World Cup

WORLD CUP goers have been hit with the news this morning that alcohol will NOT be available inside stadiums in Qatar.But there is still a way England fans CAN enjoy a refreshing pint within the grounds of each arena.
Alcohol will no longer be served inside any of the eight World Cup venuesCredit: AFP
There is still a way England fans can drink inside stadiums at the World CupCredit: Getty
It has been confirmed that NO booze will be sold in any of the eight World Cup venues, despite promises that alcoholic drinks will be available.
The stunning U-turn from Fifa comes just days before the tournament kicks off and is a huge blow to Three Lions fans.
However, the new rule will NOT apply to official hospitality areas.
So any fans lucky enough to be in corporate seats will still have access to booze.
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Although tickets in the official hospitality areas cost four-figure sums and each box suite has sold for around £20,000.
Those seats have been promised “a selection of drinks available according to custom and preference; soft drinks, beers, Champagne, sommelier-selected wines, and premium spirits” available “before, during and after matches”.
It’s understood the U-turn has come under pressure from Qatar’s Royal Family.
So now any fans with general admission tickets for games will only be able to buy non alcoholic Bud Zero for around £7-a-pop.
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In a hilarious tweet after the announcement, which was quickly deleted, official beer sponsor of the tournament Budweiser said: “Well, this is awkward…”
A Fifa spokesperson said: “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters. 
“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums. 
“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans. 
“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️.”
A spokesperson for the Football Supporters’ Association said: “Some fans like a beer at a game and some don’t.
“But the real issue is the last minute u-turn which speaks to a wider problem – the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters.
“If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.”
It now means the Doha city centre Fan Festival will be the only official World Cup site where fans gan grab an alcoholic drink.
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Prices there for a Budweiser are set at just under £12 – and not even for a full pint.
England kick off their campaign on Monday against Iran, before further group games against USA and Wales. More

THE WORLD CUP is officially the most valuable trophy in football.It has always been worth its weight in gold and now we know exactly what that is.
The coveted Jules Rimet trophy is valued at £227,000 at today’s pricesCredit: Getty
France are the current World Cup holdersCredit: AP
Boffins at Refinitiv Metals Research have worked out that the coveted Jules Rimet trophy is valued at £227,000 at today’s prices.
It is made up of 6.175 kilograms of 18 carat gold, the equivalent of 4.93kg of the pure stuff. 
If England captain Harry Kane were to steal it after lifting it he could have it melted down and flog it for about a week’s wages on the market.
The World Cup easily outstrips Uefa’s top two cups on value which are the Europa League Trophy and Champions League trophies – worth around £8k and £4K respectively.
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Spokesman for Refinitiv Metals Research Federico Gay said: “While the trophy is considered to be priceless by many, its melt-value compared to other major sports trophies places it at the top of the league.
“Although the gloomy economic environment this year has weighed on gold, price levels remain high compared with the period between 2012 and 2018 so if the winning team is feeling the pinch in this economic environment, they could well leave Qatar with a bit of extra cash in their back pockets.”
England’s World Cup campaign starts on Monday against Iran.
Gareth Southgate’s European finalists will also have to fend off challenges from Wales and USA to top Group B.
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The group will not be an easy task with all three of England’s opponents ranking inside Fifa’s top 20.
A knockout route to the final will be more tricky than England’s run to the semi’s in 2018.
Top the group and it’ll be the runners-up from Group A, which will be one of Qatar, Holland, Senegal or Ecuador.
A quarter-final date with France could happen should England get through the opening knockout round.
And if England match their 2018 finish they could meet the likely winners of Groups F and H – Belgium or Portugal.
After reaching the World Cup final as group winners, 2010 winners Spain, 2014 champions Germany or five-time winners Brazil may be waiting. More

BUDWEISER issued a brilliant Twitter response after Qatar banned booze from being sold at World Cup stadiums… before quickly deleting their tweet.The opening ceremony for the winter tournament is just days away, with the hosts taking on Ecuador afterwards.
