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      Fans all saying the same thing as Bukayo Saka scores two England tournament goals following Euro 2020 penalty heartbreak

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      FANS have all been saying the same thing after Bukayo Saka netted twice in England’s 6-2 win over Iran.The Arsenal winger scored the Three Lions’ second and fourth goals of the game to put them in control in their World Cup opener.
      Bukayo Saka volleyed home England’s second goal against IranCredit: Reuters
      Jude Bellingham had headed England in front, but Saka’s strikes got fans talking.
      Many are suggesting that it is his redemption after missing a penalty in the shootout of the Euros final last year.
      One tweeted: “I cheered this goal like a Man United player scored it.
      “Saka was racially abused after missing that penalty against Italy, at Euro 2020, I bet those same s*** bags are cheering him right now.
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      “Redemption for the 21-year-old.”
      Another said: “Saka’s redemption arch continues.”
      A third added: “Little piece of redemption for Saka in an England shirt. I feel like a proud dad.”
      A fourth chimed in with: “Very happy for Saka.
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      “Redemption arc after the way the Euros ended – fitting with his form at Arsenal this season. Lovely finish.”
      Raheem Sterling made it three for England before half-time.

      Saka scored his second goal of the game in the 62nd minute after a good run into the opponent’s box.
      Marcus Rashford also got his own bit of redemption after his penalty miss at the Euros.
      The Manchester United forward netted with his third touch of the game after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it five for England.
      Jack Grealish also got in on the act as England won 6-2.
      Saka and co can now look forward to facing the USA and Wales as they look to make it out of Group B. More

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      Fans all say the same thing after Mason Mount appears to sing God Save The QUEEN in anthem gaffe ahead of England v Iran

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      ENGLAND fans were left chuckling after Mason Mount seemed to sing the wrong words to the national anthem.The Chelsea ace was named in the starting line up for the Three Lions’ World Cup opener against Iran.
      Mason Mount appeared to sing the wrong word during the national anthemCredit: BBC
      England stars sing the anthem before taking on IranCredit: Getty
      The 23-year-old stood alongside his fellow team-mates ahead of the game – which England won 6-2 – and proudly belted out the words to the national anthem.
      But, awkwardly for Mount, eagle-eyed lip readers appeared to notice the midfielder getting the words wrong.
      BBC cameras seemingly picked up Mount singing “God save our gracious Queen”, rather than King.
      For the first time since the 1950 World Cup, England have had a king as monarch during the tournament after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in September.
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      The 1950 edition was also the first time the Three Lions competed at a World Cup.
      George VI, Elizabeth II’s father, was on the throne at the time.
      And Mount appeared to forget the words to the anthem after Elizabeth II’s long 70-year reign.
      Reacting to the apparent gaffe, One fan wrote on social media: “Can’t blame him to be honest, I’m still not used to it.”
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      Another said: “Someone tell Mason Mount we have a King now please!”
      A third pointed out: “Mason Mount said God Save The Queen instead of King….pretty sure a good few England fans have forgotten to say king instead of queen?”
      And a fourth said: “I swear I just lip-read Mount still singing Queen rather than King.”
      Mount looked lively on the pitch when the game kicked off, looking to make things happen in midfield.
      Jude Bellingham headed the Three Lions ahead on 35 minutes, before Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling made it 3-0 before the break.
      Saka added another with substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish also getting in on the act as England won 6-2.
      Mount celebrates with Jude Bellingham after England’s opening goalCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      World Cup camps can feel like being in PRISON… if England get over that they can win tournament, says Emile Heskey

