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☆ Messi's defensive work not up for debate, says Pochettino
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Former Paris St Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has said it is absurd to debate Lionel Messi's defensive work as the Argentina captain gets ready to lead his side into the World Cup final against France on Sunday. "Honestly, I think the debate about Messi's defensive work is stale, almost silly," Argentine Pochettino, who coached Messi at PSG, told The Athletic. "That's the most important thing about this Argentina team and the reason why they are in the final. It's because the players understand their roles perfectly. Messi's Argentina will appear in their sixth World Cup final when they face France, as they look to claim a first title since 1986.

☆ France and Argentina bring multiple plot lines to mouthwatering World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Standing in Messi’s way is his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé, as France seeks to win back-to-back World Cup trophies. After a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in its opening group game, Argentina’s World Cup campaign got off to the worst possible start. When asked whether Sunday’s game will be his last at a World Cup, Messi replied: “Yes. Like Griezmann, the 36-year-old Giroud has had a renaissance in this World Cup, after failing to score a single goal in 2018. We’ll enjoy it now and get ready for the last match of this World Cup.”

☆ Photos: Football great Lionel Messi
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Lionel Messi is carried around the Lusail Stadium in Qatar after Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final in December 2022. By Will Lanzoni, Laura Oliverio and Kyle Almond, CNNLionel Messi says he's coming to the United States to join the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. He is Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, and he led his country to a World Cup victory in December. At club level, he is the all-time leading scorer for FC Barcelona and the Spanish soccer league La Liga. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or trophy, given annually to the sport's top player, a record seven times.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Will Lanzoni, Laura Oliverio, Kyle Almond, CNN Lionel Messi, he's, Messi, Germain Organizations: Argentina, France, CNN, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Spanish, Mundo Deportivo, FC Barcelona, La Liga, Paris Saint, Barcelona Locations: Qatar, United States, Miami, Argentine

Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani scored as France defeated underdog Morocco, 2-0, in Qatar on Wednesday, sending Les Bleus into the World Cup final against perennial powerhouse Argentina. The Frenchmen, winners of soccer's most coveted trophy in 1998 and 2018, are seeking to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil did in 1958 and 1962. "In four days, we're going to play for a world title and we're really going to enjoy it." Morroco, which captured the world's imagination as the first African side to ever make the World Cup semifinals, will play for third place Saturday against 2018 runner-up Croatia. The next World Cup will be in North America in 2026 with the United States, Canada and Mexico serving as hosts.

☆ Defending champion France ends Morocco’s Qatar 2022 dream and reaches fourth World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Defending champion France ended Morocco’s 2022 World Cup dream on Wednesday thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Al Bayt Stadium. France is the first defending World Cup champion to reach the final in two decades. Lionel Messi and Argentina now await as France seeks to win back-to-back World Cup titles. They deserve a lot of credit for this World Cup. We’ll enjoy it now and get ready for the last match of this World Cup.”

☆ Analysis: Tactical masterplan, and grit, take France into World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Regragui had noted on Tuesday that France were tactical masters and able to adjust to any opponents as he praised Didier Deschamps as the best coach in the world. In previous games, Belgium, Spain and Portugal had been unable to match Morocco's grit, but on Wednesday, France showed they were also able to fight tooth and nail and rely on players going above and beyond. That wrapped a win that reminded everyone of France's tournament nous and that Argentina better come up with a masterplan of their own in Sunday's final at Lusail stadium. Just like Belgium were left frustrated by their defeat to France four years ago in Russia, Morocco might feel they were the better team on the day. Yet France once again barged into the final like a regular at a nightclub who gets in without a look from the bouncer.

☆ Michael Jordan: The NBA has renamed its MVP trophy after the Bulls great
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images Jordan poses for a Little League Baseball photo in the late 1970s. Ken Levine/Getty Images Jordan famously shrugs his shoulders after hitting another 3-pointer during the 1992 NBA Finals versus Portland. "There is a reason you call someone the Michael Jordan of ... neurosurgery, or the Michael Jordan of rabbis, or the Michael Jordan of outrigger canoeing. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Jordan continues to promote Nike's Jordan Brand across the world. Jordan Brand/Getty Images Jordan cries at the Kobe Bryant memorial in Los Angeles in February 2020.

☆ France favourites but Morocco eye another knockout punch
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The match against former colonial power France will take on an added edge. Morocco's exploits in Qatar have provided an outlet for marginalised migrant communities in France, who have been out on the streets celebrating their wins. After finishing top of a group that also included Croatia, Belgium and Canada, Morocco then knocked off the fancied Spaniards and Portuguese to reach the semis. France are expected to attack, Morocco resist. When you watch Rocky, you want to support Rocky Balboa and I think we are the Rocky of this World Cup.

