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Tag: International soccer

  • 2 brothers, 2 teams, 2 contrasting experiences at World Cup

    2 brothers, 2 teams, 2 contrasting experiences at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — Joy for the Williams family of Spain on Wednesday at the World Cup. Then despair for the same Williams family, who are also of Ghana, on Thursday.

    Williams brothers Iñaki and Nico have managed to mark both sides of their family’s heritage in the most incredible way at this World Cup in Qatar by playing for two different countries. They were both born in Spain but their parents are from Ghana.

    Nico was part of the Spain team that beat Costa Rica 7-0 on Wednesday in the tournament’s most compelling performance so far. He came on as a second-half substitute to make his World Cup debut in Spain’s record win at the tournament.

    A day later, big brother Iñaki played his first World Cup game for Ghana, a 3-2 loss to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

    That meant a complicated 24 hours in the family home back in Spain with celebrations for 20-year-old Nico no doubt swiftly followed by commiserations for 28-year-old Iñaki. The same for the two brothers, who Ghana coach Otto Addo said both feel as Spanish as they do Ghanaian.

    “I know that they both have a good strong relationship with their mother and their fatherland,” was how Addo put it.

    Because of his love for his parents’ country, Iñaki’s integration into the Ghana team has been very easy, Addo added, even if he was born in Bilbao in raised in the Basque region.

    Iñaki, a forward just like Nico, played the whole game for Ghana against Portugal and stood in the center circle at the end of the game looking bitterly disappointed with the loss.

    “Maybe for some it’s difficult to understand but I think it’s really possible to have two countries in your heart,” Addo said of Iñaki. “And surely he has Ghana in his heart from day one. But also Spain.”

    The story behind the situation is inspiring, and it involves their parents’ decision to leave Ghana nearly 30 years ago to find a better life in Europe.

    Never could Felix and Maria Williams have thought they would end up with two sons playing at the World Cup when they trekked barefoot through parts of a desert and climbed a fence to get into Spain in the early 1990s. Maria was pregnant with Iñaki at the time.

    They settled in Bilbao and both boys grew up to be soccer players. They still play club soccer together for hometown team Athletic Bilbao.

    The brothers careers have always been connected, even after Iñaki decided this year to switch allegiance to Ghana and go back his roots. Them playing for two different countries in the space of 24 hours was, incredibly, not the first time it has happened.

    Iñaki made his debut for Ghana on Sept. 23 this year against Brazil, featuring first this time. Nico made his first appearance for Spain against Switzerland a day later.

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

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  • Iran arrests outspoken player amid World Cup scrutiny

    Iran arrests outspoken player amid World Cup scrutiny

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    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has arrested a prominent former member of its national soccer team over his criticism of the government as authorities grapple with nationwide protests that have cast a shadow over the team as it competes in the World Cup before a global audience.

    The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported Thursday that Voria Ghafouri was arrested for “insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government.”

    Ghafouri, who was not chosen to go to the World Cup, has been an outspoken critic of Iranian authorities throughout his career, objecting to a longstanding ban on women spectators at men’s soccer matches as well as Iran’s confrontational foreign policy, which has led to crippling Western sanctions.

    More recently, he expressed sympathy for the family of a 22-year-old woman whose death while in the custody of Iran’s morality police ignited the latest protests. In recent days he also called for an end to a violent crackdown on protests in Iran’s western Kurdish region.

    The reports of his arrest came ahead of Friday’s World Cup match between Iran and Wales. At Iran’s opening match, a 6-2 loss to England, the members of the Iranian national team declined to sing along to their national anthem and some fans protested.

    The protests were ignited by the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman arrested by the morality police in the capital, Tehran. They rapidly escalated into nationwide demonstrations calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. The western Kurdish region of the country, where Amini was from, has seen particularly intense protests and a deadly crackdown by security forces.

    Ghafouri, who is also a member of Iran’s Kurdish minority, has criticized government policies in the past. Officials have not said whether that was a factor in not choosing him for the national team. He plays for the Khuzestan Foolad team in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

    The protests show no sign of waning, and mark one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s ruling clerics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought them to power. Authorities have blamed the unrest on hostile foreign powers, without providing evidence.

    The protesters say they are fed up after decades of social and political repression, including a strict dress code imposed on women.

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  • Teen Gavi leads Spain to 7-0 rout of Costa Rica at World Cup

    Teen Gavi leads Spain to 7-0 rout of Costa Rica at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — Not since Pelé in 1958 had someone as young as Gavi scored a goal at the World Cup.

    The 18-year-old midfielder led the way Wednesday as Spain pulled off the biggest World Cup victory in its history, routing Costa Rica 7-0.

    “I could never have imagined it,” said Gavi, who was named the game’s most valuable player. “I know I’m the youngest in the team and I respect everyone, but on the field it’s different and I bring out my best.”

    Pelé scored two goals in the 1958 final, when Brazil won its first World Cup by beating Sweden 5-2.

    “I’m proud to be in that podium,” he said. “Not even in my dreams I had imagined this.”

    Gavi only managed to score one goal on Wednesday, but his teammates added plenty of others.

    Not long after Japan surprised Germany 2-1 in the other Group E match, Spain’s young squad avoided any chance of an upset with Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres scoring a goal each in the first half. Torres, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Álvaro Morata added to the lead in the second half.

    In addition to Gavi’s mark, Olmo’s goal was the 100th at World Cups for “La Roja,” which became the sixth nation to score more than 100 times in the tournament.

    It was the first time Spain scored seven goals in a World Cup match, and the first time a team completed 1,000 passes in a 90-minute game at the tournament.

    “Our only goal is to control the game continuously, and to do that you need to have the ball,” Spain coach Luis Enrique said.

    With Gavi and 19-year-old Pedri starting, Spain also became the first European nation with two teenagers in the starting lineup of a World Cup match in 60 years, according to statistics platform Opta.

    Gavi and Pedri were among the many youngsters picked by Luis Enrique in a revamped squad in Qatar — the third-youngest team among the 32 nations, after the United States and Ghana.

    The young duo helped Spain control the pace of the match from the start at Al Thumama Stadium. The 22-year-old Torres, who is dating the daughter of coach Luis Enrique, scored his first World Cup goal from the penalty spot in the 31st minute. The others came during the run of play.

    “When things go your way like this, soccer becomes wonderful,” Luis Enrique said. “We played exceptionally well with and without the ball.”

    Costa Rica looked overwhelmed throughout the game in its third straight World Cup campaign, failing to even get a single attempt on goal. The team came to Qatar hoping to repeat its surprise run to the quarterfinals in 2014 in Brazil, and avoid a repeat of its winless showing four years ago in Russia.

    “We didn’t hold on to the possession as we should have done it,” Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suárez said. “We couldn’t complete three or four passes.”

    Spanish players made it look easy with the ball on their feet, finishing the match with 72% of possession.

