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      Man Utd star Raphael Varane STUNS France by retiring from international football aged just 29 after World Cup final loss

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      MANCHESTER UNITED and World Cup-winning defender, Raphael Varane, has STUNNED France by retiring from international football aged 29, according to reports.Varane made 93 appearances in his near decade-long international career.
      Raphael Varane has retired from international footballCredit: Getty
      But according to Le Parisien, the defender does not want to push on towards the century mark and will retire from international football.
      Varane played at the World Cup in Qatar last November-December and helped his country reach a second consecutive final.
      However, France were beaten on penalties by Argentina after a 3-3 thriller.
      Varane would like to spend more time with his family, as well as limited the chances of big injuries in the latter stages of his career.
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      Across the span of his career, Varane has missed an astonishing 90 club games through injury, the worst layoff coming in 2013 with a meniscus rupture.
      The Man Utd ace also recognises it’s time for the next generation of French defenders to take over.
      The likes of Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, William Saliba, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are all tipped to have bright careers.
      Varane’s decision comes despite Euro 2024 taking place next year – the only major competition he is yet to win.
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      In his statement, beside a phot of him holding the World Cup trophy, wrote: ‘Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
      “Each time I wore this special blue jersey, I felt immense pride. 
      ‘The duty to give everything, to play with my heart and to win every time we entered the field.
      “I have been considering this for several months and have decided that it is the right time for me to retire from international football.
      ‘As a child, I remember following France 98, this team, these players who made us experience indescribable emotions.
      “I dreamed of doing like our heroes and, 20 years later, I had one of the best experiences of my life, one that made me really proud. 
      ‘We brought the Cup home!! I will never forget him. I still feel every single emotion I felt that day, July 15, 2018.
      “It was one of the greatest and most memorable moments of my life.
      ‘Even after the defeat in the final last year, with certainly a great run, you welcomed us as heroes when we returned. To each and every one of you, a thousand times THANK YOU!”
      The ex-Real Madrid ace made his debut for Les Bleus in March 2013, starting in the 3-1 win over Georgia.
      Varane was part of the 2018 World Cup-winning team, helping France redeem themselves for the 2016 Euros loss on home soil – a tournament he missed through injury.
      He played every single game at the Russia tournament, not missing a single minute of football.
      France won the final 4-2 against Croatia to secure their second-ever world crown.
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      In the same year, Varane won a fourth Champions League title with Real and a fourth Club World Cup, solidifying himself as one of the best players in the world.
      In 2018 on an individual level, he was part of the Fifa Pro World11, Uefa Team of the Year, Uefa Champions League Squad of the Season, Fifa World Cup Fantasy Team, Fifa World Cup Dream Team and the IFFHS Men’s World Team. More

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      Hand of God ref who tried to net £3million for match ball faces hefty loss in his second attempt to sell it

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      THE greedy Hand of God ref who tried to net £3million for the match ball faces a hefty loss in his second attempt to sell it.A would-be buyer last month offered £2million for the ball which Ali Bin Nasser, 78, grabbed after the 1986 World Cup quarter-final.
      Hand of God ref Ali Bin Nasser who tried to net £3million for the match ball faces a hefty lossCredit: Darren Fletcher
      Bin Nasser failed to spot Maradona blatantly punch the ball past Peter Shilton for the game’s first goalCredit: Popperfoto
      The bid for the deflated Adidas was £500,000 below the London auction reserve price, so it was not sold.
      Bin Nasser, 78, is now flogging it online with US firm Goldin.
      But he could be kicking himself as, with eight days left on the auction, the highest bid is only £847,276.
      He stashed the ball in a cupboard after Argentina’s controversial 2-1 victory over England in Mexico.
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      Tunisian Bin Nasser failed to spot Diego Maradona blatantly punch the ball past goalie Peter Shilton for the game’s first goal.
      The midfielder, who also netted the second, later said the opener had been scored with “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the Hand of God”.
      Bin Nasser, who never refereed at a World Cup again, decided to flog the ball last year.
      Fifa rules stated that he was exclusive owner.
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      He plans to share the cash with family.
      England’s Steve Hodge, who swapped shirts with Maradona after the game, flogged the star’s No 10 jersey for £7million last year.
      Bin Nasser, who never refereed at a World Cup again, decided to flog the ball last yearCredit: AFP
      Bin Nasser could be kicking himself as, with eight days left on the auction, the highest bid is only £847,276Credit: AFP
      The ref stashed the ball in a cupboard after Argentina’s controversial 2-1 victory over England in MexicoCredit: The Mega Agency
      Maradona shakes hands with Peter Shilton under the watching eye of ref Ali Bin NasserCredit: Getty More

