World Cup

CRISTIANO RONALDO is one of NINE Portugal stars who are yet to acknowledge Fernando Santos’ sacking following the early World Cup exit.Euro 2016 winner Santos, 68, lost his job following Portugal’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to speak out on Santos’ sackingCredit: Getty
Ronaldo on the touchline with Santos in 2016’s Euros final against France following his first half injuryCredit: Getty
Portugal lost the game 1-0 thanks to a goal by Sevilla ace Youssef En-Nesyri.
The striker jumped over 9ft in the air to power the Africans to history – becoming the first country from the continent to reach the last four.
Portugal’s early exit also came as 819 career-goal Ronaldo was dropped to the substitutes bench.
Underwhelming group stage performances, which saw Ronaldo score just one goal from the penalty spot, resulted in Santos dropping the free agent for Goncalo Ramos.
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Benfica ace Ramos, 21, then scored a hat-trick in the 6-1 last 16 win over Switzerland.
And since Santos’ sacking on Thursday, Ronaldo is one of NINE Portugal stars who are yet to acknowledge the legendary manager’s departure.
Portuguese outlets Record and A Bola have extensively documented the divide among the squad.
Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Diogo Dalot, Antonio Silva, Joao Palhinha, Ruben Neves, Ricardo Horta and Rafael Leao are also yet to speak out.
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Bruno Fernandes, however, has thanked Santos for his service.
He said: “Many thanks to mister Fernando Santos. Thank you for the opportunity to represent our country and for the trust in us the past few years.
“As a Portuguese, thank you for putting Portugal at the top of Europe and returning confidence and belief to a ‘small’ country that it was possible to be among the ‘big ones’.
“Moments of glory and joy and others of sadness and frustration, but history was made and will forever be marked in the hearts of all Portuguese.”
Ronaldo’s girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, hit out at Santos after the Morocco defeat, for which she was present in Qatar.
She wrote on Instagram: “Today your friend and coach decided wrong.
“That friend for whom you have so many words of admiration and respect.
“The same one who, by getting you into the game, saw how everything changed, but it was too late.
“You cannot underestimate the best player in the world, his most powerful weapon.
“Nor can you stick up for someone who doesn’t deserve it. Life teaches us lessons. Today we have not lost, we have learned.”
Ronaldo’s attention now turns towards finding a new club.
The 37-year-old had his Manchester United contract ripped up following his bombshell interview on TalkTV with SunSport columnist Piers Morgan.
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In explosive revelations, Ronaldo slammed United for betrayal and admitted he doesn’t respect boss Erik ten Hag.
He is currently training at former club Real Madrid’s training complex – but away from Carlo Ancelotti and his squad.
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WORLD CUP final ref Szymon Marciniak had to quit his role just months ago.That’s after having a “very difficult time” following a shock heart condition diagnosis.
World Cup final ref Szymon Marciniak was forced to step back from officiating with a heart conditionCredit: Getty
Polish official Marciniak, 41, will take charge of Sunday’s showdown between heavyweights France and Argentina after impressing Fifa chiefs.
He has already been deployed in matches featuring both sides, taking control France’s 2-1 group win over Denmark and Argentina’s 2-1 last-16 win over Australia.
But this weekend’s final represents a much bigger milestone for Marciniak.
Last year he was told by doctors he was suffering from an illness called Tachycardia, the medical term for a heart rate over 100 beats a minute.
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Marciniak was left “feeling terrible” as he was forced to miss Euro 2020 at his “best age.”
And he eventually stepped back from refereeing altogether before getting the green light for Qatar 2022.
Marciniak is now over the moon at coming back to take charge of world football’s biggest match.
But he knows he will have to be at the top of his game to make sure Lionel Messi’s showdown with Paris Saint-Germain pal Kylian Mbappe goes smoothly.
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Marciniak told Fifa: “Being the referee in a World Cup final… it’s unbelievable, to be honest. I’m very proud of myself and my team because, of course, it’s not only Szymon Marciniak, it’s a great team.
“I had a very difficult time for the last year and a half. I had Tachycardia – it’s a heart illness. In the beginning, it was very difficult for me and I had to stop refereeing. 
“I missed the Uefa European Championship, which for a referee, who is at their best age, it was a terrible feeling. Only I, and my team, know how difficult of a time it was for me. 
“Now, life gives back to me and I cannot even stop smiling because it’s a great feeling.”
On the quality of players he will be officiating, Marciniak added: “Both teams have such amazing players.
“They can do anything at any second, so that’s why we have to be focused from the first to the very last moment.
“We’ve seen and heard during the World Cup how fast the games are.
“I mean, the players are really very fresh; this is the middle of the season, not like it was before when it was the end of the season.
“Now the players are fresh, they want to win. You see the fire in the eyes of the players.
“We expect a very fast game; of course, this is the final, nobody wants to concede a goal, so I expect maybe at the beginning, being careful a little bit.
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“But they have such big names, such big stars, everything can happen.
“So concentration, concentration, one more concentration. There cannot be any relaxing, even for one second. This is my task for the game.” More

