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      Inside Qatar’s ‘vagina-shaped’ stadium that will host SIX World Cup 2022 games

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      ALL eight stadiums are ready to host the 2022 Qatar World Cup, however one in particular has caught the attention of the fans for the wrong reason.The Al Janoub stadium located in Al Wakrah, 12 miles south of Doha, was the first of the new stadiums to be completed in the run up to the Qatar World Cup.
      The Al Janoub stadium has caught the attention of fans due to it’s resemblance to a vagina
      However the stadium instantly caught the attention of fans in 2019 due to it’s similarities in appearances to female genitalia.
      The 40,000 seater was designed by Dame Zara Hadid, who was also involved in designing the Aquatic Centre for the London 2012 Olympics.
      Her inspiration for the aesthetic was the flowing shape of a dhow sailing boat as well as traditional Arabian pearl diving and a fishing vessel.
      Hadid was quick to bite back at fans comparing her work to the female genitalia saying: “It’s really embarrassing they come up with nonsense stuff like this.
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      “What are they saying? Everything with a hole in it is a vagina? That’s ridiculous.”
      The stadium will be used to host five group stage games, the first of which being France vs Australia, as well as one round of 16 fixture.
      The Al Janoub stadium will also play host to Ghana vs Uruguay in a repeat fixture from the 2010 quarter finals which saw Luis Suarez handle the ball on the line to help push Uruguay through.
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      Despite the crude remarks, the stadium will be equipped with fully functioning air-conditioning help keep the players and spectators cool in the Qatari winter heat.
      Once the competition is over, the top of the stadium will be dismantled and passed onto the developing world as part of the tournaments legacy. More

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      Furious England fans reveal how they will dodge Qatar booze ban in World Cup stadiums

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      DEFIANT England fans have vowed to still “get p****d” before games in the wake of Qatar’s sudden stadium booze ban. The announcement comes despite supporters previously being promised they could drink beer in stadiums throughout the tournament.
      Defiant England fans have revealed how they plan to get around Qatar’s sudden stadium alcohol ban
      Furious fans have vented after the shock booze ban announcement
      But some supporters have shared how they plan to get around the new rule
      The stunning booze ban comes just two days before the tournament kicks off.
      But while Fifa buckled under pressure from the Qatari authorities, it appears Three Lions fans won’t let it get in their way.
      One supporter told The Sun: “It won’t dampen my experience too much because I will just get p****d before the games.
      “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
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      But not every fan had such a sunny outlook on the booze ban.
      “To be honest I am very annoyed”, said another supporter.
      “The whole time they have been telling us that you can buy booze in the stadium, which we were all very excited about.
      “Now the day before the World Cup starts we have been told we can’t buy booze there.
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      “Everyone knows that English people love a drink”.
      The disappointed fan added that he now fears the ban could suck some of the atmosphere out of the stadiums.
      He said: “Before I would be buzzing before game days and get to the stadiums early and get the drinks in, to get yourself hyped up for the game.
      “Now there’s no point in getting there early.
      “Just get there when the game kicks off. No drinks to buy so it will be a sober day really.”
      The sudden alcohol U-turn comes amid fears over Qatar’s strict booze laws.
      Alcohol isn’t illegal in Qatar, but there is zero tolerance for drinking in public and being drunk in public is a crime.
      Drinking in a public place could result in a prison sentence of up to six months – and/or a fine up to QAR3,000, the equivalent of £696.29.
      Visitors could find themselves nicked for public drunkenness even if they have only had a tiny tipple, due to the unclear nature of the host nation’s alcohol laws.
      Last month, Qatar’s World Cup chief Al Khater said authorities will attempt to avoid arrests for fans that have had one too many by placing them in ‘sobering up tents’.
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      He told Sky News: “There are plans in place for people to sober up if they’ve been drinking excessively.
      “It’s a place to make sure that they keep themselves safe, they’re not harmful to anybody else.” More

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      3 cheap strikers who could mix it with the superstars in Dream Team World Cup

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      EVERY Dream Team World Cup manager wants to stack their team with superstar strikers.But that isn’t always possible when you pick a strong defence and stack your midfield with the big guns.
      And if that’s the route you’ve gone down when putting your team together, you might have to identify a bargain or two up top.
      Fear not! We’ve selected three affordable strikers who have the potential to mix it with the world’s big hitters.

