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      Come and join us for The Sun’s incredible World Cup 2022 preview night with Tony Adams, Jack Wilshere and Harry Redknapp

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      JOIN us on November 14 for The Sun’s amazing World Cup 2022 preview night featuring Tony Adams, Jack Wilshere and Harry Redknapp.This incredible event will see SunSport’s Shaun Custis lead a panel discussion with a star-studded selection of special guests.
      Come and join us for an amazing World Cup preview
      He will be joined by Arsenal legends Adams and Wilshere, as well as former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp and one other great guest to discuss all things Qatar 2022 a week before the tournament kicks off.
      Doors will open at 6:15pm, with the show getting underway at 7pm.
      Shaun Custis will lead a fascinating one-hour discussion – with our brilliant panel giving their thoughts on England and Wales’ chances, the tournament favourites and potential underdog success stories.
      They will also share amazing anecdotes and tales from their own World Cup experiences.
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      After a ten minute break, Shaun and our panel will reconvene to answer YOUR questions in a Q&A session.
      Tickets cost a bargain £5 for Sun readers, with drinks and snacks included.
      Availability is limited so hurry and get your tickets now.
      They can be purchased here.
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      Premier League legend Alan Shearer reveals England World Cup squad choice and includes Newcastle trio

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      NEWCASTLE legend Alan Shearer has revealed who he thinks should make England’s World Cup squad picking three players from his former club.Shearer, who captained the Three Lions in the tournament in 1998, selected Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson to make his 26-man squad.
      Alan Shearer has named his England squadCredit: Getty
      The pundit selected Wilson and Tammy Abraham to back-up Harry Kane instead of Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
      Explaining his choice Shearer told The Athletic: “I’ve left out Toney and gone for Abraham and Wilson.
      “I understand that if England are to win the World Cup they’re almost certain to have to win a penalty shootout somewhere down the line and I understand the clamour for Toney to be involved.
      “But I’d be a bit concerned about how his physicality might be viewed by referees at the highest level. Wilson has longstanding fitness issues but has been brilliant for Newcastle.”
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      Toney has netted eight goals this season and has an incredible penalty record that has seen him score 26 out of 27 in his career.
      Meanwhile, Wilson is also in-form for the Magpies having scored six goals this campaign.
      England’s official squad is set to be named by manager Gareth Southgate on Thursday.
      But in Shearer’s say he expressed he found it “absolutely bizarre” that a World Cup is happening half way through a season.
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      Amongst the obvious selections he made a number of inclusions that could differ from the side Southgate may pick.
      Shearer stressed that James Maddison has more than earned a place on the plane saying: “My only debating point would be whether he starts or not.”
      But Southgate has not chosen the in-form Leicester ace in his last few squads.
      Similarly he has not picked Arsenal defender Ben White of late but on the contrary Shearer believes the 25-year-old has merited a spot on the plane to Qatar.
      He also questioned Southgate’s decision to use a back three saying that he would use a four-man defence.
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      Shearer’s England squad in full:
      Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope
      Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben White, Conor Coady, Eric Dier, John Stones, Luke Shaw
      Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, James Ward-Prowse, James Maddison, Mason Mount, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka
      Attackers: Harry Kane, Callum Wilson, Tammy Abraham, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling
      Alan Shearer believes Callum Wilson should make the cutCredit: Reuters More

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      Brazilian XI of stars snubbed for World Cup 2022 includes Gabriel and Coutinho and would challenge for Europe

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      BRAZIL have named their World Cup squad and there are several notable absentees.Manager Tite is blessed with a huge pool of talent and the five-time champions possess some of the best players going to Qatar.
      Several high-profile players will not be going to the World Cup with Brazil
      Roberto Firmino missed out despite his good form for LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
      Arsenal defender Gabriel has not been included in the squadCredit: EPA
      69-cap Philippe Coutinho will be staying at home during the World CupCredit: Getty
      Captain Neymar is the star along with Real Madrid pair Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr, while Manchester United duo Casemiro and Anthony are also included in the squad.
      But with competition for places so fierce it means many top-class players have missed out.

      Roberto Firimino is one of the most high-profile players who will stay at home.
      The striker has rediscovered his goalscoring touch for Liverpool this season with six goals in 12 Premier League games but it has not been enough to win him a ticket on the plane to the World Cup.
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      Gabriel Magalhaes is also in fine form and has helped Arsenal to the top of the Prem table but he has been overlooked with Chelsea’s Thiago Silva picked instead.
      Philippe Coutinho is another big name that has missed out.
      The former Barcelona star has 69 Brazil caps to his name but has not performed well enough as Aston Villa this season to earn a place in the squad.
      Villa team-mates Douglas Luiz and Diego Carlos also miss out with the latter sidelined with a long-term injury.
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      Other Prem stars not picked include Tottenham right-back Emerson Royal and Nottingham Forest defender Renan Lodi.
      Liverpool midfielder Arthur Melo, on loan from Juventus, has also been ruled out through injury.
      Newcastle star Joelinton can perhaps consider himself unlucky not to be picked ahead of the likes of Fred and Everton Ribeiro, while Lyon winger Tete also misses out due to the abundance of quality Brazil have in attack. More

