World Cup

ENGLISH referee Anthony Taylor has reportedly been blocked from refereeing the World Cup final between Argentina and France. The showpiece event in Qatar will stage the battle between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe on Sunday. 
Anthony Taylor has reportedly been blocked from refereeing the World Cup finalCredit: Getty
And it will be officiated by Pole Szymon Marciniak after Taylor was overlooked. 
According to The Times, English refs were unable to be involved in any Argentina match due to ill-feeling around the Falkland Islands.
So it eliminated Taylor’s chances of selection for the final between reigning champions France and Argentina. 
It is believed Fifa’s appointment system say that ensuring neutrality is deemed as a top priority and means that English referees would not be put on matches involving Argentina and vice versa.
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Despite no suggestion refs would be influenced, the aim is to avoid any situations where the teams involved could complain about bias.
Animosity around the Falklands War was displayed again this week after Argentina’s semi-final win over Croatia.
Players were heard singing a chant popular with their fans called Muchachos – which references the Falklands War and aims insults at England and Brazil.
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”.
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The full chant goes: “Brazilian, what happened, the five-time champions screwed up.
“Messi went to Rio and he left with the cup [in reference to their Copa America win on Brazilian soil]. We are the Argentine band and we will always cheer them on, because we have the dream of being the world champion.
“I’m like that, I am Argentinian, f***ing English in the Falklands, I don’t forget. I’m like that, I encourage you, I follow Argentina everywhere.”
Argentina players sang an anti-English song in wild dressing room celebrations More

JOSKO GVARDIOL has admitted that he’s happy he got to play against Lionel Messi… even if he was on the losing side.The highly-rated defender was bamboozled by the Argentine as Croatia fell to a 3-0 defeat in Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final.
Lionel Messi bamboozled Josko Gvardiol on TuesdayCredit: Getty
Messi, 35, put on a masterclass – made most memorable by his sensational assist for his side’s third – twisting and turning Gvardiol before laying the ball off to Julian Alvarez for a tap in.
The moment of magic gathered plenty of attention, but Messi’s 20-year-old victim has taken it in his stride – even labelling his tormentor the GOAT.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s third place play-off, Gvardiol said: “I am glad that I played against him even though we lost.
“It’s a great experience, and one day I’ll tell my kids that I played against the best player in history. I guess we will beat him next time.”
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Despite his embarrassment at the hands of Messi, Gvardiol’s stock remains sky high following a brilliant tournament.
He had already been strongly linked with Chelsea – who are reportedly ahead of Real Madrid in the race to sign him, with Manchester City also interested.
Gvardiol isn’t the only Croatia star to have gushed over Messi.
His team-mate, former Leicester forward Andrej Kramaric, added: “Messi is the greatest player in history.”
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After previously unseen footage of Messi’s brilliant assist surfaced online this week, it was claimed that he drew up the entire sequence before he even received the ball.
As per reporter Juan Arango, Messi’s pal and former team-mate Sergio Aguero revealed on Argentine telly just what his pal wanted.
Arango tweeted: “Kun Aguero talked on Arg TV how Messi directs his team-mates to move around so he can receive the ball.
“Short pass to his feet is the secret.”
Twenty four hours after Croatia take on Morocco looking for a second consecutive World Cup podium finish, Messi and his Argentina side will take on France in Sunday’s final.
The 35-year-old is desperate to bring the trophy back to his home country, and could finally put the GOAT debate beyond doubt for good.
Gvardiol, 20, is thrilled he got to play against Lionel MessiCredit: Getty More

