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      Paul Pogba flies to Qatar to cheer on France pals in World Cup final with Argentina after meeting Rio Ferdinand in Doha

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      PAUL POGBA has flown to Qatar to cheer on his France team-mates in the World Cup final.Les Bleus are hoping to become just the third nation ever to successfully defend the trophy when they face Argentina.
      Paul Pogba has flown to Qatar and met up with Rio FerdinandCredit: Instagram / @rioferdy5
      Pogba scored in the 2018 final when France beat CroatiaCredit: Reuters
      They beat a stubborn Morocco side in the semi-finals and now have Lionel Messi and Co standing in their way of a third World Cup.
      France have managed to navigate their way through the tournament without some of their key players.
      One of those is Pogba, who’s missed out as he continues to recover from a knee injury he suffered in the summer.
      Pogba left Manchester United following the expiration of his contract, but is yet to feature upon his return to Juventus.
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      In the meantime, the 29-year-old has travelled to Qatar to support his French mates.
      And Pogba has met up with a former team-mate.
      BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand posted a photo to Instagram of the pair working out in the gym ahead of the final with a caption that read: “Just 2 guys putting in hard work… @paulpogba 📸
      “Good to see you bro!”
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      Ferdinand uploaded three snaps of the ex-United stars hanging out.
      This comes despite Juventus being reluctant to allow Pogba to travel to the Middle East to show support for his team-mates.
      The Italian club weren’t willing to let him fly to Qatar while he’s injured.
      But Pogba appears to have not been granted permission and will be hoping his journey is worth his time. More

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      Morocco star Hakimi pleads with Fifa boss Infantino and complains about referee after third-place loss to Croatia

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      MOROCCAN star Achraf Hakimi allegedly confronted Fifa president Gianni Infantino to complain about refereeing yesterday.Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic sealed a 2-1 win for Croatia against the Atlas Lions to claim third place at the World Cup.
      Achraf Hakimi allegedly confronted Fifa’s president after Morocco’s defeat to CroatiaCredit: Getty
      He was fuming about the refereeing in the third-place play-off clashCredit: LeSiteinfo YouTube
      But defender Hakimi, 24, was furious with the match officials and Infantino after the defeat.
      Morocco firstly had a penalty ruled out for handball after Youssef En-Nesyri’s header hit Bruno Petkovic as replays showed the ball hit the Croatian’s back.
      Hakimi was then brought down by Petkovic, but referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim waved play on.
      Now footage has emerged of the 24-year-old, who plays his club football for Paris Saint-Germain confronting the officials following the full-time whistle.
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      But beIN SPORTS reporter Carrie Brown has stated that Hakimi also sounded off about the refereeing to Fifa president Infantino as he prepared to hand out bronze medals to the Croatia players.
      Instead of ranting and raving, Hakimi is said to have spoken in a “polite and desperate” way to Infantino.
      Brown then added that the player’s teammates “walked him away” after he “pleaded” with the footy chief.
      SVT Sport reporter Johan Kucukaslan has claimed that Fifa wanted to “delete the images” of the “embarrassing scenes” from Hakimi and Infantino’s exchange.
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      He told SVT Sport: “They wanted us to delete the images.
      “It is clear that these are embarrassing scenes for them, and it is a bit naive of them to think that a dozen journalists should not report on this when we witness it happening.”
      TV presenter Tom Egbers added: “He stood in front of Infantino, less than five centimetres.
      “With a raised voice, he ranted to Infantino about the referee. It was painful.”
      However, while speaking to reporters, Hakimi insisted that “nothing happened” in his confrontation.
      Although he did admit that he was “angry” after the World Cup match. More

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      England’s Jude Bellingham’s image rights firm makes £1m — with the ace set to multiply amount

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      ENGLAND World Cup star Jude Bellingham’s image rights company has made £1million — but is set to earn many millions more.The 19-year-old midfielder’s firm, Bello & Bello, has also registered his name and shirt number JB22 as a trademark.
      Figures published just before he played his first game in Qatar reveal his company had assets of £1.26million
      Figures published just before he played his first game in Qatar reveal his company had assets of £1.26million but owed just over £200,000 for the year to the end of February.
      The West Mids-born ace began his career at Birmingham City and now plays for German side Borussia Dortmund.
      But he was one of the young stars of the World Cup and is starting to enjoy off-field success.
      A source said: “Jude’s made a real name for himself and he’s got his affairs in order financially.
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      “He’s got his feet on the ground and wants to do well for himself.” More