    Spain, which didn’t get past the round of 16 in Russia, is trying to break through with a major title after making it to the final of the Nations League and the semifinals of last year’s European Championship. This year the team also qualified for the Final Four of the Nations League for a second straight time. Spain’s last major triumph came at Euro 2012, two years after it won its lone World Cup title in South Africa.

    Only five countries have scored more goals than Spain at the World Cup — Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and France.

    Spain next faces four-time World Cup champion Germany on Sunday in one of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup.

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

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    Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni

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  • Japan gets 2 late goals to beat Germany 2-1 at World Cup

    Japan gets 2 late goals to beat Germany 2-1 at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — Another World Cup day, another World Cup shock.

    Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late goals Wednesday to give Japan a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany.

    Both Doan and Asano play for German clubs.

    “I believe it’s a historic moment, a historic victory. If I think about the development of Japanese soccer, thinking of players, for them this was a big surprise,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, who had five Germany-based players in his starting lineup and three, including the scorers, on the bench.

    “They’re fighting in a very strong, tough, prestigious league. They’ve been building up their strength. In that context we believe that those divisions (Bundesliga and second division) have been contributing to the development of Japanese players,” Moriyasu said. “I’m very grateful for that.”

    Ilkay Gündogan had given four-time champion Germany the lead with a first-half penalty. But Doan, who plays for 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 Bochum, sprinted clear of Nico Schlotterbeck and beat Neuer from a narrow angle in the 83rd minute of the first competitive meeting between the two nations.

    The match was played a day after Argentina’s 2-1 upset loss to Saudi Arabia.

    Before Wednesday’s game, Germany’s players covered their mouths during the team photo in an apparent rebuke to FIFA following its decision to stop plans to wear armbands to protest discrimination in host nation Qatar.

    Nancy Faeser, Germany’s sports minister, attended the match at the Khalifa International Stadium and was sitting beside FIFA president Gianni Infantino while wearing the same “One Love” armband that FIFA had outlawed with its threats of consequences.

    It was only the third time Germany had lost its tournament-opening game after defeats against Algeria in 1982 and Mexico in 2018. In the other World Cup openers for Germany, the team had won 13 matches and drawn four.

    Germany outplayed Japan for much of the match with 24 attempts on goal compared to Japan’s 11. Despite giving away the penalty for a clumsy challenge on left back David Raum, Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda made a string of saves and was player of the game.

    “We fought as a team,” Gonda said. “We have to make sure we never stop.”

    Japan next plays Costa Rica, while Germany faces Spain on Sunday.

    Germany’s buildup was fraught by protests and political statements because of Qatar’s human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers and members of the LGBTQ community.

    Germany was playing at the World Cup for the first time since its shocking group-stage exit as defending champion in 2018, while Japan is appearing in its seventh straight World Cup and is looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

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

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  • First win key in tough World Cup group for Swiss, Cameroon

    First win key in tough World Cup group for Swiss, Cameroon

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    DOHA, Qatar — Even for their opening game at the World Cup, Switzerland against Cameroon has the look of a must-win opportunity in a tough group.

    With talent-packed Brazil and robust Serbia also in Group G, taking three points in the early afternoon heat on Thursday shapes as a key step for each team to advance.

    The task is harder for Cameroon based on recent World Cup form after being swept aside in three straight losses at each of its past two appearances, in 2014 and 2010.

    In that period the Indomitable Lions have scored fewer goals collectively as a team on soccer’s biggest stage than a single Swiss player, Xherdan Shaqiri.

    The score is 4-3 in Shaqiri’s favor since 2010 when he made his World Cup debut as a teenager. Now 31 and playing in MLS with Chicago Fire, Shaqiri returns again as playmaker equalling a Swiss record at his fourth edition of the tournament. Goals will more likely come from in-form Monaco forward Breel Embolo.

    At age 33, Cameroon’s star forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting arrives at his third edition in prolific form at Bayern Munich and looking for his first career World Cup goal.

    Choupo-Moting’s 11 goals in all competitions this season helped plug the gap left by Robert Lewandowski’s departure and lifted Bayern back atop the Bundesliga at the enforced mid-season break.

    Both Cameroon and Switzerland come to Qatar with solid results at their continental championships in the past 18 months though each now with different coaches.

    At the European Championship last year, the Swiss broke a streak of being stopped at the round of 16 in major tournaments by eliminating France on penalties after a 3-3 thriller.

    After losing another shootout in the quarterfinals to Spain, coach Vladimir Petkovic parlayed his rising reputation after seven years into joining Bordeaux. He was fired within months.

    Murat Yakin, a 49-times capped central defender, was hired from coaching a Swiss second-tier club. He immediately impressed by steering the team to finish top of a World Cup qualifying group ahead of European champion Italy.

    Cameroon started the year reaching the semifinals at the African Cup of Nations it hosted — losing on penalties to Egypt — then fired Portuguese coach Toni Conceição.

    Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon’s greatest player and now its federation president, turned to his long-time former teammate Rigobert Song who had a patchy record of results coaching within the national teams’ setup.

    Song was the captain and Eto’o scored the only goal when Cameroon last won a World Cup game, 20 years ago in Japan against Saudi Arabia.

    It is overdue for Africa’s first World Cup quarterfinalist, in 1990, to rediscover winning form.

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

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  • Ronaldo to leave Manchester United ‘with immediate effect’

    Ronaldo to leave Manchester United ‘with immediate effect’

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    DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United “with immediate effect,” the Premier League club said Tuesday, days after he gave an explosive interview criticizing manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners.

    It wasn’t known where the 37-year-old Ronaldo will go next next after failing to secure a move to a Champions League club in the summer.

    “Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early,” Ronaldo said. “I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.

    “I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”

    Ronaldo, who is currently in Qatar with Portugal as he aims to win a first World Cup title for his country, has been left frustrated after being reduced to a fringe member of United’s team this season.

    The Portugal captain said he felt “betrayed” during the 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan, which aired Thursday and in which he was also critical of younger players.

    United said last week that it had initiated appropriate steps in response to his comments, with the cancellation of his contract widely expected.

    “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect,” it said on Tuesday. “The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.”

    That statement didn’t convey the club’s dismay after the unauthorized interview.

    Ronaldo’s sudden exit could also speed up United’s plans to sign a new center forward.

    Ten Hag had planned to address his attack at the end of the season, but may now have to look for a replacement during the January window.

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

    ___

    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • Pele congratulates Weah for World Cup goal against Wales

    Pele congratulates Weah for World Cup goal against Wales

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    DOHA, Qatar — Brazil great Pele congratulated United States forward Timothy Weah for scoring his debut goal in the World Cup in the Americans’ 1-1 draw with Wales.

    Weah got his goal in the 36th minute of Monday’s game to become the first player to score against Wales in a World Cup since Pele, who was 17 years old when he did it in 1958. That was the last time Wales played at the World Cup before this year in Qatar.

    Weah posted a photo of him celebrating the goal on Instagram and Pele congratulated him in the comments section.