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      World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll flashes the flesh in backless dress as she strikes raunchy pose in Miami

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      IVANA KNOLL set pulses racing once again as she struck a raunchy pose on the streets of Miami.The Croatian shot to fame after stunning at the World Cup.
      Ivana Knoll stunned in the Miami sunshineCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      She looked flawless in a backless dressCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Ivana knoll often leaves little to the imaginationCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Her photos leave her 3.6million Instagram followers stunnedCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      The Croatian shot to fame at the World CupCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Ivana is a former Miss CroatiaCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      And now she often flaunts her good looks with photos she shares to her 3.6million Instagram followers.
      On this occasion Ivana stunned in a tight-fitting black one-piece that helped to show off her curvy figure.
      It was perfect for the Florida sunshine too as it showed off her back and legs.
      Ivana tied her hair up and finished off her look with silver heels.
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      Her followers were wowed by the incredible look and rushed to compliment the former Miss Croatia.
      One wrote: “Oh my god 😍❤️ gorgeous 🔥”
      Another added: “Such a beautiful woman! ❤️”
      And a third said: “What a figure 🔥🍑😍”
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      Another commented: “Wow!!! Smokin!!! 🔥”
      Ivana recently showed off her athletic legs and likened her muscles to that of Cristiano Ronaldo. More

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      Sofyan Amrabat ‘skips Fiorentina training as Barcelona look to beat Liverpool to transfer with £35m loan-to-buy offer’

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      FIORENTINA star Sofyan Amrabat has skipped training to seal a move away from the club, according to reports.The midfielder is a target for Barcelona and Liverpool due to his impressive performances in Serie A and at the World Cup in Qatar with Morocco.
      Sofyan Amrabat reportedly wants to move to BarcelonaCredit: AFP
      The LaLiga side have stolen a march on Liverpool, having offered a loan to buy a deal worth £35million, according to Fabrizio Romano.
      The deal comprises of a £2.64m loan fee with an option to buy him worth £32.5m.
      However, Fiorentina are “not accepting these conditions.”
      But the player is believed to want the move, as Romano later tweeted: “Sofyan Amrabat didn’t show up for Fiorentina training today.
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      “Now forcing possible deadline move after Barca proposal rejected.”
      Amrabat is highly rated in Italy and is seen as one of the best-holding midfielders in the league.
      During the World Cup, he played an important role in Morocco’s run to the semi-finals.
      Liverpool are yet to make an offer to sign the player and are set to miss out on his signature.
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      Barca supposedly want the 26-year-old as they look to identify a replacement for veteran Sergio Busquets.
      The Catalan giants are also keeping tabs on Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi in case they cannot seal the deal for the La Viola ace. More

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      Inside Emiliano Martinez’s World Cup party at The Belfry Hotel, with Argentina-themed walls, trophy, DJ and dance floor

