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Tag: World Cup

  • Benzema retires from international football after France’s World Cup heartbreak

    Following his injury-related absence from France’s World Cup run, Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international play.

    On his 35th birthday, the Ballon d’Or-winning Real Madrid striker revealed that he would retire with France.

    He wrote on Twitter: “I made the efforts and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I’m proud of it!

    “I have written my story and ours is ending.”

    On the day of the competition, Benzema’s participation in the Qatar 2022 finals was ruled out due to a thigh injury he sustained during a France training session.

    Benzema made his international debut in March 2007 against Austria and went on to score 37 goals in 97 games for France. However, Benzema’s international career was characterized by a protracted absence.

    The former Lyon frontman, who was out of favor at the time due to an ongoing blackmail probe, notable missed the World Cup victory in Russia 2018.

    He was hoped to contribute significantly to the trophy defense this time, but Benzema had been bothered by a niggle in the months prior to the competition, which did not bode well.

    He was battling to prove his fitness but suffered an apparent injury recurrence during his first full training session with Didier Deschamps’ squad.

    Benzema underwent an MRI at a Doha hospital and it was decided he faced three weeks of recovery, leading to him leaving the France squad and not returning.

    Deschamps said at the time: “I’m extremely sorry for Karim who had made this World Cup a major objective.”

    One day after suffering a shocking final defeat to Argentina, losing 4-2 on penalties following a 3-3 game, Benzema made his declaration as France was leaving Qatar for home.

    For a France team that came agonizingly close to becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cup crowns since Brazil 60 years ago, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud proved to be a productive front pairing, so Karim Benzema’s absence scarcely registered.

    In response to rumors that he might rejoin the France team two days before the championship game, Benzema wrote a mysterious comment on Instagram that simply said, “That doesn’t interest me.”

    He has returned to training with Madrid ahead of the resumption of their season, and may have been fit to play a part in the final, having not been formally removed from France’s squad list.

    Asked if Benzema could make a shock return for the final, however, Deschamps said: “I don’t want to answer you. It’s a stupid question.”

    Now there will be no return in the future either, Benzema signing off from France duty three short of a century of international caps.

  • Messi says he will not retire from Argentinian national team

    Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi has quashed speculation and pledged to continue playing for his country, despite realising his lifetime ambition of winning the sport’s biggest prize.

    “I want to keep experiencing a few more matches as world champion,” the 35-year-old told Argentinian television following an epic penalty shoot-out victory over France in the World Cup final in Qatar on Sunday.

    “I was lucky to clinch every title in my career, this was the only one missing,” Messi said. “I want to take this one there [to Argentina] and enjoy it with everybody else.”

    Messi opened the scoring for Argentina with a 23rd-minute penalty and also found the net in extra-time for the 3-2 in the 108th.

    France’s 23-year-old superstar Kylian Mbappe completed his hat-trick to take the game to a shoot-out, in which he and Messi also scored.

    Messi, now indisputably one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, had said the tournament in Qatar would be his last World Cup.

    Source: Aljazeera.com

  • Not the time for France retirement talk – Lloris

    Following France’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup final, Hugo Lloris claims that it is “not the time” to talk about his future in the international arena.

    Argentina ultimately prevailed in a six-goal thriller, as the all-time leading appearance holder for the Les Bleus was unable to save any of the penalties he was presented with in the shootout.

    It has been questioned whether Lloris, who is now 35 and has been a member of France’s national team for 14 years and has been as captain since 2010, will remain among Didier Deschamps’ players.

    However, the captain batted away those queries and believes the result will take time to digest, telling TF1: “Now is not the time to answer those questions.

    “It’s a painful night for all the players, the staff, the management and all the supporters, even if we achieved great things.

    “It has to be an experiment for the future. It will take a little time for everyone to digest it.”

    Lloris also expressed his belief that the France squad did everything they could to emerge as victors, highlighting the response after the break following what was a poor first-half display.

    “We were too reactive. It was almost a boxing match, we surrendered blow for blow. The only regret we can have is that we may have missed our first half,” he added.

    “Despite that, we didn’t give up, we believed in it until the end. It took a winner, it was played on penalties.

    “It’s always cruel to be on the wrong side. But we will have given everything from beginning to end in this competition. We come out empty, it’s been almost a month of competition.

    “In this final, we could have dropped at 0-2 but we continued to believe until the end, we were able to turn the game around. It’s football.

    “We must congratulate the Argentines who made a great tournament, a great final. The match could have swung either way, but we were too reactive.”

  • Deschamps to decide France future in early 2023

    After seeing France’s dramatic World Cup final loss to Argentina on penalties, Didier Deschamps will decide on his future in the new year.

    France twice came from behind in an exciting 3-3 tie after extra time at Lusail Stadium thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick, the second to be scored in a men’s World Cup final.

    However, Lionel Messi, a teammate of Mbappe‘s from Paris Saint-Germain, won the coveted prize after Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni both missed their attempts in the shootout.

    The setback will probably rekindle rumors about Deschamps’ future, with former France great Zinedine Zidane long considered a potential successor.

    Deschamps, however, will take his time to weigh up whether to extend his 10-year stay with the two-time world champions.

    “You’re not first to ask. Even if we had won, I would not be able to answer that tonight,” Deschamps said at his post-match press conference.

    “Of course, I am very sad for the players and staff, but I’ll have a meeting with the [French Football Federation] president at the start of next year and then you’ll find out.”

    After Angel Di Maria was knocked down by Ousmane Dembele’s challenge, Messi scored Argentina’s first goal in the championship, drawing ire from several France players.

    After the game, Deschamps expressed his own displeasure with Szymon Marciniak’s performance as the referee, but he also congratulated Argentina.

    Messi scored Argentina’s opening goal in the final after Angel Di Maria went down under Ousmane Dembele’s challenge, provoking an angry reaction from several France players.

    Deschamps made his own frustration with the performance of referee Szymon Marciniak clear after the game, though he also offered his congratulations to Argentina.

    “I need to be careful what I say. You saw as well as I did. It could have been worse, could have been better,” he said when asked about the officials’ display.

    “There were some decisions that gave rise to discussion but that’s the case in every game. I said before the game that Argentina had been lucky, not that they were helped by decisions.

    “I don’t want to take anything away from them, they fully deserve the title. It’s not because of decisions that they came out victorious, and I just discussed this with the referee.

    “I don’t want to get into what was said, I just want to congratulate Argentina.”

    French president Emmanuel Macron was seen speaking to Deschamps in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat and he told RMC Sport he had encouraged the 54-year-old to remain in post.

    “Of course, I asked Didier Deschamps to continue, I want him to continue! I told him he had to digest,” Macron said.


  • “The eight wonder”- Ghana winger Christian Atsu delighted after Messi wins World Cup

    Christian Atsu has reacted after Lionel Messi finally laid his hands on the coveted World Cup trophy.

    The seven-time Ballon d’or netted a brace as Argentina defeated France on penalties in the final to win the World Cup for the first time in 36 years.

    Messi’s Paris Saint Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe forced the game into extra time with a sensational hat-trick.

    However, Emi Martinez was the hero for Argentina as he saved two penalties to help the South Americans to victory.

    Atsu, who represented Ghana at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, shared his excitement after seeing Messi win the trophy.

    “The eight wonder of the world,” he wrote on Twitterwith a lovely photo of Messi.

     

    Messi made his first appearance at the World Cup in Germany, but had to wait till his fifth tournament to win the biggest  prize in football.

    He was crowned player of the tournament in Qatar after scoring seven goals, which was only bettered by Mbappe, who scored eight.

    The 8th wonder of the world #messi pic.twitter.com/KYbEe1eADg

    — Christian Atsu (@ChristianAtsu20) December 18, 2022

  • Cameroon striker, Junior Kaaba to leave Hearts of Oak – Reports

    According to rumours, Cameroonian attacker Junior Kaaba is about to leave Hearts of Oak.

    After putting on a strong performance in the Cameroonian first division, the big forward signed a three-year agreement with the “Phobians” in August of this year.

    However, the 23-year-old has failed to glitter with the head coach of the side, Slavko Matic demanding his release.

     

    Kaaka has featured six times for the Rainbow side and is yet to find the back of the net before the World Cup break.

    Hearts of Oak have however confirmed the release of midfielder William Opoku Asiedu and also Abdul Aziz Nurudeen’s contract extension.

    Slavko Matic and his charges have regrouped as they prepare themselves for the second phase of the 2022/23 GPL season.

  • Deschamps laments ‘physical and psychological impact’ of virus in World Cup final loss

    Didier Deschamps said that a virus in the France team contributed to their dreadful start to the World Cup final on Sunday, but he refrained from attributing full responsibility for Les Bleus’ defeat.

    After a remarkable 3-3 tie at Lusail Stadium, Argentina triumphed in a penalty shootout, preventing France from becoming the first side to defend the World Cup since 1962.

    Before Kylian Mbappe‘s hat-trick enabled France to force extra time and penalties, Deschamps’ side made a slow start, becoming the first team to fail to attempt a shot in the first half of a World Cup final.

    France had been without Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano due to illness in their semi-final win over Morocco four days earlier, and several other players reportedly experienced symptoms in the days preceding the final.

    Asked about the spread of the virus after Sunday’s defeat, Deschamps said it played a role in France’s lethargic start.

     

    “The whole squad has been facing a tricky situation for a while now, maybe that had a physical and psychological impact,” Deschamps said.

    “But I had no concerns about the players who started the match. They were 100 per cent fit, but we only had four days since the last match so perhaps there is some tiredness.

    “That’s not an excuse but we didn’t show the same energy as previous matches and for the first hour we weren’t in the match.

    “In those first 70 minutes or so, we were playing a very aggressive and dynamic opponent and we weren’t at the same level for a number of reasons.

    “We managed to come back from the dead and made a magnificent comeback from a very difficult situation.”

    Deschamps made his frustration with France’s first-half performance clear by becoming the first boss to make two substitutions before half-time in a World Cup match when he withdrew Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele.

    Despite Les Bleus’ failure to clinch the trophy for a third time, Deschamps praised the players he introduced, Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani, for reviving the contest.

    “I went through a lot of different emotions tonight,” Deschamps said. “There are some regrets because we were so close to winning but it wasn’t to be.

    “There were a number of reasons why, we had a very strong opponent and we were lacking a bit of energy from some key players.

    “We had some young inexperienced players who came on and brought some freshness and quality. They got us back in the match to keep the dream alive.”

  • Messi reveals he’ll play on for Argentina after World Cup glory

    After being the catalyst for Argentina’s victory in Qatar, Lionel Messi vowed to continue playing for his country so they could enjoy “a few more games being world champion.”

    After Sunday’s thrilling final, in which Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick for France but still lost, the World Cup now belongs to Messi and Argentina.

    A 4-2 victory on penalties after a 3-3 draw gave Argentina their third World Cup success, after lifting the trophy in 1978 and 1986 and means Messi’s final appearance on the biggest stage of all ended in a fairy tale manner.

    It was the trophy he had been striving to win before the end of his career, and the 35-year-old finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists, becoming the first player to score in every round and the group stage.

    He took the Golden Ball award as the best player but Mbappe pipped him to the Golden Boot with eight goals.


    Messi told TyC Sports: “Obviously I wanted to close my career with this, I can’t ask for anything any more. Thank God, he gave me everything. Closing almost my career like this, it’s impressive.”

    Messi knows his career is winding down and he put in the work to make sure he was in prime shape for one last shot at the World Cup.

    His emotional reaction after the final whistle, kissing the trophy at the first opportunity, reflected how dearly Messi wanted this moment.