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      Dusan Vlahovic
      Serbia will feel privately confident of their chances in QatarCredit: Reuters

      Country: Serbia
      Price: £3million

      The Juventus man could be one to watch over the course of the next few weeks.
      After a stunning 2021/22 season in which he scored 29 goals, he’s continued that fine form for The Old Lady this term (7G, 2A in 15 games).
      Serbia finished ahead of Portugal in qualifying and have a strong attack with Vlahovic likely to lead the line alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Filip Kostic, Dusan Tadic and Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic providing the service.
      Mitrovic is the much more fancied out the pair by Dream Team World Cup bosses but given Vlahovic is £1million cheaper than his strike partner, he fits the bill for those in need of a bargain.
      Steven Bergwijn
      Netherlands have a favourable groupCredit: EPA

      Country: Netherlands
      Price: £4million

      Netherlands should not be underestimated this winter and neither should their No7.
      Bergwijn has eight goals and three assists for Ajax this season and his form at international level has been equally as impressive.
      The ex-Spurs forward has six goals in his last nine international games, benefiting from Louis van Gaal’s attacking tactics.
      The Oranje should storm their way through their group which also includes Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal sans Sadio Mane.
      Breel Embolo
      He could be the Breel dealCredit: Reuters

      Country: Switzerland
      Price: £3.5million

      Switzerland may well be dark horses in Qatar.
      Not only did they top Italy in qualifying, they’ve beaten Portugal and Spain already this year.
      Embolo scored against Luis Enrique’s side and he’ll be the man to lead the line for his nation in the coming weeks.
      He has eight goals and four assists for Monaco so far this campaign which is a more than respectable return on top of three goals and three assists in his four appearances in an injury-hit qualification campaign.

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      Why does Cristiano Ronaldo do his new ‘sleeping’ celebration?

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      RENOWNED for his iconic “Siu”, Cristiano Ronaldo has debuted his new ‘sleeping’ celebration which has got the world talking.CR7’s trusty ‘Siu” celebration has become a fan favourite, often echoing around stadiums after scoring for both club and country.
      Cristiano Ronaldo performing the ‘Siu’ in front of the Old Trafford faithfulCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Spectators in Qatar will be hoping to witness the celebration live and in person, however it seems as though Portugal’s star man has found a new way to celebrate.
      After introducing the world to his new ‘sleeping’ celebration earlier on in the season, Ronaldo has fans in speculation on what it could mean.
      Why does Ronaldo do his new ‘sleeping’ celebration?
      After first performing the celebration after netting the winner during Manchester United’s 2-1 win against Everton in October, fans believed the celebration could be a nod to him finally scoring his 700th club career goal or even a dig at manager Erik Ten Haag for making him a regular on the bench.
      However club media at Manchester United has since revealed the pose to be an inside joke between the club legend and the other players, with the position replicating how Ronaldo sleeps when travelling with the squad.
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      United released a statement reading: “We can now reveal that Ronaldo’s celebration was a self-deprecating in-joke with his fellow team-mates, highlighting the strong bonds among the players in Erik ten Hag’s squad.”
      They continued “CR7’s celebration at Everton was amusingly a nod to the position in which he sleeps when travelling with the squad, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by his team-mates who are all eager to learn from him.”
      Just like the “Siu”, fans and players have copied the icon’s new pose, including teammate Alejandro Garnacho who asked Ronaldo personally if he could use the celebration.
      With this now in his locker, fans will be left to speculate which celebration he will use if he is able to score for Portugal during the World Cup.
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      Ronaldo isn’t the only player at the world cup with an iconic celebration however, as Kylian Mbappe’s arms crossed as well as Lionel Messi’s point to the sky.
      All three will be strong contenders looking to claim the golden boot, showing off their much loved celebrations in the meantime. More

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      Lionel Messi ‘MISSES Argentina training’ just four 4 days before opening World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia

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      ARGENTINA have suffered a major World Cup scare as Lionel Messi missed training today.The South American nation come into the tournament full of hope and on the back of a 35-match unbeaten run.
      Lionel Messi failed to train with the rest of his Argentina team-mates outside todayCredit: Reuters

      But the whole country will be sat nervously awaiting an update on their talisman after the 35-year-old failed to appear alongside his team-mates for practice this afternoon.
      Sky Sports started the doubts when reporting from Argentina’s training session as they stated: “We haven’t seen Lionel Messi yet.
      “He might be joining up later, he might be on a different programme to everyone else.
      “But so far we haven’t been able to spot him.”
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      Messi will be desperate to add the one prize that has so far evaded him by firing Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.
      He suffered heartbreak in the 2014 World Cup Final but he did help them to beat Brazil to claim the Copa America last year.
      Argentina stretched their unbeaten run to 35 matches last night with a 5-0 win over United Arab Emirates in Dubai and can equal Italy’s record by avoiding defeat to the Saudi’s.
      But manager Lionel Scaloni revealed earlier this week that a number of his men are struggling.
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      He said that Cristian Romero, Nicholas Gonzalez, Paulo Dybala and Alejandro Gomez are all suffering with injuries.
      And he hinted that he could be considering making some changes ahead of the tournament’s start next week.
      He said: “We have days to decide.
      “There are some players who are physically troubled. The truth is that we are not sure that these 26 players are all in the squad, luckily, we have days to decide if we have to make any modifications.”
      Argentina begin their World Cup campaign with a clash against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
      They then take on Mexico before facing Poland in their final Group C clash on Wednesday 30 November. More

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      Jarrod Bowen brushes off World Cup snub as he heads to Disneyland with Love Island star girlfriend Dani Dyer and her son

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      WEST HAM star Jarrod Bowen is getting over his World Cup snub with a trip to Disneyland with girlfriend Dani Dyer and her son.The attacker was left out of Southgate’s final England squad, but he was all smiles as his former Love Island contestant girlfriend shared pictures from their trip.
      Jarrod Bowen is getting over his England snub at DisneylandCredit: Instagram @danidyerxx
      The West Ham forward went with his partner Dani DyerCredit: instagram
      Bowen took Dyer’s son Santiago on one of the ridesCredit: Instagram
      He has not found his best form for the Hammers this seasonCredit: Getty
      The couple posed in front of the Disney castle, and in another clip Dyer showed off one-year-old Santiago looked delighted as he played with a bubble machine.
      While the England team prepare for their game with Iran in the blistering heat in Qatar, Bowen and his partner watched as the Disney characters went past, including Mickey Mouse and Goofy.
      The forward got fully into the mood by wearing a Mickey Mouse hat.
      Bowen would have been disappointed not to have made the England World Cup team as he was called up earlier this year following a fine season for West Ham.
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      The 25-year-old was instrumental in his side’s run to the Europa League semi-finals before the heartbreak defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.
      He made his debut for England in the 1-0 defeat to Hungary and played the full 90 minutes.
      This season, however, the forward started slowly but showed signs of improvement as he began to find the back of the net.
      Although, much like the West Ham team, he has struggled to maintain his form and has only scored twice in his 15 Premier League appearances this season.
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      The Hammers did have one player make it to Qatar as captain Declan Rice got the call from Southgate.
      The midfielder is expected to play a key role for the Three Lions in the heart of midfield.
      England’s campaign starts with their group fixture against Iran on November 21, after that they will face the USA and Wales. More

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      A Dream Team insider reveals their World Cup XI on the eve of kick-off in Qatar

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      TIME to put my cards on the table.Dream Team World Cup scoring officially gets underway on Sunday when hosts Qatar take on Ecuador.
      I’ve tinkered with my XI every day for the last fortnight and I’ve finally settled on a line-up that I’m happy with… for the first week of fixtures at least.
      Please indulge me as I explain my selections…

