircraft. Meighan boasts nearly 300,000 followers across social media platforms. Brand partnership deals earn her between £5,000 and £12,000 apiece, and her estimated personal net worth stands at £250,000 to £400,000, almost entirely generated from her career as a social media influencer. As for Pickford’s World Cup campaign, the goalkeeper endured an unsteady start before gradually finding his rhythm. He has earned 91 caps for the Three Lions. His display against Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium is widely regarded as one of the standout performances of his career. However, Pickford was not named in the starting lineup for the third-place play-off; Dean Henderson took his place as the team’s first-choice keeper for the match.
After the match, World Cup officials released a statement explaining what sparked the altercation. The trouble all began with Argentine player Nahuel Molina. As Spain’s players rushed onto the pitch to celebrate, Molina threw a punch at Rodri. Rodri then confronted Molina, triggering the full-scale scuffle that followed. For Argentina, this final will be remembered for the tears of Paredes, the rage of Nicolás Otamendi, and above all, the lonely, poignant silhouette of Lionel Messi sitting on the grass and taking off his boots.