    A double in the final meant Messi became the highest-scoring South American player in major international tournaments with 26 goals — 13 in the World Cup as many in the Copa America. That took him one goal ahead of Brazil great Ronaldo, who previously held the record.

    “After this, what will there be? I was able to get the Copa America, World Cup… It came to me almost at the end,” Messi said

    “I enjoy being in the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion.

    “It’s every little kid’s dream, I was lucky to have achieved everything and what I was missing is here.”

  • Messi ‘can’t believe it’ after Argentina end 36-year wait for World Cup glory

    After Argentina ended their lengthy wait to win a third World Cup title with a thrilling victory over France, Lionel Messi expressed his shock.

    In a thrilling six-goal battle, the Paris Saint-Germain attacker scored twice, and Lionel Scaloni’s team prevailed on penalties.

    It brought an end to a 36-year wait for World Cup glory, with Argentina previously suffering defeats at the final hurdle in 1990 and 2014 – the latter of which saw Messi on the losing side.

    After a seven-goal haul and taking home the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament, Messi finally got his hands on the biggest prize of all and took to social media to share his thoughts.

    “I dreamt about it so many times, I wanted it so much that I still can’t believe it,” he posted on Instagram.

    “Thank you so much to my family, to all who support me and also to all who believed in us. We prove once again that Argentinians when we fight together and united we are able to achieve what we aim.

     

    “The merit is of this group, which is above individuals, is the strength of all fighting for the same dream that was also the one of all Argentinians… We did it!!!”

    Awarded player of the match in the final, Messi was expected to feature in a post-game press conference but skipped attendance as celebrations continued with the squad.

    However, he did speak on the field following Argentina’s triumph and made his desire to continue representing his nation clear.

    “I enjoy being in the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion,” he told TyC Sports.

  • I wish Maradona was here to enjoy World Cup success-Scaloni

    When Lionel Scaloni abruptly realized late Argentina legend Diego Maradona couldn’t celebrate his country’s World Cup victory in Qatar, he was upset.

    On penalties, Scaloni’s team defeated France 4-2 after a remarkable 3-3 stalemate in extra time on Sunday at Lusail Stadium.

    It was Argentina’s first World Cup triumph since Maradona inspired them to glory in 1986, earning Lionel Messi his maiden success in the competition.

    Maradona, who played for his national team between 1977 and 1994, died in November 2020 at the age of 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

    His death was followed by three days of national mourning, putting into context just how significant a figure he was in Argentina

    .

    And for Scaloni on Sunday, being reminded of Maradona’s passing was difficult.

    Asked what he would say to Maradona if he had been present, Scaloni told reporters: “Well, you make me realise that he’s not here, otherwise you’d think he was amongst us.

    “Well fortunately we managed to lift this trophy, something we’ve been dreaming of for so long, we’re such a football passionate country.

    “I hope he enjoyed it from above. I’m sure if he was here he’d have enjoyed it so much, he’d have been the first one on the pitch.

    “Now you ask me this you make me realise he’s not here. I wish he was here to enjoy this moment.”

  • Football fan hijacks bus full of people to catch World Cup Game

    An Argentinian football fan was recently arrested after allegedly hijacking a bus full of people to make sure he gets home in time to watch his country’s game against Croatia at the World Cup.

    Argentina is one of the few countries on this planet where football is as close to a religion as you can possibly imagine. People live and breathe the beautiful game and stars like  Diego Armando Maradona are worshipped, so when Argentina played Croatia in the semifinals of the 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar the whole country was buzzing. Missing the game was an unimaginable travesty, so when one man found himself on a bus at rush hour, just minutes before the start of the historic football match, he basically felt forced to take desperate measures.

    The incident took place on December 13, in the heart of the Buenos Aires town of Ciudad Santa María. The 53-year-old man was riding a bus on line 440 between Fraga and Avenida Ricardo Balbín when he realized that there was no way he would catch the start of the game at the rate that the bus was moving.

    So when the vehicle stopped at a red light and the driver stepped out to buy something from a nearby kiosk, the man jumped behind the wheel and started driving towards his home. As soon as he saw the bus drive away, the driver called the police to report the hijacking, and multiple police cars were dispatched to its last known location.

    According to Argentinian news sources, the man drove the bus about four miles before abandoning it near his residence and continuing the rest of the way on foot. Unfortunately, the running football fan was caught by police near the intersection of Callao and Maestro Ferreyra streets and taken in for questioning.

    Despite his desperate efforts to catch the start of Argentina’s match against Croatia, the die-hard football fan ended up missing the whole game. He did however take comfort in the fact that his country won 3-0 and qualified for the World Cup Final. He was charged with hijacking a public transportation vehicle and it is unclear if he will be released from jail until Sunday when Argentina faces off against France.

    People sure do some crazy things in the name of football. Just a few days ago, we wrote about a Chinese fan of the beautiful game who ended up with facial paralysis after staying up to watch every game at the World Cup for a week.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Messi’s Argentina win 2022 World Cup final against France to prove ‘GOAT’ tag

    Lionel Messi has led Argentina to World Cup glory after beating France on penalties on Sunday.

    This proved to be one of the most thrilling climaxes in final history.

    Argentina won 4-2 in the shootout after a spectacular game which developed into the much-anticipated confrontation between the 35-year-old maestro Messi and his France opposite number Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick – the first in a World Cup final since 1966 – but still ended up on the losing side.

    Messi had given Argentina lead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute following Ousmane Dembele’s foul on Angel Di Maria. It made him the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of a single tournament.

    He then contributed a delicate touch within a magnificent counter-attack that ended with Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister setting up Di Maria for the second 13 minutes later.

    Argentina were untroubled until the closing stages, only for Mbappe to give France a lifeline from the penalty spot with nine minutes left – then restore equality with a magnificent volley moments later.

    Messi bundled Argentina back in front in extra time, but Mbappe completed his treble from the spot two minutes from the end of a frantic, chaotic added spell.

    And so it went to penalties, with the two greats opening the scoring. But Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved from Kingsley Coman, before Aurelian Tchouameni missed, leaving Gonzalo Montiel to win the World Cup.

    Messi, a World Cup winner at last, collapsed to his knees in the centre circle and was engulfled by jubilant Argentina team-mates.

    More soon….

    Source: BBC

  • France’s World Cup fate in Lloris’ capable hands

    Hugo Lloris will be essential to France’s ambitions of making World Cup history as they are just one victory away.

    He will become the only player to have won the championship twice if Les Bleus overcome Argentina.

    Only two other countries—Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962)—have accomplished the feat.

    We examine how Lloris can help France win the championship as we get ready for the tantalizing final against Argentina.

    Mr Reliable

    A reliable goalkeeper is a key component of any world-class side — and France have been set in this department since Lloris made his debut in 2008.

    He was excellent at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, keeping three clean sheets and only conceding six goals in 540 minutes.

    The 35-year-old has kept up those standards in Qatar, conceding only four times — though he may be disappointed to only have only kept one clean sheet.

    Lloris’ experience — particularly of winning a World Cup final — will be invaluable for France as they seek to repeat the trick.

    Hugo Lloris has been key to France's run to the World Cup final
    Hugo Lloris has been key to France’s run to the World Cup final

    High praise

    Before Lloris earned his record-equalling 142nd cap for Les Bleus in the World Cup last-16 clash against Poland, France manager Didier Deschamps heaped praise on his captain and compared him to the man whose record he was matching — Lilian Thuram.

    He said: “Records are made to be broken.

    “It’s the longevity of two exemplary players, two great professionals who have both kept themselves at a very, very high level.

    “These records mean something. Some are more anecdotal than others, but this one speaks for itself.”

    Stepping up

    Hugo Lloris has conceded four goals at the World Cup so far
    Hugo Lloris has conceded four goals at the World Cup so far

    France had to dig deep in both their quarter-final against England and their semi-final against Morocco — but managed to emerge victorious on both occasions.

    They endured spells where they were forced to defend deep and Lloris was required to make some important saves to keep his side in the game.

    Against England, the captain made an impressive six saves overall — a real sign that he can step up when required for his nation.

    In the final, the stopper will almost certainly be called upon again as Lionel Messi looks to fire Argentina to victory.

    Error free

    Lloris has been a reliable figure for most of his career but in recent seasons the veteran has earned a reputation for making unforced errors.

    Despite an excellent tournament overall four years ago he made an unforgettable blunder in the final which cost his side a goal — thankfully for the Tottenham skipper, it did not impact the result.

    In Qatar, however, the 35-year-old has not made a single error leading to a goal.

    If Lloris can maintain his aura of steady calm for one more game, he could write himself into history as France’s greatest goalkeeper.

    Demands in possession

    Hugo Lloris frequently looks to play the ball long
    Hugo Lloris frequently looks to play the ball long

    The biggest criticism of Lloris’ game is his ability on the ball and his lack of fluidity in possession.

    The France captain has only completed 70 passes at the tournament so far, which works out at just 14 per 90 — low even for a goalkeeper.

    His passing accuracy is also just 56.91%, which can likely be explained by the fact that he primarily sends his kicks long.

    However, Dechamps’ style masks that weakness with France ranking 11th at the World Cup for passes attempted per match (521.17) — Les Bleus’ boss will hope Lloris is not found out on the ball in the final.

    Source: Livescore

  • Messi on song but Alvarez is no backing singer

    Even though Lionel Messi may be the star of the show, Julian Alvarez could be crucial for Argentina as they aim to win the World Cup.

    Although Lionel Scaloni did not start the match with the Manchester City striker, his performances have made him an irreplaceable member of La Albiceleste.

    In the final on Sunday, where Argentina will try to defeat France and win their third championship, his danger in the last third will be crucial.

    In advance of the World Cup match, we examine the factors that have led to the 22-year-old becoming his country’s starting No. 9.

    Too good to ignore

    Lautaro Martinez began the World Cup as Argentina’s first-choice centre forward.

    The Inter Milan marksman has developed a fine relationship with Messi over the last few years and it made sense that he would continue playing that role in Qatar.

    But sub-par performances against Saudi Arabia and Mexico saw Scaloni drop the 25-year-old in favour of Alvarez, who was impressing too much off the bench to be ignored.

    The decision has paid off — the Calchin native has scored four goals in the 364 minutes he has played in Qatar.

    Only the peerless Messi, with five strikes and three assists to his name, has contributed more to the cause.

    Putting Croatia to the sword

    Argentina forward Julian Alvarez has been on form at the World Cup
    Argentina forward Julian Alvarez has been on form at the World Cup

    Hard-running and intelligent, Alvarez is the perfect foil for Messi in the final third but he exploded in his own right during Argentina’s dominant 3-0 semi-final victory over Croatia.

    The striker won the penalty that Messi converted in the 34th minute to give La Albiceleste the lead and then scored twice himself to put the result beyond doubt.

    Given his previous goals at this World Cup came in must-win games against Poland and Australia, it is safe to say that the former River Plate prodigy has a taste for the big occasion.

    Alvarez has certainly not looked out of place since forcing himself into the side despite having never previously started for La Albiceleste at a major tournament.

    Praised by Messi

    Argentina forward Julian Alvarez often attacks the left side of the box
    Argentina forward Julian Alvarez often attacks the left side of the box

    Considered the greatest footballer of all time by many, Paris Saint-Germain talisman Messi has exacting standards and needs his colleagues to meet them.

    That is what makes the 35-year-old’s comments when asked who aside from him deserved to be named Player of the Match after Argentina’s victory over Croatia so impressive.

    He said: “Every player did very well but if I have to choose, I would give this award to Julian. He had an extraordinary game”.

    A boost for Manchester City

    Alvarez’s excellent form could be a real boon to Manchester City as well as Argentina.

