World Cup 2022

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      Raheem Sterling & Kieran Trippier help TV reporter convince parents with dementia that she was covering Qatar World Cup

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      ENGLAND stars Kieran Trippier and Raheem Sterling are being praised for a heartfelt gesture to a World Cup journalist.Sports presenter Carrie Brown had been in Qatar covering the world cup, but her parents were unaware due to their dementia.
      The TV reporter’s parents both suffer from dementia and live in a care home
      They had the surprise of their life when they met two England playersCredit: Reuters
      Carrie’s parents both live full-time in a care home, and “didn’t believe” Carrie was in Qatar – but Kieran and Raheem helped Carrie surprise the couple.
      Carrie said there’s only one hour of the day where she can speak with her parents on Zoom due to her busy schedule.
      She said: “For the first seven days of rushing around I hadn’t managed it.
      “I made a mental note that after the Iran game that might be quite a good time after the flash zone was done, and I saw one of the coaching staff, John McDermott, doing the same thing with his family and everything had been done and all the players had gone.”
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      During the lull of events in Qatar, she called her parents, but even after seeing the pitch and England dugout, her mum wasn’t convinced.
      Carrie then showed her parents the interview area, and saw some of the England players in the tunnel.
      She said: “It was really dark and I was like, “You can probably see there’s some players.”
      Raheem heard the conversation, and walked over to wave to the journalist’s parents on Zoom.
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      Carrie recalled: “When he realised it was my mum and dad in a care home, he got Kieran Trippier over and they waved and they engaged.
      “My dad didn’t have words and my mum didn’t know what to think!”
      Carrie said it meant the world to her mum and dad, and the doctors and nurses at the care home.
      The selfless act will never be forgotten by Carrie, who said: “The nurses and the doctors that have got so many people through Covid, they’ll never forget the day that Raheem and Kieran spent some time with their care home.
      “And that will stay with me longer than any goal from this tournament.”
      Carrie recounted the event during a live broadcast this past week, and a video of the interview has touched hearts on Twitter.
      One user replied: “Tears here. Thank you for for sharing that Carrie. I’m in a similar position with my dad so this is so heart warming.”
      Another praised the players: “Wow this now amazing Carrie – such a lovely hear warming story and well done to the England boys for doing this.”
      It comes after England crashed out of the tournament with a 2-1 loss against France in the quarter final clash on Saturday.
      Raheem and Kieran have been praised for their selfless actCredit: Reuters
      Carrie says she won’t soon forget it, and neither will the workers at her parent’s care home
      The player’s actions have moved many Twitter users to tearsCredit: Reuters More

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      No Brits arrested at Qatar World Cup despite 115 yobs nicked on match days back in the UK

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      NOT one England or Wales fan was arrested in Qatar during the World Cup — but 115 yobs were nicked back home.UK footie police chief Mark Roberts praised travelling supporters and said Muslim Qatar’s alcohol bans may have helped.
      Fears of arrests for breaking Sharia laws banning drunkenness also failed to materialiseCredit: Reuters
      Despite up to 15,000 fans at England games and a clash between the Three Lions and Dragons, there was no aggro reported.
      Fears of arrests for breaking Sharia laws banning drunkenness also failed to materialise.
      Cheshire Chief Constable Roberts was deployed in Qatar with a team of undercover spotters
      He said: “The behaviour of England and Wales was exemplary.
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      “There were no arrests or incidents, which is a credit to all those who travelled.
      “The atmosphere at all home nations games was passionate but friendly and it would be fantastic to see this replicated back home.
      “It would be wrong to entirely attribute this behaviour to the restrictions on alcohol in Qatar, but I do think it has helped to some degree.”
      Across the UK there were 115 arrests, mostly in pubs.
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      At Russia 2018 there were three arrests.
      With another 225 back home. More

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      Watch as Lionel Messi reduces Argentina boss Scaloni to TEARS as pair embrace after thrashing Croatia in World Cup

