World Cup 2022

Subterms

    More stories

    • 250 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      FA want Southgate to stay as England manager REGARDLESS of France World Cup result, and do not have succession plan

      by

      THE FA want Gareth Southgate to stay on as England manager after the World Cup, according to reports.The Three Lions boss has been in charge since October 2016 and is England’s most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey.
      The FA want Gareth Southgate to stay as England manager until Euro 2024Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Southgate has guided England to a semi-final and final in his two major tournament campaigns and has set up a quarter-final clash with France on Saturday.
      And according to the Daily Mail, the FA want Southgate to continue managing England regardless of the result against France.
      Southgate, 52, is under contract until Euro 2024 but his future is not clear.
      The FA want him to oversee that European Championship campaign but the former Middlesbrough boss could step down.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      Southgate is believed to be open to a return to club management but English football’s governing body is hoping to convince him to stay on.
      And the two parties are reportedly set to discuss his future in a post-World Cup debrief.
      It is believed the FA do not have a succession plan in place if Southgate does leave, which is another factor behind their desire for him to continue.
      But they will not stand in his way if he decides he is ready for a new challenge.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
      Southgate has been linked to the likes of Fulham and Nottingham Forest if he does decide to leave his England post.
      And Chelsea boss Graham Potter has been tipped as one of the favourites to take over.
      Newcastle’s Eddie Howe is another manager who has been linked to the role. More

    • 213 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Workers begin dismantling Qatar’s temporary Stadium 974 ‘before it is rebuilt in Uruguay for World Cup 2030’

      by

      THE World Cup may just be reaching its business end, with eight countries remaining – but one of the stadiums is already being dismantled.Crew got to work on taking apart the temporary Stadium 974 in the Ras Abu Aboud area of Doha.
      Stadium 974 is already being dismantledCredit: Getty
      The ground was built using 974 shipping containersCredit: Getty
      The workers wasted no time getting to work on relocating the venueCredit: Getty
      It hosted seven matches for the World CupCredit: Getty
      The unique ground was primarily built using 974 repurposed shipping containers – 974 is the dialing code for Qatar.
      Inside, it held around 40,000 seats – officially bumped up by 4,089 after the tournament kicked off.
      But fans may get to take their seat in the ground again – on the other side of the world.
      Opened on November 20, 2021, the stadium was used for just 13 matches.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
      That included six at the Arab Cup and seven at the World Cup, the last of which was Brazil’s thumping 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday night.
      Within hours of the full-time whistle, though, the trucks and forklifts were out in force to start the mammoth dissembling job.
      However, this is not expected to be the end of the story for the Stadium 974.
      Because as reported by the Financial Times, the plan is to transport the shipping containers – presumably by boat – 8,000 miles to Uruguay.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST WORLD CUP BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
      The South American nation plan to rebuild the stadium back to its original structure and host World Cup matches there in 2030.
      Uruguay are hoping the proposed initiative to reduce the wasted derelict venues will help sway the votes for the hosting rights for the tournament in eight years’ time – exactly 100 years since they staged the inaugural event.
      Their bid will be a joint effort with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay.
      But it faces competition from the European bid of Spain, Portugal and Ukraine.
      A bid from Morocco and a cross-confederation campaign from Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia has also been proposed.
      Brazil won the last of the 13 matches at the stadiumCredit: Getty More

    • 238 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Argentina star Rodrigo De Paul – nicknamed Lionel Messi’s ‘bodyguard’ – an injury doubt for Holland World Cup clash

      by

      ARGENTINA are sweating on the fitness of the man dubbed “Lionel Messi’s bodyguard” for their crunch clash with Holland.Rodrigo De Paul failed to train alongside his team-mates earlier today and is preparing to undergo tests.
      Rodrigo De Paul has provided Argentina an injury scare ahead of the World Cup quarter-finalCredit: Getty
      The star has been dubbed Lionel Messi’s ‘bodyguard’Credit: AP
      The 28-year-old midfielder has featured in all of his nation’s World Cup matches in Qatar so far.
      Now Argentina are preparing to face Holland in the quarter-final on Friday.
      But there is concern whether the Atletico Madrid man will be fit enough to face the Dutch.
      He is believed to have a problem with his right hamstring and was forced to train away from the rest of the squad earlier.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      De Paul has often been referred to as “Messi’s bodyguard” by Argentina fans.
      However, it is not only in a physical sense that moniker was devised.
      The ace also covers the free-playing magician in a tactical sense.
      He played a key role in the success at last year’s Copa America and boss Lionel Scaloni has trusted him immensely again so far in the Middle East.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST WORLD CUP BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
      He has played every minute of the World Cup for Argentina.
      But now it appears that he faces a race against time to be fit for Friday’s crunch showdown.
      De Paul has 48 caps for his country, scoring twice, and will be desperate to add to that before football’s biggest showcase concludes. More

    • 250 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Jamie Carragher names his best World Cup XI of all time using no more than one player from each country

      by

      JAMIE CARRAGHER has named his best World Cup XI of all time with just one player allowed per country. And he made the controversial call to leave both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi out of the team.