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      Argentina squad desperate to give Lionel Messi the ULTIMATE goodbye and help legend finally earn World Cup glory

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      ARGENTINA hope to give superstar Lionel Messi the ultimate World Cup knees-up.Messi, 35, will feature in the tournament for the last time against reigning champs France in the final inside the Lusail Stadium.
      Lionel Messi will battle for the trophy against France in his last World Cup gameCredit: Getty
      Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni is hoping they can win for MessiCredit: Splash
      And Qatari World Cup chiefs want to host a parade for the winners along Lusail Boulevard after the stadium presentation.
      Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said: “I hope Leo wins and then says goodbye by lifting the Cup.
      “It would be the best possible stage for him to say goodbye.
      “The most important thing is to enjoy it — and what better setting than a World Cup final to do so.”
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      After the 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia, Messi was asked if this was his last World Cup match.
      He said: “Surely, yes. There are many years for the next one and I don’t think I will be able to do that and ending this way is the best.
      “There is a lot of happiness, being able to achieve this.
      “Ending my World Cup career, playing my last game in a final.”
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      Messi gained his only international success at the 2021 Copa America when Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the final.
      Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez said: “I saw a great Messi at the Copa — he was one of the best players at the tournament.
      “At this World Cup, he took a step forward.
      “He is playing better. He is the greatest of all time and he is excited.” More

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      Some people in France WANT Lionel Messi to win World Cup… but we will rain on his parade, warns boss Didier Deschamps

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      DIDIER DESCHAMPS admits some French people want Lionel Messi to lift the World Cup today.But for a man fighting against Messi’s alleged destiny, not to mention a mystery virus in the camp, Deschamps seems remarkably calm about his own tilt at history.
      Lionel Messi is up for finally winning the World Cup as Argentina face FranceCredit: Reuters
      Didier Deschamps believes Kylian Mbappe & Co are well equipped to ensure Messi’s World Cup dream doesn’t come trueCredit: Rex
      The France boss, aiming to become only the second manager to be world champion twice, said: “I know Argentina and maybe some French people would hope Lionel Messi can win the World Cup but we are going to do everything to achieve our objective.
      “Most fans will probably support Argentina because they are Argentinian or will be rooting for that team.
      “Argentinians are a very passionate people, they get behind their team and that is a positive thing, it is good to have an atmosphere like that in a World Cup final.
      “But our opponents aren’t in the crowd, they are a team we face on the pitch and they are a good enough team to be worried about them.
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      “Both teams have the same objective and only one will come out with a third star.”
      France captain Hugo Lloris is also aware that most of the world wants Messi to cap his extraordinary  international career by winning the one major trophy that has eluded him.
      Keeper Lloris said: “As long as we have the support of our fans — and we know the French people are behind us — then nothing else really matters.
      “We started the World Cup with the objective to go as far as possible.
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      “Very few believed in us at the outset but we are now in the final and will pull out all the stops to win it.
      “Of course we know what Lionel Messi means in the history of football but I believe the event is too massive just being focused on one player.
      “It is a final between two big nations of football, between Argentina and France.
      “When you face that type of player, you need a special focus on him but it is not only him, it is a strong team with a lot of talented players, with a young generation of players and you can feel they are all dedicated to Leo Messi.
      “We will try to find the key to get the success in this game.”
      Amid all the talk of Messi’s mission, the story of the other captain in the final has been a bit lost. Lloris would not feature in many people’s list of all-time great goalkeepers.
      World Cup winners like England’s Gordon Banks, Italian legends Dino Zoff and Gianluigi Buffon, or even keepers who were never world champions, such as the Soviet Union’s Lev Yashin, are rated more highly.
      But the fact is that if France win today, Lloris will become the first captain, goalkeeper or not, to lift the trophy twice.
      Tottenham skipper Lloris said: “I was privileged enough to win the trophy with my team-mates in 2018 and I am very proud of that, but we are focused on creating our own history.
      “It is going to be the toughest match of the tournament and we have to be ready for  any scenario.
      Hugo Lloris aims to become the first keeper to taste World Cup glory twiceCredit: Getty
      “We will have to show great solidarity, graft and in spite of everything, the virus, we will have to finish the job as well as we can.
      “In the past we have already proved that French teams who have been successful have always based that success on a strong team spirit and so we try to draw from that. Thanks to the adrenalin and excitement we will feel we will all be ready to do anything we can to win this last battle.”
      Lloris and Deschamps, unlike Messi, know their status as World Cup legends is already secure.
      Deschamps is one of the few men to win it as player and manager and is today trying to match the only other boss to win it twice — Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo in 1934 and 1938.
      But does the weight of support for Messi, and the additional issue of illness in the French camp, make Deschamps feel that he is all alone, him against the world?
      The France boss smiled: “I often get that feeling but I am fine being alone, that doesn’t bother me.
      “These uncertainties always arrive, we are here and have done everything we can to be well prepared for the game against Argentina.
      “Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has also had challenges. They lost their first game against Saudi Arabia.
      “I don’t have any particular worries or stress.
      Read More on The Sun
      “When you prepare for a game like this you have to remain composed.
      “In the World Cup final, you have a match but also a whole context behind it and the objective is to come out with the title.” More

