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      When is England vs France – World Cup quarter-final? Kick-off time, TV channel, stream FREE, team news for clash

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      ENGLAND have reached the World Cup quarter-final and they will play France THIS SATURDAY!All eyes will be on the Al-Bayt Stadium when the Three Lions take on the current World champions in a mouth-watering tie.
      England were in mouthwatering form in attack against Senegal and will hope to score against FranceCredit: AP

      France made it through to the quarters after a 3-1 win over Poland, in which Olivier Giroud became their record scorer of all time.
      The World Cup’s top scorer Kylian Mbappe added the second and third.
      While England overcame Senegal to sail into the quarters.
      When is England vs France?

      England vs France takes place on Saturday, December 10.
      The match kicks off at 7pm UK time.
      The Al-Bayt Stadium plays host.

      Kylian Mbappe is in stunning form for France
      What TV channel and live stream is England vs France on?

      England vs France will be broadcast live on ITV 1.
      It will be live-streamed on ITV X , the mobile app which is available for download.

      What is the team news?
      Mbappe has sparked concern among the France camp after missing Tuesday’s training with an injury.
      It would be a huge body blow to Les Bleus’ chances against the Three Lions if he is out.
      QUARTER-FINALS
      Friday, December 9
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      Saturday, December 10

      SEMI-FINALS
      Tuesday, December 13

      Match 61: Croatia or Brazil vs Netherlands or Argentina (7pm)

      Wednesday, December 14

      Match 62: Winners of Match 59 vs England or France (7pm)

      THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF
      Saturday, December 17

      Losers of Match 61 vs Losers of Match 62 (3pm)

      Read More on The Sun
      FINAL
      Sunday, December 18

      Winners of Match 61 vs Winners of Match 62 (3pm) More

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      Eagle-eyed fans work out why Bernardo Silva did NOT celebrate with Portugal pals in World Cup thumping of Switzerland

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      BERNARDO SILVA did not join in with Portugal celebrations as he feared conceding a goal.Goncalo Ramos fired Portugal in front in their World Cup last-16 clash against Switzerland with a cracking strike.
      Bernardo Silva had initially been involved in the celebrations
      Bernardo Silva then waited on the pitch as his team-mates celebrated Portugal’s first goal
      But Silva waited on the pitch to congratulate the striker while the rest of his team-mates celebrated near the stands.
      And quick-thinking fans have pointed out the Manchester City star did so because he wanted to avoid conceding a goal.
      It has been suggested that under Fifa laws, play can resume after a goal once all members of the scoring team are no longer in the opposition half.
      And the claim is that if players are not on the field of play, that counts as them not being in the opposite half.
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      The same fan theory was circulated in the 2018 World Cup, when Kieran Trippier was the only outfield England player who failed to join in the team celebrations after Harry Kane’s late winner against Tunisia.
      However, Law 8 states that for play to restart “all players, except the player taking the kick-off, must be in their own half of the field of play.”
      That means Silva could have joined in with the celebrations without fearing a Switzerland restart.
      But the 28-year-old still won plaudits from viewers who were impressed by his presence of mind.
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      One wrote: “Bernardo Silva too smart. Quickly got back onto the pitch during the celebrations, so the game couldn’t restart. 🎩”
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      Another added: “Bernardo Silva playing 5D chess and running back onto the pitch so the Swiss can’t restart quickly too.”
      And a third said: “Notice Bernando Silva staying alive during the celebrations, running back on to the pitch. Elite mentality.”
      Fortunately for Silva he did not miss out on the celebrations for long as Portugal hit six past Switzerland to set-up a quarter-final tie with Morocco.
      The England players mob Harry Kane after his dramatic stoppage time winner against Tunisia in 2018 – all except Kieran TrippierCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The England players join Kane in celebration outside the field of play
      Kieran Trippier turned his back on the celebrations to make his way back to his position – but stopped just inside the Tunisia half More

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      Kylian Mbappe transforms into Three Lions fan as Sun lands first blow ahead of England v France World Cup quarter final

