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      Harry Maguire reveals sweet texts from Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag with revitalised ace thriving with England at World Cup

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      HARRY MAGUIRE has received some good luck texts from Manchester United’s management team — including Erik ten Hag — during this World Cup.Ironic, really, when you consider Maguire’s problems at Old Trafford have increased tenfold since Ten Hag took over.
      Harry Maguire is showing his best form for England at the World CupCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Erik ten Hag is enjoying what he is seeing from his centre-backCredit: Getty
      Despite just THREE Premier League starts this season, and major concerns over his lack of game time going into this tournament, the defender has been one of Gareth Southgate’s best players.
      During those first four games for the Three Lions, he has shown some cojones to shrug off the worst spell of his career and hit the ground running as England reach for the stars.
      Maguire, preparing for Saturday’s quarter-final against France, said: “I’m 29 years old, the captain of Man Utd and have made 52 appearances for my country, so when I look back on my career, I put everything into perspective.
      “I’m living the dream. I’m doing everything I always wanted to do. So for the next stage of my career, I want to start winning trophies.
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      “The last year has been difficult and I haven’t played as well as I’ve done in the previous five years at the top level.
      “But during a career, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are probably the only two who’ve not had a dip.
      “It’s a 15-year career, if you’re lucky. There’s no way, especially with all the scrutiny that’s on defences these days, you’re not going to have dips.
      “As a player, you want to play. I’ve been used to playing throughout my career.
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      “This is the first year that I’ve really sat on a bench in a few games.“I obviously got an injury as well, a thigh injury that kept me out for four weeks. But I’ll fight to get my place back at United.”
      For Maguire, though, it has not been about silencing his critics — just performing for his country.
      He added: “I don’t think that I’ve proved a point out here.
      “I was in the Euros team of the tournament so I know what I’m capable of.
      “I’ve not hid away from the last year. It’s been difficult, but I always knew and had great belief in myself that I’d find my form and regain my confidence and my focus.
      “I’m really happy it’s happened at the biggest tournament.
      “Now, I feel in a good place. I feel good mentally, I feel good physically. I feel fresh and I’m just looking forward to a big game on Saturday.”
      Maguire has been showcasing his mental toughness in the Werewolf deception-based card games the Three Lions stars are hooked on playing in Qatar.

      And he added: “I’m quite good at psychology to be honest. I’ve needed to be over the last year or so!”
      For Maguire has been forced to deal with some pretty vicious criticism.
      Many people — including former players — claimed he should not even have been allowed on the England plane, let alone in the starting line-up.
      He added: “I listen to people around me like my family and friends. My team-mates, the staff here.
      “I know how valued they see me and I feel it within the camp and squad.
      “So that gives me great belief and confidence. I go back to my past memories and performances at tournaments.
      “When there is a squad decided or team picked for England, there are always players who ‘shouldn’t be playing’.
      “That’s why Gareth has such a hard job, because there’s a lot of talent who could play. It’s about my belief and listening to those around me.”
      A quarter-final against France – the world champions, some the favourites… these are the games we play forHarry Maguire
      Maguire, revealing his texts from Manchester, said: “While I am away, they want me to focus fully on England.
      “But I have had a couple of nice texts from them saying how well I’ve performed and congratulations on reaching the quarter-finals. It’s nice.
      “I am sure they’ll be watching the games but Erik will be supporting the Oranje army. It is good to feel the support of them.”
      The central defender has excelled for England out here.
      And despite being caught out for the first Iranian goal he was immediately substituted as he felt unwell.
      Against Senegal, both he and John Stones were guilty of some stray passes but their team’s attacking strength took the opposition apart.
      Clearly, France’s 23-year-old superstar Kylian Mbappe will be a different prospect.
      Maguire, who will be bursting with pride when the national anthem begins on Saturday, said: “Mbappe is a wonderful player.
      Maguire has been one of the standout performers in QatarCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      France have an embarrassment of riches in attackCredit: Reuters
      “He’s had an amazing tournament, he’s one of the best in the world. But we’d be naive to just focus on one player.
      “He is a big player for the team but they also have so many different talents as well.
      “I think Olivier Giroud is the top goalscorer, Ousmane Dembele is playing really well on the other wing.
      “You’ve got Antoine Griezmann, too, so there’s so many different players they can bring in and affect the game.
      “But we come into these big tournaments and our defensive record is always good. It’s three clean sheets so far, so we’ve got to take great belief in what we’ve done as a defence so far.
      “It is a huge game. I am just super proud every time I sing that anthem.
      “It is one of the proudest moments of my life. You just can’t really explain the feeling.
      “You are focused, nervous and excited. You have butterflies but, for sure, I’ll be ready to go.
      “A quarter-final against France — the world champions. Some people say the favourites to win the competition.
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      “But these are the games we play for. These are the games growing up that you want to be involved in.
      “They are huge pressure games but this is the pressure you want. This is where we need to deliver.” More

