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Tag: FIFA World Cup

  • Senegal forward Sadio Mané a doubt for World Cup with injury

    Senegal forward Sadio Mané a doubt for World Cup with injury

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    Senegal forward Sadio Mané is in doubt for the World Cup after Bayern Munich said Wednesday he would miss the last league game before the tournament with a leg injury.

    Bayern said the two-time African player of the year had an injury to the head of the fibula bone in his lower right leg. Bayern didn’t specify how serious the injury might be, saying only that Mané would not be available to play Schalke on Saturday.

    “Further examinations will follow in the coming days. FC Bayern is also in contact with the medical staff of the Senegalese Football Association,” Bayern said in a statement.

    Mané was in clear discomfort after a blow to the right leg early in Bayern’s 6-1 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday and was substituted in the 20th minute.

    Mané scored the winning penalty to beat Egypt in a shootout in the final of the African Cup of Nations in February. He joined Bayern from Liverpool in June in a deal which could end up being worth 41 million euros ($41.3 million), depending on performance-related bonuses.

    Senegal plays its opening match the World Cup on Nov. 21 against the Netherlands in Group A. Host nation Qatar and Ecuador are also in the group.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is ‘damage in the mind’ | CNN

    Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is ‘damage in the mind’ | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman has said homosexuality is “damage in the mind,” in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF on Monday.

    The interview, filmed in Doha less than two weeks before the start of the tournament, was immediately stopped by an official from the World Cup organizing committee.

    During the interview, Salman was discussing the issue of homosexuality being illegal in Qatar.

    Salman told ZDF that being gay was “haram,” meaning forbidden according to Islamic law. “It is damage in the mind,” Salman said.

    As many people are expected to travel to Qatar for the World Cup, “let’s talk about gays,” Salman said.

    “The most important thing is, everybody will accept that they come here. But they will have to accept our rules,” he said, adding he was concerned children may learn “something that is not good.”

    Salman was a Qatari football player in the 1980s and 1990s.

    He took part in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and has been selected as one of the tournament’s host country ambassadors.

    Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup 2022 from November 20 until December 18.

    The awarding of the football tournament to Qatar has been strongly criticized due to the human rights situation in the Gulf state and the treatment of foreign workers.

    Earlier this month, football’s world governing body FIFA urged nations participating in the 2022 World Cup to focus on football when the tournament kicks off.

    FIFA confirmed to CNN that a letter signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the governing body’s secretary general Fatma Samoura was sent out to 32 nations participating in the global showpiece on Thursday but would not divulge the contents.

    “If Gianni Infantino wants the world to ‘focus on the football,’ there is a simple solution: FIFA could finally start tackling the serious human rights issues rather than brushing them under the carpet,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice.

    “A first step would be publicly committing to the establishment of a fund to compensate migrant workers before the tournament kicks off and ensuring that LGBT people do not face discrimination or harassment. It is astonishing they still have not done so.

    “Gianni Infantino is right to say that ‘football does not exist in a vacuum.’ Hundreds of thousands of workers have faced abuses to make this tournament possible and their rights cannot be forgotten or dismissed.

    The countdown clock for the World Cup during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar on December 15, 2021 in Doha.

    “They deserve justice and compensation, not empty words, and time is running out.”

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  • African soccer still trying to fulfil promise at World Cup

    African soccer still trying to fulfil promise at World Cup

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    CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Henri Mouyebe slaps green, red and yellow paint on his bald head and big, bare belly before every Cameroon soccer game. He’s been transforming his hefty frame into a living, moving Cameroon flag for 40 years in support of his team.

    He will take his paint, and a huge dollop of hope, to this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

    “We are going there as conquerors, as winners, to play seven matches, play until the end of the tournament,” Mouyebe said, forecasting Cameroon will go all the way to the World Cup final.

    Eternal optimism.

    Sadly for Mouyebe, it’s most likely misguided given Cameroon’s recent World Cup record. The Indomitable Lions have won only one game at the last five World Cups they’ve played in and nothing suggests they’ll be walking out at Lusail Stadium on Dec. 18 to compete for soccer’s biggest prize.

    In an African context, Cameroon’s struggles are significant because it was the country, the team, that did shake the world of soccer 32 years ago by beating defending champion Argentina — a team that had Diego Maradona — on the way to the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Nearly the semifinals, but for an extra-time loss to England.

    Africa had arrived, everyone said. Pele declared an African triumph at the World Cup was imminent. Seven World Cups and more than 30 years later, no African team has gone any further than Cameroon did by reaching the quarterfinals. Cameroon hasn’t been anywhere near that again.

    “You have to be realistic,” former Tunisia coach Youssef Zouaoui said of Africa’s hopes of having a historic World Cup in Qatar with a semifinalist, or even better, this time. “The ambition is legitimate, but the reality on the ground is something else.”

    That reality for World Cup-bound Tunisia, Zouaoui said, is the country’s best players, driven by the economics of world soccer, play for European clubs, which often trumps their commitments to their country. The same economics have slowly drained Tunisia’s domestic soccer so that it is now in dire straits financially.

    How do you then build better stadiums, better leagues, better national teams to match the demands of a continent of 1.3 billion, where soccer runs deeper than any other sport?

    Those basic drawbacks can be applied to all five African teams going to this year’s World Cup — Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco and Tunisia — even if they are unique teams that aren’t defined just by being African. It’s not just an African problem, nor is it new. Rich European clubs also draw players and focus from South America, Asia and elsewhere, and have done for years.

    But in Africa, the Confederation of African Football, the body that runs soccer on the continent, has been seen as the biggest failure of all.

    CAF hit a new low since the last World Cup when FIFA, the sport’s main governing body, sent its secretary general to run the African organization for six months in 2019, an unprecedented move to take over an independent continental confederation. It was necessary, FIFA said, because of the organizational and financial mess that CAF was in.

    FIFA didn’t stop there. Last year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino brokered a deal to ensure his favored candidate, South African mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe, was elected unopposed as the new president of CAF. Motsepe has been flanked by Infantino at almost every official function since.

    FIFA’s outsized influence in CAF over the last three years has prompted a new wave of criticism of a body that has been troubled for a lot longer, and surely does need saving. But Infantino’s interest, the critics say, is more likely Africa’s 54 votes, soccer’s second-largest continental voting bloc behind Europe, ahead of the FIFA presidential election next year in Rwanda.