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      ENGLAND supporters living in Paris cheered on The Sun yesterday — as French superstar Kylian Mbappe was transformed into one of them.We landed the first blow ahead of Saturday night’s last-eight tie — draping Mbappe’s waxwork in England colours.
      Kylian Mbappe was transformed into an England fanCredit: Paul Edwards
      Sunman Joe Hadden draped Mbappe’s waxwork in England coloursCredit: Paul Edwards
      Mbappe with his waxwork likeness at the Grevin Museum in ParisCredit: AFP or licensors
      There was more bad news for France yesterday as Mbappe, 23, missed training with a suspected ankle inury, sparking fears he could miss the quarter-final.
      Sun man Joe Hadden yesterday evaded security at Paris’s Grevin Museum to deck out the striker’s effigy in a Three Lions scarf and hat, with a St George’s flag wrapped around his waist.
      English ex-pats in Paris said Mbappe’s Three Lions makeover suited the £250million PSG striker, who has banged in five goals already in the tournament.
      Property developer Kyle Bridges, 37, who has lived in the French capital for two years, said: “That’s brilliant work by The Sun. They’ve been giving us loads of stick so we’ve got to give it back to them.”
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      Bugsy’s Bar bartender Luke Blackford, 23, added: “Great of the Sun to do it on their own soil. He looks better than ever in an England scarf.”
      They were also confident of England’s chances of getting to the semi-finals, bolstered by players who have played in overseas leagues, including Jude Bellingham, Eric Dier and Kieran Trippier.
      Kyle, who was in English boozer The Bowler, said: “We’ll smash them, I have absolutely no doubt about it.
      “The players know how much this fixture means to the fans.
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      “Lads like Bellingham, Dier and Trippier have played abroad.
      “They know what it’s like to be the only Englishman in the room.
      “There’s an understanding of what it means to be English amongst these boys that we haven’t seen before.’’
      Luke also believes they can beat the reigning world champs, though he is dreading the aftermath, regardless of the result in Qatar.
      He said: “We’ll beat them 2-1. My French mates think they’ll win but I can’t see it.
      “Either way, France is the worst country to be in for this – if we win they’re not going to be happy and if they beat us they’re going to be even more condescending.”
      Mbappe became the youngest person to be immortalised in waxwork when the Grevin Museum unveiled his statue in 2018, aided by the man himself.
      The striker is one of the quickest players in the world, clocking around 23.6mph.
      Read More on The Sun
      However if he plays he is likely to be up against speedy England defender Kyle Walker, who has recorded a speed of 23.5mph.
      Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped for Portugal’s last-16 tie against Switzerland last night, following his unhappy reaction at being subbed off in their previous game against South Korea.
      Mbappe missed training with a suspected ankle inury, sparking fears he could miss the quarter-finalCredit: Getty More

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      Who is Portugal’s World Cup star Goncalo Ramos?

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      GONCALO RAMOS became the World Cup’s latest star with a stunning hat-trick in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Switzerland.The striker, 21, made headlines before the game when he replaced Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal’s striker for the one-sided last-16 tie.
      Goncalo Ramos is Portugal’s latest star after scoring a hat-trick against SwitzerlandCredit: Reuters
      And Ramos showed the future is bright for his country by scoring an incredible treble to set up a quarter-final battle against Morocco.
      But just who is the talented forward leading Portugal’s charge towards world domination?
      Ramos, already linked with Manchester United, currently plays in his homeland for Benfica.
      He joined them as a kid in 2013, having played for Olhanense and Loule before.
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      Rising through the ranks, Ramos netted 16 goals in two years for Benfica’s B team before getting promoted to the senior side.
      The fan favourite made a decent impact last term with eight goals in 46 games.
      But he has truly exploded this season, scoring 14 times in just 21 appearances.
      That saw Ramos land a shock call-up to Portugal’s World Cup squad, having previously been uncapped.
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      Ramos’ stats against Switzerland
      He made his debut on November 17 in a 4-0 friendly win over Nigeria, helping himself to a goal and an assist.
      Ramos then came off the bench in the first two group games against African giants Ghana and South American heavyweight Uruguay.
      But he earned his first World Cup start on Tuesday against Switzerland – at the expense of national hero Ronaldo.
      Ramos showed no signs of fear though, opening the scoring after 17 minutes before hitting two more in the second half.
      Ramos saw plenty of action against Switzerland
      He is now sure to keep his place in Friday’s quarter-final tie against Morocco.
      And another fine performance could open the door to a stunning transfer in January.
      Man United are thought to be interested after losing Ronaldo last month.
      Ramos has also been linked with Newcastle, who are aiming for a top four finish this term.
      Southampton are also said to be keen, and even more sides could yet join the fray after Ramos’ display of brilliance in Qatar. More

