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☆ Iran faces USA in winner-takes-all match to progress to World Cup knockout stages
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The knockout stage has already arrived for the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) at the World Cup – nothing less than a win on Tuesday will suffice when it takes on Iran in a winner-takes-all match. In the build-up to the game, Iran state media called for the US to be kicked out of the 2022 World Cup after US Soccer changed Iran’s flag on its social media accounts to show support for the protestors in Iran. In the other Group B match, England looks to seal its almost certain place in the knockout stages against Wales. If England defeats Wales, the USMNT would qualify in second place in the group providing it beats Iran; while if England loses, the USMNT would finish first. Tuesday’s fixturesNetherlands vs Qatar: 10pm ETEcuador vs Senegal: 10pm ETWales vs England: 2pm ETIran vs USA: 2pm ETHow to watchUS: Fox SportsUK: BBC or ITVAustralia: SBSBrazil: SportTVGermany: ARD, ZDF, Deutsche TelekomCanada: Bell MediaSouth Africa: SABC

☆ World Cup: Soccer fans stopped by security officials for wearing rainbow-colored items as LGBTQ+ rights issue won’t go away at Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Exclusive | Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —The World Cup is well underway in Qatar, but issues surrounding LGBTQ+ rights for the Gulf state, world soccer governing body FIFA, teams and fans just won’t go away. Once outside Stadium 974, Kunkel put the rainbow-colored armband and wristband back on and walked through security. Kunkel then told CNN he was stopped four more times before being allowed to take his seat inside the stadium wearing the rainbow-colored items. Bengt Kunkel wearing the rainbow-colored armband inside Stadium 974 on Saturday, November 26. “It’s so annoying they do this,” Kunkel told CNN.

☆ Show's over already for host Qatar's World Cup team
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

DOHA, Qatar— The show is over already for the Qatar team, which was eliminated Friday from the World Cup less than a week after it opened the tournament and launched the first version of soccer’s biggest event in the Middle East. Becoming the quickest host nation team to depart the tournament in the 92-year history of the World Cup, Qatar can’t qualify for the last 16 no matter what happens in its last game against Netherlands. Friday’s performance by Qatar was a little, but not much better for a squad that all plays in the local league and is missing the kind of top talent that is present in almost every World Cup team now. “Efficiency efficiency, efficiency. The ball dribbled away from Khoukhi and Dia lashed it in for his first World Cup goal.

☆ Japan scores 2 late goals to beat Germany in World Cup upset
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, Qatar — Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late goals Wednesday to give Japan a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany at the World Cup. But Doan, who plays for German team Freiburg, pounced on a rebound to equalize in the 76th minute after Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked a shot from Takumi Minamino. Then Asano, who plays for German team Bochum, sprinted clear of Nico Schlotterbeck and beat Neuer from a narrow angle in the 83rd. And team captains of several European teams had planned to wear “One Love” armbands to signal support for the “One Love” campaign for human rights. But the national soccer federations of those squads, instead, adhered to world body FIFA’s demand to not stage that in-game messaging, amid threats of punishment.

They have made me feel excluded,” Cavallo told CNN’s Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday. Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty ImagesThe Adelaide United midfielder and former Australian youth international made headlines last year when he came out as gay. Cavallo was speaking to Amanpour ahead of Australia’s 4-1 Group D defeat by France in their opening World Cup game. Earlier this year, Cavallo spoke of his hopes of playing for Australia at the World Cup, but he didn’t make the Socceroos’ final squad for Qatar 2022. However, the 23-year-old said that he had expected the Australian captain to wear the “OneLove” armband in solidarity with the LGBTQ community despite the risk of sanctions for any player who wore the armband.

☆ Why there is so much stoppage time at the 2022 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But, at the 2022 World Cup, audiences are experiencing games which have just got longer – a lot longer. In fact, according to stats website Opta, the five single halves with the most stoppage time in a single World Cup match, since records began in 1966, were all on Monday and Tuesday at the 2022 World Cup. Former England and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Carragher said on Twitter: “Enjoying the amount of time that is being added on by the officials at the Qatar World Cup 2022. He said that the 32 World Cup teams andtheir members of staff will have to work “harder” to improve players’ recovery in between games. Examples would include soft tissue, swimming pools and ice chambers.”Injury concerns aside, brace yourself for a lot more World Cup minutes until the tournament concludes on December 18.

It was a game that produced another World Cup shock as Japan came from behind to win 2-1. “We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect,” the DFB said. Germany captain Manuel Neuer also did not wear the armband on Wednesday. Before the game, Faeser had criticized FIFA, slamming the threat of sanctions for wearing the armband. “In today’s times it is incomprehensible that FIFA does not want people to openly stand for tolerance and against discrimination.