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      My first World Cup final was for a £1.75 plastic toy and a colouring book… now I can emulate Pele, says Kylian Mbappe

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE played for a £1.75 plastic trophy in his very first “World Cup final”.He also promised to buy a COLOURING BOOK for his team-mate if they won.
      Kylian Mbappe’s first’ World Cup final’ as a kid was played for toys and a colouring bookCredit: Offside Sports
      Mbappe is ready to emulate Pele by winning back-to-back World CupsCredit: Reuters
      Against Argentina on Sunday, the French superstar will try to emulate Brazil legend Pele by winning back-to-back World Cups.
      But he first started dreaming of playing in the greatest showpiece in football as a kid growing up in the Paris suburb of Bondy.
      Back then, Mbappe had posters of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Neymar — now his team-mate at Paris Saint-Germain — adorning his bedroom wall.
      And winning his school tournament was a matter of “life or death”.
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      Mbappe, 23, recalled: “Me and my friends, we did not hope to become footballers.
      “We did not expect, we did not plan — we dreamed.
      “I remember we had this tournament at our school — all the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders — and it was our World Cup.
      “We were playing for this £1.75 plastic trophy, but we treated it like it was life or death. Your honour is always at stake.
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      “And it’s funny, because the rule was that every team had to be mixed. Girls and boys.
      “Well, unfortunately, not all the girls wanted to play in the tournament, so we had to really negotiate.
      “I remember telling my friend that if she gave everything on the pitch and we won the cup, I would buy her a new colouring book. I was begging her.
      “Maybe you think I’m exaggerating — but it really meant everything to us.
      “We played for this £1.75 cup like it was the Jules Rimet Trophy. That’s just how it was.
      “I’m sure it was difficult for my teachers. To them, I really apologise.
      “I remember coming home from school one day with nine different warnings from the principal.
      “Kylian did not do his homework; Kylian forgot his school supplies; Kylian was talking about football during maths.
      “My head was in the clouds.”
      His love affair with football has made him a multi-millionaire and taken him to Sunday’s glittering Qatar final against PSG team-mate Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
      And it all started when he was just three.
      I just wanted the ball. To me, the ball was everythingKylian Mbappe
      Mbappe told the Players’ Tribune: “With me, everything is football.
      “When I was three, I was bought one of those little 4×4 electric toy trucks for my birthday.
      “You could actually sit inside and drive it around. It had pedals and everything.
      “My parents would let me drive from our house to the football pitch across the street, like I was a real footballer driving to training. I took my little routine very seriously.
      “But as soon as I arrived, I always left the car in a corner to go play football.
      “This cool 4×4 that made all my friends jealous — but I just didn’t care about it anymore.
      “I just wanted the ball. To me, the ball was everything.”
      PSG splashed out a whopping £162million to sign Mbappe from Monaco in June 2018 — a world-record fee for a teenager.
      He has already netted 250 career goals, won five French League titles, three French Cups, two League Cups, a World Cup and the Nations League with France.
      Mbappe’s also been voted his country’s Player of the Season three times — and he’s still only 23 for a few days at least.
      He scored the final goal in France’s 4-2 World Cup final win over Croatia in Russia four years ago.
      When I heard La Marseillaise, I could have criedKylian Mbappe
      And he’s now bidding to stop 35-year-old GOAT Messi winning the only major honour to have eluded him during his glorious career.
      Mbappe added: “Sometimes, even when you are really living something, it feels like a dream.
      “It was the same feeling at the World Cup in Russia.
      “You do not experience the World Cup as a person. You experience it as a child.
      “Of all the memories, the one I will never forget is when we were standing in the tunnel before the first match against Australia, waiting to walk out.
      “This is when it hit me, what I was living. I looked over at Ousmane Dembele and we were just smiling and shaking our heads.
      “I said, ‘Look at us. The boy from Évreux. And the boy from Bondy. We are playing at the World Cup’.
      “We walked onto the pitch and felt 65 million people behind us.
      “When I heard La Marseillaise, I could have cried.
      “So many of us who held the World Cup in our hands that summer grew up in the suburbs. The banlieues.
      “We are the crazy dreamers. And lucky for us, dreaming is free.”
      Read More on The Sun
      On Sunday in Qatar’s Lusail Stadium in front of the watching world, Mbappe will dream of lifting not a plastic toy, but the 36cm £20m real thing.
      Full interview at theplayerstribune.com. More