    “Congratulations. It was a beautiful goal. Keep dreaming, dreams come true,” Pele wrote.

    Weah responded to “Papa Pele” by thanking him for the “inspiring message.”

    “It is such a blessing and an honor to receive such an inspiring message from The King himself,” Weah wrote. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for the world and us young black men. Grandes Abracos.”

    The 22-year-old Weah is the son of George Weah, the current president of Liberia and the 1995 world player of the year. Weah has scored 18 goals in 75 appearances for the United States.

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

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  • World Cup stunner: Saudi Arabia beats Messi’s Argentina 2-1

    World Cup stunner: Saudi Arabia beats Messi’s Argentina 2-1

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    LUSAIL, Qatar — Lionel Messi stood with his hands on his hips near the center circle, looking stone-faced as Saudi Arabia’s jubilant players ran in all directions around him after pulling off one of the biggest World Cup upsets ever against Argentina.

    The South American champions and one of the tournament favorites slumped to a 2-1 loss Tuesday against the second lowest-ranked team at the World Cup in a deflating start to Messi’s quest to win the one major title that has eluded him.

    Asked how he felt after a painful start to his record fifth World Cup for Argentina, Messi said: “The truth? Dead. It’s a very hard blow because we did not expect to start in this way.”

    Saudi Arabia’s comeback joins the list of other major World Cup upsets: Cameroon’s 1-0 win over an Argentina team led by Diego Maradona in the opening game of the 1990 World Cup; Senegal’s 1-0 victory over defending champion France 1-0 in the 2002 tournament opener; or the United States beating England by the same score in 1950.

    “We know the World Cup is this way,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “Sometimes you can steamroll the opponents and, in a couple of plays, you are losing.”

    That summed up the pattern of a match that started with Messi giving Argentina the lead, calmly converting a penalty in the 10th minute for his 92nd international goal. It had all the makings of a routine win for the defending Copa America champions, who were on a 36-match unbeaten run — one short of the record in international soccer.

    Didn’t turn out that way.

    Goals by Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari in a five-minute span early in the second half gave the Saudis a landmark result in the first World Cup staged in the Middle East. Their previous biggest win was 1-0 over Belgium at the 1994 World Cup, secured by a storied individual goal by Saeed Al-Owairan.

    “All the stars aligned for us,” Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said. “We made history for Saudi football.”

    The 35-year-old Messi, playing in his fifth — and likely his final — World Cup for Argentina, scratched the side of his head and shook hands with a Saudi coaching staff member after the final whistle.

    He walked toward the tunnel with a group of other Argentina players and looked despondent, an all-too-familiar scene for the seven-time world player of the year who has yet to win soccer’s ultimate prize.

    “We are facing two finals now,” said Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez, looking ahead of remaining group matches against Mexico and Poland. “We screwed it up in the second half.”

    The unlikely victory by a team made up entirely of Saudi-based players was sealed by a somersault by Aldawsari, who brought down a high ball just inside the penalty area, spun his way past Nahuel Molina with the help of a ricochet, dribbled past Leandro Paredes and drove a powerful shot to the far corner in the 53rd.

    A stunned Messi watched as Saudi Arabia’s green-clad fans, who had come over the Qatari border in their thousands, celebrated in disbelief in the stands. Saudi Arabia’s substitutes swarmed onto the field to congratulate Aldawsari, who sank to his knees after his post-goal acrobatics.

    “It’s one for the history books,” Renard said.

    Such was Argentina’s initial dominance that Saudi Arabia didn’t have a shot on goal in the first half, during which the Alibiceleste had three goals ruled out for offside as they repeatedly got behind the Saudis’ high defensive line.

    “Some of those decisions were by inches,” Scaloni said, “but that’s technology for you.”

    The 48th-minute equalizer came from Saudi Arabia’s first attempt on target, with Alshehri finding the far corner with an angled finish that went through the legs of defender Cristian Romero and beyond the dive of goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

    Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais made two diving saves during 14 minutes of stoppage time to preserve a win that shakes up the group.

    “This group always stood out for its evenness, its strength, and it is time to be more united than ever,” Messi said. “We have to go back to our training base and try to win the next game.”

    TURNAROUND

    Argentina hadn’t previously lost a World Cup game when leading at halftime since 1930, when the team conceded three goals in the second half to lose to Uruguay 4-2.

    LAST-16 HOPES

    Saudi Arabia strengthened its chances of reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since 1994. “There will just be 20 minutes of celebration for us,” Renard said. “We still have two games — or more.”

    UP NEXT

    Argentina returns to the Lusail Stadium to play Mexico on Saturday. Saudi Arabia takes on Poland on the same day.

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

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    Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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  • World Cup Viewer’s Guide: Messi seeks history with Argentina

    World Cup Viewer’s Guide: Messi seeks history with Argentina

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    DOHA, Qatar — Lionel Messi returns to the World Cup for a fifth attempt at finally winning soccer’s biggest prize.

    He’ll also be hoping to make history with Argentina.

    The Argentines are among the favorites to win in Qatar and victory would fill the one gaping hole in his resume. But a win or a draw Tuesday against Saudi Arabia, one of the weakest teams in the tournament, would give Argentina a record-tying result.

    Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-match unbeaten streak, one shy of tying Italy’s record in international men’s soccer, set from 2018-21.

    Argentina has not lost since falling to Brazil 2-0 in the 2019 Copa América. Argentina first won the World Cup in 1978, and then again in 1986 — one year before Messi was born. The team reached the final in 2014 and lost to Germany, and in a bitter follow-up four years later was eliminated in the round of 16 in Russia.

    Messi, meanwhile, is one of four players making their fifth World Cup appearance. He joins Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mexico teammates Guillermo Ochoa and Andrés Guardado.

    Saudi Arabia was eliminated in the first round in 2018, opening with a 5-0 loss to host Russia. In a tough Group C that includes Mexico and Poland, the Saudis will be trying to advance out of the group stage for only the second time, after 1994. The team has won two of its last 10 matches.

    DEFENDING CHAMPS

    Defending champion France opens play Tuesday against Australia in a rematch from four years ago.

    France won 2-1 in Russia when Paul Pogba’s shot in the 81st minute deflected in off a defender for an own-goal. Pogba is not in the squad following knee surgery, and France is also down another two stars with N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema sidelined.

    France does expect defender Raphael Varane to play following a hamstring injury he picked up in October.

    Kylian Mbappé is ready to lead France to back-to-back titles. He was only 19 when he scored in the final and helped France win the World Cup four years ago. With 28 international goals, Mbappé wants to add to his count in the Group D opener.

    However, France arrived in Qatar with only one win in its last six games.

    Australia barely made the World Cup field and needed a dramatic penalty shootout win over Peru in the playoffs. The Socceroos have been eliminated from the group stage in four of five previous appearances.

    OTHER GAMES

    Mexico faces Poland, while Denmark plays Tunisia on the first of 11 consecutive days in which four games are played each day.

