World Cup

Subterms

    More stories

    • 250 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Major change to Baddiel & Skinner’s Three Lions as they give it Christmas revamp for England’s 2022 World Cup bid

      by

      COMEDIANS David Baddiel and Frank Skinner today unveil their new Christmas version of Three Lions ahead of the World Cup.The duo have reworked their 1996 anthem, with new lyrics exclusively revealed in The Sun. Sir Geoff Hurst and Lionesses Jess Carter and Beth England also star in a festive video.
      World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst appears in the video for the new track
      David Baddiel and Frank Skinner unveil their new Christmas version of Three Lions ahead of the World Cup
      The team behind the song hope it can go to No1 next Friday and help give the England team a boost — just like it did in Euro 96
      As England prepare for Monday’s opener versus Iran, Frank said: “We just had to do it.”
      The comedians have also reunited with singer Ian Broudie to record the new version.
      The original famously referred to “30 years of hurt” for England’s footballers but that has now been raised to “56” — though it is a mere “20 weeks” for the women.
      The Sun first revealed in September that Baddiel, 58, Skinner, 65, and Lightning Seeds singer Broudie, 64, were updating their hugely popular song.
      READ MORE ON 2022 WORLD CUP
       They officially released the track today — three days before England kick off against Iran in Qatar on Monday — and shared their new lyrics exclusively with Sun readers.
      Skinner said: “We just had to do it. Christmas World Cup songs are not like buses.
      “If we’d let this opportunity pull away, it would have been a very long wait for the next one.”
       Baddiel quipped: “It’s between me and Mariah Carey for who really is the voice of Christmas.”
      Most read in Football
      The trio have included some of the highlights of the past 26 years – notably the Lionesses’ Euros win at Wembley in July.
      It kicks off with them in England’s victorious press conference – with Skinner singing: “Loving that Lionesses win.”
      The first chorus then gets in the festive spirit, with: “Three Lions on a sleigh, with She-Lions inspiration. Santa says let’s play, the Christmas tree formation.”

      The comedians also poke fun at themselves, with Skinner referring to his past booze addiction.
      Baddiel sings: “When they decided on Qatar, should have checked VAR. It’s too hot, and too far – so we’ll be snowflakes watching it here. This is our time of year, we’ll be having a beer . . . ” 
      The exclusive look at the song’s revamped lyrics
      The Lionesses get honoured in the new version – but it’s just ’20 weeks of hurt’ for the womenCredit: Rex
      To which Skinner chips in: “Actually I won’t because I’ve got alcohol issues.”
      Christmas gets more mentions as a commentator says during a match: “What a cracker of a game . . . England are giving them a real good stuffing . . . Ding Dong Merrily on Sky . . . oh no it’s not on Sky . . . it has to be on terrestrial doesn’t it? . . . for legal reasons.”
      Baddiel and Skinner also had to lengthen England’s trophy drought — but only for the fellas. In one of the final choruses they change “30 years of hurt” to “56 years of hurt – for the men’s game”. The comedians, along with a child choir, then sing: “20 weeks of hurt, for the women’s game obviously.”
      In the video, Baddiel and Skinner come face to face with their 1990s selves, as they sit on their tatty old telly furniture.
      The pair also decorate a Christmas tree — topped with the Jules Rimet Trophy from 1966 — while wearing festive jumpers.
      England’s 1966 hero Sir Geoff Hurst turns up on a doorstep with kids singing carols before tearing open his coat to reveal a festive sweater. Also singing in the video are Lionesses Jess Carter and Beth England, while moments from their Euros success play throughout.
      The team behind the song hope it can go to No1 next Friday and help give the England team a boost — just like it did in Euro 96. 
      Released in May that year, it hit No1 where it stayed for three weeks. The first reworking, Three Lions ’98, also topped the charts during the World Cup two years later.
      In total it has sold almost two million copies – and been streamed tens of millions of times. In 2018 it was played 450,000 times in a day when England beat Colombia at the Russia World Cup.
      Earlier this year Baddiel revealed that fans wrongly believe he rakes it in from royalties. 
      He said: “I want to say to them, ‘Do you know how much you get from Spotify?’” He claimed it had been calculated that 16 million plays earns the three writers about £900 between them, adding: “I can’t retire on that.” 
      Read More on The Sun
      Last month Broudie spoke of his pride at the Lionesses belting it out at manager Sarina Wiegman’s winning press conference. He said: “They all ran in and danced on the tables, singing Three Lions. That was a great thing for me.”
      It comes as a new set of photos of England players with boss Gareth Southgate are released, below. 

