Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has described their opening 2022 World Cup group game against Ghana as the ‘most difficult’ in the competition.
Speaking about Portugal’s chances of winning the World Cup, the 37-year-old noted that the team must focus their attention on winning their first game against Ghana, which he described as the ‘most difficult.
“I believe our national team has tremendous potential to win the World Cup. We will see. I believe we can. I have that hope, that belief, ” the Manchester United forward said.
“But like these competitions always teach us; we must think calmly. We must think and focus on the first group game. We must think about the Ghana game which is the most difficult one.
“We must start well, gain some confidence and we will go from there,” he said.
The European side will come up against the West African country on Thursday, November 24, 2022, at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Ghana will also play against South Korea and Uruguay in the group.
The Black Stars who are making their fourth appearance at the Mundial will hope to perform after exiting the group phase in Brazil in 2014.
The World Cup 2022 has begun with a blast after a wonderful opening celebration. This will be the first time ever that the competition will take place in the winter.
The top two teams advance to the competition’s round of 16 after the 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four.
The 32 teams are split into eight groups of four and the top two progress to the last 16 of the competition.
Below are the groups:
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
The group games started on Sunday after the opening ceremony, host Qatar took on Ecuador.
GROUP STAGE
Sunday November 20
Group A: Qatar 0-2 Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
Monday November 21
Group B: England 6-2 Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 1PM KO) Group A: Senegal v Netherlands (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; 4PM KO) Group B: USA v Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 7PM KO)
Tuesday November 22
Group C: Argentina v Saudi Arabia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 10AM KO) Group D: Denmark v Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 1PM KO) Group C: Mexico v Poland (Stadium 974, Doha; 4PM KO) Group D: France v Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 7PM KO)
Wednesday November 23
Group F: Morocco v Croatia (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 10AM KO) Group E: Germany v Japan (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 1PM KO) Group E: Spain v Costa Rica (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; 4PM KO) Group F: Belgium v Canada (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 7PM KO)
Thursday November 24
Group G: Switzerland v Cameroon (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 10AM KO) Group H: Uruguay v South Korea (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 1PM KO) Group H: Portugal v Ghana (Stadium 974, Doha; 4PM KO) Group G: Brazil v Serbia (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
Friday November 25
Group B: Wales v Iran (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 10AM KO) Group A: Qatar v Senegal (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; 1PM KO) Group A: Netherlands v Ecuador (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 4PM KO) Group B: England v USA (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
Saturday November 26
Group C: Tunisia v Australia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 10AM KO) Group C: Poland v Saudi Arabia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 1PM KO) Group D: France v Denmark (Stadium 974, Doha; 4PM KO) Group C: Argentina v Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
Sunday November 27
Group E: Japan v Costa Rica (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 10AM) Group F: Belgium v Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; 1PM KO) Group F: Croatia v Canada (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 4PM KO) Group E: Spain v Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
Monday November 28
Group G: Cameroon v Serbia (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 10PM KO) Group G: South Korea v Ghana (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 1PM KO) Group H: Brazil v Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; 4PM KO) Group H: Portugal v Uruguay (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
Tuesday November 29
Group A: Netherlands v Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 3PM KO) Group A: Ecuador v Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Group B: Wales v England (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 7PM KO) Group B: Iran v USA (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
Wednesday November 30
Group D: Australia v Denmark (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 3PM KO) Group D: Tunisia v France (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Group C: Poland v Argentina (Stadium 974, Doha; 7PM KO) Group C: Saudi Arabia v Mexico (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
Thursday December 1
Group F: Croatia v Belgium (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Group F: Canada v Morocco (Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor; 3PM KO) Group E: Costa Rica v Germany (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO) Group E: Japan v Spain (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 7PM KO)
Friday, December 2
Group G: South Korea v Portugal (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Group G: Ghana v Uruguay (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 3PM KO) Group H: Serbia v Switzerland (Stadium 974, Doha; 7PM KO) Group H: Cameroon v Brazil (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
ROUND OF 16
Saturday December 3
Group A Winners v Group B Runners-up (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Group C Winners v Group D Runners-up (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; 7PM KO)
Sunday December 4
Group D Winners v Group C Runners-up (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; 3PM KO) Group B Winners v Group A Runners-up (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
Monday December 5
Group E Winners v Group F Runners-up (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; 3PM KO) Group G Winners v Group H Runners-up (Stadium 974, Doha; 7PM KO)
Tuesday December 6
Group F Winners v Group E Runners-up (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Group H Winners v Group G Runners-up (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
QUARTER-FINALS
Friday December 9
Match 53 Winners v Match 54 Winners (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO) Match 49 Winners v Match 50 Winners (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
Saturday December 10
Match 55 Winners v Match 56 Winners (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; 3PM KO) Match 51 v Match 52 Winners (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
SEMI-FINALS
Tuesday December 13
Match 57 Winners v Match 58 Winners (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 7PM KO)
Wednesday December 14
Match 59 Winners v Match 60 Winners (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 7PM KO)
THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF
Saturday December 17
Match 61 Losers v Match 62 Losers (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; 3PM KO)
FINAL
Sunday December 18
Match 61 Winners v Match 62 Winners (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 3PM KO)
Bukayo Saka was at the double as England cruised through their opening World Cup match against Iran to banish memories of a dismal build-up to the tournament.
Expectations were dampened ahead of the trip to Qatar after the Three Lions were relegated from the top tier of the Nations League having picked up just three points from six games.
But Gareth Southgate’s men comfortably won what was touted as a tricky Group B encounter thanks to Saka’s brace and goals from Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish.
After Bellingham, 19, broke the deadlock in the 35th minute with his first international goal, Arsenal star Saka doubled the advantage eight minutes later.
Sterling, 27, added a third in first-half stoppage time and 21-year-old Saka made it 4-0 midway through the second half.
While the Three Lions faithful were still celebrating, Iran netted when Mehdi Taremi ran in behind Harry Maguire to lash the ball beyond Jordan Pickford.
Iran’s joy was shortlived, however, as Rashford needed just three touches after climbing off the bench to make it 5-1 in the 71st minute.
England’s fine start to their quest for glory was capped by a Grealish goal served up on a plate by fellow substitute Callum Wilson in the dying seconds of normal time.
But in the 13th minute of added time at the end of the game, John Stones gave away a penalty that was converted by Taremi for his second of the afternoon.
Scroll down through the pictures below to relive the best moments from the Group B opener.
England’s starting XI for the World Cup clash with IranThe first half was stopped while Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand received a lengthy spell of treatmentIran keeper Alireza Beiranvand was eventually carried off on a stretcher after suffering a head injuryMason Mount reflects on a missed opportunity after putting a shot into the side-nettingHarry Maguire’s first-half header came back off the crossbarJude Bellingham’s fine header broke the deadlock after 35 minutesJude Bellingham celebrates his goal with England team-mate Mason MountBukayo Saka lashed home England’s second goal in the 43rd minuteBukayo Saka looks to the heavens after doubling England’s advantageRaheem Sterling was on the end of a Harry Kane cross to make it 3-0 to England in first-half stoppage timeRaheem Sterling was all smiles after adding to England’s first-half tallyBukayo Saka slotted home his second of the game in the second halfMehdi Taremi pulled one back for Iran in the 65th minuteMarcus Rashford made it 5-1 to England after being summoned from the benchMarcus Rashford celebrated with fellow sub Phil Foden after scoringJack Grealish was on hand to make it 6-1 to EnglandMehdi Taremi scored his second of the game from the penalty spot deep into second-half stoppage time
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Aymeric Laporte is confident that Spain have the ability to fight for glory at Qatar 2022 despite falling short of expectations at each of the last two World Cups.
The 2010 champions begin their campaign against Costa Rica on Wednesday, with a tough test in Group E also putting them alongside Germany and Japan.
After victory in South Africa, Spain were eliminated at the group stages four years later in Brazil and lost at the round-of-16 stage to host nation Russia in 2018.
Brazil and Argentina have been tipped as the favourites for glory at this instalment, though Spain are considered among the teams going for glory in Qatar and Laporte is confident Luis Enrique’s side have everything required to go all the way.
“All the teams have their strengths, we have an amazing squad, the big majority [of players] compete at the top level in the Spanish league, in England or other places,” he told a press conference on Monday.
“We have people very well placed in football, quality, with this boss we are working very well on a tactical leveI. I believe we have everything.
“Then, in these type of games or tournaments, you need luck and there are other factors to be taken into account. But on what depends on us, we will do everything to win.”
Laporte was also asked about the injury suffered to France striker Karim Benzema, who has been ruled out of competing at the tournament, which he says is disappointing for the fans.
“In this type of tournament we expect the best to be competing, or many of them,” he added. “It is a shame for fans to not see all the best players in the world fighting each other, but those who remain here have a goal and we are going for it.”
England’s World Cup campaign opened in thoroughly convincing fashion as they outclassed Iran in Doha.
The game was played out against the backdrop of more off-field controversy here in Qatar after England were forced to ditch plans to wear the OneLove armband promoting diversity and inclusivity under threat from Fifa of players being cautioned should they carry out the gesture of support.
Gareth Southgate’s side strolled to victory, with Iran’s hopeless plight made worse by the early loss of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to concussion after a clash of heads with a team-mate.
Jude Bellingham got England off the mark in this World Cup with a soaring header from Luke Shaw’s cross 10 minutes before the break and the game was wrapped up before half-time thanks to Saka’s fine strike and Raheem Sterling’s classy volley with the outside of his foot from Harry Kane’s cross.
Iran’s supporters were given a moment of real delight when Mehdi Taremi scored a fine goal after 65 minutes but it only produced a ruthless response from England as Saka scored his second and substitute Marcus Rashford scored with his first involvement – both smooth, composed strikes.
To put the gloss on an incredibly dominant display, Jack Grealish slotted home from close range after a good run and pull back by Callum Wilson.
Iran did pull another back in injury time when Taremi slotted in a penalty after a John Stones foul.
Bellingham & Saka show class
It is almost impossible to deliver any firm judgement on England’s World Cup prospects given the paucity of Iran’s opposition but this could hardly have gone better for Southgate as his one major selection decision reaped a rich dividend and the result was almost perfect.
Iran were expected to provide stern resistance as they reside in the top 20 in the Fifa rankings and have a recent victory against Uruguay on their record but England made light work of the task once Bellingham gave them the lead.
Bellingham is being touted as one of the big emerging names at this World Cup, the 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund star already a target for a host of the game’s elite names.
