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☆ 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.

☆ Argentina vs Netherlands: 'Aging genius' Lionel Messi looking to inspire La Celeste
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Lionel Messi and Argentina are three games away from winning the World Cup, but against the Netherlands they will face their toughest test of the tournament so far. Friday’s quarterfinal at the Lusail Stadium is a compelling match-up, not least because of the World Cup history between the two teams. With three goals – including a superb strike against Mexico and a well-worked move against Australia – and one assist from four games, Messi is the heartbeat of this Argentina team, even in the twilight of his career. “You can see he’s happy and, for us, that’s very important.”Yet this Argentina team is more than just Messi. “It’s not about me, or the Netherlands, against Messi, it’s about the Netherlands against Argentina,” the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk told reporters this week, according to Reuters.

☆ 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.

Yet for former Ghana star Derek Boateng, they hold a personal truth. “Football saved my life, because without football I don’t know where I would be or what I would be doing,” he told CNN. Just four years earlier, Ghana had competed at its first ever World Cup, in Germany, with Boateng again featuring. “Playing the World Cup is everything to me, as a football player. Pius Utomi Ekpei / AFP via Getty ImagesThat mantra lay at the heart of Boateng’s playing career, and it is a message he repeats to aspiring student-athletes at the academy.

☆ 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.

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.

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Heineken cans disguised as Pepsi is unrelated to the World Cup in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An image of a customs agent discovering a shipment of beer cans disguised as Pepsi has been falsely linked to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Nearly 2,000 people have reacted to a Nov. 24 Facebook post which suggests the image shows Heineken cans that were smuggled into the tournament’s host country by football fans (here). But the image can be traced back to 2015 in Saudi Arabia (see bit.ly/3ud5lZf). Alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia (here). The photo is from Saudi Arabia in 2015, not the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

☆ U.S., Iran Face Off in World Cup Amid Growing Political Hostility
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sune Engel Rasmussen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As the U.S. and Iran prepare to face off in a must-win match at the soccer World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, tensions off the field have raised the stakes in what is turning out to be one of the most politically charged games in the tournament’s recent history. Iran has already called foul after the U.S. Soccer Federation posted a small graphic of the World Cup standings on its Instagram account in which the emblem in the center of the Islamic Republic’s flag had been removed. The federation said the move was to show solidarity with a monthslong human-rights movement sweeping across Iran, but it later deleted the post. A State Department spokesperson said that the agency wasn’t involved in either decision.

☆ PREVIEW-Soccer-Qatar depart their party looking to avoid third successive loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They were the first country eliminated on Friday, less than a week into the tournament, after losing 3-1 to Senegal. That followed a 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in the tournament’s opening game last Sunday where the Qataris, the Asian champions, blamed stage fright for their poor showing. Four points, though, has the Dutch level at the top of group standings with Ecuador, with Senegal one point behind. A win for the Netherlands over Qatar puts them through as Ecuador and Senegal compete their first-round programme at the same time. But it's not in our game or the way we play,” said Van Dijk after Friday’s 1-1 draw.

☆ Neymar: Brazil looks to book place in knockout stage without injured star
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Fortunately for them, the player who has become this generation’s talisman will be fit in time to play in the 2022 World Cup knockout stage, should Brazil qualify, after being diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Now 30, this World Cup will likely be his best chance at lifting the trophy. Group H’s other match pits Ghana against South Korea, with both teams desperate for a win to kickstart their World Cup campaigns. In Ghana, Korea knows it faces a team with an abundance of quality in the final third, as the match against Portugal proved. ETSouth Korea vs. Ghana: 8 a.m.

☆ How the U.S. Beat, Drew and Lost to England On the Same Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter and his players after Friday’s draw with England, a result that was open to wide interpretation. AL KHOR, Qatar—Yunus Musah and Tim Ream played on the same side in the same game. But after their U.S. team drew with England in a hotly anticipated World Cup showdown on Friday, it sounded like they experienced entirely different affairs. Musah beamed about the potential long-term impact from standing toe-to-toe with one of the tournament’s favorites. He thought the Americans should have won.