      Pele is probably the greatest World Cup player everCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Diego Maradona unsurprisingly makes the incredible line-upCredit: Getty
      The Portuguese representative is forward Eusebio, who leads the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation for Carragher.
      Eusebio scored all nine of his World Cup goals as he led his country to the semi-finals in 1966, including four in the stunning comeback win over North Korea – when Portugal won 5-3 from 3-0 down inside 25 minutes.
      Supporting the clinical striker are three of the all-time footballing greats.
      From Argentina, operating on the right, is none other than Diego Maradona, who led his nation to glory in 1986 – thanks in part to his famous double against England.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
      The magician scored eight goals in his 21 appearances in the competition and is considered one of the best ever.
      Alongside Maradona is another of the sport’s greatest icons in Pele.
      The Brazilian is the only player ever to win three World Cups, is the youngest winner and goalscorer and arguably the very best World Cup player.
      To complete a fearsome front four for Carragher is Holland maverick Johan Cruyff.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST WORLD CUP BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
      He led the Dutch to the final in 1974 with the beautiful brand of football but the Oranje fell short by losing to West Germany in the final.
      Providing the balls into the elite attack are two of the great passers the game has seen.
      Ultimate technician Xavi, winner of the 2010 World Cup, is in the team for Spain.
      And next to him is his former El Clasico rival and 2018 finalist Luka Modric.
      In fact, the Real Madrid star is the only active footballer in the XI – currently representing Croatia in Qatar.
      The back four is made up of some of the titans of the game with 1998 winner Lilian Thuram, 1974 champion Franz Beckenbauer, 1966 victor Bobby Moore and 1994 runner-up Paolo Maldini.
      Bobby Moore is the only England captain to lift the World CupCredit: PA
      Xavi helped Spain to glory in South Africa in 2010Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Jamie Carragher left out Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel MessiCredit: Getty
      Thuram played for France 142 times across 14 years and managed two goals – incredibly both came in the 2-0 1998 semi-final win over Croatia.
      Beckenbauer is one of just three men to win the World Cup as a player and as a manager – the supreme defender leading West Germany from the dugout in 1990.
      England’s player is none other than their only captain to lift the World Cup – Moore was the linchpin in the heart of the defence when the Three Lions secured the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil 58 long years ago.
      Maldini, meanwhile, may not have won the World Cup for four-time champions Italy but still gets the nod for Carragher as one of the game’s top left-backs.
      And this all-star team apparently needs a goalkeeper, too – although one doubts he would be very busy.
      Read More on The Sun
      The man chosen is Denmark hero Peter Schmeichel, who only played at one World Cup – reaching the quarters in 1998 – but is widely regarded as the No1 goalkeeper ever by many.
      Ironically, his son Kasper has played at more – representing the Danes in Russia and Qatar. More

    • 200 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      World’s worst football lookalikes cashing in on their famous ‘doppelgangers’… can YOU guess who they are?