And, even in the context of this game, Bellingham showed exactly why as he joined Saka as the dominant force in this game, scoring his first England goal with a magnificent header and bestriding midfield with a complete authority that belied his years.
This was only the second time England have scored six goals in a major tournament but on this evidence you would not bet against the brilliant Bellingham being involved the next time it happens.
Bellingham is a player with the world at his feet and a long career ahead of him at international level.
Southgate picked Saka ahead of Manchester City’s Phil Foden, the only mildly contentious decision in his line-up, but there can be no arguments after a hugely impressive performance from the 21-year-old who has played such a big part as Arsenal head the Premier League.
Saka scored twice and was a threat throughout and thoroughly deserved the warm applause he received when he was substituted.
It will get harder for England as they now face the United States and Wales but this was the perfect start.
The organisation of the Qatar World Cupwill again be called into question after an issue with FIFA’s ticketing system left Englandand Iran fans struggling to get into Khalifa International Stadium.
Ahead of the opening Group B game, and the second match of the tournament, on Monday, thousands of supporters were unable to gain entry to the ground in time for kick-off.
There were thousands of empty seats when the game started, with the venue gradually filling up during the first half.
In a statement released just prior to kick-off, FIFA said: “Some spectators are currently experiencing an issue with accessing their tickets via the FIFA Ticketing app. FIFA is working on solving the issue.
“In the meantime, fans who are not able to access their mobile tickets should check the email accounts they used to register with the Ticketing app for further instructions.
“In case fans cannot access their email accounts, the stadium’s Ticket Resolution Point will be able to support. We thank fans for their understanding as we work to fix the issue as soon as possible.”
Virgil van Dijk was saddened to hear his former Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane would miss the World Cup but he hopes the Netherlands will profit from the Senegal star’s absence on Monday.
Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal suffered a huge blow on Thursday, when it was confirmed Mane would not recover from a fibula injury in time to feature at the tournament.
Mane has been directly involved in 12 of the last 25 goals scored by Senegal players at either the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup, leading coach Aliou Cisse to concede the Lions of Teranga would have to cope without their best player in Qatar.
Although Van Dijkacknowledges Mane’s woes could benefit the Netherlands in Monday’s Group A meeting, he has been in touch with the Bayern Munich attacker and pities his misfortune.
“I called him the next day. I wanted to know how he was, first and foremost, because there were so many rumours that he was out for a while,” Van Dijk said of his reaction to Mane’s injury.
“As a friend, I wanted to know how he was. Unfortunately, at the time, he’d already not had the best of news, but there was a little bit of hope, everyone thought.
“Unfortunately, he won’t be able to make this tournament and I feel sad for him. I know how hard he worked for this. He wants to be important for Senegal and he has been important for them, in the last couple of years especially.
“It’s tough. Obviously he’s going to be a big miss for them, and hopefully we can benefit from that a little bit as well.”
Although the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia, they have won 11 of their last 14 World Cup matches (D2 L1), with their only loss during that run coming in 2010’s final against Spain.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is about to commence and the excitement is already running high in our country as Ghana is going to feature in it.
Ghana missed out on qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but here they are once again to add to their rich history in the tournament. They have made it to the World Cup three times so far (2006, 2010 and 2014), and they deliver jaw-dropping performances.
World Cup 2006
In 2006, Ghana became the only African side to qualify for the second round of the World Cup. They also had the youngest team in that edition, with an average age of 23 years and 352 days. FIFA praised the results of the team and ranked them 13th out of the 32 countries that participated in the tournament.
Mundial 2010
The Black Stars produced even better results in the 2010 edition as they made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. They looked all set to proceed even further but were stopped in their tracks as they lost to Uruguay on penalties. FIFA ranked Ghana seventh in that competition after their stellar show.
FIFA 2014
The 2014 edition didn’t turn out to be that good for Ghana as they made an exit in the group stage after losing to Portugal and USA. But they did deliver a spirited performance against Germany as they tied the match 2-2.
Ghana couldn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but they are all set to battle it out in Qatar this time. And the squad they have assembled for the mega event gives a lot of hope to their fans.
Good mix
There is some genuine talent in the squad this time who play for renowned clubs all over the world, and there is a good mix of youth and experience as well. The most familiar name in the roster is that of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey but Tariq Lamptey from Brighton, Inaki Williams from Athletic Bilbao, Jordan Ayew from Crystal Palace, Daniel Amartey from Leicester and Mohammed Salisu from Southampton aren’t small names either.
Just look at Inaki Williams’ great physical form and his dancing.
All these players have demonstrated their talent and potential in different leagues around the world time and again. Now they will be looking to do the same at the biggest stage of international football. Ghana have been drawn in Group H along with strong teams like South Korea, Portugal and Uruguay. But the talent and potential in their squad is capable of handling the quality of these teams. Ghana will be eager to exact revenge on Uruguay, who knocked them out of the tournament in 2010. So, the Black Stars will be naturally motivated to do well in this tournament.
While the Black Stars work on and hone their skills on the field, you can get your lines ready to bet on your favourite team during the World Cup on 1xBet, a renowned bookmaker offering a wide line and high odds. All this you can use in a convenient application, and for those who like live chatting there are 3 betting shops in Accra and Kumasi, where you can watch matches and make wagers. 1xBet takes an active part in the soccer life of our country and sponsors Legon Cities FC.
Cleanliness is next to godliness and Japan has proven to be closer to God than expected.
They have also made a name for themselves before their opener against Germany scheduled for Wednesday, November 23, 2022.
Japanese fans after the opener game between host nation, Qatarand Ecuador on Sunday, November 20, decided to remain at the Al Bayt Stadium to execute just one action.
When all had left their bottles and containers that carried their snacks in to beat the traffic, the Japanese fans decided to stay and clean.
According to sources, these Japanese fans came prepared with their own trash bags and cleaned for at least an hour.
Fortunately, their noble deed was filmed and all who have come across the footage have praised the heroes and heroines.
Italy head coach Roberto Mancini has conceded that his 3-4-3 formation did not work as intended against Austria, as he criticised his side’s poor first half display against the hosts.
The European champions finished 2022 with defeat in Vienna, where two first half goals from Xaver Schlager and David Alaba put the hosts in control.
A poor showing in the first period was improved upon after the break, but Italy could not break Austria’s defence, though Mancini believes his side did enough to deserve praise.
“We were better in the second half, in the first half we had the ball and we had to score. After that we suffered, making so many technical mistakes. In the second half, all we were missing was a goal,” he said post-match.
“The formation didn’t go very well, we did little pressing with the strikers conceding too many spaces.
“The team was too long, we did badly and this penalised us a bit, but in the second half I saw a very good team. We were unlucky and a bit inaccurate.”
Italy are not scheduled to be back in action until March, where the defence of their European crown begins with the first qualifying match against England in a rematch of the 2020 final.
Despite courting controversy over its selection to host the 2022 World Cup tournament, Qatar has spent about $300 billion in 12 years toward infrastructure to host the global football event.
The Middle-East nation, with its capital in Doha, had earlier earmarked an official budget of $10 billion but had to splurge further funds to build seven new stadiums and refurbish an existing one to make it 8 stadiums to host the football tournament.
To place the cost into further context, the most expensive World Cups previously were the 2014 tournament in Brazil and the 2018 edition in Russia, which both cost less than $15 billion.
But oil-rich country Qatar is now ready to host visitors in about 20,000 new hotel rooms, a new railway metro and more than 1,100 miles of new roads constructed for the event, according to a Bloomberg report.
Although the selection of Qatarhas been marred with concerns about human rights abuses, labour conditions, and weather temperatures, millions of fans have geared up to witness the world’s best footballers take center stage.
In hopes of efforts to redeem its image on the global stage, officials in Qatar are expected to also face major pushback from groups over their culture and moral standings.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has however defended the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar. According to him, suggestions that the tournament should not go ahead are merely ‘hypocritical and racist’ on the part of Western critics.
At a press conference held on Saturday, November 19, Gianni Infantino said, “We are taught many lessons from Europeans, from the Western world. What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons.”
Ghana’s expenditure at 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Ghana’s Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, on November 4, 2022, presented the country’s budget for the 2022 World Cup to Parliament.
The address which was delivered before lawmakers highlighted the possible financial, sporting, tourism, and economic benefit of the World Cup tournament.
Mustapha Ussif disclosed that the government has budgeted $14 million for the Black Stars’ campaign in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
A breakdown of the budget indicates that Ghana is targeting a semi-final finish at the World Cup.
However, the budget for the semi-final is pegged at $14,184,100 million should the national team finish in the top four of the competition.
Mustapha Ussif said Ghana stands to gain between $27 million dollars to $42million in case it advances to the finals.
But the for the three group matches against Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay, the government has budgeted US$8,166,200.00 million.
With the country already getting $1.5million and an additional $9 million for participating in the World Cup, Ghana stands to gain a profit of nearly $2 million by just participating in the group stages of the World Cup.
He also confirmed that the Ghana Football Association has received $1.5 million from FIFA to augment the Black Stars’ preparations for the tournament which begins on November 20, 2022.
According to him, part of the $1.5 million they received from FIFA was “useful to organizing the team’s friendly matches to improve technical and managerial readiness for Qatar.”
The Black Stars of Ghana will begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup with an opening game against Portugal on Thursday, November 24 at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
In 2010, the government reportedly budgeted US$19 million for the tournament in South Africa.
In 2014 when the country’s participation was rocked with chaos and disgrace, the government then reportedly spent $9,622,170 million on three matches the country participated in.
FIFA has earned an unprecedented $7.5bn in revenue through four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the governing body of football says.
The earnings, which FIFA revealed on Sunday to officials from more than 200 of its member nations, are $1bn more than what the organisation pulled in from the previous World Cup cycle leading up to the 2018 event in Russia.
The extra income was buoyed by commercial deals with this year’s hosts. Qatar Energy joined as a top-tier sponsor, and new third-tier sponsors include Qatari bank QNB and telecommunications firm Ooredoo. FIFA also added second-tier sponsor deals this year from financial platform crypto.com and blockchain provider Algorand, its first new American sponsor in more than a decade.
Key broadcast deals for this year’s World Cup were signed during Sepp Blatter’s presidency in two-tournament deals for the Russia and Qatar events. They included deals with Fox in the United States and Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports from 2011.