    Poland advanced to the World Cup behind striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored nine goals with four assists in qualifying. His 13 direct-goal involvements were twice as many as any teammate.

    He’s never scored in the World Cup, though, as Poland finished last in its group in 2018. The Barcelona striker is eager to find the net in Qatar.

    “I think about the last World Cup for sure,” Lewandowski said. “To score at a World Cup would be a huge dream and I’m going to do everything for this dream. I hope in this World Cup it will happen. I am glad for everything I have achieved and these memories for the World Cup, so now is the time to enjoy.”

    Poland last advanced out of group stage in 1986.

    Mexico, meanwhile, has advanced out of group play in each of its past eight appearances, last failing to move on in 1978. The national team has also won its opening match in five of its past six World Cups.

    Christian Eriksen figures to play for Denmark against Tunisia, 17 months after he was revived on the field during the European Championship.

    The Manchester United midfielder’s presence will be inspirational for Denmark, which sailed through its World Cup qualifying group by winning its first nine games — with clean sheets through the first eight.

    Tunisia has been strong at keeping games tight but its World Cup record isn’t great: Tunisia has lost 60% of its World Cup games (nine out of 15), trailing only Saudi Arabia and Australia.

    OUTSIDE CHAOS

    The first few days of the World Cup have been been marred by logistical snags, the latest on Monday when fans complained their tickets to the England-Iran match had vanished from their mobile FIFA application.

    Long lines grew outside the Khalifa International Stadium about an hour before kickoff with fans furious they might not get inside.

    The night before, the official fan zone quickly became overcrowded during the opening match between host nation Qatar and Ecuador. Tens of thousands of fans pushed and shoved against police lines to enter the venue, one of the few places where fans could purchase beer and watch the game.

    DAVIES UPDATE

    Canada coach John Herdman is expected to give a medical update on Tuesday regarding Alphonso Davies, who arrived in Qatar last week after receiving treatment on a hamstring strain he picked up this month while playing for Bayern Munich.

    Bayern has said Davies’ participation in Qatar was “not at risk,” but he has not played since the Nov. 5 injury.

    “My mission is to make sure he plays at this World Cup, it’s a childhood dream for him,” Herdman said. “And not to put him in a position where he’s unsafe.”

    Read up on all 32 teams playing at the World Cup.

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

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  • European teams abandon plan to wear armbands at World Cup

    European teams abandon plan to wear armbands at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — FIFA’s threat of on-field punishment for players forced World Cup teams to back down Monday and abandon an anti-discrimination campaign aimed at host nation Qatar.

    The captains of seven European nations won’t wear armbands supporting the “One Love” campaign in games after FIFA said the players would be shown yellow cards. The decision came three days after beer sales at stadiums was suddenly banned under pressure from the Qatari government and two days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino delivered an extraordinary tirade defending the host nation’s human rights record.

    “As national federations we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings,” the seven soccer federations said in a joint statement.

    The climbdown after threats from FIFA came hours before England’s Harry Kane, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Wales’ Gareth Bale were due to wear the armbands in Monday’s games. The captains of Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark had also pledged to wear the armbands in the coming days.

    “Our number one priority at the World Cup is to win the games,” the Dutch soccer federation said in a separate statement. “Then you don’t want the captain to start the match with a yellow card.”

    Monday’s decision shows the political situation surrounding the first World Cup in the Middle East — even after Infantino asked all 32 national teams to keep politics off the soccer field.

    Since being awarded the World Cup hosting rights in 2010, Qatar has faced years of criticism regarding its treatment of low-paid migrant workers as well as it’s criminalization of gay and lesbian sex.

    FIFA raised the prospect of yellow cards on Sunday during a testy meeting with European soccer federations, including the seven teams that pledged to wear the armband.

    The One Love campaign was started in the Netherlands and its symbol is a heart-shaped multi-colored logo aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity in soccer and society.

    However, the European plans were in clear breach of World Cup regulations and FIFA’s general rules on team equipment at its games.

    “For FIFA final competitions, the captain of each team must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA,” the soccer body’s equipment regulations state.

    The armband dispute flared two months ago when 10 European teams said they had joined the longer-standing campaign in Dutch soccer, but it was still not resolved when the seven teams arrived in Qatar.

    FIFA offered its own compromise Monday by saying captains of all 32 teams “will have the opportunity” to wear an armband with the slogan “No Discrimination” in the group games.

    FIFA’s original offer Saturday was that “NoDiscrimination” — the only one of its chosen slogan aligned with the European teams’ wish — would appear only at the quarterfinal stage.

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

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  • Qatar critic Denmark meets Arab nation Tunisia at World Cup

    Qatar critic Denmark meets Arab nation Tunisia at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — When Denmark meets Tunisia in the World Cup on Tuesday it will pit one of the most outspoken critics of the tournament being hosted by Qatar against one of the four Arab nations competing.

    The game at Education City Stadium will also mark Christian Eriksen’s return to a major tournament after his cardiac arrest at last year’s European Championship.

    Denmark has lofty goals following a semifinal appearance at Euro 2020 followed by a near-perfect qualifying campaign, while Tunisia is seeking to advance from the group stage for the first time in its sixth World Cup appearance.

    Since arrival in Qatar, Denmark has been training in kits that are all black to mourn migrant workers who died building infrastructure for the tournament.

    Denmark was also planning on wearing the “One Love” anti-discrimination armband along with other European teams before the campaign was dropped when FIFA threatened to hand out yellow cards.

    “Imagine going on the pitch with a clear yellow card to start with. That is not possible and we have to make sure that it’s not up to the players to make that decision,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said.

    Tunisia coach Jalal Kadri also addressed the armband issue.

    “We are in an Arab country with Islam tradition. We have to respect the culture of other people,” Kadri said in Arabic through an interpreter. “We are here in Qatar and I think the policy in Qatar is to respect everyone’s culture and religious beliefs.”

    Danish Football Union sporting director Peter Møller was critical of how FIFA president Gianni Infantino lectured the media on the eve of the tournament for attacking Qatar’s human rights record and defended the host country’s last-minute decision to ban beer from stadiums.

    “Some of the things he said I don’t agree with. He talks down to journalists and us federations,” Møller said.

    “On the one hand I’m surprised by it but on the other hand it says something that he used an entire speech to discuss what we and other federations are fighting against so he knows well that this is a hot potato and that he needs to deal with it the next time a host is chosen,” Møller added.

    Also last week, Qatari organizers apologized to a Danish television station whose live broadcast from a street in Doha was interrupted by security staff who threatened to break camera equipment; while left-wing Danish newspaper Information announced it’s not covering the World Cup at all in protest of Qatar’s policies.

    Eriksen’s return, though, remains one of the tournament’s most moving stories, less than 18 months after medics used a defibrillator to restart his heart as a horrified nation — and much of the soccer world — watched on as he lay lifeless on the field at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

    It’s the latest step of a remarkable comeback that has already seen Eriksen return to elite soccer in the Premier League, first with London club Brentford and then Manchester United — showing he is still among the world’s best playmakers. He made his national team comeback in March, scoring two minutes after coming on a substitute in a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands. He also netted with a 25-yard shot against Croatia in the Nations League in September.

