World Cup

Subterms

    More stories

    • 263 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Fans left in stitches as Weston McKennie uses photographer’s BIB to dry his hands before long throw for USA vs England

      by

      USA star Weston McKennie left fans in stitches after he dried his hands on a photographer’s bib before taking a long throw.The US drew 0-0 with England at the Al Bayt stadium in Qatar – and were unlucky not to get more than a point against the disappointing Three Lions.
      USA star Weston McKennie dried his hands on a photographer before taking a long throw
      The two teams played out 90 goalless minutes as Gareth Southgate’s side failed to match the form of their 6-2 opening win over Iran.
      Under-fire Manchester United captain Harry Maguire stunned fans with an impressive set of skill that almost led to an early England goal.
      Chelsea ace Christian Pulisic also rattled Jordan Pickford’s post in what poses as the best chance of the match so far.
      But, for many, it was a non-football related incident that stole the show.
      Read More on World Cup
      And that was McKennie drying his hands before a throw in on the vest of a baffled photographer.
      Fans flooded Twitter to express their bemusement with the midfielder’s move.

      One supporter tweeted: “I love McKennie – wiping his hands on the vest of the photographer before taking the throw-in.”
      Another fan posted: “NO WAY MCKENNIE WIPED ON SOME RANDOM CAMERMAN 😭.”
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
      A third commented: “Did McKennie jus wipe his sweaty hands on a random photographer? 😭😭😭😭😭.”
      This fan wrote: “Weston Mckennie casually using the photographer as a towel.😂.”
      And that one tweeted: “Enjoyed McKennie wiping his hands on that photographer’s bib before taking the throw. Highlight of the game so far.” More

    • 200 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      England fans forced to strip naked and humiliated for wearing £3,000 crusaders costumes at World Cup

      by

      ENGLAND fans have claimed they were stripped naked and humiliated by stadium security staff after dressing as crusaders at a World Cup game.The expat pair – who have asked not to be named fearing reprisals from Qatar’s hardline Islamic regime – said they were turned away five times for wearing the “offensive” fancy dress.
      England fans have claimed they were forced to strip naked by Qatari security officials
      The two fans say they were stopped wearing Crusaders’ outfitsCredit: Dan Charity
      They say they were wearing the costumes in tribute to Monty PythonCredit: Dan Charity
      They missed the first half of the Three Lions’ opening game against Iran after being challenged by a guard who tugged at the outfits and asked: “Are you here to kill Muslims?”
      Both fans – a 56-year-old builder and a 57-year-old engineer – have worked on World Cup infrastructure projects and stadia in Qatar for 10 years.
      They eventually complied with requests to surrender their garb comprising chainmail, helmets and rubber swords.
      But when they attempted to enter to watch the second half wearing t-shirts and shorts they were ushered to a side room and ordered to strip.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      The engineer said: “We are both huge fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and had our costumes handmade in India – they’re brilliant and cost £3,000 each.
      “We thought it would be a laugh to dress up for the game in keeping with the tradition we’ve seen at virtually every previous World Cup.
      “But the staff at the security checkpoints first denied us entry because of our helmets, then they said the shields and rubber swords were a problem, then the tunics were offensive.
      “We ended up going back and forth five or six times to various checkpoints – all the time complying with their requests.
      Most read in Football
      “This went on for two-and-a-half hours and led to us missing the first half so we decided to ditch all the gear as we’d paid more than £180 for our tickets.
      “But as we tried to get in we were taken into a small side room by three staff and told to strip naked. 