FIFA pays for host countries’ organising committees, prize money, travel and accommodation for teams and support staff. It also pays for a legacy fund to help develop the sport in the host country after the World Cup circus has left town.
The winners of the Qatar World Cup will receive $44m out of a total prize pot of $440m.
FIFA organises its accounts in four-year cycles around each World Cup. For the 2015-2018 cycle leading up to the Russian World Cup, the governing body brought in $6.4bn. It has used that cash to help member bodies through uncertainty in 2020 when national team football and World Cup qualifying games were almost entirely shut down.
The organisation’s revenues are likely to approach $10bn for the next four years, thanks to a new financial strategy for women’s football and the expanded 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, which will see 48 teams compete for the first time, up from the present 32.
FIFA has an almost blank slate for the 2026 edition with top-tier sponsors Coca-Cola, Adidas and Wanda the only deals currently extended. Separate sponsor deals for women’s football are being signed for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
FIFAhas earned an unprecedented $7.5bn in revenue through four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the governing body of football says.
The earnings, which FIFA revealed on Sunday to officials from more than 200 of its member nations, are $1bn more than what the organisation pulled in from the previous World Cup cycle leading up to the 2018 event in Russia.
The extra income was buoyed by commercial deals with this year’s hosts. Qatar Energy joined as a top-tier sponsor, and new third-tier sponsors include Qatari bank QNB and telecommunications firm Ooredoo. FIFA also added second-tier sponsor deals this year from financial platform crypto.com and blockchain provider Algorand, its first new American sponsor in more than a decade.
Key broadcast deals for this year’s World Cup were signed during Sepp Blatter’s presidency in two-tournament deals for the Russia and Qatar events. They included deals with Fox in the United States and Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports from 2011.
FIFA pays for host countries’ organising committees, prize money, travel and accommodation for teams and support staff. It also pays for a legacy fund to help develop the sport in the host country after the World Cup circus has left town.
The winners of the Qatar World Cup will receive $44m out of a total prize pot of $440m.
FIFA organises its accounts in four-year cycles around each World Cup. For the 2015-2018 cycle leading up to the Russian World Cup, the governing body brought in $6.4bn. It has used that cash to help member bodies through uncertainty in 2020 when national team football and World Cup qualifying games were almost entirely shut down.
The organisation’s revenues are likely to approach $10bn for the next four years, thanks to a new financial strategy for women’s football and the expanded 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, which will see 48 teams compete for the first time, up from the present 32.
FIFA has an almost blank slate for the 2026 edition with top-tier sponsors Coca-Cola, Adidas and Wanda the only deals currently extended. Separate sponsor deals for women’s football are being signed for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has defended the process he used to withdraw money from the consolidated fund to sponsor the national cathedral project by saying former President John Mahama’s government used the same process to approve funds for Ghana’s participation in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Testifying before the ad hoc parliamentary committee that investigated some seven allegations against him in connection with a censure motion filed by the minority caucus in an attempt to remove him from office, Mr Ofori-Atta said: “Hon. Co-chairs, in preparing the annual budgets, the practice is that provision is made for indicative expenditures that have not been fully costed (sic) at the time of the budget presentation”.
“Provisions are made in the Contingency Vote to cater for such expenditures”, he explained, citing, for example, “in 2014, there was no specific allocation in the 2014 budget for Ghana’s participation in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Cabinet of President John Mahama, in March 2014, at the time, approved some $9.622 million for that tournament, including that amount which was flown to Brazil in a private jet for the players”.
“A more current example is Ghana’s participation in Qatar. The Black Stars qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, way after the 2022 budget, presented on 16 November 2021, was approved by parliament. No specific amount was budgeted for it but through the Contingency Vote, we have been able to provide funds legitimately for the team to participate in the competition”, he noted.
According to him, “expenditures in respect of the National Cathedral were made from the Contingency Vote under the ‘Other Government Obligations’ vote as has been the practice before my tenure (I have copies of several payments from the Contingency Vote dating back to 2015 to share)”.
Mr Ofori-Atta said “as finance minister, I am fully aware of the approval procedures for the use of the Contingency Fund and have not breached its requirement”, adding: “The national cathedral is 100% owned by the state and is not the president’s cathedral as described by the proponents”.
“Indeed, the Attorney General issued an opinion on 6 January 2022, that the national cathedral is a state-owned company limited by guarantee, under the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board”, he added.
Former Black Stars striker, Asamoah Gyan rates the 2022 World Cup group stage clash against Uruguay as the most important for his country, considering their history.
Ghana were on the verge of history in 2010 – becoming the first African team to reach the semi-final of a senior World Cup before Luis Suarez struck.
A header from a free kick in the stoppage time, headed for the back of the net was deliberately handled on the goal line by Suarez, and although he got sent off
However, Gyan, who is the country’s all time leading goal scorer with 51 goals failed to convert the resulting spot-kick before Uruguay triumphed on penalties.
“Everyone in Ghana is waiting for the game against Uruguay because of what happened in 2010,” Gyan said as a co-anchor on a SuperSport World Cup show.
“We feel like it is our opportunity to get revenge,” he added.
Ghana will meet Uruguay in their last Group H game on December 2. The Black Stars will open their campaign against Portugal before taking on South Korea.
Sadio Mane is backing Senegal’s Lions of Teranga to show they still have sharp claws without him in Monday’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands.
Bayern Munich forward Mane was set to spearhead the team’s quest in Qatar, but a cruel leg injury has ruled him out of the tournament.
On paper, it seems the team are significantly weakened by his absence, but Mane says the reality could be rather different, backing the group he left to rise to their challenge.
The former Liverpool star wrote on Instagram: “This Monday, our dear country will compete in the World Cup, Qatar 2022. I am sure the Lions will transcend and approach every game as a true final.
“I am also convinced that all Senegalese will be in front of the small screen to support and encourage our valiant national team.
“Like all supporters of the ‘Taniere’ [lions’ den], I am convinced that my team-mates will fight as one man and as they usually do to honour our dear Senegal. Long live Senegal, come on the Lions.”
Senegal were surprise quarter-finalists in 2002, and as reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions they were considered by many as the continent’s biggest hope for World Cup success this time around.
Losing Mane will change that perception for many observers.
The 30-year-old had a tendon reattached to the head of his right fibula after being ruled out of Senegal’s squad, and he could face several months on the sidelines.
Mane thanked well-wishers, writing: “Many of you have sent messages of support following my injury. Thank God, the surgery I had in the middle of the week went well. I want to take this opportunity to thank and show my appreciation to you all.”
Cristiano Ronaldo hopes he can be the man to “checkmate” Lionel Messi at Qatar 2022, but he does not believe a World Cup win for Portugal would end football’s ‘GOAT’ debate.
Ronaldo and Messi are the sport’s two modern greats, with supporters of each player claiming them to be the best of all time.
However, despite European Championship success for Portugal and last year’s Argentina triumph in the Copa America, neither have won the greatest team prize of all.
Ronaldo has endured a difficult season at Manchester United, yet he has arrived in Qatar in confident mood, even if he does not believe he has anything to prove.
“Even if I won the World Cup, there would be this debate,” he said on Monday. “It’s like in everything, there are some who like blondes more, others more brunettes…
“I’m an ambitious player; I’d love to win this competition, but if I don’t win, I’d still be happy with everything I’ve done so far.
“If they told me that I won’t win a title again, I’d be proud of what I’ve done.
“[Winning the World Cup] was a dream for me; it’s possible, but we’ll see. I hope all energies are on our side.”
Boas energias, boas sensações, o mesmo empenho e a mesma concentração de que colocamos em cada desafio. Foco! Vontade! Crença! Seja onde for, Portugal, sempre!🇵🇹🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/tWgeKBRG3J
Ronaldo and Messi are long-time rivals, but they posed together for a game of chess in a Louis Vuitton advertising campaign ahead of the finals.
Were Portugal and Argentina each to win their groups, the pair would not meet on the pitch until the December 18 final.
“It was a campaign that I’ve been doing, which I’ve wanted for many years,” Ronaldo said of the ad. “I’ve fulfilled the dream of being able to do it; everyone knows the greatness of the brand.
“It will be my fifth World Cup. I’m focused and extremely optimistic that things will go well.
“Checkmate we do in life, it’s not just in chess. And I do it often.
“I don’t know how to be direct about it, but I’d like to be the one to do the checkmate against him [Messi]. It would be beautiful to happen; it already happened in a chess game and in football it would be even more [beautiful].”
Ronaldo and Messi have met only twice at international level, with Portugal and Argentina winning one friendly apiece.
Cristiano Ronaldo is motivated by the millions of people who look up to him ahead of the World Cup, as he dismissed criticism of his interview with Piers Morgan.
The conversation with Morgan, broadcast on TalkTV, aired in full last week, with Ronaldo seemingly doing his utmost to bring his second spell at Manchester United to an end.
Among a wide range of topics, Ronaldo discussed how he felt “betrayed” by the club and how he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag – he even aimed a swipe at former team-mate Wayne Rooney.
Ronaldo is seemingly heading for a January exit, though for now his focus is on leading Portugal in Qatar. Their campaign in the gulf nation starts on Thursday against Ghana.
Iker Casillas came to his old Real Madrid club-mate’s defence on Sunday, telling Marca he would always like to have the 37-year-old on his team and that he is a contender to win the Golden Boot in Qatar, suggesting critics too easily forget Ronaldo’s achievements.
In a press conference at Portugal’s training base on Monday, Ronaldo said: “I agree with Casillas and I hope to demonstrate that we are eliminating that small range of criticism.
“There are millions of people who like me. That is what motivates me. There is no money to pay for that. The joy of the children.
“Timing is always timing. From your side it is easy to look at how we can choose timings. Sometimes you write truths, sometimes you write lies.
“I don’t have to worry what others think. I talk when I want to. Staff, players, everyone knows me, they know what I think, they’ve known me since I was 11, they won’t be influenced by what [the critics] say.”
Boas energias, boas sensações, o mesmo empenho e a mesma concentração de que colocamos em cada desafio. Foco! Vontade! Crença! Seja onde for, Portugal, sempre!🇵🇹🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/tWgeKBRG3J
Ronaldo, who is sure his interview will not derail Portugal’s chances of success, also hit out at the media for asking his national team-mates to discuss his situation, after Ruben Neves’ press conference on Sunday was dominated by the topic.
“Please, don’t ask players about me. Ask about the World Cup, I’m bulletproof, I have an armoured mind,” he said.