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      WORLD CUP camps can feel like being in “prison”, revealed Emile Heskey.And he believes the England squad will need to create a dynamic and fun environment to survive in the roasting Doha desert.
      England need a strong squad cohesion behind the scenes as well as on the field in QatarCredit: Getty
      Emile Heskey believes this Three Lions squad can go all the wayCredit: Rex
      But if they do that, the former striker reckons the Three Lions can keep their shackles off to go all the way and WIN the World Cup.
      Heskey featured at the tournaments in Japan and South Korea as well as in South Africa – so knows the kind of challenges Gareth Southgate’s squad face on and off the field.
      He told SunSport: “With Qatar being a small country, the players will likely be locked away in their hotel when they aren’t training or playing games.
      “With this, they will need to create a network of the people within the squad for harmony, which will create a fun atmosphere.
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      “You don’t want it to become routine where every day is the same, that will flatten the atmosphere.
      “From my experience during the 2002 South Korea World Cup, Sven-Göran Eriksson made sure we left the hotel as a squad quite a bit.
      “We went to the shopping mall together, went for walks together, even went to restaurants together rather than having meals in the hotel.
      “I never struggled with it, but many players did during my time and I can see why many players used to say it was like being in a prison because you had to be in certain places at specific times and you could only go to a few places outside the hotel.”
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      England kicked off their Qatar 2022 campaign against Iran today, with Jude Bellingham unpicking the first lock – hopefully the first of seven matches up to December 18.
      And Heskey believes the quality and experience of this Three Lions squad – who are aiming to go one step further than their Euro 2020 final heartache – can pip their fellow big hitters in the Middle East.
      The 62-cap former striker, 44, added in partnership with Paddy Power: “England have been in a semi-final and final in the last two major tournaments, so the next step is winning it, but we all know how tough that is.
      “England do have a good chance of lifting the trophy at the end of the tournament and that is down to the camaraderie and the togetherness of everyone.
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      “Bringing everyone together is proven by their recent performances in the last two tournaments, but now there is a lot of pressure on the team to make that next step.
      “For me, I’d love England to get to the semi-final as a minimum, and then we see where we can go from there.
      “France are missing a few players to injury but have a brilliant squad, maybe it is Lionel Messi’s World Cup, and a lot of people are saying Brazil.
      “I wouldn’t put it past us to win the World Cup, but it will be tough.”
      There have been reports of struggles in previous camps but Gareth Southgate has changed the ethosCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      Heskey in action against Brazil at the 2002 tournamentCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      Glam England Wags celebrate in stands during World Cup clash with Iran after leaving £1bn ‘floating palace’ for big game

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      ENGLAND’S glamorous Wags celebrated in the stands as the Three Lions ripped Iran to shreds with a 6-2 win in their World Cup opener after giving fans a sneak peak inside their £1BILLION “floating palace”.On Sunday, wives, girlfriends and family of our home heroes boarded a flight from Manchester to London, before making the seven-hour journey to the Middle East.
      Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davison celebrated during England’s first-half goal spreeCredit: Dan Charity / Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
      Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood was spotted beaming in the standsCredit: Dan Charity / Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
      Bukayo Saka’s partner Tolami Benson was spotted in the stands ahead of England’s clash with IranCredit: Getty
      James Maddison’s partner Kennedy Alexa was spotted in the ground having earlier shared a snap of their son on board the Wags’ yachtCredit: Dan Charity / Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
      Kyle Walker’s partner Annie Kilner wore shades inside the Qatar stadium ahead of England vs IranCredit: Dan Charity / Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
      Many of England’s Wags are staying aboard the stunning MSC World Europa – the cruise liner so luxurious it’s been dubbed the “floating palace”.
      Photos of their stay at sea have already started to surface on social media as the Three Lions’ better halves wasted no time in settling in – heading straight to the ground for Monday’s big kick-off.
      And they were able to celebrate a superb 6-2 win as England trounced Iran.
      Jack Grealish’s partner Sasha Attwood, 26, was among those spotted in the stands before the game, along with Harry Kane’s wife Katie Goodland.
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      Jordan Pickford’s wife, Megan Davison, 26, was also in attendance at the stadium, along with Kyle Walker’s partner Annie Kilner.
      Harry Maguire – given the nod against Iran despite his shaky Manchester United form – has his family out with him again, too.
      Sister Daisy, 22, uploaded a series of snaps on Instagram, including a view from their balcony aboard the luxury liner, a shot of the inside and another of her arriving at the Khalifa International Stadium.
      Defender Conor Coady’s wife Amie shared pictures of herself and their three sons – Henri, Freddie, and Louie – all in “Coady 16” jerseys outside the ground.
      Harry Kane’s wife Katie Goodland was among the England Wags inside the groundCredit: Dan Charity / Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
      Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davison was spotted in the stands for the matchCredit: Dan Charity / Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd
      Conor Coady’s wife Amie and three sons all wore England kits for the big gameCredit: Instagram
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      Bukayo Saka edged Phil Foden for a starting spot in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI for Monday’s opener against Iran.
      And the Arsenal star’s girlfriend Tolami Benson, 22, celebrated by proudly sharing a snap of herself wearing an England jersey before being spotted in the stands ahead of kick-off.
      James Maddison – a surprise yet welcome call-up to Southgate’s 26-man group – is unavailable for the Iran game due to injury.
      But that didn’t stop partner Kennedy Alexa from sharing her World Cup fever.
      Kennedy, 28, shared a sweet snap of their one-year-old son Leo Cruz wearing a “Maddison 25” jersey as he toddled around the cruise liner.
      She captioned the adorable post “game day” before later being snapped inside the stadium.
      Raheem Sterling, starting vs Iran despite his patchy club form for Chelsea thanks to his exceptional record for England, has also seen his loved ones arrive in Qatar.
      Partner Paige Milian, 27, shared a heart-warming video of their kids – wearing “Sterling 10” jerseys – walking outside the enormous ship, jokingly dubbed “HMS Wag”.
      The huge vessel comes kitted out with seven swimming pools, 13 whirlpools and a luxurious yacht club.
      Tolami Benson had earlier shared a snap of herself on board the Wags’ £1bn cruise liner wearing an England shirtCredit: Instagram @tolami_benson
      James Maddison’s son toddled around the cruise liner ahead of the gameCredit: Instagram
      Raheem Sterling’s family touched down in Qatar on Sunday nightCredit: Instagram @paigemilian
      Daisy Maguire shared a glimpse inside the ‘HMS Wag’ cruise linerCredit: Instagram
      The £1bn luxury cruise liner on which the England Wags are staying, as shared by Sterling’s partner Paige MilianCredit: Instagram @paigemiian
      The MSC World Europa cost £1bn and is the home to England’s Wags for the World CupCredit: AP
      However, the England Wags will also be joined by avid Three Lions followers in Qatar.
      At one end of the “floating palace” there’s £23,000-a-night luxury hotel suites while less fussy fans on tighter budgets can pay a bargain £75 to bunk in shared rooms.
      As well as somewhere to stay, the ship is also a way to dodge Qatar’s strict laws on booze which include a zero-tolerance policy for drinking or appearing drunk in public.
      There are 30 bars and cafes on board to cater for thirsty fans, as well as a nightclub to kick on for after-hours fun.
      The five restaurants on-board include French and Italian eateries as well as a sushi bar.
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      The “Sportplex” zone offers basketball, bumper cars and even a roller disco rink, while there is even a shopping mall on board.
      In total, around 3,000 fans will be able to stay on the 92,600-ton ship. More

