World Cup 2022

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      Lionel Messi says Diego Maradona ‘inspired Argentina from heaven’ in emotional post after World Cup win

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      LIONEL MESSI has said that Diego Maradona inspired the Argentina team from heaven in an emotional World Cup post on his Instagram page.Messi helped his nation end a 36-year wait to win the tournament and he took to social media posting a clip of him playing football as a kid and the best moments from Qatar.
      Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in 2022, just as Diego Maradona did in 1986Credit: AFP
      Messi captioned the video, firstly talking about his own career that started 30 years ago, when he was just five-years-old, at local club Grandoli.
      The he went on to praise the Argentina team and icon Maradona, who won the World Cup in 1986 in Mexico.
      Messi said: “From Grandoli to the World Cup in Qatar, almost 30 years passed.
      “It is close to three decades in which football gave me many joys and also some sadness.
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      “I always had the dream of being a world champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that it might never happen.
      “This Cup that we won is also for all those who did not achieve it in the previous World Cups that we played, like in 2014 in Brazil,
      “Where everyone deserved it because of how they fought until the very end, how they worked hard and wanted it as much as I did… And we deserved it in the end.
      “It is also for Diego [Maradona] who encouraged us from heaven.
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      “And for all those who always help the national team without looking at the result, but rather the desire that we always put into it, even when things do not go as we want.
      “From the coaching staff to all the people from the national team, some of whom are anonymous working day and night to make it easier for us.
      “Many times failure is part of the journey and learning. And without disappointment it is impossible for success to come.
      “Thank you very much from the heart! Let’s go Argentina!!!”
      Messi fired La Albiceleste to glory with his seven goals in seven games, including two in the final.
      Messi also won the player of the tournament award and lifted the World Cup trophy while being held above the rest of the squad – both in similar style to his idol Maradona in ’86.
      There have been claims that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will retire from international football.
      However, it appears he has his eyes on defending his crown in 2026.
      Lionel Messi is now widely regarded as the greatest everCredit: Alamy
      Messi referenced his first club, Grandoli, in his emotional uploadCredit: Getty More

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      Isco ‘RIPS UP Sevilla contract after just four disastrous months with ex-Real Madrid star on hunt for new club’

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      ISCO is set to leave Sevilla only four months after signing for the club, dramatic reports suggests. The midfielder had been trying to find his feet at a new club after a difficult few years at Real Madrid.
      Isco’s unpredictable career could be set to take another turnCredit: Rex
      But his move to Sevilla has not gone to plan and the six-times Europa League winners find themselves in the relegation zone after 14 games.
      The manager Julen Lopetegui, who is believed to have been a close ally of Isco, was sacked in October after the club’s poor start to the season.
      And now the 30-year-old could himself be on the way out, according to Marca.
      Despite signing a two-year contract as recently as August, the star could reportedly rip up his contract after a breakdown in relationship with senior club figures.
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      The Spanish publication report he is in “open conflict” with director of football Monchi.
      They reported last month: “Tension is palpable in each training. And Isco let Monchi know that he was at Sevilla at Lopetegui’s request, not because Monchi himself wanted his signing.”
      It represents a big challenge to current Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli who is looking to stop the club being relegated for the first time since 1997.
      Isco had been a regular starter in the team and appeared in 12 of their 14 league games.
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      But he only has two assists to show for his efforts domestically.
      His only Sevilla goal came in 3-0 Champions League win over FC Copenhagen.
      Isco’s potential departure could catch the interest of several Premier League clubs.
      Arsenal and Tottenham are among those who have been linked to the former Real Madrid man, who at his height was viewed as among Europe’s best playmakers.
      Lopetegui, now boss at Wolves, may also fancy a reunion with the no.10 at Molineux. The Spanish manager is believed to want several new faces at the club. More

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      Lionel Messi ‘WILL captain Argentina at next World Cup’ as 1986 winner claims star told him privately of retirement plan