“I have no doubt that this recent episode, that interview, and other episodes with other players that happen sometimes, can sometimes shake the player but won’t shake the team.
“Everyone really wants this competition, everyone wants to play, which is something I like to see, the ambition is very high.”
Ronaldo also explained that frosty exchanges with Bruno Fernandes and Joao Cancelo were simply jokes.
“I made a joke with Bruno, with whom I have an excellent relationship,” Ronaldo added.
“His flight was delayed and I asked if he had come by boat. It was a joke, as it was with Joao Cancelo.”
The likes of BTS’ K-pop superstar, Jeon Jungkook, and Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, took the centre stage to thrill the thousands of spectators present at the stadium.
But chancing on experts of the colourful opening ceremony which has been touted the best since World Cup’s inception, fans have established that it would have been a historical moment for Davido to have been present on such a huge platform.
Davido was scheduled to perform the ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together) Official World Cup song with American singer, Trinidad Cardona, and Japanese singer Aisha.
However, due to the demise of his son, Davidowas absent at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar where the 2022 World Cup opening is being held.
The ‘Champion Sound’ hitmaker who is said to have been in a destabilized state ever since he lost his son, Ifeanyi, has postponed all his concerts.
He is yet to either speak or make a public appearance following the demise of his 3-year-old son.
Read the tweets below:
World Cup day !!! Official theme song. Davido x Trinidad x Aliyah.
Davido would have been performing today. His Instagram story would have been lit 🔥. I always visit his IG twice a day just to watch his videos. Miss him 🥹
If not for the unfortunate incident that happened @Davido is supposed to be at Qatar 🇶🇦 by now preparing and doing sounds check for his first ever official World Cup live Performance..🥺‼️It’s
Well 😪 God Is Your Strength ✊001👑 pic.twitter.com/91jdty5ctl
The World Cup opening with Davido performing is something I was looking out for but things happen. We don’t have control over.
I pray he comes out finer, saner & better.
A Better Time ahead. Stay strong @davido.
We hope to see him live at Adeleke’s swearing in in Osun. pic.twitter.com/pCxcPTs4Xs
Memphis Depay will not feature in the Netherlands’ World Cup opener against Senegal, but coach Louis van Gaal remains optimistic for the tournament, believing this squad to be capable of improving on a third-placed finish at Brazil 2014.
Depay had been a doubt for Monday’s match in Doha due to a hamstring injury that has limited him to only two LaLiga appearances at Barcelona this season.
Oranje coach Van Gaal, speaking to the media on Sunday, confirmed the forward would miss out against Senegal, suggesting his “idea of the match” centred around how the two teams would fare without their respective stars. Senegal’s Sadio Maneis out of the entire tournament.
Depay was involved in more goals in European qualifying for Qatar 2022 than any other player, scoring 12 and assisting a further six in just 10 matches.
Van Gaal said: “Mane can break open a match, and I would say Senegal will really miss him. But the same applies to us. We are really missing our top scorer and the king of the assists.”
However, the Netherlands boss had been aware a swift return was unlikely for Depay, adding: “We knew before the World Cup he had a different programme, a different schedule than the schedule of a player who is preparing for a match.”
When he recovers, Depay will be tasked with leading the line for a Dutch side Van Gaal considers superior to his class of 2014 – the last team he took to a tournament in the second of three stints in the role.
The Netherlands reached the semi-finals on that occasion, losing to Argentina on penalties before beating Brazil in the third-place play-off.
Given Van Gaal’s high opinion of this group of players and his own considerable experience, he expects results to follow – potentially culminating in a first World Cup triumph.
“I believe in this squad, this group of players,” he said. “In 2014, we came third with a squad of lesser quality, I would say. With this group, I expect more.
“It all depends not only on technical skills and tactical skills but also a bit of luck that you score at the right time or that the others don’t score.
“I think we could become world champion, but there are squads that are in my view of a higher level than my squad. The thing is how the squad deals with that, and there I think I may be able to benefit from a head start.
“I’m saying we can become world champion. Whether we become world champion is a separate issue, but I’m saying we can.”
While Van Gaal would not confirm the identity of his starting goalkeeper, he hinted at Cody Gakpo getting the nod ahead of Davy Klaassen in Depay’s absence, and there is no doubt who his captain is.
Van Dijk appeared next to Van Gaal, who said: “I have a wonderful captain next to me. I have worked with so many captains, and he is a truly great captain. That makes things easier.”
But neither Van Dijk nor Van Gaal would answer political questions after Gianni Infantino’s remarkable opening address the previous day.
“I am no longer going to speak about political issues,” the previously outspoken Van Gaal said. “I’m focusing on this coming match.
“I put a full stop after all these issues after we invited the migrants to watch our practice session. I requested all my players also stopped doing that and put a full stop and focus on the match against Senegal.”
There has been a huge amount of focus on Qatar over recent weeks and months — but almost none of it has been on their football side.
But later today, they will make their World Cup debut as hosts with a long-awaited clash against Ecuador.
Ranked 50th in the world and with a squad who all play in the Qatari top-flight, what can we expect from the hosts?
Long preparation
Given it is 12 years since they were named as the 2022 host, Qatar’s preparation has been the longest on record.
The Qatar Super League was suspended in mid-September to give boss Felix Sanchez plenty of time with his squad.
They have played seven friendlies in the past three months, more games than any other international side, as they try to give their players the best chance of succeeding.
They have beaten Albania and Guatemala, drawn with Jamaica and Chile and lost to Canada in those games.
Whipping boys?
Qatar won the 2019 Asia Cup by beating Japan in the final
In a group with Netherlands, Senegal and opening day opponents Ecuador, Qatar look out of their depth.
But they are not the lowest-ranked side in the tournament — Saudi Arabia are 51st to the hosts 50th — and they have shown they may spring a surprise or two in recent years.
Their biggest success was winning the 2019 Asia Cup — shocking South Korea in the quarter-finals and Japan in the final.
But they also picked up one point from three games when they were invited to the Copa America in 2019, only losing 1-0 to Colombia and 2-0 to Argentina, before reaching the semi-finals of the 2021 Gold Cup.
Though there is not a single household name in their squad, they have plenty of technically talented players.
Defensive efforts
Operating in either a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation, expect Qatar to sit back and soak up plenty of pressure later today.
They have lost their last six games against World Cup-bound sides, so will go into none of their games as favourites.
Iraqi-born centre-half Bassam al-Rawi, 24, will be the key figure at the back, and he is one of the players to have spent time playing in Europe, with spells on loan in Spain and Belgium.
But they do have talent going forward as well.
Keep an eye out
Akram Afif is one to watch out for when Qatar take to the field against Ecuador
If Qatar are to cause a seismic shock, one of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif will likely play a big pat.
When Xavi was winger Afif’s manager, he said: “He’s an unbelievable talent, a big player. I have told him many times that he’s an amazing player.”
Striker Ali, meanwhile, was born in Sudan and scored a quite brilliant overhead kick in the 3-1 Asia Cup final win over Japan.
Both 26, Ali has 39 goals in 82 caps for Qatar, while Doha-born Afif has netted 24 in 83 internationals.
Ecuador threats
There is little doubt that both of these sides are the underdogs in Group A — the Netherlands and Senegal are expected to qualify.
But Ecuador finished fourth in the notoriously tough South America qualifying and come into the tournament with the youngest of the squads from that continent.
Brighton’s Moises Caicedo is the undoubted star of the show, though their chances will be harmed by some big injuries.
Boss Gustavo Alfaro has helped turn their fortunes around in a relatively short space of time and will know that victory here is a must if they want to progress.
Gianni Infantino promised that “everyone is welcome” in Qatar, but was adamant the country must not be criticised despite its questionable human rights record.
A World Cup the FIFA president believes will go down as the best in history kicks off on Sunday, with host nation Qatar taking on Ecuador.
The awarding of the tournament to Qatar, which happened in 2010, has drawn much criticism, with the Gulf state’s record on human rights particularly contentious.
Homosexualityis still a crime in Qatar, while the nation’s government does not recognise same-sex marriage or civil partnerships, while campaigns for LGBTQ+ rights have been quashed.
Infantino, though, assured that people of any sexuality, race or religion are welcome in the country, as in an hour-long monologue at the Main Media Centre in Doha on Saturday, he called out what he sees as the “hypocrisy” of the western world and media, insisting that he must take any criticism, and not Qatar or the players or coaches.
“At the last World Cup I was always getting angry, because I had to deal with questions about doping, which I had nothing to do with,” Infantino said.
“Here I have to deal with other topics. If you want to criticise somebody, don’t criticise the players, the coaches, let them focus on football and making their fans happy.
“If you want to criticise someone, criticise me, I am here, crucify me. Don’t criticise Qatar. Criticise FIFA, criticise me. But let people enjoy this World Cup.
“Do we want to continue to divide, to spit on people because they feel different, or look different? We obtain results, it’s a process. Help us, don’t divide, don’t split.
“We have 32 teams, 33 with the referees, we have a beautiful city that wants to welcome the world. Let’s celebrate and hope we can give some joy around the world.”
Infantino promised he had assurances that people within the LGBTQ+ community will be welcome and secure in Qatar.
“I’ve been speaking about this topic with the highest leadership in the country, several times,” he said.
“I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If you’re a person here or there that says the opposite, well it’s not the opinion of the country, and it’s certainly not the opinion of FIFA.
“This is a clear requirement, everyone has to be welcome. Whatever religion, race, sexual orientation or belief that she or he has, everyone is welcome – this is our requirement and the Qatari state sticks to this.
“Yes, these legislations exist in many countries in the world. These legislations existed when Switzerland organised the World Cup, in 1954. What do you want to do about it?
“Do you want to stay home and criticise, say how bad they are – these Arabs or Muslims or whatever, because it’s not allowed to be publicly gay. Of course, I believe it should be allowed, but I went through a process.
“If I asked the same question to my father, who is not here anymore, he would probably have a different answer than me, and my children will have a different answer than me.
“If somebody thinks by hammering and criticising we achieve anything, it will be exactly the opposite, because it will be provocation and if you provoke me the reaction will be bad, then the doors will be more closed, even though now the door is starting to open.
“Tolerance starts with ourselves, we shouldn’t spread aggression, we have to spread understanding.”
Infantino hopes the tournament will help unite the world, claiming that is FIFA’s aim.
