World Cup

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