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      I wouldn’t swap England squad for France’s.. and Walker is perfect man to stop Mbappe in World Cup clash, says Redknapp

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      IF I had to pick one defender in the world to handle Kylian Mbappe, I could not think of a better right-back than Kyle Walker.And he might just turn out to be the one who holds the key to England reaching their second World Cup semi-final in a row.
      Redknapp is backing Walker to ‘handle’ MbappeCredit: Getty
      Mbappe is the World Cup 2022 top scorer with five goalsCredit: Getty
      It doesn’t take a genius to realise that Mbappe is the biggest danger to our chances when we play France on Saturday.
      You need someone special to deal with a player like that — and Kyle is the perfect man for the job.
      I know exactly how good he is because I was his manager for three years at Tottenham. He’s an even better player now.
      He’s quick, strong and as tough a man to beat one-on-one as anyone. In short, the ideal man to cope with Mbappe’s speed and power.
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      But Walker might just be England’s secret attacking weapon down the right wing as well — if he chooses the right moments to bomb forward.
      Mbappe is obviously a massive threat, we all know that, but he’s not a modern wide player who you’ll see charging back to help his defence.
      When he loses possession he tends to walk around, hang about the halfway line waiting for France to win it back and get it up to him again.
      As a right-back, that leaves you with a decision to make — can I trust my winger if I do go or am I risking getting caught out of position if he gives it away?
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      Walker’s touch map against Senegal
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      Well in Walker’s case, when the moment is right he definitely CAN trust Bukayo Saka, because he’s such a clever player.
      If you’ve got a scatterbrain up there, you worry about going on the overlap because if they lose possession, you’re going to get punished by someone as good as Mbappe.
      But Saka’s a good player, he knows how to protect the ball and find Kyle at just the right time — and that’s how we can open France up down the right-hand side.
      So while the big danger lies down Mbappe’s flank, it’s an area where we can hurt France as much as they can hurt us.
      Kyle just has to choose the right time to go, probably only a couple of times in each half, but we will get chances from it — and they could be the difference.
      That’s when it will be vital Jordan Henderson is aware and realise that if Walker’s gone, he must be prepared to drop in and cover.
      I see it very much as a 50-50 game but I tell you one thing — I genuinely wouldn’t swap our squad for theirs.
      And while everyone in England seems to be worrying about Mbappe, they’ll be doing the same about Harry Kane. I’m sure France defender Rafael Varane is.
      Harry’s had a bit of criticism from some but against Senegal he was absolutely fantastic, linking play and bringing people into it.
      Getting his first goal will give him a big boost — not that he’s ever short of confidence — and he’ll be bang up for this.
      Kane looks right on top of his game again and we’ve seen what he can do at a World Cup when that’s the case.
      Saka and Phil Foden will always be threats whoever they’re up against, while I look at the strength on the bench and just think, ‘Wow’.
      Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount . . . the talent we’ve got to bring on is better than anyone’s.
      And then of course there is Jude Bellingham, who is already a phenomenal player and having such a great tournament.
      Read More on The Sun
      To me it’s a really good squad, so why shouldn’t we go all the way this time?
      First things first, though, let’s beat France — then we really can start to dream.
      England are averaging 65 per cent possession in Qatar More

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      Why did Cristiano Ronaldo not start for Portugal in their World Cup last-16 tie against Switzerland?