LIONEL MESSI is on the verge of making history at the World Cup this weekend.But nobody could have predicted how things would turn out after Messi’s disastrous Argentina debut 17 years ago.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina debut did not go to plan in 2005Credit: Twitter / @TyCSports
The legend was sent off just 40 seconds after coming onCredit: Twitter / @TyCSports
That’s because the legendary forward was sent off after just 40 SECONDS.
Messi will lead Argentina out against France in Sunday’s World Cup final.
And in doing so, the 35-year-old will overtake Germany’s Lothar Matthaus for the most World Cup appearances in history.
Several other records are in danger of being broken on Sunday too, including most World Cup wins as a player and most World Cup assists.
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But Messi’s stunning international record was the last thing on people’s minds when he made his Argentina debut 17 years ago.
The then-Barcelona starlet was just 18 years old when Jose Pekermen selected him for the senior side in 2005.
Messi’s chance to shine came on 17 August when Argentina played Hungary in a friendly in Budapest.
With 63 minutes on the clock, the forward was brought off the bench in place of Lisandro Lopez.
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Messi could now make history with Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final against FranceCredit: Getty
And Messi immediately got stuck in just moments after his side took a 2-1 lead through Gabriel Heinze.
However, Messi managed to be a bit too enthusiastic on the ball.
As he dribbled towards Hungary’s goal only 40 seconds after joining the action, the teen was grabbed by opponent Vilms Vanczak.
This prompted Messi to swing out an arm, which hit Vanczak before sending him to the ground.
Players from both sides swarmed the referee as replays showed there wasn’t an awful lot of contact involved.
But this was pre-VAR days, meaning the ref did not get a chance to see the incident himself.
And after deciding it was a deliberate violent act from Messi, the official brandished a red card for the now-Paris Saint-Germain star.
It was reported that team-mates found Messi “weeping” in the changing room after the game.
But he certainly hasn’t looked back, going on to clock up 194 appearances for Argentina since then.
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Messi has also scored 112 goals for his country and helped them break their Copa America duck with victory in last year’s competition.
Messi is now hoping to add a historic World Cup to his collection, in what the legend has already declared will be his last tournament game for Argentina. More

ETHAN MBAPPE made his Paris Saint-Germain debut aged 15 just two days before older brother Kylian looks to win back-to-back World Cup titles with France.Midfielder Ethan was a second-half substitute in PSG’s friendly against Paris FC on Friday.
Ethan made his PSG debut in a friendly against Paris FCCredit: PSG
Older brother Kylian will look to win a second World Cup on SundayCredit: Getty
The youngster replaced Fabian Ruiz in the middle of the park.
PSG ran out 2-1 winners against their fellow Paris-based club, with Nordi Mukiele and 18-year-old Ismael Gharbi scoring.
Ethan was a part of a matchday squad consisting of the likes of Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti and Renato Sanches.
The younger Mbappe often features in PSG’s academy ranks.
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He made his European debut in September for the U19s, where they took on – and beat – Juventus.
In October, he made his Uefa Youth League debut against Maccabi Haifa.
Older brother Kylian, 23, happens to be one of the best and most paid footballers in the world.
And Ethan made his PSG debut just two days before Kylian contests his second-ever World Cup final.
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Having won it in 2018, Kylian has again spearheaded France’s attack scoring five goals and assisting two in Qatar.
However, Les Bleus will have to defeat a resolute Argentina team including an in-form Lionel Messi – a club-mate of the Mbappe brothers.
The two PSG aces will go head-to-head on Sunday’s in a 3pm kick-off. More

PATRICE EVRA has urged Gareth Southgate to continue as the England manager.The former Manchester United defender hailed the Three Lions boss as the “future of England”.
Patrice Evra has urged England fans to give the team more creditCredit: AFP
Evra has also said that Gareth Southgate should stay on as managerCredit: Getty
Southgate is statistically the best England manager of all time, having led the side to a World Cup semi-final and Euros final before this tournament’s quarter-final defeat to France.
Following the exit from the tournament in Qatar, there have been question marks over Southgate’s future as manager of England – with the FA giving him Christmas to think about it.
Some have argued that he is not capable of leading the team past the top international teams.
Whereas others have argued that he has done better than any other manager since Sir Alf Ramsey won the World Cup in 1966.
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But Evra believes that he should be kept on as manager.
He told Sky Sports: “This England squad is not better than the England squad when you had like Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and all of that.
“But they play as a team, and he built that.
“So that is why I don’t even understand why there is a debate. He should stay, or should he leave?
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“Southgate should stay, Southgate is the future of England.
“But I sometimes think, with personal reasons, when you feel like you’re doing great, and you’re still being criticised, maybe some people from your family would say, ‘you know what? You need to retire’.
“But people forget that England was in the final of the Euros, and now they lose against France.
“Of course, they could have won that game. But please, I ask the fans in England, and I love the English fans… give more credit to your team and your players because they are doing a fantastic job”.
Southgate, along with the FA, is currently reviewing their positions.
He has a contract to be the manager until after the Euros in 2024. More