World Cup 2022

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      Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence in emotional statement after watching ‘beautiful World Cup dream’ fizzle in Morocco KO

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has finally spoken out after his “biggest and most ambitious dream” of winning a World Cup ended.The 37-year-old failed to inspire Portugal to quarter-final victory off the bench against Morocco.
      Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as Portugal were knocked out of the World CupCredit: Getty
      Ronaldo posted an emotional statement admitting his dream had endedCredit: Reuters
      Ronaldo, who is currently a free agent after being sacked by Manchester United, will be 42 by the time the next World Cup kicks off.
      It is unknown whether Ronaldo will play on until then or if Portugal will still want him at that age.
      He was in tears as he made his way down the tunnel after losing 1-0 to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
      Ronaldo then wrote on Instagram this afternoon: “Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. 
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      “Fortunately, I won many titles of international dimension, including for Portugal, but putting the name of our country on the highest level in the world was my biggest dream.
      “I fought for it. I fought hard for this dream. In the 5 appearances that I scored in World Cups over 16 years, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese people, I gave my all. 
      “I left everything on the field. I never turned my face to the fight and I never gave up on that dream.
      “Unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. It is not worth reacting to heat.”
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      After starting the first three games of the tournament, Ronaldo was benched for the last-16 win over Switzerland and the quarter-final defeat to Morocco.
      He was dropped after reacting angrily to being substituted in the 2-1 group stage loss to South Korea.
      But Ronaldo continued: “I just want everyone to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for an instant. 
      “I was always one more person fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.
      “For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted… Now, it’s time to be a good advisor and allow each one to draw their own conclusions.”
      Ronaldo is one of ten Portugal stars not returning to the country’s capital following yesterday’s defeat.
      He came off the bench six minutes into Saturday’s game, but struggled to make an impact.
      The forward managed just TEN touches of the ball in the time he was on the pitch.
      Ronaldo managed just 10 touches of the ball against Morocco More

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      Qatar World Cup has been huge success with fights and aggro of previous tournaments replaced by singing & dancing rivals

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      THIS is the World Cup they said could never work — but one which has run like clockwork.I was one of those who had doubts about a winter tournament, about playing it halfway through the season and about it being in Qatar.
      Crowd trouble has been replaced with more singing and dancingCredit: AFP
      Morocco fans created a racket inside grounds across DohaCredit: Getty
      Redknapp says the tournament has been a success so farCredit: Getty
      But it’s been a success you couldn’t have imagined.
      And despite all the scare stories beforehand, it has been a real enjoyment every way you look at it.
      Conditions have been fantastic for the players, it’s not been roasting hot and we’re not having stoppages every game to throw bottles of water over them.
      The football’s been great, we’ve had plenty of shocks — and as long as it doesn’t include England, we always love that — but most of all it has been fun.
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      One of the huge things that sticks out for me is how everyone — and I mean EVERYONE — is saying how safe it’s been.
      Look, we all know the issues about having it in Qatar, and I’m not going to sit here and start saying everything there is rosy.
      But, in terms of this tournament, I think back to how everyone was kicking off at the thought of not being able to have a drink at the games, and it’s laughable.
      Yes, there’s a different culture towards drinking over there.
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      But it’s their culture, their country and you can’t say it hasn’t been a better World Cup all round because of it.
      Has everyone forgotten those scenes at Wembley for the Euro final?
      What about all the fighting in France in 2016?
      How many times have the headlines been about fighting and aggro?
      And it’s always when people have been on the drink.
      We could take a big leaf out of their book in terms of the approach to it, although I’m not daft enough to think we will change our mentality over it.
      But this will go down as the World Cup when we all felt so safe, where the fans were behaving and we weren’t rattling up the number of arrests.
      Supporters are still lighting up the stadiums, singing and dancing on the Metro and in the streets, where women, kids, and families are having the time of their lives.
      In fact it’s been such a success that I’d have no problem with the Middle East staging the World Cup again — or with it being in the middle of our season either.
      And on the pitch there have been some huge shocks. Who thought Morocco would win their group and Belgium go out? Or Japan would beat Spain AND Germany.
      There was one of the biggest upsets ever when Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia and Cameroon became the first African nation ever to beat Brazil.
      Surprise package
      Of course, the big names have stood out like we always hoped and thought they would.
      Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo… they’ve all been headline news at one stage or another.
      But the one player to leave a huge impression on me is Harry Souttar, the centre-half born in Scotland who plays for Stoke and was sensational for Australia.
      If I was still a Premier League manager, he’d be the one I’d be trying to sign.
      I saw him three years ago on loan at Fleetwood and thought he had a real chance then and have kept an eye on him ever since.
      He got a real bad injury a year ago and only came back just before the World Cup.
      Harry’s 6ft 6in, quick, strong, he can pass a ball and knows the English game – he’d be a great buy for someone.
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      He reminds me of Dan Burn, who went round the houses on loan, went to Brighton and then ended up at Newcastle and everyone’s raving about him.
      But, all in all, it will go down as a fantastic World Cup — and the great thing is we’ve still got another week to go!
      Stoke’s Souttar impressed RedknappCredit: PA
      Fans were on their best behaviourCredit: Getty
      England crashed out in the quarter-finalsCredit: PA
      Senegal fans came with props and paintCredit: Getty More