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      LIONEL MESSI is NOT retiring from international football and he will play at the next World Cup, claims former Argentina star Jorge Valdano.There has been much speculation about the 35-year-old’s future after he won the World Cup in dramatic fashion versus France.
      Lionel Messi is not ending his international career yetCredit: Getty
      Jorge Valdano claims Lionel Messi is hoping to play in 2026Credit: Getty – Contributor
      There was talk before the final that it was going to be Messi’s final match in the famous blue and white kit, however, he looks to have reversed that decision.
      Valdano, who won the World Cup alongside Diego Maradona in 1986 for Argentina, says he has spoken to Messi and he will captain the side at the next tournament.
      Valdano told Cadena Cope: “When I interviewed him before the World Cup, off camera he told me that he was going to play in his fifth World Cup and that no footballer had played six.
      “He told me that it was impossible, and he told me ‘if I’m a world champion I’ll keep my shirt on until the next World Cup.’
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      “We will see if Messi is capable. Football has shown that it is practically impossible to play in six World Cups.”
      If Messi is to defend his crown then he will have to continue playing at the highest level for another four years before making the trip to host nations Canada, USA and Mexico.
      Messi will celebrate his 39th birthday during the tournament.
      Prior to the competition in Qatar began, Messi said, via AS: “I love playing it [football] and I enjoy it, the only thing I’ve done all my life is play football.
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      “I don’t think I’m going to play much more. This will be my last World Cup — for sure. The decision has been made.”
      But Messi shot down his own comments hinting at coming back for more after finally getting his hands on the famous trophy.
      He told TyC Sports after the final: “I am not retiring from the Argentina national team.
      “I want to continue playing as a champion.
      “We suffer, but we already have it [the World Cup].
       “I wanted to close my career with this, I can no longer ask for anything else, thank God, he gave me everything.”
      Before Lionel Scaloni’s men go to retain the World Cup in 2026, they have the Copa America to defend in 2024. More

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      Crying woman who Lionel Messi emotionally hugged after World Cup final revealed to be much-loved Argentina cook

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      LIONEL MESSI was seen embracing a crying woman in emotional scenes after Argentina’s World Cup triumph.The mystery hugger has been revealed as much-loved Argentina chef, Antonia Farias, according to Argentinian reports.
      Lionel Messi was pictured hugging a crying woman after the World Cup finalCredit: beIN Sports
      The woman has been revealed as Antonia Farias, a chef for the national teamCredit: beIN Sports
      Antonia is a much-loved member of the teamCredit: https://twitter.com/Argentina
      She is reported to travel with the squad whenever they are in actionCredit: https://twitter.com/Argentina
      Argentinian newspaper Clarin say Messi, 35, was celebrating with Antonia, a long-time employee of the national team.
      Footage emerged of him tightly hugging the emotional Antonia following Sunday’s penalty shootout win over France.
      She sported an Argentina shirt as she ran up to the Argentina captain on the pitch and wrapped her arms around his back.
      Messi’s face lit up as he recognised who it was in front of him.
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      The 42-year-old is said to have worked as a chef with Argentina for the last decade.
      She travels with the team on all of their trips abroad to cook for the players.
      Antonia was at the Copa America triumph last year, the Finalissima win over Italy at Wembley in the summer, and then in Qatar for the World Cup victory.
      And back at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Antonia was presented with a cake on her birthday at the same time as Messi.
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      Aside from her culinary skills, Antonia is reported to be well-loved by the team for her positive personality.
      So it was no surprise to see Messi look so pleased when Antonia wrapped him up in a hug – unlike his encounter with Salt Bae.
      The celebrity chef somehow made his way onto the pitch after the final at Lusail Stadium to pester Messi for a selfie.
      Messi was also joined by wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their sons Thiago, ten, Mateo, seven and Ciro, four, on the pitch.
      The family celebrated together and took it in turns to kiss the World Cup trophy.
      Messi was joined on the pitch by wife Antonela RoccuzzoCredit: Getty
      Antonela gazed lovingly at the trophyCredit: Getty More

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      Inside Salt Bae’s Qatar restaurant with £520 steak as customers blast ‘worst fillet ever’ after chef pestered Messi

