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      I’m the England fan who crashed in sheikh’s £460m mansion in Qatar – we got up to some mind-blowing antics

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      AN ENGLAND fan in Qatar who partied with the son of a sheikh at his £460m palace after meeting him in a supermarket has revealed exactly what happened on their wild night.Alex Sullivan, 23, posted pictures of himself with a lion cub during his first night out at the World Cup in Qatar.
      England fan Alex Sullivan shared footage of himself playing with a lion cub in Qatar
      He and the sheikh chilled in his garden with his pet lion cubCredit: SnapChat
      He also filmed as the sheikh drove them through Doha in his Lamborghini
      The Three Lions fan had been shopping with his dad Tommy and friend John at a Doha supermarket for beer when they claim to have met a member of the ruling Emir of Qatar’s family.
      After the chance meeting, the three said they were invited for a drive in his Lamborghini back to his immense palace, featuring its own private zoo.
      Although apprehensive at first about being in the £460m mansion, they described their mega-rich hosts as “incredibly generous and hospitable”.
      Alex described the sheikh as “down to earth and friendly,” adding: “We had a really good conversation with them.”
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      The story went viral as football fans around the world were left stunned at their unbelievable adventure.
      Alex told The Mirror: “They were incredibly generous and hospitable and we had a great time. They had been asleep most of the day but they took us for a drive in the Lamborghini. I filmed that and also played with a lion cub.
      “He had his own personal zoo with the lion cub, various birds of prey and some monkeys. They are obviously very powerful people in business. The palace was worth about two billion Qatari Riyal.
      “But they were so down to earth and friendly, we had a really good conversation with them.”
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      Alex’s story first hit the headlines after his mate John was interviewed by talkSPORT wearing an Everton and England t-shirt at a fanzine in Qatar.
      John told talkSPORT: “We met one of the sheikh’s sons and he took us back to the palace and he showed us, he had lions and everything.
      “They’ve made us so welcome and look around you, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
      But after many expressed scepticism at his claims, Alex shared a video appearing to back up his story.
      In one piece of footage shared on his Snapchat, he is seen walking up what seems to be the palace’s driveway.
      We met one of the sheikh’s sons and he took us back to the palace… he had lions and everythingJohnEngland fan in Qatar
      He says: “We’re on a beer mission, trying to get beers back at the gaff and I’ve only managed to get us back to a f***in’… a naughty one with Nawaf and Abdul-Aziz.”
      Alex then adds: “We’ve just rocked up.”
      In another piece of footage, he is seen sitting outside under floodlights next to a set of football nets with a group of men dressed in traditional long white Qatari robes and headdresses.
      Alex then sits down on a chair and begins kissing and petting a lion cub that comes over to play with him.
      “F***in’ mad,” he says.
      A third clip shows him playing PlayStation 4 with the sheikh inside his extravagant mansion.
      Alex, who works in e-commerce, and Tommy, are both diehard Everton fans from the Wirral.
      Retired lorry driver Tommy said he was enjoying the World Cup, after setting aside £20,000 for the month-long extravaganza.
      He said that they met some Iranian fans in a bar ahead of the World Cup clash with England on Monday.
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      “We met some Iran fans in a bar and they were hugging us and shaking hands,” he said. “We agreed that we had to buy the drinks if they won, or they buy if we won.”
      With England demolishing Iran 6-2, he added: “That is going to be a big round!”
      They also played PlayStation 4 inside the mansionCredit: SnapChat
      Alex has been documenting his trip to Qatar on his Snapchat account
      The Brits say they have been impressed with Qatar so farCredit: Twitter
      They met the sheikh while at a supermarket trying to find beer
      He shared the clip of him zooming through the streets of Doha More

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      Roy Keane and Ian Wright bump into Man Utd flop Diego Forlan in Qatar as they take break from ITV punditry duties

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      ROY KEANE and Ian Wright had a surprise encounter after taking a break from punditry duties.That’s after bumping into Manchester United flop Diego Forlan at the Qatar World Cup.
      Roy Keane and Ian Wright bumped into Man Utd flop Diego Forlan in QatarCredit: Twitter
      Keane and Forlan know each other well from their time together at Man UtdCredit: Getty
      The Uruguay legend, 43, is in town to cheer on Luis Suarez and Co in Thursday’s group stage opener against South Korea.
      Forlan netted 36 goals in 112 appearances for his country.
      And he was all smiles as he posed for a photo with ITV pundits Keane and Wright inside a cafe.
      The trio all looked relaxed in casual gear as they beat the heat with a drink indoors.
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      And there are sure to have been plenty of fun tales exchanged, with the trio each enjoying fine playing careers.
      Indeed, Forlan and Keane know each other well after working together for Manchester United.
      But while the Irishman had a fantastic Old Trafford career, Forlan’s was less successful.
      The striker only scored 17 goals in 98 games under Sir Alex Ferguson.
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      And he was cut loose after just three seasons as he failed to adapt to English football.
      Forlan did manage to win a Premier League title and FA Cup alongside former captain Keane.
      And he quickly rebuilt his career by getting amongst the goals at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.
      Uruguay are now hoping he can prove to be their talisman as they look to negotiate a tricky group that also includes Portugal and Ghana.
      But they must first get past Son Heung-Min’s South Korea tomorrow.
      Since retiring from professional football in 2019, Forlan has turned his hand to management.
      He took charge of Penarol in his homeland a year later, but was sacked after just 11 matches.
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      Forlan fared little better at next club Atenas, lasting 12 games before getting the chop in September 2021.
      And he is yet to take a third job in the dugout. More