Budweiser issued a hilarious response after Qatar banned booze being sold at stadiumsCredit: Getty
Fans will not be able to pick up a pint when going to watch World Cup games in QatarCredit: AFP
But footy fans in Qatar will have a dry World Cup after authorities performed a stunning U-turn on alcohol.
It had previously been promised that beer and other drinks would be available at all eight World Cup venues.
However, Fifa chiefs have bowed to pressure from the Qatari authorities and confirmed they will not be selling alcohol at any stadiums.
It’s bad news for official beer sponsor Budweiser, who are now due millions in compensation just one day after Fifa told fans they COULD buy booze at matches.
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It means that the only official World Cup site where fans can have a drink will be the Doha city centre official Fan Festival.
That’s where a Bud costs almost £12 – and it’s less than a pint with the lager being served in 500ml glasses.
And taking to Twitter, Budweiser’s official account posted a hilarious reaction to the news.
They wrote: “Well, this is awkward…”
The now-deleted tweet from BudweiserCredit: Twitter@Budweiser
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Football fans were also in good spirits despite the ban, with one saying: “I cannot watch England play whilst I’m sober next Monday.”
Another laughed: “Just send Bud Light instead, they won’t notice it’s beer.”
One declared: “Send me the beer that will be wasted if you like.”
Another added: “It essentially tastes like water anyway.”
Meanwhile, only Bud Zero will be for sale at stadiums – each measure costing around £7 – and that the promises of alcohol being freely available has been scrapped with immediate effect.

But that will NOT apply to the official hospitality areas, where tickets cost four-figure sums and each box suite has sold for around £20,000.
Those seats and packages have promised “a selection of drinks available according to custom and preference; soft drinks, beers, Champagne, sommelier-selected wines, and premium spirits” available “before, during and after matches”.
That will not be an option for the thousands of fans who have bought normal stadium tickets and represents a huge change that will put Fifa under massive pressure to justify itself.
It is understood that Qatar’s ruling Royal Family has demanded the U-turn, with growing resentment against attempts to force through a more cosmopolitan approach to the tournament.
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Earlier this week, the Qataris ordered Fifa to move some Budweiser concession stands that were deemed too “intrusive” into less visible positions.
And after months of promises that Qatar would recognise that drinking is part of football fan culture worldwide, the sudden change will cause huge anger and upset for travelling supporters.
A spokesman for the Football Supporters’ Association said: “Some fans like a beer at a game and some don’t.
“But the real issue is the last minute u-turn which speaks to a wider problem – the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters.
“If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.” More

TUNISIA will be playing in Group D alongside France, Denmark and Australia.It is definitely going to be a complicated group stage for Tunisia, who will start by facing Denmark and then aim to beat Australia before challenging the World Cup holders, France, in the last group stage match. 

Tunisia’s most difficult test in this World Cup will be the way with which they deal with their first match against Denmark. 
Playing well in this first game and getting a positive result against a tough Denmark team will change everything in the Tunisian players’ minds and make them very confident to win the second match.
Predicted Starting XI
Tunisia will most likely start the tournament with Aymen Dahman as a goalkeeper as he is favoured in comparison with Bechir Ben Said and Sedki Debchi. 
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Here’s how Tunisia are expected to line up
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In defence, head coach Jalel Kadri has got some good options to choose from and he will more likely rely on Mohamed Drãger as a right-back and Hamza Mathlouthi as his backup. 
Wajdi Kechrida proved to be the second-best option for this role alongside Drãger. 
The central defensive duo will most likely include Lorient’s Montassar Talbi and Salernitana’s Dylan Bronn knowing that both of these players have been consistent throughout this first part of the season.
Bilel Ifa and Nader Ghandri have also proven their worth whenever they participated with the national team.
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On the left flank, Ali Maaloul proved during the last few years that he is the best actual left-back in Tunisia.
Moreover, his chemistry with players like Youssef Msakni, Naim Sliti, Wahbi Khazri and others was obvious to everyone and helped Tunisia win numerous games previously. 
Therefore, it would be essential to preserve this kind of chemistry and work on improving it.
Despite these offensive abilities, Maaloul can also be less efficient in defence especially against wingers with great pace such as the ones Tunisia will encounter during the group stage.