      by

      THE weird world of celebrity lookalikes can be a surprisingly lucrative business.But unfortunately, some of these supposed spitting images of famous footballers aren’t exactly the full ticket.
      Mbappe lookalike Reece Ford
      With the World Cup in Qatar well underway, The Sun Online had some fun putting together a list of some of the worst football doppelgangers.
      From a Cristiano Ronaldo ‘lookalike’ who is more Cristia-no, to a Harry Kane impersonator who Kane-not be serious, can you tell who these are supposed to be?
      Bewar Abdullah thinks he resembles a world-famous footballerCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun
      SIU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING
      Bewar Abdullah is a 28-year-old from Birmingham.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      He is also often mistaken for Portugal and former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
      So striking is the apparent resemblance that he often gets booked out for children’s parties, and has racked up 1.3million followers on Instagram.
      He also claims his resemblance has made him a hit with the ladies, and that he often gets asked to do Ronaldo’s trademark “Siuuuu” celebration in pubs during Portugal games.
      Bewar claims he is often mistaken for the Portuguese starCredit: Getty
      A sweet shop worker has reportedly been mistaken for one of football’s biggest starsCredit: Central European News
      MESSI-ING AROUND
      Alejandro Pereira Negreiros was working in a sweet shop in Sao Paulo in Brazil when he went viral in 2017.
      A number of Twitter users claimed the 21-year-old was the spitting image of a legendary player from Brazil’s arch-rivals Argentina.
      Yes, apparently, Alejandro is a doppelganger for Lionel Messi.
      The bemused shopworker soon became a local celebrity after a colleague shared his photo online, even though by his own admission he knew little about his more famous twin.
      Messi is often regarded as one of if not the greatest footballers of all timeCredit: Getty
      Danny McLaughlin has been compared to a top England starCredit: harrykanelookalike/Instagram
      KANE YOU BELIEVE IT
      Danny McLaughlin from Epping in Essex was only born a stone’s throw from his famous “lookalike”.
      The council worker claims he is often mistaken for Walthamstow-born Three Lions and Tottenham legend Harry Kane.
      He told one publication the similarity was first noticed when he was outside a nightclub after Kane had scored against north London rivals Arsenal.
      “I didn’t think anything of it, it was only when friends said it to me and then all of a sudden we were getting into nightclubs for free or queue jumping which was something special,” he said.
      Danny also says a number of women slide into his DMs but, unfortunately for them, he was, as of 2021, happily taken.
      Harry Kane is closing in on Rooney’s record as England’s all-time leading goalscorerCredit: Getty
      A Gareth Southgate ‘lookalike’Credit: PA
      DOPPEL-GARETH
      Last year, among the excitement as England progressed to the final of the postponed Euro 2020 final, one lookalike was milking it for all he could.
      The unnamed man was compared by many in the crowd to Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
      He even donned Southgate’s infamous lucky waistcoat from the 2018 World Cup as he was mobbed by fans.
      Dozens of boozed-up supporters ran up to take their pictures with the lookalike under the famous Wembley arches.
      Can Gareth Southgate finally bring it home?Credit: Rex
      Liam Wilson has been mistaken for another Three Lions starCredit: SWNS
      THE GREAL DEAL
      Liam Wilson from Norwich is another lookalike who has been mistaken for an England star.
      He claims to get preferential treatment at restaurants and have kids come up to him for selfies because of his resemblance to Jack Grealish.
      Liam said he often plays along with people who earnestly mistake him for the Manchester City and England midfielder.
      However, he admits his girlfriend finds the constant requests for pictures “cringey”.
      England and Manchester City star Jack GrealishCredit: Getty
      Eigon Oliveira has been mistaken for a famous Brazil star while in QatarCredit: Reuters
      CLEAR AS NEY
      Eigon Oliveira caused a Puma shop to close in Doha after he was mistaken for Brazilian star Neymar.
      He even donned a Brazilian training uniform along with similar sunglasses, a hat and beard.
      Eigon now has over one million followers on Instagram thanks the likeness, and now wants to make being Neymar’s lookalike a full-time job.
      He previously worked as a waiter on Brazil, where he said customers often remarked on his resemblance to the PSG player.
      Brazil and PSG star NeymarCredit: Getty
      Reece Ford, the Love Island bombshell from Coventry, and footballer’s body doubleCredit: Instagram
      LOOK-KYL-LIKE
      Love Island star Reece Ford isn’t just famous for reality TV, he also has a remarkable secret.
      The Coventry-born Brit revealed earlier this year he was a stunt double for France’s supremely-talented forward Kylian Mbappe.
      Read More on The Sun
      Read More on The Sun
      On his Instagram page, the 23-year-old shared an image of himself with the France and PSG striker.
      He also posted a number of polaroid images of himself in various football poses as part of an ad for Nike. More

    • 275 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Van Dijk tells Holland to create plan to beat Messi who ‘chills in a corner of the pitch’ while out of possession

      by

      VIRGIL VAN DIJK says that Holland have to conjure up a plan to stop Lionel Messi from “chilling” on Friday.The Dutch are preparing to face Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final in two days’ time.
      Virgil van Dijk says the Dutch must plan to stop Lionel Messi ‘chilling’Credit: Alamy
      The Argentina legend already has three goals at the World Cup for his nationCredit: Rex
      The Liverpool star will come face-to-face with the legendary forward as the two nations battle it out for a semi-final place.
      Messi, 35, has already scored three goals at the tournament and is looking to finally get his hands on the World Cup – the one prize that has eluded him in his epic career.
      Van Dijk spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of the showdown about the threat of the Paris Saint-Germain attacker.
      And he knows full well that Messi is capable of looking like he is doing very little before bursting into lift and drifting into spaces to punish the opposition.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS

      The 31-year-old defender said: “The difficult thing about him is when we are attacking, he is chilling somewhere in a corner or something.
      “You have to be so very sharp in terms of defensive organisation.
      “They always looked for him to try to make it difficult for us on the counter.”
      Van Dijk added: “It is an honour to play against him.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST WORLD CUP BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS

      “It is not me against him, or the Netherlands against him, but the Netherlands against Argentina.
      “No one can do it on his own, we will have to come up with a good plan.”
      Van Dijk and Messi have come up against each other previously, the most-notable being in the 2019 Champions League semi-final.
      Messi scored twice to put Barcelona into a 3-0 first-leg lead but Liverpool famously came back to win the second-leg 4-0. More

    • 188 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      What is Werewolf? Card game that England have been playing at the World Cup 2022

      by

      ENGLAND have been making the nation proud at the winter World Cup in Qatar – and a card game has been the secret to their success.The Three Lions were one of the few sides this tournament to go unbeaten in the group stages.
      Marcus Rashford’s free-kick inspired England to a final group game win against WalesCredit: Rex
      England humiliated Senegal in their last-16 World Cup clashCredit: Getty
      And Gareth Southgate’s men didn’t disappoint in the last-16 match either having convincingly thumped AFCON champions Senegal 3-0.
      But England are set to face their toughest test on Saturday when they take on holders France in the quarter-finals.
      However, captain Harry Kane has revealed that a card game titled Werewolf has had a positive impact on the camp.

      What is Werewolf and how do you play it?
      England spend a majority of their evenings at the team’s hotel beach front in Souq Al-Wakra playing Werewolf.
      It is a card game which requires strategic thinking to come out on top and the objective of the game is to identify and kill the werewolves amongst the villagers.
      Werewolf takes place over a series of game rounds and each round has two phases – day and night.
      During the day, the village discusses who they think is guilty and during the night, players can use special powers while the werewolves make their kill.
      Players start by shuffling and dealing out the game cards, making sure to include two werewolves, a Doctor, and a Seer card.
      There are also wild cards that can be played such as the Drunk, the Witch, and the Alpha Werewolf.
      It starts off in the night phase where the moderator has the werewolves choose a victim, the Doctor is allowed to save one person, and the Seer gets to make a guess on the person they suspect of being a werewolf.
      When the night round concludes, the day round starts and the players discuss their characters before taking a vote on who they believe is a werewolf.
      That player is then killed and the night round begins again. The game continues until either the werewolves or the villagers win.
      What has been said about Werewolf?
      Harry Kane admitted that it is a good way to build the team chemistry and a large group of the squad get involved.
      Harry Kane revealed that Werewolf is good for team bondingCredit: Getty
      Kane, 29, said: “There about 16 or 17 of us that play Wolf and it is a great way to kill some time. It also helps with team bonding.
      And Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips also revealed it’s a game you can enjoy by just watching.
      Phillips said: “It’s definitely one you can watch as it’s quite funny and even if I’m not around there, when they get somebody out. You can hear them cheering by the pool.”
      When is England vs France?

      England vs France takes place on Saturday, December 10.
      The match kicks off at 7pm UK time and Al-Bayt Stadium plays host.
      It will be shown LIVE on ITV 1 in but the entire action can also be live-streamed on ITV X, the mobile app which is available for download. More

    • 213 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      World Cup Supercomputer predicts rest of tournament ahead of quarter-finals… but will England or France get through?

      by

      A WORLD Cup supercomputer has predicted the rest of the tournament as the quarter-finals loom.And England are sadly tipped to EXIT the tournament when they play France on Saturday.
      A supercomputer predicts England will LOSE to France… with Brazil winning the World Cup
      Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions are looking to win football’s top prize in Qatar this year.
      Harry Kane and Co have overcome some tricky opponents, beating Iran, Wales and Senegal while drawing against the USA.
      But they face their toughest test against the reigning champs this weekend.
      Kylian Mbappe has been in devastating form, while Olivier Giroud has become France’s all-time leading goal-scorer.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
      And a supercomputer from BonusCodeBets predicts Didier Deschamps will outwit Southgate in their tactical battle.
      That will see France set up a semi-final against Portugal, who are backed to beat Morocco despite Spain falling to the underdogs.
      On the other side of the draw, Argentina are predicted to topple Holland, with Brazil getting the better of Croatia.
      That would result in a mouth-watering Superclasico semi-final.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      And it’s Tite’s Samba Boys who will apparently do the job against Lionel Messi to reach the World Cup final.
      On the other side of the draw, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to bow out with Portugal in their semi against France.
      It means the supercomputer reckons Mbappe will face off against Paris Saint-Germain pal Neymar for the top prize.
      But it’s Brazil who will be celebrating come the final whistle with victory over France on reckoning day. More