    The Citizens are five points shy of current league leaders Arsenal ahead of the resumption of club football following the break for the World Cup — and a strikeforce of the Argentine and the on-fire Erling Haaland would strike fear into the hearts of many a Premier League defence.

    The Argentine has impressed in his early form for City following his summer move from River but he only has 357 minutes of Premier League football to his name, scoring three goals.

    Playing a key role in an Argentina side that could lift their first World Cup since the days of Diego Maradona could see him figure more prominently under Pep Guardiola.

    World Cup final role

    Argentina forward Julian Alvarez has scored four goals at the World Cup
    Argentina forward Julian Alvarez has scored four goals at the World Cup

    Some of the greatest players in history have never played in a World Cup final — but Alvarez will do it at 22.

    And he will play a key role, too. The centre forward’s selfless, hard-running style is the perfect counterbalance to Messi’s more relaxed approach.

    But that does not mean that the City star sacrifices individual contribution in the final third — only Messi and Kylian Mbappe have outscored him in Qatar.

    Nobody has been more accurate with their shooting than the youngster, who has hit the target with seven of his 10 shots (70%).

    If a chance falls Alvarez’s way at Lusail Stadium on Sunday, he will be ready and waiting.

    Source: Livescore

  • Morocco showed they can go ‘toe to toe’ with international football’s elite, Regragui says

    Placing fourth at the World Cup, Morocco proved they can compete with the best teams in world soccer, according to head coach Walid Regragui.

    In the third-place play-off on Saturday, Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic, capping Morocco’s remarkable World Cup run.

    They overcame heavyweights like Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the semifinals to become the first country from Africa to make it that far in the world’s premier football competition.

    Regragui thinks that the Atlas Lions proved their claim to be regarded as one of the world’s best footballing nations, despite the fact that Morocco’s campaign ended in defeat.

    “Tomorrow morning we will take stock, and realise we all made a fantastic achievement here,” Regragui told reporters at his post-match news conference.

    “We played Croatia twice, one of the top three teams in the world. We played against Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Canada, that’s wonderful.

    “We have an objective of winning the World Cup one day. Morocco showed we can go toe to toe with these teams. We are now one of the top four teams in the world.”

    Asked if he would change anything about Morocco’s tournament, Regragui replied: “Honestly I would say nothing.

    “We had 0.01 per cent chance of winning the tournament at the outset. We managed to get to the last four.

    “We played some of the powerhouses of football. If you told me we’d get this far, number four in the world, I’d have accepted that straight away.

    “We deserve respect. They fought until the end, showed hard graft. That’s football, some nations are stronger than us. France were, Croatia were tonight, but only slightly stronger.

    “For 2026, if I’m still in charge, I’ll have more experience and maybe things will change, and in 2026 we will realise the achievement we’ve made in 2022.”

    Morocco’s final match in Qatar saw a number of controversial officiating decisions, with the final whistle met by intense protests from Regragui’s players towards the referee.

    Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s star right-back, was reportedly involved in a row with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the tunnel after the match.

    It comes after the Royal Morocco Football Federation lodged a complaint to FIFA over referee Cesar Ramos’ performance during their semi-final defeat to France.

    However, Regragui was keen not to focus too much on the referee’s display, while he defended his players’ behaviour after the game.

    “When you lose you always get disappointed, upset,” Regragui stated. “My players are great competitors, I don’t think there was a lack of respect.

    “We sometimes overreact at the end of games, it happens. We just weren’t at the level we’ve set.

    “We focus on what we were lacking. We can’t hide behind the refereeing, that’s not the Moroccan way. We let the association deal with any official issues.”

  • 2022 World Cup: A win for Messi or France repeat?

    Can Kylian Mbappe help France win back-to-back titles, or can Lionel Messi lead Argentina to a World Cup victory?

    In the Sunday final at the Lusail Stadium (5:00 GMT), Argentina takes against France.

    Despite having a record seven Ballon d’Or medals, which are given to the world’s finest player, Messi, 35, has never taken home the biggest team trophy in sports.

    “People say France are favourites, but we have the advantage of having the greatest player of all time,” said Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

    “We always like to hear the opponent is the favourite because we don’t feel superior or inferior to anyone.

    “But, as I always say, we have the greatest player of all time. And with a good defence, we have many chances to reach our goal.”

    France manager Didier Deschamps captained his country to World Cup victory in 1998 and then, as boss, guided them to another success in Russia four years ago.

    He said: “I know Argentina, many people around the world, and maybe some French people, hope Lionel Messi could win the World Cup, but we’re going to do everything to achieve our objective.”

    Can Messi help Argentina win World Cup for first time since 1986?

    The final sees the tournament’s top two goalscorers go head-to-head in the race to win the Golden Boot. Both Messi and Mbappe have scored five times in Qatar, while France’s Olivier Giroud and Argentina’s Julian Alvarez are one goal behind on four.

    Messi assisted Argentina in reaching the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, but the Europeans ultimately prevailed 1-0 in extra time thanks to a goal from Germany’s Mario Gotze.

    However, the star for Paris St. Germain has been the inspiration behind Argentina’s effort in Qatar.

    He scored in the crucial 2-0 victory over Mexico after converting an early penalty in their opening match, which saw his nation suffer a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia. Argentina won Group C after defeating Poland 2-0. Messi also scored in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Australia in the round of 16.

    Argentina appeared to be in control of their quarterfinal match against the Netherlands after taking a 2-0 lead after 82 minutes, but Wout Weghorst scored twice for the Dutch, including an equalizer in the 11th minute of injury time to force extra time.

    It eventually went to penalties but Martinez saved two spot-kicks as Argentina advanced, before a goal from Messi and two from Manchester City’s Alvarez gave them a routine 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-finals.

    Argentina have won the tournament twice, on home soil in 1978 and in Mexico in 1986, and are looking for their third success on Sunday.

    “I’m already getting emotional because they’ve given everything sincerely,” said manager Lionel Scaloni. “Let’s hope we win the title and if it can’t be, they should be proud, because it’s a moment to enjoy.”

    2022 World Cup: Messi World Cup final win or France repeat?

    Sickness bug hampers France’s preparations

    Mbappe, 23, is chasing his second World Cup success and has been instrumental in guiding France to the final. He scored once in their 4-1 win over Australia and twice in the 2-1 victory over Denmark as France reached the last 16 with a game to spare.

    That enabled Deschamps to rest players and, despite losing 1-0 to Tunisia, they won Group D, with Mbappe on target twice more in the 3-1 last-16 triumph over Poland.

    In the quarter-finals they faced Gareth Southgate’s England and took the lead through Aurelien Tchouameni, but Harry Kane equalised with a penalty. Olivier Giroud put France ahead and they won it 2-1 after Kane missed a second spot-kick.

    France beat the tournament’s surprise packages Morocco 2-0 in the semi-final to reach their fourth World Cup final in seven tournaments, having won the competition in 1998 and 2018 and losing in the final in 2006.

    But their preparations have been hampered with a sickness bug.

    Midfielder Adrien Rabiot, defender Dayot Upamecano and winger Kingsley Coman have been among those struggling with illness.

    “We’ve had a few cases of flu-like symptoms,” said Deschamps. “We’re trying to be careful so it doesn’t spread and players have made great efforts out on the pitch and obviously their immune systems suffer.

    “We’re taking all necessary precautions, trying to make sure it doesn’t spread but we have had to take precautions against it.”

    Match facts

    • They have met three times before at the World Cup. Argentina won both group matches in 1930 and 1978, but France were victorious in their only knockout encounter, winning 4-3 in the last 16 in 2018.
    • Argentina are competing in their sixth World Cup final, with only Germany (eight) participating in more. They won in 1978 and 1986 and lost in 1930, 1990 and 2014.
    • They could become the second side in World Cup history to lose their opening game and go on to lift the trophy, emulating Spain in 2010.
    • Messi can become the third Argentine player to win the Golden Boot at the World Cup after Guillermo Stabile in 1930 and Mario Kempes in 1978.
    • France have reached the World Cup final for a fourth time, all since 1998. This is twice as many as any other nation in this period.
    • Les Bleus are looking to become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cups, after Italy (1934-38) and Brazil (1958-62).

    Source: BBC

  • Orsic strike secures World Cup bronze for Croatia

    As Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup’s third-place game on Saturday, Luka Modric concluded his World Cup career with the consolation gift of a bronze medal for Qatar 2022.

    Following the disappointment of losing to Argentina in the semi-finals, goals of great marvel from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic allowed the runners-up from four years ago in Russia to finish this campaign on a high.

    Croatia hopes that their 37-year-old skipper Modric will decide to continue playing and participate in their Euro 2024 campaign, but this was the midfielder for Real Madrid’s final World Cup game.

    Gvardiol gave Croatia a seventh-minute lead at Khalifa International Stadium. Although Achraf Dari swiftly brought Morocco level, Orsic’s brilliant finish just before half-time proved to be the match winner.

    Gvardiol’s goal was a super header into the left corner after Lovro Majer’s free-kick into the penalty area was skilfully nodded towards the penalty spot by Ivan Perisic.

    Morocco were level just 112 seconds minutes later, though, with Dari applying a close-range finish with his head after Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick from the right flank was sent looping up by a heavy touch off Croatia’s Majer.

    Yassine Bounou had almost sliced a pass into his own net early on, but the Morocco goalkeeper was sharp enough to keep out a low strike from Modric. However, he was beaten in the 42nd minute by an exquisite finish from Orsic, who arced the ball over the goalkeeper from just inside the left edge of the penalty area, the shot going in off the far post.

    A deflected Orsic strike from 20 yards rippled the side-netting early in the second half as Croatia searched for a third goal against the team that became Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists.

    Gvardiol later wanted a penalty after going down under a challenge from Sofyan Amrabat, before Morocco had their big chance, with Youssef En-Nesyri denied from close range by Dominik Livakovic. He had another last-gasp opening too for Morocco, but sent a header just over the bar. They were left to settle for fourth, still a huge achievement.

    Source: Livescore

  • Morocco face Croatia in third-place game

    Morocco can be proud they are playing a seventh game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, even though it is not Sunday’s final, says head coach Walid Regragui.

    Their history-making run saw them become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, but they were beaten by France on Wednesday.

    On Saturday, they face Croatia in the match to decide who finishes third.

    “We would like things to have gone differently and played in the final,” said Regragui.

    “There is another game to play, we would like to be on the podium.

    “I understand it’s important to finish third rather than fourth, but my takeaway is we didn’t reach the final. We wanted to play the final on Sunday, not play tomorrow.

    “But I told my players this is our seventh World Cup game. If you told any Morocco fan we would be playing our seventh game on 17 December, they would be proud.

    “Morocco played six World Cup games in 20-odd years and now we’ve played six games in a month – this is priceless. It’s as if we played two World Cups or even more, that’s beautiful from an experience point of view.”

    Morocco and 2018 finalists Croatia will both end the tournament as they began it – by facing each other.

    The two nations played out a goalless draw in Group F on 23 November at the Al Bayt Stadium, but Regragui is predicting a better encounter on Saturday.

    “We knew Croatia were going to be one of the best teams in the competition,” he added. “After the first game, we knew the performance was very good.

    “A lot of people said Croatia were approaching the end of their cycle and would have the rug swept out from under their feet. Croatia got stick for not beating ‘underdogs’ Morocco, but both teams reached the semi-finals.

    “There was a lot of hesitation for the first game. Both teams will want to win it and it will be a great game.”

    The game could be Croatia captain Luka Modric’s last with the national team and Regragui praised the 37-year-old Real Madrid midfielder.