He said: “We are a global organisation, and we want to unite the world. I am still convinced, though not sure how optimistic I still am, that this World Cup will help to open the eyes of people in the western world to the Arab world.
“We have to live together, but we have to understand we have different beliefs, different history and backgrounds, but we are in the same world. It’s why you have to come here and say what you see – when you see something that is wrong, say how it can be rectified, please.
“Maybe we can help everyone to understand how we can help each other a little bit better.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino launched an impassioned defence of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, insisting he feels solidarity with many of the groups seemingly marginalised by taking the event to the Middle East.
The decision to host world football’s showpiece event in Qatar – a country with a chequered past on human rights issues, its treatment of migrant workers and the illegality of homosexuality – has drawn widespread criticism, but in an extraordinary riposte, Infantino was unrepentant.
He said: “Today I have very strong feelings. Today, I feel Qatari. Today, I feel Arab. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel a migrant worker.
“I feel all this because what I have been seeing and what I have been told, since I don’t read, otherwise I will be depressed.
“What I see brings me back to my personal story. I am a son of migrant workers, my parents were working hard in very difficult conditions, not in Qatar but in Switzerland, I remember it very well. I know the rights migrants in Switzerland had.
“I remember as a child how migrant workers were treated when they wanted to enter a country and look for work.
“I remember what happened with their passports, their medical checks, with their accommodation and when I came to Doha for the first time after I was elected FIFA president I went to see some of the accommodation and I was brought back to my childhood.
“I said to the people in Qatar, this is not right, and the same way that Switzerland has become an example of tolerance, inclusion and rights, Qatar has made progress as well.
“Of course, I am not Qatari, I am not Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled, I am not a migrant worker but I feel like them because I know what it feels to be discriminated against by a bully.
“As a foreigner in a foreign county, as a child at school, I was bullied at school because I had red hair and freckles. I was Italian, and didn’t speak good German.
“What do you do? You lock yourself down, go to your room and cry. And then you try to make some friends, to engage, make friends. And then you try to make these friends engage with others. You don’t start fighting, you start engaging and this is what we should be doing.
“I am proud to have this FIFA sign on my jacket. It’s not easy to read all the criticism from a decision taken 12 years ago. Now we have to make the best out of it.
“Qatar is ready and it will be the best World Cup ever. As soon as the ball rolls, people will focus on that.”
Infantino’s “I feel gay” comment immediately prompted accusations of hypocrisy on social media given he heads an organisation that is staging the World Cup in a country with such an oppressive outlook on homosexuality.
He added: “If we were to exclude all these countries, you are playing football with just you and me.
“I think football has to bring people together and I think we have to welcome everybody. Gay people are welcome in Qatar – we need to engage, don’t provoke.
“How many gay people were prosecuted in Europe? It was a process, we went through a process. We seem to forget.
“We shouldn’t take for granted that a country that has not had the same chance for development as we had in Europe.
“We have to have our beliefs, engage and explain. I think provocation is the wrong way. I may be right, may be wrong. I try to engage.”
This week, Hashir Ali and 11 of his friends will make a long trip – from Kozhikode city in the southern state of Kerala to Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Mr Ali, 55, a football-crazy civil engineer, and his friends are travelling to Doha for the World Cup, where they will stay for 10 days to watch the matches live.
Mr Ali bought tickets for the matches six months ago through a friend in Doha and has been waiting for the “big moment” ever since.
He is among several fans in India, who are gung-ho about football. Along with Kerala, Kolkata city in the eastern state of West Bengal and Kolhapur district in the western state of Maharashtra also have a large number of football fans.
With the world’s second largest population, many feel India is under-represented in the world’s most popular sport – the national team languishes in 106th spot in Fifa’s rankings.
Though India qualified in 1950, they have never actually made it to the World Cup. They refused to participate, partly because it would have meant their normally barefoot team having to wear football boots.
But every time the World Cupis held, India’s football fans do crazy things to express their love for the sport, and their favourite international team.
They save up for months to travel to watch the games; hold mock-matches sporting their favourite team’s jerseys; predict who will win the championship and take out colourful processions to celebrate their team’s victories.
Image source, Arun chandra boseImage caption, Fans erected large cut-outs of their favourite footballers in a river in Kerala
Recently, fans erected a 30ft-tall cut-out of Lionel Messi in a river in Kozhikode. Not to be one-upped, fans of Christiano Ronaldo and Neymar soon erected cut-outs of their idols. These outlandish additions to the river invited a lot of media attention, and even Fifa tweeted about them.
For many Keralites, Qatar is also like a second home, as thousands work or have set up businesses in the middle-eastern country. Several of them have worked for firms who have built stadia for the World Cup.
“It’s a dream come true to watch my favourite players in action,” Mr Ali told the BBC as he was packing for his flight.
Along with sundry items needed for the trip, his bags also contains gifts for his favourite footballers – miniature dhows, or sailing boats.
The dhow, also known as uru in Kerala, has its origins in India’s ancient maritime trade. Craftsmen in Beypore – an ancient port town in Kozhikode – have been engaged in dhow-making for generations and their handcrafted luxury dhows are popular among Qatari millionaires.
A thousand handcrafted miniature dhows made by the traditional shipbuilders of Beypore have been shipped to Qatar as merchandise for the World Cup. A life-sized dhow is also set to be on display.
Image source, ARUN CHANDRA BOSEImage caption, Kerala has a huge number of football fans
Mr Ali is also taking a gift for the organisers – a dhow with flowers of participating countries drawn on its mast.
“We have drawn pictures of all the eight stadiums and flags of the participating countries on a football along with other icons,” Meghna Unnikrishnan, the creator of the artwork, told the BBC.
“It took almost a month for the artisans to build the dhow, carved from teakwood, and I and three other artists finished the drawings in two days,” she adds.
An ardent fan of Lionel Messi, “of course after Diego Maradona”, Mr Ali is going to watch the World Cup matches live for the first time.
“Thank God [the World Cup in being held in] Doha this time and all the eight stadiums are in a 10km (6 miles) radius. Otherwise, I could not even dream of doing so,” he says.
He says he would like to stay back and watch more matches, but “that’s too expensive” for him and it’ll take a “heavy toll” on his work back home.
Last week, Indian fans gathered in large numbers in Doha to cheer the arriving England team by beating drums and blowing horns.
Image source, Hashir Ali / Gudam Art GalleryImage caption, Hashir Ali and Meghna Unnikrishnan with a miniature dhow they are carrying to Doha
TV networks in Kerala have also captured expatriate fans of teams from other countries, celebrating on the street, wearing the team’s colours and waving their national flag.
“Football is in our blood and we make every match a celebration. There’s no permanent loyalty,” Mr Ali says.
In the neighbouring Malappuram district, the World Cup craze started six months ago, with seven football matches representing prominent local teams.
The players donned jerseys of their favourite countries – France, England, Argentina, Brazil, Holland, Germany and Portugal – in the seven-a-side matches.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jerseys on sale in Kolkata city in the state of West Bengal
Abdul Nazar, a footballer from Vengara village in Malappuram is also readying to fly to Doha early next month.
Along with him, around 25 fans from the village are also travelling to Doha to cheer their favourite teams. They’ve arranged for drums to beat and flags to wave whenever their chosen team scores a goal, he says.
“We have fans for all major teams, although Argentina and Brazil are favourites,” Mr Nazar told the BBC.
Alcohol will not be sold to fans at the World Cup’s eight stadiums in Qatar after Fifa changed its policy two days before the start of the tournament.
Alcohol was set to be served “in select areas within stadiums”, despite its sale being strictly controlled in the Muslim country.
Those in corporate areas of stadiums at the tournament will still be able to purchase alcohol.
The World Cup starts on Sunday when Qatar play Ecuador.
Budweiser, a major sponsor of Fifa, is owned by beer maker AB InBev and had exclusive rights to sell beer at the World Cup.
“Following discussions between host country authorities and Fifa, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the Fifa fan festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s Fifa World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” said a statement from world football’s governing body.
“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.
“Host country authorities and Fifa will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.
“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022.”
Budweiser posted a message on Twitter on Friday saying, “Well, this is awkward” before the post was later deleted.
An AB InBev spokesperson said that they could not proceed with “some of the planned stadium activations” because of “circumstances beyond our control”.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) criticised the timing of the decision to ban the sale of beer for most fans.
“Some fans like a beer at a game and some don’t, but the real issue is the last minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem – the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters,” said an FSA spokesperson.
“If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.”
In August, Fifa changed the start date of the World Cup so that the first game of the competition would be Qatar facing Ecuador.
The game was scheduled to be played on 21 November as the third game, with Senegal against the Netherlands set to be the opening match earlier that day.
The sale of beer around stadiums during the World Cup has been banned after talks between FIFA and Qatari tournament chiefs.
It was revealed on Friday by FIFA that alcohol would not be available as expected in the perimeter area of stadiums.
Budweiser is a major FIFA sponsor and sales of its product had been expected to be allowed close to the stadiums. However, only its alcohol-free variant will now be available.
The news was swiftly criticised, with England’s Football Supporters’ Association questioning whether such an apparent U-turn could be followed by more promises not being kept.
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), expressed similar concern, describing the news as an “extremely worrying” development.
FIFA said: “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.
“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.”
Referencing Budweiser’s parent company, FIFA added: “The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
Reports said Budweiser posted on Twitter “Well, this is awkward”, before deleting the post.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) said its concern was less about the beer decision but about the prospect of fans being affected by possible further unexpected decisions at the controversial mid-season World Cup.
The FSA said in a statement: “Some fans like a beer at the match, and some don’t, but the real issue is the last-minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem – the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters.”
It condemned the lack of explanation and said fans would have “understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues”.
There are only about 40 miles between the two furthest away stadiums – Al Bayt Stadium north of Doha to Al Janoub Stadium just south of the capital.
The drive takes just 50 minutes without traffic.
A tournament with a disposable stadium
Seven of the eight World Cup stadiums have been built from scratch for this tournament. Seven of the eight will have seats removed after the tournament… and Stadium 974, which is made of shipping containers, will be entirely disassembled.
Only one of the eight grounds will be the home stadium of a football team afterwards (Al Rayyan at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium).
In total about 200,000 seats will be removed from grounds (and, according to organisers, be gifted to developing countries) after the final.
A guide to the eight World Cup stadiums
A lack of places to stay
As a country that does not get near the top 100 in the world for population or size, it is perhaps no surprise that Qatar cannot offer the accommodation usually seen at a World Cup.
