World Cup 2022

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      Northern Ireland 0-0 Italy LIVE RESULT: Azzurri in World Cup PLAY-OFF with Portugal as Switzerland hammer Bulgaria

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      ITALY will have to negotiate the World Cup qualifying play-off if they are to make it to Qatar.The Azzurri spurned the chance to make it to the competition after failing to become a resolute Northern Ireland in Belfast.
      And now they run the risk of missing out on a second successive World Cup after falling to Sweden in 2018 qualifying.
      A 4-0 victory over Bulgaria saw Switzerland top the group meaning the European champions will line up with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the play-off.

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      ALL TO PLAY FOR
      So who can Italy face in the semi-finals of the World Cup play-offs?
      Well, so far there are only two confirmed possible opponents.
      They are Austria and North Macedonia, with Austria qualifying via the Nations League and North Macedonia averaging the lowest points per game of the second placed teams.
      Scotland’s win over Denmark means they will get a home semi-final and definitely avoid Italy.
      Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will also not face Italy in a last four clash of the titans.
      However, the two sides COULD get drawn against each other in the final, meaning one of the last two European champions would be guaranteed to miss out on the World Cup.
      HOW DO THE PLAY-OFFS WORK?
      Italy missed out on automatic qualification to next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
      Roberto Mancini’s men will compete in the play-offs along with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden.
      And you can find out exactly how they will work as well as match dates, locations and competition format HERE.
      MANCINI CONTINUED…
      A downcast Mancini still thinks his team has the ability to win the World Cup despite having missed out on automatic qualification.
      He added: “The game with Bulgaria was the first in September after just two Serie A rounds, so those fixtures are always the toughest, as we are rusty.
      “We still had the chances to win both games with Switzerland.
      “Now we prepare for March and we go into the play-offs confident.
      “We’ll book our place in the World Cup in March and hopefully win the tournament too.”
      MANCINI SPEAKS…
      Italy boss Roberto Mancini said: “We can’t do anything about it now, we have this game in March and will try to give our best.
      “At the moment, we are struggling to score goals, despite dominating possession and the initiative.
      “Northern Ireland put everyone in defence and we struggle to break sides like that down.
      “It’s a pity, because we should’ve sealed the group long before it came to this.
      “We just need to rediscover what characterised us up until today.
      “We had two missed penalties in the decisive matches, so that shows we had the chances to win.”
      DAVIS CONTINUED…
      Davis added: “When you play against the top nations you have to deal with difficult periods in the game.
      “And we carried a threat going forward as well.
      “It was a mammoth effort from all the boys subs included.
      “It was a good game for me personally and I enjoyed it.”
      STEVEN DAVIS SPEAKS
      Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis said: “We had to be very disciplined in and out of possession.
      “It was a massive effort from all the boys.
      “In the end we had some big chances and we’re a little bit disappointed to only take a point.”
      The Rangers midfielder added: “The shape of the team was very good.
      “We tried to contain them at times and restricted them to very few chances.
      “Overall it was important to finish the campaign on a high and we certainly did that.”
      BARACLOUGH CONTINUED…
      The N. Ireland boss added: “They played with their heads too.
      “We asked them not to play with too much emotion and they did that.”
      Asked if fine margins were the difference, Baraclough added: “I feel for Conor [Washington] as he’s desperate to score.
      “He done everything right but Bonucci is a class defender and he couldn’t get the power on it after he’d done the hard work.
      “He’ll be tossing and turning in bed tonight.”
      BARACLOUGH SPEAKS
      Speaking after his team’s excellent point against Italy, N. Ireland’s boss Ian Baraclough said: “You know you’re going to have to work for long periods and sustain some pressure and work your socks off and we did that.
      “You’re going to get one or two chances and Washington had the best chance of the game.
      “The work rate and desire to get a result in a dead rubber…
      “People say that but they don’t understand.
      “Every game means something for them wearing the green shirt. To be thought of with pride and cherished.”
      FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS!
      Amid the late drama at Windsor Park, Switzerland snuck a 92nd minute effort in to make it 4-0 which meant Italy had to win 3-0 to qualify automatically ahead of the Swiss.
      Here’s how Group C finished up.

      FANTASTIC ACHIVEMENT
      Every single Northern Ireland player out there tonight deserves that point to a man.
      And if anything, as the game wore on they had the better chances.
      Conor Washington and Saville in the second-half will probably be disappointed they didn’t score from promising positions.
      But every single member of the raucous Windsor Park crowd and Northern Irish fans around the world can be very proud of their country’s showing tonight.