      “There was no reason for it – they didn’t even search us – and it was just ritual humiliation. Absolutely appalling treatment.”
      Video circulated on social media showed four officers at a security cordon escorting the pair away before England’s 6-2 triumph over Iran at Doha’s Al Khalil Stadium.
      At one point one of them tugged at my chainmail and asked me: ‘Have you come here to kill Muslims?’England fan
      England fans have supported the team dressed as crusader knight St George – the nation’s patron saint – at every previous World Cup.
      But FIFA officials warned it was unwise to don the costumes in Qatar in light of the Islamic nation’s history.
      The best-known Crusades took place between 1095 and 1291 when Christian armies fought bloody battles to seize Jerusalem and the surrounding area from Islamic rule.
      Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has also warned fancy dress “knights or crusaders” may not be a laughing matter at this World Cup.
      The builder – who has worked on some of the eight stadia built during Qatar’s £185 billion World Cup spending spree – said: “I have many Muslim friends and colleagues here and I was horrified by their conduct.
      FIFA have warned that Crusaders’ outfits may be deemed offensive by MuslimsCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      “We came in fancy dress like many England fans have in the past but these people did not see the funny side at all – they were very nasty.
      “At one point one of them tugged at my chainmail and asked me: ‘Have you come here to kill Muslims?’
      “I told him: ‘I’ve come here to have fun and watch the football mate. What are you talking about?’
      “We were cross about missing the first half by the time we tried to enter wearing ordinary clothes but were both shocked when they ordered a strip search.
      “Three security staff in a very small room stood around us pointing and sneering. It was awful.”
      The engineer said: “I have quite a few tattoos and they spent a lot of time studying them and mocking me. 
      “We weren’t given intimate searches – they just wanted to demean us and teach us a lesson.
      “I couldn’t believe what was happening and when I got down to my underpants I asked: ‘Do you really want to see my penis?’ One of them replied: ‘Yes. Take them off.’
      The two Brits said they had not made any complaints to authorities about the incident.
      The builder said: “Where is the point in this place? If I complained to the police I’d lose my job and get deported immediately – that’s the reality of life here.
      “Everything has been scrubbed clean and whitewashed for the World Cup but everyone here lives in a climate of fear.”
      The pair donned their crusader gear to cheer with England fans at Doha’s Red Lion pub during yesterday’s Wales v Iran game but changed into t-shirts and jeans for yesterday’s game.
      The engineer said: “We’re taking no chances this time – we don’t want to go through that again.”
      FIFA said: “We can provide some clarity on FIFA’s position through our response to you, based on our discussions with the relevant units within FIFA.
      Read More on The Sun
      “FIFA strives to create a discrimination-free environment, to promote diversity across the organisation and in all of its activities and events in accordance with the FIFA Statutes, FIFA’s Human Rights Policy and several other FIFA regulations and codes.
      “Crusader costumes in the Arab context can be offensive against Muslims. That is why Anti-Discrimination colleagues asked fans to wear things inside out or change dress.” More

    • 238 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      England stars warned they face ‘unlimited’ disciplinary action if they wear rainbow armband at World Cup by FA chief

      by

      OUTRAGED FA bosses have revealed Fifa threatened England with “unlimited disciplinary action” if players wear rainbow armbands at the World Cup.And that could even have included a points deduction.
      Three Lions’ skipper Harry Kane was disappointed he couldn’t wear a rainbow armbandCredit: Alamy
      Kane and Co have taken the knee at their two World Cup games so far but he decided against wearing a rainbow armband after Fifa intervenedCredit: Rex
      FA chief executive Mark Bullingham is also angry Fifa only told the Three Lions just before they set off for Monday’s World Cup opener with Iran.
      England skipper Harry Kane was upset he was unable to wear the band against Iran or the USA on Friday after hearing the punishment could be worse than a yellow card or a fine.
      And Bullingham says the FA are “frustrated, angry” at the manner of Fifa’s “outrageous” intervention.
      He told ITV Sport: “We have been clear that we wanted to wear it and we were committed.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      “We announced that we would do that in September, we had a lot of meetings with Fifa over that period and on Saturday before the game we felt we’d reached an understanding where we would wear it.
      “We hadn’t got permission but we would face a fine for it. 
      “Unfortunately then on the day of the game they gave us ten minutes notice – two hours before we were due to go to the game… they came here with five officials and they ran us through a scenario where at a minimum anyone wearing the armband would be booked and face disciplinary action on top of that.
      “It was unlimited. They would take disciplinary action against any player that was wearing the armband on top of having a yellow card.”
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      He confirmed that could mean a ban for future games.
      Asked to describe Fifa’s behaviour, he said: “The level of feeling is very high. We are frustrated, we’re angry, we thought it was outrageous the way this was handled.
      “That doesn’t move us anywhere we wanted to go.  We wanted to show our support to the community and were not able to do so.”
      Bullingham stressed the FA are sympathetic to the view that England should have defiantly donned rainbow armbands anyway.
      But he added: “We felt that we couldn’t put the players in that position – the World Cup which many of them had dreamt of playing in since they were young – suddenly they may not be able to play a part in it.” More

    • 250 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      ‘We’ll see if they’re laughing in a few weeks’ – Roy Keane offers scathing assessment of England’s World Cup campaign

      by

      ROY KEANE offered a scathing assessment of England’s World Cup chances – and was then told to “cheer up” by his ITV colleagues.The Manchester United legend has already hit the headlines at the tournament in Qatar after his epic row with Graeme Souness earlier this week.
      Roy Keane was told to ‘cheer up’ after his brutal assessment of England’s World Cup campaignCredit: Getty
      He went on a rant after watching England’s stars enjoying their downtime after the win over IranCredit: Getty
      And the Irish hardman had viewers in stitches again in the build-up to England’s clash with USA after ITV showed footage of the Three Lions squad enjoying their down time after the 6-2 win over Iran.
      It featured his fellow panellist Ian Wright joining the camp for a game of darts.
      Keane was less-than-impressed and, even though he admitted that the mood in the camp was naturally high, that they are ultimately at the World Cup to win it.
      He said: “They’ve had a good start, six goals.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      “I never believe all that nonsense about team spirit, I never hear a manager or in the media say there’s a bad spirit in the group.
      “There should be after the game and three or four days away.