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      Harry Redknapp: I’ve been mesmerised by Lionel Messi… but winning the World Cup will NOT settle football’s GOAT race

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      I PLAYED against Pele. I marvelled at Maradona. I’ve been mesmerised by Messi.If the little guy lifts the World Cup on Sunday, it will be a great way to top off an amazing career.
      Lionel Messi has the world in his hands but still can’t grasp the title of best ever just by helping Argentina beat FranceCredit: Getty
      Messi’s modern-day rival Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, is destined to never win the World Cup after Portugal crashed out to Morocco in the quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
      But it won’t stop the arguments about whether he is better than Cristiano Ronaldo.
      Let alone where he stands in the all-time debate.
      I find it tough and I’ve had more experience than most of some of the greats and what they meant in the game.
      I was always a big Pele fan. Look at the amount of goals he scored, including two in the World Cup final when he was 17, the first of three he won with Brazil.
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      A few times at West Ham we came up against his Santos team, then I played in America when he was at the New York Cosmos.
      He had everything. He was so strong, as well as everything else.
      All those things you see modern players doing everywhere on TV or social media — Pele probably did them first.
      Maradona was incredible. To turn a team, Napoli, around like he did and win two Serie A titles was an amazing achievement. Then, of course, he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986.
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      You also have to remember that Pele was kicked from pillar to post. Teams would go out and try to absolutely finish him. He was fouled out of the 1966 World Cup.
      It was pretty much the same for Maradona. There’s that stat about when Argentina played Italy in the 1982 World Cup and Claudio Gentile is supposed to have fouled him 23 times. And he only got a yellow card.
      People have still steamed into Ronaldo and Messi but nothing like the way that those two were targeted and hurt in their day.
      That’s a big reason why it’s hard and unfair to make comparisons across the years.
      Other candidates?
      I was playing in the England youth set-up at the same time Johan Cruyff was coming through in Holland, so we all knew about him from an early age.
      All those things you see modern players doing everywhere on TV or social media — Pele probably did them first.Harry Redknapp
      He was a fantastic talent, the best player in that Total Football side. But what’s also amazing about him is what he did after playing. He changed the game so much as a coach, too.
      George Best was a rival and friend. He was also a genius. He never had the chance to show it in a World Cup, which tells against him in these kind of conversations.
      And he had a short career at the top level compared to Pele, Maradona, Messi and Ronaldo.
      I have to say there’s no one that jumps out at me at this World Cup and says he’s going to take over from Messi and Ronaldo when they retire.
      People talk about Kylian Mbappe. He has great ability, no doubt about that. But he’s out of the game too much. Sometimes you don’t see him for ten or 15 minutes.
      Brazil legend Pele celebrates winning the World Cup in 1970 after also lifting the top prize in 1958 and 1962Credit: Getty
      The late George Best is arguably the most famous name in Man Utd’s historyCredit: PA:Press Association