Jalel Kadri can also try to adapt his team to suit the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses by switching to the 3-4-3 as he did in last year’s Arab Cup.
This formation might be more balanced for the team against teams like Denmark and France.
In terms of attack, Tunisia doesn’t really have plenty of excellent options and will rely on Youssef Msakni’s magic on the left wing.
Attacking phase
The above graphic shows detailed statistics on Tunisia’s attacking style, their weaknesses and strengths. In fact, what we can understand from this pizza plot is that Tunisia pass a lot inside the final third but don’t score a lot of goals despite shooting so often during games.
Therefore, they will have to improve their finishing accuracy in order to exploit the chances they create and more importantly, it would be important to try shooting more often on goal instead of passing the ball passively.
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On the counter, Tunisia push numbers forward
Moreover, working on the offensive duels would help Tunisia a lot during this World Cup in order to have more possession in their opponent’s half.
The team should focus more on intercepting the ball in their opponent’s half by applying pressure intelligently and efficiently.
Tunisia can be excellent on the counter especially when their players are 100 per cent focused.
In the following picture, Jebali had a counterattacking opportunity in the last minutes of the match and had two teammates asking for the ball as you can see. 
Jebali exploits the use of runners either side by shooting for goal
These two players offered great passing options but at the same time made defenders hesitate.
Jebali exploited this situation in the best possible way by showing that he intends to pass while shooting the ball with great power towards the top left angle to score a beautiful goal.
Defensive phase
When it comes to defending, Tunisia proved during the Arab Cup and the AFCON that they are solid in defence and that they are improving a lot from this aspect. 
The team make a lot of interceptions per match but they still do not win a lot of defensive duels. They need to improve their statistics in this regard in order to be more efficient in defence.
Moreover, the team plays a lot in the air despite not winning a lot of the aerial duels per match.
And at the same time, Tunisia concede numerous shots per game, which can be very dangerous for them especially knowing that they will face teams with great shooting accuracy.
The Tunisian defence will have to be very careful when it comes to passes played at the back of this defensive line.
Since their opponents will certainly include numerous technical midfield players, Tunisia’s defence will have to be attentive to possible penetrations throughout the 90 minutes to not let something like what happened against Brazil occur again.
In the following picture, we can see how Barcelona‘s Raphinha was penetrating through the back of Talbi while Ben Ouanes didn’t try to cover for his teammate.
Defensively, Tunisia have a tendency to switch off
Both players should have defended better in this situation and more importantly, they had to react in a more effective way as soon as Chelsea‘s Thiago Silva crossed the ball.
Such errors might lead to conceding goals, especially against France and Denmark and therefore, Tunisia should be alert to similar actions.
In addition, Tunisia will have to avoid conceding too much space to skilful attacking players inside the final third as such players are usually going to create danger if not score goals, like what Raphinha did in the next picture when Tunisia left too much space for him on the right-wing.
Clever attacking players can exploit Tunisia’s weak defence
Tunisia will face tough attackers in Group D, like in this friendly against Brazil.
Transitions
Tunisia’s offensive transitions are usually quick and quite direct. They rely on one of Skhiri or Laïdouni to start the first pass and then the ball always gets to Msakni or Sliti who are very good dribblers and can advance well with the ball. 
In the next example, Msakni is advancing with the ball and looks at the striker to see if there is a passing possibility.
Quick, direct attacking transitions often to Msakni kickstart Tunisia’s attacks
The Tunisians can also opt for direct passes towards the strikers whenever they detect the adequate opportunity to do so. 
Direct passes from the flanks are angled towards the forward
Attackers 
As mentioned earlier, Tunisia have various options in attack and will mainly rely on Khazri, Jaziri, Khenissi and Jebali.
Although these players are all 29 or older, all of them are still delivering some solid performances with their respective clubs and are capable of helping their national team by scoring goals during this tournament, knowing that they have the experience needed to help the team.
Khazri, for instance, has already scored in the previous World Cup against Belgium and Panama and we can expect to see goals from him.