In March, the country had just 30,000 hotel rooms – with official figures suggesting 1.5 million people are coming.
They hope to have a total of 130,000 rooms available in the country in time for fans coming – including 9,000 beds in fans villages, big tents and metal cabins, 60,000 rooms in apartments and villas, 50,000 in hotels and 4,000 rooms in two cruise ships which will remain docked for the tournament.
The lack of rooms means some fans will have to stay in neighbouring countries such as Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and fly in for their games. Oman is offering free visas and 24 special flights a day from Muscat to Doha.
What can fans expect in Qatar?
A lot of new infrastructure
Qatar has had to build a lot of infrastructure to host this tournament. As well as the stadiums, more than 100 hotels have popped up and there have been new roads and a metro built.
A new city is going to be built around the final stadium in Lusail. The budget for just stadiums and training facilities alone is £5.3bn.
Plenty of tickets sold
Despite all the issues with accommodation, 2.89 million tickets were sold at the last update in October – meaning this could be one of the best attended World Cups ever.
How much is a beer?
The price of a beer is about £10 to £15 in Qatar – although there are huge restrictions on where you can buy alcohol.
Usually, licensed hotel bars and restaurants are the only options in Qatar, although during the World Cup, fan zones and the grounds around the stadium will also sell beer.
The fan zones will reportedly charge £11.60 for 500ml of lager.
Drinking alcohol in public places (outside of these areas) can result in a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of more than £700.
The tournament’s carbon footprint
Some 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 will be omitted during the tournament. It was 2.1 million in Russia.
Criticism over deaths of migrant workersWatch: Ros Atkins on… How Qatar got to host the World Cup
More than 6,500 migrant workers are thought to have died in Qatar from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka alone from when the country was awarded the World Cup in 2010 to 2020, according to a Guardian investigationexternal-link last year.
The Qatar government said the total was misleading, because not all the deaths recorded were of people working on World Cup-related projects.
Amnesty International says there are no exact figures because the Qatari authorities have failed to investigate the deaths of thousands of migrant workers over the past decade.
‘A desert World Cup and a dust-storm of controversy’How has Qatar treated foreign workers?Amnesty urges Qatar to continue worker reforms LGBT activist urges captains to speak out
Dubbed “Osey” the song is to whip up support for the Stars ahead of the games at Qatar, which commences on November 20. It will be the Stars official song for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Kentos Band wrote and arranged the beautiful composition – a simple and catchy melody admonishing the Black Stars to bring the much-coveted trophy home.
Although Kentos Band is usually known for its electrifying live performances, this project allows them to explore much more and contribute to a national cause. This equally adds to the band’s weight of excellence in contemporary African music. What makes the project special is the quality of Kentos Band to incorporate the brass band music into contemporary styles, which they achieved with “Osey.”
The entire project includes the song and a video featuring legendary former Black Star players like Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, John Mensah, Asamoah Gyan, Laryea Kingston, John Paintsil and Derrick Boateng, and is sponsored by Torrid Global Limited. As an oil marketing company operating in Ghana, this offers Torrid the opportunity to support a worthy social cause.
The support from Torrid Global reflects the organisation’s commitment to corporate social activities that contribute to national unity and patriotism. Equally, the contribution of the former Black Stars is a strong factor in reiterating the purpose of the project which is aimed at supporting the team they used to play for.
Kentos Band believes that “Osey” would indeed be the sound with which fans cheer the stars in this World Cup season.
At the launch of the official song and music video, the Minister of Youth & Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, admonished Ghanaians to cheer the Stars on to bring the coveted trophy home as admonished in the cheer song.
Luis Enrique wants his Spain side to go all the way to the World Cup final in Qatarafter they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their final warm-up match before the tournament.
Spain’s young stars won the game, with Ansu Fati setting them on their way with a 13th-minute strike before Gavi and Nico Williams added second-half goals to make it eight wins from their last 11 matches, though Jordan did score a late consolation.
Spain have not made it past the round of 16 at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 2010, but Luis Enrique’s sights are firmly set on the final on December 18.
11 – #Spain 🇪🇸 have won the last 11 games prior to the start of a World Cup edition, being the last time they failed in May 1978 (0-0 v #Uruguay 🇺🇾). Strength.
Former England captain Terry Butcher believes the Three Lions could benefit from scaled-back expectations at the World Cup after enduring a torrid Nations League campaign.
Gareth Southgate’s team are the only nation to reach the semi-finals at each of the last two major tournaments, having been beaten by Croatia in the last four at the 2018 World Cup before losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy.
Despite their strong tournament record in recent years, England arrive in Qatar in poor form after being relegated from Nations League Group A3 following a winless campaign in the competition.
However, Butcher believes England may replicate their feats from four years ago by springing a surprise in Qatar.
He said: “I think a lot of people will see them as less looking like winners, because this year has been very disappointing for England.
“When you look at it and you step back, it’s dropped the expectations. The expectation levels are down now, compared to what they were at the start of the year.
“I think a lot of that is very similar to Russia in 2018, when a lot of people were not expecting them to do particularly well.
“I think there’ll be more determination with the pressure off, like it was in Russia. Then you’ve got the timing of the tournament and English players will be fresh.
“There’s a few injury problems and concerns, but there’s no burnout, and there’s no mental tiredness like there is when it comes to the summer championships. This is unique for the English players as well. So I think that’ll benefit us very much.
“You think well, ‘you’ve had a taste of the semi-finals, you’ve had a taste of the final’, they would have learned a lot from that.”
Despite overseeing two memorable major tournament campaigns since taking charge in 2016, Southgate has been subject to fierce criticism in recent weeks.
However, Butcher believes Southgate’s record cannot be questioned and says the depth of talent at England’s disposal makes them genuine contenders to win the World Cup.
“There aren’t many England managers that have won cups and titles and all that sort of thing,” Butcher said when asked about Southgate.
“He’s got problems in terms of who to leave out as much as who to put in. There is a plethora, if you want to use that word, of talent. It’s about finding the right blend on the day.
“But it’s a lovely position to be in. I just hope now that England can take the shackles off and have that belief that they can win it. That’d be really nice if they could do that.
“There’s no doubt the talents there. Fitness will be there. The mental strength will be there, which I hope has been even made more acute by the failure last year to win the final.”
The Black Stars defeated Switzerland by 2-0 in their final friendly match which was played on Thursday, November 17, 2022.
Salisu, who scored one of the game’s goals with a fine header, said he was inspired by the performance of his teammates against the Swizz.
“It’s a great feeling, the boys are ready and we showed today that we are a team and organized, we have to concentrate and I think we can go through.
“Our performance today is a great one from the boys, we did well and I hope we are going to do more at the World Cup,” the Southampton defender told the media.
“I think I should I have scored the goal in the first half and I missed and, in my mind, I was thinking I should have scored in the second half that was what was inn my mind,” he said.
He added, “I think we are from different clubs and I think we have quality in the team. Young players, they all play in the top level. When we focus on our journey, we can do more.”
Robert Lewandowski has been banned for three Barcelona matches after a red card in their 2-1 win at Osasuna last week.
The 34-year-old striker, who is currently with Poland at the World Cup, was shown two yellow cards, the second for an elbow to David Garcia’s face.
Gerard Pique has been given a four-game ban after insulting the referee at half-time following that decision.
However former Spain defender Pique retired after that game.
Lewandowski’s three-game ban was because of a gesture showing a “contemptuous attitude towards the referees”.
It was only the second red card of his career – and he will miss La Liga games against Espanyol, Atletico Madrid and Getafe after returning from Qatar.
Stale Solbakken will be without Erling Haaland for Thursday’s trip to DublinInternational friendly: Republic of Ireland v NorwayVenue: Aviva Stadium Dublin Date: Thursday, 17 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Live text and report on the BBC Sport website
Norway manager Stale Solbakken has said the “world was asleep” when Qatar was awarded the World Cup by Fifa.
Solbakken added that “Fifa has the biggest failing” and made “the biggest mistake” when Qatar was controversially named as host nation in 2010.
The Norwegian boss was speaking before Thursday’s friendly with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
“The first years after it was given to Qatar, I think the whole world was more or less asleep,” he said.
“I think it’s only in the last years that it’s suddenly, ‘Oh, the World Cup in Qatar’.
“I don’t think football has done enough, I don’t think journalists have done enough. I think you also have been asleep for a long, long time.”
Haaland to miss Republic friendly
Qatar has been criticised for its stance on same-sex relationships, human rights and treatment of migrant workers before the tournament.
Norway, like the Republic of Ireland, did not qualify for the World Cup but Solbakken, when asked if he would have been uncomfortable taking his team to Qatar, added: “I think nobody is comfortable with it.
“But the teams that are going there, obviously the players’ main issue should be to play football and for the coaches to coach the team.
“But I think at the same time, football’s political people have a great responsibility to make a stand that this kind of way of where certain World Cups should go, that you need to act in a certain way and you have to have equal rights for all human beings and that all people are treated well.”
When asked about Solbakken’s remarks, Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny said: “It’s a legitimate criticism. I can’t discount that point of view. I personally made that point on the two occasions when we played Qatar.
“I spoke out at that time when we played Qatar in our group home and away, the disparity between rich and poor in Qatar, the deaths of the migrant workers – obviously the numbers have been questioned, different media outlets have given different accounts of what kind of numbers.
“But there’s no doubt that it was distressing and very tragic, really, in those circumstances. It shouldn’t happen, that’s for sure.”
Watch as England arrive in Qatar for the World CupKenny defends Qatar scouting trip
Kenny has defended his decision to spend five days in Qatar as he scouts France and the Netherlands before the start of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
In contrast, Norway will be sending only one member of staff – an analyst to assess Euro 2024 qualifying opponents Spain.
“I’m just going in and out for five days. I’m going to see France twice – I’ve got to do the job to the best of my ability as Irish manager. I get to see France twice against Tunisia and Denmark, I get to see Holland ahead of the World Cup,” said the 51-year-old.
“Obviously, with the nature of matches only being an hour away, I get the opportunity to go to eight games in five days just to continue learning and to find out about France and Holland particularly before we play them, which is important for us, massive for us.
“Everything has been building towards this European Championship and towards attempting to qualify for the European Championship.
“That’s been a big ambition and it’s important to see the teams at their best in full flight. It gives you a real perspective on the team. That’s the reason I’m going.”