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      ‘Maybe it’s because of my name’ – Kevin De Bruyne BAFFLED by MOTM award as he slams his World Cup performance

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      KEVIN DE BRUYNE was left utterly confused after being awarded the Man of the Match award following Belgium’s World Cup win over Canada.Roberto Martinez’s side undeservedly scraped a 1-0 win on Wednesday evening despite being dominated by their North American counterparts for the majority of the 90 minutes.
      Kevin De Bruyne and Belgium struggled to get any control in the midfield against CanadaCredit: Getty
      The Man City man does not feel he deserved the Man of the Match award
      De Bruyne did manage 48 touches, four crosses and four key passes during the match.
      As a result, he was awarded the individual accolade immediately after the game.
      However, the Manchester City playmaker was not on board with the decision to hand him the honour as he criticised his own display.
      Speaking after picking up the award, he said: “I didn’t play a great game.
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      “I don’t know why I won it, maybe because of my name! 
      “We didn’t play as a team, we didn’t find any solutions. We were not brave enough.”
      Belgium take on Morocco on Sunday afternoon, before rounding off their group stage against Croatia four days later.
      And the Red Devils’ head coach Martinez is aware his side need to significantly improve if they are to be considered contenders to win the World Cup.
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      He said: “It was the worst performances in tournament we’ve had. But was it the worst game? No, because we won in the World Cup. 
      “It was such a difficult game and Canada were much better than us.
      “We had to show another side of our play and I’m delighted we won through grit. 
      “The victory is more important than playing well but we need to play better and grow. 
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      “This tournament is going to make you develop and grow as the tournament goes on. If you do that by winning games, it’s an incredible advantage.
      “Today we didn’t win by our normal talent and quality on the ball, but you don’t win in the World Cup if you don’t do the other side of the game.” More

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      Harry Redknapp: Gareth Bale is now arguably Wales’ best EVER.. but Kieffer Moore is World Cup 2022 secret weapon

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      IT WAS easy to see why Gareth Bale got all the headlines after winning — and scoring — the penalty that earned Wales a point against the United States.I’d now rate him alongside John Charles as the greatest Welsh footballer of all time — and as someone who saw the Gentle Giant play, I never thought I’d say that.
      Gareth Bale has already made his mark on the World Cup for WalesCredit: Getty
      Harry Redknapp thinks he knows how Wales can make it through the groupCredit: Splash
      What a career he’s had — and what a dream he is for a manager. I know that as well as anyone after working with him at Tottenham.
      He’s very similar to Luka Modric in that they’re both family men, both great trainers, great attitudes, perfect role models… as is Harry Kane, I should point out.
      You’re never worried about picking up the paper and seeing pictures of any of them falling out of a nightclub or making the wrong sort of headlines.
      When he took the penalty against the US, there was no doubt where it was ending up.

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      It might sound obvious but what a striker of a football Gareth is.
      So Gareth scored the goal and got the spotlight… but he wasn’t the one who changed the game for Wales.
      That was Kieffer Moore, who came on at half-time and gave a perfect example of everything I say about the modern game — that the age of the big, bullocking centre- forward has gone.
      Years ago every team would have a Duncan Ferguson-type figure. A forward who’d put themselves about, be a real nuisance and was generally just a real handful.
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      And the centre-halves trying to cope with them obviously had to be big and strong as well to meet the challenge.
      If you were up against a 6ft 4in fella built like a brick outhouse, you would have to be a certain build yourself or you would just be bullied out of it.
      But the modern striker is all about movement, buzzing around, and the centre-backs changed accordingly. They got smaller as well — became more footballing defenders.
      So when Wales chucked Moore into the equation on Monday, suddenly they were a totally different team and the States really couldn’t cope.
      Kieffer Moore could be the answer to Wales’ World Cup hopesCredit: Reuters
      There was a focal point to the team, which allowed Bale to get forward and on the ball a lot more… and we saw what happened.
      Now, at 33, Gareth’s not running past opponents so much but popping up all over the pitch — and he only needs half a yard in that final third to get a shot away.
      As for Moore, I’ve seen a lot of him at Bournemouth this season and he wins virtually every header he goes for, whether it’s corners, free-kicks or long balls from the back.
      You play it up to him, he holds it up, backs into defenders and puts the fear of God up them because they’re simply not used to playing against blokes like him any more.
      These days everyone wants to be a No 10, strolling around the place, buzzing round feet.
      Read More on The Sun
      Kieffer is a great throwback to the old-school strikers but the other night he was the one who changed everything for Wales.
      He might not have got the headlines his performance deserved — but I’m sure he got plenty off Gareth and the rest of the Welsh lads, because they’ve got a right chance now. More