The same applies to Jaziri who has been excellent during the past few seasons with Al Zamalek and will represent a great weapon for Jalel Kadri knowing that he has some great finishing skills and pace.
Midfielders
We have already explained that this might be the team’s best area as the players existing in this part of the field are excellent and will be fundamental for the team both from a defensive and an attacking perspective. 
Players like Skhiri, Laïdouni, Chaalali, Sassi and probably Ben Romdhane will have a key role during the tournament and will be responsible for dictating how the team will play.
Also, they will have a very delicate mission which is protecting the defensive line and covering when necessary, according to the head coach’s instructions.
Defenders
This might be the most delicate and fundamental section of the team as it is the part that will suffer the most and endure a lot during the group stage, given the quality of the opponent’s attack. 
Tunisia, indeed, have some excellent names in defence.
Nevertheless, it will not be sufficient to be excellent on an individual level.
It is going to be necessary to defend as a unit and have a very organised defensive line in order to avoid mistakes and limit the attacking threats. Otherwise, Tunisia would be in trouble.
Key Player
Tunisia’s key player in this tournament is Youssef Msakni.
The Al Arabi 31-year-old international will be the team’s leader in this competition as he is the most skilful player in the team and the most experienced player to boot. 
Msakni plays in most attacking positions and doesn’t have problems with adapting to different formations or positions.
He plays mainly in all final third positions and can also play as a false nine. But most of all, he excels when playing as an advanced playmaker or as a left winger.
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Tournament prediction
Tunisia will face a tough group with two clear favourites to qualify to the Round of 16: France and Denmark.
The team of Tunisia is also considered almost as good as the Australian one, which makes Group D a big challenge to the African team. More

DENMARK are one of the teams that, although they might not be favourites in the World Cup, are expected to make life difficult for every team that competes against them.The Danes have shown character against some of the most challenging teams in the last calendar year thanks to a squad full of experience and talent and a suitable strategy.

With most of the players playing in the top five European leagues on a club level, it is no surprise that they achieved victories against the current World champions France twice in the Nations League tournament.
The team has also earned six wins in their last seven games of the World Cup Qualifications, making a statement that they will be fighting for the top spot in Group D, where they will compete against Australia, France and Tunisia.
Kasper Hjulmand, who has been in charge of the team since 2020, has managed to build a flexible side that reached the European Championship semi-final last year.
The Danish are expected to show a solid performance off the ball, but to experience struggles with it, considering the lack of a distinguished finisher who can take advantage of the chances created by the experienced midfield.
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Predicted starting XI 
The manager’s tactical flexibility sees him easily switch between 4-3-3 and back-three formations.
It is expected that he will predominantly rely on the 4-3-3 scheme throughout the tournament, although his starting XI is equally as unpredictable as his tactical changes.
However, some players have earned his trust, and he is expected to rely on them for this new challenge.
Denmark’s expected line-up
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The 35-year-old Kasper Schmeichel remains the main option for the goalkeeping spot.
The left-back position will be occupied by Atalanta’s Joakim Mæhle, who is capable of disturbing the opposing players by constantly joining in the attack and creating overloads. 
The other full-back spot is expected to be covered by Rasmus Kristensen. The 25-year-old has been one of the best performers for Leeds and will balance out the team’s defensive performance by compensating for Mæhle’s offensive movement.
Andreas Christensen and Joachim Andersen will be the pair in central defence as they formed a good partnership for Denmark, with Milan‘s Simon Kjær most likely to be left as an additional option, despite his leading qualities and experience.
However, Hjulmand won’t take any risks with his midfield picks, lining up Thomas Delaney, Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg to dominate centrally.
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Christian Eriksen was everywhere in the Nations League win over France
The manager’s quality options in attack are more limited.
It is yet unclear if he will rely on a particular player for the whole tournament or rotate them.
The left-wing is reserved for Mikkel Damsgaard, while the in-form Andreas Skov Olsen will be the threat from the right.
The 25-year-old Kasper Dolberg might get the chance to lead the attack, despite the slow start of his spell at Sevilla, where he is yet to score.
Attacking phase
As already mentioned, the Danish might experience struggles in the attacking phase. 