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      BBC iPlayer viewers fume with iPlayer DOWN at start of England’s World Cup opener with Iran

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      FANS were left fuming at the BBC after iPlayer went down and left them unable to watch or listen to the start of England’s World Cup adventure on BBC iPlayer.The Three Lions kicked off against Iran in their Group B opener at 1pm this afternoon.
      England fans were left fuming after a problem on BBC iPlayer left them unable to watch the big gameCredit: Twitter
      The Three Lions kicked-off their World Cup today against IranCredit: Getty
      The problems on iPlayer left many unable to watch or listen to the actionCredit: Twitter
      Fans were also unable to listen to the game via BBC commsCredit: Twitter
      Millions will have been tuning in to BBC One to catch all of the action from the game.
      However, loads were left raging after a problem with BBC’s iPlayer forced them to miss the kick-off, which led to Gary Lineker apologising for the troubles at half time.
      They were also unable to tune-in to the commentary on BBC Radio Five Live due to the technical issues – and they quickly took to Twitter to vent their anger at the Beeb.
      One wrote: “How is BBC IPlayer down during the flipping World Cup?? Poor from BBC!”
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      Another tweeted: “Trying to get in and watch the game on the BBC iPlayer and its down. What the hell is that all about?”
      A fellow viewer trying to tune in said: “BBC iplayer down? Useless @BBCiPlayer sort your stuff out.”
      Another said: “BBC iplayer is down two minutes before kick off. F***ing fantastic.”
      While another raged: “Why the F*** has BBC iPlayer crashed during the first WC game.”
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      England boss Gareth Southgate was himself fuming as his team were denied an early penalty against Iran.
      But he was soon more than happy.
      A double from Bukayo Saka and more from Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford saw England win 6-2. More

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      Female TV reporter is robbed live on air at Qatar World Cup – then left stunned by cop’s brutal response

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      A TV reporter had her wallet nicked live on air at the Qatar World Cup – and then was stunned by a cop’s brutal response.Dominique Metzger believes a thief unzipped her handbag while she was interviewing dancing supporters ahead of the opening match in Doha last night.
      Dominique Metzger says she was robbed live on air in QatarCredit: Todo Noticias
      She was interviewing fans before Qatar’s opening matchCredit: Todo Noticias
      She says a pickpocket unzipped her bag while she was distractedCredit: Todo Noticias
      The journalist, who works for Argentine TV station Todo Noticias, told viewers she lost credit cards, money and documents.
      The pickpocket was not caught on camera but the channel showed the moment he is believed to have struck just out of view while she was speaking to another fan.
      She told viewers later: “I was dancing with the crowd.
      “I’m convinced it was at that moment when someone opened my bag’s zipper and took my wallet.
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      “I didn’t realise then because I was in the middle of the crowd while on air, with loud music and talking to you guys.”
      Dominique said she filed a complaint at a police station in Doha – in a separate area for women only.
      Officers told her the Corniche area of the capital was under camera surveillance.
      She said cops promised to identify the culprit – and that she could choose his punishment.
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      Stunned Dominique said: “They told me, ‘What do you want justice to do about this?
      “‘We will find the wallet… We have cameras everywhere, high-tech cameras and we will find the thief with face detection technology.
      “‘What do you want justice system to do to them when they are found?’
      “‘Do you want us to sentence him to five years in prison, to be deported?’
      “He asked me to make the decision.
      “I told them I just want my wallet back, I won’t be making the decision for the justice system.”
      The controversial Qatar tournament is set to be the most heavily surveilled sports event ever.
      Fans are being monitored by 20,000 cameras and face recognition technology around the eight stadiums, according to reports.
      Hosts Qatar lost the opening game 2-0 to Ecuador on Sunday night.
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      Earlier the BBC snubbed the glitzy opening ceremony starring Morgan Freeman.
      Instead the broadcaster showed a chat between Gary Lineker and pundits including Alan Shearer.
      Dominique on camera as she mingled with fans in Doha last nightCredit: Todo Noticias
      She was robbed while interviewing Qatari supportersCredit: Todo Noticias More