      THE new version of Three Lions is out now to buy and stream.

      The video sees England’s 1966 hero Sir Geoff Hurst turns up on a doorstep with kids singing carols before tearing open his coat to reveal a festive sweater
      Harry Kane will be leading the England men’s team out on Monday as they attempt to follow the Lionesses and bring football homeCredit: Getty
      Arsenak and England ace Bukayo Saka will also be hoping England can go all the way in QatarCredit: Getty More

    • 238 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      He won’t shirk the responsibilities’ – James Maddison tipped to be World Cup 2022 game-changer by ex-England star Cole

      by

      JOE COLE believes James Maddison has the “personality” to be a World Cup game-changer for England.Of all the players that Gareth Southgate picked in his 26-man squad, Maddison was the name that brought Cole the most pleasure.
      Former Three Lions midfielder Joe Cole is ‘so happy’ to see Maddison in the England squadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The former Three Lions star said: “The big one for me was James Maddison.
      “Form-wise and quality-wise he should be playing, but also because of his personality – he’s an England player.
      “He won’t shirk the responsibilities; he’ll get on the ball.
      “There will be times later in the tournament when the game might be in the balance and you need to be brave and accept the ball as a midfield player and he will do that.
      REA MORE ON WORLD CUP
      “You can play number 10s deeper now and we need to set the tempo of our games.
      “I’m so happy he’s in.”
      But ex-Chelsea winger Cole believes Southgate should drop Blues star Raheem Sterling.
      Cole, who played for England at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, said: “As much as I love Raheem [Sterling], he’s not in form.
      Most read in Football
      PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
      “[Bukayo] Saka’s playing for the team at the top of the league, and the same could be said with Maddison.”
      It remains to be seen whether Southgate will make the big call of leaving out Sterling, a hero of both 2018 World Cup and last year’s run to the final of the Euros.
      But Cole remains upset that the Football Association “bottled it” when failing to appoint Harry Redknapp as England boss in 2012.
      The former West Ham trainee said: “In 2012 I was in France and I was playing well with Lille.
      “I went home for the night and went for dinner with my mum and dad in Essex.
      “Harry Redknapp’s in the restaurant and he comes over, it was at the time when the England manager job was up for grabs, and he says ‘I think I’ve got it! You’re going to come into the next tournament, I know what you’ve got, I’ve been watching you, you’re back in!’
      “Fast forward three days, there’s an announcement on the radio that Roy Hodgson’s got the job. I was just deflated, that was me done.
      “He thought he had it. I think the FA bottled it in the last minute, he was the right man for the job 100 per cent.
      “We’ve all seen what Harry’s done throughout his career – at that stage he would have got another level out of that squad.
      “He has a way with players. He would have been absolutely brilliant and it’s one of their biggest mistakes.
      “I think whoever’s making the decision just lost their nerve at the last minute and went with the safer option.
      “Roy’s a brilliant manager as well but Harry would have been unbelievable.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Cole’s starting XI for England’s World Cup opener against Iran on Monday would be:
      Pickford, Trippier, Stones, White, Shaw, Rice, Bellingham, Mount; Foden, Kane, Saka.
      Joe Cole was speaking to William Hill’s Stripped Podcast More

    • 163 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      England’s football stars guarded by elite camel patrols at World Cup team hotel

      by

      ENGLAND’s stars are being guarded by elite camel patrols at their World Cup team hotel, it was revealed yesterday.Specialist security teams aboard the stately ships of the desert were spotted in a 14-strong column outside the player’s Souk Al Wakra hotel base.
      Qatar’s palace guard are a famed ceremonial sight – like Britain’s Household CavalryCredit: Dan Charity
      Anyone threatening the traditional village-style complex is certain to get the hump from the palace guard team, normally reserved for the protection of the Arab state’s ruling emir.
      England have been rated a high security risk ahead of Monday’s curtain raiser clash with Islamist nation Iran – in the news after 10 Iranian plots to kill Brits in the UK were exposed.
      MI5 Spy chief Ken McCallum said death squads planned “to kidnap or even kill” British citizens and dissidents seen as enemies of the crumbling Tehran regime.
      Qatar’s palace guard are a famed ceremonial sight – like Britain’s Household Cavalry – but are thought to have been introduced in Al Wakra in a dual role.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      Guards riding the humped beasts offer a high and mobile vantage point to warn of potential threats – but are also a low key deterrent which will not alarm tourists.
      A procession of 14 of the animals was spotted patrolling the seafront in front of England’s low-rise village style HQ shortly after the squad arrived.
      Riders in matching white robes and head-dresses armed only with short stick which doubles as a riding crop – but were in touch with security teams shielding the complex.
      Police and other security forces are now posted 24-hours-a-day every few metres forming a ring of steel around England’s base.
      Most read in The Sun
      A local source said: “There’s no question that these camels are from the emir’s guard – it’s a sign that our honoured guests are receiving the very best protection.” More