    “Having 54 countries and one particular confederation at his beck and call just increases his leverage,” African soccer analyst Francis Gaitho said, also saving some blame for African soccer leaders who he believes are complicit.

    African soccer’s decision-making has now been “outsourced to Europe,” Gaitho said, just like its best talent.

    Amid the politics, CAF is nearly bankrupt, reported a $44.6 million net loss last year and somehow bungled a $1 billion, 10-year sponsorship deal in the early days of FIFA’s influence in 2019 that would have represented the biggest single investment in African soccer and might have gone some way to solving the myriad of problems.

    “There’s always a correlation between bad governance and the teams and results,” Gaitho warned. “I will tell people to manage their expectations and not expect too much from Africa.”

    Hope remains, mostly this time with Senegal, spearheaded by Sadio Mané and a team that has managed in recent years to rise above Africa’s issues.

    Elsewhere, they’re calling for help. Ghana held two separate days of national prayer, one for Christians and one for Muslims, last month for its team, which was also a much-celebrated quarterfinalist 12 years ago but will now be the lowest-ranked team at this year’s World Cup.

    At 67, Mouyebe is old enough to remember vividly his country’s magical run in 1990. Maybe it’s what has given him the energy to still paint his entire body, head to toe, for the last 20 years without seeing Cameroon win once at the World Cup.

    “The wish of all Africans is that performances like that of 1990 become normal,” said Jules Onana, who played on that Cameroon team at the 1990 World Cup. “Rather than being a feat without a future.”

    ———

    Associated Press writers Isifu Wirfengla in Yaounde, Cameroon, Francis Kokutse in Accra, Ghana, and Bouazza ben Bouazza in Tunis, Tunisia, contributed to this report.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Germany goalkeeper Neuer set for return ahead of World Cup

    Germany goalkeeper Neuer set for return ahead of World Cup

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    MUNICH — With the World Cup only weeks away, Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to return to action with Bayern Munich for the first time in nearly a month following a shoulder problem.

    Neuer has not played since a 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Oct. 8 but Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said Friday the keeper will play against Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday as long as there are no setbacks in the last training session ahead of the game.

    “We waited for as long as needed for him to be pain-free again. There’s always a certain risk but he and the doctors have given the green light,” Nagelsmann said. “Something can always happen. Soccer is a contact sport.”

    Neuer revealed Wednesday he was previously treated for skin cancer and had to undergo surgery.

    Nagelsmann added that Germany forward Leroy Sané and France defender Lucas Hernández will also return to the squad after recent injury absences but will only be involved off the bench. Sané had a thigh strain in the 5-0 win over Freiburg on Oct. 16 and Hernández has not played since tearing the adductor muscle in his left thigh against Barcelona in September.

    Two other Bayern players with World Cup ambitions remain out of the squad. Nagelsmann said Germany forward Thomas Müller is in line to return next week after various minor injuries and illnesses which have restricted him to only brief appearances over the last month, while Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt missed training with a knee issue.

    Germany coach Hansi Flick is scheduled to announce his squad Thursday. Germany’s opening World Cup game is set for Nov. 23 against Japan.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • A giant Maradona emerges in Argentina, days before World Cup

    A giant Maradona emerges in Argentina, days before World Cup

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    BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — In the middle of the concrete jungle that is Argentina’s bustling capital, a huge mural has emerged of Diego Maradona wearing a national team jersey, his right hand in a fist and a defiant expression on his face.

    The massive artwork, 148 feet high and 131 feet wide (45 meters by 40 meters) and painted on the side of a 14-story building in Buenos Aires, is one of several tributes that Argentines have dedicated to their soccer “God” shortly before the start of this year’s World Cup in Qatar, the first since Maradona’s death on Nov. 25, 2020.

    Maradona’s feats and defeats as a player on the national team are being remembered, from the famous and infamous goals against England before the county won the 1986 World Cup to the failed final against West Germany four years later, and the doping test that got him expelled from the following World Cup in 1994.

    Well-known street artist Martín Ron was behind the world’s largest mural, inspired by a photograph of the then-Argentina captain that captures his expression shortly before he sang the national anthem at the 1990 World Cup final against West Germany, which Argentina lost 1-0.

    “It’s a photo of Diego when he was close to winning the country’s third star,” Ron told The Associated Press during a break from the work he began a month ago.

    Argentina also won the World Cup in 1978, but Maradona didn’t make the team for that tournament.

    “This photo summarizes everything Diego was,” Ron said. “Beyond the player, he was the guts, the motor, the heart.”

    To one side of Maradona’s face, Ron painted a constellation of stars in the shape of a kite, a reference to his nickname “cosmic kite,” which is what one well-known radio commentator called the soccer star following his second goal against England in 1986.

    “His absence will be felt, Diego was always a star. In all the World Cups he did his own thing, inside and outside the field,” Ron said. “And in Qatar, he will sadly not be there.”

    Ron’s mural was officially unveiled on Sunday to coincide with the soccer great’s birthday.

    Days earlier, the Argentine soccer association received the original jersey that Maradona wore in the 1986 World Cup. It was a gift from Germany great Lothar Matthäus, who exchanged jerseys with Maradona after the final that Argentina won 2-1 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

    “One of the happiest moments with him was when (Brazilian referee) Arppi Filho blew the whistle during the final in Mexico. I just happened to be very close to Diego, I was lucky that he hugged me before anybody else,” former player Ricardo Giusti recalled during a recent event alongside other former World Cup champions outside Buenos Aires.

    “We enjoyed it so much, everybody enjoyed Diego. That’s what’s sad. It makes us feel a lot of sadness, sorrow and disillusion,” the former midfielder said.

    Matthäus’ donation was a sort of reparation for Argentina after it failed to win an auction for the jersey Maradona wore in the match against England in the quarterfinals of that World Cup tournament. An unknown bidder from outside the country bought the iconic item at auction for a record $9 million in May.

    In 1994, Maradona played his last World Cup match against Nigeria in the group stage. He was suspended for 15 months following the 2-1 victory after a positive doping test.

    As Argentina coach, Maradona led the national team to the quarterfinals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the team lost to Germany 4-0.

    One of the most disturbing images came eight years later at the 2018 World Cup in Russia when an overweight and somewhat disoriented Maradona collapsed at the stadium in St. Petersburg following a 2-1 victory over Nigeria.

    Maradona died at the age of 60 while he was under hospital care in his home following brain surgery. Judicial authorities continue to investigate if medical negligence was involved.