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      I’m gutted for Kane after England World Cup heartbreak but Saka WAS fouled in build up to France opener, says Wilshere

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      I AM devastated for the England lads.They gave it everything and Harry Kane is really going to be hurting for a very long time after missing that penalty.
      Harry Kane missed a late penalty for England against FranceCredit: Getty
      The Three Lions were beaten 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
      Unfortunately football can be very cruel and this emerging England team, which shows so much promise, will have to wait another 18 months or so for a chance to win an elusive trophy at the Euros.
      It was opening up for us with Morocco in the semi-finals, we were getting close to glory.
      But my old Arsenal mate Olivier Giroud turned out to be the match-winner.
      To be honest, it wasn’t one of his better games.
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      We contained him and Kylian Mbappe pretty well.
      Sadly, as I warned Sun readers in my pre-match column, Olivier is a man to be reckoned with.
      And that header of his was classic Giroud — getting ahead of defenders to make them pay.
      It’s hard to take in that we lost, because for all we were one down at half-time, I still felt comfortable.
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      We’d certainly shown enough going forward.
      Kane looked good and was unlucky with that close-range effort which his club-mate Hugo Lloris did well to come out and smother.
      We were also probing down the flanks and you felt at any moment we might just get the break we needed.
      Phil Foden was getting on the ball and Bukayo Saka was driving at them.
      But, equally, Antoine Griezmann was class in the French midfield.
      He was finding space all over the park and everything was going through him.
      His link-up play was top drawer and at times England didn’t seem to know how to deal with him.
      But he was getting away with a few fouls and the booking he eventually got was deserved.
      While I thought Mbappe was relatively quiet, the way he wrestled his way clear to help set up their first goal showed how he doesn’t need much of a chance to hurt you.
      Even when the ball went back to Aurelien Tchouameni, I doubt fans were too worried.
      In fact I was thinking, ‘Go on then, hit it from there’.
      It seemed a heck of a long way out to have a go, we had plenty of bodies in the way — and while the Real Madrid star is a fine defensive midfielder — he’s not noted for his goalscoring.
      But you have to hand it to him for the strike.
      It was a beauty and somehow it found a way through to beat Jordan Pickford, who may have been unsighted as Tchouameni swung his boot.
      There’s always something you can do to try to prevent a goal — and you could argue England should have closed him down better.
      But the chances of scoring from there were not high.
      That said, Saka was definitely fouled at the start of the move, he’s so good at drawing those fouls but he’s an honest player.
      My kids were going absolutely mad at the injustice of it.
      The referee did not award a foul for this challenge on Bukayo SakaCredit: Getty
      Dayot Upamecano appeared to bundle Saka overCredit: Getty
      There was a foul on Kane as well — with big calls for a penalty — but for me it was just outside the box.
      We got on the front foot again after the break and while Olivier got that second goal for France, I still believed we could get back into it.
      And we had the chance with Harry’s penalty.
      Read More on The Sun
      You don’t expect him to miss, he’s so good.
      It will be no consolation to Harry — but it happens to the best of them.
      A devastated Kane reacts at full-timeCredit: Getty More

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      What is stadium 974 and where will it be used?

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      MANY were confused when they heard that Qatar will demolish the World Cup’s stadium 974.Here is everything you need to know about the stadium, its demolition and where it will be used.
      stadium 974 will be demolished after the World CupCredit: Reuters
      What is stadium 974?
      stadium 974 is a football stadium used for the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar.
      It is found in Ras Abu Aboud in Doha and it opened on November 30, 2021, as a temporary venue which holds 44,089 spectators.
      It was made from 974 – which is also Qatar’s international dialing code – recycled shipping containers.
      It was opened in 2021 as the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium to host matches for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup
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      Officially renamed stadium 974, it become the first stadium of its sort in FIFA World Cup history.
      The stadium hosted seven games during the 2022 World Cup:

      Where will stadium 974 be used?
      So far, there has been no concrete decision made on where the stadium might be used.
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      The Financial Times reported that the stadium might be moved to Uruguay to be used in the 2030 World Cup.
      Uruguay are planning to make a joint bid with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay to host a South American World Cup in 2030.
      Why did Qatar demolish stadium 974?
      Qatar’s aims were to deliver a World Cup with a very low rate of carbon footprint.
      That is why they came up with the idea of a recyclable football stadium, which can be used to host other events in different locations.
      Dismantling of stadium 974 already started.
      The organising committee said: “Qatar is on track to deliver the first carbon neutral Fifa World Cup.
      “That means all infrastructure projects – including the eight stadiums – must meet stringent sustainability benchmarks.
      “During their construction, we have recycled and reused wherever possible and implemented a vast range of energy and water efficiency solutions.
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      “In addition, materials from sustainable sources were used and innovative legacy plans have been implemented to ensure the tournament doesn’t leave any ‘white elephants’.”
      White elephants is the term used to refer to those stadiums built for the World Cup but rarely used again such as the case in South Africa, Brazil and Russia. More

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      ‘He will blink and stare at the ceiling’ – Alan Shearer fears Harry Kane will be haunted for rest of life by penalty

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      ENGLAND legend Alan Shearer has claimed that Harry Kane’s crucial penalty miss against France will haunt him forever.The Three Lions crashed out of the World Cup on Saturday after suffering a 2-1 defeat to the reigning champions.
      Kane missed his second penalty against FranceCredit: Alamy
      The striker fired his effort over the crossbarCredit: Getty
      Aurelien Tchouameni broke the deadlock just 17 minutes into the game with an excellent long-range strike into the bottom corner.
      Kane later levelled the score from the penalty spot after Bukayo Saka was fouled by Tchouameni in the box.
      Former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud then fired the French back into the lead following an inch-perfect pass from Antoine Griezmann.
      But, as England scrambled to get back into the game, France defender Theo Hernandez gave away another penalty for a clumsy challenge on Mason Mount.
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      Kane stepped up to the spot again, but this time he blazed his strike over the crossbar with just six minutes of normal time remaining.
      Reflecting on the England captain’s vital miss after the game, Shearer expressed fears that it will likely haunt him for the rest of his life.
      In his column for The Athletic, the Newcastle icon wrote: “Sometimes s*** happens and then sleep deserts you. Harry is an exceptional centre-forward, an exceptional player full stop.
      “I know his position and I know his mindset and I know he will put his head on the pillow on this night and the next and a few more besides and he will blink and stare at the ceiling.
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      Kane was consoled by Southgate after the gameCredit: Getty
      Shearer believes Kane could be haunted by the penalty miss foreverCredit: Pixel8000
      “He will re-live his penalty over and over. He will revisit it, he will re-take it and in his mind’s eye he will convince himself that this time, he’s scoring. And I promise you, it will stay with him forever.”
      During his post-match interview, England boss Gareth Southgate was quick to offer his full support to Kane, who was “very, very low” after the full-time whistle.
      Southgate said: “Tonight it is very difficult. When you get a second penalty and it’s a goalkeeper that knows you really well as well, there’s a lot involved in that situation.
      “He’s the best. But the best are still 85 per cent. So even the best are going to miss at times – and that’s football.
      “There is nobody I’d have rather had in that situation and, if we had one tomorrow, I’d feel exactly the same way.
      “For me, he has been a fantastic leader of this group through this tournament. I thought his performance tonight was his best of the tournament – his hold-up play, his link play, as well the first goal that he scored.
      “But in these tournaments, lots of countries have a similar situation frankly. It’s cruel for him, because he will feel disappointed in himself but he shouldn’t.
      “As I said, it’s 100 minutes of football and there’s a lot of things that can happen in terms of winning a game.
      “As you’d expect, he’s very, very low but he’s got nothing to reproach himself for. We’re in the position we are as a team because of his leadership, because of his goals over a long period of time.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Even if that goes in we’ve still got a lot to do to win the game. For us, no recriminations. We’ve always stuck together as a team. The group of players have been brilliant and we win and lose together.”
      Following Saturday’s result, France progress to the World Cup semi-final where they will take on Morocco. More

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      England’s World Cup heartbreaker vs France the most-watched TV show on any channel ALL YEAR as 23m tune in to ITV clash

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      ENGLAND’s World Cup quarter-final heartbreaker against France drew the biggest audience on any TV channel this year as 23million people tuned in on ITV.Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions lost the crunch match 2-1 and were sent packing by the reigning world champions.
      A huge audience of 23million watched England lose to France on ITVCredit: Rex
      Kane missed a late penaltyCredit: Getty
      The miss was much to the delight of Kylian MbappeCredit: Rex
      A peak ITV audience of 23m watched on as Aurelien Tchouameni opened the scoring early on in the first half – making the fixture the most-watched show this year.
      Kane grabbed the equaliser from the penalty spot but Olivier Giroud later restored France’s lead with an expert header.
      But with six minutes left on the clock, England were handed the chance to draw level, again from the penalty spot.
      This time, Kane made a mess of his effort and sent his shot flying over the crossbar.
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      ITV are continuing to smash rivals, the BBC, in their ratings war.
      However, the ITV curse came back to haunt England.
      England have played on ITV 30 times in major tournaments since 1998, including the World Cup that year.
      Out of those 30 games, the Three Lions have won just SEVEN times.
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      They have lost 10 and drawn 13 on the channel, including the quarter-final.
      In contrast they have played 27 times on the BBC since then, winning 19, drawing once and losing seven.
      England’s last-16 clash against Senegal ended in victory despite being shown on ITV. More