      He played in flashes against England but not so well to make you go, “Oh, my god”.
      Kyle Walker did a good job on him but it would have been harder to do that to the others.
      You couldn’t mark Messi out of the game. He would always be involved. Maradona, Pele the same.  Messi, when he picks the ball up and runs with it, it’s like it’s tied to his laces.
      It’s incredible. His passes, and one-twos — I love it and always have done over the years watching Spanish football on TV when he was playing for Barcelona.
      Messi has had an amazing World Cup. Everyone thought he was finished. After their opening-game defeat against Saudi Arabia, everyone thought Argentina were finished.
      I’m glad they’ve proved people wrong.
      Partly because the football romantic in me likes the idea of Messi going out in style.
      But I also have to admit to having a little bet before the tournament — Argentina to win it and Messi to be top goalscorer.
      Both are looking quite strong, so I’ve definitely got an interest in today’s final.
      Just don’t ask me to put money on who’s the best player of all time — that race will never end.
      WE CAN PHIL IT COMING
      THIS World Cup was a big chance missed for England. But it will come again!
      Because we have a fantastic group of young players. I think we had the best squad in the tournament.
      Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, they’re kids with two, three, or four tournaments left.
      Surely we will find a way of winning a tournament.  We can’t keep being unlucky.
      I still think we can be a bit bolder in our selection.
      We did play well against France so it’s hard to criticise.
      But it would be great to find room for a No 10, whether it’s Foden or whoever. We’re still a bit negative.
      Gareth must look at it and think, ‘Hang on, I’ve got a real chance here’.
      If it was an ageing squad, ‘I’m not going to do anything with this lot, there’s only one way from here and that’s down’, then…
      But it’s not. He has a real opportunity to win something. The Euros are in 18 months.
      I’d be surprised if he moved on. People ask who could take over if he goes. But remember Gareth didn’t come into the job with an amazing record as a club manager.
      If he stays, great. If he doesn’t, whoever gets the job has a great chance to be successful.
      CHAMP DESCHAMPS
      Only one manager has won two World Cups — and that was before even I was born.
      Didier Deschamps is already in that very small group of those who have been world champ as both player and coach.
      Read More on The Sun
      Now he could join an even more exclusive club with Vittorio Pozzo, Italy boss in 1934 and ’38.
      When you look at the players France are missing, it’s a great achievement. Not bad for someone Eric Cantona once dismissed as “a water carrier”. More

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      World Cup 2022 LIVE: Gareth Southgate will STAY as England boss, Benzema’s Instagram SNUB as Croatia finish THIRD

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE will STAY on as England manager.Southgate is set to give the Football Association the perfect Christmas present by telling them of his decision this week.
      There were talks about the World Cup being Southgate’s last rodeo as Three Lions manager but he has now decided to continue as boss into the Euro 2024 campaign.
      Meanwhile, Karim Benzema appears to have snubbed the possibility of making a shock appearance for the French squad in Sunday’s final against Argentina.
      The Ballon d’Or winner posted a snap of himself and captioned it “I’m not interested.”
      Elsehwere, Croatia finished third at the World Cup after beating Morocco 2-1 in the playoff clash.