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      A mini-league winning unit (hopefully)Credit: DREAM TEAM
      I decided to splash the cash on not one, not two, but three premium forwards.
      Donating nearly half my £50million budget to just one position has it’s risks but I’m hoping the sheer firepower three Golden Boot candidates will result in plenty of points.
      Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe look particularly strong picks in the opening week with Argentina taking on Saudi Arabia and France set to face Australia.
      And I got the chequebook out again to recruit Kevin De Bruyne, Dream Team World Cup’s most-expensive midfielder.
      The Manchester City playmaker is averaging a goal involvement every 94.6 minutes in the Premier League this season so surely he’ll have a field day against Canada and Morocco in his first two fixtures?
      I’m not 100% sure than Jamal Musiala is a starter for Germany but he should be as he’s arguably been the best player in the Bundesliga this term.
      The 19-year-old is a prodigious talent and with nine goals and eight assists for Bayern Munich in 2022/23, Hansi Flick will surely build the team around him this winter.
      Bring home the bacon, lads!Credit: getty
      Completing my midfield is Andreas Skov Olsen who scored five goals and provided three assists for Denmark in qualifying.
      The Club Bruges winger is arguably his country’s most consistent goal threat and he’s £1.5m cheaper than Christian Eriksen.
      My expensive forward line meant I had to shop around for some bargains at the back, starting with Sergio Rochet between the sticks.
      From what I can tell, he’s likely to be Uruguay’s first-choice goalkeeper over the experienced Fernando Muslera, which makes him dirt-cheap at £2m.
      Switzerland conceded the fewest goals in European qualifying so I’m hoping for a clean sheet from Ricardo Rodriguez and Silvan Widmir against Cameroon on Thursday morning.
      Granted, this may be a short-sighted strategy as they take on pre-tournament favourites Brazil in their second group game but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
      Manifesting a Switzerland clean sheet against Cameroon
      Fingers crossed Leander Dendoncker either starts or comes off the bench against Canada as I think he’s reasonably priced at £3m for Belgium regular – I debated Manuel Akanji in this spot but thought three Switzerland defenders would have been overkill.
      Last but by no means least, a defender I’ve had in my XI since the very first draft, Joakim Maehle.
      Denmark’s left-back was brilliant at Euro 2020 and he scored five goals during qualifying – you can’t ask more than that from someone in his position!
      Call me crazy but I fancy Kasper Hjulmand’s side to top Group D above France and make it to the quarter-final stage.
      That could come back to haunt me but I’m willing to back them in the first week at least as people with more knowledge than me aren’t expecting much from Tunisia.
      All I’ve got to do now is resist the urge to make any changes before the action gets underway…

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      Son Heung-Min WILL be fit for South Korea’s World Cup 2022 opener against Uruguay, insists closest pal

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      SON HEUNG-MIN will be fit for Korea’s World Cup opener against Uruguay – according to one of his closest pals in football.The Spurs star has been training in a specially adapted face mask after suffering a fractured eye socket in a Champions League clash with Marseille a couple of weeks ago.
      Son Heung-Min has been backed to start for South Korea against UruguayCredit: Reuters
      Son has been training with a face mask after having surgery on his fractured eye socketCredit: The Sun
      He was only able to rejoin his team-mates for anything approaching a full session earlier this week.
      And it is still far from certain that he will be risked in Thursday’s Group H opener against the South Americans.
      Yet Korean legend Koo Ja-Cheol, who is working in Qatar as a TV pundit for his homeland, insists it is unthinkable that his big buddy will not be in the line-up.
      Ja-Cheol, who won 76 caps before his international retirement in 2019, said: “He plays with such passion that I don’t think anyone would be able to stop him.
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      “He never wants to miss out and although he’s not been able to do any heading yet, he will push himself very hard. I expect him to start.
      “With the mask it’s uncomfortable of course, it wouldn’t be 100 per cent condition. But from what I know of him that’s the way it will be.
      “Look, we need to score – I think we will need two to win and who can score for Korea? Everyone says Sonny. “
      Son trained with his eye mask earlier this week, shortly after undergoing surgery on his fractured socket.
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      It led to boss Paulo Bento admitting he wasn’t sure whether Son would even be able to train ahead of the World Cup.
      Bento said at the weekend: “We don’t have that information yet. We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department.
      “We need to wait, we need to analyse day by day his situation.
      “We have time to decide and the most important is he recovers as well as possible, he feels comfortable and then we will take the final decision.” More