      FULL-TIME!!!!!!!!
      N. Ireland 0 – 0 Italy
      An absolutely phenomenal performance from N. Ireland as they deny Italy automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
      Play-offs for Italy, top spot for Switzerland who won 3-0 against Bulgaria and N. Ireland go a full qualifying campaign without conceding at home.
      Superb stuff from the green and white army.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      90+3. Just seconds remaining and Italy launch another long ball forward… 
      THREE MINUTES OF STOPPAGE TIME!
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      90. CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      I CANNOT BREATHE!
      Ball over the top to Washington, Donnarumma rushes out and overcooks it, Washington bears down on goal with the ball against two Italian defenders but his scuffed effort is blocked by Bonucci on the line.
      That would have been magic for these home fans.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      89. Mancini is nearly level with the N. Ireland penalty area as he desperately tries to get a reaction from his men.
      It would be some sort of miracle to see them get two now as they resort to launching long straight balls into the box. 
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      88. It’s 11 men camped in their own half for N. Ireland but they’re not for breaking.
      An attempted cross deflects off Davis and out for a corner…
      But it doesn’t even beat the first man.
      The crowd are deafening as they roar their side on. 
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      85.  Italy are piling men forward.
      Chiesa swings one in from the right with an overload at the back post.
      It’s kept alive with a header but Lewis makes no mistake and heads out for a corner.
      It’s whipped in and Bonucci’s header is blocked.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      80. SUB!
      Scamacca ON
      Emerson OFF
      BOOKED!
      Peacock-Farrell for time wasting.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      82. CHANCE!
      OH MY GOODNESS!
      N. Ireland break, some beautiful inter-play sees Lewis in space on the left.
      He cuts it back, Davis steps over it and it falls to Dallas in acres of space around 20 yards out with the whole stadium willing it in.
      He fires a right-footed effort in but he also drags it mere inches wide. That was the moment.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      80. CHANCE!
      Former Chelsea left-back Emerson gets fed about 25 yards out and he tries a shot from distance.
      It fizzes just wide of the right hand post and the ref points for a corner despite replays showing it went straight out.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      79. Washington getting the crowd going here by busting a gut to shut down Bonucci around half-way as Italy prepare to throw on another striker.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      73. SUBS
      IN
      Corry Evans, Conor Washington.
      OUT
      Saville, Whyte.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      CHANCE!
      75. Washington played in down the right, he holds off a challenge, bursts into the side of the penalty box, tries to slide it across but it cannons off Bonucci’s leg and out for a corner.
      N. Ireland might fancy getting a win here as Italy take more and more risks going forward.
      GROUP C UPDATE – SWITZERLAND GOAL!
      Italy need to win at least 2-0 here to qualify automatically!
      Cedric Itten put the Swiss 3-0 up against Bulgaria which means Italy’s head-to-head record against the Swiss will see them lose out even if they get a 1-0 win here.
      N. IRELAND 0 – 0 ITALY
      69. SUBS!
      OFF
      Jorginho, Insigne.
      ON
      Bernadeschi, Locatelli.
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      San Marino kit: Why are they wearing orange and red against England and can I buy it?

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      ENGLAND are taking on a new look San Marino side tonight, quite literally.Gone is the minnows’ trademark blue and white kit and in comes a new orange, white and burgundy look.
      Follow all the action from San Marino vs England LIVE
      San Marino are wearing this kit against England in World Cup qualifyingCredit: FSGC
      And that means Three Lions fans who were baffled by the team’s decision to sport the blue away kit at home to Albania may be even more confused tonight.
      Why are San Marino wearing an orange kit against England?
      The one-off San Marino kit will be worn against England to celebrate 90 years since the founding of the San Marino FA (FSGC) in 1931.
      The colours have been chosen as they are the colours of the country’s flag prior to the year 1797.
      In a video posted on Twitter, the FSGC wrote: “Here is the surprise announced: a unique uniform, which the national team will wear exclusively with England.
      “Are you wondering why these colours? Well, they were those of the flag of San Marino before coming to the white-blue!”
      As per the post, this kit will only be worn in tonight’s game against Gareth Southgate’s side, with San Marino set to revert to blue and white for all future matches.