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      Perfect send off
      Argentina hope to give superstar Lionel Messi the ultimate World Cup knees-up.
      Messi, 35, will feature in the tournament for the last time against reigning champs France in the final inside the Lusail Stadium.
      And Qatari World Cup chiefs want to host a parade for the winners along Lusail Boulevard after the stadium presentation.
      Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said: “I hope Leo wins and then says goodbye by lifting the Cup.
      “It would be the best possible stage for him to say goodbye.
      “The most important thing is to enjoy it — and what better setting than a World Cup final to do so.”
      Mbappe’s World Cup
      Kylian Mbappe played for a £1.75 plastic trophy in his very first “World Cup final”.
      He also promised to buy a colouring book for his team-mate if they won.
      Back when Mbappe was a small boy, he had posters of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Neymar — now his team-mate at Paris Saint-Germain — adorning his bedroom wall.
      And winning his school tournament was a matter of “life or death”.
      Mbappe, 23, recalled: “Me and my friends, we did not hope to become footballers.
      “We did not expect, we did not plan — we dreamed.
      “I remember we had this tournament at our school — all the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders — and it was our World Cup.
      “We were playing for this £1.75 plastic trophy, but we treated it like it was life or death. Your honour is always at stake.
      “And it’s funny, because the rule was that every team had to be mixed. Girls and boys.
      “Well, unfortunately, not all the girls wanted to play in the tournament, so we had to really negotiate.
      “I remember telling my friend that if she gave everything on the pitch and we won the cup, I would buy her a new colouring book. I was begging her.
      “Maybe you think I’m exaggerating — but it really meant everything to us.
      “We played for this £1.75 cup like it was the Jules Rimet Trophy. That’s just how it was.
      “I’m sure it was difficult for my teachers. To them, I really apologise.
      “I remember coming home from school one day with nine different warnings from the principal.
      “Kylian did not do his homework; Kylian forgot his school supplies; Kylian was talking about football during maths.
      “My head was in the clouds.”
      World Cup final ref annoyed Tuchel
      Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will make history as the first man from his country to take charge of a World Cup final.
      But he is the official who infuriated former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel after the club’s Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash against Real Madrid last season.
      Marciniak, 41, was the man in charge when the Blues won 3-2 after extra time only to lose 5-4 on aggregate.
      Tuchel was fuming with Marciniak after Marcos Alonso had a goal ruled out by VAR for handball in the 62nd minute.
      And at the end of the game, Tuchel went to shake hands with the ref who was caught laughing with Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.
      Tuchel said: “I think this is very, very bad timing – and I told him that.”
      Southgate to stay
      Gareth will stay on as England boss.
      Southgate is set to give the Football Association the perfect Christmas present by telling them of his decision this week.
      The Three Lions boss believed for months the World Cup would be his last tournament in charge and felt the same in the immediate aftermath of the quarter-final defeat by France.
      But now he is ready to commit to lead the team to Euro 2024 in Germany.
      The news came as Newcastle boss Eddie Howe – who was being linked with the job – said he hoped Southgate would continue with the “magnificent job” he was doing.
      The FA will be hugely relieved about Southgate’s change of heart.
      Infantino mocked by fans
      Fans have been taking great joy from mocking FIFA president Gianni Infantino for his footwear during the World Cup third-place playoff.
      The 52-year-old was spotted wearing custom Adidas trainers as he congratulated the Croatian side on their win.

      The Europeans beat African side Morocco 2-1 in the match to claim third place in the World Cup.
      Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring before Achraf Dari equalised for Morocco. But Mislav Orsic netted the winner in the 42nd minute to give his side the victory.
      But Infantino took the attention of the fans with his trainers, which had “FIFA” printed on the side of them.
      And fans could not help but poke fun at him on social media as one said: “Infantino’s shoes are so tragic”.
      Giroud could be benched
      France could make a shock roll of the dice in the World Cup final by dropping Olivier Giroud to the bench.
      Giroud has started five games out of six for Les Bleus in Qatar, but after seeing himself substituted in the 65th minute of the semi-final against Morocco his place in the team is now in jeopardy.
      Didier Deschamps gave Marcus Thuram a run out against the North African nation.
      And this move proved to be effective as they appeared more lively without the former Arsenal and Chelsea ace on the pitch.
      While Giroud has been an ever-present for France at both the 2018 World Cup and this year’s tournament, Deschamps could now change up his formula in an effort to beat Argentina.
      French outlet L’Equipe have reported that during the first part of France training today, Deschamps experimented by playing Thuram on the left flank and placing Kylian Mbappe through the centre.
      Ronaldo’s cryptic message
      Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a cryptic video on social media suggesting that people “don’t know him”.
      The 37-year-old is currently a free agent after his contract was mutually terminated at Manchester United.