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Man United ace Casemiro splashes out £430,000 on supercars for him and his missus ahead of World Cup

      by

      MAN United ace Casemiro has splashed out £430,000 on supercars for him and his missus ahead of the World Cup.The Brazilian bagged himself a £230,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge and treated wife Anna Mariana to a £200,000 Bentley Bentayga SUV.
      Man United ace Case-miro has splashed out £430,000 on supercars for him and his missus ahead of the World Cup – this is his £230,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith Black BadgeCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Wife Anna Mariana has made do with a £200,000 21-plate Bentley Bentayga SUVCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      The his and hers vehicles were delivered to Casemiro’s mansion in Hale, Cheshire, on Wednesday afternoon.
      However the canny £350,000-a-week midfielder got money off amid the cost-of-living crisis by going second-hand, with a 2019 Roller and a 2021-plated Bentley.
      The his and hers vehicles were delivered to Casemiro’s mansion in Hale, Cheshire, on Wednesday afternoon.
       The star was out at the time — as he is in Qatar preparing for the World Cup with the Brazil squad.
      Family members were seen at the gate as the gleaming cars were driven in.
      READ MORE ON CASEMIRO
      Casemiro, 30, arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid in the summer.
      Only United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo, on £480,000 a week, and goalkeeper David de Gea — £375,000 — earn more.
      He has two children, Sara, six, and Caio, one, with fellow Brazilian Anna, 33, who is an Instagram model and runs her own fashion business.
      Casemiro’s grey Roller is capable of doing 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph.
      That is nowhere near as fast as Anna’s black Bentley which can hit 190mph and do 0-60mph in just 3.8 seconds.
      Most read in Football
      Only United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo, on £480,000 a week, and goalkeeper David de Gea — £375,000 — earn more than CasemiroCredit: Alamy More

    • 213 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      England team treated to ‘Phoenix Nights-style’ entertainment at World Cup hotel as singer belts out karaoke classic

      by

      GARETH SOUTHGATE and his England World Cup stars were treated to “Phoenix Nights-style” entertainment at their team hotel.The squad’s opening group game against Iran is just days away and the Three Lions took part in their first full session since arriving in Qatar on Tuesday night.
      The England squad were treated to a Robbie Williams cabaret act at their team hotelCredit: Getty
      The performance was compared to a ‘Phoenix Nights’ style performanceCredit: Getty
      Pictures showed the England boss putting the players through their paces at the Al Wakrah SC Stadium – where temperatures reached 32C on Wednesday – ahead of Monday’s opening game.
      But it is not only out on the pitch that his squad are getting ready to try to bring football home as several members of the squad also hit the gym.
      And away from the football, Southgate is doing everything possible to try and get his men settled into their luxury palm-tree laden Souq Al Wakra Hotel.
      Now the Daily Mail has claimed that included the England squad being treated to a cabaret.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      They state that shortly after the Three Lions arrived on Tuesday, the Souk Al Wakra soon got into a swing.
      A singer, accompanied by an electric piano, belted out pop star Robbie Williams’ hit Angels.