☆ As Mbappe takes back seat, old guard drives France on
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DOHA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - As Kylian Mbappe was being muzzled by the England defence, it was France's old guard who took the defending champions through to the World Cup semi-finals in a nerve-racking 2-1 victory on Saturday. Griezmann capped his performance with two assists, the first for Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half thunderbolt, and the second for Giroud's 78th-minute winner. Griezmann has now set up 28 France goals, more than any other player, on his record 72nd consecutive appearance. It was, possibly, the biggest takeaway from France's victory. France next face Morocco, with Mbappe set to battle it out with club team mate and great friend Achraf Hakimi, as Les Bleus look to become the first team to retain their World Cup title since Brazil in 1962.

☆ Brazil leave the World Cup after another debacle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

DOHA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Brazil chalked up another disappointing World Cup performance as they exited the tournament in a stunning quarter-final defeat on penalties at the hands of Croatia. It was their second consecutive loss in a World Cup quarter-final, their fourth in the last five tournaments at the same stage. What was supposed to be redemption for the Paris St Germain forward, however, was instead transformed into his third World Cup nightmare. At Russia 2018, injuries again hampered his World Cup dream. Brazil will have to wait four more years to try to win a record-extending sixth world title, and their first since 2002.

New Delhi CNN —At the Bhalswa landfill in northwest Delhi, a steady flow of jeeps zigzag up the trash heap to dump more garbage on a pile now over 62 meters (203 feet) high. India creates more methane from landfill sites than any other country, according to GHGSat, which monitors methane via satellites. Ragpickers at the Bhalswa landfill site on April 28, 2022, in New Delhi, India. In May, CNN commissioned two accredited labs to test the ground water around the Bhalswa landfill. And according to the results, ground water within at least a 500-meter (1,600-foot) radius around the waste site is contaminated.

☆ Manuel Neuer breaks leg in skiing accident a week after Germany was knocked out of Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Germany goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer will miss the rest of the season after breaking his leg in a skiing accident, just over a week after his side crashed out of Qatar 2022. The 36-year-old said he had gone on holiday to clear his head after Germany was knocked out of the group stages of the tournament, but he subsequently suffered a fracture to his right leg. “While I was trying to get my head clear while ski touring, I suffered a lower leg fracture. Bayern Munich currently sits four points clear atop the Bundesliga, with games restarting on January 20 after a winter break. The German powerhouse will also have to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 without its captain.

☆ Kylian Mbappé is reaching speeds of 22 miles per hour at the World Cup. Can anyone stop him?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ahead of its World Cup quarterfinal against France, England has a problem to solve. But the 23-year-old has showcased more than just clinical finishing at the World Cup, terrorizing opponents with his phenomenal speed and ability to get behind the defensive line. “I do understand what I need to do and that’s obviously to stop him,” Walker told reporters this week. It will be an intriguing encounter at the Al Bayt Stadium, pitting two of the World Cup highest-scoring teams against each other. I’m sure he’s going to be the best midfielder in the world.”With some of the best players of the tournament going toe-to-toe, this quarterfinal has all the ingredients of a World Cup classic.

☆ Gonçalo Ramos: Meet the striker who replaced Cristiano Ronaldo and made World Cup history at Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Not only was it his first start at Qatar 2022, the tournament’s first hat-trick, but Ramos’ three goals in this last-16 tie puts Ronaldo record in one-off World Cup games somewhat in the shade. Ronaldo has never scored in a World Cup knockout match, despite competing in five tournaments. Michael Steele/Getty ImagesBenfica CampusRamos is a product of the famous Benfica academy. Never gives up!” Ramos’ Benfica teammate Grimaldo told Marca. His trio of goals ensured Ramos became the first player to score a hat-trick in his first World Cup start since Miroslav Klose against Saudi Arabia in 2002.

☆ Morocco's round of 16 success is no fluke
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Atlas Lions had roared to stun 2010 World Cup winner Spain and reach the quarterfinals of Qatar 2022. “Now it is the Africans and Arabs.”For many, it was the shock of the tournament, as the North Africans won their first ever knockout game at a World Cup. Many Moroccans thought that it could be after the World Cup or in a few years, but none were unhappy when it was announced he would take over the national side less than 100 days before their first game at the World Cup. In African football, Regragui has often been compared with José Mourinho thanks to his tactical discipline and stellar man-management skills. Morocco’s success at the World Cup may be best story of the tournament so far, but it is not the not the result of luck and grit, but rather expertise and planning.

☆ Kylian Mbappé continues record-setting pace in France’s World Cup round of 16 victory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The team booked its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Poland. But, the star of the show on Sunday was Kylian Mbappé, who continued his record-setting pace with an emphatic double. France's Olivier Giroud celebrates with Kylian Mbappé after scoring the opening goal against Poland at the 2022 World Cup. Having helped secure the nation’s second World Cup title in 2018 as a 19-year-old, he is continuing his domination four years later. Both Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo have eight World Cup goals to their names.