    “I don’t know if it’s Modric’s last game, he’s a competitive warrior and will want to finish his World Cup in style. When he wants to finish on a great note, we should be wary,” said Regragui.

    “Hats off to Modric. What he’s doing at 37 is monumental. He was a Ballon d’Or winner and I completely understand why.”

    However, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic believes Modric will continue playing for the national side long enough to feature at the 2024 European Championships.

    “I hope that he will be there,” Dalic said. “I am looking forward to it.

    “It is quite certain that he will there be but he will personally decide how he feels. I personally feel that he will be, but ultimately it is his decision.”

    Dalic says his side are looking to end the tournament on a high in what he sees as a “huge match”.

    “For us, this is a major final, a major match and a fight for a medal,” he added.

    “We have a lot of respect for the Moroccan team, who achieved a lot at this tournament and are a true surprise.

    “They are of the same mindset. It is a huge match for them as well, they are coming with a strong line-up and we are not thinking about what the rivals are saying because we are well aware they are fighting for the same place and, for both, it is a huge match.

    “Morocco resembles us from four years ago, no-one expected them to go so far. They have deserved to be where they are, they have matured and developed and went to a higher level with every game. They have grown into a team that are full of energy and self-motivated.

    “They are definitely the most pleasant and biggest surprise from this World Cup, speaking of teams who could have done better – Spain, Germany, Netherlands, England – Italy did not even qualify. This is a specific World Cup where a third-place play-off is played by two nations who were not favourites.”

    Source: BBC

  • Messi’s World Cup performances show evolution of sport – Wenger

    According to former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Lionel Messi’s outstanding achievements at the 2022 World Cup “show the evolution of modern sport.”

    At a press conference for FIFA’s Technical Study Group, Wenger and Germany icon Jurgen Klinsmann made the statement.

    Many older players have played prominent roles for their national teams during the tournament in Qatar, with 35-year-old Lionel Messi set to captain Argentina against France in the World Cup final.

    While Olivier Giroud, 35, will likely start for France on Sunday after surpassing Thierry Henry’s record as the Les Bleus’ all-time leading scorer, Luka Modric, 37, shone for Croatia as they advanced to the semi-finals.

    On the other hand, if France defeats Argentina, Kylian Mbappe, 23, may become the youngest player to win two World Cup championships since Pele. Jude Bellingham, 19, was a key role in England’s progress to the quarterfinals.

    Wenger believes that this World Cup is an example of how modern sport is developing and how new technology is enabling athletes to extend their careers.

    “I managed [Arsenal] in 2006 against Barcelona in the Champions League final and Messi was already starting to play,” Wenger said at the press conference.

    “That’s 2006, we are in 2022 – that’s 16 years later and he’s still in contest for being player of the tournament.

    “This tournament shows the evolution of modern sport.

    “This tournament is the tournament of young players who are ready earlier and earlier in top-level sport, and as well the tournament of players who last longer and longer than ever before.

    “We have not experienced World Cups with 35-year-old players being dominant, but we have Giroud, we have Messi, Modric – 37 – dominant players at this tournament.

    “It shows that despite all the negativity about health and welfare of players, the life of a top-level sportsman lasts longer. They are ready earlier and they finish later.”

    Klinsmann thinks there is a great desire in the game for Argentina’s outstanding player to finally win football’s top honor now that Messi may be close to cap his career.

    “Messi – everybody wants him to do well,” Klinsmann stated. “We talked before the tournament about the big superstars who will put their stamp on the tournament and most of them delivered.

    “Most of us are Messi fans no matter what. We want him to win the World Cup and be seen on the same level in his home country as [Diego] Maradona.

    “We all know that for [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Messi it could be the last tournament. They have established themselves on the world stage for the last 15 years.”

    Klinsmann cited Mbappe as the potential heir to Messi and Ronaldo’s throne, adding: “We talk about those big superstars towards the end of their career but also who is the next one taking over.

    “Mbappe has the advantage because of his age.

    “I was amazed about a lot of young players coming through, like [Cody] Gakpo from the Netherlands, or even with Germany going home early, there’s a special kid coming up with [Jamal] Musiala.”

    The World Cup in Qatar has come under intense scrutiny, particularly on the host nation’s treatment of migrant workers and views on same-sex marriages.

    With the end in sight, FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled it “the best World Cup ever”, with Klinsmann agreeing it had been a great tournament.

    “It’s been wonderful,” Klinsmann declared. “[A] huge success off the field and on the field.

    “We all have many moments with people here, the atmosphere, the stadiums, the organisation itself.

    “Every time you are at a World Cup you think it’s the best. I’ll leave that up to other people. It’s been an unbelievable experience and tomorrow will be an amazing final.”

     

  • France raining on Messi’s parade does not worry Deschamps

    Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France, is unfazed by the possibility that Les Bleus may interfere with Lionel Messi’s attempt to win the World Cup on Sunday.

    Messi has already declared that the championship match at Lusail Stadium will be his final appearance at a World Cup.

    In that sense, it is his final chance to win the single major award he has yet to take home, potentially solidifying his title as “best of all time.”

    For many, Messi must win the World Cup in order for his legacy to surpass that of Diego Maradona, the legendary player for the Albiceleste.

    As such, there is undoubtedly huge anticipation surrounding Argentina’s prospects in the final, but Deschamps – whose France side are bidding to become the first European side to retain the World Cup since 1938 – is not worried about the likelihood of it feeling like it is France against the world.

    Asked if he got the feeling France were “alone” in that respect, Deschamps said: “I often get that feeling, but I’m fine being alone, that doesn’t bother me. These uncertainties always arise.

    “We are here, we’ve done all we can to be well-prepared for the game against Argentina.

    “Lionel Scaloni has also had some challenges; they lost their first match to Saudi Arabia, of course, but they are still here.

    “And like us, we haven’t had to face everyone in this tournament, but in the games we’ve played, we’ve managed to come out as victors.

    “I don’t have any particular worries or stresses for [the final]. I think when you prepare for a game like this, you need to keep your focus, remain composed, and with a World Cup final in particular you have the match but also the context around it.

  • France ‘calm and focused’ ahead of World Cup final despite illness, Deschamps says

    Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France, claims that despite a sickness outbreak prior to Sunday’s World Cup final, his team is “remaining calm and focused.”

    Due to an illness epidemic among the team, Les Bleus were without Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano for Wednesday’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Morocco.

    After Deschamps indicated on Thursday that Kingsley Coman had felt under the weather, the French Football Federation announced on Friday that defense duo Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate had missed training due to illness.

    At a press conference the day before the championship match versus Argentina, Deschamps was at ease and acknowledged that he was feeling good.

    “I’m absolutely fine,” he said. “As for the players, I left quite early this morning, they were all still asleep so I have no recent updates.

    “We are trying to manage the situation as well as we can, remaining calm and focused. I’ll get more information today and think about it today and maybe even tomorrow.

    “I don’t want to go into details. I know it’s a subject that’s of interest to you and I fully understand that but we are doing our best to take precautions and adapt as necessary.

    “We are trying to live with it without going too far, getting too carried away, just doing what’s necessary.

    “We’d have preferred not to face this difficulty but we are facing it as best we can with our medical staff.”

    France captain Hugo Lloris also seemed in fine shape when addressing the press, but also did not have any information on the condition of his team-mates.

    “I have not got any more news since last night because everyone was still in their rooms when I got up, I haven’t seen anyone,” he said.

    “I’m sure you’ll get more info by the next training session.

    “We never really prepared for this type of thing, but we will try to get ready for the match the best we can.

    “These are things we weren’t prepared for but we remain focused, and of course we are very excited about playing in a World Cup final.”

  • Xavi celebrates Busquets following Spain retirement

    Following his decision to leave the international game, Sergio Busquets received praise from Xavi, who hailed him as one of the best midfielders in history.

    Busquets, who led La Roja in each of their four games during the World Cup in Qatar, confirmed his retirement from Spain service on Friday.

    Busquets’ blunder in a penalty shootout loss to Morocco in the round of 16 put an unseemly end to his illustrious career with Spain, where he made 143 games as a senior.

    The Blaugrana manager thinks few players can match the effect of the 34-year-old, who played with his Barcelona teammate-turned-coach Xavi when Spain won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

    “In the end, it’s a personal decision that you make when you feel the time is right,” Xavi told Barcelona’s website. “I wish him the best, now he will be able to rest more and focus on Barca.

    “He is a player who has made history. He is one of the best midfielders that football has produced worldwide and, for sure, the best defensive midfielder in the history of Spain.”

    Fellow Barcelona star Jordi Alba said Busquets will be “sorely missed” by Spain, who will be led by Luis de la Fuente in Euro 2024 qualifying after Luis Enrique left his role as head coach.

    “You have always been a great leader for all of us who are part of the team, both in good times and in bad,” Alba wrote on Twitter.

    “After so many training sessions and games together in the national team, today you say goodbye and you will be sorely missed, friend.

    “Thank you for what you have contributed to us and for everything you have given.”

     

  • Benzema ‘not interested’ to join France ahead of World Cup final

    Just two days before France’s World Cup final match against Argentina, Karim Benzema sent a mysterious statement on social media claiming he is “not interested.”

    Due to a thigh injury he aggravated in practice, Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was ruled out of Qatar 2022 on the day of the competition.

    There were rumors that the current Ballon d’Or winner, who had recovered from his injury and resumed training with his club, may rejoin the team.

    However, asked if Benzema could make a shock return ahead of Sunday’s final, France boss Didier Deschamps said: “I don’t want to answer you. It’s a stupid question.”

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Karim Benzema (@karimbenzema)

    Further reports from Spain on Friday claimed Benzema was unhappy to have been sent home in the first place and did not take kindly to Deschamps’ latest comments.

    The 34-year-old has now posted an ambiguous message on social media, simply translated as “I’m not interested”, accompanied by an explosion emoji.

    Former Lyon striker Benzema has scored 37 goals in 97 appearances for France.

    Les Bleus are aiming to become just the third side – and first since Brazil in 1962 – to retain the World Cup trophy after beating Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals to advance.

     

  • France players struck down by illness bug

    Following the illness of two additional crucial players, Ousmane Dembele says France is “taking precautions” ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina.

    Due to a sickness virus in the camp, Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were absent for Les Blues’ 2-0 semi-final victory over Morocco on Wednesday.

    Kingsley Coman, who had a fever the day of the game, and Rabiot were both left off the roster, and Upamecano served as an unused substitute.

    It’s believed that both Upamecano and Rabiot have fully healed in time for this weekend’s championship game at Lusail Stadium.

    Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate, two central defenders, reportedly trained separately from the team on Friday after becoming ill, according to numerous sources.

    Two days before the final, Aurelien Tchouameni and Theo Hernandez are rumored to have missed the entire session while they heal from minor ailments.

    Despite potentially losing more players to illness and injury, Dembele insists France are not overly concerned at this stage.

    “It doesn’t worry us,” he said at a news conference on Friday. “With Dayot, after a day I went to see him with my mask on and he was much better.

    “For the players and the staff, it doesn’t worry us, we are just taking precautions.

    “We are not afraid of the virus. Dayot and Adrien had headaches and stomach aches. I made them honey and ginger tea. We hope everyone will be better for the final.”

    France are already without the likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez and Christopher Nkunku through injury.

    Les Blues are aiming to become just the third ever side to retain the trophy, while Argentina are seeking a first world crown in 36 years.

     

  • ‘Messi is an incredible player, but we are not going to let him enjoy the best night’ – Giroud

    France and AC Milan forward, Olivier Giroud has revealed that his side will do everything to prevent Argentina star Lionel Messi from fulfilling his World Cup dream.