      How can I buy the orange San Marino kit?
      There is a section on the FSCG website in which the orange San Marino kit and other merchandise will be put on sale.
      But be warned, you will have to be very quick if you want to buy one, as just 90 are set to be put on sale.
      This page of the website currently reads: “In this category you will find the new line of products created to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the FSGC, founded in 1931.
      The kit was unveiled by San Marino’s government last weekCredit: FSGC
      “The line takes up the colours of the first historic flag of San Marino.
      “And on the occasion of San Marino-England on November 15th the national team will wear a special jersey of these colours.
      “All the products in this category can be found on sale in a limited edition of 90 pieces each.
      “No products were found matching your selection.”
      As of 3.45pm on Monday afternoon, the were 32 of the orange kits still available to purchase on the San Marino FA website for a price of 110 euros (£93.50) More

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      What happens if teams finish level on points and goal difference in World Cup 2022 qualifying?

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      IT’S squeaky bum time in World Cup qualifying as teams look to book their places in Qatar.And in some groups, it could come down to the barest of margins.
      Jorginho missed a penalty to send Italy to the World Cup and they could now finish level with SwitzerlandCredit: Reuters
      Wales and Italy are among the teams who could finish level on points, goal difference and goals scored with their competitors as they look to advance to the World Cup.
      What are the World Cup qualifying sorting rules?
      The following factors are used to sort teams level on points in World Cup qualifying, in the order listed below:

      Goal difference
      Goals scored
      Head-to-head results
      Head-to-head away goals
      Fair play points
      Drawing of lots

      Which teams could finish level on points, goal difference and goals scored?
      Group C
      Italy and Switzerland could finish level on points, goal difference and goals scored.
      This would occur if Switzerland beat Bulgaria at home by a margin of two goals or more greater than any Italian win over Northern Ireland away (ie Northern Ireland 0 Italy 1, Switzerland 3 Bulgaria 0).
      Should this happen, Switzerland would advance to the World Cup on away goals between teams, following their 1-1 draw in Italy.
      Group D
      Finland and Ukraine could finish level in their battle for second if Ukraine win in Bosnia by one goal and Finland draw at home to France (ie Bosnia 0 Ukraine 1, Finland 0 France 0).
      Ukraine would then advance to the World Cup play-off on head-to-head, courtesy of their 2-1 win in Helsinki.
      Group E
      Wales and Czech Republic could finish level in their battle for second if Wales lose to Belgium by the exact same scoreline as any Czech win against Estonia (ie Wales 0 Belgium 1, Czech Republic 1 Estonia 0).
      Should this happen, Wales would finish second on head-to-head, courtesy of their 1-0 win at home to Czech Republic and 2-2 draw away.
      Both teams are among the best placed Nations League teams so will enter the World Cup play-offs regardless, but the second placed team are set for a home play-off whereas the third placed team will play away. More

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      Gareth Bale will NOT start for Wales in crunch World Cup qualifier against Belgium with calf injury picked up vs Belarus

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      WALES will give Gareth Bale until the last minute to prove he is fit to play some part in their crunch World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Tuesday.Dragons boss Rob Page has confirmed the Real Madrid superstar will NOT be ready to start against Roberto Martinez’s side in Cardiff.
      Bale won his 100th cap for Wales in the game against Belarus in CardiffCredit: Getty
      But was taken off at half time as a precautionCredit: Getty
      He is feeling the effects of his 45 minute run-out against Belarus on Saturday when he also picked up a minor calf complaint.
      However the hope is Bale will take his place on the bench as his country go in search of the point they need to secure second place in the group.
      Ideally Wales could do with winning the game to ensure a home draw in the play-offs in March – and to avoid the likes of Portugal.
      Page said: “Gareth is going to be stiff, he’s not played at any level for a couple of months, so to throw him in on Saturday was big ask.
      “He’s done his own recovery and we leave it until the last minute to see if he’s able to play any minutes.
      “He was never going to start. The plan was always for him to get half and then maybe come on and have impact in second.
      “So we are giving him some tender loving care and we’ll make the decision late on.”
      Bale had not played for club or country since early September but was in the starting line-up to win his 100th cap on Saturday.

