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      Is Nouhaila Benzina the first footballer to wear a hijab at a World Cup?

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      NOUHAILA BENZINA made her World Cup debut at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.The football star made history at the competition during Morocco’s game against South Korea.
      Nouhaila Benzina of Morocco made history during the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 match between Korea and MoroccoCredit: EPA/MATT TURNER
      Who is Nouhaila Benzina?
      Nouhaila Benzina is a Moroccan football player.
      She was born on May 11, 1998 in Kenitra.
      Benzina plays as a defender.
      Who has Nouhaila Benzina played for?
      Benzina has spent her professional career playing for Morocco’s ASFAR (Association’s Sports of Forces Armed Royal) team.
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      She has also represented Morocco at under-20 and senior levels.
      In 2023 Benzina was named as part of Morocco’s Fifa Women’s World Cup squad.
      The 2023 edition of the tournament marks the first time Morocco has taken part.
      They are also the first team from MENA, the group of countries situated in and around the Middle East and North Africa, to play in the tournament.
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      Benzina was an unused substitute in the team’s first game against Germany but was called up during their second clash, against South Korea.
      Is Nouhaila Benzina the first footballer to wear a hijab at a World Cup?
      In July 2023, Benzina became the first football player to play at a World Cup – or any senior women’s football tournament – wearing a hijab.
      She wore her hijab during Morocco’s July 30, 2023, match against South Korea at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
      Morocco finished the game, which took place at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium, victorious with a 1-0 win.
      In the past, Fifa banned the wearing of hijabs during games due to health and safety reasons.
      The reasons included possible choking, with the ban forbidding “equipment that is dangerous to himself or another player”.
      That ban was lifted in 2014.
      The under-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan took place two years after the ban was lifted and marked the first time Muslim players wore headscarves during an international Fifa event.
      Benzina has not publicly addressed her history-making turn on the pitch but Morocco’s captain Ghizlane Chebbak has discussed her team being at their first ever World Cup.
      She told press: “We are honoured to be the first Arab country to take part in the Women’s World Cup and we feel that we have to shoulder a big responsibility to give a good image, to show the achievements the Moroccan team has made.”
      Ahead of Morocco’s match against South Korea, Benzina did reference the upcoming game on her social media.
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      On Instagram, she posted a screenshot of a tweet stating that Benzina is the only player – out of 736 – at the Women’s World Cup to wear a hijab.
      She captioned the screenshot with a black love heart. More

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      Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea pocketed millions for releasing World Cup stars – and even Boreham Wood got cash

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      MANCHESTER CITY earned more from Fifa than anyone else for releasing their players to star in the World Cup – but even National League Boreham Wood got a share of the cash.Fifa paid out £160million to 440 different clubs around the world for releasing their players for last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
      Clubs received a share of Fifa payouts for their players competing in the World Cup
      English clubs received a total of £29million in compensation, more than any other country, with City top of the table worldwide, earning £3.5million.
      While that payment will hardly be noticed in City’s huge accounts, the payments for clubs further down the pyramid can make a huge difference.
      Especially for the lowest ranked English club receiving cash, Boreham Wood.
      The non-league side didn’t have any current players in Qatar last winter, but Fifa rewards teams who played a role in the development of players during the qualification period for the World Cup.
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      Boreham Wood sold Wales international Sorba Thomas to Championship side Huddersfield Town in January 2021 and therefore benefited from the Fifa payments, earning £24,000.
      Huddersfield earned £118,000 for Thomas’ role at the World Cup, despite the 24-year-old only featuring late on in Wales’ 1-1 draw against the USA, coming on as an injury time replacement for Fulham winger Harry Wilson.
      The payments are calculated by how long each player spent at the World Cup, with clubs earning just over £9,000 for each day their man was participating in the Middle East.
      Announcing the figures, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the total compensation figure of £160million will almost double to £304million for the 2026 and 2030 editions of the World Cup.
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      Infantino said: “The Fifa Club Benefits Programme recognises the contribution that clubs make to the success of the Fifa World Cup, and this far reaching initiative ensures that Fifa redistributes a portion of the revenues from the competition to the clubs.”
      After Manchester City, the top English earners were Manchester United, who pocketed £2.5million and Chelsea who earned £2.4m. More