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      Defiant Man Utd star Marcus Rashford fires World Cup promise to England fans after France quarter-final heartbreak

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has vowed England “will come again” after last night’s World Cup heartbreak.The Manchester United ace came off the bench as the Three Lions went down 2-1 to reigning champions France in the quarter-finals.
      Marcus Rashford vowed England “will come again” after suffering World Cup heartbreakCredit: Reuters
      Rashford almost equalised for the Three Lions at the deathCredit: Getty
      Rashford replaced Phil Foden for the final five minutes, and came close to scoring a stunning equaliser with a free-kick that skimmed the roof of the net in stoppage time.
      The 25-year-old was superb in Qatar, and was the Three Lions’ joint top scorer with Bukayo Saka on three goals.
      Taking to social media the morning after the defeat, Rashford thanked fans for their support and vowed that England will return better than ever.
      He wrote on Twitter: “The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions, each and every one of our team gave everything we had to be ready for what was thrown at us, we got close, but not close enough.
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      “I’ll make a promise that we will come again!
      “Thank you for the unconditional support.”
      Rashford has enjoyed a resurgence this season for the Red Devils after a difficult last campaign.
      The forward carried that form with him into the World Cup, although the 3-0 win over Wales in the final group game was his only start of the tournament.
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      The Old Trafford ace came off the bench in all four of England’s other games.
      A number of England stars posted messages on social media after their quarter-final heartbreak.
      Harry Maguire wrote: “Last night hurt. Absolutely gutted. Special thanks to Gareth and you amazing fans who kept belief in me.
      “I love my country and I hope we made you proud.”
      While skipper Harry Kane said on Twitter: “Absolutely gutted. We’ve given it everything and it’s come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for.
      “There’s no hiding from it, it hurts and it’ll take some time to get over it but that’s part of sport.
      “Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge.
      “Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament – it means a lot.” More

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      Fans blaming Jonny Wilkinson for Harry Kane miss as video of him teaching England ace to kick ball OVER bar resurfaces

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      ENGLAND fans are doing their best to see the funny side as they try get over Saturday’s painful World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.Supporters have joked that Jonny Wilkinson is to blame for the 2-1 loss after a video of the rugby legend teaching Harry Kane to kick the ball OVER the bar resurfaced online.
      The England sporting heroes came together in 2018 to film a skit for Sport ReliefCredit: BBC
      Jonny Wilkinson taught Harry Kane how to take a penalty – insisting that you have to kick the ball OVER the crossbarCredit: BBC
      Kane then copied Wilkinson’s techniqueCredit: BBC
      Fans have jokingly blamed Wilkinson for Kane’s penalty miss against FranceCredit: Getty
      Kane skied a late penalty over the crossbar for the Three Lions that would have made the game 2-2, having earlier netted perfectly from the spot.
      The two England heroes came together in 2018 to film a skit for Sport Relief, which also included comedian John Bishop.
      It saw Wilkinson, who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with a last-gasp drop goal, teach Kane how to score a penalty.
      After the Three Lions skipper buried a perfect spot-kick, Wilkinson said: “No, no… you’ve got it all wrong.”
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      Wilkinson then proceeded to place the ball on a tee and smash it over the bar, rugby style.
      He turned to Kane and said: “That’s how you do it.”
      The confused football star replied: “You just put it over by a mile.”
      But Wilkinson hit back: “Yes, but that’s how I won a World Cup though with England.”
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      Kane then lined up and smashed an effort over the bar, drawing applause from Wilkinson.
      And devastated England fans, desperate for some light-hearted relief, have joked that the ex-rugby ace is to blame for Kane’s miss.
      After the video resurfaced, one wrote on Twitter: “I blame Jonny Wilkinson!”
      Another quipped: “This is why Harry Kane missed the penalty! We have to blame Jonny Wilkinson.”
      Ans a third added: “Definitely blame Jonny.”
      England football legends rallied around Kane after his penalty miss on social media.
      The brave Three Lions captain admitted it will “take some time” for him to get over last night’s defeat.
      He wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely gutted. We’ve given it everything and it’s come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for.
      “There’s no hiding from it, it hurts and it’ll take some time to get over it but that’s part of sport.
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      “Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge.
      “Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament – it means a lot.”
      A devastated Kane is consoled by James MaddisonCredit: Getty More