    “He is missed, Diego’s image has been, and is, very strong,” said Carlos Tapia, another member of the 1986 championship team. “He was our reference, captain, everything. He was always close to each one of us. Let’s hope he can be a guiding light from above in Qatar.”

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • South Korea star Son Heung-Min suffers fractured eye and faces race to be fit for World Cup | CNN

    South Korea star Son Heung-Min suffers fractured eye and faces race to be fit for World Cup | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Son Heung-Min’s hopes of playing at the World Cup later this month are in doubt after Tottenham confirmed the South Korean star will need surgery on a fracture around his left eye.

    The 30-year-old suffered the injury during Tottenham’s Champions League win against Marseille on Tuesday and now faces a race to be fit for Qatar 2022 which starts on November 20.

    Son was caught in the face when challenging for a header with Chancel Mbemba and was treated on the pitch during a lengthy delay to the game.

    He was then helped off the pitch by the club’s medical staff but looked very disoriented as he did so.

    Tottenham went on to win the game 2-1 to secure top spot in the group and progression into the knockout stages of the competition.

    “We can confirm that Heung-Min Son will undergo surgery to stabilise a fracture around his left eye,” Tottenham said in a statement on Wednesday.

    “Following surgery, Son will commence rehabilitation with our medical staff and we shall update supporters further in due course.”

    The club stopped short of giving a time frame for Son’s return but there is precedent for players returning from such an injury within three weeks.

    Kevin De Bruyne suffered a fractured eye while playing for Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final and was back playing for Belgium at the European Championships within 21 days.

    South Korea begins its World Cup campaign against Uruguay on November 24 and will be desperate for its captain and best player to be fit in time.

    A host of other stars are also racing to be fit for the tournament in Qatar.

    England’s Ben Chilwell limped off the pitch with an apparent hamstring injury during Chelsea’s Champions League win against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday but the extent of the damage is not yet clear.

    It comes shortly after Paul Pogba’s agent confirmed he would miss the tournament through injury.

    The midfielder’s France teammate Raphael Varane is also a doubt after limping off in tears during Manchester United’s draw against Chelsea last month.

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  • Canadian defender Kennedy to miss World Cup

    Canadian defender Kennedy to miss World Cup

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    TORONTO — Canadian defender Scott Kennedy will miss the World Cup after injuring a shoulder.

    The 25-year-old, who has eight international appearances, was hurt Saturday while playing for Regensburg against Rostock in the German second tier, leaving the match in the seventh minute.

    “He was devastated this morning,” Canada coach John Herdman said during a conference call Wednesday. “He will be a big loss to this group on and off the field. Just one of those tough moments as a coach where you’ve got to share that grim reality with someone.”

    Herdman was relieved Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, who turned 22 Wednesday, was not seriously hurt when he sustained a cranial bruise against Dortmund on Oct. 8. Davies, Canada’s top player, returned eight days later.

    “Every game we’re monitoring you’ve just got that sort of pit in your stomach that you’re going to lose a critical player but it’s going to happen,” Herdman said. “Every weekend you’re dreading it. One part is you’re going to miss some quality from the team, but the next part is just knowing the pain that those players are going to go through.”

    Atiba Hutchinson, a 39-year-old midfielder and Canada’s captain, is the only player in the pool who was alive during Canada’s last World Cup appearance in 1986. He has not appeared for Turkey’s Beşiktaş this season due to a bone bruise, but Herdman hopes he can play in a Turkish Cup match against Serik Belediyespor on Nov. 9.

    “He feels good,” Herdman said. “All the signs are positive there.”

    Herdman selected 21 players for a training camp opening Sunday ahead of a Nov. 11 exhibition against Bahrain in Manama. Players selected for the World Cup will travel to the Middle East the following day and Europe-based players will report ahead of a Nov. 17 friendly against Japan at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    Midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who has 55 international appearances, has played one match since Aug. 20 due to post-concussion syndrome, 19 minutes at Orlando on Sept. 17.

    “We’ve had staff monitoring his scrimmages,” Herdman said. “The feedback has been super positive. He seems to be really having an impact on the field and looking back to his old self. Playing international football in desert conditions is going to be a bit different to what he’s experiencing now in his club training enviornment.”

    Canada opens Group F in Qatar against Belgium on Nov. 23, before facing Croatia four days later and Morocco on Dec. 1.

    Twenty players headed to the camp are from Major League Soccer and one is Europe-based midfielder Liam Fraser of Deinze in Belgium’s second tier.

    Four have not appeared for Canada’s senior team: goalkeeper James Pantemis; defenders Lukas MacNaughton and Joel Waterman; and midfielder Mathieu Choiniere.

    Eight players are from Montreal’s MLS team, seven from Toronto and one each from Vancouver, Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy, Minnesota and Nashville.

    Toronto and Vancouver last played Oct. 9, Nashville on Oct. 15, Minnesota on Oct. 17, LA Galaxy on Oct. 20 and Montreal on Oct. 23. LAFC plays Philadelphia in the MLS championship game on Saturday.

    “Are they going to be at the match fitness levels that we require to take them to Qatar?” Herdman said.

    The roster:

    Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau (Los Angeles), James Pantemis (Montreal), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota).

    Defenders: Zachary Brault-Guillard (Montreal), Raheem Edwards (LA Galaxy), Doneil Henry (Toronto), Alistair Johnston (Montreal), Richie Laryea (Toronto), Lukas MacNaughton (Toronto), Kamal Miller (Montreal), Joel Waterman (Montreal).

    Midfielders: Mathieu Choiniere (Montreal), Liam Fraser (Deinze, Belgium), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto), Ismael Kone (Montreal), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto), Samuel Piette (Montreal).

    Forwards: Ayo Akinola (Toronto), Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver), Jayden Nelson (Toronto), Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville).

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • A look at the players who won’t be at the World Cup in Qatar

    A look at the players who won’t be at the World Cup in Qatar

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    BERLIN — Not every soccer star will be competing at the World Cup.

    Some big names will be missing from the tournament in Qatar because of injuries or because their countries didn’t qualify.

    ERLING HAALAND (Norway)

    The 22-year-old Haaland has had a phenomenal start in his first season at Manchester City with 17 goals in his first 11 Premier League appearances, but Norway failed to beat the Netherlands in the team’s final qualifying game in Group G. Haaland, who had scored in the 1-1 draw when they met in Oslo, missed the decisive game because of an injury. The Dutch qualified as group winners with a 2-0 victory, while Norway was left in third place. Haaland has 21 goals in 23 games for Norway but he has to wait until at least 2026 for his country to reach its first World Cup since 1998.