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      Outrage as Qatar World Cup ambassador says being gay is ‘damage in the mind’ as homosexual fans could face execution

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      A QATAR World Cup ambassador has been slammed after describing homosexuality as “damage in the mind” less than two weeks before the contest kicks off.Former Qatari footballer Khalid Salman has said fans coming into the Gulf state for the tournament “will have to accept our rules”.
      Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman has been slammed for his remarksCredit: 2DF
      The ambassador’s comments come less than two weeks before the global tournament kicks offCredit: Getty
      In Qatar, being gay is illegal and is punishable under the country’s penal code with up to seven years in prison or even the death penalty for Muslims under sharia law.
      Some football players have raised concerns over the rights of fans travelling to the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, who rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against.
      The country expects more than one million visitors for the World Cup.
      In an interview filmed in Doha, Salman told German television broadcaster ZDF said he believes being gay to be “haram”.
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      The 60-year-old said: “During the World Cup, many things will come here to the country. Let’s talk about gays.
      “The most important thing is, everybody will accept that they come here. But they will have to accept our rules.”
      “(Homosexuality) is haram. You know what haram (forbidden) means?”
      When asked why it was haram, Salman said: “I am not a strict Muslim but why is it haram? Because it is damage in the mind.”
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      The interview was then immediately stopped by an accompanying official.
      Human Rights Watch senior researcher Rasha Younes has branded Salman’s remarks as “harmful and unacceptable”.
      She told The Sun: “The failure of the Qatari government to counter this false information has a significant impact on the lives of LGBT residents of Qatar, ranging from fueling discrimination and violence against them to justifying subjecting them to state-sponsored conversion practices.
      “These comments are yet another dismissal of LGBT residents’ basic rights by the Qatari authorities, and only serve to further exclude them from the public sphere.”
      Charity Stonewall has also hit out at Salman, calling his comments “appalling”.
      Robbie de Santos, director of communications and external affairs at Stonewall, told The Sun: “LGBTQ+ people in Qatar are criminalised for simply existing and are forced to hide who they are.
      “In 2022, it is deeply concerning that countries with appalling human rights records are rewarded with the rights to host one of the world largest sporting tournaments.
      “These appalling comments highlight why it is vital that the international community make clear that they expect Qatari authorities to respect and uphold freedom of expression, and the rights of all including LGBTQ+ people.
      “When we pledge our support for LGBTQ+ Qataris by signing up to Stonewall’s ‘Proud Stadium’ it sends an important message that football fans stand in solidarity with marginalised groups in Qatar and in 70 countries across the world who continue to face horrific persecution for simply being themselves.”
      Qatar’s World Cup organisers, when contacted by Reuters, declined to comment on Salman’s remarks.
      World soccer’s ruling body FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
      The full interview, which is part of a documentary, will be shown Tuesday night on ZDF.
      It comes as former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter said giving Qatar the World Cup was a “mistake”.
      ‘BAD CHOICE’
      The country was awarded hosting rights in 2010 when Blatter was in charge.
      He said today told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger “Qatar is a mistake,” adding that “the choice was bad.”
      Blatter said: “It is too small of a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for it.”
      He said FIFA in 2012 amended the criteria it used to select host countries in light of concerns over the working conditions at tournament-related construction sites in Qatar.
      Blatter added: “Since then, social considerations and human rights are taken into account.”
      Organisers have repeatedly said everyone was welcome in Qatar during the World Cup.
      Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, but the small nation has come under intense pressure in recent years for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws.
      The country’s human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the tournament, which runs from November 20 to December 18.
      It comes after an expat claimed he was lured to a hotel on a dating app before being gang-raped by police in Qatar because he is gay.
      The victim, from the Philippines, was working as an office assistant in the World Cup host country when he says he was confronted by six men.
      Meanwhile, it is reported Qatar is paying England fans to “spy” on their friends and be positive about the country during this month’s World Cup, in return for free flights and tickets.
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      The group of Three Lions supporters have reportedly been handed instructions to sing certain songs when required and report any critical social media posts.
      All 40 will receive free flights and accommodation in the desert country, £60 a day in spending money loaded onto a Visa card, and complimentary tickets to World Cup matches. More

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      This winter will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last dance at the World Cup – are Dream Team World Cup bosses overlooking him?