    “It is special,” Eriksen said. “From the first interview I did from when I came out in public saying I wanted to come back playing, (competing at the World Cup) was my first aim.”

    Inspired by Eriksen’s ordeal and the way Kjær and others helped save him, Denmark’s squad bonded together as an even closer-knit group in the aftermath — and the team’s results have raised expectations.

    “We are dreaming of something big,” Eriksen said. “The belief in this squad, and from (the media), from the fans, was bigger when I came back (compared to) before.”

    Tunisia has produced only two World Cup wins — the first against Mexico in 1978 and then against Panama four years ago in Russia.

    But with fans from the country traveling en masse to the first World Cup in the Middle East, coach Jalel Kadri has indicated he will step down if Tunisia fails to reach the knockout rounds. That’s a tall task in Group D, which also features defending champion France and Australia.

    Tunisia is also counting on loud support from Egyptians and Algerians.

    “All Arab communities will be supporting us,” said Tunisia forward Issam Jebali, who plays for Danish club Odense. “We hope to live up to the expectations of each and every Arab country.”

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

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    Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf

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  • Politics precedes England’s match against Iran at World Cup

    Politics precedes England’s match against Iran at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — The political situation back home has been a regular line of questioning for Iran ahead of the team’s opening Group B match against England at the World Cup.

    Large swathes of people in the country have risen up to protest for women’s rights following the death of Mahsa Amini while being detained for allegedly breaking rules regarding head coverings.

    On Sunday, a journalist from Iran decided to ask England coach Gareth Southgate about British politics, bringing up the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    “I understand the frustration from your team regarding the questions,” Southgate said, referring to near-constant inquiries about the unrest in Iran. “It’s a very difficult situation. And, believe me, I’ve been asked lots and lots of political questions by our media about lots of subjects for six years, so we’re both in the same situation on that.

    “I understand in the position I’m in that there is a responsibility for me to answer some of those questions.”

    Iran captain Ehsan Hajisafi also had to face political questions on Sunday. He paused before giving a considered response.

    “We have to accept that the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy,” Hajisafi said. “We are here, but it does not mean that we should not be their voice or we should not respect them.

    “Whatever we are is from them. We have to fight. We have to perform the best we can and score goals and to present the bereaved people of Iran with the results. And I hope that the conditions change towards the expectations of the people.”

    The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they have declined an invitation from FIFA to attend the World Cup.

    Actor and comedian Omid Djalili, who was born in London to Iranian parents, said Iran should be banned from the tournament and called on England’s players to make a statement in support of those protesting.

    He used Twitter to ask players who score a goal against Iran to mimic cutting their hair, which has been adopted by women in the country as a sign of defiance against the rules of compulsory hijab wearing.

    “My message to England players right now is you have an opportunity to do a very, very small gesture to make massive global impact,” he said. “I think England players, Wales and USA players — when they score, if you just make this one simple of statement of hair, snip, that sends a huge message to the women and girls of Iran.”

    Southgate, who led England to the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of last year’s European Championship, embraced the theme of soccer’s ability to heal when saying he wants to bring joy to the nation amid the rising cost of living in Britain.

    “Look, our challenge is to give our supporters a tournament that’s memorable,” he said. “We’ve taken them on fantastic journeys in our last two tournaments, and we want to bring (them on another).

    “Our country is going also through a difficult spell — not the same as some of the other countries around the world at the moment, but we’re in the middle of an economic recession and life has been difficult for a lot of our people. So, we want them to enjoy their football and have a journey with the team that brings some real happiness.”

    ———

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

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    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • US returns to World Cup against Wales after 8-year wait

    US returns to World Cup against Wales after 8-year wait

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    DOHA, Qatar — Gio Reyna, Joe Scally and Yusuf Musah were 11 years old the last time the United States took the field in a World Cup match. On the 3,066th day after that loss in Brazil, the Americans return to soccer’s showcase with a new-look team dreaming lofty goals and hoping for actual ones.

    Filled with novelty, nerves and naivety, these young Americans take the field against Wales on Monday night in a match a growing fanbase back home has been pining for since 2014.

    “Three years, four years of just working up to this moment, I think all the guys are ready to go,” midfielder Weston McKennie said.

    President Joe Biden called players to offer encouragement ahead of the opener.

    A Friday match against England follows and group play ends Nov. 29 against Iran, which famously eliminated the U.S. from the 1998 World Cup in France.

    Only DeAndre Yedlin, a 29-year-old defender, remains from the American team eliminated by Belgium in the second round eight years ago. Yedlin, Christian Pulisic, Kellyn Acosta and Tim Ream are among just four holdovers from the group that flopped to the field in anguish after the crushing loss at Trinidad in CONCACAF qualifying in October 2017 that ended the streak of U.S. World Cup appearances at seven.

    McKennie debuted a month later in a 1-1 friendly draw at Portugal along with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Tyler Adams, who was appointed captain Sunday at age 23.

    A total of 118 players were tried over 68 matches in a World Cup cycle interrupted by a pandemic, including 91 after Gregg Berhalter was hired as coach in December 2018. He gave debuts to 56 players and took the second-youngest roster to the tournament at an average age of just over 25 years, older than only Ghana.

    Some are already looking ahead four years, to when the U.S. co-hosts the tournament and the core group figures to be in its prime.

    “We want to build a ton of momentum going into 2026, but it all starts now,” Berhalter said.

    Berhalter becomes the first American to play and coach at a World Cup — his 50th minute shot from Claudio Reyna’s corner kick struck German defender Torsten Frings’ arm on the goal line but was not called a hand ball in 2002′s 1-0 quarterfinal loss.

    “I was in my mom’s belly,” quipped Gio Reyna, Claudio’s son, who was born that November.

    Berhalter has installed a high-pressing style and led the Americans to a 36-10-10 record that included titles in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League.

    “The final determination of this group,” he said, “will be at the World Cup. That’s how generations are measured. We can all be talking — that’s great, we beat Mexico three times. Or we won the Gold Cup or the Nations League. But the real measuring stick for this group is certainly going to be how you perform in Qatar.”

    Wales is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1958, led by 33-year-old Gareth Bale and 31-year-old Aaron Ramsey but without injured midfielder Joe Allen. The Dragons advanced to the 2016 European Championship semifinals before losing to eventual champion Portugal and made it to the second round of last year’s Euros before a 4-0 wipeout against Denmark. The lack of World Cup experience has the Welsh as guarded as the Americans heading into the match at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, a renovated 44,000-seat venue west of the capital.

    “They’re a good young squad and have some fantastic players,” Bale said. “We’re under no illusions that they’re here to win the game just as we are, so we know it’s going to be a difficult match tomorrow and I’m sure they know the same thing, too.”