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO is one of the most famous players in the history of football and arguably the most famous person in the world.He has scored eight goals in 20 World Cup matches and holds the world record for international goals scored.
      Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring for Portugal against Ghana in the group stagesCredit: Getty
      Over 20 years, his record has been simply stunning.
      Therefore it was a surprise that he was not in the Portugal team for their last-16 World Cup tie against Switzerland.
      However, the decision by Fernando Santos to bench Ronaldo was fully vindicated – as they went on to win 6-1, with the striker coming on with 17 minutes of normal time to go.
      He had started all three of Portugal’s World Cup group games previously and will be in contention for their quarter-final against Morocco.
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      Why didn’t Cristiano Ronaldo start against Switzerland?
      The Portuguese icon, 37, was dropped for their game against Switzerland.
      Fernando Santos has opted to go with Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos, 21, instead.
      Incredibly, Ramos went on to score a stunning hat-trick for Portugal.
      It meant Ronaldo found himself on the bench again, a place he got all-too familiar with for Manchester United earlier this season.
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      That is, before he and the club mutually agreed to tear up his contract.
      Perhaps Santos was hedging his bets, knowing that if the tie went to extra time and penalties, it would have been more useful having Ronaldo come off the bench and score a penalty.

      World Cup 2022Everything you need to know about the World Cup More

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      Morocco vs Portugal: Stream FREE, TV channel, team news and kick-off time for big World Cup quarter-final

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      PORTUGAL will certainly fancy their chances as they face Morocco in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The North African side were epic in their penalty shootout win over Spain, having conceded just once all tournament.
      Achraf Hakimi dinked his side into the World Cup quarter-finalsCredit: AP
      Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick for Portugal against SwitzerlandCredit: Getty
      But Portugal are in top form after thrashing Switzerland 6-1 in the last of the round of 16 clashes.
      Goncalo Ramos scored a brilliant hat-trick after coming into the XI for Cristiano Ronaldo.
      But they can’t get too complacent against Morocco, who have the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal in their ranks.
      When is Morocco vs Portugal?

      Portugal’s clash with Morocco will take place on Saturday, December 10.
      The game will be held at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
      Portugal vs Morocco will get underway from 3pm GMT.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Morocco vs Portugal will be shown live on ITV 1 in the UK.
      You can live stream the action from the ITV X app, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
      Coverage of the game will get going from 2pm UK time.

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      Can I watch for FREE?
      Yes, you can watch Morocco vs Portugal for FREE, so long as you have a valid TV licence.
      Odds

      Morocco – 5/1
      Draw – 11/4
      Portugal – 4/7

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication More

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      Chesney Hawkes aiming to give England’s World Cup rivals France the hump — by belting out The One and Only on a camel

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      LUCKY mascot Chesney Hawkes aims to give World Cup rivals France the hump — by belting out The One and Only on a camel.And the One and Only singer went further by declaring: “I’m going to stick my neck out and say that England are going to win.
      England’s lucky mascot Chesney Hawkes aims to give World Cup rivals France the hump — by belting out The One and Only on a camelCredit: Dan Charity
      Chesney was adopted by the England players as their lucky mascot after performing his 1991 hit during half-time of the final Group B clash with WalesCredit: The Sun
      As well as entertaining locals outside Qatar capital Doha, 51-year-old Chesney showed off his football skills on top of 200ft-high sand dunesCredit: Dan Charity
      “It won’t be easy as the French are a very good team, but so are we. Come on England!”
      As well as entertaining locals outside Qatar capital Doha, 51-year-old Chesney showed off his football skills on top of 200ft-high sand dunes.
      Camel owner Ali Hussein, 32, said: “Chesney is a great guy. He can come and ride my camel again any time he wants.
      “I hope England win on Saturday and go on to win the whole tournament.”
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      Chesney was adopted by the England players as their lucky mascot after performing a rousing rendition of his 1991 hit during half-time of the final Group B clash with Wales — heralding a 3-0 second-half thrashing.
      The Sun then ensured he got to the Senegal game.
      Now he wants tournament bosses to allow him a repeat performance against France.
      Fifa insist a French singer would have to be found too.
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