      That was followed by a rendition of Crystal Waters’s 1991 hit Gypsy Woman.
      The article also claims that a British ex-pat passed the hotel while the gig was on and likened it to Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights sitcom that was based on a working men’s club in Bolton.
      Most read in Football
      PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
      They said: “The singer was very loud and right on note, but I don’t know how well it was all going down.
      “There wasn’t much clapping.”
      England start their World Cup campaign against Iran on Monday in Group B.
      Next up is a clash against Gregg Berhalter’s USA.
      And then a mouthwatering clash against neighbours Wales in the final game on November 29. More

    • 250 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is a joyless marketing operation aimed at catching the eye of corporate investors

      by

      DAY THREE in the Big Brother house and the inmates are already threatening to go full Lord of the Flies.And, yes, we’ve already identified Piggy.
      Lusail Stadium in Doha will host the World Cup final but so far the build-up hasn’t lit up the imagination for those already in QatarCredit: Getty
      England and Wales flags are suspended over Lusali BoulevardCredit: Getty
      So it’s probably a good job that we’re holed up in a country where alcohol is forbidden — unless you count the fan zone’s £12-a-pint Budweiser, which barely counts as booze.
      Welcome to Qatar, the beautiful desert land of sun, sand and concrete.
      With all the matches being staged within spitting distance of each other, for the first ever World Cup, all of Fleet Street’s finest sportswriters (plus a few of us pretenders) appear to be staying in the same apartment block in the appropriately named Al Sadd district of Doha.
      It’s a weird social experiment to discover how many planet-sized egos can be crammed into the most soulless space imaginable before it all kicks off.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      And the way things are going I wouldn’t bet on everyone making  it safely home at the end of the  tournament.
      We’ve already seen one Danish TV crew being harassed and threatened by Qatari security for having the temerity to film a roundabout near a department store.
      But there are so many rules and protocols to follow out here that you risk the wrath of the authorities every time you step on to the streets.
      No booze, no vapes, no sausages, no porn, no painkillers, no gays, no swearing, no public displays of affection.
      Most read in Football
      PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
      Even previous World Cup hosts Russia were easy going compared to this lot.
      It’s not that the reception we have received has been hostile or unwelcoming.
      Far from it in fact. But they are so used to following the strict letter of the law that they simply can’t countenance the idea of compromise.
      Having said all that, I think I am still  waiting to meet my first Qatari national, because 90 per cent of the population are migrant workers and they are the ones doing all the heavy lifting.
      Some of them live here permanently and others are just here to help with the smooth running of this tournament.
      The first person I met on arrival at Doha International Airport was the world’s happiest taxi driver, a Kenyan called Joseph.
      He couldn’t wait to tell us how he’d had ‘that Gareth Southgate’ in the back of his cab and that the England boss had arranged five World Cup tickets for him.
      Even the steward at the accreditation centre who told me my press pass said ‘expired’ did  so with a polite smile without even mentioning the fact that I do in fact resemble the living dead.
      But if you’re looking for an actual example of World Cup fever, then you are going to be sorely disappointed.
      Maybe that will change when all the travelling supporters arrive in the next 48 hours.
      England manager Gareth Southgate was at a welcome event with local volunteers at the Al Wakrah SC Stadium in Al WakrahCredit: Reuters
      But it still won’t disguise the fact that the Qataris themselves are not that interested in football.
      This is simply an opportunity for them to showcase their country’s wealth and their ability to build seven new stadiums and an entire metro system.
      It’s a joyless marketing operation aimed at catching the eye of corporate investors in the willy-waving battle with their rival Arabian states.
      Which once again begs the question as to what exactly are we all doing here?
      Because if you thought that it was a terrible idea when Fifa awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, it is only when you actually get here that the true depth of the corruption behind that decision really hits home.
      W-RON-G SIGNING
      YOU didn’t need to be Nostradamus to see trouble coming when Manchester United pressed the panic button to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo last year.
      The return of the biggest ego in football was always going to be an accident waiting to  happen — and it was only a matter of time before it all went pear-shaped.
      So I can’t understand how anyone can be even mildly shocked by this week’s explosive fall-out.
      My only surprise is that it has taken this long for Ronaldo to throw his toys out of the pram.
      But now the Portuguese is burning more bridges than the retreating Russian army and surely no other club will be  stupid enough to take him on after this hissy fit.
      MAX TO GRIND
      MAX VERSTAPPEN really showed his true colours the other day when he defied team orders to allow Sergio Perez to overtake him on the final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
      The flying Dutchman might be a brilliant  racing driver but as a person he is clearly a Grade One a***hole.
      Even Red Bull boss Christian Horner was left embarrassed by Verstappen’s selfishness as he apologised to Perez.
      But they say that nice guys don’t finish first and Bad Max is living proof of that. Ronaldo on wheels, if you like.
      GARETH STALE
      GARETH BALE insists he has no plans to retire from international football after the World Cup despite managing just 28 minutes of MLS action in the last two months.
      And why would he want to call it a day when he knows that he can just turn up whenever he likes and walk straight into Rob Page’s team?
      Because if Bale can remain his country’s captain despite completing the full 90 minutes just once in the past year, what’s to stop him from becoming the oldest international player in history?
      The way he’s going, he could still be leading Wales out at the 2062 World Cup in North Korea.
      POWERLESS GI-FORCE
       FIFA    president Gianni Infantino has addressed world leaders at the G20 summit to call for a World Cup ceasefire between warring neighbours Russia and Ukraine.
      That should do it, Gianni. The Nobel Peace Prize is in the bag.
      IR WE GO, ENGLAND
      THEY say there’s no  easy games in football.But seeing that Iran have  just lost 2-0 at home to Tunisia,  England will deserve everything that gets thrown at them if they don’t stroll it in Monday’s opening match. More