    With Miles Robinson and Chris Richards injured, the American central defense will start a pair from among Walker Zimmerman, Aaron Long, Carter-Vickers or 35-year-old Tim Ream, back on the national team for the first time in 14 months.

    “Tim’s the grandpa of the group,” Adams said.

    Right back Sergiño Dest and McKennie are fit enough to play, but perhaps not enough to start.

    Forward, a position that produced just three goals in qualifying, also is uncertain for the U.S. Josh Sargent, Jesús Ferreira and Haji Wright are the choices.

    Following Berhalter’s surprising decision to drop Zack Steffen, Matt Turner likely will start in goal over Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson. Turner has been limited to four Europa League matches in his first season with Arsenal, the last Oct. 20.

    “I showed the coaching staff here how much I’ve grown as a person and a player,” Turner said.

    Pulisic also has struggled for playing time, getting just five starts for Chelsea this season. Dest made only two starts for AC Milan.

    As the opener approached, Pulisic recalled gathering for World Cup games in the basement of his home in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and watching Landon Donovan score the injury-time goal that beat Algeria in 2010 to earn advancement.

    “The family coming together, wearing all our red, white and blue, just getting excited,” Pulisic said. “It was always a dream of mine. I wanted to be there so bad. But now to be here as a part of this team actually at the World Cup, it’s special. And, yeah, I don’t want to take a moment of this for granted.”

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

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  • Qatar’s World Cup opener shows its reemergence after boycott

    Qatar’s World Cup opener shows its reemergence after boycott

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    AL KHOR, Qatar — Qatar opened the Middle East’s first World Cup on Sunday with its ruler sitting next to the leaders of two countries that only a year and a half earlier had been part of a boycott trying to bring the energy-rich nation to its knees.

    No leaders of major Western countries were seen at the opening ceremony for the tournament in Qatar, which has faced intense criticism, particularly in Europe, over its treatment of migrant laborers and the LGBTQ community.

    The presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi shows how far Qatar has come since the boycott that saw its sole land border and air routes cut off for years as part of a political dispute.

    Also on the dais with leaders was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who provided a vital lifeline to Qatar during the crisis. But missing were the leaders of the two other nations involved the dispute — Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — illustrating that a full rapprochement across the typically clubby Gulf Arab nations remains far off.

    Prince Mohammed smiled broadly and sat only one seat away from Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s ruling emir, at the opening ceremony in Al Khor north of the capital, Doha. Between them was Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, the governing body of world soccer.

    At the height of the crisis, newspaper columns even suggested digging a trench along the 87-kilometer (54-mile) border and filling it with nuclear waste. While rhetorical bluster, it showed how deeply the anger ran in the region amid the dispute — which Kuwait’s then-ruler suggested nearly sparked a war.

    Its root came from Qatar’s stance in supporting the Islamists who rose to power in Egypt and elsewhere following the 2011 Arab Spring. While Qatar viewed their arrival as a sea change in the gerontocracies gripping the Mideast, other Gulf Arab nations saw the protests as a threat to their autocratic and hereditary rule.

    Qatar also faced criticism from the West as groups they funded initially in Syria’s civil war became extremists. Qatar later would deny that it ever funded Islamic extremists, despite criticism from across the American political spectrum from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump.

    Qatar, like Saudi Arabia, follows an ultraconservative version of Islam known as Wahhabism. Yet the country allows alcohol to be served in hotel bars and at a FIFA Fan Zone in the country. Already, some in the country have criticized what they view as Western cultural extravaganzas of the tournament — likely leading to the stadium beer ban.

    Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based arm of the extremist group, issued a communique Saturday criticizing the Qataris for hosting a tournament “bringing immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption and atheism.”

    “We warn our Muslim brothers from following this event or attending it,” the group said, calling on scholars not to support it. However, the al-Qaida arm did not directly threaten the tournament and has been weakened by years of drone strikes from American forces and engulfed by Yemen’s ongoing war.

    On hand Sunday night at the opening was U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

    Kuwait’s crown prince came, along with the director-general of the World Health Organization and Djibouti’s president.

    But the biggest applause came for Sheikh Tamim and his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who secured the tournament back in 2010.

    Meanwhile, Iran sent just its minister of youth and sports — not its hard-line president — as the Islamic Republic faces monthslong protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country’s morality police.

    It was unclear at what level Western nations were represented at the ceremony and the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador. On Saturday, Infantino delivered an unusual speech at a news conference where he scolded Europeans for criticizing Qatar’s human rights record ahead of the tournament, saying they were in no position to give “moral lectures” given their history.

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    Associated Press writer Lujain Jo contributed to this report.

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

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  • Dutch aim for World Cup statements against Mané-less Senegal

    Dutch aim for World Cup statements against Mané-less Senegal

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    DOHA, Qatar — The Netherlands is looking to make two statements in its opening World Cup game on Monday against a Senegal team that has to quickly get over the loss of star forward Sadio Mané.

    The first is strictly about soccer and establishing the team as a contender for the title in Qatar alongside the likes of top-ranked Brazil, defending champion France and Argentina. The Dutch have gained less attention in the buildup to the tournament after failing to qualify for the World Cup in Russia four years ago, but arrive as one of the top form teams in Europe.

    “We have a great chance of also becoming a world champion,” said Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who is back for a third spell in charge. “There are few coaches who dare to speak out like that, but I say this.”

    The second statement the Dutch want to make at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha centers around the long-running criticism of the World Cup host country’s laws and human rights record.

    The Netherlands soccer federation is the leader of the “One Love” anti-discrimination movement and Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk is expected to wear an armband with a multi-colored heart-shaped logo in defiance of a FIFA order to keep politics out of the World Cup.

    The “One Love” armbands are a criticism of Qatar’s laws criminalizing homosexuality. The England and Wales captains have said that they will also ignore FIFA’s directive and wear them when they open their World Cup play on Monday.

    Among international coaches, Van Gaal has been one of the most outspoken critics of letting the small but wealthy emirate host the World Cup, a decision which he has called “ridiculous.” He toned down his criticism this week in his first press conference in Qatar but still made it clear he would have preferred the tournament go to a different country with more soccer “experience.”

    The World Cup will likely be the last major coaching assignment for the 71-year-old van Gaal, who announced this year he has prostate cancer and has been receiving radiation treatment.

    Netherlands has lost three World Cup finals — in 1974, 1978 and 2010 — and although there’s a long road ahead in Qatar, the Group A game against African champion Senegal is the biggest early challenge for the Dutch and a good indicator of how far they might go. Host nation Qatar and Ecuador are the other teams in Group A.

    Netherlands is on a 15-match unbeaten run under Van Gaal, who also coached his country to the semifinals at the 2014 World Cup in one of his previous spells.

    Striker Memphis Depay said he has recovered from a hamstring injury, alleviating the most serious concern for Van Gaal, who said he’ll still likely keep the Barcelona forward on the bench against Senegal.

