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☆ England vs. Senegal: Euro 2020 finalist faces African champion for place in World Cup quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Sunday’s round of 16 fixtures feature the 2018 World Cup winner, the current African champion and one of the Euro 2020 finalists. Euro 2020 finalist England comes in as heavy favorites having reached the World Cup semifinals in 2018. England has faced African opposition 20 times, including seven World Cup matches, and has yet to lose. Although African nations have lost eight of their nine World Cup knockout round games against European sides, the lone exception was one which featured Senegal’s current manager, Aliou Cisse. “They’ve had to defend a lot in the group stage and they defended very well.

☆ Why are there so many shock results at this World Cup?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

We’ve seen plenty of World Cup shocks over the years, but this year’s edition has seen more than most. Lionel Hahn/Getty ImagesA World Cup like no otherThis World Cup is a first for many reasons. The World Cup’s natureGiven the nature of the World Cup – teams thrown together in a tournament setting from across the globe – fans often see clashes which they’re not accustomed to. This concoction has, over the 90 years of the World Cup, regularly led to shock results. From the US beating England in 1950 and North Korea upsetting Italy in 1966 to Senegal beating defending champion France in 2002 and Algeria – in its World Cup debut – beating West Germany in 1982, World Cup history is littered with surprises.

☆ Qatar World Cup lays bare environmental cost of a desert tournament
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Armelle De Oliveira | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

But as it hosts the soccer World Cup, controversy is also descending on the tiny Gulf kingdom. “The tournament has been labeled as the first ‘fully carbon neutral FIFA World Cup tournament,’ meaning its overall impact on the planet should be zero,” the letter said. People gather around the official countdown clock showing remaining time until the kick-off of the World Cup on Nov. 11. After winning the right to host the tournament, Qatar pledged to become the first carbon neutral World Cup host. “Events like the World Cup, like the football World Cup or like the Olympics bring joy and happiness to millions of people, sometimes even billions of people, right?” he said.

CNN —Football pundits on Qatar’s Alkass Sports channel mocked the German football team following its World Cup exit – by mimicking the players’ protest over human rights. Soon after, El-Hadary and other pundits then cover their mouths and wave goodbye – apparently in celebration of Germany’s exit. Football pundits on Qatar's Alkass Sports channel appear to mimic the German players' protest gesture. Twitter/@alkasschannelThe gesture mimics what the German players did to protest against FIFA’s decision to ban the “OneLove” armband that many European captains had been hoping to wear in Qatar in support of LGBTQ rights. Following Germany’s 1:1 draw against Spain last Sunday, Jassem said in an al-Majlis episode that he was “shocked” at Germany’s protest.

☆ Japan reaches World Cup knockout stages with hotly debated goal after ball appeared to go out of play
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Japan reached the World Cup knockout stages for the fourth time on Thursday – by what appeared to be a matter of millimeters. But it’s Japan’s second goal that has been a topic of fierce debate in the aftermath of the game, specifically regarding whether the ball crossed the goal line before Kaoru Mitoma’s cutback pass to Ao Tanaka. Tanaka’s bundled goal was initially ruled out after the linesman flagged that the ball had gone out of play. 🧐 pic.twitter.com/cVXur9vMJ1 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 1, 2022“That Japan goal almost defied physics. pic.twitter.com/mzF7YXnQiX — Nick Levett (@nlevett) December 1, 2022The goal means Japan will play Croatia in the knockout stages on Monday, while Spain plays Morocco on Tuesday.

☆ Australia stuns Denmark to reach World Cup knockout stages
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Australia stunned Denmark – a team ranked 28 places above the Socceroos in FIFA’s World Rankings – to reach the World Cup knockout stages thanks to a brilliant goal from Mathew Leckie that secured a 1-0 victory. A goalless draw between Australia and Denmark and a Tunisia win would have put the Carthage Eagles through to the knockout stages. Just four minutes later, with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, the Socceroos counter-attacked from their box and Riley McGree found Leckie on a well timed run. Denmark continued to press but Australia hung on in a tense finish to secure its spot in the round of 16 and win back-to-back World Cup matches for the first time in its history. Serhat Cagdas/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesVictory over Tunisia on Saturday had given Australia an unlikely chance of progressing to the knockout stages and, despite its underwhelming start to the World Cup, Denmark could have also qualified in this winner-takes-all match.

☆ United States Women’s National Team earns more money from men’s World Cup than its previous two women’s tournaments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Matt Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) earned more money from its male equivalent reaching the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar than it did from winning its own tournaments in 2015 and 2019. As a result of the equal pay agreement forged earlier this year between the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the United States Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) and the United States National Soccer Team Players Association (USNSTPA), the men and women’s teams split all World Cup earnings. Under the landmark agreement, US Soccer became “the first Federation in the world to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money” awarded to the teams for participating in World Cups. The USWNT earned $6 million in total for its successive World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019 – $2 million in 2015 and $4 million in 2019. The 2019 Women’s World Cup total prize money was $30 million, doubled from the $15 million in 2015.

☆ USMNT: 'We're not finished yet,' says Walker Zimmerman ahead of knockout stages
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —After a 1-0 victory against Iran earned the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) a place in the World Cup knockout stages, the players insist their campaign is far from done. “I think the narrative continues, we’re still going to try and do that and accomplish our goal of winning the World Cup. Josh Sargent and Ramin Rezaeian embrace after Tuesday's game. At the end Tuesday’s game, players from the two teams embraced in an apparent show of solidarity. “We also know the stakes of a World Cup, and then on top of that everything that they’re dealing with emotionally.

☆ 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

☆ A match like no other. When the US played Iran at the 1998 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The US had qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France with ease. “Instantly, it was less about Germany, less about Yugoslavia, more about Iran,” Sampson told CNN Sport. “That was a bit of a distraction.”Over two decades later, the USMNT again faces Iran in the group stages of a World Cup. Gael Cornier/APThe USMNT had to face Germany, then the reigning European champion in its opening match, yet the Iran match, the second group game, was everyone else’s focus. “We had 150 armed police, which was unprecedented for a World Cup match.

CNN —The World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay was briefly interrupted by a pitch invader waving a rainbow flag on the field at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Monday. A pitch invader runs onto the pitch wearing a t-shirt with a message saying: 'Respect for Iranian Woman' on the back and holding a rainbow flag. Molly Darlington/ReutersThe participation of Iran, who play the US Men’s National Team on Tuesday in a Group B match, in the World Cup has been played out against the backdrop of the country’s domestic turmoil. Meanwhile the issue of LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar has also been a constant theme at the World Cup. The victory means that Portugal has advanced to the next stage of the World Cup with a game to spare whereas Uruguay needs a victory from its final game against Ghana to have any hopes of progressing.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

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.

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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

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