      This was the result of the fallout of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan before jetting off for the World Cup in Qatar with Portugal.
      Ronaldo uploaded the cryptic video to his Instagram story in which he filmed around his gym while shirtless.
      He is the most followed person on the platform, with over 517 million people following him.
      During the video, a Portuguese song can be heard in which the lyrics translate to “You don’t know about me. Don’t cry more for me”.
      Neville claim
      Gary Neville has claimed he was told a year ago why Manchester City were willing to allow Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to leave – and it was Argentina ace Julian Alvarez.
      He told Sky Sports’ World Cup podcast: “I was told a year ago when City let Jesus and Sterling go – because I was quite surprised that City let both go at the same time – that this kid [Alvarez] was the reason.
      “Someone said that to me, that is quite close to City, that he was the reason and they didn’t want to block his path.”
      Martinez’s tears
      New footage has emerged of an emotional Lisandro Martinez breaking down in tears during an interview with an Argentine journalist, after beating the Netherlands.
      The Man Utd defender was spotted crying with joy, before receiving a hug from TV interviewer Diego Korol.
      Martinez struggled to get out many words.
      But he did declare: “[This victory is] to my grandparents who are no longer here.”
      Croatia seal third
      Whatever happens, at least one little genius of a No 10 has signed off from the World Cup on a high.
      Luka Modric will watch Lionel Messi try to write the final chapter to his fairytale in today’s final and wonder what might have been.

      But Croatia’s captain and greatest ever player ended his career on the biggest stage of all as a winner.
      And the two goals that earned him that pleasure were things of beauty.
      Centre back Josko Gvardiol put being tormented by Messi behind him by heading home after a glorious free-kick routine.
      Morocco equalised immediately in a crazy two minutes that set the tone for one of the most entertaining games of the tournament.
      But Mislav Orsic’s beautiful strike just before the break ultimately proved enough to ensure Croatia would match the third place they secured in 1998.
      Argie’s x-rated English song
      An X-rated anti-English Argentina song has become the most played song in the country after players sang it in the dressing room.
      Following their World Cup semi-final win over Croatia, a video emerged of the team celebrating in the dressing room with a chant which references the Falklands War.
      And the song seems to have caught on back home, with it flying up the charts to become the most played song on Spotify in the country.
      Globo report the song, known as “Muchachos”, was played more than 500,000 times in a single day.
      Defender Nicolas Otamendi filmed shirtless Argentina players singing “Ingleses putos de Malvinas no me olvido”, which has a rough translation of “f***ing English in the Falklands, I don’t forget”.

      Kramaric injury blow
      Andrej Kramaric’s World Cup ended in tears as he hobbled off injured.
      The Croatian striker was offside when he received the ball and tried a cross from the right.

      However, in delivering the ball in, the striker damaged his knee and immediately went down with no contact from the defender.
      And he was eventually helped off the field by medics in floods of tears.
      France kit jinx
      Kit manufacturer Nike may have jinxed France’s chances against Argentina.
      That’s by putting a “three-star” kit on sale BEFORE Sunday’s World Cup final.