    Senegal coach Aliou Cissé doesn’t have that option for talisman Mané, who was ruled out of the World Cup on Thursday with injury. Mané, 30, underwent surgery for the right lower leg injury he sustained in a league game for Bayern Munich two weeks ago, removing Senegal’s most potent attacking threat and the heart of the team.

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

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  • Crowded fan zone turns thousands away before Qatar World Cup

    Crowded fan zone turns thousands away before Qatar World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — Authorities turned away thousands of fans Saturday night from a concert celebrating the World Cup beginning the next day in Qatar, showing the challenges ahead for Doha as it tries to manage crowds in FIFA’s most-compact tournament ever.

    Disappointed fans took being turned away largely in stride. Once away from the venue, Qatari police, security guards and others guided the thousands away with giant foam fingers, bullhorns and blinking traffic control wands.

    But the concert comes before the the 1.2 million fans expected for the tournament fully arrive in this nation on the Arabian Peninsula.

    And with Qatar deciding only Friday to ban beer sales from tournament stadiums, fan zones like the one on the corniche hosting the concert will be the only FIFA-associated area serving pints — meaning more fans could wind up there.

    “We know that what the police say here goes,” said a 30-year-old trucker from Mumbai, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals. He and his friends had got a rare day off from Hamad Port to walk 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the fan zone before being turned away.

    “We’re sad to leave because it’s too early,” he added. “There’s nothing we can do.”

    Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the World Cup, did not immediately respond to questions about the fan zone turning away crowds Saturday night.

    Qatar, home to 3 million people, will see its population swell as the tournament begins. Already, it has spent over $200 billion for improvements across this energy-rich country slightly larger than Jamaica.

    That includes a vast new underground metro system that can whisk fans from the airport to matches. It has even closed schools for the month and urged residents to work from home.

    But Associated Press journalists already have seen pinch points where a large number of people can be bunched together even before the tournament begins.

    In Doha’s Souq Waqif, a major tourist destination, a walkway between outdoor restaurants quickly filled shoulder to shoulder Friday night. Its nearby metro station saw long lines, with some pushing and shoving between orderlies and those taking the train.

    Saturday night, however, started much smoother as Friday is the mandatory day off for all workers in the country. Fewer people initially stood along the corniche as a massive fireworks show suddenly went off, illuminating its skyscraper skyline to awed passersby.

    Just after 8 p.m., however, crowds thronged the Fan Zone, hoping to attend a concert featuring Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and Columbian singer Maluma. But as hundreds stood inside a holding pen, thousands more were outside of the venue.

    At one exit, the crowd tried to argue their way inside, with a few spectators slipping past guards. At an entrance, one security guard with a bullhorn pleaded with the crowd: “For your safety, please go back!”

    Still, some stayed and waited, hoping for a chance to get in, like Ayman Awad, a geologist who flew to Qatar on Saturday from Sudan.

    “I won’t give up,” Awad said. “I hope it doesn’t stay this crowded.”

    Many foreign fans, aware of Qatar’s restrictions on free speech, were wary of criticizing the host country as they waited. A group of Saudi tourists who expressed disappointment at the situation to an AP journalist later retracted their quotes for fear of wading into “politics.”

    The Fan Zone at Al Bidda Park plans other major concerts as well during the tournament. But it has taken on new prominence after Friday’s decision to ban alcohol sales at stadiums: It will be one of the few places outside of hotel bars and private residences where fans can have a drink while partying in this conservative Islamic nation.

    On Saturday night, a quick set of calls to several bars in Doha’s West Bay, an area full of high-end hotels, found that all were fully booked the night before the tournament as the Fan Zone was shut. Yet the real test will begin from Sunday, as Ecuador faces Qatar in the opening match and the group stage follows behind — with the crowds to come.

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  • Infantino says double standard behind World Cup critics

    Infantino says double standard behind World Cup critics

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    DOHA, Qatar — FIFA president Gianni Infantino targeted European critics of World Cup host Qatar on Saturday and suggested a moral double standard in his home continent.

    Infantino listed Europe’s problems on the eve of Qatar kicking off its home tournament that has been dogged for years by criticism of the emirate’s record on human rights and treatment of migrant workers who built stadiums and infrastructure.

    “What we Europeans have been doing for the past 3,000 years we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before we start giving moral lessons to people,” Infantino said to hundreds of international media.

    He said Qatar and capital city Doha will be ready to host the “best World Cup ever.”

    “Today I feel Qatari,” Infantino said. “Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel a migrant worker.”

    Infantino related the criticism to bullying and discrimination he said he experienced as a child of Italian parents who moved to work in Switzerland.

    He said European nations now closed its borders to immigrants who wanted to work there, whereas Qatar had offered opportunities to workers from India, Bangladesh and other southeast Asian nations through legal channels.

    Migrant laborers who built Qatar’s World Cup stadiums often worked long hours under harsh conditions and were subjected to discrimination, wage theft and other abuses as their employers evaded accountability, London-based rights group Equidem said in a 75-page report released this month.

    Under heavy international scrutiny, Qatar has enacted a number of labor reforms in recent years that have been praised by Equidem and other rights groups. But advocates say abuses are still widespread and that workers have few avenues for redress.

    “What has been put on the table in the past few months is something quite incredible,” the FIFA leader said of criticism of Qatar from Western media.

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

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  • World Cup fans ready to celebrate despite stadium beer ban

    World Cup fans ready to celebrate despite stadium beer ban

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    DOHA, Qatar — Flag-draped fans poured into Qatar on Friday ahead of the Middle East’s first World Cup as organizers banned the sale of beer at stadiums — a last-minute decision that stunned FIFA sponsor Budweiser but was largely welcomed by the country’s conservative Muslims and shrugged off by some visitors.

    This small, energy-rich country, home to some 3 million people and roughly the size of Jamaica, expects another 1.2 million fans to fly in for the tournament that begins on Sunday.

    After Friday prayers, the talk of Doha became the sudden ruling by the government to halt all beer sales at stadiums.

    Many welcomed the decision in this conservative emirate, which follows the same austere Wahhabi Islam of neighboring Saudi Arabia — despite allowing beers, wine and liquor to be sold at discrete hotel bars in the country. Already, the country’s some 300,000 citizens have criticized the Western excesses of some celebrations and vehemently dismissed criticism of its views on LGBTQ rights.

    “The whole reason why I came to this country is so that I can enjoy and have the facilities and the advantage of living in a modern economy, but with Islamic heritage,” said Mohammad Ali, a 50-year-old doctor from Sheffield, England, who lives in Qatar. “I wouldn’t want to see that lifestyle compromised.”

    “I wouldn’t want with my kids and my family enjoying my time out and being confronted by a drunken — I’m not gonna say a hooligan — but drunken and disorderly fans,” he added.

    Alcohol will still be served in hotels, luxury suites and private homes during the tournament. Budweiser continued its work turning a luxury hotel into a massive themed bar. It won’t be cheap: a standard bottle of beer went for a little over $15.

