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      Where is Mario Gotze and what happened to him after the 2014 World Cup final?

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      MARIO Gotze had the World at his feet after scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World cup final.His goal and game changing performance in The 1-0 win against Argentina stole the show that night, but since then things have been a bit more difficult for him. Here’s what we know.
      Gotze called up to the German national team for the first time since 2017 for the 2022 World Cup
      What happened to Mario Gotze after the 2014 World Cup final?
      Gotze had just completed his first season at Bayern Munich when he joined up with the German squad for the World Cup.
      He was previously at Borussia Dortmund, where he won two league titles, the German cup and reached a UEFA Champions league final before joining the Bavarian club.
      Despite his talent, Gotze struggled to fully recapture the form which prompted Bayern to sign him in 2014, missing almost 30 games over three seasons through fitness issues.
      Injury problems and punditry criticisms followed him into EURO 2016, where Germany reached the semi-finals.
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      Gotze played only 20 minutes in the knockout stages as the Germans lost 2-0 to hosts France.
      He then returned to former club Dortmund in 2016, but struggled to contribute in terms of goals and assists.
      After this, he was left out of the national team for over a year, and was ultimately not selected in the squad for the 2018 World cup in Russia.
      He eventually made the decision to leave Dortmund for a second time after the expiry of his contract in 2020.
      Most read in Football
      Where is Mario Gotze now?
      After rediscovering his form at PSV Eindhoven, where he won two trophies in two seasons, Gotze returned to German football with Eintracht Frankfurt.
      They signed him for £2.5million in June 2022 on a three-year deal.
      He helped Frankfurt reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions league for the first time since 1960, a season where they would reach the final.
      This form was rewarded with a place in Germany’s 2022 World cup squad. He played twice as the team exited in the group stages.
      What illness does Mario Gotze have?
      Gotze suffers with myopathy, which is a muscular disorder which effects the fibres in his muscles.
      He revealed this in 2017, during an already injury-hit season.
      He ended up only making eleven league appearances in the 2016/17 Bundesliga season because of this. More

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      What happened to Roberto Baggio and what is the former Juventus star doing now?

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      ROBERTO Baggio was one of the most recognisable footballers in the World in the 80s and 90s.He helped Italy to a World Cup Final in 1994, before a shocking miss which defined his career. Here’s what we know about Roberto Baggio.
      Baggio played in three FIFA World Cups for Italy, missing the decisive penalty in the 1994 shootout.
      Who is Roberto Baggio?
      Roberto Baggio is a former footballer, who played the entirety of his career in Italy.
      Baggio’s nickname was the divine ponytail, which related to the hairstyle he had for most of his career, and his Buddhist beliefs.
      He played for Italy’s three most successful clubs, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, winning two Serie A titles over the course of his career.
      In 1993, Baggio helped Juventus to win the UEFA cup, scoring two goals in the first leg of the final against Borussia Dortmund.
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      That year, he was named FIFA World player of the year and received the Ballon d’or.
      He became the first Italian to score at three different World Cups in 1998, after scoring in 1990 and 1994.
      What happened to Roberto Baggio?
      In 1994, Italy reached the FIFA World cup final in the USA, where they would play Brazil.
      The game finished goalless after 90 minutes, and the two teams could not be separated after 30 minutes of extra time, which led to a penalty shootout.
      Most read in Football
      The score was 3-2 to the South Americans after nine penalties with Baggio stepping up needing to convert to continue the shootout.
      After a long runup, the Italian sent goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel the wrong way, but saw his penalty fly high over the crossbar, handing Brazil their fourth World cup.
      Baggio has since said that the miss was the worst moment of his career, and effected him for years afterwards.
      In the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Baggio stepped up to take his first penalty since the 1994 final, in a group stage match against Chile.
      This time, the Italian ace scored, an experience which he described as “liberating.”
      What is Roberto Baggio doing now?
      After retiring from football, Baggio became president of the technical sector of the Italian football federation in 2010.
      He resigned from this role in 2013 as he suggested that the federation had ignored his ideas about focusing on youth talent.
      Outside of football, Baggio has been praised for his charity work, becoming a UN ambassador in 2002 and helping to raise money for areas affected by earthquakes and illnesses.
      Is Roberto Baggio married and does he have any children?
      He married long-term girlfriend Andreina Fabbi in 1989
      They have a daughter, Valentina, who was born in 1990, as well as two sons, Mattia, born in 1994 and Leonardo, born in 2005.
      Read More on The Sun
      What is Roberto Baggio’s net worth?
      Baggio is believed to have a net worth of over £10million.
      This came from the various clubs he represented in his career, as well as from multiple sponsorship deals. More

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      Why is Son Heung-min wearing a mask during Tottenham’s match against Brentford?