      “They look happy, playing a game of darts, they’re going to be upbeat.
      “The most important thing is winning football matches, let’s see if they’ll laugh in a couple of weeks.”
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      His ex-United colleague and former England star Gary Neville was alongside him in the studio and burst into laughter along with Wright.
      And England women’s icon Karen Carney was pitchside and said: “He needs to cheer up.
      “We’ll see at the end Roy, we’ll see at the end.”
      And England may have proved Keane right as they put in a lifeless display to draw 0-0 with the Americans to leave top spot in group B in the balance. More

    • 225 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Flamengo ‘target shock Cristiano Ronaldo free transfer in time for Club World Cup’ after Man Utd contract termination

      by

      CRISTIANO RONALDO is being lined up for a shock move outside Europe.That’s because Brazilian giants Flamengo are reportedly lining up a swoop.
      Brazilian side Flamengo are lining up a deal for Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Getty
      And they want a deal done in time for Ronaldo to play at the Club World Cup – and a potential clash with former club Real Madrid.
      The Portugal legend is a free agent after leaving Manchester United.
      And Veja claims Flamengo chiefs are already talking with sponsors over how to finance a potential deal.
      It’s reckoned the samba side want to offer Ronaldo a three-month contract.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      That would allow the ace to play for them at the Club World Cup in February.
      And Ronaldo could then either sign on for the rest of 2023 or choose somewhere else to ply his trade.
      It remains to be seen if the 37-year-old fancies a move to South America though.
      Ronaldo has been strongly linked with a move to boyhood club Sporting Lisbon.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
      And there could even be an offer from Saudi Arabia coming his way.
      Australian A-League chiefs also want to join the bidding war.
      But after pocketing mammoth wages at United, Ronaldo may have to lower his demands to continue playing at the top level. More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      BBC cameraman ‘denied entry’ to World Cup stadium ahead of England-USA clash by Qatari authorities over watch strap

      by

      QATARI authorities allegedly prevented two BBC journalists from entering the stadium ahead of England’s World Cup clash with the USA over a rainbow-coloured watch strap.Natalie Pirks, a BBC Sports Correspondent, claimed on Twitter she was held up outside the Al Bayt Stadium after security spotted her cameraman was wearing an Apple Watch with a rainbow-coloured strap.
      BBC Sports’s Natalie Pirks claimed she wasn’t let in ahead of England’s World Cup clash
      She claims her cameraman was stopped wearing a rainbow watch strap
      England are playing the USA at Qatar’s Al Bayt StadiumCredit: AP
      The reporter shared a picture of her cameraman’s watch, which also had a rainbow-coloured wallpaper on the screen, on her Twitter.
      “Just arrived at the Al Bayt stadium for England’s game and my cameraman, wearing the rainbow-coloured watch strap his son got him, was stopped by security and refused entry,” she wrote.
      “Clearly the message from FIFA is STILL not getting through.”
      LGBTQ+ rights have been under the spotlight in Qatar since the start of the tournament, where homosexuality is illegal.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      Same-sex relationships in the country are punishable by imprisonment or even death.
      Some supporters and members of the media have had items of clothing with rainbow flags confiscated, and ex-Wales women’s captain Laura McAllister was filmed being told to remove her rainbow-coloured bucket hat.
      McAllister, who is gay and a past FIFA Council candidate, said she was told by security she couldn’t wear the hat for Wales’ World Cup opener against the USA.
      She said she then smuggled the hat into the stadium.
      Most read in Football
      In another farcical scene, the team captains of seven UEFA federations including England performed a U-turn on wearing the One Love armband after FIFA said they risked being booked.
      The issue has become so tense that Qatar have since been forced into issuing an assurance to FIFA that the rainbow flag will “not be prohibited” at stadiums in the World Cup.
      Natalie later confirmed that they had been allowed in after calling a hotline set up for journalists and TV crews having issues getting into stadiums.
      “We are now in,” she wrote. “To their credit the Qataris have set up a hotline for crews experiencing problems, this managed to help us eventually get past security.”
      Clearly the message from FIFA is STILL not getting throughNatalie PirksBBC Sports Correspondent
      Other bizarre scenes have taken place at this World Cup, with reports of Wales fans wearing striped bucket hats in the red, yellow, white, and green colours of the country also being told to take them off after they were mistaken for rainbow colours.
      And Qatari officials seized a Brazilian fan’s flag after wrongly believing it to be the LGBTQ rainbow.
      In shock scenes captured on video, security were seen confiscating the flag of Pernambuco State, because it resembles a rainbow in the colours red, yellow, and green.
      A number of football federations have raised similar issues with FIFA, after being promised before the tournament that it would be an open World Cup.
      The global governing body has now sent a note to federations that the tournament’s organising committee has assured that rainbow items will no longer be confiscated.
      And UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly insisted that Qatar have taken “real steps” to ensure the safety of gay fans attending the World Cup.
      Reports claim that security at stadiums have been given instructions to prevent further so-called “localised incidents”.
      However, Natalie’s experience suggests that the message hasn’t been received at all the stadiums.
      Read More on The Sun
      England kicked off against the USA at 7pm in a hotly-anticipated Group B match.
      Victory tonight would confirm qualification to the last 16, after Wales were beaten 2-0 in a shock defeat by Iran.
      Natalie said they were eventually let in after calling a special hotline More

