World Cup 2022

NO MATTER what his teammates say, Cristiano Ronaldo has single-handedly turned Portugal’s World Cup preparations into a shambles.And there is a feeling that this squad are already one bad result away from self-imploding – and we all know who will be blame.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s drama with Manchester United has overshadowed Portugal’s World Cup preparationCredit: Getty
Fernando Santos’ players should be putting all their energy into making Qatar feel like home for the next month ahead of Thursday’s Group H opener against Ghana.
Instead, thanks to the after-effects of one 90-minute interview from an egotistical, fame-grabbing, shame-lacking 37-year-old, their training base in Al Shahaniya – around 30km north-west of Doha – has quickly been transformed into a circus.
Portugal only landed in the middle east on Friday night, and yesterday’s first press conference became a media-frenzy hours before it was even due to begin.
Their national team press officers were struggling to contain the number of reporters who turned up, with an estimated 50 being denied access due to overcrowding, while the rest of us were forced to sign up in advance. With no other nation is this required.
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There was a very slim chance Ronaldo would be greeting the media, and everyone wanted a glimpse of the superstar on the verge of being sacked by Manchester United.
Instead, it was Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, whose mood gradually worsened having to straight bat and defend question after question on Ronaldo, his future, and the impact on the mood and focus of the squad.
On the brink of losing his rag, Silva at one point said: “You only talk about it in press conferences when Portugal has a World Cup to play.
“I don’t understand your persistence on this subject, because there is nothing.”
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Of course, Silva is lying through his back teeth. Their whole tournament is now about Ronaldo, not whether Portugal can add to their 2016 Euros triumph six years on.
Every single player that now goes into a Portugal press conference will know what barrage will be tossed their way, and that in itself is bound to take a lot out of them mentally.
Even their training look to have been impacted. Other nations’ open sessions are usually jovial affairs. Loud music, lots of laughter and banter, before going into some serious drills.

Not Portugal. Around 200 members of media crowded onto an old-school stand by the pitch, waiting patiently before a chorus of camera clicks filled the air.
No smiles, no jokes, no hugs, no friendly embracing. Ronaldo trotted out and barely spoke to anyone for more than a few seconds, deciding to stretch on his lonesome.
He eventually joined in with some passing drills, although it was notable that United teammate Bruno Fernandes – with whom he is rumoured to have had a falling out with – was as far away as possible on the other side of the pitch.

Silva added: “I don’t see any weird environment between Cristiano and Bruno. It’s something that belongs to Cristiano.
“It’s a personal matter and I don’t see a big deal out of it. It has nothing to do with the national team, it’s his issue.
“I’m not a Manchester United player, even if I were I wouldn’t answer.
“We’re in the national team, focused on our games. Not on Cristiano and not on his club.
“It is an issue that has to be resolved with the right person. I see him motivated and focused on the national team like all of us. It’s one more thing to help our country.”
Ronaldo has certainly not helped his country’s chances of lifting the World Cup. If anything, he has put them at risk of bombing in a group they should comfortably be topping.
There is a small possibility that all of this unwanted attention, unnecessary drama, added spice, will spur Ronaldo on even further to drive his beloved Portugal to glory. Unlikely, but it is possible.
For now, the tension within the camp feels like it is close to tipping point. As ever, Ronaldo could be the solution on the pitch, but he also remains the problem off it. More

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN will complete his ‘dream’ journey back to football’s biggest stage here in Doha when he takes to the field against Tunisia next week.In June of last year Eriksen said he had ‘died for five minutes’ when he collapsed in the 42nd minute of Denmark’s Euros opener against Finland in Copenhagen.
The Danish team formed a ring around Christian Eriksen when he received treatment on the pitch following his collapseCredit: Reuters
Christian Eriksen is a key man for DenmarkCredit: PA
He returned not only to club football with Brentford last season and now Manchester United, but as the talisman for his national side.
But first his thoughts were obviously with his family.
Eriksen, 30, said: “I think the World Cup is separate, the reason for being alive was my family and everything else was moved to the side. Football has been my life.
The focus was to going back to what I was before, that was the aim. But my first aim was to be a husband again, well not a husband, a boyfriend.”
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But as his recovery began he had one major goal in mind.
He said: “I think one of the first conversations I had with the doctor in Amsterdam, who participated in all the testing, was about it being my goal to play in the World Cup if everything went well.
“That was the dream at the time. But things went as they did and I was back playing in March and have since played a number of matches. I never expected that. It’s just great.”
Eriksen’s return has not just been a boost to Denmark but Man Utd fans are now appreciating his midfield mastery after the club snapped him up on a free transfer in the summer.
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Indeed speaking in Doha yesterday the Danish assistant manager Morten Wieghorst, formerly of Dundee and Celtic, said he has come back an even better player than before.
Wieghorst said: “He is a quality player and in my view he has returned even better than before the accident and it is great to see.
“He brings vision, technical quality, and goals to our team, he is pivotal to our team, a fantastic player.
“It is great to have him back, his teammates love him and he is such an important character.”
Wieghorst added that Eriksen has been an inspiration even to people who don’t follow football in the way he fought back.
He said: “A lot of people took inspiration from the way he has rebounded.
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“He is inspirational for a lot of fans back home, and for people who do not necessarily follow football he has been a big inspiration and that speaks volumes about his character, his strength and love of football.
“I am pretty sure that when this happened his first thoughts were with his family and how he could be a good family man. When that was in place he wanted to get back into football.
“A lot of people said ‘why does he want to go back after what happened’ but he wanted to go back to what he loves doing.
“When you go through that barrier, it is one of the reasons why he can raise that level and be even stronger.”
Eriksen enters the tournament with a Denmark side full of confidence after their strong showing in last year’s Euros that saw them knocked out in extra-time in the semi-finals by England.
Eriksen said: “I think first off, I’m happy to be back, to play in the World Cup and at the same time we are confident as a team. We will take each game at a time and see where that takes us.”
Denmark are many people’s dark horses this yearCredit: Getty
The Danes are in a group with France, Australia and Tunisia.
On the draw Eriksen said: “We know it’s a tough group – it’s a World Cup and there are teams we haven’t played before. 
“We want to test ourselves against the teams we haven’t played before.
“Yes, we’ve beaten France twice but France in the tournament, it’s a different team compared to the rest of the year. We know what to do and we look forward to it.” More