☆ How Qatar ended up hosting the World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With the World Cup now underway in Qatar, many are wondering how this moment arrived – that a tiny Gulf nation with little footballing history ended up hosting the biggest event the sport has to offer. The country’s World Cup debut was 12 years in the making, a period in which Qatar’s host status has stirred controversy within the footballing community and beyond. Those included a lack of existing infrastructure and the region’s intense heat in the summer, when World Cup tournaments are traditionally held. But questions about just how Qatar won the right to stage the World Cup continue. Meanwhile, Qatar’s state-backed discrimination against LGBTQ people has also been criticized in the years leading up to the World Cup.

☆ World Cup 2022: What fans can't do in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —After years of anticipation – and controversy – since Qatar was awarded the World Cup, the tournament finally got underway on Sunday in Doha. DrinkingThe sale and consumption of alcohol has been a highly contentious issue since Qatar was first announced as the World Cup host 12 years ago. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on November 19, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament. But it’s not the lowest-scoring country taking part in the World Cup; Saudi Arabia scores a 7 and Iran scores a 14. There is no legal guarantee of press freedom or freedom of expression in Qatar, the US Embassy in Qatar notes.

☆ World Cup advertisers are operating in a minefield
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN Business —Billions of people watch FIFA’s World Cup every four years, a tantalizing opportunity for advertisers who want to capitalize on the feel-good fervor of the world’s biggest sporting event. In 2018, the World Cup drew in a record 3.6 billion viewers. Given such high levels of engagement, companies are eager to capitalize on the hype and spirit of camaraderie attached to the World Cup. “A Euros or a World Cup for four weeks in the middle of the summer — it’s literally like an island in the middle of the ocean,” ITV sales director Mark Trindler said on an industry podcast this past spring. It had already beaten revenue records for the tournament, and succeeded in bringing more than 20 new advertisers on board.

CNN —Some people attending 2022 World Cup matches have said they have experienced difficulties in Qatar when trying to enter stadiums wearing clothing in support of LGBTQ rights. “So, despite fine words from @FIFAWorldCup before event, @Cymru (Wales) rainbow Bucket hats confiscated at stadium, mine included,” McAllister tweeted of the incident. The hat in question is sold by The Rainbow Wall, a self-described LGBTQ+ Supporters Group for the Wales national teams. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also criticized the sport’s world governing body for its stance on the armbands. CNN has reached out to FIFA and the World Cup organizers for comment, and to clarify the World Cup’s official dress code.

☆ For Iranians, this World Cup is about more than football
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

In the buildup to the World Cup in Qatar, there were calls for Iran to be thrown out of the tournament. Protesting at the World Cup, on the biggest stage of all for football, carries potentially huge risks for the current players in the national team. Nonetheless, players will be free to protest at the World Cup so long as they do not break FIFA rules, their manager Queiroz has said. Iran’s football authorities vowed that “people who have not followed professional and sports ethics … will be dealt with according to the regulations,” a statement published by Iran’s Football Federation after the beach soccer game said. “While this is happening, I cannot see people being overly excited [about the World Cup] when they’re out on the street fighting for freedom,” Mossavat says.

☆ USMNT vs. Wales: Can the golden generation shine on the world stage?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —When the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) walks onto the pitch in Qatar on Monday, it will be appearing at a men’s World Cup for the first time since 2014. Gregg Berhalter was part of the US team that reached the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup. Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesJust one player, defender DeAndre Yedlin, has prior World Cup experience. Carl Recine/ReutersThe USMNT will face Wales first, playing in its first World Cup since 1958. The USMNT drew 1-1 with England in the 2010 World Cup.

CNN —The captains of several European teams will not to wear “OneLove” armbands at the World Cup in Qatar due to the danger of receiving yellow cards. “FIFA [football’s global governing body] has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” the joint statement read. The countries said they were “frustrated” by what they described as FIFA’s “unprecedented” decision to sanction the captains should they wear the armband. ‘Everyone is welcome’In the buildup to the World Cup, Qatar – where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison – has come under criticism for its stance on LGBTQ rights. Prior to countries announcing their captains would not wear the armband in Qatar, FIFA brought forward its own “No Discrimination” campaign and said all 32 captains would have the opportunity to wear an armband linked to the campaign.

☆ Qatar makes World Cup debut in a controversial tournament of firsts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —There have been 21 editions of the men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930 but Qatar 2022 is set to be a tournament like no other. Since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it was always destined to be a World Cup of firsts. Seventy percent of the squad that won the trophy came through the academy, and that number has only increased heading into the World Cup. Female officialsQatar 2022 will also see female referees officiate a men’s World Cup match for the first time. Referee Yoshimi Yamashita will make her debut at the men's World Cup.

☆ Day before FIFA World Cup, Qatar faces overcrowding troubles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

He and his friends had got a rare day off from Hamad Port to walk 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the fan zone before being turned away. “There’s nothing we can do.”Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the World Cup, said in a statement to The Associated Press it was “absolutely delighted” with the opening of the Fan Zone. People dance at the Souq Waqif marketplace ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 19, 2022. Just after 8 p.m., however, crowds thronged the Fan Zone, hoping to attend a concert featuring Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and Colombian singer Maluma. But as hundreds squeezed inside a holding pen, thousands more waited outside the venue.