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      LIONEL MESSI reduced Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni to TEARS after helping thrash Croatia 3-0. Messi sent his nation to the World Cup final with a goal and assist in the semis.
      Argentina’s Lionel Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni celebrateCredit: Reuters
      And he led the celebrations before embracing with his manager Scaloni, who shed a tear with his skipper.
      Messi opened the scoring from the spot and in doing so became Argentina’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11.
      He has managed five already this campaign and talked up his form ahead of Sunday’s final.
      Messi, 35, said: “I am enjoying this a lot.
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      “I am feeling really good, I feel strong enough to face every match. The previous match was a big sacrifice.
      “Today we were tired, but we pulled out strength to earn the victory.
      “We played very well, we preferred to play this way because we knew they would not have the ball.
      “We knew we would have to run. We prepared in a very good way. I feel very happy in this World Cup. I am able to help the squad.”
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      Messi was on the losing side in the 2014 World Cup as Mario Gotze led Germany to victory.
      But he gets a second crack at glory and awaits tomorrow’s second last four match between France and Morocco.
      France beat England 2-1 while Morocco stunned Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to become the first African World Cup semi-finalists.
      Lionel Messi and Lionel Scaloni pictured embracingCredit: EPA More

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      The four records Lionel Messi broke for Argentina vs Croatia.. and the two he can still add to the haul this World Cup

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      LIONEL MESSI broke FOUR records during Argentina’s World Cup semi-final victory over Croatia.The South American, 35, produced another remarkable display as he scored one and assisted one to hand his country a 3-0 victory and book them a place in Sunday’s final against Morocco or France.
      Lionel Messi scored the opener from the penalty spot against CroatiaCredit: AP
      He was once again the star of the show for his countryCredit: AP
      And while a World Cup triumph remains the only goal he truly cares about in Qatar, the little magician is still continuing to break other records along the way.
      FOUR of those were achieved in the victory over Croatia, including becoming Argentina’s record scorer at the World Cup.
      The first-half spot kick moves him clear of Gabriel Batistuta on 11 goals.
      He also now holds the record for most assists by an Argentine at the World Cup.
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      His sensational run and pullback for Julian Alvarez takes his tally to nine, one more than Diego Maradona.
      A third record comes in the wake of him scoring and assisting against the Croats.
      It means he has now scored and assisted in four World Cup games – the first ever player to do so.
      And the final record is that Messi is now the ALL-TIME record appearance maker at the World Cup.
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      He came into the tournament with 20 appearances to his name, but now has 26 having played in every game on the way to the final.
      It means he has eclipsed the previous record of 25 which was held by German Lothar Matthaus.
      Messi had already set a new record in Qatar before the Croatia game when he became Argentina’s record appearance maker at the World Cup.
      Maradona had 21, but Messi needed just the Saudi Arabia and Mexico games to overtake him.
      There is one final record Messi would have had half an eye on coming to Qatar – even though there was a very slim chance of him breaking it.
      His five goals in Qatar mean he now has 11 at the World Cup, but he is still five behind the competition’s all-time top scorer, Miroslav Klose, who has 16.
      And with just one game remaining for Messi at the 2022 edition, it means he needs SIX in the final to break the German’s record.
      Speaking ahead of the Qatar tournament, he said: “It’s probably my last World Cup. I always felt good and comfortable, especially when I played a lot until the start of the World Cup.
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      “I didn’t do anything special, I took care of myself like my whole career.
      “It will surely be my last World Cup and my last opportunity to achieve this great dream of winning the tournament.” More

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      Fans rejoice as they realise Croatia’s ‘hottest fan’ Ivana Knoll’s World Cup is NOT over despite defeat to Argentina

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      FANS rejoiced as they realised Croatia’s “hottest fan” Ivana Knoll’s World Cup is NOT over – despite defeat to Argentina. Croatian hearts were broken after Lionel Messi condemned them to a 3-0 defeat in the semi-finals.
      Ivana Knoll has been dubbed the ‘World Cup’s hottest fan’Credit: Getty
      The model poses with a fanCredit: Getty
      It denied them a second consecutive World Cup final, following their loss to France in 2018.
      Croatia were inspired to the last four by the likes of Luka Modric but off the field model Knoll was winning the hearts of supporters.
      So footy fans were over the moon when they realised Croatia are still in the tournament, with a third-place playoff to come.
      One said: “There’s a third place play off.”
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      Another said: “She’s not going home yet. There’s still a third place match.”
      One added: “There’s still the 3rd place match. Y’all should calm down.”
      Another added: “No going home, still have play off for third position.”
      Knoll was forced to deny rumours that she promised to pose nude if Croatia went all the way.
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      She posted on social media: “I will not get naked if Croatia wins the World Cup. Thank you!”
      Knoll was seen kissing her supporters goodbye after Croatia were beaten 3-0 by Messi’s Argentina.
      France face Morocco in tomorrow’s second semis, with the loser then facing Croatia for third place on Saturday.
      Ivana Knoll is set to stay and cheer Croatia on More