    MOHAMED SALAH (Egypt)

    Salah, who won the Golden Boot as the Premier League’s top scorer alongside Son Heung-min last season, missed a penalty against Senegal in the shootout that eliminated Egypt from the World Cup playoffs. Salah blasted his attempt over the crossbar and former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané kicked the winner for his team’s 3-1 victory. It was a repeat of Senegal’s win on penalties in the African Cup of Nations final the month before. This season, Salah has scored four goals in his first 12 matches as Liverpool has struggled for wins.

    PAUL POGBA (France)

    Paul Pogba was ruled out of the tournament this week because of ongoing right knee problems. The 29-year-old Pogba played a vital part in France’s World Cup success four years ago, but has yet to play a game this season since his last official match in April. After returning to Juventus from Manchester United in the offseason, Pogba tore his meniscus during the Italian club’s preseason tour of the United States in July. He initially decided against having an operation, but then had surgery on his right knee in early September. Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said Monday that he “needs more rehabilitation after his operation.” Pogba has also been mired in an extortion scandal involving his older brother and childhood friends.

    N’GOLO KANTE (France)

    Kante hasn’t played for his club or his country since August, and Chelsea confirmed last month that the midfielder will miss the tournament while recovering from surgery on a hamstring injury. Widely regarded as one of the world’s best midfielders, Kante played a key role alongside Pogba in France’s run to the 2018 title. Another France midfielder, Boubacar Kamara, was already ruled out because of injury.

    DAVID ALABA (Austria)

    Austria didn’t qualify for the World Cup after losing to Wales in the playoffs. Gareth Bale scored two goals in the 2-1 victory that ended his Real Madrid teammate’s hopes of appearing at soccer’s biggest tournament for the first time. The 30-year-old Alaba, who joined Madrid from Bayern Munich in 2021, captained Austria at last year’s European Championship, where the team lost to eventual champion Italy in the round of 16.

    LUIS DÍAZ (Colombia)

    Díaz’s World Cup hopes were over even before he injured his knee while playing for Liverpool because Colombia finished sixth in South American qualifying. The 25-year-old Díaz, who instantly became a Liverpool favorite after his transfer from Porto in January, still hasn’t played at a World Cup. He has scored eight goals in 37 appearances for Colombia. James Rodríguez and “El Tigre” Radamel Falcao will also miss the tournament.

    GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA (Italy)

    Arguably the best goalkeeper in the world won’t be at the World Cup after Italy surprisingly failed to qualify for the tournament — again. Donnarumma was the player of the tournament when he helped Italy win Euro 2020, but he was unable to stop Aleksandar Trajkovski’s injury-time winner for North Macedonia in the World Cup playoffs in March. Italy also failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Donnarumma, considered the heir to the great Gianluigi Buffon, will get his chance again. Despite already making 49 appearances for Italy, he’s only 23 years old.

    DIOGO JOTA (Portugal)

    Jota said “one of my dreams collapsed” when it was confirmed he will miss the World Cup with a calf injury sustained in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City on Oct. 16. He had already missed the first month of the season because of injury. Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp said Jota faced “months” to recover. Portugal teammate Pedro Neto is also out after sustaining an ankle injury while playing with Wolverhampton.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • World Cup goal for Japan is quarterfinals — at least

    World Cup goal for Japan is quarterfinals — at least

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    TOKYO — Saying it is one thing, but doing it is another.

    Japan soccer coach Hajime Moriyasu repeated his aim again for the World Cup.

    “Our goal for the tournament is to reach the quarterfinal — and least,” he said on Tuesday as he named Japan‘s 26-player squad. “We know it won’t be easy.”

    Perhaps an understatement: Japan is in Group E with Germany and Spain — two former World Cup champions — and Costa Rica, which made the quarterfinals in 2014 in Brazil.

    This is Japan’s seventh World Cup appearance, and it has reached the round of 16 on three occasions. In 2018 it lost 3-2 in stoppage time to Belgium after leading 2-0. It also was eliminated by Paraguay on penalties in 2010, and lost to Turkey 1-0 in 2002 when the country co-hosted the event with South Korea.

    “Hopefully, we have a different view of the landscape this time,” Moriyasu said.

    There were no real surprises on the 26-player squad, certainly not among the first line of players who are expected to play the most.

    Defenders Maya Yoshida and Hiroki Sakai will be playing in their third consecutive World Cup. Defender Yuto Nagatomo and goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima will be playing in their fourth.

    Japan opens against Germany on Nov. 23, faces Costa Rica on Nov. 27, and Spain on Dec. 1. It will play its last friendly on Nov. 17 against Canada in Dubai.

    ——

    Japan squad:

    Goalkeepers: Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt, Eiji Kawashima.

    Defenders: Miki Yamane, Hiroki Sakai, Maya Yoshida, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Yuta Nakayama.

    Midfielders: Wataru Endo), Hidemasa Morita, Ao Tanaka, Gaku Shibasaki, Kaoru Mitoma, Daichi Kamada, Ritsu Doan, Junya Ito, Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo, Yuki Soma.

    Forwards: Daizen Maeda, Takuma Asano, Ayase Ueda.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Flashy Dubai will cash in on a World Cup a short flight away

    Flashy Dubai will cash in on a World Cup a short flight away

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    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The FIFA World Cup may be bringing as many as 1.2 million fans to Qatar, but the nearby flashy emirate of Dubai is also looking to cash in on the major sports tournament taking place just a short flight away.

    Some soccer fan clubs have already said they’ll be commuting to Qatar during the cup on 45-minute flights from Dubai, the skyscraper-studded, beachfront city-state in the United Arab Emirates. Other fans plan to sleep on cruise ships or camp out in the desert amid a feverish rush for rooms in Doha.

    Dubai’s airlines, bars, restaurants, shopping malls and other attractions now hope to benefit, further boosting their rebounding tourism industry in the crucial fall and winter months after the blows delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.

    “If you can’t stay in Qatar, Dubai is the place you’d most like to go as a foreign tourist,” said James Swanston, a Middle East and North Africa expert at Capital Economics. “It’s somewhere safe, somewhere more liberal in terms of Western norms. It’s the most attractive destination.”