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      England vs France World Cup quarter-final is battle of the wide men.. and ours are better than theirs.. even with Mbappe

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      WHEN we held our Sun panel night ahead of this World Cup the verdict was clear.Myself, Harry Redknapp, Jack Wilshere and Ledley King were all of the opinion that if we got to the quarter-finals against France it would be: “Thanks for having us, this is where we get off, it’s the end of the line.”
      Kylian Mbappe is the man England have to stopCredit: AP
      Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson will be key to countering Mbappe’s threatCredit: Getty
      Gareth Southgate could place his trust in the same team that beat SenegalCredit: Getty
      I’m not feeling like that any more. There’s a shaft of light and it’s not just my heart either that’s taken over from my head.
      For I can see weaknesses in this French team.
      While we all know their threats going forward, with the lightning-fast Kylian Mbappe, the strength of Olivier Giroud and the guile of Antoine Griezmann, we have plenty of attacking threat, too.
      But the defence will have the biggest influence on this game. Which four-man unit works best with the keeper?
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      It will probably be even more nuanced than that. For I see this match being the battle of the full-backs and I am convinced our two are better than theirs.
      France haven’t kept a clean sheet in the tournament and if I was French coach Didier Deschamps, I’d be stressing to them to work defensively and get the first shutout as their priority.
      They have inexperience at full-back where one of them, Theo Hernandez, has only played ten times and Jules Kounde 15.
      Compare that to Luke Shaw on 27 caps, and Kyle Walker’s 72, and it’s they who should be worrying about us exploiting their wide areas rather than us panicking about their attack.
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      Understandably, everyone is now looking at Mbappe but Griezmann is opening up doors for fun.
      He’s a bit of a Lionel Messi, he’s scary. But we’ve a few like that as well in Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
      People are saying if Mbappe gets a run on Harry Maguire it’s all over but if he gets a run on any of them one-on-one it could be all over.
      He’s going to be on Walker’s side and potentially he should be quick enough to deal with Mbappe. John Stones is on that side too which helps.
      If he wanders to Maguire’s side then we’ve got problems.
      England will have to double up on Mbappe, which will put pressure on Jordan Henderson, whose job will be to help Walker.
      Mbappe’s good, but I’m not sure he’s a Maradona or a Pele yet, although he’s definitely working towards it and, at 23, what a player he is. But we don’t need to do any more than double up on him.
      I doubt England will go man for man on him. Gareth Southgate will just be telling Jordan that for this one there’ll be no breaking forward to score like against Senegal.
      His job will be to stop the ball getting to Mbappe or giving him space and not letting the ball in the box for Giroud to attack.
      Stay as a unit, stay tight and don’t allow any one-on-one situations. But the French will be telling their team not to let the ball get into Harry Kane.
      We would have extra insurance if Gareth switched to a three but I doubt he’ll do that.
      He’s going to trust those who have got him there so far, match them up, and go 4-3-3.
      If we need an example, the team I’ve seen work best defensively are Holland. They are the boring, boring Arsenal of this World Cup.
      They are so well drilled by Louis van Gaal and I can see them beating Argentina in the quarters.
      Holland have used a three and become really defensive but I believe they will do a job on Messi.
      If they do it, would Gareth change his tactics and think: “We should do it that way,” and play with a back five to plug holes? Probably not but it’s worth considering.
      I do want us to avoid trying to pass through them, there’s no joy there, you get blocked off too easily.
      Against Senegal it was only when we started to go longer and pinged balls out wide that we stretched the play and turned the game. We need Maguire to hit those diagonals not slipping short balls into central midfield where we can be counter-attacked.
      It will be a magnificent game and I can’t wait. I’m very excited about it.
      We all know it will be very close — one goal either way and could even go to penalties.
      I do still wonder if we’re missing that special ingredient that makes you World Cup winners.
      France won it in 1998 with that extra magic in Zinedine Zidane. When Italy won it you go, “Wow, best defence in the world”. I can’t see that with us yet.
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      We need to be special in one area and I don’t know what it is yet. Is it the best at set-plays, defence, or best penalty-takers — or Bellingham scoring more goals to go from a good player to a magnificent player?
      We’ve got to raise the bar because this French game will be on another level. There’s no messing about now, we’re in with the big boys. More

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      I’m the real Kylian Mbappe and I live in Leicester – I’m backing England to beat France