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      Morocco giving away 13,000 free tickets and organising 30 chartered flights for World Cup semi-final clash vs France

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      THE Moroccan Football Federation has announced it will give 13,000 free tickets to fans for Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against France. Morocco have been the surprise package of the winter tournament.
      Morocco have shocked the world and made the semisCredit: AP
      Thousands of Moroccans have already flooded into Qatar and over 20k are expected at Wednesday’s gameCredit: Getty
      They topped a group consisting of 2018 finalists Croatia, Belgium’s golden generation an an impressive Canadian side.
      One-time World Cup winners, Spain, were then put to the sword in the round of 16 on penalties.
      And a 1-0 win over Portugal in the quarters made Morocco the first African country to reach the last four.
      Morocco boast an impressive defensive record, and are yet to concede a goal at the hands of an opposition player.
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      They have conceded just one goal at this year’s edition of the World Cup, and it was an own goal by Nayef Aguerd.
      The West Ham defender steered the ball into the back of his own net against Canada in the group stages.
      They will now square off with current world champions, France, on Wednesday for a spot in Sundays final, where Argentina await.
      And according to the BBC, Morocco’s Football Federation has announced it will give 13,000 free tickets to fans to roar the team on.
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      Morocco has been one of the most supported teams in Qatar, with thousands making the trip.
      The tickets are expected to be distributed by the Moroccan embassy in Qatar. 
      Moroccan fans have also travelled on 30 promotional flights operated by Royal Air Maroc.
      The state carrier had put on seven additional flights to allow fans to attend the quarter-final with Portugal last week, which paid off.
      Royal Air Maroc said in a statement: “In order to allow the many Moroccans wanting to support the national team at its peak and experience the emotion of the World Cup semi-final, Royal Air Maroc has set up an air bridge between Casablanca and Doha.
      “The exceptional and heroic performance of the national team during the 2022 World Cup will forever be engraved in the memory of Moroccans. 
      “A performance achieved thanks, in particular, to the fervour of the Moroccan public, the 12th man.”
      Moroccans are set to take up a third of the Al Bayt Stadium’s 68,895 capacity. More

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      Jack Wilshere: England should try to lure Eddie Howe from Newcastle if Gareth Southgate leaves after World Cup exit