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      Ex-Tottenham star praises ‘game-changer’ new rule that will ‘definitely bring more goals’ to Premier League

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      FORMER Tottenham star Alan Hutton has praised a game-changing rule that could bring more goals to the Premier League.Fifa have proposed a law that could massively help strikers.
      The new offside rule proposed means all the attacker’s body has to be beyond the defender for the flag to go up
      Alan Hutton thinks defenders will find it harderCredit: Getty
      With the new rule in place, an attacker’s entire body would have to be beyond the last defender for it to be deemed offside.
      Fifa are set to trial the change in pre-season clashes in Netherlands, Italy and Sweden.
      Arsene Wenger is believed to have been key in pushing the testing of the idea forward from his role as Fifa’s Chief of Global Football Development.
      It would see the numbers of goals chalked off decrease and hopefully lead to less frequent time-consuming VAR checks.
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      Several controversial goals last season were disallowed due to marginal offsides.
      Manchester United’s controversial 2-1 derby win over Manchester City in January is one of the goals to have triggered a potential rule change due to the calls for the laws to be clearer.
      Bruno Fernandes netted after Marcus Rashford appeared to be offside in the build-up.
      Hutton, who played for Spurs and Aston Villa, believes it could help the game.
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      He told Football Insider: “It’s a game-changer, there will definitely be more goals within the game, no doubt about that.
      “Obviously this favours the attacker, they get maybe that yard on a defender and as a defender, especially if you were a centre-half, it will be very difficult, as you’re going to have to hold such a high line.
      “But I do get it, there’s such a grey area at times and when VAR was introduced with offside rules, we were talking about the width of the hair.
      “It will be much easier to differentiate between onside and offside now, and a correct decision will be made.
      “There will certainly be more goals and more excitement.”
      The Premier League are currently against bringing in semi-automated offsides as seen at the World Cup. More

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      Salt Bae reveals reason behind ‘pathetic’ pitch invasion after World Cup final and makes promise ahead of next event

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      SALT BAE revealed his thinking behind his “pathetic” World Cup final pitch invasion.And he made a promise ahead of the 2026 tournament that will delight Lionel Messi and football fans alike.
      Salt Bae caused controversy as he made his way on to the pitch after the World Cup finalCredit: instagram
      The celebrity Turkish butcher – real name Nusret Gokce – rose to stardom with his £1,000 gold-plated steaks and signature salt-sprinkling move that has contributed to amassing 52million Instagram followers and a wealth of £60m.
      However, he sparked controversy in Qatar last December when he made his way on to the pitch of the Lusail Stadium following Argentina’s dramatic win against France.
      Salt Bae, 39, pestered Messi for a selfie, bit a winner’s medal, grabbed the iconic gold trophy from Argentina players, kissed it, did his famous gesture over it and lifted it above his head as if celebrating winning the World Cup.
      According to Fifa’s guidelines, only World Cup winners and heads of state are allowed to touch the trophy – with the world football governing body investigating how he was allowed to make his move.
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      Now an “embarrassed” Gokce has explained his cringeworthy actions – and vowed never to repeat his mistake.
      Speaking to The Times, he said: “It was a combination of my love of Argentina and my excitement.
      “I love Argentina, I’ve lived there. I went to support them. Many of [the team] have come to the restaurant. I didn’t feel a stranger.
      “It was a special moment. I can’t do anything about the reason I was there, but I would never, ever step on the World Cup pitch again.
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      “There were two billion people watching the World Cup… how many people are speaking about me? Five billion. The whole world.
      “I didn’t go on the pitch with the purpose of advertising, I just felt like it. Then it was a bit of a surprise.
      “There were at least another 1,000 people on the pitch but when they show the video they make out it was just me.
      “I never, ever wanted to overshadow anything. I didn’t like the attention. I didn’t kick anyone, steal anything.”
      Salt Bae was subsequently banned from a number of sporting events in the US.
      However, the Turkish chef – dubbed a “pest” by Gary Lineker – turned up at the Champions League final this month in his homeland.
      Upon spotting him arriving at the ground, fans flocked to social media.
      One wrote: “Of course! He will be on the pitch lifting the cup with Pep and the boys.”
      Another added: “This guy is so embarrassing.”
      He grabbed the trophy and even bit a winner’s medalCredit: Instagram More