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      EMILIANO MARTINEZ is still celebrating Argentina’s World Cup win more than a month on from the win over France after throwing a lavish party.The Aston Villa stopper returned from international duty after his penalty shootout heroics in Qatar with a target on his back.
      Emiliano Martinez celebrated Argentina’s World Cup win once againCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ferpalaci0/?next=
      Naturally the theme of the party was Argentina’s World Cup triumphCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ferpalaci0/?next=
      Latin artist Fer Palacio was on music duty during the partyCredit: Instagram @mandinha_martinez_
      Martinez’s wife Mandinha was allowed to DJ for a whileCredit: Instagram @mandinha_martinez_
      Other Aston Villa stars such as Brazilian Philippe Coutinho were in attendanceCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ferpalaci0/?next=
      Emiliano Buendia was also at the partyCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-sULJoUh8/?hl=en
      The Belfry Hotel played host to the partyCredit: Instagram @mandinha_martinez_
      Martinez set tongues wagging with his “s***house” celebrations both in the immediate aftermath of the tournament and in the subsequent days.
      But that’s not stopped Martinez from getting the party going again.
      He and his Argentina team-mates took the opportunity to head to The Belfry Hotel, located nine miles from Villa Park, for another shindig with his side out of the FA Cup.
      Videos posted on social media showed the hotel had been decked out in Argentina colours.
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      The walls were plastered in Argentina memorabilia paying homage to the victory in Qatar, including posters and balloons.
      Even the floor was also given the blue-and-white treatment, with the World Cup trophy placed in the middle of floor.
      Guests, which included Emiliano Buendia and Brazilian club-mate Philippe Coutinho, were seen dancing to the music of Latin artist Fer Palacio.
      In accordance with the theme, all guests wore all-white attire.
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      The party is said to have continued later on at a local nightclub.
      Martinez and his Villa team-mates will next be in action against Leicester next weekend, giving the goalkeeper plenty of time to recover.
      Footage showed one guest dancing with the World Cup trophyCredit: Instagram @mandinha_martinez_
      The floor was given a blue colouration with white dots all across itCredit: Instagram @mandinha_martinez_
      Guests donned all-white attire for the eventCredit: Instagram @mandinha_martinez_ More

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      Uruguay pair Jose Gimenez and Edinson Cavani slapped with bans after causing chaos at World Cup 2022

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      URUGUAY’S Jose Gimenez has escaped a FIFTEEN game ban after elbowing a Fifa official at the World Cup but has been hit with a suspension.And team-mates Fernando Muslera, Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin have also been banned by the governing body after the shocking scenes following their elimination last month.
      Four Uruguay players have been banned after their angry World Cup exitCredit: Reuters
      Edinson Cavani, right, is one of those to have been sanctioned by FifaCredit: AP
      South Korea’s 2-1 win over Portugal sent the South American side home packing on December 2 in their final group clash despite them beating Ghana 2-0 in a controversy-filled game.
      Uruguay were furious that they had been denied a late penalty after Cavani had been brought down in the box and after the final whistle that anger boiled over.
      The 28-year-old defender Gimenez completely lost his cool as he tried to confront the referee while he was walking off the pitch, leading to team-mates holding back the Atletico Madrid star as he shouted and chased ref Daniel Siebert.
      And amidst the chaos, Gimenez elbowed a Fifa representative in the back of the head before he shouted down a TV camera: “They [the referees] are all a bunch of thieves these sons of b***hes. Yes, record me. Son of a b***h.”
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      That led to reports that he could receive a whopping 15-match international ban.
      Goalkeeper Muslera, 36, also angrily confronted the match officials while defender Godin was also involved in the shocking melee.
      Meanwhile, ex-Manchester United forward Cavani punched the VAR monitor as he trudged off the field to land himself in hot water.
      Now Fifa have finally announced what punishment they have dished out to the shamed foursome.
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      Both Muslera and Gimenez have received four game bans each for aggressively confronting the team of officials.
      And Cavani and Godín have been hit with one-match ones.
      All four players have also been ordered to carry out community service on a soccer project and pay fines of up to £17,450 by Fifa.
      The Uruguayan soccer federation had been fined also for the incident a total of £43,624 and must close some of its stadium for one home game. More

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      World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll flaunts her legs in barely-there outfit as she compares muscles to Cristiano Ronaldo