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      SOUTH KOREA superstar Son Heung-min is in action for Tottenham’s Premier League start fixture against Brentford.And the Spurs winger continues to wear an item which fans are beginning to get familiar with.
      Son Heung-min wore a mask during the World Cup for South KoreaCredit: Getty
      Find out why Son has been forced to wear a mask below…
      Why is Son Heung-min wearing a mask?
      Son Heung-min is wearing a protective mask following a fractured eye socket he sustained in a Champions League win on November 1.
      Son suffered a fractured eye socket in a Champions League win over MarseilleCredit: Reuters
      Son was forced to come off early in the win against MarseilleCredit: Reuters
      Read more on Son Heung-min
      The Spurs star had a sickening collision with Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba’s shoulder.
      And as a result, Son required immediate attention, before coming off the field early where he then needed to undergo surgery a few days later.
      Thankfully for the South Korea captain, the surgery was a success and he was then called up to the Asian giants World Cup squad. More

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      How old is Rio Ferdinand and when did he become a football pundit?

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      IN the world of football Rio Ferdinand is known as a sporting legend.After forging a successful career on the pitch, the former Manchester United star has now made his mark off the pitch as a football pundit.
      Rio Ferdinand is a former football player and TV punditCredit: Reuters
      How old is Rio Ferdinand?
      Rio Ferdinand, born November 7, 1978 is a former professional footballer and sports pundit.
      He celebrated his 44th birthday last month.
      Over a 14-year international career, Ferdinand made 81 appearances for his country and was appointed the national team captain in 2010.

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      When did Rio Ferdinand become a football pundit?
      After leaving his mark on the world of football, Rio returned to the sport in 2015 – but this time as a football pundit.
      In 2015, he joined BT Sport as a pundit for their coverage of the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
      He is now a permanent fixture, providing his expert football opinion and analysis on a number of fixtures.
      Is Rio Ferdinand married and how many children does he have?

      Rio shares one child with his wife Kate – a son named Cree who was born in December 2020.
      In 2022, Rio and Kate announced the loss of their second unborn child, which left the couple feeling “devastated and heartbroken”.
      He also shares three children from his former relationship with his first wife Rebecca Ellison – Lorenz, Tate and Tia.
      Rebecca tragically passed away after a battle with breast cancer on May 2 2015, aged just 34.
      They had been married since 2009.
      In a statement he released to announce the news, Ferdinand said: “My soul mate slipped away last night.
      “Rebecca, my wonderful wife, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
      “She was a fantastic loving mother to our three beautiful children. She will be missed as a wife, sister, aunt, daughter and granddaughter. She will live on in our memory, as a guide and inspiration.” More

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      Why isn’t Dean Henderson playing for Nottingham Forest against Man Utd?

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      DEAN HENDERSON will be gutted that he is not allowed to play against Manchester United as the face Nottingham Forest.The 25-year-old came through the ranks at Old Trafford before putting his name on the map as one of the best English goalkeepers.
      Dean Henderson has had an impressive seasonCredit: EPA
      His loan spells at Sheffield United saw Henderson believe that he had earned his way to be the number one at Manchester United.
      However, after failing to displace David De Gea, he finds himself at Nottingham Forest and will NOT be able to face United.
      Why isn’t Dean Henderson playing for Nottingham Forest against Man Utd?
      Eagle eyed fans will have noticed that Henderson is not taking to the pitch against the Red Devils.
      While he will be gutted he cannot prove himself against Erik ten Hag’s side, he was aware of this before the season.

      Dean Henderson in action for Nottingham ForestCredit: Getty
      Henderson opted to join Steve Cooper’s Forest on a season-long loan.
      And the terms of any loan deal within the same league means that the loanee cannot feature against his parent club.
      We have seen this several times in the past, including when current Forest and former United player Jesse Lingard was on loan at West Ham in the past.
      This is only a rule for the Premier League, whereas if Forest faced United in the League Cup (which is a possibility, with both sides in the last-8), the Red Devils could give dispensation for Henderson to play against them.
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      Why has Pele never won the Ballon d’Or?