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      Premier League decide AGAINST using World Cup-style technology – but huge changes to VAR are confirmed

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      PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs have decided against using World Cup-style offside technology next season.But extra VAR cameras WILL be brought in at every top flight ground – in a bid to stop two of the blunders that took place last term.
      Extra cameras will be used by VAR next season as the PGMOL seeks to prevent any “blind spots”Credit: Getty
      Fifa’s Semi-Automated Offside Technology used limb-tracking cameras to pinpoint the exact position of every player on the pitch, plus a chip in the ball to determine if it was played by a defender or attacker.
      The cameras were then deployed to provide a computer-generated 3D animation that was shown on stadium big screens and by broadcasters.
      Fifa’s system was a big success, as was Uefa’s use of SAOT – although European chiefs opted to use the version that did not include the chip in ball technology.
      It was expected that the Prem would seek to adopt the system for next season, which is the path that is being taken by La Liga in Spain.
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      But instead the option to bring in SAOT for next term is NOT on the agenda for next week’s Annual Meeting of the 20 top flight clubs in Hampshire.
      Instead, an extra four offside cameras will be used at every game, with Prem bosses and PGMOL agreeing this should prevent a recurrence of two controversial incidents last term, both involving Liverpool.
      Arsenal’s early opener in the 3-2 win over the Merseysiders was allowed because the cameras did not pick up the position of Bukayo Saka when the ball was played forward to him wide on the Gunners’ right.
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      Subsequent footage, not available at the time, suggested the England star had come back from an offside position but with no evidence to overturn the initial offside decision, the goal stood.
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      Liverpool, though, were the beneficiaries of the other incident, in their FA Cup tie at home to Wolves.
      Julen Lopetegui’s team thought they had scored a late winner through Toto Gomes.
      But the goal was ruled out by a late flag determining that Matheus Nunes retreated from an offside position after taking the initial corner.
      Once again, other images, not available to the VAR crew at Stockley Park, suggested the decision should have been overturned but with Nunes in the “blind spot” of the VAR cameras the goal did not count.
      ITV were using the “standard” five calibration cameras and 17 in total for the FA Cup tie, three cameras fewer than typically used in a Prem game.
      But the addition of four extra cameras, which is expected to go through on the nod when the club chiefs meet, is felt sufficient to ensure no repeats.
      League bosses believe they can wait to introduce any version of SAOT and that the evolution of technology will be so rapid in the coming weeks that introducing the system now would be premature as it would soon be rendered out of date. More

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      Huge summer sporting event has NO TV deal sparking ‘concern’ with bosses

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      BBC and ITV are under pressure to announce a TV deal for the Women’s World Cup after the governments of the Big Five European markets weighed into the ongoing row.Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer was among the five signatories stating their “concern” at the lack of agreement with just seven weeks until kick-off in Australia and New Zealand.
      Some broadcasters are yet to claim rights for the Women’s World Cup despite the success of Euro 2022Credit: Getty
      ITV and the Beeb are understood to have made a £9m joint bid which Fifa is expected to accept.
      But broadcasters in France, Germany, Italy and Spain are said to have proposed “derisory” offers of a fraction of the bids for the men’s tournament.
      They have been strongly criticised by Fifa President Gianni Infantino, who is reluctant to dig further into the world body’s funds.
      And now the governments have pledged to put on the big squeeze.
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      In a joint statement by the senior sports ministers of all five countries, the governments said: “We have acknowledged with concern that until now, no television rights have been attributed for the matches broadcasting in our countries.
      “We are aware of the legitimate interests and budgetary constraints pressuring both assignees and independent broadcasters, who need a viable economic model for each of them. 
      “And we also recognise the specific organisational constraints that are likely to affect the ‘market value’ of the European broadcasters’ rights, such as the hours of broadcasting.
      “However, we are convinced that the media coverage of the Women’s World Cup will be decisive in improving the global visibility of women’s sports in our European countries. 
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      “Media exposure to women’s sports has indeed a highly significant impact on the development of women’s and young girls’ sports practices. 
      “Because of the high potential of the Fifa Women’s World Cup and the sport and social issues at stake, we consider it our responsibility to fully mobilise all stakeholders, for them to quickly reach an agreement. 
      “These are decisions for Fifa and broadcasters to take independently, but we know that discussions are in progress and we are confident in Fifa and independent broadcasters’ capability to find a common path toward fair development.” More