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      WORLD Cup legends and the boss of international football lapped up gold-encrusted steaks at Salt Bae’s restaurant in Qatar in recent weeks.But other diners were less than impressed at the pricey “overhyped” grub – with one reviewer slating it for the “worst fillet ever”.
      Nusret Gökçe has made a fortune selling Instagram-friendly gold steaksCredit: Instagram
      Brazil legend Ronaldo visited the Doha restaurant with a group of pals last monthCredit: Poder360
      Brazil ace Vinicius Jr laughs with delight as Gökçe carves up a steakCredit: Poder360
      The chef feeds a slice of beef to Ronaldo from the tip of his knife
      Instagram star Salt Bae – real name Nusret Gökçe – made a surprise appearance on the pitch after Sunday’s World Cup final in Doha.
      In embarrassing scenes, the fame hungry chef was filmed badgering Lionel Messi and snatching the gold trophy from irritated Argentina players.
      He has previously courted a friendship with Fifa boss Gianni Infantino – who gave him a massive hug when he visited the Nusra-Et steakhouse in Doha last month.
      He was filmed saying: “Football unites the world and Nusrat unites the world as well.”
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      Former Brazil striker Ronaldo and left back Roberto Carlos – world cup winners in 2002 – enjoyed a slap-up meal there on November 28.
      Current squad players Vinicius Jr, Gabriel Jesus, Éder Militão and Bremer also joined the party after they beat Switzerland.
      Vinicius was filmed laughing with delight as Gökçe laid a hunk of gold-plated beef on the table – then fed a slice to Ronaldo from the tip of his huge knife.
      In all, the group’s bill came to £6,550, according to reports.
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      England’s Jack Grealish, Poland ace Robert Lewandowski and the Spanish team also visited during the tournament.
      Non-VIP diners expect to pay a fortune for the chance to brag on Instagram and perhaps get a selfie with Salt Bae.
      Those that don’t meet him can still get a pic in front of a giant mural of the chef in his famous “sprinkle” pose.
      The cheapest bottle of champagne in the Doha restaurant costs £430.
      The steaks cost from £75 up to £520 for the “golden Ottoman”, a bone-in ribeye coated with 24-carat gold leaf.
      Even a burger will set diners back £79.
      On Tripadvisor, Nusra-Et Doha has an average of four stars from 165 reviews.
      Some hailed it as “heaven for meat lovers” – but many of the recent reviews are stinkers.
      One diner who went last week said: “What a load of hyped up rubbish.
      “Just seems to be an overpriced PR stunt. Don’t bother.”
      A two-star review from September said: “Service was great along with atmosphere.
      “Ordered the Filet Mignon and should have ordered something else. Worse Filet ever. Temperature was good but it had no flavor…completely bland.”
      Other reviews complain of cold chips “reminiscent of industrially produced food” and supermarket condiments in plastic squeezy bottles “like at a roadside diner”.
      Another customer who went in March said: “The restaurant manager was rude and unhelpful when I raised my concern over the food being served cold.
      “Fries were completely cold and burger had been standing for a long time before served. Worst customer service in Doha.”
      Last month, Salt Bae sparked fury for boasting how a group racked up a bill for £140,584 at his diner in Abu Dhabi.
      A single steak from the evening was over £1,000, and the group spent almost £115,000 on wine alone.
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      Salt Bae, a former butcher from Turkey, became famous for his crowd-pleasing gimmick of sprinkling salt down his elbow after slicing steak at the table.
      He now has 50million Instagram followers and an empire of 22 steakhouses around the world flogging gold wrapped beef at eye-watering prices.
      Fifa boss Gianni Infantino at Salt Bae’s restaurant in Doha last monthCredit: Saltbae Views
      Miss Greece 2021 Anastasia Terzi poses with Salt Bae in Doha last weekCredit: Instagram
      The Doha restaurant has four stars out of five on TripadvisorCredit: Trip Advisor
      Some diners slammed the ‘cold’ burgers and chips – costing £79Credit: Trip Advisor
      There is a posing wall for Instagram featuring a giant mural of the chefCredit: Instagram
      Salt Bae unexpectedly joined Argentina players celebrating winning the World Cup on SundayCredit: Twitter – @@JCUStreaks10
      He was filmed badgering Argentina captain Lionel Messi for a selfieCredit: Twitter More

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      Who is the topless Argentina fan Noe?

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      ARGENTINA beat France on penalties to win the 2022 FIFA World cup and lift the trophy for the third time in their history.What caught many people’s attention during the final was a fan celebrating topless. But who was this person and what do we know about her?
      Noe came to the world’s attention with her nudity during the 2022 World cup final
      Who is the topless Argentina fan Noe?
      Noe was spotted with her shirt off during Argentina’s dramatic penalty shootout win over France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar.
      She was spotted next to her unnamed friend, who was also topless, but their nudity was not spotted by commentator Guy Mowbray or Gary Lineker during the BBC’s coverage.
      The move to go topless breaks strict Qatari dress code laws for men and women.
      These include having to cover their shoulders and knees in order not to offend the laws.
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      There is also strict laws against nudity, which Noe and her friend broke on TV in front of a worldwide audience.
      It was reiterated at the start of the tournament that people who expose themselves in Qatar during the tournament could be at risk of heavy fines or even a prison sentence.
      Noe and her friend were escorted out of the stadium by Qatari officials, but were not arrested, and her social media posts after the incident appear to confirm her safety.
      The pair celebrated with fans after the final with their breasts out, and were pictured outside the stadium with fellow Argentine supporters.
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      Does Noe have Instagram and TikTok?
      Noe has an Instagram account called @noe.dreams1.
      On this account, she has shared videos of herself following Argentina at the World Cup, and shared videos of her celebrations during the final.
      She also shared news reports of her topless antics on her Instagram story.
      In one of her posts, there is a video of two men painting the Argentinian national flag on to her nipples.
      The men were part of a face painting company who were active in Qatar during the tournament.
      Her bio on the account says La chica del topless, which translates as the topless girl.
      There isn’t a lot of information about her career, but her Instagram bio suggests she represents an Argentinian clothing brand called Destino pink. More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo is named in WORST team of the World Cup along with Chelsea star and Argentina champion

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has been named in the World Cup’s WORST team in the latest blow to the former Manchester United star. The 37-year-old found himself reduced to a place on the bench in the knockout stages before Portugal were defeated by Morocco in the quarter-finals.
      It all ended in tears for Ronaldo and PortugalCredit: Getty
      It comes after months of being out of favour at Old Trafford before leaving the club in bitter circumstances.
      But Ronaldo was not the only shock inclusion in the statistically-led worst team of the tournament.