☆ Gianni Infantino launches explosive tirade against Western critics on eve of World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —On the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA President Gianni Infantino launched a tirade against Western critics of the controversial tournament in an explosive hour-long monologue. Infantino, the boss of world soccer’s governing body, looked on glumly as he addressed hundreds of journalists in Doha, Qatar, Saturday. “We are taught many lessons from Europeans, from the Western world,” he said, referring to criticisms of Qatar’s human rights record. He has spent a lot of time defending FIFA’s decision in 2010 to award the World Cup to Qatar. “Let me first assure you that every decision that is taken in this World Cup is a joint decision between Qatar and FIFA,” he said.

☆ Nicki Minaj, Maluma, Myriam Fares release World Cup anthem
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA — Hip hop star Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the latest addition to the official soundtrack of the World Cup in Qatar. The single “Tukoh Taka,” with lyrics in English, Spanish and Arabic, was released on Friday, two days ahead of the start of the tournament. It’s the latest in a series of songs by artists from around the world released as part of FIFA’s official soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup. Maluma and Myriam Fares will perform at the opening of the FIFA fan festival in Doha on Saturday. The new song release comes as FIFA faces backlash for Qatar’s human rights record, its oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and its poor treatment of migrant workers, who built the tournament venues.

Doha, Qatar CNN —Just two days before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, soccer’s world governing body FIFA confirmed that no alcohol will be sold at the eight stadiums which will host the tournament’s 64 matches. “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeter,” said the FIFA statement. “There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums,” added the FIFA statement. “The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” continued the FIFA statement. The 2022 Qatar World Cup runs from November 20 until December 18.

☆ Infantino to serve another four-year term as FIFA President
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino will serve another four-year term at the helm of world soccer’s governing body after emerging as the only candidate for the next election in March. He will be re-elected at the FIFA congress in Rwanda in March for a third term. Infantino won the FIFA presidency in 2016 on an initial three-year term, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected in 2019. He thanked more than 200 members associations who FIFA said had offered him their backing for another term as President. Infantino was then re-elected unopposed, having won a second term at FIFA’s Paris Congress in 2019.

☆ Qatar World Cup: 'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's tournament, now they are struggling to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel | Aimee Lewis | Pramod Acharya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

☆ Diego Maradona: How the 'world's most famous football' became a 'gift from God' for former referee Ali Bin Nasser
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It comes as little surprise, then, that the match ball from that day in Mexico City – now deflated and faded in places – is expected to fetch up to $3.3 million at auction on Wednesday. “Without a doubt, it’s the world’s most famous football,” Terry Butcher, who captained England during the 2-1 defeat against Argentina at the 1986 World Cup, tells CNN Sport. It’s a reminder of how he remonstrated with Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser after Maradona’s first goal, and of how he tried in vain to stop the second with an outstretched leg. The match ball from the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal is expected to sell for up to $3.3 million. Unable to see what had happened in the aerial contest between Maradona and Shilton, Nasser instead turned to his linesman, Bulgarian Bogdan Dochev.

☆ Tim Sparv: Staying silent is ‘not an option’ with soccer heading in ‘dangerous’ direction after Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Former Finland captain Tim Sparv says he hopes this month’s World Cup in Qatar will be a turning point for a sport that he believes is heading in a “dangerous” direction. AFP/Getty ImagesFIFA’s changesAmid the continuing criticism of Qatar, FIFA has urged nations participating in the tournament to focus on soccer and to leave politics out of the game. “I think there’s been a shift in our understanding of where sport is heading. He has since written two pieces for The Players’ Tribune which have outlined his opposition toward the World Cup in Qatar, the latest publishing earlier this month. This work will continue long after the World Cup has concluded, as it is important to us that we continue to instil and build on the progress made over the last decade.”

☆ Gulf Arab states can’t give up oil. But they can slash their emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —As Western states try to wean themselves off their addiction to hydrocarbons, Gulf oil nations have been pushing back hard, warning that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels will be counterproductive. According to the World Bank, Qatar had the highest carbon emissions per capita as of 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, investment in clean energy projects and renewables “makes very good business sense and PR sense for the Gulf,” he said. Gulf petro-states are warning against a quick transition away from hydrocarbons, with the UAE calling for a “mixed energy” approach that minimizes emissions without cutting hydrocarbons. Much of the hydrocarbons exported by Gulf states go to some of the world’s biggest consumers and polluters, including China and India.

CNN —FIFA announced on Thursday that shared flights have been organized to permit Israeli and Palestinian fans into Qatar to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The temporary direct charter flights between Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, represent the only official direct flights between the two nations. READ: Qatar World Cup ‘is a mistake,’ says former FIFA President Sepp BlatterThe Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Ushpiz, said: “Today’s announcement will allow Israeli citizens to freely travel to Qatar and attend matches at the World Cup. We have always said that anyone with a World Cup match ticket will be allowed to enter Qatar. Because of this agreement, Palestinians will now be able to enjoy the first World Cup in the Arab and Muslim world.”The 2022 FIFA World Cup runs from November 20 through December 18.

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