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      Tottenham chase Manor Solomon transfer as Shakhtar fume at Fifa for allowing Fulham loan star to move for FREE

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      TOTTENHAM are in the hunt for Manor Solomon – who is set to be available for nothing this summer.The Israeli has been at Fulham on a year-long deal after suspending his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk, following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. 
      Manor Solomon has impressed at Fulham this termCredit: Getty
      Fifa have ruled that he can leave Shakhtar for free this summer, sparking interest from a number of clubs across Europe.
      In amongst them are Spurs, as well as Fulham who would like to sign him permanently. 
      Winger Solomon, 23, has netted five goals in 23 appearances for the Cottagers this term in all competitions. 
      All five strikes came in consecutive games during a particularly hot streak in February and early March.
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      Shakhtar chief Sergei Palkin has criticised Fifa’s decision to allow their players to move abroad for nothing.
      He said: “The over-reaching measures applied by Fifa led to massive loss of player transfer income and a depletion of essential Club revenues.
      “We believe the extension of Annex 7 continues to place clubs like FC Shakhtar in Ukraine in a seriously disadvantaged position with zero protection and threatens our very existence.”
      Fulham have defied expectations that they would be in a relegation battle this term following promotion.
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      Marco Silva’s side have secured tenth place and can reach a whopping 55 points if they win at Manchester United on Sunday.
      Spurs, meanwhile, will begin the final day in eighth after a disastrous run of form.
      Should they win at relegation-threatened Leeds and Aston Villa fail to beat Brighton, however, Ryan Mason’s side would scrape into the Europa Conference League for next season. More

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      Fans rage as Fifa reveal simplistic World Cup 2026 logo that ‘took less than a minute to design’

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      FIFA may have held a glitzy LA ceremony last night to unveil the branding for the 2026 World Cup, but the new logo definitely fell short.The official logo for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, is already being slammed by fans.
      This marks the first time the World Cup trophy has been used in the official logoCredit: AP

      The design, which was unveiled by Fifa President Gianni Infantino and two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo Nazário, has been denounced as “basic”.
      It features a simple image of the trophy in the foreground and the numbers “2” and “6” stacked vertically in the background.
      Traditionally, the World Cup logo has been designed to reflect the culture of the host nation(s) in some way, but that is not the case here.
      Football fans took to social media to vent their frustrations with the uninspiring logo for the biggest tournament in sport.
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      One said: “Is that it? Just 26 with the cup? What a failure”.
      Another added: “That’s the worst logo I’ve ever seen in my life”.
      Others questioned the credentials of the graphic designers: “I could have made that in about 2 minutes on my phone”.
      One fan comically made a 60 second video showing how long it took him to create it.
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      A fifth fan joined in: “That’s it? A PNG file image of the trophy over 26. Anaemic”.
      Another declared: “It should have been something that would represent the 3 countries. Come on”.
      Fifa President Infantino stated: “We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive Fifa World Cup ever”.
      But the branding has failed to meet these high expectations.
      However, it was also revealed, that every host city will eventually release a logo and colour scheme that is specific to each venue.
      The event to launch the World Cup was hosted by former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas and Telemundo journalist Ana Jurka.
      The competition, which will feature 48 teams for the first time, will be the first World Cup in North America since 1994.
      Despite the lacklustre logo, the ceremony was attended by a host of stars.
      Brooklyn Beckham was joined by the likes of musicians Kelly Osbourne, Angelina Jordan and Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernandez.
      Brooklyn Beckham and Victor Montagliani were sat together at the event in LACredit: Getty More