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      ENGLAND were tipped to beat France by Kylian Mbappe — a teenage student from Leicester.Kylian, 16, is a second cousin of the PSG superstar, 23, who aims to break Three Lions hearts in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final.
      Kylian Mbappe, who is a second cousin of the PSG superstar, tips England to beat FranceCredit: Louis Wood
      Kylian Mbappe aims to break Three Lions hearts in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-finalCredit: Getty
      Left-footed Kylian plays too and said: “I’m the real Kylian Mbappe and am backing England.
      “If Gareth Southgate called me up I’d stop Mbappe. I’m pretty fast like him. It must run in the family. And I’m a decent defender.”
      English Kylian was born in Paris to Steeve, 46 — cousin of Mbappe’s dad Wilfried.
      The sports studies student added: “My dad and family are all supporting France but I’m behind England. All my friends are Three Lions-mad.
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      “And if I’m honest, I’m more English than French now.
      “I speak better English, I’ve lived here for longer, I love baked beans and Greggs.
      “I’d pick a sausage roll over a croque monsieur any day.”
      While his cousin earns £650,000 a week and owns a £3million flat in Paris, Kylian makes £6.50-an-hour washing dishes at The Frame pub and lives in a £350,000 three-bed semi in Braunstone Town.
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      His namesake drives a £500,000 Ferrari 488 Pista while the Brit has a £5-a-day bus ticket.
      Teen Kylian, whose mum lives in France, added: “I’ve never had any trouble from my name. All my friends knew me before Mbappe was famous, so I’m still Kylian to them.”
      He plays left-back for club side Friar Lane & Epworth FC and said: “Other teams must take a second look when they see me on the team sheet.
      “Maybe they think it’s a joke.”
      He added: “I only realised my name was so crazy when I was watching TV and saw this young Monaco player called Kylian Mbappe. I told my dad and he said, ‘Yes, that’s the son of my cousin’. I found it funny but it’s a real honour. I would love to meet him one day.”
      Dad-of-two Steeve grew up with cousin Wilfried in Cameroon.
      He added: “When my son was born I didn’t even think about the name. I picked Kylian because I liked the meaning (little warrior).
      Kylian, 16, with his dad SteeveCredit: Louis Wood
      Flying Frenchman Mbappe has already scored five goals in the tournamentCredit: Getty
      “It was only when I went with Wilfried to watch his son, we thought the coincidence was hilarious. I would not swap my boys for the world and I have the real No1 Kylian Mbappe.”
      Yesterday The Sun told how Mbappe himself is an England fan — after draping his waxwork in Three Lions memorabilia. More

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      Three Lions’ Kyle Walker vows to give French superstar Kylian Mbappe a run for his money in World Cup showdown

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      THREE Lions speed merchant Kyle Walker yesterday vowed to give French flier Kylian Mbappe a proper run for his money in Saturday’s World Cup showdownThe England full back, 32, said: “I’m not going to roll out the red carpet for him and tell him to go and score. It’s do or die.”
      With a top sprint speed of 23.48mph, Kyle Walker virtually matches Mbappe (23.50mph) for pace – and will be a key man in England’s defenceCredit: Getty
      Flying Frenchman Mbappe has already scored five goals in the tournamentCredit: Getty

      The 23-year-old French ace has himself said of gritty campaigner Kyle: “He is one of the rare players who make me suffer.”
      Manchester City star Kyle can put the brakes on the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, who has already scored five goals in Qatar.
      With a top sprint speed of 23.48mph, Walker virtually matches Mbappe (23.50mph) for pace.
      The pair’s duel has become the focal point of a potentially epic quarter-final clash at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
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      Kyle insisted yesterday: “This game is not England v Mbappe. The game is England v France. 
      “If we lose we go home. He’s not going to stand in my way of hopefully winning a World Cup for my country.” He added: “Do I understand the focus on Mbappe? Of course I do. 
      “I understand what I need to do and that’s obviously to stop him. 
      “It’s probably easier said than done but I don’t underestimate myself. I’ve played him before and I’ve come up against great players with England, Man City and other clubs. 
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      “I have to give him the respect he deserves but not too much because he’s playing England and we can also cause them problems.”
      The rivals – who are both 5ft 10in tall — have faced each other four times in the past while playing for their clubs in the Champions League and a friendly. The results are level at two wins each.
      Mbappe has only scored once playing against Kyle — and that was in a 2-1 defeat in November. Statistics show Walker has been dribbled past just three times in his last 24 England games.
      The England full back, 32, said: ‘I’m not going to roll out the red carpet for him and tell him to go and score. It’s do or die’Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Walker and Mbappe duel in a Champions League match from 2021Credit: Getty
       Wily Kyle — who has 74 international caps — also told how his superior experience could be the key to thwarting Mbappe.
      He said: “You have to use a little bit of nous – you can’t be a speedboat without a driver.
      “You need to obviously use your brain when needed and I can’t get as tight to him as I probably would with some other players.
      The pair’s duel has become the focal point of a potentially epic quarter-final clash at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al KhorCredit: The Mega Agency
      “France versus England has always been a great game and a great battle. . . . and you are going to get another one on Saturday.”
      Kyle refused to accept that the Three Lions will be the underdogs against the world champions. 
      He said: “don’t see an outright favourite or an underdog. I see two very good teams that are going to go toe-to-toe.”
      Mbappe missed training on Monday and was spotted in an injury recovery room. But France said he rejoined the squad yesterday and is likely to fit to play.
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      Before England beat Senegal 3-0 in their last match, Match of the Day host and ex-Three Lions ace Gary Lineker suggested resting Walker to save him for battle with Mbappe.
      He said Kyle is “just about the only full-back on the planet that can compete with Kylian Mbappe — and that is the French team”. More