    Messi is set to complete the fairytale end of his international football career on Sunday when his side clash with the reigning champions in the showpiece final of the 2022 World Cup in Doha’s Lusail Stadium.

    The Paris Saint-Germain forward finished as a runner-up in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was left heartbroken following their 1-0 defeat to Germany in Rio.

    The footballing icon is now eager to clinch the world trophy that has eluded him – after revealing this will be his last World Cup.

    However, French striker Olivier Giroud has cautioned the Argentine forward that his side has no intention of giving up their crown – saying “we will try everything to stop him”.

    The former Chelsea and Arsenal hitman said, “Messi is an incredible player, but we are not going to let him enjoy the best night he can have.

    “We want to win this game. We want to win another World Cup – and we will try everything to stop him.

    “But there is not only Messi in that team. They have got great players who work for the team also. I think that is why they are so strong”, he said.

    Giroud, who during the tournament has become France’s all-time leading goal scorer, was part of the side that defeated Argentina 4-3 during the 2018 World Cup in Russia to dump Messi out of the tournament in the last 16 stage before claiming the trophy.

    During that match, Chelsea’s midfielder N’Golo Kante man-marked Messi – but with him missing out on the Qatar World Cup through injury, Giroud has, however, hinted his side could do same again in Sunday’s final.

    “I don’t know if we need a special plan. I remember back in the days of 2018, N’Golo was all the game on his back, behind him. But this time I don’t know what will be the plan. We will see with the manager.”

    France full-back, Theo Hernandez also echoed Giroud’s sentiments and insisted that their side [France] does not fear Messi who is desperate to win a World Cup trophy.

    The AC Milan left-back broke the deadlock in Wednesday night’s semi-final triumph over Morocco.

    “Lionel Messi does not scare us, and we will do everything we can to stop him.

    “I am tired but it’s so good to win a World Cup semi-final,” Hernandez told Gazzetta dello Sport. Now we must recover for Sunday. We are not scared of Messi, but Argentina are an incredible team and we have a few days to work,” he said.

    Source: myjoyonline.com

  • Pochettino rubbishes debate over Messi’s lack of defensive work

    Lionel Messi’s previous coach at Paris Saint-Germain, Mauricio Pochettino, called the debate over his defensive play “almost stupid.”

    In their sixth World Cup final, Argentina will face France on Sunday in an effort to win the trophy for the first time since 1986. Messi’s team will be competing in the match.

    With his 26th and likely final game remaining in the World Cup, Messi will break the record for most appearances in the tournament. He also has a chance to become the first player to score 20 goals during the tournament (currently 11 goals, eight assists).

    The captain of Argentina struggled early on in the competition, and several onlookers criticized his work ethic; nonetheless, he has excelled in the knockout round.

    Former Albiceleste player Pochettino, who guided Messi at PSG until he was fired earlier this year, laughed off any worries and contrasted Messi with two other legendary players who weren’t known for their defensive prowess.

    “Honestly, I think the debate about Messi’s defensive work is so stale, almost silly,” he wrote in The Athletic.

    “You cannot pretend that [Diego] Maradona or Pele — along with Messi, the most important players in football — were focused on trying to win the ball back. He can’t participate in that. He just needs the others to run for him.

    “He doesn’t need to press. When you have Messi, you need the other players to understand that they have to get the ball and give it to him so he can conserve his energy and then be decisive, as shown.”

    Argentina’s run to the final has not been all about Messi, though, with Lionel Scaloni’s side proving resolute in defence.

    They have restricted their opponents to just 5.7 shots per game – fewer than any other side. Indeed, they have not faced above 0.6 expected goals against in any of their six games so far.

    Pochettino believes that defensive solidity and work ethic has been crucial in allowing Messi to flourish.

    “Of course, Argentina need Messi, but Messi needs the other 10 players to fight for him at all times,” he added. “That’s one of the keys to this team: they all believe that playing for Messi, they can win the World Cup.

    “You can see that the players give 120 per cent to achieve this. Different players: [Rodrigo] De Paul, [Alexis] Mac Allister, [Enzo] Fernandez, [Julian] Alvarez, they give everything they have and more, and they do it for Messi.

    “They give everything because it’s their dream, they are so close, and when they have Messi, they know that everything is possible.

    “That’s the most important thing about this Argentina team, and the reason why they are in the final. It’s because the players fully understand their role. When you have Messi in your team, you have to run for him.

    “And when you have the ball, you have to give it to him as soon as possible so that he can create something. So, the players know what they have to do at all times: to give Messi everything he needs to be decisive.”

  • Schmidt believes World Cup stars will stay

    Enzo Fernandez and Goncalo Ramos are two World Cup stars who Benfica manager Roger Schmidt is not concerned about losing.

    The youthful players, both 21 years old, and seasoned defender Nicolas Otamendi are crucial to head coach Schmidt’s ambitions for victory in Lisbon, he stated.

    The Argentina team is getting ready for Sunday’s World Cup final against France, in which both Fernandez and Otamendi may start.

    Because of this, midfielder Fernandez has been associated with a number of teams, including Liverpool.

    Benfica sold striker Darwin Nunez to the Reds in the last transfer window, and Schmidt is determined to retain the best of the talent that has remained at the club.

    “We are very happy for them and they are happy to play at Benfica. We need players like them,” Schmidt told a press conference on Friday, according to O Jogo.

    “We are not afraid that they will leave. We will not give anyone away; we need them to be champions.”

    In Schmidt’s first season as manager, Benfica are atop the Primeira Liga standings after winning 12 of their first 13 games.

    When asked about his Argentine teammates, Schmidt said he was “happy for them” to be playing in the World Cup final while Portugal’s domestic competitions start.

    On Saturday, Ramos of Portugal could play in Benfica’s Taca da Liga round-robin match against Moreirense.

    He established his reputation by scoring a hat-trick in Portugal’s 6-1 victory against Switzerland in the World Cup’s round of 16. He replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the lineup.

    Looking at the finals in Qatar, Schmidt said: “Otamendi has played at a fantastic level. I think Goncalo and Enzo have been playing very well throughout the season.

    “Enzo took advantage of opportunities with Argentina, he didn’t begin in the starting line-up. Goncalo Ramos too, with Portugal, scored three goals. It shows that they have a lot of confidence.”

    German coach Schmidt also acknowledged he will be siding with Argentina in the final, out of duty to his players.

    “I have all the respect for France, but there are two of our players in Argentina, of course I’ll support them,” he said. “To be honest, I’m also a [Lionel] Messi fan, he continues to be the best in the world for me and he’s shown it.”

     

  • Infantino reveals new 32-team Club World Cup

    Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, said that the organization is moving on with plans for a 32-team Club World Cup, while the structure of the following World Cup would be reviewed.

    For the first time since his extraordinary news conference at the commencement of Qatar 2022, Infantino spoke to the media in Doha on Friday.

    On this occasion, he decided against a 45-minute opening speech and instead used the chance to give an update following a FIFA Council meeting earlier in the day.

    Plans to move forward with a previously suggested expansion to the Club World Cup were authorized at that meeting.

    Currently, the competition puts the champions of the major continental club competitions against one another every year. The new competition, which will take place every four years, will involve 32 teams from around the world.

    “It will be a Club World Cup of 32 teams, every four years, and the first edition will be summer of 2025,” he said. “They will be the best teams in the world invited to participate.”

    “I have to say, after this World Cup and the success of groups of four and looking at other competitions such as the Euros, here [four-team groups] have been incredible,” he added

    “I think we have to revisit or at least re-discuss the format. This is something that will certainly be on the agenda.”

    Speaking two days before Qatar 2022’s final, Infantino summarised the tournament as a success in every way, in his opinion, praising the behaviour of supporters.

    “The World Cup has been an incredible success on all fronts,” said Infantino.

    “The main one being the fans, the behaviour, the joyful atmosphere, the bringing of people together. The fans meeting the Arab world, it has been very important for the future of all of us.

    “When it comes to the matches, we have seen some incredibly competitive games, some surprises, some great goals.

    “At the end of the day, there was on average 10 minutes played as additional time every match. This was a very fair World Cup on the pitch, no simulations, not so many yellow and red cards.

    “But this shows the compliment goes to the players and coaches, who maintained their calm, and of course the referees.”

  • Fernando Santos quits Portugal after World Cup exit

    Fernando Santos has resigned as Portugal’s manager after the team’s shocking 1-0 quarterfinal World Cup loss to Morocco.

    The 68-year-old oversaw Portugal for eight years, winning the 2016 Euro Championship and the 2019 Uefa Nations League with the team.

    However, his decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo for the Qatar 2022 semifinal matches dominated his final games.

    Ronaldo’s harsh response to being replaced during the last group match against South Korea led Santos to decide to bench the 37-year-old prior to the last-16 encounter with Switzerland.

    Goncalo Ramos, Ronaldo’s replacement, scored a hat-trick as Portugal defeated Switzerland 6-1, but they were shocked when Morocco became the first African country to advance to the World Cup semifinals.

    The Portuguese Football Association (FPF) said: “The FPF thanks Fernando Santos and his technical team for the services provided over eight unique years and believes that this thanks is also made on behalf of the Portuguese people.

    “The FPF Board will now start the process of choosing the next national coach.”

  • Messi is on a par with Maradona ahead of World Cup final, Zanetti claims

    According to Javier Zanetti, a former Argentina player, Lionel Messi is on par with Diego Maradona and deserving of winning the World Cup for the first time on Sunday.

    On Sunday at the Lusail Stadium, Argentina will compete in their sixth World Cup final, hoping to keep France from becoming the first team to win the championship back-to-back since Brazil in 1962.

    With his 26th and likely final game remaining in the World Cup, Messi will break the record for most appearances in the tournament. He also has a chance to become the first player to score 20 goals during the tournament (currently 11 goals, eight assists).

    The talismanic performances of the Argentina skipper in Qatar have been compared to Maradona’s during the Albiceleste’s victory in 1986, and Zanetti cannot distinguish between the two legends.

    “Messi is a great player, I think he’s on a par with Diego,” he told reporters in Doha on Thursday.

    “I think a lot of people want Messi to win because of what he represents in the world and because of the way he interprets football.

    “Leo deserves it and the boys are making a great effort to get to that moment. He is the strongest player in the world and he makes a difference on the field.”

    However, the Inter great is not taking victory for granted, adding: “I hope that Argentina can bring the World Cup to our country.

    “I’m worried about [Kylian] Mbappe, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Olivier] Giroud, if [Adrien] Rabiot plays he is a quality player, and they have a great goalkeeper.

    “It’s a group that has been working for a long time with this coach. It’s a very complete team, very organised. But it’s a final and anything can happen.”

    In the meantime, fellow former Argentina international Diego Milito praised Messi’s performances and stated both teams deserved to be in the championship game.

    “We know him, we know what he is capable of, that he is the best player in the world,” Milito said of Messi. “He is having an extraordinary World Cup and he deserves it.

    “The best two teams reached the final. It’s a very difficult match but we are confident in the team.

    “We are happy to be able to be in the final. Hopefully this Sunday will be a good final and we can achieve what we have been looking forward to for a long time.

    “This team has given much joy to the people, they have come on a path from the [2021] Copa America, and must be very happy and excited.”

     

  • World Cup final to be officiated by Marciniak

    Szymon Marciniak will officiate Sunday’s World Cup final between France and Argentina, according to FIFA.

    Marciniak has already presided over matches involving both of the winners in Qatar; he oversaw France’s 2-1 victory over Denmark in the group stages and Argentina’s 2-1 triumph over Australia in the last 16 matches.

    In his two matches in this year’s tournament, the Polish official, who also officiated matches at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has only issued five yellow cards. He has not yet issued a single penalty or red card.

    Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who issued 15 yellow cards during Argentina’s victory over the Netherlands in the quarterfinal of the World Cup, is one of the referees who have come under fire for their performances in the knockout rounds.

    Regarding Cesar Ramos’ officiating during Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal loss to France, the Moroccan Football Federation has filed a protest with FIFA.

    The third-place playoff between Croatia and Morocco will be overseen on Saturday by Abdulrahman Al Jassim of Qatar, according to FIFA.

  • ‘Immortal’ status awaits for Croatia-Morocco winner, Kramaric says

    Andrej Kramaric, a forward for Croatia, has rejected the notion that t he third-place matchup on Saturday against Morocco is a meaningless contest.

    He believes the victor will live forever.

    After losing to Argentina and France in their respective semifinal matches, the two teams will square off at Khalifa International Stadium.

    After losing to Les Bleus at Russia 2018, Zlatko Dalic’s team was denied a chance at a second straight final, and Walid Regragui’s team too saw their underdog tale end in defeat in the championship game.

    Despite their disappointment, Kramaric insists that their bronze-medal battle will not be undervalued because the victor secures their position in sporting lore and history.

    “I think if you ask this question to Moroccan players, I don’t think they will look that way,” he said

    “They’re fighting for their lives because if you win a medal at a World Cup you become an immortal hero in your country. That’s the same thing we are going to do.

    “Eight of us from [the tournament in] Russia understand that feeling of winning a medal at the World Cup.

    “We have a lot of players who haven’t experienced that and would love to do that because it’s something that will stay with you for the rest of their life.”

    Croatia – whose prior best performance in a World Cup had been third at France 1998 before Russia – are looking to claim a third tournament medal in their history.

    For Morocco, regardless of their result, they will already go down as the greatest World Cup side in African history, having become the first from the continent to make the semi-finals.

  • Boy run over and killed after France won the World Cup

    In Montpellier, a southern French city, a 14-year-old boy was run over and killed shortly after France defeated Morocco in the World Cup semi-final.

    After the match, according to the authorities, he was hit by a car and later died in the hospital.

    Images shared on social media showed a car covered in a French tricolour, which was later seized by onlookers.

    The driver then accelerated into two teenagers, seemingly in a panic.

    The 14-year-old was struck and suffered a cardiac arrest as the driver turned around and sped away.

    “Immense sadness that a sporting event should end in total tragedy,” said local MP Nathalie Oziol, who expressed her sympathy with the boy’s family.

    The local prefect in the southern Hérault area said the car was later found abandoned not far from the scene of the accident, and police have begun searching for the driver.

    The incident happened in Montpellier’s north-western district of La Paillade, around half an hour after the final whistle in Qatar, where France beat Morocco 2-0.

    Tensions between France and Morocco supporters briefly spilled over in the centre of the city as flares were lit and police responded with tear gas. France has a large Moroccan community of some 1.5 million people.

    Celebrations in cities across France were largely peaceful, although police used tear gas to halt trouble involving far-right youths in the centre of Lyon.

    Ten thousand police were deployed across the country and a reported 167 arrests were reported nationally.

     

     

  • Qatari photographer dies covering FIFA World Cup

    A U.S. soccer journalist died after collapsing during a World Cup match, and days later a second journalist has lost his life while covering the global event.

    The Doha-based Gulf Times reports Khalid al-Misslam, a photojournalist for local sports outlet Al Kass TV, passed away on Saturday.

    “Al-Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We believe in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family,” the Gulf Times wrote on Twitter.

    The details surrounding al-Misslam’s death are unclear.

    Grant Wahl, an American who’s written for CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated, died in Qatar after collapsing during the Argentina-Netherlands match. Wahl was 48.

    Keir Radnedge, a columnist at World Soccer magazine, told CNN Saturday that Wahl was treated in the stadium “for about 20-25 minutes” before he was transported to a local hospital.

    “This was towards the end of extra time in the match. Suddenly, colleagues up to my left started shouting for medical assistance. Obviously, someone had collapsed. Because the chairs are freestanding, people were able to move the chairs, so it’s possible to create a little bit of space around him,” Radnedge said.

    The U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed the news in a statement on Twitter.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Wife of Wahl reveals journalist died due to burst blood vessel

    According to Grant Wahl’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, the American journalist passed away as a result of an undiscovered aortic aneurysm rupturing.

    While covering last Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands at Lusail Stadium, the 49-year-old passed out in his chair.

    Wahl was attended to by medical personnel inside the area and brought to a hospital, but when his passing was eventually confirmed, a flood of condolences quickly followed.

    On Monday, after being flown back to New York City, an autopsy determined the reason of his death, with wife Gounder excluding any possibility of foul play.

    “Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” Gounder posted on her husband’s blog.

    “The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him.

    “His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death.”

    Wahl, who was best known for his long career with Sports Illustrated, attended a medical clinic at Qatar 2022’s Main Media Centre four days prior to his death after feeling unwell and was diagnosed with bronchitis.

    The much-respected reporter was at the centre of controversy earlier in the World Cup when he sported a rainbow t-shirt in support of LGBT rights as he attempted to attend a match.

    He was initially prevented from entering Ahmad bin Ali Stadium for the United States’ group game against Wales, although he was later allowed inside.

    Wahl’s brother suggested he had been “killed” in the immediate aftermath of his death, but he later said he “regretted” those comments and no longer believed that to be true ahead of Wednesday’s announcement.

    Paying her own respects to her husband, Gounder said: “We will forever cherish the gift of his life; to share his company was our greatest love and source of joy.

    “Grant was an incredibly empathetic, dedicated and loving husband, brother, uncle and son, who was our greatest team-mate and fan.

    “While the world knew Grant as a great journalist, we knew him as a man who approached the world with openness and love.”

     

  • World Cup security guard who fell at Lusail Stadium dead

    A World Cup security guard who had a catastrophic fall during last Friday’s quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands at Lusail Stadium, has passed away.

    John Njau Kibue received immediate care underground and was transported to a local hospital, where he died on Tuesday while receiving intensive care.

    In a statement on Wednesday, the Qatar Supreme Committee announced an investigation will be conducted into the events leading up to Kibue’s murder.

    “We send our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues and friends during this difficult time,” the statement read.

    “Organisers are investigating the circumstances leading to the fall as a matter of urgency and will provide further information pending the outcome of the investigation.

    “We will also ensure that his family receive all outstanding dues and monies owed.”

    Kibue is the second known migrant worker to have died since the tournament began, following the death of a Filipino man in the group stage at a resort used by Saudi Arabia.

    Speaking last week, Qatar 2022 chief executive Nasser Al Khater said “death is a natural part of life” when he was questioned over the passing of the migrant worker.

    The Lusail Stadium is to host Sunday’s final between Argentina and either France or Morocco, who face off in the second semi-final on Wednesday.

  • Man suffers facial paralysis after staying up to watch World Cup games for a week

    A 26-year-old man wound up with facial paralysis after wasting several nights watching the World Cup football games for an entire week.

    The World Cup is always an exciting time for football fans all over the world, but keeping up with the action is a huge challenge, especially during the group stages, and even more so when the host country is in a very different time zone. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t die-hard fans out there who will sacrifice sleep for nights in a row to make sure they don’t lose a single game. Unfortunately, that can take a terrible toll on one’s body, as a 26-year-old man in China recently learned at his own expense.

    Mr. Cao, a Chinese football fan from Wuhan, in Hubei province who lost not one night but an entire week’s worth of sleep trying to watch all World Cup games, wound up in the hospital with facial paralysis. Even though China didn’t even qualify for this year’s World Cup, Cao would make it a priority to drive straight home after work and watch the games from around 6 pm to 6 am, and then go to work a couple of hours later.

    The 26-year-old man was fine for a few days, but it wasn’t long before he started noticing that the lack of sleep was taking a toll on him. And by that time it was already too late.

    “On November 30, I slept for two hours after watching the match, and when I woke up, I felt extremely tired,” the man told reporters. “I didn’t think much about it and decided to rest for a bit in the office, but after a while, my condition didn’t seem to improve and it was affecting my work progress.”

    Sadly, the worse was yet to come. At one point, Cao felt his lips suddenly tilting to the side, and became unable to move his eyelids. He didn’t panic, thinking that it was only temporary, but the symptoms only got worse and started interfering with his work, so he finally decided to go to the hospital.

    Mr. Cao was diagnosed with facial paralysis and needed to undergo specialized treatment to mitigate the symptoms, but he is expected to eventually make a full recovery.

    Doctors believe that the accumulated lack of sleep, coupled with cold weather and a strong breeze caused the paralysis and advised other football fans not to follow Cao’s example.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • MEP denies Qatar bribery after €1.5m is seized

    Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP, has denied involvement in a World Cup host country Qatar-related bribery scandal at the European Parliament.

    After discovering €1.5 million (£1.3 million) in two homes and a suitcase, Belgian investigators charged four suspects, including her.

    By a vote of 625 to 1, MEPs decided to remove Ms. Kaili from her position as one of its 14 vice presidents.

    Roberta Metsola, the speaker of the parliament, has mentioned “difficult days for European democracy.”

    “[Eva Kaili] declares her innocence and that she has nothing to do with bribery from Qatar,” her lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, told Greek TV on Tuesday.

    There was uncontested evidence, he added in a later statement, that “every move, contact and statement made by Eva Kaili regarding Qatar was made in execution and application of the official policy of the European Union”.

    Prosecutors carried out a string of searches over several days and said cash worth about €600,000 had been found at the home of one suspect, €150,000 at the flat of an MEP and €750,000 in a suitcase in a Brussels hotel room.

    Belgian police released a photo on Tuesday showing piles of notes in €200, €50, €20 and €10 denominations.

    The cash was found in several places
    IMAGE SOURCE,BELGIAN POLICE Image caption, Belgian police published a photo of the cash they had found
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    Sources said the €150,000 was found at Ms Kaili’s flat. Asked if that was true, her lawyer said: “I have no idea if any money was found or how much was found.”

    The suspects arrested by Belgian police have been charged with “participation in a criminal organisation, money-laundering and corruption”, prosecutors said on Sunday. They will appear before a pre-trial court on Wednesday.

    The allegations have cast a shadow over the role of lobby groups at the European Parliament. A recommendation to allow visa-free travel to the EU for Qataris was set to be voted on by MEPs this week, but has now been shelved.

    Searches have taken place in Italy as well as in Brussels. Since Friday, the IT resources of 10 parliamentary employees have been “frozen” to prevent the disappearance of data necessary for the investigation.

    Parliament, sitting in Strasbourg, voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to strip Ms Kaili of her role as vice-president. The door to her office in the parliament building was sealed with a notice saying “access forbidden”.

    She has also been suspended from the parliament’s Socialists and Democrats Group and expelled from the Greek centre-left Pasok party.

    Greek authorities have frozen assets belonging to her, her husband and immediate family members.

    The activities of a property company set up about two weeks ago by the MEP and her partner in Athens have also been frozen.

    European Parliament President Roberta Metsola speaks during the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 13 December 2022.
    IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, Parliament President Roberta Metsola said there would be no impunity or “sweeping under the carpet”

    Six people were detained on Friday as part of the investigation into allegations that Qatar bribed EU officials to win influence. Two were later released.

    The three others accused are all Italian citizens. Ms Kaili’s partner, Francesco Giorgi, who is a parliamentary assistant, is among those reportedly charged.

    Former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who now runs human rights group Fight Impunity, is also among the four, sources say. His wife and daughter were also reportedly arrested. Mr Giorgi had formerly worked for him as a parliamentary assistant.