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      Watch Alphonso Davies ‘END Youri Tielemans’ career’ as he leaves Belgium star on backside with quick feet at World Cup

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      FOOTBALL fans concluded that Canada star Alphonso Davies “ended Youri Tielemans’ career” with a sumptuous piece of skill at the World Cup.Roberto Martinez’s men somehow edged past the North American underdogs 1-0 on Wednesday evening despite being thoroughly outplayed.
      Alphonso Davies put Youri Tielemans on his backside with a neat piece of skillCredit: AP

      And the Leicester midfielder was left in heap on the floor as Davies darted beyond himCredit: AP
      And while Davies, 22, did miss a penalty early on for his side, he was still one of the best players on the pitch.
      His superb technical prowess was typified by a moment in which he left Tielemans, 25, on his backside.
      The Bayern Munich winger flew down the left flank before chopping back inside with a lovely flick.
      And it sold Leicester man Tielemans all ends up as he crumbled to the floor.
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      The camera then caught Davies flying past the Belgian as he laid flat out on the grass.
      The clip did the rounds online and people were quick to poke fun at just how silly Davies made Tielemans look.

      Reacting on social media, one person said: “He’s just ended Tielemans career.”
      Another added: “Alphonso Davies absolutely ruined Tielemans there, oh my word.”
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      A third said: “Alphonso Davies just COOKED Tielemans 😭🇨🇦.”
      And an Arsenal fan, whose club have been linked with a move for the midfielder, hilariously reacted: “I don’t want us to go for him in January now as I’ll never be able to get that image out of my head.”
      Next up for Canada is a clash with Croatia on Sunday, while Belgium take on Morocco earlier in the afternoon.
      And Martinez knows his side will have to improve significantly if they are to go deeper in the tournament.
      He said: “It was the worst performances in tournament we’ve had. But was it the worst game? No, because we won in the World Cup. 
      “It was such a difficult game and Canada were much better than us.  We had to show another side of our play and I’m delighted we won through grit. 
      “The victory is more important than playing well but we need to play better and grow. 
      Read More on The Sun
      “This tournament is going to make you develop and grow as the tournament goes on. If you do that by winning games, it’s an incredible advantage.
      “Today we didn’t win by our normal talent and quality on the ball, but you don’t win in the World Cup if you don’t do the other side of the game.” More

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      ‘I won’t pick a side’ – Bruno Fernandes opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man Utd exit after ‘dream’ link-up with legend