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      He did not re-appear after the break and Page said: “He’s getting there, slowly but surely.
      “It’s just frustrating for him, he knew he wasn’t 100%. He takes credit for effort he made but he knows he’s not anywhere near what he could be.”
      Wales have proved during the current campaign they can still perform without their captain and talisman. 
      They secured an excellent draw in Prague last month when Bale was out injured – and Page is hoping for that kind of effort. 
      He said: “With Gareth we are a really good team but without him we can create chances and score. 
      “That was one of our best performances in the game against the Czechs so that’s really encouraging.”
      Wales pose in lopsided team photo… and Bale and Co have been at it all summer More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo’s mum sends inspirational message to Man Utd star son as Portugal loss leaves him fighting back tears

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO’S mum believes all is not lost despite Portugal being dumped into the World Cup play-offs by Serbia.Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Co face missing out on Qatar 2022 entirely, but Dolores Aveiro is still harbouring hope that she will see her son on the biggest stage once again.
      Dolores smiles alongside an upset RonnyCredit: DOLORESAVEIROOFFICIAL
      After he was overcome with emotion following defeat to SerbiaCredit: Getty
      CR7’s No1 fan took to Instagram after the game against Serbia on Sunday night, posting a picture alongside a rather grumpy looking Ronaldo.
      And in inspirational style she captioned the post: “Force to believe always son.”
      Dolores is still confident that her son will feature at a FIFTH World Cup next year.
      Only three other players in history have achieved the feat, with Ronaldo in real danger of missing out in the lottery of March’s play-offs.
      Many fans also believe next year’s tournament would be Ronaldo’s last appearance at a major international competition.
      The emotion of missing out on an automatic spot at next year’s finals was almost too much for the 26-year-old Manchester United star to take.
      He fell to the ground at full time following the dramatic 2-1 defeat to Serbia and had to fight back TEARS as he was consoled by team-mates.
      The forward also angrily threw a strop as he stormed off the pitch and moaned at Portugal boss Fernando Santos.

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      But CR7 can always count on doting Dolores for support.
      Back in October she was one of the first to congratulate CR7 and Georgina Rodriguez after the couple announced they were expecting twins.
      She wrote on his Instagram: “Let my grandchildren be born healthy. That’s what matters the most.”
      Dolores, who suffered a life-threatening stroke last year, also posted the twins’ ultrasounds on an Instagram Story along with an applause emoji.
      And the ever-supportive Dolores was also spotted in tears at Old Trafford after Ronaldo scored twice on his emotional return to Manchester United.
      ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      Watch Cristiano Ronaldo’s strop after Serbia winner as Man Utd ace moans to Portugal boss about his own disallowed goal More

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      How can I buy tickets to watch England at World Cup 2022 in Qatar and how much do they cost?

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      THE World Cup is just over a year away with England on the verge of qualifying for the tournament.And fans will be watching the Three Lions game against San Marino tonight with thoughts of booking flights to Qatar for the massive showpiece.
      Qatar hosts the World Cup in 2022 which starts in NovemberCredit: PA:Press Association
      They could also be joined by home nations Wales and Scotland, but the two nations are guaranteed to have to go through some tricky play-offs, which will be a lottery.
      Many nations are now getting their travel plans together after qualifying for Qatar and the fans are doing the same.
      When is the next World Cup taking place and where is it being held?
      The Fifa World Cup in 2022 is being hosted by Qatar.
      The tournament kicks off on November 21, 2022 and the final is on December 18.
      Where can I buy World Cup 2022 tickets?
      You can get tickets through the Fifa.com website.
      But tickets have not yet been made available for general sale with Fifa issuing a notice saying information “will be available in due course”.
      Another way to give yourself a better chance of getting tickets for England matches at the World Cup is to join the England Supporters Club.
      Needless to say, Fifa has been tight-lipped about how ticketing will work for the tournament across the eight stadia until now.
      It is likely that ticket buyers will have to create an online profile that tickets will be associated with to prevent touting.
      How much will World Cup tickets cost?
      It is likely tickets for Qatar will be the most expensive ever, because each World Cup has been more expensive than the last.
      The most affordable tickets for the 2018 World Cup were £80, with the most steep “category one’ tickets” around £840.
      Expect those prices to go up when the ticket values are announced.

      Will I be able to buy World Cup tickets on resale websites?
      During the 2018 World Cup, Fifa filed a complaint against Swiss-based website Viagogo and cancelled any tickets purchased through the site.
      While that might sound selfish, ticket touting at major tournaments has been a huge issue for decades and the practice appears to have simply moved online.
      It is unlikely that if you buy tickets on resale sites like Viagogo for next year’s tournament that they will be recognised by Fifa. More