      And France now risk embarrassment should they fail to defend their trophy against Lionel Messi.
      Didier Deschamps’ men are looking to become the first side to win two successive World Cups since Brazil in 1962.
      France’s victory in Russia over four years ago was their second triumph in the competition, having broken their duck on home soil in 1998.
      But kit sponsors Nike appear confident that Kylian Mbappe and Co are on course for a third triumph.
      Brilliant First-Half
      If Croatia and Morocco were on a mission to prove the value of the third-placed play-off, they could not be doing a better job of it so far.
      An exciting first 45 sees Croatia go into the break leading 2-1 after an outstanding strike by Mirslav Orsic.
      Second-half to come soon and you can follow all the action with our dedicated blog here.
      A Tale of Two Strikers
      With all the talk of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe dominating tomorrow’s World Cup Final, it’s easy to forget about two other heroes of this tournament.
      France’s Olivier Giroud and Julian Alvarez of Argentina have enjoyed outstanding campaigns and both are still in with a shout of winning the Golden Boot.
      While at different stages of their careers, they have both successfully acted as foils for teammates while providing crucial goals throughout the tournament.
      Alvarez will be desperate not to be outshone by his opposite number tomorrow – he gets enough of that with Erling Haaland at Manchester City.
      What a start
      Croatia were in front in the third-place play off as the man in the mask, Josko Gvardiol, flew in like a superhero with a diving header from eight yards out.
      But Morocco hit back almost immediately as a free-kick fired into the box was headed in by defender Achraf Dari.
      What a game so far. Follow it all here.
      Fighting for Bronze
      We’re well underway at the Khalifa International Stadium as Croatia and Morocco face-off in the third-place play-off.
      Follow all the action with our commentary here.
      Kar Blimey
      France manager Didier Deschamps has confirmed Karim Benzema will not play in the World Cup final.
      There had been some hope that the Real Madrid striker might make a surprise return from injury tomorrow.
      An angry Deschamps, annoyed about being asked about the forward, snapped at a reporter: “Are you spreading the word among foreign journalists?
      “If I don’t answer, you’ll say I’m p***ed off. 
      “Some players have been injured and Karim Benzema is one of them and Lucas Hernandez got injured in the first game. 
      “So now I am focusing on my 24-man squad and they are the ones I will have at my disposal tomorrow.”
      Injuries take their toll
      After limping off against France, neither Nayef Aguerd nor Romain Saiss have been deemed fit enough to start for Morocco against Croatia.
      The third-place play-off kicks off at 3pm and every kick can be followed here.

      Croatian Changes
      Zlatko Dalic has rung the changes as he looks to give some football to players who haven’t featured heavily in this tournament.
      Luka Modric retains his place in midfield in what could be his last World Cup match. The third-place play off kicks off at 3pm and can be followed here.

      ‘Like we are playing in Argentina’
      Emi Martinez has praised Argentina fans who have made the team feel at home.
      South Americans are expected to pack out the Lusail Iconic Stadium for tomorrow’s World Cup Final against France.
      And the goalkeeper said: “We feel our fans very closely in every match in every stadium, it’s like we are playing a local match.
      “We feel that before the match, during the match, we feel their support. It feels like we are playing in Argentina, in our country which is a huge advantage.”
      Happy Ending?
      Lionel Messi may finally land the World Cup in his final game in the tournament tomorrow.
      Unfortunately 37-year-old Luka Modric won’t get that grand finale but, in what could be his last World Cup game this afternoon, he will be hoping to land the consolation of third-place by beating Morocco this afternoon.
      Luka Modric will lead Croatia against Morocco this afternoon in the third-place play-off
      Regragui Ready
      Morocco boss Walid Regragui said his side are taking today’s third-place play-off against Croatia seriously.
      The African nation stunned Qatar by getting all the way to the World Cup semi-finals before losing to France.
      Regragui said: “We would like things to have gone differently and played in the final. But there is another game to play and we would like to be on the podium.”
      Walid Regragui has his eyes on the prize as Morocco look to take bronze this afternoon
      ‘They resemble us’
      Croatian boss Zlatko Dalic says Morocco’s run to the semi-final “resembles” what Croatia did in 2018.
      The pair are set to meet in this afternoon’s third-place play-off and Dalic was keen to pay tribute to his opponents.
      The Croatian manager said: “They resemble us from four years ago, no-one expected them to go so far. They have deserved to be where they are.
      “They have matured and developed and went to a higher level with every game. They have grown into a team that are full of energy and self-motivated.
      “They are definitely the most pleasant and biggest surprise from this World Cup.”
      24 Days Later
      A lot has happened since Morocco and Croatia met in the World Cup group stages 24 days ago.
      Few would have guessed, following their bore 0-0 draw, that Morocco would go on to beat Belgium, top their group, eliminate Spain and Portugal and push France all the way in the semi-final.
      Now they are set to take on Croatia again in the third-place play-off in a rare instance of two sides meeting twice in one World Cup.
      This was how the stats looked during their 0-0 draw last time out.

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