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      IF Gareth Southgate does leave the England job, I’d love the FA to try and get Eddie Howe.I know how good Eddie is from my time at Bournemouth but people wondered whether he could make that step up to a bigger club.
      England should sign Eddie Howe if Gareth Southgate leaves, claims Jack WilshereCredit: Rex
      Jack Wilshere worked with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe at BournemouthCredit: –
      Well, now he has shown at Newcastle how skilled he is at developing players and he’s turning them into title challengers.
      The problem for the FA would be persuading him to swap his club for his country — and I’m not sure they’ll be able to do that. 
      He might feel it’s too early for him and that he wants more time to build success in the North East.
      If he delivered silverware for Newcastle he’d be a god.
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      But the England job is the pinnacle for any English coach and it might be hard to turn down if there is a proper offer on the table.
      Eddie is so thorough in everything he does — from the way he organises the season, to his well-thought-out training sessions, to the one-to-one attention he gives players.
      He’s a top man-manager. I’d only had Arsene Wenger as a club boss before I went to Bournemouth and he was a great man-manager, too — but in a different way to Eddie.
      Arsene would give you a lot of trust and confidence and left you to get on with it.  Eddie was more detailed, probably because the level of player he had was not as good as Arsenal’s.
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      Eddie had to coach more. Arsene didn’t really have to tell Samir Nasri or Tomas Rosicky how to play between the lines. Eddie would tell you how to do it and give you feedback — not always positive — but the way he did it made you really want to play for him.
      I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.
      I don’t believe we must have an English boss but he needs to understand the English game.
      Arsene was the best manager in my career and, though brought his own style, he picked up a lot of our qualities, too.
      While ex-England boss Fabio Capello got a lot of stick, I found him unbelievable.
      But the England job is the pinnacle for any English coach and it might be hard to turn down if there is a proper offer on the table.Jack Wilshere
      He gave me my debut when I was only 18, just after the 2010 World Cup and gave me the confidence to play in that environment.
      It’s well known his English wasn’t the best so we didn’t have long conversations but he put me in the team and backed me at a young age and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
      I know he wasn’t the most popular of managers with the country and some of the squad, but I wasn’t aware of that at first because I was just so nervous and wanted to get on with things and to do my best.
      But there were rules about not leaving the table until everyone’s finished, no butter, things like that, which some of the older players didn’t like.
      A manager doesn’t have to be liked to be a success but they have to be respected.
      Gareth Southgate saw England knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
      Once you’ve got that respect then you’re OK. We’re living in a naive world if we think everyone is going to like the coach.
      Even at my Under-18 coaching level at Arsenal, I feel it when I’m picking the team. You want your players to fight for you but they’re not going to be happy if you leave them out of the side.
      Arsene was the best manager in my career and, though brought his own style, he picked up a lot of our qualities, too.Jack Wilshere
      I’m not surprised Gareth is considering his future but he’s earned the right to have a think about it and decide what he wants to do. He’s a very honest guy which is one thing the country loves about him. When he does his interviews you can tell he’s authentic, which is one of his strong points.
      He’s an intelligent man who will analyse everything and work out what to do for the best — for the country, for the team and for him.
      If he carries on, he knows the next two years will be really important and hopefully we can win the Euros — but I’d also understand if he steps away.
      He has put the team in an incredible place. He’s almost guaranteed we will be competitive for the next ten years.
      Arsenal hero Jack Wilshere insists Eddie Howe has what it takes to be England bossCredit: Simon Jones
      People say it’s easy to be an England manager with the talent we have but he’s been diligent with the way he’s brought through new players and, of course, this squad is still so young.
      At some point we need to turn that into wins but it’s a great place to be.
      Like the rest of the country, I’m still frustrated we lost to France in the quarters. It was a massive opportunity missed.
      The build-up and the way we played was good. But we didn’t have that vital edge.
      You can study the stats and see that we played better than them, we had more possession and more shots — but we lost.
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      It’s about those clinical moments in both boxes.
      France will be worthy world champions if they lift the trophy but it will hurt England fans even more knowing they were there for the taking and it really could have been us. More

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      When is the World Cup 2022 third place play-off? TV channel and kick-off time

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      IT’S almost time for the match which all teams participating in the World Cup hope to avoid – the third place play-off.Croatia were the first team to book their spot having fell victim to a remarkable Argentina side inspired by Lionel Messi.
      Luka Modric failed to guide his nation to another World Cup finalCredit: Getty
      And the Croats will be keeping an eye on France’s mouth-watering semi-final against Morocco as the losers join Croatia in the bronze medal contest.
      England were comfortably beaten by Belgium in the 2018 third place play-off edition.
      But the 2022 World Cup final warm-up event is expected to be a tighter affair and SunSport has all the information needed.
      When is the World Cup 2022 third place play-off?
      The World Cup third place play-off is taking place on Saturday, December 17.
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      It is expected to get underway from 3pm UK time
      Khalifa International Stadium in Doha is the allocated arena for this huge fixture and it can host approximately 45,000 spectators.
      Belgium beat England 2-0 in the 2018 third place play-off contest.
      What TV channel is the third place play-off match on and can it be live streamed?
      Croatia’s encounter against the loser of France vs Morocco will be shown LIVE on BBC One in the UK.
      Coverage is set to commence from 2:30pm UK time – 30 minutes before kick-off.
      Viewers also have the option to stream the entire action through the BBC iPlayer app or BBC Sport website.
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      Can the third place play-off match be watched for free?
      YES! The third place play-off encounter can be watched for FREE as long as you hold a valid TV license in the UK. More