    Now home to the world’s tallest building, cavernous malls — including one with an indoor ski slope — and thriving nightclub scene, Dubai has seen explosive growth fueled by its boom-and-bust real estate market that’s transformed the one-time pearling village over the last 20 years.

    Its long-haul carrier Emirates helped make Dubai International Airport the busiest in the world for foreign travel and provides a steady stream of new visitors who stay for layovers or longer. And while still an autocratic sheikhdom like its other Gulf Arab neighbors, Dubai has a relatively more-liberal view on drinking and nightlife.

    In the lead-up to the tournament, concerns about hotel room space and high prices for the rooms available have trailed Qatar, which lacks hotel capacity for all teams, workers, volunteers and fans at the World Cup. So Doha has created camping and cabin sites, hiring cruise ships, and encouraging fans to stay in neighboring countries and fly in for games.

    Qatar has estimated it will have 45,000 hotel rooms for the tournament.

    Surrounding nations, like Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, also suggest they could see a spike in visitors — even though Bahrain is the only among them that allows alcohol. Even Iran, months ago, suggested developing plans for World Cup tourists to stay on its Kish Island. Apparently, nothing came of the idea and now the Islamic Republic is gripped by nationwide protests.

    Meanwhile, Dubai has over 140,000 hotel rooms, putting it easily into the top 10 destinations worldwide as far as available hotel rooms go, said Philip Wooller, a senior director at STR, a company that monitors the hotel industry. Dubai also offers price ranges greater than what Qatar can at the moment, given the demand, he said.

    “I think Dubai is an incredibly eclectic city,” Wooller said. “You can buy a room for $100 or you can buy a room for $5,000.”

    Still, he added, he expects “Qatar will be able to accommodate most of the fans coming to the World Cup (but) there will be a knock-on in Dubai.”

    Dubai appears fully poised to take advantage of the tournament.

    Its low-cost carrier, FlyDubai, plans as many as 30 round-trip flights a day during the World Cup, shuttling fans between Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, or DWC, in the city-state’s southern reaches, to Doha International Airport, Qatar’s old main airport.

    Other airlines that may use Al Maktoum airport include KLM, Qatar Airways and Wizz Air, while private jets will fly from there as well to the tournament, said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. That could help boost the profile of an airfield that Dubai hopes will expand in the future as Dubai International Airport nears its capacity.

    “It’s a great experience for us to see DWC suddenly so busy for the World Cup,” he said. “It will give exposure to the convenience of the airport for so many people that (airlines may) actually favor operating from there.”

    The expected economic boost from the World Cup for Dubai comes after its turnaround since suffering through the pandemic. It spent billions for its delayed Expo 2020 world’s fair — which largely attracted visitors already in the UAE.

    Dubai, like much of the world, had a lockdown early in 2020. However, by July that year, it announced it was reopening for tourists. Though Dubai faced a surge of international criticism when cases spread from the emirate months later, around New Year, Dubai and the rest of the UAE widely rolled out vaccines.

    The UAE dropped its mandatory mask policy about a month ago.

    “Dubai is on a lot of people’s radars as one of the most phenomenal places to come and visit,” said Dennis McGettigan, the CEO of an eponymous empire of Irish bars in Dubai and elsewhere. “And I think the World Cup has added a layer” of desire to visit.

    McGettigan said his bar business is already up as much as 40% on its sales, compared to 2019, something he linked to pent-up demand for socializing after the worst days of the virus. He said he’s overstaffed his locations and expects strong business through the tournament.

    But McGettigan and others acknowledged headwinds Dubai faces in attracting World Cup tourists — the strong U.S. dollar. The Emirati dirham has long been pegged to the dollar, making a Dubai trip now more expensive for those using British pounds, euros and other currencies.

    Other financial dangers also lurk for tourist-reliant Dubai, built on the promise of globalization.

    “We still need to be cautious of global economic pressures, including rising interest rates, high oil and commodity prices, supply chain issues that are creating inflationary pressures which could impact Dubai’s economic recovery,” said Sapna Jagtiani of S&P Global Ratings.

    McGettigan doesn’t expects that to be too much of a damper. His firm also will be organizing a massive fan zone venue in the grassy expanses of Dubai Media City, complete with musical performances, massive televisions and even a winter-themed area in Dubai’s desert environs.

    “I, for one, am absolutely delighted to see everything back on full steam ahead and actually a little bit more,” he said.

    ———

    Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

    ———

    Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

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  • Spain’s Morata substituted for hurt foot in Atlético game

    Spain’s Morata substituted for hurt foot in Atlético game

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    MADRID — Atlético Madrid and Spain striker Álvaro Morata has had to be substituted after hurting his right leg in Saturday’s Spanish league match at Cádiz with the World Cup less than a month away.

    Atlético’s initial description of his injury was a “contusion.”

    Morata could not continue after defender Mamadou Mbaye stomped on his right foot in the seventh minute. He spent some time writhing on the turf before walking gingerly off when replaced by Cunha.

    Morata is the first-choice striker for Spain coach Luis Enrique, who is scheduled to announce his World Cup squad on Nov. 11.

    Spain opens the World Cup against Costa Rica on Nov. 23. The 2010 winner also faces Germany and Japan in Group E in Qatar.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • US midfielder De la Torre out for 3 weeks before World Cup

    US midfielder De la Torre out for 3 weeks before World Cup

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    MADRID — American midfielder Luca de la Torre has sustained a leg injury that will sideline him for three weeks, his Spanish club Celta Vigo said Friday, with the World Cup less than a month away.

    Celta said De la Torre has a muscle tear in his left leg. However, Celta coach Eduardo Coudet said he was confident that his player would be fit in time for the World Cup.

    “I have spoken with the doctor, it is a small (injury),” Coudet said Friday. “He will surely make it (to the World Cup). He is a player who has a role with his national team, so there won’t be any problem.”

    The United States opens the World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 21 against Wales. It then plays England and Iran in Group B.

    De la Torre last played for the U.S. national team in a friendly against Japan in September.

    The 24-year-old player joined Celta this summer, signing a four-year contract. He has made just five appearances for Celta this season, all as a substitute, totaling 54 minutes, following his transfer from the Dutch club Heracles.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Viewer’s guide for the World Cup in Qatar

    Viewer’s guide for the World Cup in Qatar

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    A last chance for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Kylian Mbappé back on the biggest stage of all. Brazil bidding for a record-extending sixth title.