    • 250 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Sadio Mane OUT of World Cup 2022 with Senegal confirming Bayern Munich star has failed to recover from leg injury

      by

      SADIO MANE will MISS the World Cup through injury.The Senegal FA have confirmed that the ex-Liverpool winger, 30, has been ruled out.
      Senegal have confirmed that Mane is out of the World Cup through injuryCredit: AFP
      In a short statement, they said: ‘The FSF wishes a speedy recovery to its player Sadio Mane.”
      Mane suffered an injury to his right fibula in Bayern Munich’s penultimate game before the break.
      Team doctor Manuel Afonso announced: “Unfortunately, today’s MRI scan shows us that the evolution of the injury is not as positive as we had hoped and we, unfortunately, have to declare Sadio’s withdrawal from the World Cup.”
      Despite optimistically handing him a place in the Qatar-bound squad, Mane has now been ruled out of the whole showcase.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP 2022
      The forward required surgery, which went smoothly on Thursday evening.
      Bayern Munich confirmed that a “tendon was reattached to the head of his right fibula”.

      He will stay in Germany to begin rehab.
      The former Prem attacker is Senegal’s star player and will be a big miss for the African side in Qatar.
      Most read in Football
      PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
      The rest of the squad have bizarrely been told “not to whine” about the absence of their talisman.
      Most of Senegal’s squad arrived in the Middle East on Sunday without Mane.
      Chelsea duo Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly will hope to still qualify from a weak group that contains the host nation Qatar.
      Ecuador and the Netherlands are tougher battles, especially without Mane.
      The reigning AFCON champion’s first game is against Holland on Monday. More

    • 263 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Ivan Toney ‘was NOT left out of England World Cup 2022 squad due to betting rule breaches, according to FA chief’

      by

      GARETH SOUTHGATE was reportedly not told to leave Ivan Toney out of his England World Cup squad by FA chiefs.The Brentford striker could face a huge ban after it was alleged he broke FA betting regulations 232 times between February 2017 and January 2021.
      It was Gareth Southgate’s choice to leave Ivan Toney out of his World Cup squadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The Brentford striker is facing allegations that he broke FA betting rulesCredit: PA
      SunSport revealed earlier this month that Toney was at the centre of a match-betting probe.
      And the FA statement confirming the misconduct charge was announced on Wednesday – six days after the forward missed out on Southgate’s England World Cup squad.
      He was called-up for the last international break but failed to win his first cap in the Nations League clashes with Italy and Germany.
      Toney has 58 goals in 105 appearances for Brentford including ten in 14 this term, but it was not enough to earn a call-up for Qatar 2022.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      However, ITV are claiming that FA CEO Mark Bullingham did not tell Three Lions boss Southgate to snub Toney as a result of his gambling charges.
      And they go on to state that he actually insisted that it was solely Southgate’s decision.
      Despite his disappointment, Toney seemed in the mood to party as he attended Rolando Aarons’ birthday bash earlier this week.
      Aarons, who turned 27 on Wednesday, posted images from his bash on Instagram.
      Most read in Football
      And one of the pictures shows Toney all smiles in a blue shirt, jeans and trainers.
      Aarons opted for a white silk shirt and pale trousers while they were joined by Maidstone United striker James Alabi.
      He spent nine years on the books at Newcastle from 2012 to 2021 – and was therefore a team-mate of Toney’s for three years between 2015 and 2018. More