PORTUGAL forward Bernardo Silva has attempted to quash speculation of a feud between Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.Earlier this week, Fernandes appeared to give his Manchester United teammate a frosty reception as the pair met up for Portugal duty.
Silva has said there is no problem between Ronaldo and FernandesCredit: EPA
Fernandes appeared to have a frosty handshake with RonaldoCredit: Twitter
It came on the eve of Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he slammed the club.
The awkward exchange has led many to suggest there is some sort of issue between the pair – just days out from the start of Portugal’s World Cup campaign.
But Man City man Silva does not believe there is any sort problem.
Speaking in a press conference on the eve of the tournament, the Portuguese playmaker said: “It is a team that has Cristiano. He’s part of it, obviously, but when he’s not, we know how to respond, as we have shown lately.
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“Whenever he wasn’t there, we have responded well.
“We’re all set. There is 26 of us, it doesn’t matter if it’s one or the other.
“There is no weird atmosphere between Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo, I don’t see a big deal. It’s a shame to be talking only about this.”
Despite denying any tension between Ronaldo and Fernandes, there was an awkward moment within Silva’s press conference.
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It came when a journalist asked Silva a question in English, before the Man City man replied in Portuguese.
The journalist proceeded to ask: “Can you reply in English please?”
To which Silva simply replied: “No”.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is heading into his fifth World Cup in what is set to be his final appearance in the competition.
Portugal’s best performance with Ronaldo in the side came way back in 2006 when they reached the semi-finals before losing to France.
Since then, they have failed to progress beyond the last 16.
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Fernando Santos’ men kick off their World Cup against Ghana on Thursday.
They will also meet Uruguay and South Korea in Group H. More

ARSENE Wenger says England will reach the World Cup last four – if they can banish their inner doubts.The former Arsenal boss, now Fifa’s head of global football development, is backing Gareth Southgate’s side to go deep in what he predicts will be the “World Cup of the last chance – and the high press”.
Arsene Wenger has backed England to go far into the tournamentCredit: Getty
England have endured a rough 2022Credit: Getty
Gareth Southgate led the Three Lions to the semi-final in 2018Credit: Getty
Wenger, the leader of the World Cup Technical Study Group, told SunSport: “If you look at the last few years, England should be in the semi-finals at least.
“They got to the semi-finals in Russia and then the Final in the Euros.
“But the doubt comes from what has happened over the past year.
“If they can get over that doubt in their own minds, they have the team that is good enough to reach the semi-finals.”
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Faith in Southgate’s team, or at least their skipper, is shared by Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann.
The former Spurs striker said: “I will be interested in the No 9s in the tournament.
“I really suffer when I hear the phrase “false 9” so I’m hoping for the real No 9s to get some goals here – and I’m looking at Harry Kane.”
Wenger added: “In Russia four years ago it was all about a deep defensive line and counter-attacking.
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“This time it will be about the high press, the teams that can play out and have that courage, or the ones who go long.
“I expect to see the teams who want the ball being the most successful.
“But this is also a last chance tournament for the players who have dominated football for the last 15 years.
“You think about Ronaldo and Messi but there is also Neymar, Modric and Lewandowski, and some others.
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“There will not be another World Cup for them. It’s now or never.
“This is that last opportunity to show the world they deserve to win it and so these big players will have pressure on their shoulders and we will see how they cope with that.” More