    One of the most eagerly anticipated World Cups in memory — as much for off-the-field reasons as those on it — is just around the corner in Qatar.

    Thirty-two teams, 64 matches, 29 days. The first World Cup in the Middle East.

    The tournament starts on Nov. 20 and the final is set for Dec. 18.

    Here’s a few things to watch when the tournament gets going in the smallest country ever to host a World Cup, where some fans will be staying in floating hotels when they head over to take in the games:

    TOP TEAMS

    Brazil (No. 1 in FIFA ranking). Neymar, Vinícius Júnior and the rest of the flair-filled Selecao are peaking at the right time. Is a first World Cup title since 2002 on the horizon?

    Belgium (No. 2). The “Golden Generation” is gradually breaking up but there’s still Kevin De Bruyne leading the Belgian charge.

    Argentina (No. 3). No World Cup title since the days of the great Diego Maradona. This will be the first World Cup since his death in November 2020 and Argentina is improving, with Messi still at its core.

    France (No. 4). The defending champions. Still the country with the most depth to its squad, despite a growing injury list. Now with Mbappé AND Karim Benzema leading the attack. No team has retained its World Cup title since Brazil in 1962.

    England (No. 5). The team has hit a bad patch of form — winless in six games — but has a strong track record in recent major tournaments. England was a semifinalist at the World Cup in 2018 and a finalist at the European Championship in 2021.

    Read up on all 32 teams who will be playing in the World Cup.

    BIG STARS

    Lionel Messi, Argentina. The seven-time world player of the year might have been saving his 35-year-old legs for one last push at a World Cup winner’s medal that, to many, would solidify him as soccer’s greatest player. He is in stellar form for Paris Saint-Germain at the moment.

    Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal. He has won the European Championship but the leading scorer in men’s international soccer hasn’t played in a World Cup final, let alone won one. He’s 37 years old now and no longer first choice at Manchester United — so make the most of him while you can.

    Kylian Mbappé, France. The star of the last World Cup at the age of 19 and he is only getting better. The speedy striker could match Brazil great Pelé in being a champion at his first two World Cups.

    Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium. Widely regarded as the world’s best midfielder, his driving runs are among the best sights in soccer. Belgium just has to hope he arrives healthy.

    Neymar, Brazil. Often overshadowed by Mbappé and Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, still the main man for Brazil. Watch out for tricks and flicks, and some histrionics, too.

    HOW IT WORKS

    Get ready for a feast of soccer. There are eight groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to the 16-team knockout stage.

    There will be four games back-to-back per day — yes, four! — for most of the first two sets of group games, then simultaneous kickoffs for the last two games in each group.

    There’ll be no break for the knockout stage, which begins the day after the group stage ends. The first day without soccer comes on Dec. 7 — the 17th day of competition.

    MUST-SEE GAMES

    Qatar vs. Ecuador, Nov. 20. The first match of the tournament and always a date to save on the calendar.

    Argentina vs. Mexico, Nov. 26. The first of the big continental rivalries in the group stage, with Messi potentially sealing his and Argentina’s spot in the last 16.

    Spain vs. Germany, Nov. 27. Surely there can’t have been many bigger group-stage matches than this at a World Cup? Two recent champions, two giants of European and world soccer.

    Iran vs. United States, Nov. 29. It has been labeled as “The Mother of All Games Part II.” Just like at the World Cup in 1998, the two countries will meet in the group stage in a politically charged matchup. Diplomatic relations have yet to be restored between the nations since being severed in 1980.

    Ghana vs. Uruguay, Dec. 2. Anyone remember the night of July 2, 2010? In the last minute of extra time in a World Cup quarterfinal match between Uruguay and Ghana, Luis Suarez deliberately stopped the ball with his hand on the goalline, got sent off, only for Ghana to miss the penalty and lose in a shootout as Suarez celebrated on the sideline. Revenge would be sweet for Ghana.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • World Cup hopes for South Korea rest on Son Heung-min

    World Cup hopes for South Korea rest on Son Heung-min

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    SEOUL, South Korea — Few players carry an entire nation’s hopes like Son Heung-min.

    South Korea will be counting on the Tottenham forward’s two-footed shooting ability and his scoring touch at this year’s World Cup.

    The 30-year-old forward started the Premier League season without a scoring a goal in eight games, but he seems to have regained his touch just in time for the tournament in Qatar.

    The current group of players is arguably the best South Korea has ever assembled. Son is supported by several players in their 20s and early 30s getting regular minutes in European soccer.

    Still, the South Koreans will head to Qatar as underdogs in a tough Group H with Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana.

    South Korea coach Paulo Bento’s critics say he has a rigid style of play that’s over-reliant on Son and struggles at times to maximize his skill set. The defense has also been less than stout.

    ASIAN POWERHOUSE

    Qatar marks South Korea’s 11th appearance at the World Cup and its 10th straight. The country has reached the knockout rounds only twice — making the semifinals at home in 2002, and the last 16 in the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

    South Korea breezed through Asian qualifying but has looked underwhelming in recent friendlies, including a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica and a laborious 1-0 win over Cameroon in September.

    Some have criticized the South Korean soccer association for failing to book warm-up matches with stronger opponents and deciding to host all the team’s friendlies since June at home.

    South Korea’s run at the 2018 World Cup ended in the group stage. Son’s late goal capped off a 2-0 victory over Germany in the team’s final group match to eliminate the defending champions, but the South Koreans still failed to advance.

    “We will clearly be an underdog, but I hope we can create a real surprise for the stronger teams,” said Son, who will be playing at his third World Cup.

    BUILDING AROUND SON

    Son shared the Premier League scoring lead last season, but he has often struggled to be as loose and dangerous as he is with Tottenham when he’s playing for his country.

    Since taking over South Korea in 2018, Bento has experimented with various attack partners to fit with Son and now appears to have settled with a committee approach.

    Hwang Ui-jo, a forward for Greek club Olympiakos, adds another natural scorer to the lineup. But Hwang doesn’t create space for Son like Jeonbuk Hyundai’s Cho Gue-sung can with his ability to win balls in the air and stretch defenders.

    If Bento opts to sit deep and dial up defensive pressure against Uruguay or Portugal, he may pair Son with Freiburg forward Jeong Woo-yeong, who has the speed to chase balls and make plays across the field.