☆ Morocco's Hakimi up against country of his birth at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid but will have little hesitation plotting the downfall of Spain when he and his Moroccan teammates take on the 2010 World Cup winners on Tuesday. The flying wingback is one of the key players in the north African outfit whose last-16 match in the Qatar World Cup against Spain, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, gives them a chance to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. Hakimi could even have been on the opposite side, as he was called up when still a teenager for Spain's junior team. Hakimi was in the side that almost beat them in Kaliningrad in 2018, giving up an injury time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at the last World Cup in Russia. WINNING MENTALITY"Spain are a top five team and always come to the World Cup to win.

☆ Brazil dances its way into World Cup quarterfinals thanks to dazzling display against South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Brazil danced its way past South Korea and into the World Cup quarterfinals on Monday, sweeping aside its opponent 4-1 in a dazzling performance at Qatar 2022. Brazil players hold a banner showing support for Pele. South Korea, meanwhile, has impressed in reaching the round of 16, coming through a difficult group that included Portugal, Ghana and Uruguay. Michael Steele/Getty ImagesHee-Chan Hwang did force Alisson into a wonderful one-handed save soon after the penalty, but that was the closest South Korea came to scoring in the first half. This game was already long over as a contest, but it was now in danger of turning into a humiliating night for South Korea, if it hadn’t already.

☆ Analysis: Age gap no problem for France's deadly striking duo
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Giroud looked set for a secondary role for France until the team's number one centre forward Karim Benzema pulled out with an injury on the even of the tournament. That understanding was clear for all to see as Poland were cut apart by France's strikers. "It's still a long way to go and, obviously, you need to enjoy the game," he said. "If we attack, try to attack, it's a bit different. Additional reporting by Bartosz Dąbrowski in Gdansk, Poland; Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lionel Messi plays 1,000th career game
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi began the 1,000th game of his remarkable career on Saturday in Argentina's World Cup last 16 clash with Australia as he sought the only major trophy to elude him. The 35-year-old is Argentina's all-time top scorer, with 93 goals, and was making his 169th appearance for his nation. Messi joined Barcelona's youth setup at 13, becoming their top scorer also with with 672 goals in 778 games, before moving to Paris St Germain last year. In total, he has scored 788 career goals. Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Past and present football stars have been wishing Pelé well on social media after local media reports in Brazil that his health had worsened. The 82-year old former footballer, who is one of the greatest players of all time, was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday to re-evaluate his cancer treatment after Pelé had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021. Pelé took to Instagram Thursday to thank fans for the positive messages and “good vibes” he had received. Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé urged his Twitter followers on Saturday to “Pray for the King” – a reference to the Brazil great’s nickname – tagging Pelé in his tweet. Last month, he said he hoped to see Brazil’s national squad capture a record-extending sixth title in Qatar.

The PSG chaiman also told Anderson that he believes media criticism of the country was down to the fact that many had not visited Qatar. The 49-year-old told Anderson that PSG would want any potential bidder to share a long-term commitment to the club. The 49-year-old told Anderson that he remains opposed to the idea, but is not against other changes. Al-Khelaifi told Anderson that PSG has a two-year contract with Messi, but will discuss his next steps after the tournament ends. Al-Khelaifi told Anderson he expected the star to be okay for the tournament’s knock-out stages, but that he needs referees to give him more protection.

☆ Messi still has the skills to help Argentina win World Cup, says Pochettino
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Daniel Wiessner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Group C - Poland v Argentina - Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar - November 30, 2022 An Argentina inside the stadium points to a picture of Argentina's Argentina Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi on their shirt REUTERS/Pedro NunesNov 30 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi may be making his last World Cup appearance in Qatar but the talismanic forward is still capable of spurring Argentina to a third World Cup title, his compatriot and former Paris St Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino said. Pochettino, who is well aware of Messi's game-changing abilities having worked with the 35-year-old last season, said he was still the best player in the world. He's the best player in the world," Pochettino, 50, told Argentine newspaper Ole. "Messi has the role today that can give Argentina the World Cup. After their setback against Saudi Arabia and a crucial win over Mexico, Argentina will play their final group game against Poland on Wednesday.

☆ Lionel Messi: Fans around the world flock to watch Argentina star play at Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —Walk around Doha and it isn’t long before you hear people talking about Lionel Messi. “I get to see the man himself,” Belal Ahmed, who has traveled from the US to watch Messi play, told CNN Sport. The World Cup is the only trophy not yet in Messi’s cabinet, and the 35-year-old is in the last chance saloon at Qatar 2022. “I think to solidify his GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] status he needs the World Cup,” Ahmed added. Ravindran had not managed to get his hands on a ticket to watch Argentina play, but he still wanted to be in the city to support his hero.

☆ Argentina outclass Poland despite Messi penalty miss to advance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Despite the miss, Messi ran the show for Argentina in a match where the two skippers represented Barcelona's past and present. It's a dream come true," Mac Allister told reporters. But Argentina got what they wanted -- leapfrogging Poland to take top spot in the group and avoid an early knockout fixture against the mighty France. Poland, meanwhile, will be relieved to reach the last-16 for the first time since 1986. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Doha, Additional reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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