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      World Cup supporters roast terrible breakfast with doughnut for £200-a-night deal and fans are all saying the same thing

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      WORLD Cup fans have slammed a sad looking breakfast allegedly being served at the fan village in Qatar.Football fans have had to fork out nearly £200-a-night to stay in tents or shipping containers in pop-up accommodation.
      Picture widely shared allegedly showing the breakfast from the Qatari fan village
      Qatar desperately had to erect the fan camps the cope with the huge influx of visitors for the controversial World Cup.
      Fans have already slammed the tent and cabin village as a “rip off” with some describing them as feeling “unfinished”.
      Qatar has 1,800 tents and 6,000 cabins near Doha for the World Cup.
      Tents can set you back £175-a-night – and punters have been sharing a picture of a box of grub that was said to have been served to fans.
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      The “breakfast box” shows a sandwich, an apple, a “potato-looking” muffin and a doughnut.
      It also comes with a kids’ lunchbox style carton of juice, a tiny water bottle, and a sachet of instant coffee in a paper cup.
      The food box also includes a little plastic packet of honey.
      Fans were left unimpressed by the alleged breakfast – and it latest piece of scran to cause a stir in Qatar.
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      The picture was shared multiple times on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit – receiving tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of shares.
      “£200 to sleep in a plastic tent in the desert and eat something that looks like airline food?” wrote one fan.
      Another added: “Genuinely thought they had been given a potato, then realised it was a muffin.”
      Others said “200 quid a night for this?” and “looks like a packed lunch I got on primary school trips”.
      Qatar has already faced questions over organisation of the World Cup – with reports weeks before the start that the nation simply was not ready.
      Confusion over the sale of beer, infrastructure problems and reports of crowd trouble at the fanzone have already surfaced.
      The tiny country is expected to welcome more than one million fans during the tournament – when the country only has a population of 2.9million.
      Billions have been spent to try and ready the nation for its first attempt at holding an event of this scale.
      “Wait, are you supposed to drink the instant coffee cold?,” another fan wrote of the breakfast.
      Others added “that Nescafé budget coffee sachet just tops it off” and “honestly I’ve had better breakfasts in hostels”.
      However, many other fans were happy with the breakfast and said it was no worse that what you get in budget hotels.
      “That looks decent [to be fair]. Better than a lot of hotel breakfasts I’ve seen,” one said.
      Another added: “All the English hooligans kicking off because its not a bacon roll [&] acan of lager.”
      Others wrote “looks better than what is served in most UK stadiums” and “it looks nicer compared to some stuff I have had on planes”.
      And another fan said: “To be fair it looks OK. But for 200£ you would get something immensely better anywhere else.” More

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      Who is England vs Iran referee Raphael Claus? Brazilian referee at the 2022 World Cup

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      THE Qatar World Cup is here and Raphael Claus has been confirmed as the referee for England vs Iran in the opening round of group games.The South American will join 38 other officials in the middle east as the best teams in the world battle it out for World Cup glory.
      Raphael Claus has been appointed as a referee at this year’s World CupCredit: Reuters
      Here is all the information you need on the man in the middle.
      Who is Raphael Claus?
      Raphael Claus was born in 1979 in Santa Barbara.
      He is one of two Brazilian referees officiating at the tournament, with Wilton Sampaio also making the trip.

      Clauss currently represents the Brazilian Serie A league, refereeing over 40 games in the last 12 months.
      However, he also has experience of blowing his whistle in international tournaments.
      In June 2019, Clauss was selected to referee the Under-20 World Cup, taking charge of the semi-final between Ukraine and Italy.
      The 43-year-old has since been involved in several Copa America matches, officiating in the third placed-final between Colombia and Peru.
      Raphael Claus refereed Lionel Messi and Argentina in the last yearCredit: Getty
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      More recently, Clauss has overseen plenty of South American World Cup Qualifying matches, most notably watching both Colombia and Chile miss out.
      He has refereed Argentina three times in the last 12 months, producing 19 yellow cards in that time.

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