    Wolverhampton’s Hwang Hee-chan and Mainz’s Lee Jae-sung are likely to start as wingers, while Olympiakos’ Hwang In-beom pulls the strings from the midfield.

    TOUGH ROAD

    Bento wants his fullbacks to aggressively push forward and provide width to the attack. But the space they leave behind has also created defensive problems that South Korea has struggled to fix.

    Jung Woo-young, a veteran of Qatari club Al Saad, has often looked taxed in his role as the lone defensive midfielder shielding the backline. The team has shown a tendency to gradually concede space as the game progresses and easily allow goals in transition.

    Bento at least has a solid center back pairing. Kim Min-jae, who has looked impressive in his first season with Napoli, brings a rare combination of size, strength and speed. His partner, Kim Young-gwon, is one of the most experienced players on the team.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Spanish man trekking to World Cup believed arrested in Iran

    Spanish man trekking to World Cup believed arrested in Iran

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    MADRID — A Spanish man trekking from Madrid to Doha for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is believed to be under arrest in Iran where he went missing more than three weeks ago, his family said Wednesday.

    “We learned this morning from the (Spanish) foreign ministry that there’s a 99% chance he (has been) arrested,” Celia Cogedor, the mother of 41-year-old trekker Santiago Sanchez, told The Associated Press.

    “We are filled with hope,” she said.

    Sanchez and his translator are believed to be in a prison in Tehran, the Spaniard’s parents said.

    Sanchez’s sister is due to meet Thursday with officials at the Spanish Foreign Ministry in Madrid to learn further details.

    “We have gone from being in permanent suspense to having a very big ray of hope, so now we trust in the efforts of the embassy, which is the one that will officially tell us the situation he is in,” Santiago Sanchez told the AP.

    The foreign ministry said in a statement that the Spanish embassy in Tehran is in touch with Iranian authorities about Sanchez. It declined to provide further details.

    Iran is being engulfed by mass unrest, triggering fears about Sanchez’s fate after he stopped contacting his family in Spain on Oct. 2, a day after he crossed the Iraq-Iran border. He had warned his family that communication might be difficult in Iran.

    A Kurdish group called the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported that Sanchez was taken away by Iranian security forces after visiting the grave of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old whose death in police custody sparked the current antigovernment protest movement.

    The group, citing anonymous sources, said that Iranian intelligence agents arrested him in Saqez, Amini’s hometown.

    The Kurdish group is based just across the border in Iraqi Kurdistan but has reliable connections in northwest Iran.

    Neither Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor its mission to the United Nations responded to requests for comment.

    The Spanish adventurer planned to go to Tehran, the Iranian capital, where a television station wanted to interview him. His next step would have been Bandar Abbas, a port in southern Iran where he would hop on a boat to Qatar. But all traces of him vanished even before he reached Tehran, his parents said.

    His parents reported him missing on Oct. 17. They said Spain’s police and diplomats were helping the family.

    This was not Sanchez’s first time in Iran. In 2019 the fervent soccer fan cycled a similar route to get from Madrid to Saudi Arabia.

    His parents say they are proud of his adventurous spirit and say his only aims are to help others and promote the Real Madrid soccer team.

    The demonstrations in Iran erupted on Sept. 16 over the death of Amini, who was taken into custody by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not adhering to the country’s strict Islamic dress code.

    Tehran has violently cracked down on protesters and blamed foreign enemies and Kurdish groups in Iraq for fomenting the unrest, without offering evidence. The Iranian Intelligence Ministry said authorities had arrested nine foreigners, mostly Europeans, over their alleged links to the protests.

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  • USMNT to hold last-chance WC training camp

    USMNT to hold last-chance WC training camp

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    The U.S. Soccer Federation announced that it is holding a training camp in Frisco, Texas, for MLS players who are still in contention for a spot on the United States World Cup roster, but whose teams are no longer in the MLS Cup playoffs.

    The camp will run from Oct. 25 until Nov. 5, and is intended to help players maintain fitness. The U.S. is announcing its final, 26-player roster on Nov. 9 in New York City. The U.S. opens World Cup group play against Wales on Nov. 21, will face England on Friday, Nov. 25 and finish the first round against Iran on Nov. 29.

    – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

    A USSF spokesperson stressed that participation in the camp doesn’t indicate that a player will be on the World Cup roster. In its statement, the USSF said it’s “important to bridge the gap between players completing their seasons and potential participation in the World Cup.”

    The USSF added that players who aren’t participating in the workouts are also still eligible for inclusion on the World Cup roster and additional MLS players would be added as their seasons end.

    Among the players not called into the camp but who have been utilized up by U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter in the past are Colorado Rapids forward Gyasi Zardes, FC Dallas midfielder Sebastian Lletget, Portland Timbers midfielder Eryk Williamson and CF Montreal midfielder Djordje Mihailovic.

    The MLS Cup playoffs are in the conference final stage, with reigning MLS Cup champions NYCFC taking on the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference final, and Austin FC traveling to LAFC in the Western Conference. The MLS Cup final is on Nov. 5.

    Players attending the camp include: Paul Arriola (FC Dallas), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Gaga Slonina (Chicago Fire), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

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  • Fan walking from Spain to Qatar feared missing

    Fan walking from Spain to Qatar feared missing

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    A Spanish man trekking from Madrid to Doha, Qatar, for the 2022 World Cup has not been heard from since the day after he crossed into Iran three weeks ago, his family said on Monday.

    Santiago Sanchez, an experienced trekker, former paratrooper and fervent football fan, was last seen in Iraq after hiking through 15 countries and extensively sharing his journey on a popular Instagram account over the past nine months.

    The 41-year-old had previously said his intention for his trip to Qatar was to learn how others lived before reaching the first World Cup host country in the Arab world, in time for Spain’s first match on Nov. 23.

    “The idea of the journey is to motivate and inspire other people to show that they can go very far with very little,” he told the AP from Sulaymaniyah, a Kurdish city in northeastern Iraq.

    However, Sanchez’s family last heard from him in an audio message on Oct. 2, a day after he crossed the Iraq-Iran border. He planned to go to the Iran’s capital, Tehran, where a television station wanted to interview him. His next step would have been Bandar Abbas, a port in southern Iran, where he would travel by boat to Qatar.

    “We are deeply worried, we can’t stop crying, my husband and I,” his mother, Celia Cogedor, told The Associated Press.

    Sanchez’s parents reported him missing on Oct. 17, and they said Spain’s police and diplomats were helping the family.