WORLD CUP winner Sergio Busquets has retired from international football following Spain’s early World Cup exit.The Barcelona midfielder, 34, wore the captain’s armband for La Roja at Qatar 2022.
Sergio Busquets has ended his international career after the World CupCredit: Getty
Busquets poses with Xavi after securing the Euro 2012 crownCredit: Getty Images – Getty
❤️ 𝗨𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝘆𝗮 𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔.🫶 @5sergiob se despide de la @SEFutbol tras ganarlo 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗢.🏆 Campeón del Mundial de 2010 y de la Eurocopa de 2012.👕 𝟭𝟰𝟯 veces internacional.🙏 ¡¡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗦, 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜!!🔗 https://t.co/L0JmE4cVBB pic.twitter.com/NJ4T1dcg8k— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) December 16, 2022

However, his side were dumped out on penalties by Morocco in the last 16.
And Busquets, the last remaining member from the 2010 squad, has now called time on his international career.
The holding midfielder said: “I would like to announce that after almost 15 years and 143 games, the time has come to say goodbye to the national team.
“I would like to thank all the people who have been with me on this long road.
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“From Vicente del Bosque who gave me the opportunity to start, to Luis Enrique for making me enjoy it until the last second.
“It has been an honour to represent my country and take it to the top, to be a World and European champion, to be captain and to play so many games with greater or lesser success.
“But I’ve always given everything and always contributed my grain of sand so that everything was as right as possible and that everyone felt how important they are, helping everyone and fighting for the same goal, with unique, unforgettable and historical experiences.”
Busquets is third in the all-time appearance makers for Spain, making his debut in 2009 before winning the World Cup in South Africa the following year and adding the European Championships in 2012.
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His two goals for Spain both came in late 2014 with strikes against Macedonia and Belarus in Euro 2016 qualifying.
However, his final touch of a football for his country will be a painful memory.
Busquets stepped up to take the third Spain penalty in the shootout against Morocco.
However, just like his team-mates Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler, he failed to find the net.
Atlas Lions goalkeeper Yassine Bounou flung himself to the right to palm Busquets’ effort away.
Achraf Hakimi then stepped up and dinked the ball down the middle to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals – and Spain packing home.
And Busquets has followed in the footsteps of manager Luis Enrique by quitting his role with the national team – although the gaffer was sacked.
The midfielder will now decide on the future of his club career.
The Barcelona academy graduate broke through into the first team at the Nou Camp under Pep Guardiola.
He has stayed with Barca for his entire career, racking up 696 appearances.
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However, his current contract expires at the end of the season when he turns 35.
And he is mulling over whether to sign a new deal at the Nou Camp or join Inter Miami in 2023.
Busquets’ final touch for Spain was his saved penalty against MoroccoCredit: Reuters
He played in the World Cup final win over Holland in 2010Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

HUNDREDS of Argentina fans left a pensioner totally baffled after truning up at her house to celebrate their semi-final victory.Supporters were filmed chanting “It’s Messi’s grandma” outside the property in his hometown of Rosario after the 3-0 victory over Croatia,
Fans celebrated Argentina’s victory outside a house that was incorrectly reported as being that of Lionel Messi’s grandma
Messi has been key to Argentina reaching the finalCredit: Getty

Reports suggested the fans had congregated outside the home of Messi’s gran.
Sadly, both his grandparents have passed away.
However, stunned resident Olga, 79, who lives at the address, took the took the incident well.
She told Telenoche Rosario: “I am proud of Argentina’s victory. Everything was so nice, I did not expect it.
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“When I came to sit down again they sang ‘Grandma come back, Grandma come back’.
” I felt so loved, so happy.”
Argentine site Infobae confirmed that the resident of the house could not have been Messi’s grandma as both of his grandmothers have passed away.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner often dedicates his goals to one of his grandmothers, Celia, by pointing to the sky.
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Messi often recounted stories of how grandma Celia kickstarted his football career.
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In 2021, he said: “When I was 4, I started playing at a club, and on a street, all the time.
“One of my brothers or cousins were playing and we used to go there every day because we are of different ages and categories.
“The ‘86 team, a year older than me, was playing and they needed a player — so my grandmother told the coach ‘put him [Leo] in the team’.
“’No, how am I going to put him in the team, look how small he is, you’re crazy, he’s going to get hurt,’ the coach said.
“But she [Leo’s grandmother] kept saying ‘put him, put him’.
“Apparently when I went, I did some things and from then, my grandmother came back and told him [the coach]: ‘Buy him football boots, I’ll take him to a training next week’.
“And that’s when I started. It was an amazing time.”
Messi’s other grandma, Rosa Maria Perez, has also passed away.
She is less well known but according to the book ‘Messi’ by Leonardo Faccio, her husband Eusebio Messi started taking the young Lionel to football when Celia no longer could.
Messi has been key on Argentina’s road to the final and won the player of the match award in the 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia.
He has scored five goals and produced three assists and is universally loved in Argentina.
He is idolised in Rosario and even has a giant 100ft mural painted on a building in the city.
Messi, 35, left his hometown aged 13 to pursue a career with Barcelona but his connection runs deep.
He played for the city’s main club Newell’s Old Boys from the age of six and scored more than 500 goals for the club.
The club even paid Messi’s medical bills when he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.
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And in the final, Rosario resident Olga will be watching from the edge of her seat just like the rest the country.
She said: “Strength guys, we have to win!” More