☆ Germany looks to bounce back from shock defeat and revive World Cup hopes against dangerous Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Finishing bottom of the group at Russia 2018, a tournament Germany went into as defending champion, was a historic low for the four-time World Cup winner. But after that shock 2-1 defeat to Japan in its opening match, it is once again a distinct possibility. That result means the match against Spain is do or die for Germany, as a defeat would confirm an early flight home from Qatar. World Cup team camps have traditionally been somewhat strict, private affairs, but Spain head coach Luis Enrique has been taking an unconventional approach to passing the time behind closed doors. In Group E’s other match, Japan knows victory over Costa Rica will guarantee its place in the knockout stages.

☆ Why Are World Cup Games Taking So Long?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jonathan Clegg | Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Qatar—The shortest World Cup in the tournament’s modern era is also giving us the longest matches on record. It turns out that a regulation soccer match is 90 minutes everywhere, except in Qatar. All but one match at the 2022 World Cup, heading into Wednesday’s play, has somehow dragged on for 100 minutes or more. That sudden bout of inflation is because matches here are tallying an unprecedented amount of stoppage time added on to each half to compensate for breaks in play. In fact, the four halves of soccer with the most stoppage time in World Cup history all took place on Monday.

☆ 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.

DOHA, Qatar — The 2022 World Cup kicks off Sunday shrouded in accusations of human rights violations and last-minute controversy surrounding host Qatar. Mostly soccer fans gather at the Corniche Waterfront ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha pm Saturday. Players exercise during Qatar's official training ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Saturday. “It’s going to be a force to reckon with.”The U.S. failed to qualify for the last World Cup but now boasts a young, exciting squad who largely play for big teams across Europe. People attend the FIFA Fan Festival opening day ahead of the World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 19, 2022.

☆ Ecuador dampens Qatar’s party as controversial World Cup gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Al Khor, Qatar CNN —For the past year, a giant clock in Doha has been counting down to the opening match of the World Cup. Qatar and the world need wait no more, after this controversial tournament got underway Sunday with the host losing 2-0 to Ecuador. People watch as fireworks go off before the start of the World Cup at the Al Bayt Stadium. The country’s last-minute ban of alcohol in World Cup stadiums also made headlines around the world. Colombian singer Maluma, who features in the official World Cup anthem, walked out of an interview on Israeli television when he was questioned about the Gulf state’s human rights record.

☆ 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.

☆ FIFA President Defends Qatar World Cup by Criticizing Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Qatar—The president of soccer’s global governing body, Gianni Infantino , on Saturday defended Qatar’s right to host the World Cup, breaking months of silence on the country’s human rights record by hitting back at those that he said were giving lectures on morality. In an hour-long monologue on the eve of the tournament’s opening game, Infantino argued that Qatar’s critics had failed to recognize the country’s progress on workers’ rights, accused the West of “hypocrisy,” defended Iran’s participation in the tournament, and suggested hosting tournaments in Iran and North Korea to provoke social change.

☆ 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.

☆ Qatar Bans Beer Sales at World Cup Stadiums
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Joshua Robinson | Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Qatar—After more than a decade of speculation surrounding how the Qatar World Cup would handle thirsty soccer fans, organizers abruptly said Friday that beer would no longer be available within the perimeter of the stadiums here. The decision, which came just two days before the tournament’s opening match, upended existing plans between FIFA, the host nation, and Budweiser to make beer available in certain areas before and after games in a country where sales of alcohol are highly restricted.

☆ Qatar 2022: World Cup fans acclimatise to desert accommodation -- in tents and portacabins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —As fans trickle into Qatar, they’re understandably in holiday mode as they look forward to the prospect of a desert World Cup. But where best to stay in a country that is geographically on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and is the smallest World Cup host in history? Container living in the desert ... World Cup style. Some World Cup visitors, however, were less impressed with what was on offer. With just two days to go until the first match, the nation is putting the final touches to its preparations as it braces itself for a World Cup like no other.

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.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be the most compact in the tournament’s 92-year history. Not only did the country need eight stadiums to accommodate the tournament’s 62 matches, Qatar also needed to come up with housing options and training facilities for each of the 32 qualified teams. And because FIFA rules stipulate that all squads must stay in the country until they’re eliminated, leaning on Qatar’s neighbors for help wasn’t an option. While the World Cup is normally spread across an entire country, Qatar is roughly the size of Connecticut and everything radiates out from the capital city of Doha. When the World Cup expands to 48 teams in 2026, it will take up even more space.

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