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has scored 117 goals in international football, more than any other player in the history of men’s football.Since his 30th birthday, he’s scored 66 goals in 73 appearances for Portugal.
      The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s pedigree is well known, yet it’s worth repeating on the brink of the 2022 World Cup – and amid the launch of Dream Team World Cup! – as Qatar is likely to play host to his last dance at the most prestigious tournament of the lot.
      Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time and victory at Euro 2016 ensured he ticked off an international trophy on his elite checklist (he also collected a Nations League medal in 2018/19) but the World Cup has rarely been a joyous stage for him.
      Whereas Pele and Diego Maradona both defined their legacies with World Cup triumphs, the Portuguese No7 and his contemporary, Lionel Messi, have achieved greatness despite frustrations on the biggest stage of them all.

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      Ready for the last danceCredit: getty/DREAM TEAM
      In 2006, Ronaldo was one of the most promising young talents on display but he was developing as a more traditional winger, hence why he scored just the one goal as Portugal finished fourth in Germany.
      In South Africa in 2010, his only goal came in a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea – a strike which ended a rare drought of 16 months in international football.
      Four years later, he played through a injury and was noticeably hampered, not even his late winner against Ghana could drag Portugal to the knockout stages.
      This was a case of terrible luck and timing for Ronaldo as the tournament in Brazil coincided most closely with his peak years – he scored 61 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid in the season that followed.
      All this meant that by the time he was preparing for his fourth edition of the tournament in 2018, his record at the world’s most-watched sporting event read: three goals in 14 games.
      Injuries hindered Ronaldo at the 2014 World Cup
      Ronaldo set about realigning the numbers with a superb hat-trick against Spain in his first outing in Russia – his most memorable World Cup moment to date.
      A goal against Morocco in the following group game bolstered his record further but defeat to Uruguay in the round of 16 meant Portuguese fans were once again left disappointed with their side’s efforts at the tournament that matters most.
      Now 37 years old, Ronaldo is ready for one final throw of the dice in a World Cup setting and anyone who has observed his career even casually will know his mentality towards the task at hand, such is his relentless desire for accomplishments.
      And it’s his state of mind that could be his greatest asset in Qatar now that his speed and physical sharpness have diminished with age.
      Erik ten Hag has made sparing use of Ronaldo for Man United this season and, truth be told, the Red Devils have generally played better without their legendary No7 on the pitch.
      Still Ronaldo possesses a sense of inevitability and hunger for goals that is unmatched in world football.
      Fernando Santos, whose stint as Portugal coach has coincided with the best years of Ronaldo in international football, will hope to harness his captain’s main character energy in Qatar and may even be thankful that his workload at club level has been managed this term.
      Ronaldo has conquered Europe but the World Cup has eluded himCredit: getty
      And it wasn’t that long ago Ronaldo claimed the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, which is why it’s surprising how few Dream Team World Cup gaffers have included him in their provisional teams so far.
      It’s early days but an ownership of 6.5% makes him just the 12th-most popular striker in the game.
      Portugal have been drawn against Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea in Group H and while that promises to be one of the more competitive sets of fixtures, Santos’ side are favourites to come out on top.
      Darwin Nunez and Aleksandar Mitrovic currently appear in more teams.
      Ronaldo may be at the tail end of his career and his record of seven goals in 17 World Cup games might not align with his greatness in other competitions but at the end of the day he is still Ronaldo – betting against him in rarely profitable.
      Dream Team World Cup managers are encouraged to select provisional teams now, prices and updated squads will be finalised next week – you can make as many changes to your XI as you like until the tournament gets underway.

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      Jason Cummings named in Australia World Cup squad despite playing twice for Scotland

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      JASON CUMMINGS has been named in Australia’s World Cup squad… despite twice being capped by Scotland.The Edinburgh-born striker represented the Tartan Army in friendly matches against the Netherlands and Hungary during the 2017-18 season.
      Jason Cummings scored on his Australia debutCredit: Getty
      Cummings, 27, earned two Scotland capsCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      Holding dual-nationality thanks to his Australian mother, Cummings opted to switch allegiances after falling out of the Scotland fold.
      The forward was eligible to do so having only played in non-competitive internationals for Scotland – and having already held Aussie citizenship at the time of his Tartan Army debut.
      He received his first Socceroos call-up in September, scoring from the bench in a friendly victory over New Zealand.
      Cummings, 27, will now head to Qatar after sufficiently impressing boss Graham Arnold during his cameo.
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      The forward began his senior career at Hibernian, before joining Nottingham Forest in 2017.
      He swiftly fell out of favour at the City Ground, however, returning north of the border to join Rangers on loan.
      Further temporary spells at Peterborough and Luton followed, before a permanent switch to League One Shrewsbury.
      A year back in Scotland with Dundee would then follow, Cummings bagging 14 goals in 36 games for the Den’s Park side.
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      In January of this year he left Dundee for a new adventure Down Under, penning an 18-month contract with A-League side Central Coast Mariners.
      He’s been a hit with the Aussie outfit, scoring 12 goals and assisting a further eight since making the move.
      Cummings is joined in the Australia World Cup squad by plenty of other UK-based players.
      Sunderland’s Bailey Wright and Middlesbrough’s Riley McGree are in there – as well as Cummings’ Central Coast Mariners team-mate Garang Kuol, who has agreed to join Newcastle in January.
      Cummings isn’t the only Scottish-born star in Arnold’s squad – with Harry Souttar and Martin Boyle also making the cut.
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      Hearts trio Nathaniel Atkinson, Kye Rowles and Cameron Devlin have been selected – as well as Celtic’s Aaron Mooy and St Mirren’s Keanu Baccus.
      Former Arsenal goalkeeper Mathew Ryan will skipper the side.
      Cummings is joined in the squad by Newcastle new boy Garang KuolCredit: Getty More