Norway will be without star striker Erling Haaland for the trip to Dublin after the Manchester City forward missed a number of games with a foot injury.
Meanwhile, the Republic could hand a debut to Oxford United’s Mark Sykes and 18-year-old Brighton striker Evan Ferguson.
James Maddisonwill likely be available for England’s World Cup opener against Iran following the Leicester City forward’s injury scare against West Ham.
The Foxes forward earned a Three Lions recall last week as part of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man party for Qatar 2022, three years on from his only cap.
But Maddison’s long-awaited return to the fold looked to be in jeopardy after he departed early during his side’s Premier League clash with the Hammers over the weekend.
He has since travelled to Qatar with the rest of the England squad, however, and has now allayed fears of a potential lay-off that could disrupt his tournament.
“The injury is OK,” he stated. “We had a scan the day before we met up, and it was positive. I had a little problem in the lead up to the West Ham game.
“I wanted to play, I didn’t want to not play because of the World Cup, that’s not the sort of person I am. I wanted to show the focus was still there.
“I’ll have to do a little bit of work with the physios here to get up to full speed [but] it shouldn’t affect me playing in the first game. I’m hopeful I’ll be fine.”
Maddison was one of a few players Southgate revealed he called to inform they had been selected ahead of his squad announcement, wanting to assuage the Leicester man’s concerns over any inclusion, though the 25-year-old initially did not answer.
“I was actually having a chatting with Brendan [Rodgers] in his office,” he added. “He asked me if I’d had the call and I said no nothing yet.
“I went downstairs into the dressing room, and I’d missed a call off Gareth. The heart starts beating. I’d had his number saved still.
“I went up and called him back, and he gave me the good news, which was all a bit of a blur. After the call had ended it was a head on the wall moment, took a big deep breath, and then I called my parents.”
Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has backed fans who have decided to boycott the World Cup in Qatar.
After a 12-year wait loaded with controversy, the first World Cup to be played in the Middle East begins on Sunday when Qatar face Ecuador.
There has been scrutiny on the hosts surrounding human rights issues, the treatment of migrant workers and the illegality of homosexuality, with FIFA having written to all participating nations and urging them to “focus on the football”.
That seems unlikely to happen, however, with a number of nations already speaking out, and Van Gaal has issued his support to any fans boycotting the tournament.
“I think that they are right to do that because they believe in that and they have to do that, so no problem with that,” he said.
“And I hope that we play so fantastic that at the end of the tournament when we play the final, they shall look for the television how good we are.
“I think that you have to play in football countries, more experience with everything, but also to stimulate that country in another way, in the right way.
“This is also a small country, my family or my friends have a lot of difficulties to find the place, so that’s also a remark.
“The organisation and the pitches and everything, the facilities, these are very good.”
On the field, Van Gaal admits that he does not have the best players at his disposal in the Netherlands squad but still feels they can be successful.
“I believe that we don’t have the best players on earth in our team, but I believe in team building and tactics and I believe that we can come to the end but we need also luck, that is also important,” he explained.
“And because of that and because I believe in imagination, I speak about to be the world champion at the end of the tournament because when you can imagine that, you can do it also on the pitch, because we have players who can execute the tactics of the coaches of the Netherlands.”
The Netherlands begin their campaign against Senegal on November 22, before facing Ecuador and hosts Qatar in Group A.
South Korea, Ghana’s World Cup opponent, have arrived in Qatar ahead of the global showpiece.
South Korea touched down in the Arab country on Monday at Hamad International Airport, with many fans welcoming the Asian giants ahead of their 11th FIFA World Cup appearance.
18 of 26 players arrived in Doha and will be joined by eight players flying in from across Europe over the next few days.
The Taegeuk Warriors, who are staying at Le Meridien City Centre, face Uruguay in their opening match on November 24, before taking on Portugal and Ghana in Group H.
All three South Korea matches will be played at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18, 2022.
South Korea squad for World Cup
Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors)
Defenders: Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors), Hong Chul (Daegu FC), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors), Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul), Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Cho Yu-min (Daejon Citizen)
Midfielders: Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan), Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors), Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg), Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca)
Forwards: Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos), Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
South Korea forward Son Heung-min says he will to give the best of himself at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Son, who suffered a fracture around his left eye during a 2-1 win away to Marseille in the Champions League and was a doubt for the tournament made the final cut.
The 30-year-old arrived in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday to join the senior national team squad, becoming the last member to join the South Korean squad as they continue preparations for the global showpiece.
“We’ll just have to keep monitoring it and see how I recover. As I’ve said before, I will do the best I can and make sure I never let people down,” Son said, as quoted by local media.
Son will be featuring in his 3rd straight World Cup and is expected to play a key role for South Korea.
The Taegeuk Warriors face Uruguay in their opening match on November 24, before taking on Portugal and Ghana in Group H.
All three South Korea matches will be played at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18, 2022.
Black Stars players are reportedly set to be paid in Ghana cedis and not dollars at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The players, according to reports, have been told to give their cedis bank account details to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the payment of their appearance fees.
Each player will receive $100,000 as an appearance fee at the World Cup in Qatar, hence every player will earn ₵1,470,000.00 and their per diem which is $500 will also be ₵7,350.00.
Black Stars, who are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
Black Stars held their first training session on Tuesday evening in Abu Dhabi ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals.
25 players were put through their paces by coach Otto Addo including Alexander Djiku and Kamal Deen Sulemana who arrived earlier on Tuesday to join the rest of the team.
The players include, Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Danlad Ibrahim, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Nurudeen Abdul Manaf, Mohammed Salisu, Daniel Amartey, Denis Odoi, Baba Abdul Rahman, Gideon Mensah, Alidu Seidu, Salis Abdul Samed, Elisha Owusu, Kamal Sowah, Antoine Semenyo, Tariq Lamptey, Osman Bukari, Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Daniel Barnieh Afriyie, Mohammed Kudus, Daniel Kofi Kyereh, Alexander Djiku and Kamal Deen Sulemana.
The team will stay in the capital of the United Arab Emirates for four days where they will play an International friendly against Switzerland at the Baniyas club stadium on Thursday, November 17, 2022.
Ghana secured a 4th FIFA World Cup tournament having participated in 2006, 2010, and 2014 in Germany, South Africa, and Brazil after drawing 1-1 against Nigeria in the return leg of the final play-offs at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja to seal qualification on the away goals rule.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18, 2022.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
Ghana, who are returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018 has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
The West African powerhouse will play Portugal on November 24 in its first game before taking on South Korea and the epic clash against Uruguay.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, the former Juventus star asserted the Black Stars admitted it is going to be difficult considering the group but did not rule Ghana out of the tournament.
“It’s going to be difficult, 2006 when we went to the World Cup in Germany we were underdogs”, Appiah tells Al Jazeera.
“We played against Italy we lost our first game and beat Czech Republic 2-0 who were number two in the world, played USA, number 5 in the world, we beat them. We are capable of doing that. We have to take it game after game”.
Appiah added: “We play Portugal and not thinking about Uruguay. We concentrate on Portugal game and see what will happen. Our players are good”.
Ghana will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
Football fans travelling to the 2022 FIFA World Cup could be thrown in jail if they travel to Qatar with pork, porn or sex toys.
With less than a week to the start of the tournament, the United Kingdom government has published foreign travel advice pertaining to the World Cup.
The advice urges its nationals to respect all local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times in the Islamic country.
See a list of some dos and donts if you are travelling to Qatar;
Drugs
There is zero tolerance for drug-related offences in Qatar. The penalties for the use of, trafficking, smuggling and possession of drugs (even residual amounts) are severe. Punishment can include lengthy custodial sentences, heavy fines and deportation.
Many people transit via Hamad International Airport on their way to other destinations. The airport makes use of the latest security technology, all bags are scanned and transiting passengers carrying even residual amounts of drugs may be arrested.
Some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines may be controlled substances in Qatar. If you need to bring in controlled/prescription medication into Qatar, ensure you carry your official doctor’s prescription, hospital note or a letter from your GP, detailing the drug, the quantity prescribed and dosage. This note or letter should also be signed by the doctor/consultant and stamped by the hospital or surgery.
Alcohol
It is an offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public. British nationals have been detained under this law, usually when they have come to the attention of the police on a related matter, such as disorderly or offensive behaviour. For example, drinking in a public place could result in a prison sentence of up to 6 months and/or a fine up to QAR3,000. Alcohol is available only at licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and expatriates living in Qatar can obtain alcohol on a permit system. Don’t carry alcohol around with you (except to take it on the day of collection from the warehouse to your home). The legal drinking age in Qatar is 21, and establishments serving alcohol will ask for original photo ID upon entry.
Offensive behaviour
Swearing and making rude gestures are considered obscene acts and offenders can be jailed and/or deported. Take particular care when dealing with the police and other officials.
Photography/media
Be aware of cultural sensitivities when filming or photographing people and religious, military or construction sites. Some visitors attempting to film or photograph in sensitive areas have been arrested. If in doubt, seek permission.
If you’re working as a journalist, you’ll need to get permission from the Qatar News Agency (QNA) to film or photograph as part of your work and enter the country on a visiting press permit. This permit will clear technical equipment like cameras through airport customs and provides other necessary information.
There are strict privacy laws in Qatar. Posting material (including videos and photographs) online that appear to insult, slander or are culturally insensitive, may be considered a crime punishable under Qatari law. Individuals have been detained, prosecuted and/or convicted for posting this type of material.
Importation of Goods
Importing drugs, alcohol, pornography, pork products and religious books and material into Qatar is illegal. All luggage is scanned at Hamad International Airport Arrivals Hall. DVDs and videos may be examined, censored and confiscated.
Qatar law also prohibits the importation, sale and purchase of electronic cigarettes, liquids and other similar products (eg electronic shisha pipes). The law applies regardless of quantity and intended use. Customs officials may seize and confiscate any such items found entering the country by any means, including in passengers’ luggage or sent by post.
Dress code
You should dress modestly when in public, including while driving. Women must cover their shoulders and avoid wearing short skirts. Both men and women are advised not to wear shorts or sleeveless tops, when going to government buildings, health care facilities or malls. If you do not dress modestly, you may be asked to leave or be denied entry to these locations.
Dressing modestly is especially important during the holy month of Ramadan.
Relationships outside of marriage
Any intimacy in public between men and women (including between teenagers) can lead to arrest.