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      Hansi Flick WON’T be sacked and will stay on as Germany boss until after Euro 2024 despite horrendous World Cup KO

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      HANSI FLICK will stay on as Germany boss until Euro 2024 despite their early World Cup exit.Germany failed to qualify for the knock-out stages after losing to Japan and drawing with Spain.
      Hansi Flick will stay on as Germany boss until Euro 2024Credit: Getty
      Flick’s side did manage to beat Costa Rica but finished third and exited the World Cup in the group stages for a second successive tournament.
      Despite the poor performance the German Football Association has decided to continue with Flick for the next major tournament.
      Flick sat down with German FA bosses Bernd Neuendorf and Hans-Joachim Watzke for a two-and-a-half-hour meeting.
      It was decided that Flick would continue in his post and German FA president Neuendorf offered his support to the 57-year-old in a public statement.
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      He said: “We are all convinced that the 2024 European Championship in our own country represents a great opportunity for football in Germany.
      “Our goal is to make this tournament a sporting success. We have full confidence in Hansi Flick that he will master this challenge together with his team.”
      Flick is confident his team will learn lessons from their Qatar heartbreak and will be ready to improve at the Euros.
      He said: “My coaching team and I are optimistic about the European Championship in our own country.
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      “We as a team can achieve much more than we showed in Qatar. We have missed a great opportunity there. We will learn our lessons from that.”
      Flick only took charge of Germany in the summer of 2021 following Germany’s knock-out defeat to England in Euro 2020. More

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      Watch Roy Keane rip off shirt after scoring winner in ITV vs BBC match days after slamming exuberant Brazil celebrations

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      ROY KEANE went topless to celebrate a goal earlier – just days after slamming Brazil’s dancing after scoring against South Korea.The Manchester United legend is currently out in Qatar covering the World Cup as a pundit for ITV.
      Roy Keane produced an epic celebration after scoring the winner for ITV against BBCCredit: ITV Football
      The Man Utd legend then pulled off his shirt before jumping over a wheelie binCredit: ITV Football
      The tournament reached the end of the last-16 stage on Tuesday after Portugal thrashed Switzerland and Morocco had shocked Spain on penalties.
      That has led to a two-day break before the quarters get underway on Friday when Croatia take on five-time winners Brazil at 3pm.
      That meant that after a hectic 16-day run of matches, TV presenters and pundits alike finally had a chance to unwind off camera.
      But football was still very much the main agenda for Britain’s two main broadcasters, BBC and ITV.
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      The pundits of both TV stations came together on the pitch earlier to take part in a game.
      And it was Keane that earned himself the headlines as he scored the “golden goal” to earn ITV victory – and he notched past none other than his Sky Sports pal and ex-Manchester City ace Micah Richards in the net.
      Fortunately for the usually no-nonsense Republic of Ireland great the cameras were there to capture his moment of magic.
      And the 51-year-old celebrated by ripping off his T-shirt, swirling it around his head, and then jumping over a wheelie bin prior to being mobbed by his colleagues.
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      A clip of it was shared by ITV Football’s Twitter account and was captioned with: “A day off for the @ITVSport team today in Doha so of course we played football. So enjoy this glorious moment as Roy Keane scores the golden goal against none other than special guest @MicahRichards. Fancy a rematch @BBCSport?”
      It comes after Keane slammed Brazil for celebrating with a team dance that included manager Tite during their 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday.
      He said: “Fantastic finish by Vinicius, great start to the game. But I’ve never seen so much dancing.
      “I can’t believe what I’m watching, I can’t believe what I’m watching, it’s like watching Strictly [Come Dancing]. I don’t like this.
      “People say it’s their culture. But I think that’s really disrespecting the opposition.
      “It’s four goals, and they are doing it every time.
      “I don’t mind so much the first jig, it’s the one after that, and the manager getting involved.
      “I’m not happy about it. I don’t think it’s good at all.” More

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

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      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.
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      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.
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      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

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

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      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.
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      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.
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      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