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      PELE has lifted the biggest awards that football has to offer – but he never got his hands on the Ballon d’Or.The Brazilian icon’s daughter has sadly confirmed that he will be spending his Christmas in hosptial.
      Pele will sadly spend Christmas in hospital as he battles colon cancerCredit: Refer to Caption
      And Pele is in everyone’s thoughts as he continues his awful battle with cancer.
      Pele has always been remembered for his phenomenal goal scoring talent alongside winning THREE World Cups.
      But fans have always been puzzled as to why the Brazilian idol was never awarded with football’s most prestigious individual award.
      Why has Pele never won the Ballon d’Or?
      Pele was widely recognised as the world’s best footballer in his era.
      Read more on Pele
      But the three-time World Cup winner doesn’t have a Ballon d’Or trophy in his cabinet as only European players were eligible to win it at that time.
      Liberian superstar George Weah was the first non-European player to win the award in 1995.
      And Brazilian Ronaldo became the first South American footballer to be crowned with the prestigious trophy in 1997.
      What did Pele win instead?
      Pele won France football’s biggest individual award instead – Footballer of the Century in 1999.
      Most read in Football
      Pele won Footballer of the Century in 1999Credit: Reuters
      But in 2016, France Football did a remake of every Ballon d’Or award from 1956 to 1995, with the inclusion of non-European players.
      And Pele was voted as the winner for seven of those awards, however, they were unofficial achievements which meant that the Brazilian icon still doesn’t have a Ballon d’Or to his name.
      Pele – all you need to know about Brazil iconPELE is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever.
      Here is all the info you need on the soccer titan. More

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      Pele shirt number: Why did he always wear No 10?

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      PELE has gone down in history as one of the most iconic number 10s to ever play the game.The Brazil legend wore the iconic digits on his back throughout his career as he lifted three World Cups.
      Brazilian striker Pelé, wearing his Santos jerseyCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Scoring the most goals in the Brazilian top flight in history, Pele spent the majority of his career at Santos before a short stint with the New York Cosmos.
      We have all the information on the iconic number 10 shirt that the legend wore and just why he did this.
      Why did Pele always wear No 10?
      Pele set a precedent for the number, which is now donned by the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi for rivals Argentina.
      The goalscorer was definitely more of a centre forward, what we would call a No9 in England, but he just preferred the No10.
      Read more on Pele
      Neymar no doubt opts for the number due to his admiration for Pele, wearing it for both Brazil and PSG.
      That goes to show the impact Pele had by wearing 10 during his playing career.
      The number 10 shirt of former Brazilian international PeleCredit: PA:Press Association
      The number 10 shirt was given to the best playmakers in the world, with Pele creating the prestige as a goal scorer.
      He explained why he wore it, admitting that it was an accident.
      Most read in Football
      He said: “The No.10 jersey was given to me at a World Cup match in 1958.
      Pele won three World Cups with BrazilCredit: AP:Associated Press
      “Nobody was that important to wear the No.10 and even though I was not the oldest player in the squad, it coincidentally dropped to me to wear at the World Cup.”
      And after an impressive tournament, Pele opted to keep the number for Brazil and made it iconic, seeing many players take it ever since.
      Pele – all you need to know about Brazil iconPELE is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever.
      Here is all the info you need on the soccer titan. More

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      What is Pele’s net worth?

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      PELE goes down as one of the greatest players of all time along with the likes of Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.The Brazilian, who was born in 1940, made his name playing for Santos in his home country.
      Brazilian football legend Pele poses with the FIFA World Cup trophy in 2014Credit: AFP
      His incredible goal-scoring record saw him net 77 in 92 appearances for Brazil across a 14-year period playing for the national team.
      During this time he lifted an incredible three World Cups, showing just how much he was worth to Brazil.
      But here at SunSport, we have all the information on just how much he is worth off the pitch.
      What is Pele’s net worth?
      During the peak of his career, Pele was the highest-paid athlete in the world and holds many records
      Read more on Pele
      Scoring 1,297 goals across his career, he remains the highest goal scorer of all time after breaking through at just the age of 15.
      His reported net worth is $100million, the equivalent of £83million, as claimed by Forbes.
      A statue of Pele was present at the 2022 World Cup in QatarCredit: Getty
      While this is nowhere near the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, it is key to remember that Pele played in a different generation without the bumper contracts and sponsorship deals of the 21st century.
      He was also the Minister of Sports for Brazil after his playing career and was a true icon for football in South America.
      Most read in Football
      Pele’s businesses reportedly earned him around $10m or £8.3m per year after his playing days were over, with his net worth rising to $100m or £83m in 2022.
      Pele – all you need to know about Brazil iconPELE is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever.
      Here is all the info you need on the soccer titan. More