    “After a few days, we didn’t worry about him not posting; it matched what he had said. But after eight or nine days, my daughter and his closest friends … we already began to think that we had to report his disappearance,” his mother said.

    Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it had no information about Sanchez’s whereabouts, adding that the Spanish ambassador to Tehran was handling the matter. Calls to the Iranian Foreign Ministry seeking comment were not immediately returned.

    Sanchez previously spent time in Iran in 2019, when he biked a similar route to get from Madrid to Saudi Arabia.

    “He has not been making propaganda, neither for nor against any situation,” his parents added. “The only thing that moves him is supporting Real Madrid — and walking to get on time to the World Cup in Qatar.”

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  • FIFA slams unacceptable TV deal offers for Women’s World Cup

    FIFA slams unacceptable TV deal offers for Women’s World Cup

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    AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Broadcasters were criticized by FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday for what he called unacceptably low offers for rights to screen the Women’s World Cup next year.

    Offers of just 1% of the value of men’s World Cup rights deals have been rejected, Infantino said, for the tournament that starts in July in Australia and New Zealand.

    The men’s World Cup has driven FIFA’s expected overall income toward $7 billion for the four-year commercial cycle that ends in December after that tournament in Qatar.

    “100 times less, even more than 100 times in some occasions, then this is not acceptable,” the FIFA leader said at a news conference ahead of the finals tournament draw. “I don’t want to mention them, but those who are there, they know it.”

    The time zones in Australia and New Zealand mean many games, especially in the group stage, will be played in the nighttime hours in lucrative markets in Europe and the Americas.

    “We are not going to accept this,” Infantino said of the broadcast offers, “because we know that the viewing figures for these broadcasters in some big ing countries for the men’s World Cup or for the Women’s World Cup are actually very similar … meaning their commercial income is very similar for men and for women.”

    Infantino took a further jibe at broadcasters who he said pushed FIFA to treat women’s soccer more equally on issues such as World Cup prize money.

    The 32 teams at the men’s World Cup in Qatar will share $440 million in prize money, while a prize fund of $60 million was proposed for the first 32-team women’s edition in 2023.

    “In some countries, they are quite good at telling us … that we should give more emphasis on equal opportunities, on equality, on non-discrimination, on treating men and women in the same way which is, of course, what we have to do, and we try to do that to the best of our ability,” Infantino said.

    “It’s important that everyone puts actions, as well, behind words and we all start to treat women’s the same way.”

    FIFA has changed the commercial model for the Women’s World Cup to earn its own income instead of simply being packaged as an add-on for broadcasters and sponsors doing deals for the men’s tournament.

    Infantino suggested a further push for equality for women’s soccer, noting that Olympic tournaments have 16 men’s teams and only 12 for women.

    “Women should have 16 teams as well at the Olympic Games,” he said. “These are some discussions we are going to have.”

    Adding four women’s teams would need more than 70 athlete quota places when the International Olympic Committee is asking some governing bodies to make cuts to help find space for new sports and control organizers’ costs.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup

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  • Group of prominent Iranian sports figures calls on FIFA to ban Iranian Football Federation from World Cup | CNN

    Group of prominent Iranian sports figures calls on FIFA to ban Iranian Football Federation from World Cup | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A law firm has sent a letter to FIFA on behalf of a group of former and current Iranian sports figures urging football’s governing body to suspend the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) and ban it from participating at this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

    “Iran’s brutality and belligerence towards its own people has reached a tipping point, demanding an unequivocal and firm disassociation from the footballing and sports world,” a press released issued alongside the letter reads.

    “FIFA’s historical abstinence from political quagmires has often only been tolerated when those situations do not metastasize into the footballing sphere … Football, which should be a safe place for everyone, is not a safe space for women or even men.

    “Women have been consistently denied access to stadia across the country and systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, which sharply contrasts with FIFA’s values and statutes.”

    The letter says the actions of Iran’s football federation violate FIFA statues and regulations.

    CNN has contacted FIFA and the FFIRI for comment.

    In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after she was detained by the country’s morality police for apparently not wearing her hijab properly. Iranian authorities have since unleashed a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, who have united around a range of grievances with the country’s authoritarian regime.

    The letter sent by the Spanish law firm Ruiz-Huerta and Crespo is signed by, among others, Ali Karimi and Mehdi Mahdavikia – former captains of Iran’s national team – and former national team members Mehrdad Pooladi and Behshad Yavarzadeh.

    The World Cup takes place from November 20 to December 18. Iran faces England in its first match of football’s flagship event on November 21, followed by a game against Wales on November 25. The nation is also set to face the United States in its third and final group stage match on November 29.

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  • Pandas sent by China arrive in Qatar ahead of World Cup

    Pandas sent by China arrive in Qatar ahead of World Cup

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    AL KHOR, Qatar — A pair of giant pandas sent as a gift from China arrived in Qatar on Wednesday ahead of next month’s World Cup.

    They will take up residence in an indoor enclosure in the desert nation designed to duplicate conditions in the dense forests of China’s mountainous Sichuan province. Eight hundred kilograms (nearly 1,800 pounds) of fresh bamboo will be flown in each week to feed them.

    Jing Jing, a 4-year-old male weighing 120 kilograms (265 pounds), has been given the Arabic name Suhail, and 3-year-old female Si Hai, at 70 kilograms (154 pounds), has been given the Arabic name Thuraya.

    The pandas will quarantine for at least 21 days before visitors will be allowed to see them.

    Qatar is expecting some 1.2 million visitors for the monthlong World Cup beginning Nov. 20. The gas-rich Gulf nation will be the first Muslim or Arab country to host the world’s biggest sporting event.

    Tim Bouts, the director of Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, said that in addition to providing the perfect indoor climate for the pandas, the enclosure will also shield them from stressful noises while allowing them to interact with visitors.

    “There was a lot of thinking which went into this building to make it, I think, the best building for pandas in the world,” he said.

    Pandas, which reproduce rarely in the wild and rely on a diet of bamboo in the mountains of western China, remain among the world’s most threatened species. An estimated 1,800 pandas live in the wild, while another 500 are in zoos or reserves, mostly in Sichuan.

    They are the unofficial national mascot of China, which has gifted pandas to 20 countries.

    China’s ambassador to Qatar, Zhou Jian, said the two pandas “will live a happy life here and bring more happiness, joy and a love to the people of Qatar and in this world.”

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