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      BRUNO FERNANDES warned rivals that Cristiano Ronaldo will shake off his Manchester United misery by firing Portugal to World Cup glory.Ronaldo was sacked by United on Tuesday on the back of his bombshell TalkTV interview with Piers Morgan in which he tore the club to shreds.
      Bruno Fernandes speaks ahead of Portugal’s clash with GhanaCredit: PA
      Cristiano Ronaldo trains with Portugal after being axed by Manchester UnitedCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      It was not the ideal preparation for his nation’s World Cup opener against Ghana today.
      But Portugal team-mate and former Old Trafford pal Fernandes said: “We know these issues can affect individual players.
      “Cristiano could have been worried at a specific moment but we know what the World Cup means for him.
      “He mentioned the 2016 European Championships was a great achievement for him, and I’m sure his focus has always been there for this tournament.
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      “With Cristiano being so famous there is always a huge noise about what is going on.”
      The racket grew even louder yesterday when he was hit with a two-game FA ban and fined £50,000 for smashing a phone out of a fan’s hand at the end of United’s defeat at Everton in April.
      Despite the damage inflicted on the Red Devils by the global icon, Fernandes says it was still a dream to play alongside him at Old Trafford – if only for a season and a bit.
      Fernandes added: “I don’t feel uncomfortable. I don’t have to pick a side.
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      “It was a privilege to play with Cristiano at the club, a dream and I’ve always said that.
      “Cristiano has always been an inspiration for me. It was a dream come true to be able to play with him, it was great for me and good while it lasted.
      “Cristiano took a different decision for his life, his career and we have to respect such decisions. Every decision has to be respected.
      “As players but also as parents and brothers, we know it might be difficult to take some decisions but these decisions have to be for the wellness for ourselves and our families.
      “He hasn’t discussed it with me. It’s his decision, an issue pertaining to him and his family.
      Cristiano has always been an inspiration for me. It was a dream come true to be able to play with him, it was great for me and good while it lasted.Bruno Fernandes
      “We are all focussed on the national team, on the World Cup, you’re all aware of that, how important playing for the national team is for all of us.”
      It had seemed Fernandes was unhappy with Ronaldo when a video emerged of them meeting up for World Cup duty with what looked like a frosty exchange.
      But Fernandes claims it was about him arriving later than his team-mate, with Ronaldo asking if he had travelled to Qatar on a boat.
      He said: “I was in a plane for two hours so I was not in the same mood and he made a joke. He could laugh, I couldn’t.”
      Fernandes said it was Ronaldo’s decision to part ways with United but it was actually club chiefs who decided to terminate his deal, without compensation, with just six months remaining.
      Ronaldo’s interview with Morgan was the final straw for Reds big-wigs who, along with the playing staff and manager, had already grown tired of the megastar’s behaviour.
      Yesterday, it looked like Portugal coach Fernando Santos, 68, had grown tired of it too.
      The controversy attracted over 200 journalists to a press conference ahead of today’s Group H clash with 20 cameras trained on the top stage.
      The throng had hoped for Ronaldo himself, as captain, to turn up with the coach – as is normal on the eve of matches.
      While he ducked it, the questions about the global icon flowed, first Fernandes’ way as Santos rubbed his face in apparent frustration.
      Then it was his turn.
      Santos said: “It is something we have not even talked about on the pitch, or when we are resting.
      “The important thing is the players are absolutely focussed on what we want to do here.
      “We have a target, we are preparing to provide joy and fun for the Portuguese people, to make them happy.”
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      Unfortunately for Santos the Ronaldo issue still won’t go away.
      As Fernandes said himself – ‘there is always a huge noise’. More

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      World Cup 2022 – Wales vs Iran: Stream FREE, TV channel, kick-off time for huge Group B clash

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      WALES take on Iran in their second Group B game at the 2022 World Cup. The Dragons have a tough group to navigate, having already drawn 1-1 with USA and a clash with England still to come.
      Iran took on Wales in their group at the 2018 World CupCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Gareth Bale may see Qatar 2022 as his last opportunity to play at a World CupCredit: AP
      Iran have some experienced players, including Sardar Azmoun and ex-Brighton midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
      The Middle Eastern side will be giving it their all to reach their first ever knockout stages at the World Cup, but they got off to an awful start as they lost 6-2 to England on Monday.
      But Robert Page’s Dragons will also want to progress, with the tournament likely being one of superstar Gareth Bale’s last as a Wales international.
      Bale moved to LAFC in the summer, and may see his plying opportunities for Wales decrease as he gets older.

      When is Wales vs Iran?

      Wales’ big clash with Iran will take place on Friday, November 25.
      The game will kick off at 10am UK time, which is 1pm local time.
      Wales vs Iran will take place at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
      The stadium was opened in 2003 and can hold up to 50,000 spectators.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Wales vs Iran will be shown live on BBC One in the UK.
      You can live stream the action from the BBC iPlayer, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

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      Is Wales vs Iran FREE to watch?
      Yes, the game is available to watch for FREE, so long as you have a TV licence in the UK. More

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      World Cup 2022 – Portugal vs Ghana: Stream FREE, TV channel, kick-off time as Cristiano Ronaldo returns for country

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      PORTUGAL face Ghana in their first clash at the World Cup as Cristiano Ronaldo sets out to win football’s most coveted prize.Ronaldo won Euro 2016 as Portugal captain but he’s still looking for major success in the World Cup.
      Cristiano Ronaldo is still looking to win his very first World CupCredit: Getty
      Ghana qualified for the 2022 World Cup with a win over NigeriaCredit: AP
      They were knocked out of the 2018 tournament in Russia at the round of 16 stage, losing 2-1 to Uruguay.
      And with time running out for Ronaldo on the international stage, this is likely his last chance to win it all.
      Ghana will also be looking to put a showing in similar to their 2010 heroics, when they reached the quarter-finals.
      But they couldn’t be up against a tougher task in their first group game against Ronaldo and Co.

      When is Portugal vs Ghana?

      Portugal’s clash with Ghana will take place on Thursday, November 24.
      The game will kick off from 4pm UK time.
      Portugal vs Ghana will be held at Stadium 947 in Qatar’s capital Doha.
      The two sides have played each other once before – at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and the game finished 2-1 to Portugal.

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      What TV channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Portugal vs Ghana will be shown live on ITV 1 in the UK.
      You can live stream the action from the ITV Hub, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

      Can I watch for FREE?
      Yes, the game is available to watch for FREE in the UK, so long as you have a TV licence. More