    In Doha’s Souq Waqif market, 35-year-old Pablo Zambrano of Ecuador shrugged off the news of the beer ban ahead of his country’s opening night match against Qatar on Sunday. He’s staying with his with mother who lives here and said the fridge already is stocked with beer, which foreigners can buy legally in selected depots.

    “There’s things about the alcohol and the women with the dress codes,” Zambrano said, referring to the country’s conservative customs. “It’s different. But it’s going to be good.”

    Zambrano was one of a growing number of fans sightseeing in the traditional market and along the Corniche, a seaside boulevard with views of Doha’s glittering skyline.

    Just down the street, 24-year-old vegetable seller Ajmal Pial from Khulna, Bangladesh, took in the breeze with the city’s skyscrapers stretched out behind him across the waters of the Persian Gulf.

    But instead of his nation’s green and red disc flag, Pial waved Brazil’s over his head as his friend took pictures of him. He and his friends support Argentina and Brazil, two of the tournament favorites.

    For Pial and others, the World Cup represents a pinnacle of work in Qatar and likely a final hurrah before heading home as jobs slow. Labor conditions in Qatar, like much of the Gulf Arab states, have been criticized for exploiting the low-paid workers who built this former pearling port into a desert metropolis.

    Qatar has overhauled its labor laws, but activists have asked for more to be done. There are no guarantees for freedom of speech in Qatar, but Pial said he felt genuinely happy at the chance to see the tournament.

    His friend, 32-year-old Shobuz Sardar, also from Khulna, Bangladesh, said part of that excitement came from the fact that it’s only the second time that an Asian country hosts the World Cup, 20 years after Japan and South Korea co-hosted the tournament.

    He also hinted at the conditions he and other workers from Asia can face in Qatar.

    “You also know that there are too many people all here for work, for jobs,” Sardar said. “They don’t have any option for having fun. This World Cup makes them have fun.”

    Laborers from the Middle East and Asian nations mixed with fans marching up and down the Corniche. Across government buildings and electronic displays, Qatar’s deep purple and white flag with its nine-jagged points seemed to fly nearly everywhere.

    For Qatar, coming off a yearslong boycott by four Arab nations over a political dispute, nearly reaching the opening match shows they were able to overcome. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to visit Qatar during the tournament — showing the close relationship America shares with a nation hosting some 8,000 of its troops at its massive Al-Udeid Air Base.

    On the Corniche as the sun set and the call to prayers could be heard, crowds gathered around a clock counting down to the opening match.

    Qatari fans marched and chanted, waving a banner bearing the face of its ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. That same image of Sheikh Tamim, with the Arabic inscription “Tamim, the Glory,” could be seen everywhere in Doha during the boycott.

    Tarek Mujahid, a 37 year old from Alexandria, Egypt, praised Qatar for being the first Arab nation to host the World Cup.

    “I’m very, very, very, very happy — No. 1 because it’s an Arab country” hosting, he said.

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    Associated Press writers Nebi Qena and Lujain Jo contributed to this report.

    ———

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

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  • Saka ready to thrive at World Cup after racist attacks

    Saka ready to thrive at World Cup after racist attacks

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    DOHA, Qatar — Bukayo Saka has put the racist abuse he experienced at last year’s European Championship behind him, England teammate Aaron Ramsdale said Friday.

    The Arsenal forward was targeted on social media after missing a penalty in the shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were also subjected to attacks.

    Saka was only 19 at the time and visibly shaken by the experience in front of England fans at Wembley Stadium. But he has recovered to play a pivotal role in Arsenal’s resurgence, which has seen the London club build up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

    Ramsdale, who also plays for Arsenal, has seen up close how he has recovered from the experience and grown as a player.

    He believes Saka will be one of the standout performers at the World Cup.

    “There is no doubt about that, off the pitch and on it, he’s a more complete person,” the goalkeeper said. “I’m trying to find the right words (to describe how he’s handled it). Impeccably, probably.

    “The kid’s a lovely boy, he has time for everyone, works super hard throughout every week. Very, very rarely misses a training session and used all that as motivation. The criticism, but also, more so, the love that everyone gave him, gave him an extra boost.”

    Saka was one of the breakthrough talents for England at the tournament and is now a fixture in the squad.

    Ramsdale said his teammate has also benefited from taking on so much responsibility at Arsenal.

    “Don’t forget he had the pressure of the whole club on him last year — him and Emile Smith Rowe were our main guys — and he has dealt with that, he’s dealt with everything else,” Ramsdale said at England’s training base. “He is thriving and I can’t wait to see him thrive over here.”

    ———

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

    ———

    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • More Twitter workers flee after Musk’s ‘hardcore’ ultimatum

    More Twitter workers flee after Musk’s ‘hardcore’ ultimatum

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    Twitter continued to bleed engineers and other workers on Thursday, after new owner Elon Musk gave them a choice to pledge to “hardcore” work or resign with severance pay.

    Some took to Twitter to announce they were signing off after Musk’s deadline to make the pledge. A number of employees took to a private forum outside of the company’s messaging board to discuss their planned departure, asking questions about how it might jeopardize their U.S. visas or if they would get the promised severance pay, according to an employee fired earlier this week who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

    While it’s not clear how many of Twitter’s already-decimated staff took Musk up on his offer, the newest round of departures means the platform is continuing to lose workers just at it is gearing up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. one of the busiest events on Twitter that can overwhelm its systems if things go haywire.

    “To all the Tweeps who decided to make today your last day: thanks for being incredible teammates through the ups and downs. I can’t wait to see what you do next,” tweeted one employee, Esther Crawford, who is remaining at the company and has been working on the overhaul of the platform’s verification system.

    Since taking over Twitter less than three weeks ago, Musk has booted half of the company’s full-time staff of 7,500 and an untold number of contractors responsible for content moderation and other crucial efforts. He fired top executives on his first day as Twitter’s owner, while others left voluntarily in the ensuing days. Earlier this week, he began firing a small group of engineers who took issue with him publicly or in the company’s internal Slack messaging system.

    Then overnight on Wednesday, Musk sent an email to the remaining staff at Twitter, saying that it is a software and servers company at its heart and he asked employees to decide by Thursday evening if they want to remain a part of the business.

    Musk wrote that employees “will need to be extremely hardcore” to build “a breakthrough Twitter 2.0” and that long hours at high intensity will be needed for success.

    But in a Thursday email, Musk backpedaled on his insistence that everyone work from the office. His initial rejection of remote work had alienated many employees who survived the layoffs.

    He softened his earlier tone in an email to employees, writing that “all that is required for approval is that your manager takes responsibility for ensuring you are making an excellent contribution.” Workers would also be expected to have “in-person meetings with your colleagues on a reasonable cadence, ideally weekly, but not less than once per month.”

    As of 7 p.m. Pacific Time, the No. 1 topic trending in the United States was “RIPTwitter” followed by the names of other social media platforms: “Tumblr,” “Mastodon” and “MySpace.”

    Twitter did not respond to a message seeking comment.

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