      He was joined by the likes of Lautaro Martinez, who won the World Cup with Argentina, and Chelsea and Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
      Data provider Sofascore compiled the team based on a series of performance metrics and stats.
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      Ronaldo was given a low score of just 6.46 for his World Cup efforts.
      While he made history by scoring in the opening game against Ghana, the Portugal forward struggled as the campaign went on with his national side looking limp going forward.
      He was also denied credit for a strike against Uruguay after a Bruno Fernandes cross was judged to have gone all the way in.
      Departed manager Fernando Santos made the bold call of dropping Ronaldo for the last-16 game against Switzerland – and his side responded by winning 6-1.
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      Statistics from Sofascore suggest these were worst 11 performers from Qatar
      The ex-Real Madrid man found himself on the bench again for the quarter-final clash against Morocco.
      This time Portugal lost and despite Ronaldo’s best efforts off the bench they could not find a way through the sturdy Moroccan defence.
      A devastated Ronaldo was last seen disappearing down the tunnel in floods of tears.
      To add insult to injury, his great football rival Lionel Messi would go on to lead Argentina to World Cup victory.
      Mendy also faced the shame of being placed in the tournament’s worst team after an error-ridden campaign for Senegal saw him rated 6.30.
      The goalkeeper is struggling with form and lost his place in the Chelsea line-up to Kepa Arrizabalaga in recent months.
      Mendy made some high-profile errors in the Senegal goalCredit: Getty
      Despite being a part of Argentina’s victorious team, the statistics did not reflect well on MartinezCredit: Getty
      Meanwhile, striker Martinez received a rating of just 6.35 despite being part of the World Cup winning team.
      He came off the bench in all but two games and played for 148 minutes across Argentina’s matches.
      But he failed to score or make an impact for the South American side.
      Also featuring in the worst XI is American right-back Sergino Dest, Senegal defender Abdou Diallo and Poland pair Kamil Glik and Bartosz Bereszyński.
      The statistics also reflected poorly on Australian duo Jackson Irvine and Mathew Leckie, Switzerland winger Ruben Vargas and Hwang In-beom of South Korea, all of whom made it into midfield.
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      The Qatar tournament is being hailed as one of the best World Cups of all time.
      And the final lived up to the billing on Sunday as Argentina and France served up an all-time classic. More

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      World Cup’s ‘hottest fan’ Ivana Knoll strips down to lingerie for steamy bedroom selfie after end of Qatar 2022

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      THE World Cup’s ‘hottest fan’ Ivana Knoll has switched her Croatian colours for black lingerie in a steamy bedroom snap.The model, who has made the headlines by attending all of Croatia’s matches in Qatar in revealing outfits, uploaded the photo to Instagram.
      Ivana Knoll wowed fans with her latest upload to her storyCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      She spent the day enjoying Qatar before posting the snapCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Ivana has grabbed attention from the stands with her attireCredit: Getty
      She is a former Miss Croatia winnerCredit: Splash
      Ivana cheered on her team at every match they playedCredit: EPA
      She has found celebrity statusCredit: Splash
      Ivana stripped down to a small bikini and took a full body picture of herself in the mirror.
      She wished her followers “good night” in the upload.
      The former Miss Croatia winner remains in Doha despite the tournament finishing as she sees the sights in Qatar.
      Ivana caught the attention of the world with her unique way of showing her love for Croatia.
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      Despite Qatar’s modesty rules, she wore bras, chequered dresses and tight leggings to stadiums, leaving little for her fans to imagine.
      Luka Modric and Co’s biggest fan has never feared the local police claiming her dress sense does not hurt anyone.
      The red and white costumes became popular with the paparazzi and other supporters as she posed for selfies with them.
      Ivana has seen her social media following increase by millions during the World Cup, she now boasts 3.4million followers on Instagram.
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      And the Croatian has used her social media to troll other country’s after Zlatko Dalic’s men beat them on route to their third place finish.
      Off the back of their win over Brazil, Ivana mocked their dancing goal celebration.
      She also trolled supporters of Japan and Belgium due to Croatia’s success against them.
      However, she did not get to see her team in the final as they were knocked out by eventual winners Argentina.
      Ivana Knoll attended every match in a different outfitCredit: Getty
      She caught the eye from the standsCredit: Splash
      The model has been dubbed the ‘hottest fan’ of the tournamentCredit: The Mega Agency
      Croatia had an excellent World Cup finishing thirdCredit: Getty More