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      IVANA KNOLL has compared her leg muscles to those of Cristiano Ronaldo.The ex-Miss Croatia – often hailed as the ‘World Cup’s hottest fan’ – made the claim in an Instagram story.
      Ivana Knoll showed off her muscular legsCredit: Instagram – @knolldoll
      She compared them to Cristiano Ronaldo’s legsCredit: Getty
      Knoll posted the short video on her Instagram storyCredit: Instagram – @knolldoll
      Knoll has a huge following on the platform of 3.6million people.
      She has recently been on holiday in the Maldives, as she showed fans her tan lines.
      She gained the followers during her appearances at the World Cup in Qatar as she gained attention in her Croatian-themed racy outfits.
      Knoll posted a video of herself showing off her leg muscles while at a gym on to her Instagram story.
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      In the video, she flexes her leg muscles while wearing white socks and trainers.
      She captioned the short video: “Ronaldo who?”
      Ronaldo has extremely muscular legs and he has proven that he never skips “leg day” in the past.
      The 37-year-old is currently playing his football in Saudi Arabia after joining Al-Nassr.
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      He made the move after the World Cup in Qatar following the termination of his contract at Manchester United.
      The decision to leave the Old Trafford side came after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
      She shared the video for her 3.6million followersCredit: Instagram – @knolldoll
      Knoll rose to fame during the World Cup in QatarCredit: Instagram – @knolldoll
      She caught the eyes of the world with he Croatia style outfitsCredit: Getty More

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      Lionel Messi voted best footballer of 2022 after World Cup win.. but GOAT rival Cristiano Ronaldo not even in top 50

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      LIONEL MESSI has been voted as the best footballer of 2022, but arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo did not even make the TOP 50. The Argentine, 35, enjoyed a great year as he won the Ligue 1 title and won the World Cup for the first time ever, while also receiving the gong for best player at the tournament.
      Lionel Messi was named the best player in 2022Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema completed the top threeCredit: Getty
      Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were among a host of England stars to make the top 100 listCredit: Alamy
      Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo did not make even make the top 50Credit: Getty
      However, Ronaldo has seen his year go from bad to worse.
      A bright start to the year individually was overshadowed by Manchester United’s failings all around him.
      After being dropped by Erik ten Hag upon his arrival after failing to gain a summer transfer away from the club, Ronaldo then conducted an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
      His contract at United was subsequently terminated, with Ronaldo then landing a record-breaking contract to play to in play in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr.
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      But a poor start to life there saw rival fans taunt Ronaldo with chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi.”
      Regardless, a list from the Guardian naming the “100 best male footballers in the world” revealed the pair’s huge gap.
      While Messi took top spot, French duo Kylian Mbappe – who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final – and Karim Benzema completed the top three.
      Benzema won the Ballon d’Or for his performances at Real Madrid in 2022, while Mbappe’s prowess has been evident throughout the year despite off-field drama surrounding him.
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      Manchester City’s Erling Haaland came in fourth as he continues his ridiculous record of scoring goals for fun.
      Team-mate Kevin De Bruyne came in sixth, with Luka Modric sandwiched in between them.
      Robert Lewandowski, Vinicius Jr, Thibaut Courtois and Mo Salah completed the top 10.
      Outside of the top 10, ex-Liverpool ace Sadio Mane was put at number 11 after winning the African Cup of Nations with Senegal while Brazil superstar Neymar was 12th.
      Man United linked Harry Kane came in 13th with England prodigy Jude Bellingham directly behind him in 14th, while Man Utd star Casemiro came in directly behind them.
      The top 10 stars from the Guardian’s list plus a few notable names
      World Cup hero Emiliano Martinez came in 20th, while Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka came in 22nd ahead of Rafael Leao and Phil Foden.
      Other Prem stars in the top 30 were Son Heung-Min, Virgil van Dijk, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.
      There were slimmer Prem pickings from 31-50, with Julian Alvarez, Alisson, Martin Odegaard, Joao Cancelo and new Liverpool ace Cody Gakpo.
      Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo ranked in the 51st spot.
      Further down, in-form Marcus Rashford was ranked 58th best directly behind Riyadh Mahrez and in front of Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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      Declan Rice, tipped to leave West Ham in the summer for £100million transfer, came in at 88th.
      Some other stars from England’s top division who made this 100-strong list included Gabriel Jesus (62), Hakim Ziyech (63), Cristian Romero (72), Lisandro Martinez (81), Darwin Nunez (82), Aleksandar Mitrovic (83) and Reece James (94). More