    • 188 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Hundreds of England fans face missing kickoff vs USA with half-hour delays getting into ground

      by

      HUNDERS of England fans are set to miss the first few minutes of the crucial World Cup clash with USA.The Three Lions take on the Americans at the Al Bayt Stadium and a win could seal a place in the Last 16 after their 6-2 triumph over Iran.
      Hundreds of England fans will miss the opening few minutes against USACredit: EPA
      Huge traffic problems will cost England fans the first few minutes against USA
      According to Good Morning Britain correspondent Jonathan Swain, however, many England supporters will not be in the stands for kick-off.
      That is because of “huge traffic queues” on the road to the football ground..
      Swain tweeted: “Many England fans will miss the start of kick off – as huge traffic queues on the roads to get to the stadium. Utter Traffic chaos.”
      ITV commentator Laura Woods added there are half-hour delays for drop-offs too.
      Read More on World Cup
      England are looking to break one of their World Cup curses when they take on USA.
      The two teams have faced off only twice in the past and the Three Lions have never managed to beat the Americans.
      The United States served the likes of Stan Mortensen and Tom Finney with a major upset in 1950 when their part-time players won 1-0 in Brazil.
      They met up again in 2010 when the nation’s Golden Generation drew 1-1 with the US after Rob Green’s famous howler in goal
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
      England boss Gareth Southgate has gone for the same line-up that disposed of Iran on Monday.
      Jordan Pickford starts in goal with Kieran Trippier at right-back and Luke Shaw on the other side, while Harry Maguire and John Stones team up at centre-back.
      Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice link up in midfield with Mason Mount at No10.
      Bukayo Saka plays down the right wing with Raheem Sterling on the other side, while captain Harry Kane leads the attack. More

    • 263 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Brazil dealt huge blow as Neymar CONFIRMS injury following Serbia win but insists he will play through the pain in Qatar

      by

      CROCKED Neymar insists he’ll return to play in pain after being ruled out of Brazil’s final two World Cup group games.The PSG striker called it “one of the hardest moments of my career” after damaging his ankle ligaments in Thursday’s 2-0 win over Serbia.
      Brazil striker Neymar was replaced by Man Utd winger Antony late on against Serbia but believes he will return later in the tournamentCredit: EPA
      Neymar was taken off with a swollen ankle late in Brazil’s 2-0 victoryCredit: PA
      Team doctors believe Neymar, 30, will be out for at least a week after he had to be replaced by Manchester United winger Antony late in the game.
      But he roared from his heart in an Instagram post to reassure home fans he WILL be back in action in Qatar.
      The 122-cap superstar, who has hit 75 international goals, posted: “The pride and love I feel wearing the shirt is inexplicable. 
      “If God gave me the opportunity to choose a country to be born in, it would be BRAZIL.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      “Nothing in my life was given or easy, I always had to chase after my dreams and my goals. Never wishing someone harm but helping those in need.
      “Today has become one of the hardest moments of my career… and again in a World Cup.

      “I have an injury yes, it’s annoying, it’s going to hurt but I’m sure I’ll have the chance to come back because I’ll do my best to help my country , my team-mates and myself.
      “Long wait for the enemy to take me down like this? NEVER!
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      “I am the SON OF THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE and my FAITH is endless.”
      Neymar’s 2014 World Cup was ended by a fractured vertebra when Colombia’s Juan Camilo Zuniga kneed him in the back during Brazil’s 2-1 quarter-final victory.
      And amongst the ex-Barcelona hero’s other injuries was a nasty ankle injury that kept him out for several weeks last season. More