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      When will England’s final 2022 World Cup squad be announced?

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      ENGLAND will be hoping to bring the World Cup home when Gareth Southgate’s side travel to Qatar in November.The England boss is set to name his World Cup squad before the tournament starts – and there will be some disappointed players.
      Ben Chilwell will NOT be part of the England squad after the Chelsea full-back picked up an injuryCredit: PA
      England were among the favourites to lift the trophy in Qatar, but a recent horror run of results has seen the Three Lions slide down the reckoning.
      However, Harry Kane and Co would have had the perfect send off had they completed an incredible comeback against Germany.
      Here is all you need to know about when England will name their squad and what to expect…
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      What date will Gareth Southgate name England’s 2022 World Cup squad?
      A provisional long list of 55 players will be picked on October 20 for visa and admin purposes, though this won’t be publicly announced.
      Gareth Southgate then has right up until the deadline of Sunday, November 13 to submit his squad for the finals.
      England are not playing any warm-up games for the tournament, so the defeat to Italy and draw to Germany were the last matches the Three Lions played before the tournament.
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      How many players can be named in a World Cup squad?
      England are planning to name their squad on Thursday, November 10.
      All 32 World Cup managers can name 23 to 26 players in their squads.
      The deadline for the World Cup squad announcements is November 13. More

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      Reece James injury update with Chelsea star set to hand Southgate huge World Cup selection dilemma

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      REECE JAMES has been told he could be fit in three weeks – leaving England boss Gareth Southgate with a massive selection dilemma.Chelsea defender James is recovering from a knee injury and Southgate names a 26-man squad for the World Cup in just 48 hours.
      Reece James is a major doubt for the World CupCredit: REX
      The Chelsea defender is still recovering from a knee injuryCredit: AP
      James, however, is doing everything in his power to make it on the plane to Qatar 2022Credit: SIMON JONES
      James is refusing to give up on his dream of joining them in Qatar and has spoken to specialists who believe he could be ready to play by the end of the month.
      England face Wales in their third and final Group B game on November 29 and are hopeful of progressing to the first knockout round and beyond.
      Fullback James, 22, was in blistering form for Chelsea prior to getting hurt and was Southgate’s first-choice right-back for the tournament.
      The England head coach must now decide whether to take a huge gamble and include James in the tour party heading to the desert.
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      England first play Iran and the USA before the home nations clash against the Welsh.
      James would miss those two opening games and still have to work flat out to be ready after that.
      The absence of James has caused a massive headache for Southgate and England.
      Fellow right-back Kyle Walker of Manchester City has not played since undergoing groin surgery on October 6.
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      He has been declared fit to go to the tournament but is woefully short of match sharpness.
      Liverpool’s out-of-sorts Trent Alexander Arnold and even Arsenal’s converted centre-back Ben White are being considered for the right-back slot.
      Taking James would be a big gamble on a player who only recently was on crutches after damaging ligaments playing for Chelsea in a Champions League match at Milan.
      But it has happened before. Former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson took crock striker Wayne Rooney to the World Cup in Germany even though he was still on his way back after breaking bones in his foot.
      Southgate named Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson in his Euro 2020 squad last summer despite the pair carrying injuries into the tournament.
      Reece James hasn’t given up hope of turning out for the Three Lions later this monthCredit: SIMON JONES
      Southgate submits a final squad list to governing body FIFA on Monday, 24 hours before flying out to Qatar.
      Despite being forecast to be out until mid-December, James has remained optimistic about his chances of playing in his second major tournament for The Three Lions.
      He told SunSport: “I need to keep working hard over the next few weeks and see where I am on call-up day.
      “I will try and not rule myself out. It is still slow and in the early stages.
      “I have been in rehab for two weeks, so I am still taking it day by day.
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      “The Chelsea medical staff have not given me a percentage of my chance of being back for the World Cup.
      “It is down to how I feel closer to the time and how stable it is.” More