    The other suspect, according to Italian news agency Ansa, is Niccolò Figa-Talamanca. He runs lobby group No Peace Without Justice, which is housed in the same building in Rue Ducale in Brussels’ European quarter.

    The head of the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Luca Visentini, was questioned and later released. He said later he had been able to answer all questions put to him.

    BBC Brussels correspondent Jessica Parker says details released by Belgian authorities in the last few days left many people’s jaws on the floor in EU circles.

    MEPs who spoke to our correspondent said they were shocked by both the scale and blatancy of the accusations.

    Ms Metsola said ahead of the vote to strip Ms Kaili of her leading role at the Parliament that “European democracy is under attack and our free and democratic societies are under attack”. She and the Parliament would do everything they could to fight corruption, she added on Tuesday: “There will be no impunity, there will be no sweeping under the carpet.”

    Watchdogs and MEPs said the bribery investigation could represent one of the biggest corruption scandals in the parliament’s history.

    Prosecutors said they suspected a Gulf state had been influencing economic and political decisions of the parliament for several months, especially by targeting aides.

    Although reports widely named the state as Qatar, the Qatari government said any claims of misconduct were “gravely misinformed”.

    Ms Kaili’s responsibilities as vice-president included the Middle East.

    Eva Kaili

    EP/Reuters
    The World Cup in Qatar is proof, actually, of how sports diplomacy can achieve a historical transformation of a country with reforms that inspired the Arab world.
    Eva Kaili
    Greek MEP on 21 November 2022
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    Last month, while other colleagues drew attention Qatar’s human rights violations, she gave an effusive speech to the parliament praising Qatar for hosting the World Cup and for its role as a “frontrunner in labour rights”.

    Addressing a debate in the Parliament on Tuesday, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said there was an initial presumption of innocence but this was now a serious criminal investigation: “To anyone accepting payoffs kickbacks, bribes, I say shame on you… for violating the trust of the people of Europe.”

    Green MEP Daniel Freund, who heads a cross-party anti-corruption group, told the BBC that the parliament had “reasonably good lobby transparency rules” but that third countries like Qatar were excluded from them: “So I think these third countries should go on the lobby register.”

    The European Parliament is the EU’s only directly elected institution. Some 705 members of parliament, elected by voters in the 27 nations which make up the EU, meet to scrutinise proposed legislation and vote through European law.

    MEPs generally enjoy immunity from prosecution, but not in cases where “a member is found in the act of committing an offence”, the parliament says.

  • World Cup: Suarez praises Messi after Argentina’s triumph

    Luis Suarez has hailed his former Barcelona team-mate, Lionel Messi, after he helped Argentina qualify for the 2022 World Cup final.

    Messi scored the game’s first goal from the penalty spot in the 34th minute and assisted Julian Alvarez in scoring a second goal to complete Tuesday’s spectacular 3-0 triumph over Croatia.

    After finishing as Argentina’s runner-up in 2014 when Germany defeated La Albiceleste 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner now has a chance to win Argentina’s first World Cup since Diego Maradona led them to victory in 1986.

    “You never get tired of showing that you are the best in the world,” Suarez, who spent six years with Messi at Barcelona from 2014 to 2020, wrote on Instagram.

    “The whole world stops to applaud this guy and what he’s given to football. Incredible my friend!”

    Messi’s longtime La Liga rival with Real Madrid, defeated Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, claimed the Argentinean deservingly won the World Cup.

    “Hopefully [Messi] wins this World Cup, he is the best player in history and he deserves it,” Modric told reporters after the game.

    Argentina will play the final on Sunday against either reigning world champions France or Morocco, who will meet at Al Bayt Stadium in the second semi-final on Wednesday.


     

     

  • I am proud to be able to finish my World Cup journey playing this final – Messi

    Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, announced that Sunday’s championship game against either France or Morocco will be his final World Cup appearance as he looks to go out in a flourish.

    With a goal and an assist, the 35-year-old was instrumental in Argentina’s 3-0 semifinal victory over Croatia.

    Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi had previously stated that this will be his final World Cup, a statement he reaffirmed following Tuesday’s victory.

    “I am proud to be able to finish my World Cup journey playing this final,” Messi told reporters. “What I’m experiencing is exciting. Sunday will be my last game in a World Cup.

    “It will be many years before the next one [2026] and I don’t think I’ll be able to make it, so I hope I can finish in the best way.”

    With his 11th goal against Croatia, Messi surpassed Gabriel Batistuta to become his nation’s all-time best scorer at World Cups.

    In addition, Messi scored his 16th goal for Argentina in 2022, giving him the most international goals in a single year of his career.

    “I’m enjoying it all very much,” Messi said about the 2022 World Cup. “I feel good. I feel strong to face every game. We have been making a big sacrifice.

    “The last game we played was with extra time. That was not easy at all. We were tired, but the group got strength. We played a very important game. We knew it was going to be the match it was.

    “I’m very happy. Throughout this World Cup I’ve been having a lot of fun and, luckily, I was able to help the group to get things done.”

    Messi will be gunning for the ultimate crowning glory with his maiden World Cup title on Sunday, having played in 2014 when La Albiceleste were runners-up.

    Argentina are into their sixth World Cup final, with only Germany (eight) having reached more in the competition.

  • Brazil advised to change shirt stars to hearts to celebrate Pele’s World Cup wins

    Brazilian football officials have been urged to replace three of the five stars on their jerseys with hearts as a tribute to Pele by South American football authorities.

    Brazil presently sports five stars on its well-known yellow jerseys to signify their five World Cup victories, which is the most of any other country.

    Pele was a member of the team during three of the World Cup victories, and no other player has scored more goals for Brazil. After scoring his 77th Selecao goal in Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to Croatia, Neymar has now equaled Pele for the record.

    That loss came in the wake of the news that Pele had been hospitalised back home in Sao Paulo, though it was reported the 82-year-old is making “progressive improvement”.

    CONMEBOL, the South American confederation, sent Pele its best wishes while proposing Brazil make an alteration to their kits.

    It said in a statement: “A hundred people gathered this Sunday, December 11, at the CONMEBOL Tree Of Dreams in Doha, Qatar, to honour Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known sportingly as Pele, the only player in soccer history to win three world titles.

    “It is in honour of this unprecedented event that the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) proposes to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) that they change three of the five World Cup stars that appear on the chest of their shirt for three hearts, in recognition of Pele.

    “Another central focus of the act was the message of encouragement and great strength to Pele, admitted since November 29 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, where he is recovering satisfactorily from a lung infection, according to the doctors.”

    Alejandro Dominguez, the CONMEBOL president, added: “We are on his side in this game that he is playing. It is the right time to pay tribute to him again and let him know that he will live in the heart of anyone who loves football. Our job is for people to continue to know and love Pele.”


  • World Cup: ‘I still haven’t learned to lose’ – Neymar admits

    Neymar has admitted that he “still hurts like hell from loss” as a result of Brazil’s World Cup elimination.

    Favorites entering the tournament Croatia eliminated Brazil from the World Cup 4-2 on penalties after the game had tied 1-1 after extra time.

    Neymar, who scored an outstanding goal in extra time but chose not to take a penalty kick in the 4-2 penalty shootout loss, wrote on Instagram on Saturday that the defeat had left him “psychologically destroyed” and reiterated that sentiment in a second post on Sunday after arriving back in his native country.

    “On Brazilian soil… still hurts like hell from loss, we were so close, so close,” Neymar wrote. “Unfortunately or fortunately I still haven’t learned to lose. Defeats make me stronger, but they hurt me too much and I’m still not used to it.

    “Anyway, we have to move on… life moves us on, even if it hurts and the hurt takes time to heal, we have to move on.

    “Once again I want to thank the Brazilian people for their support and affection. Hearing from you that we fought, delivered until the end comforts a little of our pain.

    “Thank you Qatar for everything. The cup was beautiful and she had to be from Brazil to crown it all, but by God’s destiny it wasn’t.”

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by NJ 🇧🇷 (@neymarjr)

    Neymar, 30, has been rumored to be playing in his final World Cup, and after the match he was hesitant to say whether he will continue to play for his nation.

    He added on Instagram: “We keep going… Now it’s to turn off the key, take advantage of family and friends, recharge energies because dealing with this defeat will be very difficult, it still hurts me A LOT! FAITH.”

    Neymar also reserved a special ‘open letter’ post for 61-year-old Brazil head coach Tite, who has stepped down from the role following the World Cup after six-and-a-half years in charge.

    “I knew you as a coach and I already knew you were very good but as a person you are MUCH BETTER!,” Neymar wrote. “I come here to openly thank you for everything, all the teachings you’ve given us… and there were so many.

    “You will always be one of the best coaches I’ve ever had or will have, I will always lift you up. We had beautiful moments but we also had moments that hurt us a lot and the latter will hurt us for a long time.

    “You deserved to be crowned with this cup. We all deserved it for everything we did and for everything we gave up to try to achieve our biggest dream. But God didn’t want it that way, patience. God has given us EVERYTHING!”

     

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  • Southgate ‘conflicted’ on future with England after World Cup exit

    Gareth Southgate, the manager of England, is “conflicted” as he considers staying in the position after the team lost to France in the World Cup quarterfinals.

    After Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Les Bleus, Southgate made it plain that he would take his time making a decision about his future. The Football Association has left that decision up to Southgate.

    The England manager has been in charge since 2016 and is under contract until December 2024. He guided the team to the 2018 World Cup semifinals and the Euro 2020 final.

    “I’ve found large parts of the last 18 months difficult,” Southgate said. “For everything that I’ve loved about the last few weeks, I still have… how things have been for 18 months.

    “What’s been said and what’s been written. The night at Wolves. There’s lots of things in my head that’s really conflicted at the moment.

    “What I want to make sure, if it’s the right thing to stay, is that I’ve definitely got the energy to do that. I don’t want to be four or five months down the line thinking: ‘I’ve made the wrong call’. It’s too important for everybody to get that wrong.”

     Southgate has transformed England since their disappointing Euro 2016 last-16 exit to Iceland, becoming a genuine title contender with a new wave of exciting talent.

    The ex-England defender had no timeframe on when he would make a decision on his future, stating he was eager to overcome the emotion of the defeat before making a call.

    Gareth Southgate, the manager of England, is “conflicted” as he considers staying in the position after the team lost to France in the World Cup quarterfinals.

    After Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Les Bleus, Southgate made it plain that he would take his time making a decision about his future. The Football Association has left that decision up to Southgate.

    The England manager has been in charge since 2016 and is under contract until December 2024. He guided the team to the 2018 World Cup semifinals and the Euro 2020 final.

    Southgate added that he was not sure when he was ever going to get over England’s latest World Cup exit, but spoke with a sense of pride about their performance.

    “I don’t think I have got over the last one [Euro 2020] but this feels a little bit different because when we reflect on what we’ve done, I’m not sure what more we could have done or given,” he said.

    “I think we’ve given a really good performance against a top team. It was a significant psychological step for those players.

    “I have been involved in nights where we have played top teams and been on the back foot for the majority of the game and been dominated. We wanted to be bold in the tournament and I think we went toe-to-toe with them.

    “We have said we want to be competitive all the way through with England and we are, I believe, in that top table … the last three tournaments, we have restored credibility.

    “The rest of the world look at us as a good side, but we are here to win, and we haven’t won.”

  • Brazil approached Guardiola to coach national team – Ronaldo reveals

    Ronaldo stated before Pep Guardiola renewed his contract with Manchester City, the Brazilian national team asked him to become their new coach.

    The Selecao is getting ready for life without Tite, who led them to the World Cup quarterfinals before they lost to Croatia on Friday in a heartbreaking penalty shootout.

    Regardless of how the five-time champions performed in Qatar, the 61-year-old stated in February that he would step down from his position.

    Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach Guardiola decided to prolong his tenure at the Etihad Stadium until 2025, according to legendary striker Ronaldo, who claims the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) had spoken with him.

    “There was interest in Guardiola; it was discussed with Guardiola’s coaching staff, but he preferred to renew his contract with City,” the 2002 World Cup winner said on his YouTube channel.’

    “Perhaps it would be difficult for the CBF to reach an agreement; he is the highest-paid coach in the world.”

    Ronaldo believes the CBF should now turn their attention to the “Brazilian Guardiola” in Fernando Diniz – the Fluminense head coach renowned for his attractive possession-based style of play.

    “Perhaps Diniz would be an attraction for the Brazilian national team,” he added. “He’s a guy who plays well, puts on a show.

    “It is a very important decision for the next cycle. The sooner you present the name and start working on the philosophy of the coach, the better it will be. And we’ll see. I’m curious. I think big names are coming here.”

  • Morocco deserve semi-final spot, Fernandes says

    When Portugal‘s World Cup run come to an end on Saturday due to the Atlas Lions, Bruno Fernandes recognised Morocco as deserving World Cup semi-finalists.

    Inflicting yet another upset at Al Thumama Stadium, Morocco became the first African team to ever make it to the tournament’s last four thanks to Youssef En-goal, Nesyri’s which was scored only in the game.

    The result incited an outraged response from some Portugal players, with Pepe calling the selection of Argentinian referee Facundo Tello “awful” after Tello decided against giving a penalty when Fernandes fell down under a challenge from Achraf Hakimi.

    In the immediate aftermath of the defeat, the playmaker concurred with Pepe’s assertions, claiming that the referees had “tipped the field” against Fernando Santos’ team.

    However, the Manchester United man struck a different tone when he took to social media on Sunday, praising Morocco’s display and outlining his pride in Portugal’s efforts.

    “It’s difficult to express in a few words everything we felt yesterday after the game ended,” he wrote on Twitter. “Our dream fell apart when we did everything to make it end differently.

    “It’s sad and painful because representing our team means much more than just playing football.

    “Despite the elimination, I am very proud to be Portuguese and even more proud of all those who represented our country with me in this World Cup.

    “I would also like to congratulate the Moroccan team for the great game and for deservedly qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup.”

    Portugal’s defeat to Walid Regragui’s men was their first at the quarter-final stage of a World Cup, with the Selecao having progressed from their two previous last-eight ties at the tournament.

  • World Cup 2022: American sports writer Grant Wahl passes away in Qatar

    A prominent football journalist from the United States has died while covering the World Cup in Qatar.

    Grant Wahl, 48, collapsed as extra time began in the Argentina-Netherlands game on Friday night.

    Early reports suggest he may have had a heart attack, but this has yet to be officially confirmed.

    Last month Mr Wahl was briefly detained by Qatari authorities for trying to enter a stadium wearing a rainbow shirt, in support of LGBT rights.

    “Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists,” it said.

    In a tweet, Mr Wahl’s wife, Céline Gounder, said she was in “complete shock”, adding that she was “so thankful” for the support she had received from friends.

    Mr Wahl celebrated his 48th birthday on Thursday with friends in Qatar, a day before he collapsed. He wrote on his website on Monday that he had been unwell in the last 10 days and was on a course of antibiotics for suspected bronchitis.

    “My body finally broke down on me,” he wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.

    “I didn’t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic and the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis.”

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Mr Wahl’s love for football was “immense”, adding that his reporting would be “missed by all who follow the global game”.

    Tributes have poured in from several UK journalists. Piers Morgan described Mr Wahl as a “brilliant journalist”, while the Times’ Henry Winter said he was a “fine man” and “giant of the press box”.

    BBC Sport’s Dan Roan tweeted: “Grant Wahl was a renowned and hugely respected journalist and the flood of tributes is testament to the esteem in which he was held.”

    Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber tweeted: “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken over the tragic passing of Grant Wahl. He was a kind and caring person whose passion for soccer and dedication to journalism were immeasurable.”

    US tennis icon Billie Jean King also paid tribute to Mr Wahl, describing him as an “advocate for the LGBTQ community and a prominent voice for women’s soccer”.

    A spokesperson for the Qatari body responsible for planning the World Cup, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of the US journalist Grant Wahl.

    “Grant was known for his enormous love of football and was in Qatar to cover his eighth Fifa World Cup.

    “He fell ill in the Lusail Stadium media tribune, during last night’s quarter-final match between Argentina v Netherlands. He received immediate emergency medical treatment on site, which continued as he was transferred by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital.

    “We are in touch with the US Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes.”

    Earlier this week, Mr Wahl was presented with an award by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo for reporting on eight consecutive World Cups – his first was in the US in 1994.

     

    Source: BBC

  • Clemente criticises Luis Enrique departure as Spain boss

    Javier Clemente, a former La Roja head coach, said that Spain’s choice to fire Luis Enrique after their World Cup departure was “yet another mistake.”

    Two days after Morocco eliminated the 2010 world champions on penalties in the round of 16, the former Barcelona manager’s resignation was officially announced on Thursday.

    After the finals, Luis Enrique’s contract was about to expire, and the Royal Football Federation (RFEF) decided not to renew it. Instead, they named existing Under-21 manager Luis de la Fuente as the new manager.

    Former Spain manager Clemente believes Luis Enrique shouldn’t be held accountable for his team’s second straight last-16 defeat after losing to host nation Russia at the same level four years prior. Clemente coached Spain at the World Cup in 1994 and 1998.

    “I think it is not a success to have dispensed with Luis Enrique as coach,” he told El Programa de Ortega. “This is yet another mistake.

    “Luis Enrique is a very good coach, with his ideas, with his personality, friendly, pleasant, man of the house. The problem of the Spanish team is a problem of Spanish football.

    “[Morocco] stood up and closed well behind, and the players did not have the temperament to overcome it.

    “You always talk about the coaches, but when you play badly, you also have to talk about the players. Is Luis Enrique to blame [for the penalties]? Not really.

    The RFEF is expected to officially announce De La Fuente as Luis Enrique’s successor on Monday.

    The 61-year-old has spent close to a decade coaching Spain’s age-grade sides, winning the Under-19 European Championship in 2015 and the Under-21 equivalent in 2021.

    He also took charge of the Under-23 side at the Beijing Olympics last year and won a silver medal following defeat to Brazil in the final.

    “You don’t imagine he’ll end up as a coach,” said Clemente, who coached De La Fuente at Athletic Bilbao during the early stages of his playing career.

    “I think it’s good, he’s been in the Under-21s, and he’s had good results. He’s done well, he already knows the kids. I don’t know how he coaches, but I tell you he’s very good because he’s a friend of mine.”

  • Give World Cup spots to Euros and Copa America winners – Barella urges FIFA

    The Azzurri should have qualified for the World Cup “by right,” according to Italy player Nicolo Barella, after winning the European Championship.

    Italy was eliminated after a shocking 1-0 loss to North Macedonia in a play-off qualification match in March. Despite being nearly completely dominant, Italy let up the game’s lone goal in stoppage time.

    It resulted in Italy, the four-time champions, missing out on two straight World Cups—a first in their history—and Inter star Barella has felt reluctant to watch the competition because of his grievance that he should be taking part.

    In fact, he advocated for giving World Cup spots automatically to the most recent champions of Europe and South America. Unless they were also included in such an agreement, confederations from other continents would probably not be too happy about such a move.

    Italy, who prevailed in the postponed Euro 2020 finals last year, is still in disbelief at its World Cup qualifying misstep.

    “I haven’t seen half a match of the World Cup yet, I can’t understand the feeling I feel,” Barella said.

    “They say that the pitch is always right, but for me in this case it gave an unfair response. Today it was our turn, maybe tomorrow it will be the turn of others: whoever wins a European Championship or a Copa America deserves to go to a World Cup by right.”

    The statement made by Barella is comparable to one made last month by Italy’s head coach, Roberto Mancini. Mancini added that every continent’s champions need to have an automatic berth in the World Cup.

    Barella can see himself staying at Inter through the 2026 competition, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

    Barella, who has a contract with Inter that expires in 2026, has been linked to a number of teams, including Chelsea and Liverpool from the Premier League.

    “We have to get there first,” he said of the next World Cup, “but yeah, I see myself on the pitch in 2026 still as an Inter player.”

    Whether Milan Skriniar remains at Inter for so long must be in major doubt.

    Paris Saint-Germain wanted him in the last transfer window and may come back in January, and the 27-year-old Slovakian centre-back is due to lapse out of contract at the end of the season.

    Barella will let Skriniar make his own decisions about the future, insisting others should not play any part.

    “I will never allow myself to give him advice,” Barella said. “Everyone makes their choices. Then, at the end of his career, we will see if they were right or wrong. I hope he stays because in addition to being incredibly strong, he is a brother.”

  • FIFA to feature anti-discrimination messages to mark International Human Rights Day

    In honor of International Human Rights Day, FIFA will broadcast anti-discrimination messages during the World Cup quarterfinal games on Friday and Saturday.

    The #NoDiscrimination hashtag will be shown on the enormous screens and LED boards within the stadiums thanks to a partnership between FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO).

    The World Cup in Qatar has drawn significant criticism for the host country’s standards of human rights, particularly for its attitudes toward same-sex marriage and its treatment of the migrant workers who built the tournament’s infrastructure.

    The Athletic reported on Wednesday that a Filipino man in his early 40s passed away while working at the Saudi Arabian base during the group round.

    When questioned on the incident the chief executive of Qatar 2022, Nasser Al Khater, told the BBC: “Death is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work or in your sleep.”

    FIFA also declined to comment on the reports, with its secretary general Fatma Samoura saying to Reuters: “We’ve already elaborated… about what we are doing in Qatar.

    “We are talking about things we have already discussed for months and months, time and time again.”

    However, FIFA announced its decision to observe International Human Rights Day on December 10, stating in a press statement that discrimination is one of the most widespread types of abuse and violation of human rights.

    “FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO) will mark International Human Rights Day on Saturday, 10 December by reinforcing the message that there is no place for discrimination of any kind, either in football or in society in general.

    “During the FIFA World Cup quarter-final matches on 9 and 10 December, the #NoDiscrimination message will feature on giant screens and LEDs in stadium and, as during the whole of the tournament, on the captains’ armbands.”

  • Morocco ‘would be delighted’ if Ronaldo is on Portugal bench – Regragui

    Walid Regragui, the coach of Morocco, hopes to see Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench once more despite the fact that Portugal may have looked better in the round of 16 without him.

    After getting into a heated dispute with Portugal’s head coach during their final World Cup group match against South Korea, Ronaldo was benched by Fernando Santos.

    Portugal defeated Switzerland 6-1 despite the absence of Ronaldo, 37, who was replaced by Goncalo Ramos, who scored an incredible hat-trick.

    When his team faces Morocco in the quarterfinals, Santos will undoubtedly field the same lineup once more, but Regragui would rather not.

    “I don’t know if Ronaldo will start. I hope he won’t,” Regragui said. “As a coach, I know he’s one of the best players in history. I’d be delighted if he didn’t play.

    “But we’re not going to focus on Portugal. They’re hungry, they also want to get into the history books.

    “We’re going to have more supporters in the stadium, and we can do it.”

    Throughout his pre-match news conference on Friday, Regragui outlined his ambition to make history, with Morocco already enjoying their best run at a World Cup.

    Discussing pre-tournament predictions that had Morocco failing in the group stage, he said: “They all thought they knew who was going to win the World Cup. We are here, too.

    “Our players are hungry. We’re not satisfied with what we’ve done so far.”