This is their weaknesses compared to the rest of the teams participating in the World Cup. 
The players’ inability to retain possession in the advanced areas and to win their offensive duels often stops them from creating goalscoring opportunities.
Even in the cases where they manage to reach the final third, the lack of a distinguished finisher results in a low number of goals.
Defensive phase
Things look different defensively for the Danes.
The team try to apply constant pressure on their opponents, and they are good at winning the ball back.
The high press helps them to recover possession in the final third frequently, which means they avoid dangerous attacks and can remain solid defensively.
The only thing that takes off of their defensive performance is Mæhle’s active offensive role.
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Denmark’s Joakim Maehle, right, in action against Austria’s Xaver SchlagerCredit: Reuters
His movement to the advanced areas often means that the spaces behind him can be exploited should the opposition recover possession and make a quick turnover.
However, in most cases, the midfield players do provide additional support and cover depth whenever any of their teammates are out of position.
Transitions
Denmark rely on frequent passing and focus on a high pass completion rate in their aim to retain control of the games.
The team have averaged an 85.3% accuracy of their passes in the last calendar year, which has helped them dominate their opponents.
They actively involve Schmeichel in their ball retention and build-up from the back which allows the team to occasionally move into a more advanced position and bypass the opposing press more easily. 
Attackers
The forwards’ stats are not satisfying enough both at a club and international level.
Surprisingly, one of the most efficient players in front of the goal during the qualifications has been the left-back Mæhle, who has scored five goals. 
Most of the attackers are struggling at club level as well, not getting enough playing time and respectively failing in fulfilling their responsibilities.
Midfielders
The midfielders are the ones that balance out the team’s performance.
As already explained, the manager has relied on experienced players, which all can be described as “key” for their performance both on and off the ball.
The three of them have perfectly split responsibilities and have different profiles, which allows Denmark to achieve that balance.
Delaney is more supportive of the defensive phase and his presence centrally is key for breaking opposition attacks and keeping the ball away from their own goal.
Hojbjerg’s pass map in the Nations League win over France
Højbjerg’s role is connected to ball progression and distribution as he often orchestrates play and supports the team movement with his passing.
Eriksen, on the other hand, is more involved in attacking actions and trying to create opportunities for his teammates. He is also considered a major threat from attacking set-pieces.
The midfielders create a good connection between the lines, although they often lack support from the attacking players as they struggle in exploiting quality areas and making good combinations.
Defenders
The manager has a few defensive options but seems to have found the right partnerships at the back.
The central pair Christensen and Andersen proved solid enough and have minimised the mistakes done in dangerous areas and the number of lost balls in the games.
As mentioned, Kjær is another option for the central defence as his experience and composure can help the team in critical situations. 
However, the timing of his interventions is sometimes off, which results in losing possession or committing fouls, hence the team conceding dangerous attacks.
Key player
Højbjerg is one of the most important players in Denmark’s current set-up, as he is for his club Tottenham, and his player profile shows what are the strengths that make him a leading figure. 
Of course, the focus falls on his passing data, which underlines his distinguished abilities and his contribution to ball progression compared to the average for his position.
As shown, he overperforms in every indicator, starting with the frequency and accuracy of his passes and moving to the number of forward-directed passes. He also provides more passes to the penalty area compared to the other players in his position.
As his defensive stats show, while the frequency of his defensive actions is low, his efficiency is impressive as he succeeds in most of the indicators. His success rate in the direct interventions is positive and above the average for the position.
Tournament prediction
Denmark have a real chance to reach the top spot in Group D, as France have been disturbed by the injuries of key players who are expected to miss the competition.
While they have proved they have the quality to resist every opposition defensively, not being able to convert chances into goals might be a huge deal-breaker for them both in the group and if they eventually proceed to the next stage.
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If they find the right formula in attack, the Danish Dynamite have the chance to move past the round of 16, although, realistically, there are teams with much more quality in the squad.
At the end of the day, at least making it to the Round of 16 is more than expected when it comes to the reality of Denmark in Group D.
For even more detailed analysis of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup 2022, download your copy of the November Total Football Analysis magazine here More