Living together whilst unmarried is prohibited in Qatar, and sex outside of marriage, regardless of whether this is same sex couples or opposite sex couples, is illegal. This can lead to arrest and a potential court case where the judgement can include a fine, a custodial sentence and deportation once the sentence is complete. This is especially so where the behaviour has caused offence. See Local laws and customs page.
Due to the laws on sex outside marriage, if you become pregnant outside marriage, both you and your partner could face imprisonment and/or deportation. Doctors will ask for proof of marriage during ante-natal checks. An unmarried woman who gives birth in Qatar may also encounter problems when registering the birth of the child in Qatar, and could be arrested, imprisoned or deported. To get a birth certificate from the Qatari authorities, you must provide a marriage certificate and the authorities may compare the date of the marriage against the estimated date of conception.
LGBT
Homosexual behaviour is illegal in Qatar.
Financial crimes
Financial crimes, including fraud, giving somebody a cheque which bounces (including post-dated and ‘security cheques’) and non-payment of bills (for example hotel bills or car hire) can result in imprisonment and/or a fine and deportation in Qatar. Bank accounts and other assets may also be frozen. You may also be liable for cheques that you have signed on behalf of a company.
If you have unpaid loans or financial commitments you won’t be able to cancel your residence permit, and may find yourself subject to a travel ban which will prevent you from leaving Qatar including to go on holiday. All debts should be settled in full before you leave the country. Ask your bank for a certificate to confirm you have no outstanding debt once you have cleared the balance.
Equally, you may find that there is a block on your sponsorship which will prevent you from transferring to a new sponsor (employer) and any end of service benefits you may be entitled to could be used to offset the outstanding debt.
Deportation
Should you be found guilty of committing an offence, the State of Qatar reserves the right to issue an Administrative Deportation order. This is regardless of whether the judgement included deportation. If you are employed in Qatar this will obviously impact your employment and may affect your ability to return to Qatar in the future.
Real Madrid stars have made the switch to electric after being given free BMW cars as part of a sponsorship deal between the club and the German company.
Players including Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, and manager Carlo Ancelotti, are among the recipients of the fully-electric BMW iXs or i4s.
Prices for the BMW iX start at around £71,000 and can cost up to £109,000, while the i4s cost between £53,000 and £66,000.
They were able to choose their own model and colour after being provided with the cars by BMW.
Players had previously driven Audi cars during the club’s long-standing partnership with the company, which ended after nearly two decades earlier this year.
Real are thought to have ditched their deal with Audi, which began in 2003, after failing to agree on a new contract following negotiations.
The Spanish giants then entered into a partnership with BMW. Exact details have not been disclosed but local media reports claim the German car manufacturer is paying Real around £6.5million a year.
A host of Real Madrid’s household names will have to wait to drive their new cars, however, as the majority of the first-team squad are heading to Qatar for the World Cup.
Nine of their first XI that featured in their final match before the World Cup shutdown, the 2-1 win over Cadiz last Thursday, have been picked for their national side.
The tournament begins with the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday.
The head of Liberia’s census body and one of his deputies have been sacked with immediate effect amidst confusion over the country’s much-postponed population count.
President George Weah announced the dismissal of acting director general Wilmot Smith and his deputy Alex Williams in a statement released on Monday.
The decision “is based on administrative reasons”, the statement said.
President Weah has appointed Lawrence George to act as the head of the agency.
The sacked officials had publicly disagreed on whether the country was ready to conduct the census.
President Weah has been out of Liberia for weeks to attend to official functions – including watching his son, Timothy, play for the US in the football World Cup in Qatar.
He is under heavy criticism for not staying at home for the census and setting an example to others.
His press secretary Isaac Solomon Kelgbeh told a radio programme last week that the president had been counted before departing the country, while an official at the census agency said President Weah would be counted on his return.
Dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy, has called out the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over the absence of some key players in the squad for the 2022 World Cup tournament.
In a tweet on Monday, following the unveiling of the 26-man squad by Otto Addo, Stonebwoy could not understand why the list did not reveal the some players who could assist Ghana claim this year’s trophy.
He believes this is due to what he describes as “PayToPay” which goes to suggest bribery and corruption-related activities.
Stonebwoy, however, did not reveal the identities of the players he expected to be in the squad heading to Qatar but were not included.
This comes after President Akufo-Addo cautioned the leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to desist from interfering with the Black Stars team selection for the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar.
The President issued the warning on Thursday, October 20, 2022, when the GFA paid a courtesy call at the Presidency.
The Black Stars technical team is mandated to select the players fit to represent the country, however, there are rumors of GFA interference.
According to the President, such grapevines must not materialise in Qatar this November.
For Stonebwoy, the GFA did not adhere to the President’s directive.
Andre Dede Ayew will be leading the senior national football team to Qatar.
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Danlad, Lawrence Ati Zigi and Manaf Nurudeen.
Defenders: Alexander Djiku, Salisu Mohammed, Daniel Amertey, Tariq Lamptey, Gideon Mensah, Baba Rahman, Dennis Odoi, Alidu Seidu and Joseph Aidoo.
Midfielders: Andre Ayew, Thomas Partey, Elisha Owusu, Salid Abdul Samed and Daniel Afriyie Barnie.
Attackers: Daniel Barnieh Afriyie, Kamal Sowah, Issahaku Abdul Fatawu, Osman Bukari, Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Ghana will open camp in Abu Dhabi and will take on Switzerland on November 17 before flying to Doha for the tournament on November 19.
Ghana will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
Black Stars’ head coach, Otto Addo, has revealed the 26-man squad that would be heading to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup tournament this November.
Andre Dede Ayew will be leading the senior national football team to Qatar.
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Danlad, Lawrence Ati Zigi and Manaf Nurudeen.
Defenders: Alexander Djiku, Salisu Mohammed, Daniel Amertey, Tariq Lamptey, Gideon Mensah, Baba Rahman, Dennis Odoi, Alidu Seidu and Joseph Aidoo.
Midfielders: Andre Ayew, Thomas Partey, Elisha Owusu, Salid Abdul Samed and Daniel Afriyie Barnie.
Attackers: Daniel Barnieh Afriyie, Kamal Sowah, Issahaku Abdul Fatawu, Osman Bukari, Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Ghana will open camp in Abu Dhabi and will take on Switzerland on November 17 before flying to Doha for the tournament on November 19.
Ghana will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
For longer than many Arsenal supporters will care to remember, the Gunners have stood excused of lacking the stomach for a fight.
Doubters have insinuated that a soft core has held the north London outfit back, with suitable heirs to the likes of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva in short supply.
Having apparently failed to address those issues, with greater emphasis placed on guile over graft, positive
progress to the level demanded by an expectant fan base has proved difficult to come by. Ticking those boxes was, however, always going to be easier said than done.
FLYING
It may have taken a while to find the right formula, but Mikel Arteta appears to have stumbled upon it. A flying start to the 2022-23 campaign – with record books being rewritten at Emirates Stadium – carried Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table and to a price of 9/2 for title glory in football betting odds.
Such a standing is not achieved by chance, with a perfect blend of substance and style needing to be found. The Gunners have that once again, with those in the middle of the park very much leading by example.
Granit Xhaka has been a revelation, completing the most unexpected transformation from villain to hero, but it is Thomas Partey who has become a throwback figure to the heady days of domestic crowns and invincible exploits during the reign of Arsene Wenger.
Comparing him to talismanic figures from a Highbury heyday may do nobody any favours, with former Arsenal defender Lauren once saying: “We have to look forward and back Thomas Partey for who he is, he’s a different player in a different squad. We cannot compare Partey with Vieira or Gilberto Silva because it’s not the right way to look at things.”
It is, however, difficult not to get caught up in the hype at times and to allow collective minds to drift between exploits of the past and present. There are certainly plenty of similarities to be drawn between a Ghanaian enforcer and iconic World Cup winners from France and Brazil that once occupied the same engine room.
Partey has become a key component in a well-oiled Arsenal machine, to the point that keeping him fit and firing is imperative. Unfortunately, that has been an issue at times, with a commanding presence sitting out 33 games across his first two seasons in England and another five early in the current campaign.
RECHARGE
He is clearly somebody who needs to be handled with care and wrapped in cotton wool whenever Arteta gets the chance. With that in mind, a winter World Cup could be considered to have arrived at the worst possible time – with there plenty of arguments to be made against the staging of a major international tournament in the middle of any given season.
Those not heading to Qatar will savour a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate, allowing batteries to be recharged at a time when they can start to run a little flat. Arsenal would have liked to stick an all-action midfielder on that particular dock for a few weeks, but the Gunners are now hoping that their Partey will remain in full swing once he returns from international duty in the Middle East.
News of the exclusion of in-form winger Joseph Paintsil has been well-received by South Koreans.
The Asian country will face the West African country in the group stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ahead of the start of the global showpiece later this month, Ghana head coach Otto Addo is scheduled to name his final 26-man squad on Monday, November 14.
Even before the official announcement is made, it has been reported that the most in-form Ghana winger in Europe, Joseph Paintsil has been excluded.
In addition, it is understood that Italy-based striker Felix Afena-Gyan, RSC Anderlecht midfielder Majeed Ashimeru, and some other top players in Europe have been axed from the squad.
After the news reached the portals of South Korea, they are now jubilating with the argument that Ghana will be heading to Qatar with a weak team.
South Koreans are now confident that national team head coach Paulo Bento can easily guide the national team to secure all three points from the game against the Black Stars.
Besides Ghana and South Korea, Group H also has Portugal and Uruguay.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to kick off in Qatar on November 20.
“My expectation is high. I have got so much confidence in this team especially if you look at the technical team. They are experienced enough to know how to deal with a lot of situations,” he told TV3.
“Their experience will reflect in the players and then the two games they played against Nigeria tell me that the sky is the limit for the Black Stars. Going into Qatar, we have great players.”
“It’s a matter of playing more games together before the World Cup and we’ll be able to have a team. I believe the technical men will turn things around going forward,” he added.
Ghana coach Otto Addo is expected to name his final 26-man squad for the World Cup on Monday.
Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan says Ghanaians are their own enemies ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar later this month.
The former Sunderland player has reacted to the recent brouhaha surrounding Black Stars recent call-up for the upcoming FIFA Mundial.
He was the main striker for the Black Stars when they made their first-ever appearance in Germany 2006 and scored the country’s first-ever goal at the tournament.
He was named Ghana’s captain ahead of the 2014 edition when Ghana exited the competition at the group stages and was the only time Ghana failed to qualify from the Group stages.
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